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SOURWOOD 



{Oxydendron arhorcum DC.) 

 'THE sourwood is found scattered throughout the 

 State on both rich and poor soil, but is least 

 abundant in the low alluvial parts of the State. It 

 is a tree of small dimensions, 8 to 12 inches in diame- 

 ter and 30 to 40 feet high, rarely larger. 



The bark is thin, light gray and divided into nar- 

 row shallow ridges. On the strong, straight, first- 

 year shoots it is often a bright red. 



SOURWOOD 



Leaf, one-half natural size. 



Twig, two-thirds natural size. 



The leaves are from 2 to 5 inches long, simpie, 

 alternate, decidedly acid to the taste, often rough 

 with solitary stiff hairs. They are a lustrous green 

 on the upper surface, generally turning a deep crim- 

 son in the fall. 



The flowers are small, white or cream-colored, 

 borne in panicles from 5 to 10 inches long on the 

 ends of the twigs, and appear in late summer. They 

 provide storehouses of nectar from which bees make 

 excellent honey. 



The fruit is a conical, dry capsule, one-third to 

 one-half an inch in length, containing numerous 

 small seeds. These capsules hang in drooping clus- 

 ters sometimes a foot in length, often late into the 

 fall. 



The wood is heavy, hard, very close-grained, com- 

 pact, brown in color, sometimes tinged with red. It 

 is used to some extent for turnery, handles, and for 

 some other uses. 



74 



