IDENTIFICATION OF TREES 191 



a careful searcli on the ground will often be rewarded b}' the 

 finding of specimens of fruit that one can feel sure came from 

 the tree in question. However, some species such as the Poplars 

 and the Red and Silver Maples scatter their fruit early in spring, 

 and fmiting material of such forms in consequence is not to be 

 looked for in winter. The immature fruit of some species may be 

 found on the tree in winter and be of value in identification. 

 Thus the presence of young acorns on an Oak in winter shows 

 that it belongs to the Black Oak group. 



The staminate flowering clusters are of similar 

 diagnostic value in certain groups, their presence 

 or absence, for example, separating the American 

 Hornbeam from the Hop Hornbeam. 



Comparisons — Under this heading are con- 

 trasted the difi^erent species that are considered 

 likely to be confused. It is believed that the in- 

 formation in this section will prove more valuable 

 to one with some knowledge of trees than the more 

 detailed descriptions first given. 



Distribution — The habitat first discussed under 



T^- mo ^io. r.f ^liis heading shows in what kind of locations 



Muiberry.^_^^^^ as to soil, moisture and exposure the species 



bud often mis- normally arrows. The information mav be of iden- 



taken for a ter- . , ^ 



minai bud. tificational value by elimination. Thus if one finds 



sc — self-pruning -^ 



scar left by fall a ccdar-like tree on a hillside pasture one can be 



of real terminal ^ 



bud and tip of gure it is not a Coast White Cedar since this latter 



twig-. 



species grows only in swamps. In like manner the geographical 

 limits may assist in identification; a Pine found growing wild in 

 Rhode Island or Connecticut, for example, could not be the Jack 

 Pine since this is a northern form found native only in the northern 

 New England states. Although some cultivated trees have escaped 

 from cultivation, an introduced tree is generally characterized 

 by the places in which it is found growing. 



Wood — Under this heading the information given in regard to 

 the characters of the wood and the economic value of the species 

 is of practically no value for purposes of identification of standing 

 timber, but may prove of general interest to the student of trees. 



