80 



2. 6STRYA. THE HOP HORNBEAM. 



Ostrya virginiana (Miller) Willdenow. IRONWOOD. Plate 31. 

 Small trees up to 5 dm. 1 in diameter, usually about 1-2 dm. in diameter; 

 bark smooth and light brown on small trees, shreddy on older trees; 

 shoots hairy, becoming at the end of the season glabrous or nearly so 

 and a reddish-brown; leaves oblong-ovate, other forms rare, average 

 size about 7-12 cm. long, acuminate, usually double-serrate, hairy on 

 both surfaces when they unfold, glabrous or nearly so above at maturity, 

 more or less pubescent beneath, especially on the midrib and veins; 

 staminate spikes develop in early winter; fruit hop-like about 2-4 cm. 

 long; nut oblong-ovate about 7 mm. long and half as wide, compressed, 

 light brown; wood very hard, tough, close-grained, strong, light brown. 



Distribution. Nova Scotia west to Manitoba, south to the Gulf 

 States and west to Texas. It is frequent to common in all of the 

 counties of the State. However, it is entirely absent in the lower 

 Wabash bottoms, except rarely on high grounds in this area. It 

 prefers well drained dry soil, and is most frequent when it is associated 

 with beech and sugar maple, although it is often quite plentiful in white 

 oak woods. It is shade enduring and is one of the under trees in the 

 forest where it grows very tall and slender and free from branches. 

 When it grows in exposed places such as bluffs, it retains its side 

 branches and is usually bushy. 



Remarks. The trees are too small to be of much economic impor- 

 tance. It is 30 per cent stronger than white oak, and 46 per cent more 

 elastic. These exceptional qualities were recognized by the Indians and 

 it was used by them where wood of great strength and hardness was 

 desired. Likewise the pioneer used it where he could for handles, 

 wooden wedges, etc. Since it grows neither large nor fast, it is usually 

 regarded as a weed tree in the woodland, and should be removed to give 

 place to more valuable species. 



Ostrya virginiana variety glandulosa Spach. This is the name 

 given to the form which has the twigs, petioles, peduncles and often 

 the midrib and veins of the leaves beneath covered more or less with 

 short erect, reddish, glandular hairs. 



It is found with the species, but is not so frequent. 



3. BETULA. THE BIRCHES. 



Trees and shrubs with bark tight, scaly or separating into very thin 

 plates and peeling off transversely, whitish or dark colored; staminate 

 catkins developing in autumn and dehiscing in early spring before or 



iln 1916 in Allen County along Cedar Creek, I measured a specimen that was 15.6 

 dm. in circ. b.h. with a clear bole of about 3m. 



