28 HOUGH'S AMERICAN WOODS. 



ing; corolla wanting; stamens as many as the calyx-lobes and opposite tliem, or 

 fewer and inserted at their bases, with elastic filaments, inflexed in the bud; ovary 

 free; 1 (or sometimes 2)-celled, containing a single ovule; style filiform, single or 2- 

 parted. Fruit, an achenium or drupe enveloped by the succulent calyx and with 

 seed containing fleshy albumen and a curved embryo. 



Trees and shrubs with milky and usually noxious or poisonous juice. They are 

 mostly of the tropics and include many interesting trees among which are the Ban- 

 yan, Fig, Bread-fruit trees, etc. 



GENUS MORUS, TOTJRN. 



Leaves rounded, dentate or lobed, 3-veined. Flowers dioecious or monoecious, ax- 

 illary, inconspicuous, calyx 4-parted ; sterile flowers in loose catkins, stamens 4 ; 

 fertile flowers in dense spikes; ovary 2-celled, one of the cells disappearing; styles 2, 

 filiform, stigmatic ou the inner side. Fruit a compound, juicy, edible berry com- 

 posed of the ripened entire spike, the calyx-lobes becoming very fleshy and succu- 

 lent and enveloping the ovate, compressed achenia. 



(Morus is the ancient Latin name of the Mulberry). 



63. MORUS RUBRA, L. 

 RED MULBERRY. 



Ger., Mother Maulbeerbaum ; Fr., Murier rouge; Sp., Moral Colorado. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: Leaves orbicular heart-shaped, 4-6 inches long, thickish, 

 acuminate, serrate (or sometimes lobed on young shoots), rough above, pubescent be- 

 neath. Flowers often dioecious, the sterile in pendulous aments about 1 inch in 

 length, and the fertile in small inconspicuous spikes. Fruit (ripe in July) is dark red 

 or purple and quite resembling the blackberry. It is of sweet acidulous flavor, quite 

 as agreeable as that of the imported species. 



A tree ordinarily of medium size but sometimes attaining the height 

 of 60 or 70 ft. (20 m.), with a trunk 3 or 4 ft. (1 m.) in diameter, with 

 gray, deeply furrowed bark, yellow roots and dense, ample foliage. 



HABITAT. Western New England and westward through southern 

 Ontario to Dakota, and southward to Florida and Texas, most thrifty in 

 the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood rather light and soft, tough, coarse- 

 grained, taking a satiny polish and very durable in contact with the soil. 

 It is of a yellow orange color with very thin whitish sap-wood. Specific 

 Gravity, 0.5898; Percentage of Ash, 0.71; Relative Approximate Fuel 

 Value, 0.5856; Coefficient of Elasticity, 82377; Modulus of Rupture, 775; 

 Resistance to Longitudinal Pressure, 420; Resistance to Indentation, 178; 

 Weight of a Cubic Foot in Pounds, 3G.V6. 



USES. Used to considerable extent for fencing, cooperage, etc., and 

 in some sections for boat-building and in the manufacture of agricultural 

 implements. 



A valuable ornamental and shade tree, owing to its dense, handsome 

 foliage, while at the same time its fruit is highly esteemed. 



