WITCH HAZEI. FAMILY 



simply surround and protect it The petals are spirally in- 

 volute in restivation, that is, each one is rolled in upon itself 

 and when fully expanded they still look crumpled and wavy. 



An interesting peculiaritv of the fruit is the way the tiny 

 nuts are discharged from their woody pod. As the pod 

 bursts the contraction of its edges presses upon the enclosed 

 seeds and causes them to flv to a distance of several feet. 

 Bring home in November a fruiting sprav and place it upon 

 the table ; no sooner has the warmth of the room dried the 

 tinv capsules than the miniature bombardment will begin 

 and will continue until every seed is forced out of its cover- 

 ing. 



The bark and leaves of the Witcli Hazel are reputed to 

 possess medicinal properties on account of the tradition that 

 they were used bv the Indians in the treatment of external 

 inflammations. "Pond's E.xtract" is a distillation of the bark 

 in dilute alcohol. This remedy has great popularity, but 

 chemists so far have failed to distinguish any active medicinal 

 properties in the plant. 



SWEET GUM. LIQUIDAMBAR 



Liquidantbar styracifiHa . 



The name is derived from liquidus and the Arabic word ambar, 

 referring to the balsamic juices of the tree. Styracifua from the 

 name of an ancient balsam. 



A tree sixty to one hundred and forty feet in height, with erect 

 trunk two to five feet in diameter, slender branches and handsome 

 conical head. Ranges from Connecticut to Florida on the coast and 

 westward through .Arkansas and Indian Territory. It appears on 

 the mountain ranges in Mexico and Central America. Loves low, 

 moist, bottom lands, but will grow in dry elevated regions. Roots 

 fibrous ; juices balsamic. 



Bark. — Light brown tinged with red, deeply fissured, ridges scaly. 

 Branchlets pithy, many-angled, winged, at first covered with rusty 

 hairs, finally becoming red brown, gray or dark brown. 



i6o 



