BETULACEZ—BIRCH FAMILY 
BIRCH 
Betula. 
Betula is derived by Pliny from bitumen. Birch by some is 
derived from Setu its Celtic name; by others from the Latin 
batuere, to beat, because the fasces of the Roman lictors, which 
were always made of birch rods, were used to drive back the 
people. 
There are in North America nine birches of which six are 
trees, and five of these flourish east of the Rocky Mountains. 
All are trees of singular grace and beauty and possess a cer- 
tain distinction of character which fits them for an honored 
place in parks and pleasure grounds. The roots are fibrous 
and the trees can be readily transplanted. All grow rapidly. 
The bark of all the birches is characteristically marked 
with long horizontal lenticels, and often separates into thin 
papery plates, especially upon the Paper Birch. It is prac- 
tically imperishable, due to the resinous oil it contains. Its 
decided color gives the common names Red, White, Black, 
and Yellow to the different species. The buds form early 
and are full grown by midsummer, all are lateral, no terminal 
bud is formed; the branch is prolonged by the upper lateral 
bud. The wood of all the species is close-grained with satiny 
texture and capable of taking a fine polish ; its fuel value is 
fair. 
The leaves of the different species vary but little. All 
are alternate, doubly serrate, feather-veined, petiolate, and 
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