Seaside Alder 



267 



The thin, smooth bark is light brown, the young twigs green and hairy, be- 

 coming smooth, reddish brown or gray. The buds are pointed and somewhat 

 hairy. The leaves are mostly obovate, varying to oblong, and either blunt or 

 pointed; they are wedge-shaped or narrowed at the base, finely toothed, 5 to 10 cm. 

 long, firm in texture, dark green and shining above, paler, dull, and finely hairy 

 beneath; the yellowish leaf-stalks are i to 2 cm. long, the oblong stipules very 



Fig. 227. — Seaside Alder. 



small. The staminate catkins are clustered, dense, 6 cm. long or less; their flowers 

 open in August or September. The ripe pistillate catkms are oval to ovoid, 

 2 cm. long or less, attaining their full growth in July or August of the year following 

 the fertilization of their flowers; their scales are slightly thickened and somewhat 

 lobed at the apex; the nut is obovate, 3 mm. long, margined but not winged., 

 The wood is Ught brown with a specific gravity of 0.50. 



