490 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [DECEMBER 
parquetry, sewing machines, picture molding, saddletrees, vehi- 
cles, and bookcases. It is cut radially for veneer. This is because 
the “‘silver grain,”’ made by the large pith rays, is very prominent, 
thus giving the appearance of oak. 
Gross characters—The wood is moderately hard and heavy, not 
strong, close-grained, very tough, usually exceedingly cross-grained, 
difficult to split, and not durable in contact with the soil. It is 
easier to split when dry, but is liable to warp in seasoning. The 
heartwood is a reddish brown, especially in older trees, with a 
decidedly reddish color in the pith rays; the sapwood is light 
brown, and the transition from sapwood to heartwood is quite 
gradual. The annual rings of growth (pl. XXXII) are less clearly 
defined than in the two western species. The pith rays are very 
conspicuous (pl. XXXII, pr). 
Vessels (transverse section, pl. XXXII, v)—These occur either 
singly or else in irregular groups of 2-5. The last arrangement is 
the usual one in the early wood. At the beginning of each annual 
ring and immediately adjacent to the several rows of much radially 
flattened wood fibers which mark the end of the preceding growth 
layer is an interrupted row of tangentially compressed vessels 
(pl. XXXII, v) somewhat larger than those formed later. The 
vessels diminish slightly in diameter and in number toward the 
outer part of the annual ring, where they are usually isolated. They 
measure 0.06—o.10 mm., with an average of 0.083 mm. in diameter 
(table II). Vessel segments (tangential section, pl. XXXV, 2) 
vary from 0.72 to 0.89 mm. in length, with an average of 0.786 
mm. (table III). The vessel walls are much thinner than those 
of the surrounding cells. Where two segments join endwise, the 
opening between them is large and elliptical, or often the end walls 
are not completely absorbed, leaving a scalariform or ladder-like 
opening, with 1~25 bars like those found in the ends of the tracheids 
(fig. 1, B). These bars are much narrower than the openings OT 
slits between them and are often branched. The oblique end of 
the vessel segment is often prolonged, forming a projection which 
overlaps the adjoining segment above and below. The vessel walls 
are marked by vertical and horizontal rows of numerous small, slit- 
like, bordered pits, which are horizontal, or often slightly oblique. 
