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Cornell Junior Extension Bulletin 26 



25. HOP HORNBEAM 



Ironwood 



(Ostrya virginiana (Miller) Koch) 



Hop hornlx am is another "weed" tree closely related to the blue beech 

 and is rather generally distributed throughout New York State on dry, 

 gravelly, and stony soils of slopes and ridges, sometimes taking posses- 



HOP HORNBEAM 

 Twig-, one-half natural size ; leaf, one-half 

 natural size ; fruit, one-half natural size 



sion of woodlots in central New York to the exclusion of other species. 

 The tree is slow-growing and is rarely found larger than 10 inches in 

 diameter. The wood is very heavy, hard, and strong, hence the name 

 "ironwood." It is used for tool and implement handles and for levers, 

 and makes excellent fuel wood when seasoned. 



Bark — thin, very markedly flaky, light grayish brown in color, broken 

 into narrow, flattish pieces, loose at the ends. 



Twigs — fine, reddish brown in color, smooth, and shiny ; a very easy 

 winter character for identification of the tree, particularly of young 

 saplings. 



Winter buds — terminal bud absent as in birches and elms; lateral 

 buds small, light reddish brown in color, bending away from 1 lie twig. 



I.< nets — alternate, simple, egg-shaped, from 3 to 5 inches long, doubly 

 and finely serrate on ma ruin. 



Fruit — a small, seed-like nutlet, enclosed in an inflated, sac-like bract. 

 Bracts — in clusters, from 1 to 2 inches long, resembling hops, hence the 

 name "hop hornbeam." Fruit visually Tails before winter. 



