Handbook of Trees of the Xorthern States axd Canada. 283 



Tliis is one of the most valuable trees ol the 

 American forests, sometimes attaining the 

 height of 80-100 ft., with straight coluiimar 

 scaly-barked trunk 3-5 ft. in thickness. \\ luii 

 isolated it develops an oblong or rounded tup 

 of slender rigid branches, and growing alike on 

 dry gravelly slopes and moist intervales it is 

 one of the chief elements of many tracts of 

 forests of the Appalachian regions. Its ilowers 

 appear later than those of other representa- 

 tives of tiie genus (hence the specific name, 

 from a Latin word meaning late) and when 

 its leafy top is trimmed with its many nod- 

 ding racemes of small white flowers it is a 

 highly ornamental tree. Its fruit, when fully 

 ripe is of pleasant vinous flavor and is often 

 used in making rum, and the aromatic bark 

 is valued as a flavoring, as a tonic and sedative 

 medicine. 



The wood of which a cubic foot weighs 36.28 



lbs. is strong, rather hard and very close 



grained and one of our most valuable woods 



for furniture making and interior finishing.i 



Leaves oval or oblong to lance-obovate, 2-.") in. 

 long, tapering or rounded at base, taper-pointod. 

 serrate with incurved teeth, glabrous, thick 

 lustrous dark green above, paler beneath, with 

 slender petioles bearing red glands. Flowirs 

 f)pening when the leaves are nearly grown, Vt in- 

 :u TOSS in erect or nodding racemes 4-6 in. long. 

 t<rininating short leafy hranchlets : calyx with 

 short lobes, persistent ; petals obovate. Fridf sub 

 globose and somewhat lobed. %-% in. in di- 

 ameter, reddish black with .iuicy purple flesh of 

 vinous flavor and stone about Vt in. long pointed 

 at apex. 



1. A. W., II, 29. 



