214 



Corkwood 



entire and revolute on the margin, bright green, shining, and smooth, except 

 along the prominent veins, above, pale, hairy, and prominently reticulated beneath; 

 the leaf-stalk is stout, grooved, and hairy, 4 to 6 cm. long. The staminate catkins 

 are cylindric, 3 to 4 cm. long; the bracts broadly ovate, 4 to 5 mm. long, taper- 

 pointed, bright brown, the anthers light yellow. The pistillate catkins are 

 smaller, their bracts ovate, sharp-pointed; ovary hairy; stigma somewhat leaf- 

 like. Drupes elliptic, about 2 cm, long, somewhat compressed on one side, rounded 



Fig. 175. Corkwood. 



on the other, pointed at the apex, bright brown and wrinkled; flesh thick and dry, 

 closely united with the brown, rough nut ; seed completely fiUing the cavity, com- 

 pressed, rounded at each end, thick-edged and marked by a conspicuous black 

 spot. 



Corkwood is soft, close-grained, pale yellow, without heart- wood; its specific 

 gravity is about 0.21. It is the lightest wood in our area except the Papaya, and 

 is used locally for the floats of fishing nets. 



The name is in honor of Dr. Edward F, Leitner, a German physician and 

 naturalist, who was lost in Florida during the Seminole war of 1838. 



