390 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



itat on the wet bottom lands of tlie AYabash and its tributary, the White 

 river; the lower Ohio and its tributaries, the Little AVabash, the Cumberland 

 and the Tennessee. It is also found in the extensive swampy region of the 

 Mississippi about jSTew Madrid, in southeastern Missouri and the adjoining 

 portion of Arkaiisas, as well as in the neighboring low-lands of the western 

 portions of Kentucky and Tennessee, and on the Obion river. 



In all this region of silty soil, a part of the great delta, the forests produce 

 this particular catalpa, the locality being in these six adjoining States. It 

 has also been found on the lied River, near the southwestern portion of 

 Arkansas, and probably on most of the tributaries of the Great River, to 

 which, howevv^r, these recent special investigations have not been extended. 

 In all the territory above indicated, and which has been critically explored, 

 the Speciosa Catalpa has been discovered in a state of nature; not one of the 

 Georgia kind, the recognized type of the species C bignonioides of Walter, has 

 been seen, except where planted by the hand of man. 



CHARACTERS OF THE TREE. 



These must be given in popular rather than in botanical or scientific terms, 

 and in words of comparison to differentiate it from the kind so widely planted 

 and so well known as is the species (the Georgia tree) which has been spread 

 eastwardly from the Savannah to Cape Cod, and westerly from the Hudson to 

 the Republican Fork of the Kansas River, in Kansas. 



Diagnosis — The western catalpa may be thus diagnosed in detail : 



Tree — Tall and majestic in its native forests, sometimes reaching an 

 immense size, with long logs and spreading tops, the limbs rather scattering, 

 while the species often has short, leaning and crooked stems, and low, 

 stra.frgling branches, especially when standing alone, whereas the Speciosa, in 

 similar situations, is erect and taller; though pretty well furnished w'ith 

 branches, these on account of the broad foliage are, however, less numerous 

 than in other kinds of trees. 



lUe harh — Is very characteristic, being snug and compact, moderately 

 thick, and furrowed longitudinally, not disposed to scale off in thin plates as 

 that of the species does after it has grown a few years, say ten or twelve; 

 though it is true a few loosened scales may be seen on the bark of some old 

 trees of the Speciosa, particularly where it is crowded at the points of branch- 

 ing of large limbs. The bark of the two trees may be compared in this 

 respect to that of apple and pear trees of the same age and under similar con- 

 ditions — the one scales off easil}^ while the other increases in thickness by 

 retaining the outer layers. 



Though perhaps unworthy of consideration as botanical characters, these 

 peculiarities will be appreciated by the practical forester, and valued as 

 important cletnents in his stock of wood-lore. Ilis knowledge of trees is often 

 brought into requisition, and he is required to identify them when the higher 

 and more precise means of a botanical diagnosis afforded by the foliage, the 

 inflorescence and the fructification are all wanting, and he is thrown back 

 upon the more general characters of the form or habit, the arrangement of 

 the ])hyllotaxy, the appearance of the bark, and even the color and grain of 

 the wood itself. 



Inflorescence — The flowers of the Speciosa are much larger and the color of 

 the bell-shaped corolla is a purer white; the internal markings of purple and 

 yellow are also more distinct. The blossoms open from two to three weeks 

 sooner than those of the Eastern kind, which have also a violet tint pervading 



