CUCUMBER TREE. 35 



Appalachian mountains. In the South Atlantic and Gulf states 

 it forms, with the loblolly bay and red bay, low, almost impene- 

 trable thickets on the borders of pine barren ponds and shal- 

 low swamps, and reaches its best development in the interior of 

 Florida. 



In North Carolina, where it attains an average height of 12 to 

 25 feet, it is confined to wet lands or the margins of bodies of fresh 

 or salt water in the eastern part of the Piedmont plateau and in 

 the coastal plain region (fig. 2, p. 34), although not common in 

 the 'former. In the coastal plain region there are two well-marked 

 forms, dependent upon the quality of the soil ; one, a tree of some 

 size, the other rarely over 10 feet in height. With the white 

 cedar it forms a large part of the growth of the "juniper bays." 

 Sometimes after the white cedar has been cut, and usually after 

 these swamps have been burned, thickets of this bay appear. 



Seed is borne abundantly every year. The rate of growth is 

 fairly rapid, especially in youth. Trees of all ages sprout freely 

 from the stumps, and shoots usually appear after a tree has been 

 killed by fire. 



The oblong leaves, which are pale green above and white 

 beneath, are partly deciduous in this State, especially toward the 

 Piedmont plateau. The pure white fragrant flowers bloom in May, 

 and the dark red fruit is oval, smooth, 2 inches long, and H 

 inches broad. The winter-buds are thickly covered with fine hairs. 

 The tree has a superficial root system. 



The wood is soft, light, close-grained, and not strong; light 

 brown in color; the thick sapwood creamy-white. It is occasion- 

 ally used for broom handles and wooden ware. A tonic and diu- 

 retic is obtained from the bark. 



Magnolia acuminata, Linnaeus. 

 (CUCUMBER TREE.) 



A tall slender tree, with furrowed dark brown bark broken into 

 numerous thin scales, reaching a height of 90 and a diameter of 

 5 feet. 



It occurs from western New York through southern Ontario to 



