TREES IN WINTER 



83 



HORSE CHESTNUT 



The striking looking buds are one of the 

 best means of identification. 



depressed, those of the red mulberry 

 raised Hke little pimples. 



There still remains the bud which 

 yields an equal if not superior amount 

 of information. Some twigs have 

 terminal buds, some twigs do not. 

 Some buds are pressed close up 

 against the twig as in the willows, 

 others project outward at various 

 angles. They vary in shape from al- 

 most needle-like as in the beech to 

 nearly spherical as in the silver 

 maple. The buds of certain willows 

 are barely 1-16 inch long, those of 

 some of the magnolias fully two 

 inches in length. Every bud is covered 

 with scales. Their size, shape, color, 

 texture and arrangement are all im- 

 portant details which help to identify 

 the species. For instance, the bud of 

 the tulip tree is shaped likeyourthumb 

 and covered with a pair of dark brown 

 scales. That of the sycamore is also 

 brown, but covered with one scale that 



is sharply conical. Willows are also 

 conical and covered with one scale, 

 but the buds are small and pressed 

 close to the stem, that of the sycamore 

 large and divergent. The buds of the 

 horse chestnut and the buckeye, two 

 species of the same genus, may be dis- 

 tinguished by the fact that one is cov- 

 ered with sticky gum and the othei 

 is not. 



The little breathing pores in the epi- 

 dermis give rise to the spots known as 

 lenticles. These are often inconspicu- 

 ous by reason of their small size. At 

 other times their conspicuous size, 



WALNUT 



The chambered pith is shown at the 

 right. 



color, texture and position constitute 

 important marks of identification. The 

 characteristic horizontal marks of the 

 bark of the cherry are jiroduced by 

 the gradual elongation of the len- 

 ticles of the twig. 



Prickles and spines grow from the 

 epidermis. Thorns spring from the 

 woody substance within. The pres- 

 ence of these, their size, shape and 

 color determine a number of species. 

 It is also important to notice whether 

 they are spines or thorns. 



Though the fruit of many trees 

 falls to the ground in autumn, or is 

 promptly eaten by the birds, its pres- 



ence throughout the winter affords not 

 only an assistance in identification but 

 also material for study. Everyone is 

 familiar with the sycamore balls that 

 dangle aloft all winter. The birches 

 frequently retain a portion of thein 

 fruit. The persistence of the keys of 

 the box elder not only differentiate 

 it among maples but also enables one 

 to distinguish a male from a female 

 tree. 



I have by no means exhausted the 

 marks of identification contained in 

 the twig of a tree. But I have called 

 attention to enough to justify my first 

 statement : The winter is the best time 

 to begin the study of trees. If one 

 uses a key based upon these charac- 

 teristics he can identify trees with a 

 greater degree of certainty than he 

 can in summer using a key based upon 

 leaf characteristics alone. It is true, 

 there will be difficulties, but the diffi- 

 culties are fewer. 



There is another distinct advantage 

 in winter study. Probably no one who 

 has read thus far has mentally called 

 for a definition of winter. Yet I have 

 not used the word in quite its ordinary 

 sense. One need not picture to him- 

 self the arduous exercise of trudging 

 through the snow in zero weather. In 

 the tree world winter begins with the 



AILANTHUS 



Showing a scar and lenticles or lit- 

 tle breathing pores. 



