466 NEW ENGLAND TREES IN WINTER. 



RED MULBERRY 



Moms rubra L. 



HABIT A small tree 15-25 ft. in height with trunk diameter of 8-15 

 inches, of larger size in the Ohio and Mississippi basins; trunk short, 

 dividing- into a number of stout spreading limbs developing a compact, 

 broad, rounded head with numerous small branches in aspect resembling 

 an apple tree, somewhat less scraggly than the White Mulberry. (The 

 tree photographed had been considerably trimmed). 



BARK Dark brown, divided into irregular longitudinal plates which 

 tend to lift at the ends and flake off, sometimes however not con- 

 spicuously flaky. 



TWIGS Slender though rather stouter than those of the White Mul- 

 berry; somewhat zigzag, reddish to greenish-brown, with rather 

 sweetish taste, cut twig showing milky juice. LENTICELS small, 

 scattered, inconspicuous. 



L.EAF-SCARS Alternate, 2-ranked, raised, nearly circular, slightly 

 hollowed in the center. STIPULE-SCARS narrow. BUNDLE-SCARS 

 raised but generally less distinctly so than in the White Mulberry, 

 forming a closed ring or irregularly scattered in the center. 



BUDS Terminal bud absent, lateral buds ovate, pointed, about 6 mm. 

 long, stout but longer than broad, not at all or but slightly flattened, 

 divergent, shining, greenish to chestnut brown. BUD-SCALES 2- 

 ranked, with thin distinctly darker margins, 4-8 scales visible. 



FRUIT Red, not to be found in- winter. 



COMPARISONS The Red is most readily separated from the White 

 Mulberry by its darker twigs, its larger shining, greenish to chestnut 

 brown buds with dark-margined bud-scales. 



DISTRIBUTION Banks of rivers, rich woods. Canadian shore of 

 Lake Erie; south to Florida; west to Michigan, South Dakota, and 

 Texas. 



IN NEW ENGLAND A rare tree; Maine doubtfully reported; New 

 Hampshire Pemigewasset valley, White Mountains; Vermont northern 

 extremity of Lake Champlain, banks of the Connecticut, Pownal, North 

 Pownal; Massachusetts rare; Rhode Island no station reported. 



IN CONNECTICUT Rare or occasional; Bristol, Plainville, North 

 Quilford, East Rock and Norwich. 



WOOD Light, soft, not strong, rather tough, coarse-grained, very 

 durable, light orange color with thick lighter colored sapwood, used 

 largely for fencing, in cooperage and in ship and boat building. 



