Handbook op Trees of the ISToetiieen States and Canada. 115 



The Hornbeam in the forest sometimes at- 

 tains the height Of 30 or 40 ft. and a diameter 

 of trunk of It) in. or 2 ft. vested in a thin very 

 close and smooth bluish gray bark often mot- 

 tled with lighter or darker tints. When iso- 

 lated from other trees it develops a broad open 

 head with numerous tough branches, the larger 

 of which and the trunk are much furrowed and 

 ridged, suggestive of knotted sinews, on ac- 

 count of which resemblance the Indians called 

 it " Otantahrteweh," meaning " the lean tree." 

 It grows on low moist bottom-lands in com- 

 pany with the Holly, Sweet Bay, Swamp Bay, 

 Gums, Red Maple, Water I.ocust, Prickly 

 Ash, etc. in tlie south Athuitic states, where 

 it is more abundant than northward and at- 

 tains its largest size. In the northern part of 

 its range it is a small tree with less sj^rn- 

 metrical and crooked trunks or often a tall 

 shrub. Here it is commonly found along the 

 banks of streams over whose waters it extends 

 its many handsome sprays of beautiful foliage 

 and curious clusters of leaf-like fruit. 



The wood of the Hornbeam is hea\-j', a cubic 

 foot when dry weighing 45.41 lbs., tough, 

 strong and of a light brown color with abun- 

 dant whitish sap-wood. It is used chiefly for 

 fuel though suitable for tool-handles, and 

 articles of wooden ware.i 



Leaves ovafe-ohlong. 2-.'^) in. long, acute or 

 aniaiinate, rounded of subcovdate at base, sbarply 

 and unequally senate with .stout spreading teetli. 

 .often inequilateral, pubescent and plicate at first 

 but fioally glalirous, dull green with deeply im- 

 pressed veins above, paler and wdtti tufts of white 

 hairs in the axils of veins beneath ; petioles 

 slender, pubescent ; winter-buds ovoid, acute and 

 .somewhat incurved with numerous brown while- 

 margined scales. FJuircfs: staminate aments 1-1 lo 

 in. long : pistillate V^-'Yi in. long with greeii 

 scales and scarlet styles. Fruit nuts i^i in. hm; 

 with invo.nci-es with stout stalks 1-1 1^ in. long 

 with middle lobe large and serrate on one side and 

 one lateral lobe commonly wanting. = 



1. A. W., 11, 42. 



2. For genus see p. 427. 



