126 



WOOD AND FOREST. 



35 



CANOE BIRCH. WHITE BIRCH. PAPER BIRCH. 



All names refer to bark. 



Betula papyrifera Marshall. 

 Betula, the classical Latin name; papyrifera refers to paper bearing bark. 



Habitat. 



Leaf. 



Habitat: (See map); 

 best west of Rocky Moun- 

 tains. 



Characteristics of the 

 Tree: Height, 60'-80'; 

 diameter, 2'-3' ; stem 

 rarely quite straight ; 

 bark, smooth, white, ex- 

 terior marked with len- 

 ticels, peeling freely 

 horizontally into thin 

 papery layers, showing 

 brown or orange be- 

 neath, contains oil which 

 burns hotly, formerly 

 used by Indians for ca- 

 noes, very remarkable 

 (see Keeler, page 304) ; 

 leaves, heart-shaped, ir- 

 regularly serrate; fruit, 

 pendulous strobiles. 



Appearance of Wood: 



Color, brown or reddish, 

 sap-wood white; diffuse- 

 porous ; rings, obscure ; 

 grain, fairly straight ; 

 rays, numerous, obscure. 



