Trees of New York State 161 



BETULACEAE 



Betula lenta L. 



Sweet Birch, Cherry Birch, Black Birch 



Habit — A tree under optimum conditions sometimes attaining a height of 

 75-80 feet with a trunk diameter of 3-4 feet, usually 50-60 feet tall. 

 Crowai at first rather narrowly conical, clothed with ascending branches 

 which extend nearly to the ground, at length open, round-topped and 

 rather narrow, witlx long, slender, horizontal or somewhat pendulous, 

 much-forked branches. Bole in mature trees tapering. 



Leaves — Alternate, ovate or oblong-ovate, 2i^-5 inches long, 1^-3 inches 

 wide, acute at the apex, slightly cordate or rounded and inequilateral at 

 the base, sharply doubly serrate, at maturity membranaceous, smooth, 

 dark dull green above, pale yellow-green and smooth below aside from the 

 axillary tufts of white hairs, borne on stout, hairy petioles %-l inch long. 



Flowers — Appearing in April or early May before the leaves, monoecious, 

 borne in aments. Staminate aments preformed the preceding season, 

 clustered, subterminal, cylindrical, at anthesis brownish yellow, 3-4 inches 

 long. Pistillate aments appearing as the buds unfold, terminal and soli- 

 tary on short, 2-leaved lateral branches, pale gi"een, cylindrical, sessile, 

 %-% of an inch long. Flowers borne in clusters of 3. The staminate 

 flowers consist of 4 yellow half-anthers raised on short, bifurcated fila- 

 ments and accompanied by a calyx of 1 sepal, the cluster of 3 covered 

 distally by a peltate, obovate bract and 2 bracteoles. The pistillate flower 

 consists of a small, green, ovoid ovary surmounted by 2 spreading, fili- 

 form, pink styles, the cluster of 3 subtended by an oblong, obtuse bract 

 and 2 adnate bracteoles. 



Fruit — A sessile, pale brown, short-cylindric, obtuse, woody strobile I-IV2 

 inches long and about I/2 inch thick, consisting of glabrous, imbricated, 

 3-lobed bracts subtending winged nutlets, both deciduous in the autumn 

 from the slender rachis. Nutlets compressed, oblong to obovate, about 

 Vs of an inch long, surmounted at the apex by the 2 persistent styles, 

 with lateral marginal wings as broad as the nutlet. 



Winter characters — - Twigs slender, lenticellate, smooth, lustrous, light red- 

 dish brown, at length dull dark brown tinged with red, with wintergi-een 

 taste when chewed. Short spur-like lateral fruiting branches present. 

 Staminate aments grouped at the tips of vigorous branchlets, oblong- 

 cylindric, reddish brown, lustrous, about % of an inch long. Buds ovate, 

 acute, lustrous, divergent, light chestnut-brown, about Vi of an inch 

 long. Bark on young trunks smooth, lustrous, dark reddish brown, with 

 conspicuous horizontal lenticels. Mature bark dull brownish black, fur- 

 rowed and broken into large, irregular plates. 



Habitat — Usually in upland situations on moist or dry gravelly or rocky 

 soils. 



Range — Newfoundland, New York and Pennsylvania, south along the moun 

 tains to Florida, west through southern Ontario to Iowa and Tennessee. 

 Zones A, B, and C. 



Uses — Wood heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, dark reddish brown with 

 thin, pale sapwood, capable of high finish and used in the manufacture of 

 furniture to imitate mahogany, likeAvise for woodenware, fuel, etc. Oil 

 of wintergreen is distilled from the wood, and birch beer can be made by 

 fermenting the sap. 



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