MODELS FOR TREE DESCRIPTION 47 



The fruit lasts a greater length of time and, usually 

 dropping spontaneously, gives a much better chance for 

 investigation. 



Specimens of most of the common woods may be ob- 

 tained from cabinet-makers and carpenters. In cases 

 where these specimens are at hand, description of the 

 wood should be required. If the school has such speci- 

 mens as are described in Chapter VI., Part I., the wood 

 in all its peculiarities can be described. 



EXAMPLES OF TREE DESCRIPTION. 



Taxodium distichum (Bald Cypress}. 



(Atterbury's Meadow .) 



No. I. 



Tree eighty-four feet tall, thirty feet wide near base, 

 ovate, conical, pointed ; trunk seven feet in circumfer- 

 ence near base and ridged lengthwise, 

 but only four feet at the height of six 

 feet from the ground, where it becomes 

 round or nearly so, then gradually taper- 

 ing to the top-, branches small, very 

 numerous, beginning six feet from the 

 ground, sloping upward from the trunk 

 at an angle of nearly forty -five degrees ; 

 twigs very slender, numerous, pendu- 

 lous, two, three or even more growing to- 

 gether from supernumerary buds around 

 the old scars ; bark brownish, quite 

 rough, thick and soft on the trunk, 

 smoother on the branches, greenish on 

 the young spray. 



Leaves about sessile, without stipules, 

 alternate, crowded, two-ranked, thin, linear, entire, par- 

 allel-veined, with midrib, dark green, smooth, deciduous^ 



