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WOOD AND FOREST. 



Habitat. 



SWEET GUM. 

 Gum, refers to exudations. 



Liquidambar styraciflua Linnaeus. 

 Liquidamlar, means liquid gum; styraciflua, means fluid resin (storax). 



Habitat: (See map) ; 

 best in the lower Mississ- 

 ippi valley. 



Characteristics of the 

 Tree: Height, 80'-140'; 

 diameter, 3'-5' ; trunk, 

 tall, straight; bark, light 

 brown tinged with red, 

 deeply fissured ; branch- 

 lets often having corky 

 wings; leaves, star-shaped, 

 five pointed ; conspicu- 

 ously purple and crimson 

 in autumn; fruit, multi- 

 capsular, spherical, per- 

 sistent heads. 



Appearance of Wood: 



Color, light red brown, 

 sap-wood almost white ; 

 diffuse-porous ; rings, fine 

 and difficult to distin- 

 guish ; grain, straight, 

 close, polishes well; rays, 

 numerous, very obscure. 



Physical Qualities : 



Weight, medium (34th in 



i a 



