Hahdbook of TkelES of the JSToETiiERN States and C 



ANADA. 



571 



The Mountain Laurel, like tlic Rlinilndendron 

 with whiuli it is foiuinonlv assuriainl, is guu- 

 erally a shrub rather than a tree, excepting in 

 the heart of the Alleglniny .Mountains. Tn that 

 interesting region, whieh alone alVords eonili- 

 tions suUleiently favoralile for the aborescent 

 development of se\eral of our American trees, 

 the .Mountain Laurel is found occasionally 30 

 or 40 ft. in height, with compact rounded top 

 H rigid branches. Its trunk is usuall\ 

 crooked or inclined, and is sometimes 18 or 20 

 in in diameter. To the nortliwaril it pre- 

 fers low rich bottom-lands, but in the southern 

 part of its range, where it is more abundant, 

 it extensively occupies rocky slopes, forming 

 in places dense thickets, and is widely dis- 

 tributed as an undergro\\ tli in deciduous 

 forests. In llo«ering time it is the Khodo- 

 dendron's only peer in beauty of flora I dis- 

 play, and it has become deservedly popular for 

 ornamental planting. 



The wood is fine-grained, rather hard and 

 brittle, and useful in turnery. A cubic foot 

 when absolutely dry weighs 44.02 Ibs.^ Honey 

 gathered from llowers of this si)ccies is said to 

 be poisonous, at least to some extent, to per- 

 sons eating it, though apparently not to the 

 bees. 



Lrai'C^ pcrsisi i^nf, nllcrnnlc. n|»|-insi1c and in 



threes, confliiplicali', rlli|il ir-hin< Inh' In <ihlrm,i;, 



acute at hnlli ends, pnlicsccnl al (irsl hut at uia- 

 turity lustrous dailv ;;iri'n ai>ii\c. paler l)cn('alll, 

 thick, risid. I'lmii r.-< l Mny-.l uiu' ) , about % iu. 

 in diameter, nunicnius in I'oiiipiMind aud ci'ON^'ded 

 terminal fni-ynilis. ;;-li iu. ;l<rnss ; iirdicids sleudcr, 

 erect, glaudulnr. iiuhcscrnl ; nirolhi wliifr id- 

 pinkish "and del icatrl y pcuciled alH.\-c. I'r/iir a 

 depressod-sl'dni.si' glandular <'aiisnle, tliree-six- 

 tecuths in. in diarmUer Willi itn-sistcnt cahx and 

 styie.= 



1. 



\V,, XI, 



r g.'iii.^ 



