HEATH FAMILY 



irooc/.— 



grained, \v 

 46.4S lbs. 



Reddish brown, sapwood paler; heavy, hard, close- 

 11 take a high polish. Sp. gr., 0.745S ; weight of cu. It., 



Win/er But/s. — Axillary, minute, dark red, parllv 

 immersed in the bark. Inner scales enlarge when 

 spring growth begins. 



Ltdi'is. — Alternate, lour to sexen inches long, one 

 and a half to two and a half indies wide, oblong to 

 oblanceolate, wedge-shaped at base, serrate, acme 

 or acuminate. Feather-\ eined, midrib conspicuous. 

 They come out of the bud revolute, bronze green and 

 shming, smooth, when full grown are dark green, 

 shining aboNe, pale and glaucous below. In autunui 

 they turn bright scarlet. Petioles long and slender, 

 stipules wanting. Hea\ily laden with acid. 



Flowers. — June, July. Perfect, cream-white, borne 

 in terminal panicles of secund racemes seven to eight 

 inches long ; rachis and short pedicels downy. 



Calvx. — Five-parted, persistent ; lobes vahate m 

 bud. ' 



Corolla. — Ovoid-cylindric, narrowed at the throat, 

 cream-white, five-toothed. 



f 



Staijuiis. — Ten, inserted on the 

 wader than the anthers ; anthers 

 opening by long chinks. 



Pistil. — 0\'ary superior, 

 columnar ; stigma simple ; 

 manv. 



Fruit. — Capsule, downy, 



corolla ; filaments 

 two-celled ; cells 



ovoid, fi\e-celled ; style 

 disk ten-toothed, o\ules 



five-\al\ ed, fi\e- 



tipped b\- the persistent style, the pedicels cur\- 



^led, 



Raceme of flow- 

 ers of Sour- 

 wood, C^v'v- 



horeum. 



The Sourwood is iierfectly hardy at the iiDrlh 

 and is worthy of a place in lawns and parks. Its 

 late bloom makes it desirable and its autumnal 

 coloring is particularly beautiful and brilliant. 

 The leaves are heavily charged with acid, and to 

 some extent have the poise of those of the 

 peach. 



194 



