IK0NW00D. BUCKEYE. 47 



The merchantable holly has been largely cut in the northeast- 

 ern counties; trees large enough for commercial use still remain, 

 however, scattered through counties on the coast. 



Cyrilla racemiflora, Linnaeus. 



(iRONWOOD. LEATHER WOOD. BOXWOOD.) 



A slender tree, with numerous wide-spreading branches, and 

 bright red-brown scaly bark, reaching a height of 35 feet and a 

 diameter of 14 inches ; or often a broad bush. 



It occurs in various situations from North Carolina southward 

 near the coast to middle Florida, and westward to eastern Texas, 

 reaching its best development on the coast of the gulf of Mexico. 



In this State it is found usually along streams and swamps from 

 Hertford county southward, its western limits passing through 

 Halifax, Wake, and Anson counties. 



It usually produces seed very abundantly every second year, 

 and young trees and seedlings are common on the borders of 

 swamps and pine barren ponds. Trees are frequently hollow 

 through the entire stem, even when quite young, generally as the 

 result of a broken branch. 



The small thick oblong leaves are partly evergreen in the 

 extreme eastern part of the State.' The numerous whitish flowers 

 appear in slender racemes in the early part of summer, and the very 

 small fruit is broadly egg-shaped. The narrow-pointed winter- 

 buds are covered with chestnut-brown scales. The roots are lateral 

 and superficial. i 



The wood is heavy, hard, weak, close-grained ; light brown in 

 color ; the sapwood a little lighter ; and is not used in North 

 Carolina. 



Aesculus octandra, Marshall. 



(buckeye, sweet buckeye.) 

 A large straight tree, with small, rather pendulous branches 



