OS \M. OB INGE 

 Toxylon pomiferwm 



The Nettle Family 

 MOBACBAE 



Habit and Habitat: A tree, growing naturally to ■ height of 25 

 feet, although it is often planted close and trimmed as a hedge. The 

 trunk is usually short and soon divides into several prominent limbs 

 with peculiarly upwardly arching branches, producing a low and sym- 

 metrical, rounded crown especially when growing in the open <>r alone. 



This tree is native to the southland where it thrives hut it was intro- 

 duced into Nebraska by the earlier settlers and is nov in very 

 nearly all parts of the state, commonly planted a- a "hedge fenc 

 It will endure a rather remarkable range of habitat conditions although 



the hot summers and the cold dry winters of central to western Nebraska 



it very severely. 



Leaves and Buds: The leaves are alternate, simple, entire or wavy 



on the margin, •*'.-(> inches long and 1-2 inches wide, thick and firm, dark 



en and glossy, juice more or less milky; petioles slender, more or 



loss hairy. Terminal bud missing, lateral buds small, almost hidden in 



the bark. 



Flowers and Fruits: Flowers produced late in June, after the 

 leaves; staminate in dense globular clusters about % inch in diameter 

 upon slender thread-like stalks, drooping from the axils of the leaves; 

 pistillate flowers in dense spherical heads at the end of short, stocky 

 pedicel, erect in the axils of Leaves. Fruit ripening in autumn, a pale 

 yellowish-.trreen, orange-like structure 2-\ inches in diameter, composed 

 of many, united, cherry-like fruits tiphtly crowded and grown together. 

 t edible. Seeds brown. 



Hark. Twigs and Wood: Young twigs bright green, more or less 

 hairy, becoming yellowish and armed with stout, sharp-pointed thorns. 

 The bark on the older branches and the trunk becomes deeply furrowed, 

 more or less scaly, and dark orange-brown in color. The bark on the 

 roots is briprht oranpe-red and arranged in very thin lay The wood 



is very hard and heavy, strong, flexible, coarse, annual rinprs distinct, 

 bright yellowish red, with thin lighter-colored sap wood, very durable in 

 contact with the soil but difficult to work. 



Distribution in the State: Found in almost all parts of the state 

 where it has been planted along the fence rows or as a hedge. More 

 abundant in the rn counties where it has been used extensively M 



fence post timber. It does not do so well in the northern or western j" 

 tions of the state, or in the sandier soils. 



Remark-: This tree was extensively planted as a hedge by the 



•lers of Nebraska. In late years such hedges have fallen into 



ite because the trees haw been let grow without trimming and 



the he4ge rows have "sapped" the roil to considerable distance on each 

 side of the row. consequently many such rows have been cut for fence 



No more durable wood can bo found in the state, but when dry 

 it is so hard that a staple can scarcely bo driven into it. If the fe: 

 pos n and the staples driven into the green wood then the 



wood checks badly in drying, the staples fall out and thus the fei 

 is ! iverth is is one of our most valuable trees for fence 



TTie tree grows quite rapidly, and rather small trunks or brand 

 make food i illy the main trunk may bo split to make from 



2- 1 good-sized fence 



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