THE MAGNOLIA AND TULIP TREE 



on account of its smooth bark, which is a great 

 contrast to the roughly ridged bark of the Ken- 

 tucky coffee tree. Its stems are smooth and 

 thick, and the large leaf-scars are much more 

 prominent than the buds. Its large, pinnate 

 leaves, often over four feet long, make the 

 ailanthus decorative in summer, but its coarse 

 stems in winter diminish its aesthetic value in 

 landscape gardening. It grows very fast at 

 first, its leading stems sometimes reaching over 

 six feet in a single season ; but after ten or 

 twelve years this rate decreases and it advances 

 with moderate growth. 



In America it is planted only as an orna- 

 mental tree, but its wood is fine-grained, hard, 

 and takes a good polish, and is well fitted for 

 cabinet making. 



The generic name was originally spelled 

 ailantus, and came from ailanto (tree of heaven), 

 the name of this tree in the Moluccas ; its 

 name was undoubtedly given to it on account 

 of the rapidity of its growth and the great 

 height it reaches in its native country. The 

 specific name, glandulosa (glandulous), refers to 

 the margins on the under side of the leaves. 



The ailanthus originally came from China, 

 but it has become naturalized here, and is 

 planted very commonly in city streets, along 



ii 161 



