284 TREES OF MINNESOTA. 
Genus CARPINUS. 
Tall, slender trees or small shrubs. About twelve species in 
the northern hemisphere, only one of which is indigenous to 
North America. 
Carpinus caroliniana. Blue Beech. Water Beech. 
Hornbeam. 
Leaves ovate, oblong, sharply serrate, pale blue-green on 
upper surface and light yellow-green on the lower, smooth and 
thin, two and one-half to four inches long, resembling those 
of the common Beech. Flowers monoecious, appearing with 
the leaves; the staminate in rather dense catkins and the pistil- 
late in small slender loose catkins with a three-lobed bracelet 
to each seed. Fruit in loose clusters at the ends of the new 
growth, with large three-lobed bracts to the involucre, ripening 
late in the autumn. The nut is one-sixth to one-third of an 
inch long. Shrubs or trees twenty or more feet high, with 
smooth, grayish bark and stems often deeply furrowed. 
Distribution—From southwestern Quebec westward to north- 
ern Minnesota and eastern Nebraska and south to Florida and 
Texas. Also found in southern Mexico and Central America. 
In Minnesota common throughout the south half of the state, 
along streams and around lakes. 
Propagation.—By seeds, which grow irregularly. The varie- 
ties may be grafted or budded on seedling stocks. 
Propertics of wood.—Heavy, very strong, hard and close 
grained; light brown, with thick, nearly white sapwood. Spe- 
cific gravity 0.7286; weight of a cubic foot 45.41 pounds. 
Uses. —The graceful habit, dark blue-green foliage and beauti- 
ful autumn tints of the Blue Beech make it a desirable tree for 
parks and lawns on good soil in somewhat sheltered situations. 
The wood is so very tough that it was used by the early settlers 
in the northern states for brooms, ox-gads, withes, etc. The 
toughest wood of our northern forests. 
