Handbook of Trees of the T^Tortiikk-x States and Caxada. 371 



The Mountain Laurel, like tlie Rhododendron 

 with which it is eominonly assoc^'iated, is gen 

 crally a shrub rather than a tree, exci^pting in 

 the heart of the Alleghany Mountains. In that 

 interesting region, which alone affords condi- 

 tions sutliciently favorable for the aborescent 

 development of several of our American trees, 

 the Mountain l^aurel is found occasionally .'50 

 or 40 ft. in height, with compact rounded top 

 of ridged branches. Its trunk is usually 

 crookeil or inclined, and is sometimes 18 or 20 

 in in diameter. To the northward it pre- 

 fers low rich bottom-lands, but in the southern 

 part of its range, where it is more abundant, 

 it extensively occupies rocky slopes, forming 

 in places dense thickets, and is widely dis- 

 tributed as an undergi'owth in deciduous 

 forests. In flowering time it is the Rhodo- 

 dendron's only peer in beauty of floral dis- 

 play, and it has become deservedly popular for 

 ornamental planting. 



The wood is fine-grained, rather hard and 

 brittle, and useful in turnery. A cubic foot 

 when absolutely dry weighs 44.62 Ibs.i Honey 

 gathered from flowers of this species is said to 

 be poisonous, at least to some extent, to per- 

 sons eating it, though apparently not to the 

 bees. 



Lrarcs persistent, alternate, opposite and in 

 threes, conduplicate, elliptic-lanceolate to ol)lonL;, 

 acute at both ends, pubescent at first but at ma- 

 turity lustrous dark green above, paler beneath, 

 thick. lisid. Floinrs (May-.Tune). about % in. 

 in dianiiMcr. numerous in compound and crowdi'd 

 terminal cmymbs. .".-(J in. across ; jtedicels sl(>nd(M', 

 erect, glandular, pubescent : corolla white or 

 pinkish and delicately penciled above. Fruit a 

 depressed-globose glandular capsule, three-six- 

 teenths in. in diameter with persistent calyx aid 

 style.= 



1. A. 



12. Er 



W., XI, 



■ genus 



259. 



