BLACK GUM
(Nyssa sylvatica)
Leaves: Simple, alternate, 2″-4″ long, entire or wavy margin; dark green and shiny above, often downy on the underside; turning a vivid red in early autumn.
Twigs: Smooth, grayish to reddish brown; the white pith separated by dark lines. Buds rounded in cross section, pointed, reddish brown, ¼″ long.
Fruit: Cherry-like, ⅓″-⅔″ long, dark blue, 1-seeded, with thin flesh; borne singly or in 2’s or 3’s in a cluster; ripens in autumn.
General: Bark on young trees smooth or scaly, light gray; on older trunks dark gray, broken into blocks and resembling alligator hide. A medium-sized tree, often flat-topped, with horizontal branches and short spur-like twigs. Grows mainly on swampy lands, but found elsewhere. Wood very difficult to split; used chiefly for boxes, fuel and railroad ties.
AMERICAN PLANETREE
(Platanus occidentalis)
Leaves: Simple, alternate, 3-5 lobed, 4″-7″ across, generally wider than long; light green above, paler and wooly beneath. Base of leaf-stem hollow, enclosing next year’s bud.
Twigs: At first green and hairy, later brownish, smooth; zigzag. Buds cone-like with a single smooth, reddish brown scale.
Fruit: A round “button-ball,” single or occasionally in 2’s on a tough slender stalk. These fruit clusters are light brown, 1″-1¼″ in diameter, consist of many seeds, each surrounded at the base by silky hairs; usually hang throughout the winter.
General: Bark of two layers, the outer peeling in brown flakes, the inner whitish, yellowish or greenish; on base of old trunks dark brown and fissured. A tree of large size; mature trees often very massive. Prefers stream banks. Wood used for furniture, crates, butcher blocks, and flooring. Also known as American sycamore. The London planetree (P. acerifolia), with 2, sometimes 3, “button-balls” on a stalk, is more commonly planted as a shade tree.
COMMON HORSECHESTNUT
(Aesculus hippocastanum)
Leaves: Palmately compound, opposite; usually with 7 leaflets, each 4″-9″ long, wedge-shaped, long-pointed, smooth when full-grown; turning a rusty yellow in autumn.
Twigs: Stout, usually not hairy. Buds blackish brown, sticky, large; end bud ½″-1″ long.
Fruit: Roundish capsule, 1½″-2½″ in diameter, green husk with prickles; breaks into three parts when ripe releasing 1 or 2 large, shiny brown, non-edible seeds. Flower ¾″ long; showy-white and spotted with yellow and red. Flower clusters erect, 8″-12″ long.
General: Bark grayish, broken into thin plates. A medium to large-sized tree. Introduced from Europe and is a common shade tree in the State. Leaves are often browned by diseases. Also known as European buckeye. Two rather similar trees are native to southern Pennsylvania—Ohio buckeye (A. glabra) and yellow buckeye (A. octandra).
AMERICAN LINDEN
(Tilia americana)
Leaves: Simple, alternate, somewhat heart-shaped, 4″-7″ long, shiny dark green on top, smooth beneath except for tufts of rusty hair; sharply toothed on margin.
Twigs: Green or reddish when young, turning brownish red; usually zigzag. Buds deep red to greenish, usually lopsided, with 2-3 visible scales.
Fruit: Nutlike, thick-shelled, downy, about the size of a pea; borne in groups from a long stem attached to narrow leaflike blade or bract. The clustered fruit and bracts may remain on the tree until late winter. Flowers yellowish white, fragrant.
General: Bark on young trunks smooth, tough, dark gray; on older trees broken into narrow, scaly ridges. A large tree; usually found in mixture with other hardwoods on moist, rich valley soils. Wood is used for a variety of products including boxes, venetian blinds, sashes, doors, picture frames, and furniture. Also known as basswood.
NORTHERN CATALPA
(Catalpa speciosa)
Leaves: In whorls of 3 or more, occasionally opposite, heart-shaped, 8″-12″ long and 6″-8″ wide; margin entire or wavy; smooth above, hairy beneath.
Twigs: Stout, yellow-brown; no buds at the ends. Side buds small, appear to be hidden in bark. Large, nearly round, depressed leaf scars are characteristic.
Fruit: Bean-like, 8″-18″ long, narrow; pod separates into two halves when ripe, hang on tips of branches all winter; many seeds, each with long white hairs on both ends. Flowers in July, arranged in terminal clusters about 8″ long; each showy flower white with yellow and purple spots, 2″-3″ in diameter.
General: Bark light brown, scaly; slightly furrowed on older trees. A medium to large-sized tree. Native to the Mississippi Valley. Usually planted for shade purposes in this State but its wood is durable and useful for posts. The less hardy Southern catalpa (C. bignonioides) with slender pods has also been planted in Pennsylvania.
