170 



what roughened or fissured, gray to grayish-green, splotched with white ; 

 twigs at first covered with a scurvy pubescence, becoming at maturity' 

 glabrous except a ring at the node about the leaf -scar, gray or light 

 brown, and zigzag; leaves alternate, long-petioled, nearly orliicular in 

 outline, the blades somewhat deltoid, blades large, variable in size 

 and shape, average blades 9-17 cm. long, frequently much larger on 

 vigorous shoots, generally with 3-5 main lobes, sometimes the lobes are 

 indistinct and the leaves appear only irregularly toothed, margins 

 toothed, rarely entire between the lobes, truncate or cordate at the 

 base, acute or acuminate at the apex; one form has been noted with 

 leaves obovate, scarcely lobed and with a wedge-shaped base; leaves 

 covered on both sides at first with a dense tomentum, becoming at 

 maturity glal)rous above — rarely tardily pubescent, nearly glabi'ous 

 beneath, except on the veins and in the axUs, petioles remaining pube- 

 scent ; flowers appear in May with the leaves in heads on long woolly 

 peduncles; fruit a globose head of many seeds, 2-;3.5 cm. in diameter, 

 maturing late in the year; the seed are scattered by the wind during 

 the winter months; wood heavy, hard, weak, close-grained, difficult to 

 split and work, takes a high polish; when used as a container it does not 

 communicate an objectional taste or odor to contents. 



Dislribiition. — Maine, Ontario to Nebraska, south to the Gulf 

 States and west to Texas. Found in all parts of Indiana, although there 

 are no records for the extreme northwestern counties. It is a tree of a 

 low ground habitat, and is found principally in low ground along 

 streams, about lakes, and ponds. In such haljitats it is a frecjuent tree in 

 all parts, except in the "flats" of the southern counties. In some places 

 it is a common to a very common tree, especially along the upper 

 courses of White River. 



Remarks. — In this State this species is always called the sycamore 

 tree. It is the largest tree of the State, and the largest deciduous 

 tree of the United States. Indiana has the distinction of having the 

 largest living sycamore in the United States. It is located near 

 Worthington, Indiana, and "in 1915, measured 43 feet and 3 inches in 

 circumference at five feet above the ground." See frontispiece. The 

 sycamore grew to gi-eat diameters in all parts of the State. It was com- 

 monly hollow, because it is believed the tree in early life is usuaUy 

 moi'e or less injured bj^ floating ice and debris which starts inner decay. 

 Hollow sycamore logs were commonly used by the pioneers in which 

 to smoke their meat, and sections of hollow logs about 12 dm. (4 feet) 

 long were used to store grain in, and were known as "gums." 



The value of sycamore lumber has been very much underestimated. 

 It has man.v uses such as butcher blocks, interior finish, furniture, 



