HORNBEAM 
being exceedingly close-grained, the growth of the tree is 
correspondingly slow. It can be easily raised from the seeds 
which do not usually germinate until the second year after 
they are planted. Traces of leaves and fruit are found in 
the eocene and miocene rocks of Europe and in tertiary 
times it ranged to Greenland. 
HORNBEAM. BLUE BEECH 
Carpinus caroliniana. 
Some derive Carpinus from the Celtic words car, wood and fix, 
the head, because of the use of the wood in making yokes for oxen; 
others refer it to carpentum, a sort of chariot which the Romans 
made of this wood. Hornbeam alludes to the horny texture of the 
wood. 
; —Loupon. 
Common along the borders of streams and swamps, loves a deep 
moist soil. Varies from shrub to small tree, and ranges throughout 
the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. 
Bark.—On old trees near the base, furrowed. Young trees and 
branches smooth, dark bluish gray, sometimes furrowed, light and 
dark gray. Branchlets at first pale green, changing to reddish 
brown, ultimately dull gray. ~ 
Wood.—Light brown, sapwood nearly white; heavy, hard, close- 
grained, very strong. Used for levers, handles of tools. Sp. gr., 
0.7286 ; weight of cu ft., 45.41 lbs. 
Winter Buds.—Ovate, acute, chestnut brown, one-eighth of an 
inch long. Inner scales enlarge when spring growth begins. No 
terminal bud is formed. 
Leaves.—Alternate, two to four inches long, ovate-oblong, rounded, 
wedge-shaped, or rarely subcordate and often unequal at base, 
sharply and doubly serrate, acute or acuminate. They come out of 
the bud pale bronze green and hairy ; when full grown they are dull 
deep green above, paler beneath ; feather-veined, midrib and veins 
very prominent on under side. In autumn bright red, deep scarlet 
and orange. Petioles short, slender, hairy. Stipules caducous. 
Flowers.—April. Moneecious, apetalous, the staminate naked in 
pendulous aments. The staminate ament buds are axillary and 
form in the autumn and during the winter resemble leaf-buds, only 
twice as large ; these aments begin to lengthen very early in the 
spring, when full grown are about one and one-haif inches long. 
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