106 MONOECIA POLYANDRIA. 



335. CASTANEA. Nutt. Gen. 754. 

 [Castanea, a city of Thessaly; where the tree grew in great abundance.] 

 Male, ^mc72/ naked, linear, Ions, interruptedly glomerate. Cal. 0. Cor. 5 or 6 parted- Stam- 5 to 20 

 Fem- Cal. 5 or 6 leave<?, muricate. Cor. 0. Stigmas pencil-foriA. Nuts 3, in the echinate calyx. 



C. VESCA Mr. Arb- Leaves glabrous, lance-oblong, sinuate-serrate; serratures mucronate. 

 Sijnon. Fagus-Castanea dentata. Marsh. F«/g-o— Chesnut tree. 



Fl. Latter end of June. Fr. mat. Beginning of October. 



Mab. Hilly, gravelly lands; woodlands: common. 60 to 90 feet high. 



Obx. Our A.nsrican Chesnut is generally considered to be only a variety oi the European,— though it 

 is made a distinct species, under the name of C americana, by some botanists. It setms to flourish 

 most naturally in a dry, gravelly, or slaty, and thin soil. The irood is very durable, and highly valued for 

 making- fences. It is also extensively convertfd into charcoal, by our blacksmiths; but i.s not esteemed . 

 for onllnary fuel. The treat which the nuts afford, for our tables, is familiarly known to every one. 



ft^ The C. puMii^A, or Chinqiiapin, grows in the South Western extremity of this County, — and is 

 very abundant in the neighboring districts, still further to the South and West; but I believe it is not to be 

 found, native, vvithm 15 or 20 miles of this Borough. 



336. BETULA. Nutt. Gen. 755. 

 [Etymology obscure: Boerh- says, "a.batuendo, id est, csdendo, ex hac arbore fasces conficiebant 

 Romani qui Magiscratibus solebant prseferri."] 



Male, Ament imbricate, scales peltate, 3 flowered. C«/. a scale. Cor. 0. Stam. 10 to 12. 



Fem. ^mcnf imbricate. Ca/. a scale, 2 flowered. Cor-O. Seerfl, alate. 



B. RUBRA. Mx. Arb. Leaves subrhomboid-ovate, acute, doubly serrate, base entire. 



Synon. B. nigra Willd. Ph. Ell- &c. B. lanulosa. Mx. Fl. Am. Vulgo—Red Birch. Black Birch. 



Fl. MidJ e of April. Fr. mat. 



Hab. Low grounds: Black Horse Run, Strasburgh road: rare. 40 to 60 feet high. 



Obs. Tiiis tree is remarkable for its outer bark peeling off spontaneously in large, thin, smooth scales, er 

 laminae. I have not observed it any where in this vicinity, except in the above locality. 



B. i.ENTA. Mx. Arb. Leaves cordate-ovate, acuminate, acutely serrate. 



jStjnon. B. Carpinifolia. 3Ix. Fl Am. Vulgo— Sweet Birch. Cherry Bjrch. Mahogany Birch. 



Fl. Middle of April. Fr. mat. 



Hab. Barrens: rivulet below Geo. Vernon's, rare. 30 to GO feet high. 



Obs- The bark and young twigs, are pleasantly aromatic, — somewhat resembling, in taste, the Gaulthe- 

 ria procumbens — and are sometimes added as an ingredient indomestic brewings of beer, indiet drinks, 

 &c. 



337. CARPINUS. Nutt. Gen. 756. 

 [Celtic. Car, wood, and pin, head; i.e. wood suitable for making yokes for cattle. De Tftcjs.] 



Male, Ament irpbricate. Cal. a scale, ciliate. Cor. 0. Stamens about 10. 



Fem. Ament lax, finally racemose. Cal. a scale, 2 flowered. Cor. trifid. Nut ovate, nerved. 



C AMERTCANA. 3Tx. Arb. Leaves oblong-ovate; scales of the female ament enlarging, foliaceous. 



^ynon. C. betulus virginiana. Marsh. Vvlgo— Common Hornbeam. Water Beech, 



Fl. Middle of April. Fr. mat. Beginning of October. 



Hab. Banks of rivulets; low grounds, &c. common. 10 to 20 feet high. 



338. OSTRYA. Nutt. Gen. 757. 

 [An ancient Gr. name: Ostreon,A shell, or scale; from the resemblance of its capsules, De Theis.} 

 Male, ^wer.* imbricate. Cal. a scale. Cor. 0. Filaments branching. 

 Fem. Ament naked. Cal 0. Cor. 0. Capsules inflated, imbricate, 1 seeded. 



O. viEGiNiCA. Ell. Leaves ovate-oblong; cones oblong-ovate; capsules hairy at base. 

 Synon- Carpinus ostrya. Mx. Arb- Marsh, fyc. Kw/go— Hop Hornbeam. Iron wood. 



Fl. Latter end of April. Fr. mat. Beginning of October. 



Hab. Woodlands; forks of Brandy wine: not common. 20 to 40 feet high. 



Ob^. This tree is pretty frequent in the woodlands near the forks of Brandywine; but I have rarely met 

 ■with if elsewhere. The mature cones liave a striking resemblance to those of the common /iop. They 

 f)ri; (Irsi-ribed by Pursli, Elliott, and others, as being erect, and generally in pairs; but in all my specimens 

 fand I have a number,) they are constantly soliiary, and rather pendulous— nearly as represented in 



,Iblicl.?ux'B platf. 



