Key for Identification of Hardwoods 155 



c. Wood soft and light; pores not visible 



without a lens; crowded and occupying 

 nearly all the space between pith rays; 

 sapwood usually much more than i inch 

 wide ; color yellowish white, often with a 

 greenish tinge in heartwood; annual 



rings clearly denned 



TULIP ("YELLOW POPLAR") 



d. Wood rather heavy but soft; cross-grained 



and tough; sapwood grayish; heart- 

 wood dingy reddish brown ; annual rings 

 not distinct even with a lens RED GUM 



e. Wood soft, light, straight-grained; heart- 



wood creamy brown with occasional 

 darker streaks; sapwood creamy white, 

 wide, and not sharply denned from the 

 heartwood ; pores small but distinct with 

 lens; not crowded, occupying less than 

 one half the space between pith rays, and 

 ordinarily decreasing in number and size 

 toward the outer portion of each annual 



ring . . BASSWOOD 



3. Pith rays scarcely distinct without a lens, yet 



if viewed with a magnifier plainly visible. 



Sapwood whitish; heartwood reddish BIRCH 



D. Pores in springwood usually visible without a lens; 

 pith rays not visible or else indistinct, even if 

 viewed with a magnifier. 



i. Wood very soft and light; white or in shades of 

 brown; usually with a silky luster; sap- 

 wood not clearly defined, but passing 

 gradually into heartwood . . COTTONWOOD 



