HORNBEAM 



being exceedingly close-grained, the growth of the tree is 

 correspondingly slow. It can be easily raised from the seeds 

 which do not usually germinate until the second year after 

 they are planted. Traces of leaves and fruit are found in 

 the eocene and miocene rocks of Europe and in tertiary 

 times it ranged to Greenland. 



HORNBEAM. BLUE BEECH 



Carplnus carolini&na. 



Some derive Carpinus from the Celtic words car, wood and pix, 

 the head, because of the use of the wood in making yokes for oxen ; 

 others refer it to carpentum, a sort of chariot which the Romans 

 made of this wood. Hornbeam alludes to the horny texture of the 

 wood. 



— Loudon. 



Common along the borders of streams and swamps, loves a deep 

 moist soil. Varies from shrub to small tree, and ranges throughout 

 the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. 



Bark. — On old trees near the base, furrowed. Young trees and 

 branches smooth, dark bluish gray, sometimes furrowed, light and 

 dark gray. Branchlets at first pale green, changing to reddish 

 brown, ultimately dull gray. 



Wood. — Light brown, sapwood nearly white ; heavy, hard, close- 

 grained, very strong. Used for levers, handles of tools. Sp. gr., 

 0.7286 ; weight of cu ft., 45.41 lbs. 



Winter Buds. — Ovate, acute, chestnut brown, one-eighth of an 

 inch long. Inner scales enlarge when spring growth begins. No 

 terminal bud is formed. 



Leaves. — Alternate, two to four inches long, ovate-oblong, rounded, 

 wedge-shaped, or rarely subcordate and often unequal at base, 

 sharply and doubly serrate, acute or acuminate. They come out of 

 the bud pale bronze green and hairy ; when full grown they are dull 

 deep green above, paler beneath ; feather-veined, midrib and veins 

 very prominent on under side. In autumn bright red, deep scarlet 

 and orange. Petioles short, slender, hairy. Stipules caducous. 



Flowers. — April. Monoecious, apetalous, the staminate naked in 

 pendulous aments. The staminate ament buds are axillary and 

 form in the autumn and during the winter resemble leaf-buds, only 

 twice as large ; these aments begin to lengthen very early in the 

 spring, when full grown are about one and one-haif inches 'long. 



319 



