CASTANEA SATIVA. 73 



short distance northward ; Vermont, common in the south- 

 ern sections, especially in the Connecticut valley ; occasional 

 as far north as Windsor (Windsor county), West Rutland 

 (Rutland county), Burlington (Chittenden county); Massa- 

 chusetts, rather common throughout the state, but less 

 frequent near the sea ; Rhode Island and Connecticut, 

 common. 



South to Delaware, along the mountains to Alabama ; west to 

 Michigan, Indiana, and Tennessee. 



Habit. A tree of the first magnitude, rising to a height 

 of 60-80 feet and reaching a diameter of 5-6 feet above the 

 swell of the roots, with a spread sometimes equaling or even 

 exceeding the height; attaining often much greater propor- 

 tions. The massive trunk separates usually a few feet from 

 the ground into several stout horizontal or ascending branches, 

 the limbs higher up, horizontal or rising at a broad angle, 

 forming a stately, open, roundish, or inversely pyramidal 

 head ; branchlets slender ; spray coarse and not abundant ; 

 foliage bright green, dense, casting a deep shade ; flowers 

 profuse, the long, sterile catkins upon their darker back- 

 ground of leaves conspicuous upon the hill slopes at a great 

 distance. A tree that may well dispute precedence with the 

 white or red oak. 



Bark. Bark of trunk in old trees deeply cleft with wide 

 ridges, hard, rough, dark gray ; in young trees very smooth, 

 often shining ; season's shoots green or purplish-brown, white- 

 dotted. 



Winter Buds and Leaves. Buds small, ovate, brown, acut- 

 ish. Leaves simple, alternate, 5-10 inches long, 1-3 inches 

 wide, bright clear green above, paler beneath and smooth on 

 both sides ; outline oblong-lanceolate, sharply and coarsely 

 serrate ; veins straight, terminating in the teeth ; apex acu- 

 minate ; base acute or obtuse ; leafstalk short ; stipules soon 

 falling. 



Inflorescence. June to July. Appearing from the axils of 

 the season's shoots, after the leaves have grown to their full 

 size; sterile catkins numerous, clustered or single, erect or 



