261 



nearly so beneath at maturity ; flowers appear in May or June, the 

 staminate in clusters, numerous, small srecnish-white, the pistillate 

 2-8 or solitary; fruit ripens in autumn, a fleshy drupe, 1-3 of a cluster 

 ripening on a pedicel 2-6 cm. long, ovoid, usually 10-12 mm. long, blue- 

 black, sour and astringent; stone generally cylindric and tapeiing at 

 each end and with 10-12 indistinct ribs. 



Distribution. — Maine, southern Ontario, southern Michigan, south- 

 eastern Wisconsin' to Missouri and south to the Gulf. Found through- 

 out Indiana and no doubt was a native of practically every county. It is 

 an infrequent to a very rare tree in the northern half of the State, be- 

 coming a common tree in certain parts of the southern counties. In 

 the northern part of the State it is usually found on dry ground asso- 

 ciated with the oaks, although it is also found with sugar maple and 

 beech. 



Remarks. — Wood heavy, soft, very difficult to split. Woodsmen 

 always speak of two kinds of black gum. There is one form which splits 

 easiljr which is designated as "yellow gum." This distinction has not 

 been substantiated. The uses of gum are many. The quality of not 

 splitting makes many uses for it. The greater amount of gum is used 

 as rough stuff. In the manufactures it is used for mine rollers, heading, 

 boxes, hatter's blocks, water pipes, firearms, wooden ware, musical 

 instruments, etc. 



The distinctive habit of growth of the black gum together with the 

 gorgeous coloring of the autumnal foliage recommend this species for 

 ornamental plazrting. It has an upright habit of growth, although the 

 trunk is more or less crooked. The crown when grown in the open is 

 usually pyramidal, composed of horizontal crooked branches. 



2. CORNUS. Dogwood. 



Cornus florida Linnseus. Dogwood. Flowehing Dogwood. 

 Plate 121. Usually a small tree- 1-2 dm. in diameter; bark deeply 

 fissured, the ridges divided into short oblong, pieces; branchlets slender, 

 in winter condition turning up at the tips; tmgs green and smooth or 

 nearly so from the first; leaves oval or slightlj^ obovate, blades generally 

 5-12 cm. long on petioles about 1 cm. long, generally abruptly taper- 

 pointed at apex, gradually narrowed and generally oblique at the base, 

 margins thickened and entire, or very slightly crenulate, appressed 

 pubescent both above and beneath, light green above and a 

 grayish-green beneath; flowering heads surrounded by an involucre of 



'Wadmond: Flora of Bacine and Kenosha Counties. Trans. Wis. Acad. Sci. Vol.16: 

 857:1909. The author says: "Two trees near Berryville, the only known trees of this species 

 in tlie State." 



^In 1918 I measured a specimen near Yankeetown in Warrick Cmmty tliat liad a clear 

 bole of .3 meters (10 feet), and a circumference of 11 dm. (40 inches) b.h. 



