Handbook of Trees of the Noetiieen States and Canada. 3G7 



This iiilerc'slinn; semi-ai|uatif tioc is tli ■ 

 statliest aiul most iisrful uf tlie Anieriean 

 Tupelos. siinii'tiiiios atlaiiiiiig the lieig'it of 100 

 ft., witli straiglit columnar trunlv .3 or 4 ft. in 

 diameter above its ^^■i(le base. This may h?. 

 (\ or .S ft. across at tlie surface of tlie ground, 

 and is usually hollow. The wide base is 

 nature's provision to gi\e the tree stability in 

 the loos(-' miry soil in which it grows. It in- 

 Icihits deep swamps and the margins of streams 

 and ponds, wliere its base is covered with water 

 during a considerable ])iution of the year 

 Here its associates are mainly the Bald 

 Cypress, Water Gum, rianer-tree. Water and 

 riinipkin Ashes, River Birch, Water Hickory, 

 etc. Among tliese it is a tree of striking ap- 

 pearance, with its large lustrous green leave-; 

 and clusters of long-stemmed fruit, which sug- 

 gest so many small dates in ap|icarancc, but 

 the extreme opposite of them in flavor. 



Tts wood is rather light, a cubic font weigh- 

 ing ^i.ST lbs., soft, \ery close grained and more 

 easily worked than that of the other Tupelos. 

 It is used in the inanufacture of wooden-\\"are, 

 bo.KCS, fruit-crates, etc.= 



Lravrs (ivatc-nblOTi^^ to {.\-al. nicstly rounded or 

 snbcordatc at hasc, lon.L.^-iiruniiM:iti'. irrc^oilarly 

 an'^ular-dcntato in- entire, tonienlo.se a1 first liut 

 (inallv irlalu'oas dark srccn al)ove. [tale and downv 

 pubescent beneath, r,-li) in. Inn.i; ; petioles IV^-'-'-i 

 ill. b)nir. f^'loir/rs, aiipcar in ^larcli and -Miril, 

 witli Ions slender peduncles from tlie axils of had- 

 sc:il(>s below the new leaves: tlic slaniin.-ile in 

 dense capitate clusters, the pistillale solitary; 

 style revohite into a coil. Fi'iiif <ni slendei- tli-oop- 

 insx stems, 2-t in. Ions, obovoid. tipped with the 

 remnants of the st,\'ie, alKMit 1 in. long, dark 

 purple witli pale dots, toiiffh skin and narrow 

 cbu\oid stone, compressed and witli about 10 

 sliar[i wing-like longitudinal ridges. 



1. y yssfi iiiiiffora W'aui^. 

 ■2. A. W., XII, ■2S-2. 



