V. THE BIRCH FAMILY. 201 



FAMILY V. THE BIRCH FAMILY. BETTJLACEJE. Richard. 



The birch family consists of graceful trees and shrubs, na- 

 tives of the colder regions of each hemisphere, with alternate, 

 entire, dentate or serrate, deciduous leaves. The sterile and 

 the fertile flowers are arranged in distinct aments on the same 

 plant. The male flowers are in cylindrical, pendent tassels or- 

 aments, made up of three-flowered scales, on the sides or ends 

 of the branchlets, the female in shorter, thicker aments, usually 

 erect, of two- or three-flowered scales, with long, diverging, col- 

 ored stigmas. Both are made up of imbricate scales. The 

 fruit, called a strobile, is the enlarged female anient, usually 

 more or less egg-shaped, sometimes cylindrical. The aments 

 are formed in the summer, or early autumn, and remain un- 

 protected through the winter. 



The bark is thin, and generally arranged in thin flakes, and 

 has astringent properties. The root is rather large, with long, 

 tapering branches, and numerous radicles. The wood is soft, 

 close, and fine-grained, rather light, and not durable when ex- 

 posed to alternations of dryness and moisture. Several of the 

 birches are valuable as timber trees, most of them as fuel, and 

 all as ornaments in the landscape. They abound in the north- 

 ern parts of America, and are sometimes found in the moun- 

 tains of Mexico and countries farther south. 



The great defect of birch timber is its proneness to decay. 

 This may be in a degree prevented by felling the tree in sum- 

 mer, or in early autumn, and immediately stripping off the 

 bark. So long as the bark remains, the sap and other moisture 

 favorable to decay, is kept in, and the seasoning prevented. 



The birches have a great abundance of sap, which is some- 

 times obtained in large quantities by tapping the vigorous trees. 

 It is sweetish, with an agreeable acid taste, and forms a pleas- 

 ant drink. It is said to be sometimes used, with perry, in the 

 manufacture of what seems to be, while new, tolerably good 

 Champagne wine. It is also used to make vinegar. The inner 

 bark of some species is used to give a bright orange dye. 

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