Handbook of Trees of the XoirniKUN States and Caxada. 403 



The Forestiera or Swamp Privet is a low 

 wide-spreading tree occasionally 25 ft. in 

 height and 1 ft. in diameter of trunk. It often 

 is no more than a small shrub in stature, send- 

 ing lip from the gn)und several crooked or in- 

 clined stiMiis. It inhabits low banks of streams, 

 lake-shores and deep swamps subject to occa- 

 sional inundation, in company with various 

 Willows, the liutton-bush. Planer-tree, Bald 

 Cypress, Gums, Water Locusts, Water Hickory, 

 Deciduous Holly, etc., or often occupying ex- 

 clusively tracts of low river banks and swamps 

 of considerable extent. Many such regions in 

 the southern states are beautified by the ricli 

 green masses of its abundant foliage. 



Tlie wood of the Forestiera is rather light, 

 a cubic foot when absolutely dry weighing 

 .39.54 lbs., hard, strong, of close grain and suit- 

 able for use in turnery.2 



Leaves deciduous, oval to ovate-olliptical. 2-."» 

 in. long, about equally acuminate or acute at both 

 ends, glabrous, crenate-serrate or entire, especially 

 at base; petioles slender, about' Va in. long. 

 Flowers in early spring, before the leaves, the 

 starainate in dense close clusters : the pistillate 

 mostly in short panicles ; calyx wanting. Fruit 

 an oblong to linear-oblong wrinkled and pitted 

 drupe, from i^ to % in. long, dark blue at ma- 

 turity, with coriaceous longitudinally ribbed and 

 fibrous pit.' 



1. Syn. Adelia acuminata Micbx. 



2. A. W., V, 111. 



3. For genus see p. 45.">. 



