246 BIRCH FAMILY 



with 2 long stigmas, ovules 2; nut ovoid or oblong, smooth and shiny, at 

 the bottom of an inflated sack, the mature pistillate catkin hop-like. 



A genus of 4 species. Beside the following another occurs in the 

 southwestern part of the U. S., one in Europe and Asia, and one in Japan. 



Ostrya virginiana (Miller) K. Koch 1876 Hop Hornbeam 



Ironwood 



A tree 7-13 m. (22-42 ft.) high, bark brown, finely furrowed and 

 scaly, twigs of the season pubescent ; leaves ovate or oblong-ovate, round- 

 ed or slightly cordate at the base, often oblique, acuminate at the apex, 

 sharply and mostly doubly serrate, slightly pubescent especially along 

 the veins, 5-11 cm. long, 2.5-5 cm. broad, petioles 3-10 mm. long pubes- 

 cent; staminate catkins 2-3 cm. long, bracts triangular, acute, anthers with 

 a tuft of hairs at the apex, bractlet of each pistillate flower forming 

 a sack in fruit, 12-14 mm. long, veined, bristly-haired at the base, nuts 

 compressed, shining, 5 mm. long, the ripe hop-like catkin erect or spread- 

 ing : virginiana, Virginian. 



Mostly in rich woods, throughout the state, in some localities abundant, 

 does not occur close to the shores of Lake of the Woods. Distributed 

 from Nova Scotia to Manitoba, Minn., Neb. and southwestward. Blos- 

 soms in April and May, fruit ripe in July and August. 



Wood light brown, close grained, hard, durable and heavy. Next 

 to the shell-bark hickory our hardest and heaviest wood, weight 51 lbs. 

 Used for wedges, levers, etc., and for fuel. 



Betula Li tine 1753 Birch 

 (Latin name of the birch) 



Trees and shrubs with mostly aromatic twigs and smooth resinous 

 bark which frequently separates into thin papery plates and peels off 

 transversely, becoming thick, scaly, and deeply furrowed at the base, 

 lenticels elongated transversely; flowers in catkins, appearing before or 

 with the leaves, staminate flowers 3 to each shield-shaped scale of the 

 catkin, subtended by 2 bractlets, flower consisting of 2 2 -cleft stamens 

 (each division bearing a half anther) and a perianth of 2 unequal parts; 

 pistillate flowers 3 or 2 to each 3-lobed scale, perianth lacking, pistil 2- 

 celled. stigmas 2, elongated, mostly persistent; fruit a flattened or lenticu- 

 lar, winged nut or samara, at maturity deciduous together with the scales 

 of the catkin. 



