N. ORD.~CUPULIFPERAS. 159 
Tribe.—CARPINEA. 
GENUS.—OSTRYA,* MICHELI. 
SEX. SYST.—MONCECIA POLYANDRIA. 
OSL RE 
HOP-HORNBEAM. 
SYN.—OSTRYA VIRGINICA, WILLD.; CARPINUS OSTRYA-AMERICANA; 
MICHX.; C. OSTRYA, MICHX. f. 
COM. NAMES.— AMERICAN HOP-HORNBEAM, IRON-WOOD,;} LEVER- 
WOOD; (GER.) HOPFENHAINBUSCHE. 
A TINCTURE OF THE HEART-WOOD OF OSTRYA VIRGINICA, WILLD. 
Description—This small forest-tree seldom attains a growth of over 30 feet 
in height and a diameter of 8 inches. Bark of the younger trees birch-like, of the 
older ones, much resembling that of the white oak, although its furrows are nar- 
rower. zds acute, their leaves plaited upon the veins. Leaves ovate-oblong, 
taper-pointed, pinnately-veined, smooth above, and downy beneath especially upon 
the veins; margin sharply, doubly or irregularly serrate. /uflorescence dicecious, 
the flowers appearing with the leaves; sterile flowers in drooping, cylindrical 
aments, consisting of several stamens in the axil of each bract, and terminating 
the branches of the previous year’s growth; fertile flowers in short catkins, a pair 
under each deciduous bract, and terminating the short shoot of the season; zxzvo/- 
ucral sacs bristly hairy at the base. Calyx of the fertile flowers adherent to the 
ovary; Zimb bearded. Stamens 8 to 10 or more; filaments short, once irregularly 
forked ; anthers 1-celled, one on each branch of the fork (a single, divided, 2-celled 
anther ?), hairy at the apex. Ovary incompletely 2-celled and 2-ovuled, enclosed 
in a tubular bractlet; s¢y/e short; s¢/gmas 2, long and linear. Fruit an oblong- 
ovoid, pendulous, strobile-like cluster of several membraneous involucral sacs, each 
enclosing a smooth, achenious nutlet. Read the description of the natural order, — 
page 158. : 
History and Habitat—The Hop-Hornbeam is indigenous to Eastern North 
America from Florida northward. It is commonly found in rich woods anywhere 
within its limit, and flowers in April, its peculiar fruit being fully ripe in August. 
The other American Iron-wood, Car~inus Americana, need never be confounded 
with this species, as it is much more like a beech. 
* The classical name, from osrpeov, ostreon, a scale, alluding to the peculiar fruit. 
+ Also applied to the hornbeam, Carpinus Americana, Michx. 
