412 NI-^^V ENGLAND TREES IX WINTER. 



AMERICAN HORNBEAM 

 Hornbeam, Blue Beech, Ironwood, Water Beech. 



Carpinus caroliniana "Walt. 



HABIT — A low tree or siirub 10-:]0 ft. hi-ii with a trunk diameter 

 centrally under 1 ft. ; with lung', sifnder. tuugdi. mure or less zig-zag 

 branchfS nut easily bruktii. wnioli are sumewiiat penduluus at ends 

 forming a bushy wide spreading, tlat or ruund-topped head; the trunk 

 is frecLuently zigzag abuve giving appearance of being furked with 

 broad rounded crutL-hes. 



HARK — Smooth, thin, dark bluish -gray, close-iit ting, sinewy -fluted 

 with smooth, rounded, longitudinal ridges. The smooth ridges of the 

 bark are very characteristic and may be compared to the appearance 

 uf the wrist w^hicli becomes similarly ridged by the protrusion of the 

 sinews wlien the hand is clenched. 



TAVIGS — Slend'i'r, about 1 mm. tliick or less toward apex, dark red, 

 and shining, smuntli. or nfLi^n somewhat hairy. LEXTICEL,S — scattered", 

 pale, generally conspicuuus. 



IjEAF-SCARS — Alternate. 2 -ranked. minute, flattened, elliptical, 

 proiectiug. STIPl'LE-SCAIIS — narrow, triangular, rather inconspicuous. 

 BrNI>EE- SCARS- — generallN" 3, ineunspicuuus, up to o visible when 

 s u r t" a e e - s e !_■ t i I.I n e d . 



BVDS — Small, usually 2-4 mm. long, narrowly ovate to oblong, point- 

 ed, reddish-brown, more or less hairy especially the buds containing 

 stamina te catkins which are larger and oval to obovate; leaf buds 

 more or less appressed or only slightly divergent, terminal bud absent. 

 BUD-SCALES — in 4 ranks about S-12 scales visible, increasing in size 

 from below up\v;ird white-scarious and often downy on edges, fre- 

 quently with a wiHiiiy patch of down on tip; longitudinally striate when 

 viewed ti'ward light. 



■pRilT — A small ribbed seed-like nutlet enclosed by a veiny generally 

 "-lobed bract about 2..". cm. long, w^hich is saw-toothed on one side of 

 larger bdie and often has one of lower lobes lacking, usually falling 

 before winter. Slominate catkins entirely enclosed in the larger buds 

 therefore nut ^'isi Ide during Avinter. 



r03rp\RIS0\S — The American Hornbeam is often confused with the 

 Hop Hornbeam perhaps chiefly from their unfortunate similarity in 

 common names. Tlie smooth, close, bluish -gra>' bark together with 

 the habitat in which it grows has given it the name of Water Beech. 

 The sinewy-fluting to the bark is unique among our trees and readily 

 distinguishes the American Hornbeam from the Hop Hornbeam, the 

 bark of which is flaky in narrow scales. Further the American Horn- 

 beam never shows any catkins in winter while they are generally 

 abundant on the Hop Hornbeam; the buds of the American Hornbeam 

 are smaller, and have "U'hitish down on the edges : those of the Hop 

 Hornbeam are for the most part smooth and slightly gummy. The 

 Beech which the American Hornbeam resembles in Its bark has much 

 larger and relatively longer buds. 



DISTRIHI'TTOX — Lo-n*. wet "n^oods. and margins of swnmps. Province 

 of Quebee to (.Jenrgtan bny: south {<'• Fbirida; west to Minnesota, 

 Nebraska, Kansas, Indian Territory, and Texas. 



IN NFAV FN( ".LAND— Rather common throughout, less frequent 

 towards tlie coast. 



IN CONNECTICUT — Frequent or common. 



AVOOn — Light brown with thick, nearly white sapwo^d, sometimes 

 used for levers, the handles of tools and other small articles. 



