Ha^tdbook of Trees of the Northern States and Canada. 415 



The Rusty Nannybcrry is the hirgest Ameri- 

 can representative of the genus, attaining the 

 height of 40 ft., with a trunk sometimes 12 

 or 18 in. in diameter, but it is generally a 

 smaller tree and is sometimes shrubby, sending 

 up from the ground several stems. The b.irk 

 of trunk, like that of the other arborescent 

 Viburnums, is fissured into more or less pro- 

 nounced .squares, by a transverse cheeking of 

 its prominent longtitudinal ridges. 



When isolated it develops a rather wide ir- 

 regular open top, and, with its ample shining 

 leaves and large flower clusters, it is a tree of 

 unusual beauty in spring-time; and hardly less 

 so later in autumn, when bearing its conspicu- 

 ous fruit. It is well worthy of being planted 

 for ornamental purposes, in parks and private 

 grounds, and has been found to be hardy as far 

 north as Massachusetts. 



The wood is fine-grained, heavy and hard, 

 but, as is the case with the northern Nanny- 

 berry, the heart-wood possesses such a strong, 

 disagreeable odor as to render it undesirable 

 for most uses, even if it were procurable in 

 quantities. The disagreeable odor of the wood 

 is communicated to the smoke when burning. 



Leaves oval to elliptical and obovate, rounded 

 or obtuse at base and mostly obtuse or occasionally 

 acute at apex, finely and sharply serrate, at ma- 

 turity coriaceous lustrous dark green above, paler 

 and with rutdus hairs on midrib and prominent 

 veins beneath and tlie wide grooved and margined 

 petioles. Fluircrti I4 in. in diameter, in com- 

 pound rusty-pubescent cymes sometimes ."> or 6 in. 

 across. Fruit, ripe in October, oblong, blue with 

 glaucous bloom, about Vi in. long, in few-fruited 

 clusters with drooping red stems ; stone flat, 

 nearly orbicular. 



1. Syn. Viburnum refotomentosum Small. 



