160 



W'OOD AND FOIiEST. 



52 



Sweet Gum. 



Habitat. 



Gum, refers to exudations. 



Liquidambar styraciflua Linnaeus. 

 Liquidambar, means liquid gum; styraciflua, means fluid resin (stora.\). 



Habitat: (Sec map) ; 

 best in the lower Mississ- 

 ippi valle}'. 



Characteristics of the 

 Tree : Height, S0'-140' ; 

 diameter, 3'-5' ; trnnk, 

 tall, straiglit: bark, light 

 brown tinged with red, 

 deeph' fissured ; branch- 

 lets often having corky 

 wings; leaves, star-sliaped, 

 five pointed ; conspicu- 

 ously purple and crimson 

 in autumn; fruit, multi- 

 capsular, spherical, per- 

 sistent heads. 



Appearance of Wood: 



Color, liglit red brown, 

 sap-wood almost wliite ; 

 dift'use-porous ; rings, fine 

 and diflicult lo distin- 

 guish ; grain, straight, 

 close, polishes well; ravs, 

 numerous, very obscure. 



Physical Qualities : 



Weight, medium (o4th in 



I.caf. 



