64: TIMBER TREES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



branchlets, reaching a height of 100 and a diameter of 5 feet. 

 The bark is deeply cut, light brown, often tinged with red, or, as 

 in some large specimens in the coastal plain region of this State, 

 scaly or nearly smooth, dark brown or black. 



It occurs from Maine and Vermont to central Michigan, and 

 southward to Tampa bay, Florida, and the Brazos river, Texas. 



In North Carolina, where it has an average height of 50 to 60 

 feet and an average diameter of about 2 feet, it occurs in the 

 swamps and wet lands of the coastal plain and Piedmont plateau, 



LEGEND 

 Area in which both the BLACK GUM 



(Nyssa sylvatica, Afarsk.} and the TUPELO 

 (N. aijuatica, Marsh.) occur. 



Area in which the BLACK GUM occurs but 

 not the TUPELO. 



and in the mountains up to an elevation of 3,000 feet, along dry 

 ridges with red and white oaks and chestnut. In the eastern 

 sections, with the sweet gum and water ash, it forms a large part 

 of the growth of the deeper swamps, and there reaches its largest 

 .size within the State. (Fig. 10.) 



It produces seed plentifully once in two or three years, and 

 young seedlings appear in moist open woods and on cypress lands 

 after lumbering. Large trees are apt to be hollow at the butt and 

 frequently through the whole stem. The black gum sprouts 

 readily from the stump. 



The rather thick shining leaves are oblong, pointed and 

 usually entire. The greenish flowers, which appear after the 

 leaves in spring, are inconspicuous, and the bluish-black oval 

 fruit is about i-inch long. The dark brown conical buds are 

 slightly thicker thau the smooth flexible twigs. The black gum 

 has deeply seated lateral and numerous superficial roots. 



