77 
the base, sharply serrate, 6-10 cm. (214-4 inches) long, mature 
leaves glabrous above, with pubescent veins and tufts of hairs in 
the axils of the veins below; flowering period April or May; stamin- 
ate aments about 4 cm. (11% inches) long at time of flowering; nuts 
light brown, about 8 mm. (1/3 inch) long, ovoid, flattened, obscurely 
longitudinally ribbed, enclosed in a papery, ovate bag about 2 cm. 
(24 inch) long, formed by the union of the mature bracts; the aggre- 
gate fruit resembles the hop, hence its common name. 
Distribution. Valley of St. Lawrence River south to the Gulf 
States and West to Texas and Minnesota. It occurs more or less 
frequently in dry soil in all parts of Indiana, and is usually associ- 
ated with beech, white ash and sugar maple. It is less frequent in 
the southwest part of the state, and in a greater part of Posey 
County it is wanting. It is usually a tall, slender tree, ranging 
from 1-2 dm. (4-8 inches) in diameter and 6-12 m. (20-40 feet) in 
height. It is shade enduring and is commonly found in thick 
woods. 
The published records of the distribution are as follows: Clark 
(Baird and Taylor); Delaware (Phinney); Delaware, Jay, Randolph 
and Wayne (Phinney); Gibson (Schneck); Hamilton (Wilson); Jeff- 
erson (Coulter) and (Young); Kosciusko (Clark) and (Coulter); 
Lake (Higley and Radden); Marion (Wilson); Noble (Van Gorder); 
Parke (Hobbs); Posey (Schneck); Putnam (MacDougal); Steuben 
Bradner); Tippecanoe (Coulter); Vigo (Blatchley); Wayne (Petry 
and Markle). 
Additional records are: Montgomery (Rose); Putnam (Cook) 
and (Grimes); Fulton, Hamilton, Hancock, Laporte, Madison, 
Marion, Porter, Steuben, Warren and Wells (Deam. 
Economic uses. Wood very hard, tough, close-grained, strong, 
light brown, used for fuel, handles for tools, and mallets. The 
size and quality of the timber make this tree of little economic 
importance, except for fuel. It was the favorite wood of the 
pioneers for making wooden wedges or gluts. 
3. BETULA. Tuer Bircues. 
(Betula is derived from the Celtic, batu, the name for the Birch.) 
Bark smooth, often separating freely in thin plates, thick and 
furrowed, or scaly on the trunks of old trees; staminate flowers 
appear early in spring at the ends of the branches of the year; 
pistillate spikes ripen in autumn, nuts small, winged, bearing at 
