26 HOUGH'S AMERICAN WOODS. 



ascending the rivers many miles. It ranges as far north on the coasts 

 of Florida as somewhat above Cape Canaveral on the east and the 

 vicinity of Gedar Keys on the west. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood very nearly the heaviest known in 

 the United States, exceedingly hard, strong, close-grained, with thin 

 but broad medullary rays and generally distributed open ducts. It is 

 of a reddish brown color with lighter sap wood. Specific Gravity, 

 1.1617; Percentage of Ash, 1.82; Relative Approximate Fuel Value, 

 1.1406; Coefficient of Elasticity, 165567; Modulus of Rupture, 1207; 

 Resistance to Longitudinal Pressure, 860; Resistance to Indentation, 

 462 ; Weight of a Cubic Foot in Pounds, 72.40. 



USES. The wood makes an excellent fuel and is also used for pile's 

 and wharf-timbers. It is also now being used to some extent for 

 flooring. 



The bark is rich in tannin and useful in tanning leather. It is said 

 that in 'early days a useful cordage was made by 'the Indians from the 

 fibrous portion of the bark O'f this tree. 



ORDER MYRTACEJE: MYRTLE FAMILY. 



Leaves simple, opoosite cr alternate, without stipules, often pellucid- 

 punctate, coriacious and with marginal vein. Floivers usually perfect; calyx- 

 lobes valvate or imbricate or consolidated into a lid; petals 4 or 5 (rarely 6 or 

 wanting), epigynous ; stamens numerous; ovary usually inferior (rarely free), 

 2- to many-celled (rarely i-celled), styles undivided; ovules i or many, ampylo- 

 tropous. Fruit a capsule or berry; seeds without albumen. 



A large and important order of about 2,700 species, grouped in 

 about 75 genera, mostly of trees and shrubs of warm climates, gener- 

 ally pervaded with a fragrant and pungent volatile oil and producing 

 valuable woods, various spices, edible fruits, etc. 



GENUS PSIDIUM LINNAEUS. 



Leaves persistent, "Opposite, of firm texture. Flowers white, rather large, 

 on i-3-flowered peduncles, in the axils of the leaves or lateral; calyx with 4-5 

 persistent lobes ; . petals of same number and somewhat longer, spreading ; 

 stamens numerous, white, with small anthers ; pistil with 2-5-celled ovary, 

 filiform style longer than the stamens and capitate stigma, ovules numerous in 

 each cell. Fruit a subglobose or pear-shaped berry, often subtended by the calyx 

 lobes, yellow or pinkish, often with aromatic acidulous flesh and many hard 

 seeds imbedded in the pulp. 



The genus consists of about 130 species of trees and shrubs of 

 tropical America with 4-angled branchlets, the following one of which 



