Handbook of Trees of tjik Northern States and Canada. 375 



The Sparkleberry is tlie largest and hand- 

 somest of the American Jluckleberries. It at- 

 tains the height of 20 or 30 ft., with irregular 

 open top of few slender contorted branches and 

 short trunk. It inlial)its moist l)()ttoin-lands 

 and tlio borders of streams and ponds, and is 

 generally scattered through forests of taller 

 trees, in company with the Wax -Myrtle, Sweet- 

 leaf, Holly, Devil-wood, etc., seeming little 

 hampered by the shade. Nor does it seem to 

 suffer from the burden of Florida Moss 

 {Tillandsia) , which it is fated to carry where 

 that abounds. It extends its branchlets b:'- 

 tween and beyond the gray locks of the 

 epiphyte, to bear its shining green leaves an 1 

 delicate white flowers unhampereJ, and it is 

 then a peculiarly beautiful object, thriving in 

 spite of adversity. Its fruit is sweet and edible, 

 though rather dry, and, being retained on it^ 

 branches during tlie winter, it affords food f ir 

 many northern birds which winter in the 

 southern states. 



The wood is fine-grained, heavy, hard and 



useful for tool-handles, etc. A cubic foot, when 



absolutely dry, weighs 47.43 lbs. 'J'lie burk is 



rich in tannin. 2 



Leaves deciduous northward but persistent 

 southward, ol)ovate to oval. V2--V> in. long. sul>- 

 spssilc, cuneate at l)ase. round(>d or acute at apex, 

 with entire or (jhsciircly (li^ntii-iihUc and revolutc 

 margins, at maturity lustrous dnik green above, 

 paler and glalirous or pulieruhnis licneath. coriace- 

 ous. Floinrs ( Marcli-Mny ) white, in leafy- 

 braeted racemes, with slender pedicels 1^ in. long: 

 corolla campanulate with ."> acute reflexed lobes : 

 stamens 10, with hairy filaments. Fruit ripe in 

 October, subglobose, l:, in. in diameter, shinin; 

 black.3 



1. Syn, Batodcndron arborcinii Nutt. 



2. A. W., XI, 2.^)8. 



3. For genus see p. 4r)2. 



