Hai^dbook of Teees of the j^oetiieex States axd Caistada. 



The American Smoke-tree is a larger tree 

 than the European species, as it sometimes 

 attains the height of 30 or 35 ft., with a clear 

 trunk 12-14 in. in thickness and lirm spreading 

 branches. The trunk divides at S or 10 ft. 

 (rum the ground into a few large branches. «liicii 

 form a broad open top. The bark of trunk is 

 of a grayish color and very rough with thin 

 oblong somewhat imbricated scales. It is one 

 of the rarest American tnvs. being found on 

 rocky slopes singly or in small groves scat- 

 tered among other trees in the limited re- 

 gions indicated on the accompanying map. 

 The Venetian tree with its beautiful plumose 

 bunches of sterile pedicels and fruit, making 

 its top suggestive of a puff of smoke or spray, 

 is a familiar object in ornamental shrubberies. 

 It is a tree vastly improved by selection and 

 propagation upon its native condition, and the 

 American tree, while now le-s profuse in its 

 display of " smoke." than the European tree 

 may be susceptible if like imi)rovement, while 

 it has the additional advantage of greater 

 size and more ornamental foliage. 



The wood is rather light, a cu. ft. weighing 



when absolutely dry 40.04 lbs., soft, durable 



and of a light yellow or orange color and very 



thin white sap-wood and is used locally for 



dying orange color. = 



J^mm: oral to ohovatp. 4-(i in. long, thinish. 

 mostly pptinlatp hut thp lowprmost of the season's 

 ernffth Kuhspssilp. dPcnrrpnt on the pptioles, 

 rnnndPf] or pmarsinatc at appx. entire, glabrous, 

 dark creen ahoyp, naler and pubescent nn the 

 midribs benpatb. F}nirn-» (April-May) Vs in. 

 aeross greenish, in panicles ."-R in. long. Frint 

 drnpelPts about Vs in. Ions and produced sparmgly 

 among the plumose steril pedicels,' 



1. Syn. Rhus cotinoidcs Nutt. Cutiiuis coti- 

 noiilcs I Nutt. I Britt. 



2. A. W., XI, 2.j6. 



'j. For genus see p, 445. 



