FOREST TREES. 177 



OSTRYA, Micbeli. Hop-Hornbeam. 



A tree closely related to the common Beech tree, but with 

 the fertile flowers numerous, in short terminal catkins, with 

 small deciduous bracts, each enclosed in a sac-like involucre, 

 which enlarges and forms an imbricated strobile, like that of 

 the common Hop. Slender tree with very hard wood. 



Ostrya Virginia, Willd. American Hop-Hornbeam, Iron-wood, 

 Lever- wood. Leaves oblong-ovate, taper pointed, very sharply 

 and doubly serrate, downy beneath. Flowers minute, appear- 

 ing with the leaves. Seeds in short imbricated catkins, as 

 shown in figure 43, which are about one half the natural size. A 



. 43. HOP-HORNBEAM. 



handsome tree, thirty to forty feet high, with straight stem, 

 rarely more than a foot in diameter. Wood white, very hard 

 and heavy, used for making beetles for splitting rails, mallets, 

 mauls, and similar implements. Bark on old trees dark-brown, 

 and furrowed, not smooth as in the closely allied Water Beech 

 (Carpinus). Seeds ripen in August in our Northern States, at 

 which time the hop-like catkins containing them should be 

 gathered and spread out to dry in the shade, until the seed can 

 be rubbed or threshed out. A handsome tree, well worthy of 

 extensive cultivation for its valuable timber. More or less 

 common in Nova Scotia, Canada, and all of our Northern States, 

 and in rich woods south to Florida. The European Horn- 

 beam (O. vulgaris) resembles our native species very closely, and 

 is often planted for ornament. 



