130 



WOOD AND FOREST. 



37 



CHERRY BIRCH. SWEET BIRCH. BLACK: BIRCH. MAHOGANY 



BIRCH. 



Cherry, because bark resembles that of cherry tree; sweet, refers to the 

 taste of the spicy bark. 



Betula lenta Linnaeus. 



Betula, the classical Latin name; lenta, meaning tenacious, sticky, may 

 refer to the gum which exudes from the trunk. 



Habitat. 



Leaf. 



Habitat: (See map); 

 best in Tennessee Moun- 

 tains. 



Characteristics of the 

 Tree: Height, 50'-80'; 

 diameter, 2'-5' ; trunk, 

 rarely straight ; bark, 

 dark reddish brown, on 

 old trunks deeply fur- 

 rowed and broken into 

 thick, irregular plates, 

 marked with horizontal 

 lenticels ; resembles 

 cherry ; spicy, aromatic ; 

 leaves, ovate, oblong, 2"- 

 6" long, irregularly ser- 

 rate; fruit, erect stro- 

 biles. 



Appearance of Wood: 



Color, dark, reddish 

 brown ; diffuse-porous ; 

 rings, obscure ; grain, 

 close, satiny, polishes 

 well, often stained to 

 imitate mahogany; rays, 

 numerous, obscure. 



