299. TSUGA CAROLINIANA CAROLINA HEMLOCK. 51 



299. TSUGA CAROLINIANA, ENGELM. 

 CAROLINA HEMLOCK. 



Ger., Carolina Tanne; Fr., Pruche de Caroline; Sp., Abeto de 



Carolina. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: Leaves flat, linear, V 3 -% in. long, petiolate, obtuse and 

 often retuse at apex, lustrous dark green and with conspicuous central groove 

 above, marked with white bands of 7 or 8 rows of stomata on each side of the 

 midrib beneath and forming a flattish spray but not as flat as that of the T. 

 canadensis. Flowers stamina te purplish; pistillate purple with broad ovate 

 bracts about as long as the scales. Cones oblong, 1-1% in. long with short stalks 

 and oblong obtuse fine but scarcely woody puberulous scales widely spreading at 

 maturity and ample bracts about half as long as scales; seeds about one-sixth in. 

 long with large wing broadest near the base. 



The Carolina Hemlock is an interesting and rare or local tree 

 which occasionally attains the height of 60 or 70 ft. (20 m.) with 

 an oblong-pvramidal head and a trunk rarely exceeding 2 or 3 ft. 

 (0.90 m.) in thickness. The bark of trunk is of a reddish or purplish 

 brown color and rough with prominent scaly ridges. 



HABITAT. - - The slopes and benches of the Blue Ridge mountains 

 from Virginia to northern Georgia, mostly between the altitudes of 

 2,000 and 3,500 ft. It is generally found scattered sparingly in 

 forests of the commonly Hemlock, various oaks, Sugar Maple, Silver- 

 bell Tree, Sour-wood, etc., but occasionally forms quite exclusive 

 groves of small extent. It is so often found on rocky crags and 

 ridges that it is called locally the Crag Hemlock. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood soft, light, not strong, brittle and 

 of a light orange-brown color with little distinction in tint between 

 the heart and sap-woods. Specific Gravity, 0.4275 ; Percentage of 

 Ash, 0.40; Relative Approximate Fuel Value, 0.4258; Coefficient of 

 Elasticity, 71282 ; Modulus of Rupture, 461 ; Resistance to Longi- 

 tudinal Pressure, 403 ; Resistance to Indentation, 125 ; Weight of a 

 Cubic Foot in Pounds, 26.64. 



USES. A too local, uncommon and inaccessible tree to figure in 

 commerce, but with properties so similar to those of the common 

 Hemlock that it is suitable for the same uses ; that is as a coarse 

 lumber for general construction purposes, joists, rafters, planks and 

 siding in house-building, plank-walks, etc. 



GENUS ABIES. LINK. 



Leaves sessile, those of young treesc and sterile branches usually flat (four-sided 

 in Abies magnified) rounded or emarginate at apex, centrally grooved above, 



