The Trees of Wyoming. 



99 



which they open and hanging naked upon the .branches during the winter, 

 opening in the spring before the leaves develop: seed-like nutlet slightly mar- 

 gined but scarcely winged. 



This is little more than a large shrub, but since it oc- 

 curs so extensively throughout the state and lends itself 



so readily to transplant- 

 ing- it seems well to in- 

 clude it. It usually forms 

 clumps of several or nu- 

 merous stems from the 

 root and grows as an 

 overhanging fringe on the 

 banks of mountain stream- 

 lets. Its habit of growth 

 and the presence in win- 

 ter of the naked flower 

 clusters will .help to sep- 

 arate it from the West- 

 ern Birch, the only spe- 

 cies with which it can be 

 confused. It has some 

 fuel value and often con- 

 stitutes natural wind- 



XXIII. Paperleaf Alder. Leaf, male flower 

 cluster (le/t ) and fruiting cluster. 



breaks that are of service to ranch homes and to stock on 

 the range. It can be used effectively for ornamenting the 

 home grounds. 



Beech Family. 



(Fagacece) 



Because of similar botanical characteristics the Oak 

 genus (Quercus) is placed in the above family. Since for 

 our present purposes we are concerned with a single spe- 



