West Virginia Trees

Chapter 100: HOP TREE

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About This Book

A practical field guide to the native and introduced trees of West Virginia, providing keys based mainly on leaves and fruits, concise family and species descriptions, and detailed line drawings for about 101 native species. It organizes trees by botanical families, gives brief flower notes, a glossary of terms, and suggestions for identifying specimens; occasional introduced species and shrubs are noted. The bulletin emphasizes simplicity for non-specialists, offers measurements and habit descriptions for each species, and includes administrative prefatory material. Its aim is to aid lay readers and students in tree identification and to encourage local interest in forestry.

HOP TREE

Ptelea trifoliata, L.

Form.—A shrub occasionally attaining the size and form of a small tree.

Leaves.—Alternate, compound, 3-foliate, the leaflets entire, ovate, pointed, downy when young.

Flowers.—June; polygamous; small, greenish-white, arranged in compound terminal cymes.

Fruit.—A 2-celled, 2-seeded, nearly circular samara, winged all around, in drooping cymes; bitter, used as a substitute for hops.

Bark.—Smooth, light brownish-gray.

Range.—Long Island to Minnesota and southward.

Distribution in West Virginia.—Rare, collected in Summers and Morgan counties.

Habitat.—Prefers sandy soils of river banks.

Notes.—This small, shrubby tree is useful only for ornamental planting for which purpose it will be found very interesting and attractive.