244 Eve’s necklace
245. RIVER LOCUST (Amorpha fruticosa L.) or false indigo: a tall shrub fairly common in low, moist ground, more common in sun than shade. Leaves: pinnately compound, of 9 to 25 leaflets, oblong or elliptical, ½ to 1½ in. long, gland-dotted. Flowers: in dense, erect clusters, each floret consisting of one dark purple petal wrapped around the ten gold-tipped stamens and the style. Fruit: pods about ¼ in. long heavily dotted with amber-colored glands. K (p. 160.)
245 river locust
(Citrus Fruits In This Family)
246. PRICKLY ASH (Xanthoxylum clava-herculis L.) also called tear-blanket or toothache tree: a rather small tree common in rich lowlands, “of its largest size on the rich intervale lands of the streams flowing into the Trinity River”. Leaves: pinnately compound of 3 to 9 pairs of leaflets, usually ovate with acute or acuminate tips, 1 to 2½ in. long, shiny above, dull beneath, margins crenate-serrate, aromatic and tingling-spicy as are the fruit and bark. Twigs: have scattered, hooked spines, often black on young shoots. Bark: smooth, bluish gray, conspicuous for its corky, cone-shaped knobs which are sometimes still tipped with sharp spines; bark of root is especially stimulating and tonic, used by negroes for toothache and rheumatism. Flowers: small, white or greenish, in small cymes, opening after the leaves. Fruit: ¼ inch long, and nearly round, pitted capsules split in early autumn to reveal the shiny black seeds; relished by many birds. Wood: light weight, close-grained, light brown with yellow sapwood, not valued as much as the bark.
246 prickly ash
247. WAFER ASH (Ptelea trifoliata L.) or hop tree: a rare, small tree or shrub of low woodlands. Leaves: pinnately compound, usually composed of three, rarely five leaflets, 2 to 5 inches long, 1 to 3 wide, the terminal generally larger and more tapering toward the base than the others, margins entire or finely serrate, dark and shiny above, gland-dotted beneath. Twigs: dark, glossy, resembling cherry; winter buds rounded, whitish. Bark: of branches resembles cherry, dark and shining but cracks and curls, becoming rough; bitter, tonic. Flowers: greenish white, compound terminal cymes; in midsummer; disagreeable odor. Fruit: winged seed disks similar to those of elm but larger, nearly 1 inch; the drooping clusters conspicuous on winter branches; occasionally used in place of hops in beer brewing. Wood: heavy, hard and close-grained.
247 wafer ash
248. CHINABERRY (Melia azederach L.) a familiar cultivated tree occasionally escaped from cultivation; a native of China much planted for shade in the southern states; sometimes found in remote woods where birds must have dropped the seeds. Leaves: alternate, twice-pinnately compound, dark green above, margins of leaflets often shallowly lobed or wavy. Twigs: thick, upright, dark. Bark: dark, somewhat smooth on branches. Flowers: lavender, in large, loose clusters on wood of the previous year, scented, in April or May. Fruit: Opaque, yellow, size of marbles, remaining into winter. Wood: light and brittle, color resembles mahogany but the grain is much coarser and does not polish well. I (p. 353.)
248 chinaberry
248A. TREE OF HEAVEN, Chinese sumac, (Ailanthus glandulosa Desf.) Several sprouts of this tree were observed in Kessler Park woodlands after this booklet had been set in type. The 1 to 3 foot, pinnately compound LEAVES and very stout TWIGS are ready marks of identification. Flowers: greenish, in large panicles, the staminate ill-scented. Fruit: winged seeds rusty colored. Wood: soft and weak. An escape from cultivation, undesirable because of its numerous root-suckers.
249. SMOOTH SUMAC (Rhus glabra L.) abundant tall shrub, in woods or fields, prefers lowlands but also common in shallow depressions of uplands. Leaves: pinnately compound, 6 to 12 inches long, leaflets toothed, dark and smooth above; turning bright scarlet in early autumn. Twigs: smooth, reddish brown or with a whitish bloom; stout; buds entirely encircled by leaf stem or scar, juice milky. Flowers: dioecious, staminate in large, loose clusters of small, creamy flowers; pistillate clusters more compact and soon showing tinge of red. Fruit: dark red, fuzzy, acid skins cover each dry seed, retain color nearly all winter; may be used to make a substitute for lemonade. Wood: too scanty to be of value, center pithy.
