V. THE BIRCH FAMILY. 201 
FAMILY V. THE BIRCH FAMILY. BETULACEZ. Ruicwarp. 
‘The birch family consists of graceful trees and shrubs, na- 
tives of the colder regions of each hemisphere, with alternate, 
entire, dentate or serrate, deciduous leaves. The sterile and 
the fertile flowers are arranged in distinct aments on the same 
plant. The male flowers are in cylindrical, pendent tassels or 
aments, made up of three-flowered scales, on the sides or ends 
of the branchlets, the female in shorter, thicker aments, usually 
erect, of two- or three-flowered scales, with long, diverging, col- 
ored stigmas. Both are made up of imbricate scales. The 
fruit, called a strobile, is the enlarged female ament, usually 
more or less egg-shaped, sometimes cylindrical. The aments 
are formed in the summer, or early autumn, and remain un- 
protected through the winter. 
The bark is thin, and generally arranged in thin flakes, and 
has astringent properties. ‘I'he root is rather large, with iong, 
tapering branches, and numerous radicles. ‘The wood is soft, 
close, and fine-grained, rather hght, and not durable when ex- 
posed to alternations of dryness and moisture. Several of the 
birches are valuable as timber trees, most of them as fuel, and 
all as ornaments in the landscape. ‘They abound in the north- 
ern parts of America, and are sometimes found in the moun- 
tains of Mexico and countries farther south. 
The great defect of birch timber is its proneness to decay. 
This may be in a degree prevented by felling the tree in sum- 
mer, or in early autumn, and immediately strippmg off the 
bark. So long as the bark remains, the sap and other moisture 
favorable to decay, is kept in, and the seasoning prevented. 
The birches have a great abundance of sap, which is some- 
times obtained in large quantities by tapping the vigorous trees. 
It is sweetish, with an agreeable acid taste, and forms a pleas- 
ant drink. It is said to be sometimes used, with perry, in the 
manufacture of what seems to be, while new, tolerably good 
Champagne wine. Itis also used to make vinegar. The inner 
bark of some species is used to give a bright orange dye. 
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