Handbook of Trees of the Xoimiiikx States and Canada. 407 



The Plardy Catalpa. in the fertile bottom- 

 lands of tlie lower Ohio basin, lias been known 

 to attain the height ui 1'2U ft., when growing 

 in the forest, with straight columnar trunk J 

 or 4 ft. in diameter, but it is usually a con- 

 siderably smaller tree, and when isolated from 

 others develops a bruad top of spreading 

 branches. 



It is quite as handsome a tree as the Common 

 Catalpa when in flower, and, though the 

 pyramids of flowers are smaller and of fewer 

 flowers, the individual flowers are distinctly 

 larger. Like the other species, too, its long 

 capsular pods swing from its leafless branches 

 long after the leaves have fallen, and, when 

 they open and liberate their light buoyant 

 seeds, the wind has opportunity to carry t'lem 

 far from the parent tree before striking the 

 ground. 



Its light wood, of which a cubic foot, when 

 absolutely dry, weighs 25.96 lbs., is exceed- 

 ingly durable in contact wath the soil, and is 

 proving to be one of the most profitable treas 

 to grow, at least in the middle west, for fence- 

 posts, railway ties, telegraph poles, etc. Large 

 plantations of the trees are being planted espe- 

 cially for these uses. 



Leaves broad-ovate, 8-14 in. long, cordate at 

 base, long-pointod, entire or with 1 or 2 lateral 

 lobes, not unpleasantly scented, at maturity 

 Rlabrous dark green above, pubescent and with 

 dark glands in the axils of the veins Ijeneath. 

 Floirers in few-flowered panicles, .^)-8 in. Ions and 

 broad; corolla campanulate, about 2yo in. wide, 

 sparingly spotted with yellow and purple within, 

 lower lobe emarginate. Fruit: capsule S-20 in. 

 long, 1/2-% in. thiek, thick-walled; seeds about Mj 

 in. wide witli light brown rounded wings terminat- 

 ing in a mostly wide fringe of hairs. 



