FOEEST TEEES. 



133 



snow-white flowers, resembling cut paper. Appearing late in 

 spring. 



Chionantlius Yirginiea. — ^White Fringe. — Leaves entire, oval or 

 obovate, three to five inches long, the lower surface sometimes 

 rather downy. The long, slender petals of the flower an inch 

 long. Fruit, a single-seeded drupe, purple, with bloom. There 

 is a variety of the White Fringe Tree, formerly known in nur- 

 series as C, var. angustifolia. Leaves long and narrow, and 

 flowers usually larger and more abundant. Of late years this 

 variety appears to be scarce in nurseries, and is seldom mentioned 

 in catalogues. I do not now call to mind but one specimen of 

 this variety, and this is or was a few years ago growing in the 

 grounds of Mr. Charles Downing, Newburgh, N. Y. There may 

 be others scattered about the country, and it is well worthy of 

 preseiwation. The Wliite Fringe is a large shrub, growing 

 twenty to thirty feet high in the South. It may be budded or 

 grafted upon the ash, and when worked on such stocks, grow 

 faster and make better shax)ed trees than when growing on 

 their own roots. Native of Southern Ohio, Pennsylvania, and 

 thence southward to the Gulf of Mexico. 



CHEYSOPHYLLUM, Linn. — star Ajjple, 



Handsome trees of tropical regions, usually with leaves bright 

 green above, and of a bright golden or coffee-color beneath. 

 Fruit fleshy, and of most species edible. Two specie^, are found 

 within the United States, on the southern border, viz. : C. mi- 

 crophyUum, DC, in Southern Florida, where it has probably 

 been introduced from the West Indies, C. Oliviforme, Lam., in 

 same localities, fruit black when ripe, scarcely edible. Both 

 small trees of no value outside of the tropical climates. 



CLADEASTTS, Eaf. — Tellolu Wood, 



Trees with white, pea-shaped flowers in long drooping 

 racemes, succeeded by small, flat pods, containing a number of 

 small, brown seeds. Only one indigenous species. 



Cladrastis tinctoria, {Virgilia lutea of Michaux). — Leaflets seven 

 to eleven, oval or ovate, three to four inches long. Flowers 

 white, fragrant, an inch long, in large, drooping panicles, late 

 in spring. Bark smooth, of a grayish-color. One of our clean- 

 est and most beautiful forest trees, usually with an open, rather 

 wide spreading head. Wood light yellow, veiy firm and hard, 

 makes excellent fuel, and is desirable for all kinds of mechani- 



