80 MYRICACE.E. — CUPULTFER.E. Myriea. 



through the Gulf States to western Louisiana, northeastern Arkansas, and 

 the valley of the Brazos River, Texas. 



A tree 18 to 21 metres in height, with a trunk 0.60 to 0.90 metre in 

 diameter, or generally much smaller ; low river swamps ; most common 

 and reaching its greatest development on the bottom-lands of the lower 

 Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. 



Wood heavy, soft, strong, rather brittle, very close-grained, compact, 

 containing few scattered open ducts; layers of annual growth less clearly- 

 marked than in the other species of the genus : medullary rays numerous, 

 thin ; color dark brown, the sap-wood light, often nearly white ; used for 

 fencing, fuel, etc. 



MYRICACE^E. 



249. Myriea cerifera, L. 

 Bat/berry. Wax Myrtle. 



Shores of Lake Erie : coast of Maine, and south near the coast to the 

 Florida keys and southern Alabama. 



A tree sometimes \'l metres in height, with a trunk 0.30 to 0.4-"> metre 

 in diameter, or, except in the Southern States, a low much-branched shrub : 

 usually on sandy beaches and dry hillsides, reaching its greatest develop- 

 ment on the bottoms and rich hummocks of the Georgia and Florida coasts. 



Wood light, soft, strong, brittle, very close-grained, compact ; medullary 

 rays numerous, thin ; color dark brown, the sap-wood lighter. 



The leaves and stimulant and astringent bark of the roots are some- 

 times employed by herbalists. The wax which covers the small globular 

 fruit was formerly largely collected and made into candles, ami now, 

 under the name of myrtle wax. is a popular remedy in the treatment of 

 d\ sentery. 



250. Myriea Californica, Cham. 



Cape Foulweather, Oregon, south near the coast to the Ray of Mon- 

 terey, California. 



A small evergreen tree, rarely exceeding metres in height, with a 

 trunk 0.30 to O.4.") metre in diameter, or toward its northern limits reduced 

 to a low shrub: sandy beaches and gravelly hillsides. 



Wood heavy, very hard, strong, brittle, very close-grained, compact ; 

 medullary rays numerous, thin, conspicuous; color light rose, the sap- 

 wood lighter. 



CUPULIFER^E. 



251. Quercus alba, L. 

 White Oak. 



Northern Maine, valley of the Saint Lawrence River, Ontario, lower 

 peninsula of Michigan to southeastern Minnesota, south to the Saint 



