MOXOECIA TETRANDRIA 525 



Stem 10 to 20 feet high, ami 6 to 12 or 15 inches in diameter, much branched at 

 lummit. Leaves 2 to 3 or 4 inches long, and an inch and half to 2, or 2 and a half 

 inches wide, obliquely cordate, and oblong-cordate, rather acute, or with a very 

 •hurt acuminatum, unequally crenate-serrate, often partially lobed, smoolhish, 

 with some pubescence in the axils of the nerves beneath, shining, and yellowish- 

 green; petioles half an inch to an inch long, finely pubescent, with lance-linear 

 membranaceous stipules at base. Pistillate spikes shorter and smaller than in 

 the preceding (1 third to i thirds of an inch long), on slender peduncles 1 fourth 

 to half an inch long. Fruit pale yellow, or straw- color, when mature,— rarely 

 dark purple. 

 jlab. Fence-rows ; near West Chester : not common. Ft. May. Fr. June— July. 



Obi. This foreign species was introduced here, more than half a century 

 since, with a view to the culture of Silk. The Silk culture was soon abandoned, 

 ^but lha tree became partially naturalized, and is still to be met with, in several 

 localities, near West Chester. Recently a Silk Company has been organised in 

 this County ; and the M. alba is now under culture, in several places, to a consid- 

 erable extent. Another plant, called M. multicaulis, has also been introduced 

 for cultivation, during the present year (1836), and is said to be preferable to the 

 M alba. Whether it be more than a variety of the alba, I .have not had an oppor. 

 tunity to ascertain. There are no other species known in the U. States* 



422. ALNU8. WlUd. JSTutU Gen. 737. 

 [The Latin name for the Alder.] 



8ta*i*ate Fl. Amcnt long, cylindiic; scales cuneatc, truncate, 

 3-lobed, 3-flowcred. Perianth 4-parted. Pistillate Fl. Jlment 

 ovoid-oblong; scales sub-trifid, 2-flowered. Perianth 0. Styles 2. 

 Nut compressed, not margined. 



Shrubs: leaves alternate, stipular; flowers in axillary sub-fasciculate amenta. 

 Nat. Ord. 83. Lindl. Bbtuline^b, 



I. A. sbbrulata, fVilld. Leaves obovate, sub-acuminate, doubly 



serrulate ; stipules oval, obtuse. %eck, Bot. p. 326. Icow, Mx. f. 



Syha,2.tab. 75./. 1. 



Betula-Alnus rubra. Jlfarsh. Arbust. p. 20. 



B. serrulata. Mx. Am. 2. p. 181. 



Serrulate Alnus. Vnlgo — Common Alder. Candle Alder. 



Stem 6 to 10 or 12 feet high, and half an inch to 1 or 2 inches in diameter, with 

 numerous crooked and rather rigid branches. Leaves 2 to 4 inches lone, and 1 to 

 3 inches wide, generally more or less obovate, sometimes oval, with a very short 

 abrupt acuinination, or often obtuse, doubly denticulate-serrate, strongly nerved, 

 sub-plicate, thick and subcoriaceous, smooth, green above, paler beneath, with 

 the nerves and their axils pubescent, often ferruginous ; petioles one third to half 

 an inch long; stipules oval, or ovate-oblong, mostly obtuse, smooth, caducous, 

 Staminate aments an inch and half to 2 and a half inches long, slender, flaccid, 

 pendulous, and sub-fasciculate near the ends of the branches, reddish-brown 

 with the anthers yellow, deciduous. Pistillate aments half an inch to 3 quarters 

 in length, thick, rigid, oblong, or ovoid-oblong, dark purplish-brown, persistent,— 

 usually 3 or 4, alternate and approximate, often somewhat clustered, on short 

 lateral branches below the staminate ones,— when in flower, bristled with the 

 dark-purple exsert styles. 



IM. Banks of rivulets, and swamps: common. Fl. March-April. Fr. Octo. 



