IIa: 



NUIIOOK OF 



T 



KKKS OF TUK 



X 



o]{TJIEi;n 



The Water Gum :itt:iiiis the l;o;f;1it of from 

 50 to To ft., with trunk usually tapering fi'(uu 

 au enlarged l)ase. it develops a rather narrow 

 to|i of nnuiy suuill s])reading hraiiehes, and, as 

 its name implies, it is eonlincd in its distribu- 

 tion to the ininie.liate vieinity of tlie w.iter. 

 It occupies deep swamps and the margins of 

 ponds and streams in company Avith the Cotton 

 Gum, Gypress, Water, ijaurel and Over-eup 

 Oaks, Titi, Planer tree, Forestiera, etc. In 

 autumn it is a conspicuous obji'ct on ac ount 

 of the purple and red tints assumed hy its 

 foliage. 



Its wood is fine-grained, light, tough and 

 dillicult to split and work on accmuit of its 

 contorted and twisted lihcr. H is applicalile to 

 tlie same uses as the wood of 1!ie Sour (iu)n. 



A forcible anet'dote was once told t';e author 



to illnstralc tlii> crooke Iness of the grain of 



this wood. it was (, the elVert that "An 



Irishman was n|i a gnni-tree one day when it 



was struck by lightning, and he 1i:m1 time to 



clinil) down b-fnre the lightning rcar'lie<l the 



ground, liecause it had to follow the grain." 



The truth of (he story Avas not vouched fir. 



Lrrnrs ol)lanroolato In filii.vatc and (ilih.nc:. 

 cnncalc at liasc, olitnsc m- arulc ( or.-;isicaia liy 

 <Ti-untinnte) at apex, entire, tiiiucninsr at (iisl IidI 

 finally lustrous dark ^rrc'n alMivc, jialcr In'iicalli; 

 potifiles stent. Fhnrtr^ Mvhcn Iravcs arc nrarly 

 J^rewn I on slender hairy pedunetes. 1-1 Vi> in. loni: ; 

 tbe pistillate Mowers nsnally in pairs. Fruit in 

 pairs in- iieeasidnally solitary. ';;-i^j in. Ions, dark 

 blue with iniey acid tlesh and dist-jnctly flattened 

 and riUlK'd stunc. 



1. Syn. Xiz-vsa aquatii-a li. (in parti. 



