THYMELAEACEAE 



207 



DIRCA PALUSTRIS Linnaeus 



Leatherwood Moosewood 



The Leatherwood, fig. 53, is a widely branching shrub that 

 reaches a height of more than 6 feet and has smooth, gray- 

 barked stems of large diameter. The exceedingly tough bark 

 gives rise to the common name, Leatherwood. The branches 



FIG. 53 

 Dirca palustris 



and branchlets have peculiar nodes, readily recognized when 

 once seen, that frequently are described as "socket joints." The 

 simple, alternate leaves, which stand on very short petioles, 

 are for the most part obovate or oval and 1]/^ to 4 inches long 

 by 1 to 2l/2 inches wide. The margins are entire, and the blades 

 are obtuse at the apex and rounded or narrowed at the base. 

 The leaf is pubescent w^hen young but soon becomes entirely 

 glabrous. 



The flowers, which appear in April before the leaves emerge 

 from terminal and upper buds, stand in clusters of 3 on short 

 peduncles. They are light yellow and less than l4 inch long. 

 The scales inclosing buds are densely brown-pubescent on the 

 outside and are slow to fall. The fruit, a 1 -seeded drupe which 



