24 HOUGH'S AMERICAN WOODS. 



GENUS GORDONIA, ELLIS. 



Leaves as described for the Order. Flowers solitary and perfect, with five unequal 

 concave rounded sepals, usually 5 obvate petals, numerous stamens united in 5 clus 

 ters, each cluster adhering to the base of a petal, or united into a tube; style 1. 

 Fruit, an ovoid capsule with 5 valves, which open at maturity and separate from the 

 persistent axis; cells containing each 2-8 pendulous alburnenless seeds, with straight- 

 ish embryo, short radicle and thin cotyledons plaited lengthwise. 



Shrubs and small trees. (Genus named in compliment to Jas. Gordon, a physician of 

 Abeerdeen, but the honor was afterwards transferred to a distinguished nurseryman 

 of the same name.) 



102. GORDONIA LASIANTHUS, L. 

 LOBLOLLY BAY, TAN BAY. 



Ger., Langstielige Gordonie ; Fr., Gordonia a feuilles glabres ; Sp., 



Gordinia. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. Leaves evergreen, coriaceous, lanceolate-oblong, crenate- 

 serrate with very short teeth, but entire and narrowing at base into a short channeled 

 petiole. Flowers (June to Aug.) on slender peduncles, 2-3 inches long; calyx vel- 

 vety pubescent outside, and its ovate lobes ciliate-margined; petals white; puberulent 

 outside, 1 in. or more in length and slightly less in breadth; tube of the filaments 

 short: pistil with short style and pubescent ovary. Fruit capsule ovoid, and con- 

 taining flat, nearly square, wingless seeds, scarcely 1-16 in. in length, with oblique 

 wing about ^ in. in length. 



(Lasianthits, which Linnaeus used with a capital L, for reasons not apparent, is 

 from the Greek AaozoS, hairy, and arBoS, flower.) 



A handsome evergreen tree occasionally attaining the height of 75 ft. 

 (23 m.) with trunk perhaps 18 in. (0.45 m.) in diameter, with rather 

 upright branches and narrow top. In places where soil is poor and con- 

 ditions unfavorable it is found blooming as a shrub. The bark of trunk 

 is of a reddish-brown color, deeply fissured longitudinally so as to form 

 long firm rounded or narrow-topped ridges. 



HABITAT. From southern Virginia south ward along the coast to Flor- 

 ida, and westward along the Gulf coast to Louisiana, growing in swamps 

 and wet bottom-lands. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood very light, soft, not strong, easily 

 worked, of close grain and with numerous fine medullary rays; color red- 

 ish brown and ample pinkish- white sap-wood. Specific Gravity, 0.4728 ; 

 Percentage of Ash, 0.76; Relative Approximate Fuel Value, 0.4692; Co- 

 efficient of Elasticity, 79414; Modulus of Rupture, 670; Resistance to 

 Longitudinal Pressure, 387 ; Resistance to Indentation, 99 ; Weight of a 

 Cubic Foot in Pounds, 29.46. 



USES. The wood of this tree is employed to some extent in cabinet- 

 making, etc., and the bark has been used for tanning. The trees have 

 been occasionally set for ornamental purposes, and are particularly suit- 

 able for moist localities. 



MEDICINAL PROPERTIES. None ure known of this species. 



