104 ECONOMIC BOTANY OF ALABAMA 



CORYLACEAE. HazEl-nut family. 



Includes four genera and about 50 sj^ecies, trees and shrubs, 

 mostly in the north temperate zone. 



CARPINUS, Linnaeus. 

 Carpinus Caroliniana, Walt. Ironwood. 



A small tree, rarely more than a foot in diameter and 30 

 feet tall,* with trunk somewhat fluted — never perfectly round — - 

 and smooth grayish bark a little darker than that of the beech. 

 Blooms in spring, just before the leaves unfold. The wood is 

 heavier than water when green, but is seldom used for anything in 

 Alabama. Elsewhere it is sometimes made into tool-handles, etc. 

 The tree is said to be good for border screens and tall hedges. 



Grows mostly in creek bottoms. Rare in region 2A, and 

 apparently wanting in 13, 14 and 15. but common elsewhere. 



OSTRYA, Scopoli. 

 Ostrya Virginiana ( Mill.) W'illd. (Hop Hornbeam). 



Very similar to the preceding in size, leaves, flowers, and time 

 of blooming, but has a brown finely furrowed and somewhat fib- 

 rous bark, and a fruit something like hops. 



This makes a good ornamental tree, and is occasionally planted 

 in parks, etc. The wood is heavy, strong and durable, much like 

 hickory, and is used in some places for posts, levers, cogs, wedges, 

 handles, and the like. The bark is sometimes used medicinally, 

 though not officinal. 



Grows naturally on bluffs and in ravines and hammocks, 

 where it is pretty well protected from fire. Common in regions 

 2B, low and 11, and frequent in most of the others, but in 13 

 known only from near the Conecuh River southeast of Brewton, 

 and rare or wanting in 4, 6B, 8, 9, 14 and 15. 



CORYLUS, L. The HazEl-nuts (Filberts of Europe) 



The only nut-bearing shrubs in our flora, except one or two 

 chinquapins and oaks. Both the American species, C. Americana 



*I have seen a tree 15 inches in diameter on the Sipsey River near 

 Fayette, and one about 40 feet tall at Meriweather's Landing on the Warrior 

 River in Greene County. 



