20. y 



trees, are of the eastern kind. Indeed it is believed that all of the plants 

 now found on the eastern flank of the Alleghenies are of that stock, 

 except .a few in Massachusetts which were sent from Cincinnati; though 

 others may yet be identified that have a western origin and form. 



The habitats of the western plant will now be indicated. The tree is 

 found on the bottom lands of the Wabash and its tributary, the White 

 River of Indiana, on the lower Ohio and its tributaries, the Cumberland 

 and the Tennessee, as well as the W abash, the Little W abash, the Saline, 

 the Cache, and other streams. It is also found on the extensive swampy 

 region of the Mississippi about New Madrid, in South-eastern Missouri, 

 and the adjoining portion of Arkansas, as well as in the neighboring low 

 lands of the western portion of Kentucky and Tennessee, particularly 

 along the ( )bion River. 



In all this region of silty soil known as the Delta country, the forests 

 produce this particular catalpa, the locality being in these six neighbor- 

 ing States. It has also been found by Mr. Teas, on the Arkansas River 

 near Little Rock, and on the waters of the Red River near the south- 

 western portion of Arkansas, and presumably it exists on 'most of the 

 tributaries of the lower portions of the Great River; to which region, 

 however, these recent special investigations have riot been extended. 



In all the territory above indicated, which has been critically explored, 

 the Speciosa variety alone has been discovered in a state of nature not 

 one of the Georgia kind, the recognized species, C. bignonioides, of Walter, 

 has been seen except where planted by the hand of man. 



It is now so fully demonstrated that there are in nature and in cultiva- 

 tion two distinct trees that it may be well to point out their differences. 

 This will be done as much as possible in popular terms. 



DIAGNOSIS OF THE Two FORMS. 



The species, the native of Georgia, or the common Catalpa : 



Tree As described by the botanists, usually low-branched, short-stem- 

 med when in open lands, often leaning. When planted in thick groves 

 the stems become taller, but are seldom really straight. Young plants 

 often winter-killed, and older ones frequently injured North of lati- 

 tude 40 and 41 N. on the West of the Alleghenies. 



Bark Gray, and in mature trees, or those of ten or twelve years or more, 

 it is scaly, and easily detached in small, thin plates. 



Leaves Similar in both kinds, but in their young state having less of the 

 purple tinge that is common in those' of the Speciosa; at maturity 

 they are a shade darker. 



Flowers As represented in Michaux' plate, white, tinged with violet, 

 having purple and yellow spots inside the throat of its bell-shaped 

 corolla; fragrant, blooms come later by from one to three weeks 

 than the western form. 



Fruit Usually very abundant, pods from 8-15 inches long, somewhat 

 flattened, the valves meeting at an angle form a ridge that can be felt 

 when it is rolled between the thumb and finger, hence the section is 

 lenticular; the surface is slightly uneven, somewhat grooved in some 

 specimens, color light brown, especially on trees cultivated in this 

 latitude ; the pods received from Georgia and Alabama, are darker. 



Seeds Applied end to end in one or more layers to a rather flat and 

 grooved placenta or pith. They are winged as described, in their 

 entire length, from one to one 'inch and seven lines, breadth two 

 lines; average 100 seeds to a pod. The coma or fringe of hairs pro- 

 jecting from each end, is sharply pointed as though they had been 

 wetted and drawn together. 



