210 THE BOOK OF FORESTRY 
THE BIRCHES 
YELLOW BIRCH WHITE OR PAPER BIRCH | 
Betula lutea Betula papyrifera 
Bark Bark 
Light yellow and separating into | Creamy white outside, pinkish 
thin narrow curly sheets. On} tinge beneath separating into 
older trees becomes dark! thin papery layers. Resinous 
reddish brown. and formerly used for canoes 
LEAVES LEAVES 
Leaves 3/43” long by 13/-2” | 2’~3” Jong, 13”’ wide, generally 
wide. Edge dividedinto2sets| oval in shape. Edge also 
of teeth—large and small. double toothed. 
RANGE RaNnGs 
Maine to Minnesota, south to} New England, through North 
Tennessee. More commonin| Dakota to Northwestern 
the North. Washington, as far south as 
Northern Nebraska. 
BLACK OR SWEET BIRCI! 
Betula lenita 
Bark 
Dark lustrous, resembling bark of 
young cherry. Bark on twigs has 
pronounced taste. 
LEAVES 
23”’-6” long by 2”~3” wide with sharp 
incurved teeth. 
RANGE 
Maine to Central Iowa, south to 
Western Florida. 
The birches in addition to yielding wood for furniture 
and interior finish also supply spools, shoe pegs, veneers, 
etc. There are ten species in the United States. 
