Handbook of Trees of the Northern States and Canada. 191 



The Planer-tree rarely attains a greater 

 height than 30 or 40 ft. or thicker trunk than 

 18 or 20 in. It is distinctly a water-loving 

 species, being confined in its habitation to de- 

 pressions in bottom-lands and deep swamps 

 which are inundated during a considerable 

 portion of the year. In these localities, too 

 wet for nearly all other trees, it holds undis- 

 puted sway and presents a singular appear- 

 ance, with its broad tops of irregular, contorted 

 branches. As if by common agreement they 

 seem determined to maintain this low habit 

 of growth, even though it requires them to en- 

 dure the shade of the taller trees about them 

 which are constantly vieing with each other in 

 reaching up to the light. 



The light soft wood, of which a cubic foot 



when absolutely dry weighs 32.99 lbs., is of 



little or no commercial value.i 



Leaves 1-3 in. long, ovate-oblong, obtuse or 

 rounded and more or less inequilateral at base, 

 coarsely crenate-serrate, subcoriaceous, dull dark 

 green and roughish above, duller and with cim- 

 spicuous veins beneath, and with slender puber- 

 ulous petioles. Flowers in early spring with or 

 before the leaves : calyx greenish, campanulate, 

 4-5-cleft : the staminate in fascicles from the 

 axils of the outer scales of the bud on twigs of the 

 previous season, short pedicelate ; anthers emargi- 

 nate : the pistillate are perfect flowers. 1-3 to- 

 gether, with longer pedicels from the axils of the 

 leaves of the year ; ovary stipitate. slightly com- 

 pressed : styles two, reflexed, papilose and stig- 

 matic on inner faces. Fruit ripening in April, and 

 oblong oblique coriaceous droupe, % in. Ions;. 

 with short stipe, subtended by the calyx and 

 tipped with the romnants of the style, ridged, and 

 covered with fleshy pi-ocesses ; seed compressed 

 ovoid with straitrht embryo, unequal thick coty- 

 ledons, no albumen. - 



1. A. W., V, 114. 



2. For genus see p. 4312. 



