Handbook of Trees of the Nohtjikkx States and Canada, 129 



This curious ;uid iiitorostiiig Aider is a 

 small tree, Ofrasionallv attaiiiiu-,' tlio lieight 

 of 30 ft., witli narrow tO|) an. I slciulcr hranclies 

 and smootli liarkcil truMk .") or (i in. in di 

 ainrtcr. It is very di>tiiut from all other 

 Alders in several respeets. Its liright glos-y 

 green foliage is in strong eontrast to the dull 

 green of the other Alders, and its period of 

 hh.ssoniing. instead of being when the trees are 

 leilless in early >prii;g. as with the other 

 sjiefies, is not until autumn. Then the ell'eft 

 of its golden catkins and handsome foliage 

 together is very pleasing and gives the tree a 

 peculiar ornamental xalue. (^)uite as diflerent, 

 too. as this tree is from the other Alders in 

 its foliage and period of lloweriiig is it in its 

 distribution. The Alders are generally species 

 of wide distribution, but this is limited to two 

 small areas, one near the sea coast ou the 

 Delaware and ^Maryland peninsula and the 

 other far inland on the banks of the Tied 

 Kiver in Indian Territory. 



Its wood is light, a cubic foot weighing 

 31.14 lbs., soft and with numerous larg? 

 medullary rays. 



I.ains ovate-oblong to obovate, wedge-shaiicd 

 at base, usually acute or acumiuato at apex, r<^- 

 motely and sharply serrate, scurfy pubescent wlna 

 young but at maturity dark green and very lust- 

 rous, pale and minutely glandular punctate 'i •- 

 neath. rion-vrs expanding in September, llie 

 staminate aments in racemes, l\->--Vi in- long 

 from tlie a.'dls of the upper leaves ; the pistillate 

 usually solitary from the axils of lower leaves. 

 Fniil: strobile about % in. long with thinnisli 

 crenate-lobed scales and wingless oblong-obovate 

 seeds liberated late in autumn of the year subsc- 

 (luent to fertilization.' 



1. I\jr genus sop p. 4 'JO. 



