VI. 1. THE SWEET GALE. 223 
plant a resemblance to a black birch in miniature. The roots 
are somewhat matted together, and extend to some distance. 
The leaves are from three to six fourths of an inch in length, 
and usually less than half an inch wide, wedge-lance-shaped, 
with a few serratures towards the extremity, which is commouly 
a little pointed; downy on the veins beneath, and sprinkled 
with minute, yellow, resinous dots on both surfaces. 
Towards the end of summer, the next year’s aments are 
formed in the axils of the upper leaves, in the shape of short, 
ovoid, pointed, scaly buds. ‘The male and female flowers are on 
separate plants. ‘The male are in catkins an inch or more long, 
in twos or threes at the end of the branches. They are made 
up of heart-shaped, purple scales, loosely arranged on an axis. 
Bach scale rests on a short footstalk, is striated within, has a 
membranous border, and is set, towards the base without, with 
numerous, amber-colored resinous dots. Stamens about four, 
at the base of the scale; the anthers are short, large, opening 
with four valves. 
The fertile flowers are in ovoid catkins about a line in length, 
imbricate with triangular scales, from behind which appear the 
purple, tapering, thread-like, bifid stigmas. When mature, the 
compound fruit 1s in short, cylindrical aments three or four 
lines long and three wide, sometimes solitary, but commonly in 
sroups of two to six at the end of ashort branch. It is made 
up of ovaries surmounted by the withering styles and com- 
pressed between two swollen, fleshy, three-sided, pointed scales, 
abundantly sprinkled with yellow resinous dots. 
When crushed, the leaves feel somewhat resinous, and exhale 
a strong, penetrating, rather unpleasant odor. ‘They are often 
placed in drawers for the purpose of keeping out moths. 
The young buds, Dr. Richardson says, are used by the Indians 
in Canada, to dye their porcupine’s quills. This plant is found 
in Labrador and Newfoundland, and as far as Fort Norman on 
the Mackenzie River. It is also found in Connecticut, Pennsyl- 
vania and Virginia. 
