124 



SYLVA AMERICANA. 



smooth on both surfaces, heart-shaped at the base, very acuminate, 

 and doubly and irregularly toothed. The petioles are slightly 

 twisted, and the leaves are thus rendered more tremulous than 

 those of trees on which this disposition is not observed. The 

 buds, a few days after their developement, are slightly coated 

 with a yellowish, odoriferous substance. The trunk of this 

 species is covered with a white, but most generally light gray 

 bark resembling the canoe birch ; but its epidermis, on being 

 separated from the cellular integument, is incapable of being 

 divided like that of the preceding species, into thin sheets. It 

 flowers in July. 



The wood of this birch is very soft, brilliant when polished, 

 and perfectly white. From its speedy decay, and from the 

 inferior size of the tree it is employed for no use as timber. It 

 makes very good fuel when green, and the charcoal produced 

 from it is superior to that of white maple. 



Red Birch. Betula rubra. 



In Pennsylvania and New 

 Jersey the name of Red 

 Birch is given to the Betula 

 rubra, to distinguish it from 

 the white birch ; but farther 

 south, where the white birch 

 does not exist, or is compar- 

 atively rare, this species is 

 simply called Birch. The 

 northern part of New Jersey 

 may be assumed as the most 

 northern point at which this 

 species of birch is found. 

 It is abundant in Pennsylva- 

 nia, Maryland, Virginia and 

 the upper part of the Caro- 

 linas and Georgia. This 

 birch is not, like the other species of this genus, seen growing in 



PLATE XIV 

 Fig. 1. A leaf. 



Fig. 2. A barren ament. 