249 smooth sumac
250. WINGED OR DWARF SUMAC (Rhus copallina L.) a tall shrub or rarely a small tree, abundant on limestone hills and bluffs. Leaves: pinnately compound, 6 to 8 inches long, leaflets not or remotely serrate on margins, leafy wings along stem between leaflets. Twigs: slightly pubescent (fuzzy), buds not entirely encircled by leaf scar, juice watery. Flowers: similar to R. glabra but later, in August. Fruit: clusters do not retain their bright color as late. Wood: light and soft, greenish brown.
250 winged sumac
251. POISON IVY, POISON OAK (Rhus toxicodendron L.) an abundant, woody, high-climbing vine, often appearing shrubby when young, or in the absence of a support; preferring woodlands, but also in open places. Leaves: compound, of three leaflets 2 to 5 inches long, coarsely toothed or lobed or more rarely entire. Bark: noticeable for numerous aerial rootlets on large specimens. Branches: extending at right angles from main stem. Flowers: inconspicuous, whitish. Fruit: white, in small, loose clusters. All parts of the plant very poisonous to the touch: the apparent immunity of some persons may be lost at any time and those who have suffered previous attacks seem more subject to the poison thereafter.
251 poison ivy
252. AROMATIC OR ILL-SCENTED SUMAC (Rhus trilobata and var. aromatica) or skunk bush: a spreading, low to medium shrub common in dry upland woods. Leaves: compound, of three leaflets, teeth or lobes usually rounded, ½ to 1½ inches long; both plants and opinions vary as to whether leaves are aromatic or ill-scented when crushed. Twigs: are noticeable in winter for their cone-shaped buds. Flowers: in March, small, yellow. Fruit: small clusters of red stone fruits covered with white hairs, ripe in midsummer, decorative. K (p. 204-5.)
252 aromatic sumac
253. SWAMP HOLLY (Ilex decidua Walt.) or possum haw, a common small tree or shrub thriving best in lowlands, but also grows on dry limestone bluffs. Leaves: 1 to 2 inches long, usually blunt at the tip, margins with small, rounded teeth. Twigs: light gray, the short stems often densely covered with fruit scars, resembling tiny cones; alternate on the branches. Bark: pale gray often mottled, smooth. Flowers: dioecious, white, very inconspicuous. Fruit: round, scarlet or orange, close to the branches, singly or few together, on wood of the previous year, often remain through winter. Wood: heavy, close-grained, creamy-white. This tree suffers from vandals, especially near Christmas, although not evergreen like its spiny-leaved relative, Ilex opaca which is grown commercially and is also a native of East Texas. Youpon (Ilex vomitoria) is another native of East Texas which resembles our swamp holly even more closely except that its leaves are evergreen, and its fruit more pulpy.
253 swamp holly
254. WAAHOO or burning bush (Evonymus atropurpureus Jacq.) a medium to tall shrub or small tree of low woodlands, not very common. Leaves: opposite, simple, 2 to 5 inches long, tapering at both ends, finely serrate, light green and often turning pinkish in autumn. Twigs: green with gray stripes, often more or less 4-angled. Bark: smoothish, mottled gray. Flowers: small, very dark red, 4-lobed, in May. Fruit: crimson, not more than one in each lobe of 4-lobed rosy pod hanging from red, threadlike stem, in winter. Wood: heavy, hard and close-grained. The climbing bittersweet, native of Oklahoma and East Texas, is a member of this family.
254 waahoo
255. BOX ELDER (Acer negundo L.) a medium-sized tree fairly common in low woods and along stream banks. This is the only member of the family native to Dallas County. Leaves: pinnately compound, opposite, usually 5 leaflets, sometimes 3 or 7, 2½ to 5 in. long, light green, coarsely toothed. Twigs: usually green, smooth. Bark: gray, with regular, shallow furrows. Flowers: dioecious, very small, staminate forming green, silky tassels. Fruit: seeds with elongated wings, in pairs forming v’s, ripen and fall in autumn although their stems cling until spring. Wood: light, soft, close-grained; used for woodenware, interior finish and paper pulp. Sugar can be made from the sap. This tree grows rapidly in a moist situation but is short-lived.
