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IRONWOOD (Hop Hornbeam) 



{Ostrya virginiana K. Koch.) 



TTllE tree gets its common names from the quali- 

 ties of its wood and the hop-like fruit. It is a 

 small, slender, generally round-topped tree, from 

 20 to 30 feet high and 7 to 10 inches in diameter. 

 The top consists of long slender branches, commonly 

 drooping toward the ends. It is found mostly on 

 rather dry soils throughout the upland and moun- 

 tain regions. 



Twig, one-half natural size. 



IRONWOOD 



Leaf, one-third natural size. 



The bark is mostly light brown or reddish brown, 

 and finely divided into thin scales by which the 

 tree, after a little acquaintance, can be easily rec- 

 ognized. 



The leaves are simple, alternate, generally oblong 

 with narrowed tips, sharply toothed along the mar- 

 gin, sometimes doubly toothed, from 2 to 3 inches 

 long. 



The flowers are of two kinds on the same tree ; 

 the male, in drooping catkins which form the pre- 

 vious summer, the female, in erect catkins on the 

 newly formed twigs. The fruit, which resembles 

 that of the common hop vine, consists of a branch 

 of leafy bracts 1 to 2 inches long containing a num- 

 ber of flattened ribbed nutlets. 



The wood is strong, hard, durable, light brown to 

 white, with thick pale sapwood. It is often used for 

 fence posts, handles of tools, mallets and other small 

 articles. 



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