HEATH FAMILY 



Wood. — Reddish brown, sapwood paler; heavy, hard, close- 

 grained, will take a high polish. Sp. gr., 0.7458 ; weight of cu. ft., 

 46.48 lbs. 



Winter Buds. — Axillary, minute, dark red, partly 

 immersed in the bark. Inner scales enlarge when 

 spring growth begins. 



Leaves. — Alternate, four to seven inches long, one 

 and a half to two and a half inches wide, oblong to 

 oblanceolate, wedge-shaped at base, serrate, acute 

 or acuminate. Feather-veined, midrib conspicuous. 

 They come out of the bud revolute, bronze green and 

 shining, smooth, when full grown are dark green, 

 shining above, pale and glaucous below. In autumn 

 they turn bright scarlet. Petioles long and slender, 

 stipules wanting. Heavily laden with acid. 



Flowers. — June, July. Perfect, cream-white, borne 

 in terminal panicles of secund racemes seven to eight 

 inches long ; rachis and short pedicels downy. 



Calyx. — Five-parted, persistent ; lobes valvate in 

 bud. 



Corolla. — Ovoid-cylindric, narrowed at the throat, 

 cream-white, five-toothed. 



Stamens. — Ten, inserted 

 wider than the anthers ; 

 opening by long chinks. 



Pistil. — Ovary superior, 

 columnar ; stigma simple ; 

 many. 



Fruit. — Capsule, downy, five-valved, five-angled, 

 tipped by the persistent style, the pedicels curving. 



on the corolla ; filaments 

 anthers two-celled ; cells 



ovoid, five-celled ; style 

 disk ten-toothed, ovules 



Raceme of flow- 

 ers of Sour- 

 wood, Oxy- 

 dendrum ar- 

 boreum. 



The Sourwood is perfectly hardy at the north 

 and is worthy of a place in lawns and parks. Its 

 late bloom makes it desirable and its autumnal 

 coloring is particularly beautiful and brilliant. 

 The leaves are heavily charged with acid, and to 

 some extent have the poise of those of the 

 peach. 



194 