COMMON PERSIMMON
(Diospyros virginiana)
Leaves: Simple, alternate, 4″-6″ long, dark green and glossy above, paler and often wooly below; margins smooth or wavy.
Twigs: Grayish brown, smooth, sometimes velvety. No end bud; each side bud covered by 2 glossy dark brown scales.
Fruit: Fleshy berry, large (¾″-2″ in diameter), plum-like, orange to red, parts of the flower remain attached to the base (see sketch); seeds 1-8, flat, rather large. Edible but often astringent when fully ripe in autumn.
General: Bark dark gray to dark brown, separated into small blocks by cinnamon-red bottomed furrows. A small to medium-sized tree native to the southern part of the State. Wood hard, tough, used chiefly for special products such as shuttles for weaving, spools, and golf-club heads.
COMMON PAWPAW
(Asimina triloba)
Leaves: Simple, alternate, 5″-12″ long, drooping; somewhat like the leaf of cucumbertree magnolia; dark green above, light green below; margins smooth or wavy.
Twigs: Olive-brown, enlarged at points where leaves are attached, somewhat hairy toward tips. Buds brown, hairy, not covered with scales.
Fruit: Looks like a short stubby banana, greenish yellow at first, brown when ripe in autumn, 3″-5″ long, edible; contains numerous brown, shiny seeds imbedded in the fragrant outer pulp. Flowers greenish-brown to purple, 1″ across, solitary, appear before the leaves.
General: Bark dark brown, thin, slightly fissured on older trees, often marked with white blotches. A small tree. Generally found in the understory of the forest in the southern half of the State on rich moist soil. The fruit is of more value than its wood which is sometimes used for fuel.
COMMON SASSAFRAS
(Sassafras albidum)
Leaves: Simple, alternate, 4″-6″ long, characteristically aromatic when crushed. Usually three types can be found on a tree: entire, 2-lobed and 3-lobed (rarely 5-lobed). Smooth, dark green above, much lighter beneath.
Twigs: Bright green, sometimes reddish, smooth and shiny; large white pith. End bud much larger than side ones, with many loose scales.
Fruit: Cherry-like, dark blue, shiny, about ½″ in diameter, on a red stem enlarged at the point of attachment. Borne in clusters. Yellow flowers appear before the leaves unfold.
General: Bark on young trees soon becomes furrowed, the greenish bark changing to brown; inner bark salmon colored; older trees show deep fissures extending long distances up the trunk. A small to medium-sized tree, with crooked branches; often spreading by root suckers. Its roots, leaves, twigs and fruit have a spicy odor; the oil contained in these parts is used for a “tea,” in medicines, perfumes, etc. Wood used chiefly for fuel and fence posts.
FLOWERING DOGWOOD
(Cornus florida)
Leaves: Simple, opposite, 3″-5″ long; clustered toward tips of twigs; margins smooth or wavy; veins prominent and curved like a bow. Foliage bright red in autumn.
Twigs: Red tinged with green, often with a bluish white powdery coating; marked with rings; tips curve upward. End leaf bud covered by 2 reddish scales; side leaf buds very small; flower buds conspicuous, silvery, button-shaped, at ends of twigs.
Fruit: An egg-shaped drupe, ½″-⅗″ long; coat red; flesh yellowish; stone grooved, 2-celled; usually in clusters of 2-5; persist after the leaves fall. Flowers greenish white or yellowish, small, in flat-topped clusters; four showy white bracts underneath; open before the leaves.
General: Bark red-brown to reddish gray, broken by fissures into small blocks, like alligator hide. A small native tree with low spreading crown, especially valued for ornamental planting. Wood used primarily for textile weaving shuttles. There is a variety with red or pink bracts.
INDEX
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
- B
- Basswood 49
- Beech, American 16
- Birch, black 28
- canoe 31
- gray 32
- paper 31
- river 30
- sweet 28
- white 31
- yellow 29
- Buckeye, Ohio 48
- yellow 48
- Butternut 21
- D
- Dogwood, flowering 54
- G
- Gum, black 46
- H
- Hackberry, common 41
- Hemlock, eastern 1
- Hickory, bitternut 27
- mockernut 25
- pignut 26
- shagbark 23
- shellbark 24
- Honeylocust, common 34
- Horsechestnut, common 48
- P
- Pawpaw, common 52
- Persimmon, common 51
- Pine, eastern white 2
- pitch 3
- red 5
- scrub 4
- Virginia 4
- Planetree, American 47
- R
- Redcedar, eastern 9
NOTES
Transcriber’s Notes
- Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication.
- Corrected a few palpable typos.
- In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_.
- Included a transcription of the text within some images.
- The “Notes” section (blank pages in the printed edition) illustrates leaves collected and pressed by a prior owner of the book.