SOURWOOD (Oxydendrum arboreum) . Slender-stemmed 

 tree, with oblong, round-topped head. Bark smooth, reddish 

 gray, scaly. Wood reddish brown, heavy, fine-grained, hard. 

 Buds axillary, small, partly hidden, red. Leaves alternate, 

 deciduous, membraneous, oblong or lanceolate, entire, 3 to 6 

 inches long, smooth. Flowers June or July, perfect, in pan- 

 icles, 7 to 8 inches long, of racemed white bells, narrowed and 

 frilled at the tops. Fruit a downy capsule, 5-celled; seeds 

 numerous, needle-like. Preferred habitat, moist woods. 

 Dist.: Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana; south to Florida, 

 Alabama, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Uses: Ornamental tree, 

 valued for its flowers and vivid scarlet autumn foliage. 



