210 



THE BOOK OF FORESTRY 

 THE BIRCHES 



YELLOW BIRCH 



Betula lutea 



WHITE OR PAPER BIRCH 



Betula papyrifera 



BARK 



Light yellow and separating into 

 thin narrow curly sheets. On 

 older trees becomes dark 

 reddish brown. 



BARK 



Creamy white outside, pinkish 

 tinge beneath separating into 

 thin papery layers. Resinous 

 and formerly used for canoes. 



LEAVES 



Leaves 3"-4i" long by H"-2" 

 wide. Edge divided into 2 sets 

 of teeth large and small. 



LEAVES 



2"-3" long, 1$" wide, generally 

 oval in shape. Edge also 

 double toothed. 



RANGE 

 Maine to Minnesota, south to 



Tennessee, 

 the North. 



More common in 



RANGE 



New England, through North 

 Dakota to Northwestern 

 Washington, as far south as 

 Northern Nebraska. 



BLACK OR SWEET BIRCH 



Betula lenta 



BARK 



Dark lustrous, resembling bark of 

 young cherry. Bark on twigs has 

 pronounced taste. 



LEAVES 



2 "-6" long by 2"-3" wide with sharp 

 incurved teeth. 



RANGE 



Maine to Central Iowa, south to 

 Western Florida. 



The birches in addition to yielding wood for furniture 

 and interior finish also supply spools, shoe pegs, veneers, 

 etc. There are ten species in the United States. 



