261. MOHRODENDRON CAROLINUM SlLVER-BELL TREE. 33 



elsewhere it hardly attains half the above dimensions, and in localities is 

 rather a tall shrub than a tree. When isolated it develops a low broad 

 or rounded top. 



The bark of trunk is of a reddish brown color, fissured into longitudinal 

 and more or less reticulated scaly ridges. 



HABITAT. From West Virginia and southern Illinois southward to 

 central Florida, eastward throughout the Piedmont region of North and 

 South Carolina and westward to eastern Texas, growing in rich moist soil 

 and along the banks of streams. It attains its greatest growth and abun- 

 dance on the western slopes of the Alleghanies in Tennessee. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood light, soft, strong, fine-grained, with open 

 ducts quite uniformly distributed through the season's growth, and of a rich, 

 mottled, reddish brown color, with thick, pinkish white sap-wood. Specific 

 Gravity, 0.5628 ; Percentage of Ash, 0.40 ; Relative Approximate Fuel 

 Value, 0.5605 ; Weight of a Cubic Foot in Pounds, 35.07. 



USES. In the limited region of its commercial importance (Blount, 

 Sevier and Monroe Counties, Tenn.) the large Silver-bell trees yield valuable 

 timber for cabinet-making, etc. There it is locally known as the bettwood, 

 pea-wood and chittam, and the figured trunks yield a very beautiful veneering 

 when cut with a rotary cutter. 



The tree is deservedly popular for ornamental planting, on account of 

 the abundance and beauty of its bell-e-haped flowers, converting its branches 

 into veritable garlands in early spring, and its handsome foliage and curious 

 fruit during the summer and autumn. 



ORDER OLEACE.S3 : OLIVE FAMILY. 



Leaves opposite and simple or pinnately compound. Flowers monopetalous (rarely 

 apetalous or polypetalous) ; calyx 4-cleft, toothed or entire, or sometimes wanting, corolla 

 regular, 4-cleft (or sometimes 4-petalous, or even wanting altogether) ; stamens only 2 

 (or rarely 4) ; ovary 2-celled with usually two suspended ovuhs in each cell. Fruit 

 fleshy or capsular. containing 4 (or fewer) seeds. 



Represented by trees and shrubs. 



GEXUS FRAXINUS, TOURNEFORT. 



Leaves petioled, oddly-pinnate, with 3-15 toothed or entire leaflets. Flowers small, 

 racemed or panicled, from the axils of the last year's leaves, the American representatives 

 dioecious and apetalous; calyx and corolla, when present, as described for the order; 

 anthers large, linear or oblong; style single, stigma 2-cleft. Fruit a 1-2-celled, flattened 

 samara, winged at the apex, 1-2 pendulous seeds in each cell. 



(Fraxinus is the ancient Latin name of the ash; supposed to be from the Greek <|>pdis, 

 a separation, alluding to the facility with which the wood splits.) 



