HEATH FAMILY 
Wood.—Reddish brown, sapwood paler; heavy, hard, close- 
grained, will take a high polish. Sp. gr., 0.7458; weight of cu. ft., 
46.48 lbs. 
Raceme of flow- 
ers of Sour- 
wood, 
dendrum 
boreum. 
Oxy- 
ar- 
Winter Buds.—Axillary, minute, dark red, partly 
immersed in the bark. Inner scales enlarge when 
spring growth begins. 
Leaves.—Alternate, four to seven inches long, one 
and a half to two and a half inches wide, oblong to 
oblanceolate, wedge-shaped at base, serrate, acute 
or acuminate. Feather-veined, midrib conspicuous. 
They come out of the bud revolute, bronze green and 
shining, smooth, when full grown are dark green, 
shining above, pale and glaucous below. In autumn 
they turn bright scarlet. Petioles long and slender, 
stipules wanting. Heavily laden with acid. 
Flowers.—June, July. Perfect, cream-white, borne 
in terminal panicles of secund racemes seven to eight 
inches long ; rachis and short pedicels downy. 
Calyx.—Five-parted, persistent; lobes valvate in 
bud. 
Corolla.—Ovoid-cylindric, narrowed at the throat, 
cream-white, five-toothed. 
Stamens.—Ten, inserted on the corolla; filaments 
wider than the anthers; anthers two-celled; cells 
opening by long chinks. 
Pistil.—Ovary superior, ovoid, five-celled; style 
columnar; stigma simple; disk ten-toothed, ovules 
many. 
Fruit.—Capsule, downy, five-valved, five-angled, 
tipped by the persistent style, the pedicels curving. 
The Sourwood is perfectly hardy at the north 
and is worthy of a place in lawns and parks. Its 
late bloom makes it desirable and its autumnal 
coloring is particularly beautiful and brilliant. 
The leaves are heavily charged with acid, and to 
some extent have the poise of those of the 
peach. 
194 
