ERICACEAE 



SOURWOOD 



Oxydendrum arbor eum (L.) DC. 



HABIT. A small to medium-sized tree 20-50 feet high and 

 2^-1 foot in diameter (max. 80 by 2 feet); narrow, rounded 

 crown. 



LEAVES. Alternate; simple; deciduous; 5-7 inches long; 

 oblong to lanceolate; thin; finely toothed; nearly glabrous; dark 

 green and lustrous above, paler beneath; sour tasting; turning 

 scarlet in autumn. 



FLOWERS. Regular; perfect; small; in delicate panicles of 

 racemes 6-8 inches long; corolla white, bell-shaped, 5-lobed, 

 Yi inch long; appearing after the leaves. 



FRUIT. A 5-valved, 5-lobed, dry, persistent capsule V3-V2 

 inch long; terminated by a persistent style. Seed: V^ inch long, 

 pointed, pale brown. 



TWIGS. Slender; glabrous; yellow-green to red-brown. Win- 

 ter buds: terminal absent; lateral small, scaly, red-brown, 

 partially embedded in bark. 



BARK. Thick; gray, tinged with red; furrowed; with broad, 

 scaly ridges. 



WOOD. Unimportant; heavy; hard; diffuse-porous; red- 

 brown. 



SILVICAL CHARACTERS. Rather tolerant; dry, well- 

 drained sites; does not like limy soils; an attractive ornamental; 

 a monotypic genus. 



* * * 



Tree Sparkleberry. Farkleberry 



Vaccinium arboreum Marsh. 



This shrub or small tree of the blueberry-cranberry genus 

 is found on moist well-drained sites. It is characterized by 

 alternate, simple, persistent (deciduous during winter in north) 

 leaves which are obovate to oblong, entire or minutely toothed, 

 leathery, dark green and lustrous above and paler beneath, and 

 \-2y2 inches long; small, white, bell-shaped flowers either 

 solitary or in racemes; and a black, globose, dry, scarcely edible 

 berry about Vi inch long which persists on the branch into 

 the winter. 



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