96 



Common Trees 



BLACK GUM 



Nyssa sylvatica, Marshall 



THE Black Gum, also called Sour Gum, Tupelo, and 

 Pepperidgc, is at its best in autumn when the entire 

 crown is often clothed with a complete garment of flaming 

 red. In winter when the foliage is off it has a strikingly 

 picturesque form. The stem often continues from the base 

 to the tip without 

 dividing. In young and 

 middle-aged trees the 

 top branches take an 

 upright position, the 

 lower ones droop, while 

 those along the middle 

 stand out horizontally. 



The leaves are simple, 

 alternate, 2 to 5 inches 

 long, oval, blunt-point- 

 ed, wedge-shaped at the 

 base, smooth along 

 margin. 



The twigs are 

 smooth, grayish-brown, 

 and dotted with cres- 

 cent-shaped 1 c a f-scars 

 each marked with three 

 d i s tinct bundle-scars. 

 The buds are reddish- 

 brown and scattered 

 alternately along twigs. 



On young trunks the bark is smooth to scaly. It breaks 

 into squarish reddish-brown to black blocks on older stems. 



The fruit is a dark blue fleshy berry about two-thirds of 

 an inch long. Each berry contains a single hard-shelled seed. 

 Several berries usually occur in a slender-stalked cluster. Some 

 birds eat the berries freely. 



The wood is very tough and cross-grained. It is hard to 

 work, warps easily, and is not durable in contact with the 

 soil. Farmers have disliked the wood ever since they at- 

 tempted to split it for rails. In the hard coal mines it is used 

 for rollers carrying ropes and cables. 



The Black Gum is found from Maine to Florida, west to 

 Michigan and Texas. It occurs throughout Ohio, but is 

 most common in the eastern half of the State. The best 

 growth is made in wet places. This tree rarely exceeds 60 

 feet in height and 2 feet in diameter. 



BLACK GUM 



Leaves and fruit, one-third natural size. 



Twig, natural size. Bud and leaf-scar, 



enlarged. 



