STUDIES OF TREES IN WINTER 



The Cornacece or dogwood family contains 

 two New England genera. Among many 

 species of shrubs, two trees deserve especial 

 notice, the tupelo and the flowering dogwood. 



A medium- sized tree, with hori- 



peridge,' Sour zontal branches and often with 



Gum Tree an excurrent trunk. Dark gray 



Nyssa sylvatica r ? j j /^ i i 



furrowed bark. Grayish brown 

 twigs, with alternate ridged leaf-scars and three 

 bundle-scars at the top of the leaf-scar. Small, 

 brown buds, with overlapping, hairy scales. 

 The fruit is a small, bluish black drupe, ripe in 

 the autumn. 



The tupelo at all seasons is a striking tree, 

 and is easily distinguished even at a distance 

 by its flat, rigid branches, growing in horizon- 

 tal layers from the main trunk. It varies much 

 in shape, according to its surroundings in youth. 

 When it has grown up among other trees in 

 the woods it is erect and tall, and when it has 

 stood by itself in open ground it is low and 

 broad, and almost always carries its main trunk 

 well into the top of the tree. 



The wood is heavy, tough, and hard to work, 

 and the fibres intertwine so closely that it is 

 very difficult to split. It is used in making 

 the hubs of wheels and ox yokes. 



The generic name, Nyssa, is the Greek name 



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