176 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIKNCES. 



Carpinus caroliniana Walt., Fl. Car., 236, 1788. Ameri- 

 can Hornbeam. Blue Beech. A small tree, ten to thirty 

 feet high, with smooth bluish gray bark; leaves ovate- 

 oblong, acute or acuminate, doubly serrate, base rounded 

 to subcordate, short-petioled, both sides green, glabrous 

 above, somewhat pubescent on the veins beneath; bract- 

 lets veiny, 3-lobed at the base, the middle lobe twice the 

 length of the lateral ones, sparingly toothed; fruit a small 

 ovoid nut, which is borne at the base of a large bractlet. 



This species is frequent in the northeastern and eastern 

 portions of Iowa. It occurs in woods near streams and 

 i3looms in April and May, while the fruit ripens in August 

 and September. The majority of the individuals are but 

 little better than mere shrubs or bushes. The wood is 

 hard, strong, of a light brown color, and is very durable. 

 Owing to the scarcity and small size of the species the 

 wood has but little utility in Iowa, though for small 

 articles, as levers, handles, etc., nothing better could be 

 used. 



Specimens in our collection are from Muscatine and 

 Johnson counties. We have observed the species in Alla- 

 makee, Clayton, Dubuque, Des Moines, Van Buren, and 

 Wapello counties. The State University herbarium has 

 specimens from Emmet, Delaware, Henry, and Lee coun- 

 ties. Professor Bessey reports the species from Boone 

 county; Professor Pammel, from Plardin county; Professor 

 Fink, from Fayette county; Messrs. Nagel and Haupt, 

 from Scott county; and Professor Macbride, from Hum- 

 boldt county. 



Bessey, Contr. to the Flora of Iowa, p. 119; Arthur, 

 Contr. to the Flora of Iowa, p. 29; Nagel and Haupt, Proc. 

 Davenport Acad, of Nat. Sciences, Vol. 1, p. 163; Fink, 

 Proc. Iowa Acad, of Sciences, Vol. 4, p. 101; Fitzpatrick, 

 Proc. Iowa Acad, of Sciences, Vol. 5, p. 127 and p. 163; 

 Pammel, Iowa Geol. Sur., Vol. 5, p. 237; Vol.8, p. 314; Vol. 

 10, p. 312; Cameron, Iowa Geol. Sur., Vol. 8, p. 198; Mac- 

 bride, Iowa Geol. Sur., Vol. 4, p. 119; Vol. 7, p. 107; Vol. 

 9, p. 152; Vol. 10, p. 647; Reppert, Iowa Geol. Sur., Vol. 9, 

 p. 836; Gray's Manual, 6th Ed., p. 474; Barnes, Reppert, 



