8o 



TKLES GkOVVLNG NKAK WATER. 



llien turn a pale yellow. In moist woods and on sandy uplands 

 the tree occurs as well as by the borders of swamps, 



LAURELOAK. SHINGLE OAK. WATER OAK. {P/af,'XXX.) 



(Jttcrcus hiurifhlia. 



FAMILY SHAPE HEIGHT RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



lu'ii/i. Head, dt'ttse, roil n(i-tof</>i:d; y>-8n/'i'r/, /'i-nii. to iowa and Mii'di, April, 



branches, s/endet. or kif;lifr. southward to l''la. J-riiit: Oct. 



i/fjr-i" ; nearly black, flatly and broadly ridged. Leiwei : simple; nllernate ; 

 witli grooved, yellow pctioie.s; Ion.t; oblong with pointed and bristle-lipjied 

 apex and pointed base. Edge entire, allliougli the leaves of young shoots are 

 sometimes undiilateiy-lobcd. IJright green, smooth, stiff and glossy above. 

 Flmvers : slightly downy below, i^^-^rwj." small; almost sessile. Ciif". saucer- 

 shaped, with closely compressed scales. Nut: globular or ovoid. Kernel: 

 bitter. 



Two thinj^s are most noticeable about this tree : its tall 

 stately trunk and its dark, lustrous head of laurel-like foliage. 

 Within its centre it seems as though the breezes must be held 

 and not allowed to rush madly through as is their wont. The 

 tree is . .ither generally found east of the Alleghanies. Like that 

 of the willow oak its reddish-brown wood is poor and of little 

 value. One of its common names connects it with the making 

 of shingles, for which purpose it is largely used. 



COnnON FRINGE TREE. OLD MAN'S BEARD. 



{Plate XXX /.) 

 ChiondniJms Vtrginica. 



Bark: brown, or ashy grey and divided into thin scales. Leaves: large; 

 simple; opposite; petioled; ovate or obovate, with pointed or rarely rounded 

 ajjex and jiointed or narrowed at the base. Dark green and smoi,ch above; 

 pubescent underneath when young; thick, /'^ry^rj; snow-white; faw. ly fra- 

 grant; growing in loose, drooping panicles. Calyx: small; four-lobed; tubular. 

 Corolla: with four slender petals, three quarters of an incli long, barely united 

 at the base. Stamens: two, very short. Pistil: one. Fruit: bluish purple ; 

 oval; glaucous and containing one seed. 



The blossoms of the fringe tree are among those things of 

 nature that are seen by all. They make no demand upon that 



