THE TREES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 109 



Buckthorn. (Bumelia lycioides, Gsert.) — A small 

 tree from 15 to 25 feet high, found from North 

 Carolina to Louisiana, rather sparingly in this State 

 from the coast to Lincoln County. Its leaves are 

 entire, smooth on both sides, about 2 inches long and 

 I of an inch wide, with short stems. The flowers are 

 whitish and small, growing in a thick cluster in the 

 fork of the leaves, succeeded by a black, cherry-like 

 fruit, about the size of a pea. The wood is exceed- 

 ingly hard and heavy, with an irregular grain, and 

 would doubtless be useful for mechanical purposes, 

 were it not too rare to attract much attention. 



Yellow Wood. (Symplocos tinctoria, L'Her.) 

 — Also called Sweet Leaf and High Bush Laurel. It 

 does not extend much, if any, north of James River. 

 In this State it occurs from the coast to the moun- 

 tains, but is most multiplied in the Lower District. 

 In poor soils it is only a shrub 2 to 6 feet high ; but 

 in those which are fertile, as on the borders of 

 swamps, it becomes a small tree, 20 to 25 feet high 

 and 6 to 8 inches in diameter. If the trunk be 

 wounded in Spring, it exudes a milky, offensive juice. 

 The leaves, which are 3 to 5 inches long, are sweet 

 to the taste but rather dry, and greedily eaten by 

 cattle and deer in Winter. They afford, by decoc- 

 tion, a beautiful yellow color, which is fixed by a lit- 

 tle alum, wherewith cotton, woollen and silk, are 

 dyed. It is not much used, however. The fruit is a 

 small one-seeded berry. The wood is soft and value- 

 less. 



