n8 Xdtiue Trees of Kentucky 



b. Black Gum Nyssa sylvatica. 



The Black Gum is found scattered among other hard woods 

 all over the State. 



The wood is heavy, tough, cross-grained, and hard to work. 

 It is used for pulleys, ox-yokes and hubs. 



The brilliant, autumn foliage of the Black (nun, or Tupelo, 

 makes the tree a handsome ornament for parks and lawns. 



Tupelo is an Indian word ; Nyssa is the name of a water 

 nymph, applied by Linnaeus to these trees because of their aquatic 

 habit. 



The flowers, appearing from April to June, are of two kinds 

 on slender hairy stems : staminate in thick clusters, pistillate 

 usually in clusters of three. 



Tree medium size ; main trunk continuous ; branches short, 

 rigid, drooping. 



Bark deeply furrowed, scaly. 



Leaves alternate, simple, blunt at the tip, glossy. 



Fruit berrv-like, small, acid, blue. 



