LIRIODENDRON, TULIPIFERA, L. 105 



Bark. Bark of trunk ashen-gray and smoothish in young 

 trees, becoming at length dark, seamed, and furrowed; the 

 older branches gray; the season's shoots of a shining chest- 

 nut, with minute dots and conspicuous leaf-scars ; glabrous or 

 dusty-pubescent ; bark of roots pale brown, fleshy, with an 

 agreeable aromatic smell and pungent taste. 



Winter Buds and Leaves. Terminal buds ^-1 inch long ; 

 narrow-oblong ; flattish ; covered by two chestnut-brown 

 dotted scales, which persist as appendages at the base of the 

 leafstalk, often enclosing several leaves which develop one 

 after the other. Leaves simple, alternate, lobed ; 3-5 inches 

 long and nearly as broad, dark green and smooth on the upper 

 surface, lighter, with minute dusty pubescence beneath, becom- 

 ing yellow and russet brown in autumn ; usually with four 

 rounded or pointed lobes, the two upper abruptly cut off at 

 the apex, and separated by a slight indentation or notch more 

 or less broad and shallow at the top ; all the lobes entire, or 

 2-3 sublobed, or coarsely toothed ; base truncate, acute or 

 heart-shaped ; leafstalks as long or longer than the blade, 

 slender, enlarged at the base ; stipules 1-2 inches long, pale 

 yellow, oblong, often persisting till the leaf is fully developed. 

 Inflorescence. Late May or early June. Flowers conspic- 

 uous, solitary, terminal, held erect by a stout stern, tulip- 

 shaped, 1^-2 inches long, opening at the top about 2 inches. 

 There are two triangular bracts which fall as the flower 

 opens ; three greenish, concave sepals, at length reflexed ; six 

 greenish-yellow petals with an orange spot near the base of 

 each ; numerous stamens somewhat shorter than the petals ; 

 and pistils clinging together about a central axis. 



Fruit. Cone-like, formed of numerous carpels, often abor- 

 tive, which fall away from the axis at maturity ; each long, 

 flat carpel encloses in the cavity at its base one or two orange 

 seeds which hang out for a time on flexible, silk-like threads. 



Horticultural Value. An ornamental tree of great merit ; 

 hardy except in the coldest parts of New England ; difficult 

 to transplant, but growing rapidly when established ; comes 

 into leaf rather early and holds its foliage till mid-fall, 

 shedding it in a short time when mature ; adapts itself readily 



