Handbook of Tkees of the ISTortheen States and Canada. 117 



The Hop Hornbeam is a handsome tree of 

 medium size rarely over 60 or 70 ft. in height 

 or 2 ft. in diameter of trunk. When isolated 

 it develops a broad rounded top of many small 

 tough branches, and when covered with its rich 

 j'ellow-green leaves and pale hop-like fruit is a 

 handsome object. The bark of trunk Is rough 

 with narrow loose elongated scales. It in- 

 habits well-drained gravelly ridges and slopes 

 and in the northern Atlantic states, where it is 

 abundant and reaches its largest size, is as- 

 sociated with the Beech, Sugar Maple, Yellow 

 Birch, White and Cork Elms, Butternut, 

 White Ash, etc. 



Its wood is hea^y, a cubic foot when abso- 

 lutely dry weighing 51.63 lbs., hard, tough, 

 and is used in the manufacture of tool-handles 

 and other small articles of wooden ware, for 

 fuel, etc.i 



Leaves ovate-oblong, 2-5 in. long, acute or 

 acuminate, narrowed and rounded or cordate often 

 inequilateral at base, sharply and unequally ser- 

 rate, at maturity glabrous and dull yellow-green 

 with impressed midribs and veins above, lighter 

 and downy beneath, especially along the midribs 

 and in the axils of the veins. Flowers: staminate 

 aments about Vz in. long during the winter and 

 when unfolding 2-3 in. long ; pistillate aments very 

 slender, with hairy stems and light green or red- 

 dish leaf-iilse scales, those near the base the 

 longest. Fruit: strobides \V^--V2 in. long with 

 slender stems about 1 in. long ; involucral sacs 

 about % in. long, pubescent. - 



1. A. W., 11, 41. 



2. For genus see p. 428. 





