250 BIRCH FAMILY 



brous or slightly glandular, length 3-4 cm., width 1.5-3 cm., petioles very 

 sknder, 2.5-4 cm. long; staminate catkins usually solitary, drooping, 6-8 

 cm. long; pistillate catkins on slender peduncles, 1-2 cm. long, the fruiting 

 catkins 2-3 cm. long, about 1 cm. wide, fruiting scales with the lateral 

 lobes broad and slightly recurved, nutlet broad winged : p o p u 1 i f o 1 i a, 

 poplar leaved, laciniata, deeply cut. 



A handsome but short-lived tree, often planted* in parks and lawns, 

 B. populifolia is native of northeastern U. S. 



Betula lutea Michaux f i 1 i ti s 1812 Yellow Birch 



A large tree, sometimes attaining a height of 25-30 m. (80-90 ft.) 

 and a trunk diameter of 1 m., bark of the trunk gray or yellowish gray, 

 peeling off into thin papery layers, causing a ragged appearance, twigs 

 gray or brownish with light lenticels, aromatic, with the flavor of winter- 

 green; leaves ovate to oblong-ovate, rounded or sub-cordate and mostly 

 unequal at the base, acute at the apex, sharply and sometimes doubly ser- 

 rate, dark green and dull above, paler beneath and pubescent along the 

 veins, 5-11 cm. long, 3-7 cm. wide, petioles 1-1.5 cm. long, pubescent, 

 staminate catkins 2-4 together, 4-8 cm. long; pistillate catkins sessile. 

 about 1 cm. long; fruiting catkin oblong-ovate to sub-globose, 15-25 mm. 

 long, 12-16 mm. thick, scales 3-lobed to the middle, 6-8 mm. long, ciliate, 

 lateral lobes ascending, about 3 mm. wide, nutlet wider than its wing; 

 lutea, yellow. 



In rich, moist woods, common throughout the north half of the state. 

 rare southward. Distributed from Newfoundland, Manitoba, south to 

 Ind., 111., and Minn. Flowers in May, fruit ripe in Aug. and Sept. 



This birch is one of the most valuable timber trees of eastern North 

 America. Wood light brown, close grained, hard and heavy, taking a 

 beautiful polish, weight 40 lbs. It is largely used in the manufacture pf 

 furniture, inside finish, and for fuel. Most imitation mahogany is made 

 from this wood. 



Betula nigra Linne 1753 Red Birch River Birch 



A tall, usually slender tree, sometimes attaining a height of 30 m. 

 (100 ft.), bark at the base of old trunks dark brown, deeply furrowed, 

 higher up on large branches lustrous reddish brown and peeling more or 

 less freely, twigs reddish, young shoots pubescent; leaves triangular- 

 ovate, broadly wedge-shaped or truncate at the base, apex obtuse or acute, 

 irregularly-serrate or somewhat pinnately-lobed, dark green and glabrous 



