



DENDROLOGY. 167 



of a regular shape and tufted foliage : in the winter when its 



leaves are fallen, the fewness of its branches and the size of the 



terminal ones, which are very large, in comparison with those of 



other trees, give it a peculiar appearance somewhat resembling 



a dead tree. This is probably the reason of its being called 



Chicot, stump tree, by the French Canadians. To this peculiar 



character is added another of the epidermis, which is extremely 



rough, and which detaches itself in small, hard, transverse strips, 



rolled backward at the ends, and projecting sufficiently to render 



the tree distinguishable at the first sight. The leaves are 3 feet 



long, and 20 inches wide on young and thriving trees ; on old 



ones they are not more than half as large. These leaves are 



doubly compound, with oval-acuminate leaflets from one to two 



inches long, which are of a dull green, and in autumn the petiole 



is of a violet color. The barren and fertile flowers are borne on 



different trees. The flowers open from May to July and are 



white and large. The fruit consists of large bowed pods, of a 



reddish-brown color, and of a pulpy consistency w r ithin. They 



contain several large, gray seeds which are extremely hard. 



The wood of the coffee tree is very compact and of a rosy 

 hue. The fineness of its grain renders it fit for cabinet making, 

 and its strength proper for building. Like the locust, it has a 

 valuable property of rapidly converting its sap into perfect wood, 

 so that a trunk six inches in diameter has only six lines of sap, 

 and may be employed almost entire. The live bark is very 

 bitter, so that a morsel no bigger than a grain of maize chewed 

 for some time produces a violent irritation of the throat. 



HOPEA. 







Polyadelphia Polyandria. Linn. Guaiacana?. Juss. Tonic, warming, 



stomachic. 



Sweet Leaf. Hopea tinctoria. 



The Sweet Leaf is common in Virginia, West Tennessee and 

 in the upper part of the Carolinas and of Georgia ; but it is still 

 more abundant within the limits of the pine-barrens, where the 



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