Handbook of Trees of the Noethk];x States and Can. 



ADA. 



30f 



The Aniericaii Smoke-tree is a larger tree 

 than the European species, as it sometimes 

 attains the height of 30 or 35 ft., with a clear 

 trunk 12-14 in. in thickness anil firm spreading 

 branches. The trunk divides at 8 or 10 ft. 

 frcnn tlie grnnnd into a few large l)ranches, which 

 form a broad open top. The bark of trunk is 

 of a grayish color and very rough with thin 

 oblong somewhat imbricated scales. It is one 

 (if the rarest American trees, being found on 

 rocky slopes singly or in small groves scat- 

 tered among other trees in the limited re- 

 gions indicated on the accompanying map. 

 The Venetian tree with its beautiful plumose 

 bunches of sterile pedicels and fruit, making 

 its top suggestive of a puff of smoke or spray, 

 is a familiar object in ornamental shrubberies. 

 It is a tree vastly improved by selection and 

 propagation upon its native condition, and the 

 American tree, while now less profuse in its 

 display of " smoke," than the European tree 

 may be susceptible of like improvement, while 

 it has the additional advantage of greater 

 size and more ornamental foliage. 



The wood is rather light, a cu. ft. weighing 



when absolutely dry 40.04 lbs., soft, durable 



and of a light yellow or orange color and very 



thin white sap-wood and is used locally for 



dying orange color. = 



Leaves oval to obovate. 4-0 in. long, thinish. 

 mostlv petiolate but the lowermost of the season's 

 growth subsessile. decurrent on the petioles, 

 rounded or emarginate at apex, entire, glabrous, 

 dark green above, paler and pubescent on the 

 midribs beneath. Floirrrs (.Vpril-May) Vs in. 

 across greenish, in panicles r.-fi in. long. Fruit 

 drupelets about % in. long and nroduced. sparingly 

 ■among the plumose stcril pedicels.' 



■among 



1. Syn. Rhus cofinoides Nutt. 

 noides (Nutt.) Britt. 

 2._A. W., XI, 256. 

 3. For genus see p. 445. 



Cotinus coti- 



