Native Trees of Kentucky 37 



A. HORNBEAM GENUS CARPINUS. 

 American Hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana. 



The American Hornbeam is a small tree, growing everywhere 

 in Kentucky along waterways, under the shade of taller trees. 



The wood is dense, hard and so difficult to work that it has 

 merited the name of Hornbeam. 



The trunk is characterized by long sinewy swellings that twist 

 slightly up to the branches. The close gray bark gives the name 

 Water Beech to the tree. It is of slow growth, but well adapted 

 for ornamental planting. 



Tree low, with irregular branches, slender, stiff twigs. 



Bark close, bluish gray, smooth like Beech. 



Leaves long, pointed, irregularly doubly toothed, unequal 

 sided at base. 



Fruit loose terminal clusters of leaf-like, 3-lobed bracts, each 

 containing a pair of small, hard nuts. 



B. HOP HORNBEAM GENUS OSTRYA. 

 Ironu'ood Ostrya virginiana. 



The Ironwood or Hop Hornbeam occurs among the low trees, 

 forming the understory of dry fertile woodlands throughout the 

 State. The wood is close-grained, so hard and tough that it is 

 known in commerce as Ironwood, and is used for small articles 

 where durability is a necessity; such as mallets, wedges, tooth- 

 handles and levers. It resembles liirch in leaf spray and ar- 

 rangement of green catkins, which hang all winter in groups of 

 three from the ends of branches. The fruit so closely resembles 

 the fruit of the garden Hop vine that it has given the name to 

 the tree. 



Tree small, slender round head, often broad as high. 



Bark light brown, furrowed into scaly ridges which flake off. 



Leaves thin, doubly toothed, long pointed with short hairy 

 stems. 



Fruit clusters of bladder-like leaves, each containing a small, 



hard seed. 



