DECIDUOUS ORNAMENTAL TREES. 189 



It takes its name from the cinnamon or reddish color of the 

 outer bark on the young trees ; when old it becomes rough, 

 furrowed, and greenish. The leaves are light green on the 

 upper surface, whitish beneath, very pointed at the end, 

 and terminated at the base in an acute angle. The twigs 

 are long, flexible, and pendulous ; and the limbs of a brown 

 color, spotted with white. 



The European White birch. {B. alba.) This species, 

 the common birch tree of Europe, is intermediate in appear- 

 ance and qualities between our Canoe birch and White 

 birch. The latter it resembles in its foliage, the former in 

 its large size and the excellence of its wood. There is a 

 distinct variety of this, to which we have alluded, called 

 the Weeping birch (Var. pendula), which is very rapid in 

 its growth, and highly graceful in its form. From the great 

 beauty of our native species, this is perhaps the only Euro- 

 pean sort which it is very desirable to introduce into our 

 collections. 



The Alder Tree. Alnus. 

 Nat. Ord. Betulaceae. Li7i. Syst. Monoecia, Tetrandria. 



The alder tree is a native of the whole of Europe, where 

 It grows to the altitude of from thirty to sixty feet. Our 

 common Black alder {A. glaiica), and Hazel-leaved alder 

 {A. serrulata), are low shrubs of little value or interest. 

 This, however, is a neat tree, remarkable for its love of 

 moist situations, and thriving best in places even too wet 

 or the willows ; although it will also flourish on dry and 

 elevated soils The leaves are roundish in form, wavy, and 



