2016 



ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. 



PART 111 



Sunonymes. Ciirpinus virginldna Abb. Iris., 2. p. 151., Lam. Encyc, 1. p. /OO , W//W. Arb., 55., 

 PluX: Alm.,1. t. 15(i. f. 1., A'. Du Ham., 2. p.200. ; CArpinus O'strya virgini^na Mtchx. Fl. Bor. 

 Amer., 2. p 2(J2. ; C. O'strya Michx. N. Amcr. Syl., 3. p. 30. ; Iron Wood, Lever Wood, Amer. ; Uois 



Englamngs.'^'h\>\>. Ins., 2. t. 75. ; Pluk. Aim., t. Lie. f. 1. j ? N. Amer. Syl., 3. p. 109. ; and our 

 fig. 1940. 



Spec. Char., Sfc. Strobiles ovate-oblons, erect. Leaves ovate-oblong, acu- 

 minate. Buds acute. ( Willd.) A tr^ee, from 15 ft. to 40 ft. higii ; a native 

 of North America. Introduced in 1692. The Virginian hop hornbeam, or 

 iron wood, generally forms a tree about 30 ft. high, growing more rapidly 

 than O. vulgaris, and diftcring from that species, according to WiUdenow 

 and Puish,^chiefly in the position of its female catkins, which are upright, 

 instead of being pendulous. The tree, according 

 to Michaux, is easily known, in winter, by its 

 smooth greyish bark, which is finely divided, and 

 detached in strips of not more than a line in breadth. 

 The wood is perfectly white, compact, fine-grained, -^ 

 and very heavy. The concentrical layers are closely 

 compressed, and their number, in a trunk only 

 •tin. or 5 in. diameter, evinces the length of time 

 which it requires for the tree to attain even this 

 inconsiderable size. The leaves are alternate, 

 oval-acuminate, and finely and unequally denticu- 

 lated. " The small, hard, triangular seed is con- 

 tained in a species of oval inflated bladder, covered, 

 at the age of maturity, with a fine down, which 

 causes a violent irritation of the skin if carelessly handled." {Michx.') The 

 iron wood is distributed through all North America, from New Brunswick 

 to Florida. It is, however, never found in masses, but is loosely dis- 

 seminated through the forests, and only found in cool, fertile, shaded 

 situations ; and Michaux adds that he never saw it more vigorous than 

 in Genessee, near Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. In consequence of the 

 small size of the tree, the wood is but little used ; though Michaux in- 

 forms us that levers are made of it, with which the trees are raised that 

 have been felled in clearing the ground, and transported to the pile where 

 they are to be burned. " Near New York, brooms and scrubbing-brushes 

 are made of it, by shredding the end of a stick of suitable dimensions." 

 It was introduced into France by the elder Michaux ; and some trees of 

 it, planted on the estate of Du Hamel, at Monceau, have ripened seed, 

 and sown themselves; so that there is now a young wood of it growing up. 

 The Virginian hop hornbeam was introduced into England by Bishop 

 Compton, in 1692 ; and there are plants of it in some collections, as, for 

 example, in the Horticultural Society's Garden, and at Messrs. Loddiges's. 

 The tree bears so close a resemblance to the European hop hornbeam, 

 that, in all probability, it is not specifically different, though it appears to 

 be somewhat more tender. 



Genus VI. 



C'ORYLUS L. TiiK ILazkl. Lin. Sj/.sl. Mono; Via Polyandria. 



Identification, ^^n. Gen., No. 1074.; Uelch. 1172.; Schreb., 1450.; Gaertn., t. 89. ; Tourn., 347.; 



Malp., 220,221, i24. ; Juss., 410. ; N. Du Ham., 4. l>. 17.; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 470. 

 Synonymes. Coudrier, Fr. ; Haselnuss, Gcr. 

 Derivation. According to sonic, from korii.s, a helmet ; the fruit, with its involucre, appearing as 



if covered with a bonnet ; and, according to others, from the Greek word kariton, a nut. 



Description, Sfc. Deciduous shrubs or low trees, natives of Europe, Asia, 

 and America; one of them, ('. Cohirna, a timber tree of middle size. 



