182 ENGLISH BOTANY. 
Sus-Srecies L—Betula verrucosa. Bhrh. 
Prats MCCXCV. 
Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ. et Helv. Vol. XII. Tab. DOXXVI. Fig. 1288, DCXXV. Fig. 1287, 
and DCXXVIL. Fig. 1289. 
Billot, F). Gall. et Germ. Exsice. No. 463. 
B. alba, Koch, Syn. Fl. Germ. et Helv. ed. ii. p. 760. Gren. & Godr. Fl. de Fr. 
Vol. Ill. p. 147. Crep. Man. Fl. Belg. ed. ii. p. 271. 
B. alba, var. a, Hook. & Arn. Brit. Fl. ed. viii. p. 395. 
B. odorata, Bechst. and B. pendula, loth, and B. laciniata, Wahl., Rewh. Ic. 1. ¢. pp- 2 
and 3. 
Leaves deltoid-ovate or rhomboidal-ovate, truncate or with an obtuse 
angle at the base. Catkin-scales of the female catkin with the lateral 
lobes falcate-spreading. ; 
In woods and copses, &e. Rather common, and generally distri- 
buted. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Tree. Late Spring. 
A tree attaining the height of 30 or 40 feet or more, with very 
smooth white bark, marked with transverse brown bands, and at length 
splitting or detaching ‘tself in flakes, or in old trees becoming fissured 
longitudinally. Branches numerous, the twigs slender, purple, and 
often pendulous when young. Leaves 1 to 3 inches long, those on the 
strong barren shoots deltoid-ovate, truncate or very slightly cordate at 
the base, those on the flowering turgs generally with an obtuse-angled 
base; all of them sharply doubly serrate, with the lateral veins run- 
ning nearly straight from the midrib to the margin. Stipules very 
caducous, 3 times as broad as long. Buds oblong-conical. Male 
catkins appearing before the winter, at the extremity of the twigs of 
the year, but not expanding until the young leaves appear in spring, 
solitary or 2 or 3 together, drooping or pendulous, 1 to 21 inches long, 
with reddish catkin-scales: stamens 10 to 12 under each of the peltate 
catkin scales, which has two thinner and smaller floral scales under it: 
anthers yellow, sometimes tinged with red. Female catkins solitary, 
from lateral buds, with 2 or 3 leaves at the base, stalked, cylindrical : 
catkin-scales green, 3-flowered and 3-lobed: styles purple. Fruit 
catkins } to 1} inch long, fusiform-cylindrical or oblong, with densely im- 
pricated brown scales, which are weadgeshaped at the base, and 3-lobed 
at the apex, the central lobe lanceolate, acuminate, the 2 lateral lobes 
nearly semicircular or Junate-semicircular, and spreading. Fruit red- 
dish-brown, with a very broad pale-brown scarious wing on each side, 
the wing with a notch at the apex, extending down to the seed-bearing 
part of the fruit. Leaves usually glabrous, somewhat resinous above, 
especially when young; young branches, buds, and catkin scales almost 
always glabrous and resinous. 
When the young branches are more pendent than usual, it is the 
re 
