176 



PRACTICAL FORESTRY. 



]V. sylvaticaj Marsh.— Black Gum.— This is a doubtful species 

 described by several botanists under different names, but 

 Watson (in Botanical Index) considers it only a variety of the 

 last. Michaux found it growing near Philadelphia, and further 

 South on rather high and dry grounds, among oak and walnut 

 trees. Leaves five or six inches long, alternate, oblong-oval. 

 Fruit deep-blue. Wood fine-grained, but rather soft, very 

 cross-grained. A large tree sixty to seventy feet high, with 

 stem two feet in diameter. 



]V. imifloraj Wang. — Large Tupelo, Cotton Gum. — Leaves 

 large, four to six inches long, ovate or oblong, sharp pointed, 

 er^ .xre or sharply toothed, downy beneath. Fertile flowers 

 solitary. Fruit ovate-oblong, dark-blue. A large tree in 

 swamps, from Virginia southward. Wood cross-grained, light, 

 and of little value. 



OLis'EYA, Gray. — Iron -Wood. 



A small tree belonging to the Leguminosae, bearing bean-like 

 fruit, and pinnate leaves, resembling those of the Locust. Only 

 one species. 



Olneya Tesota^ Gray. — Iron Wood. — Leaves composed of from 

 five to seven pairs of wedge-shaped, oblong leaflets. Flowers 

 pea-shaped, white or purphsh, three or four in a loose raceme. 

 Fruit a rough, linear, oblong pod, about two inches long, con- 

 taining one or two ovate seeds. This is the Arhol de hierro or 

 Iron Wood of Arizona, and adjacent regions in Calif oraia. 



OSMANTHUS^ Benth. & Hook, olea^ Linn. 



A tree closely allied to the Olive {Olea Eiiropcea), and usually 

 called the American Olive. Trees or shrubs with mostly entire 

 leaves, and perfect flowers, but in some they are dioecious, and 

 usually small, white, in cluster or panicles. One native 

 species. 



Osmanthns Americanus. — Devil- wood.— Leaves oblong, lanceolate, 

 smooth and shining, three to six inches long. Flowers in 

 compound racemes, shorter than the leaves. Flowers small, 

 white, and fragrant. Fruit ovoid, dark-purple, about the size 

 of a pea, bitter and astringent. A small tree, with very hard, 

 iron-like wood, seldom over twenty feet high. In moist woods 

 from Southern Virginia to Florida. 



