128 



WOOD AND FOREST. 



36 



RED BIRCH. RIVER BIRCH. 



Red refers to color of bark; river, prefers river bottoms. 



Betula nigra Linnaeus. 

 Betula, the classical Latin name. 



Habitat. 



Leaf. 



Habitat : ( See map ) ; 

 best in Florida, Louisi- 

 ana and Texas. 



Characteristics of the 

 Tree: Height, 30'-80', 

 and even higher; diame- 

 ter, 1', even 5'; trunk, 

 often divided low; bark, 

 dark brown, marked by 

 horizontal lenticels, peels 

 into paper plates, curl- 

 ing back; leaves, doubly 

 serrate, often almost 

 lobed ; fruit, pubescent, 

 erect, strobiles. 



Appearance of Wood: 



Color, light brown, thick 

 sap-wood, whitish ; dif- 

 fuse-porous ; rings, not 

 plain ; grain, close, rather 

 crooked; rays, numerous, 

 obscure. 



Physical Qualities : 



Weight, medium (36th 

 in this list) ; 35 Ibs. per 