255 box elder
256. SPANISH or TEXAS BUCKEYE (Ungnadia speciosa Endl.) a tall shrub or small tree, not very common, in upland woods; native only to Texas, New Mexico and northern Mexico; Dallas County about its northeastern limit. Leaves: pinnately compound, ash-like but alternate, leaflets 1 to 3 inches long, wrinkled undersurface. Twigs: light brown. Bark: light gray, thin, with numerous shallow fissures. Flowers: color of redbud, slightly larger and averaging two weeks later, 4 or 5 slender petals and red stamens often curving in opposite directions. Fruit: 3 or rarely 4 round, black, shiny seeds, smaller than true buckeyes but having the pale “eye-spot”; leathery brown pods usually crack open and drop the seeds in October or November, themselves remaining through the winter. The seeds are powerful emetics and reputed to be poisonous. Wood: heavy, close-grained, soft but brittle, reddish brown. K (p. 215.)
256 Texas buckeye
257. SOAPBERRY or wild chinaberry (Sapindus drummondii H. & A.) a medium-sized tree, fairly common in lowlands, a tree of the southwest-central states. Leaves: pinnately compound of 4 to 9 pairs of sickle-shaped leaflets about 2½ inches long with entire margins; lack the odd terminal leaflet of walnuts and pecans. Twigs: slender, the outer branches often drooping. Bark: light gray, rough and loosely scaly. Flowers: small, creamy white, showy because of large size of the terminal clusters, in May or June. Fruit: golden, or amber, translucent, size of marbles, drooping from tips of branches, remain until spring when they sometimes turn black. Wood: heavy, strong and splits easily between annual rings, hence used for basket splints.
257 soapberry
258. FETID or OHIO BUCKEYE (Aesculus glabra Willd.) medium shrub or rarely small tree in this region, low or upland woods but nowhere common. Leaves: opposite, palmately compound, of 7 to 9 slender, toothed leaflets, 2½ to 4½ inches long, 1 to 2 wide, conspicuous in early spring as they are among the first to open. Twigs: stout, with large opposite buds, the terminal one containing leaves as well as flower clusters; branches usually divide into twos. Flowers: in April, pale yellow clusters, stamens slightly longer than the petals. Fruit: brown, glossy seeds, flattened on one side, with a large, pale “eye-spot”; two or three in a leathery, rounded husk, 1 to 2 inches across, covered with short, scattered prickles. The seed was once believed to be a cure for rheumatism when carried in the pocket. Wood: light, close-grained, tough; used for artificial limbs, splints, woodenware and paper pulp; ill-scented.
258 Ohio buckeye
259. INDIAN CHERRY (Rhamnus caroliniana Walt.) or yellow buckthorn, a shrub or small tree, fairly common in rich, low woods and limestone slopes. Leaves: glossy, dark green, 2 to 5 in. long and 1 to 2 in. wide, rounded at base and acute or acuminate at tip, margins obscurely serrate, veins yellow, evenly spaced and prominent on the under side; turning dark purple or yellow in autumn, tardily deciduous on young trees. Twigs: with naked winter buds small and pointed. Flowers: in May, inconspicuous, usually dioecious. Fruit: size of small peas, containing 2 to 4 seeds; scattered, on short stems; red in summer, turning black in autumn. Wood: hard, light brown, close-grained and brittle.
259 Indian cherry
260. NEW JERSEY TEA (Ceanothus ovatus Desf.) or RED-ROOT; a shrub 1 to 3 feet high, common on dry uplands of woods, meadows and roadsides. Leaves: veins depressed above and prominent beneath as in the other two local members of this family, lowest pair longest, not dark and glossy above, 1 or 2 in. long, less than half as wide. Twigs: slender, retaining stems and whitish fruit “cups” in winter. Flowers: tiny, white, fragrant, in small, dense, rather cone-shaped clusters; the 5 petals and 5 sepals all white and incurved, petals forming a hood from which anthers project; in April. Fruit: small, three-lobed, white, ripening in summer. K (p. 216.)
260 New Jersey tea; fruit
261. RATTAN VINE or SUPPLE-JACK (Berchemia scandens Trel.) a fairly common, high-climbing, woody vine of low woods. Leaves: similar to Indian cherry except much smaller, 1 to 2 in. long. Stems: smooth, greenish, pliable, tough, very slender when young, becoming several inches thick in old age. Flowers: small, greenish-white, in small panicles. Fruit: oval, blackish, about ¼ in. long, containing one seed. B (Vol. II, p. 502).
261 rattan vine
262. VIRGINIA CREEPER (Psedera quinquefolia Greene) (Parthenocissus q. Planch.) or woodbine: common woodland vine preferring lowlands, climbing tall trees or covering stumps. Leaves: alternate, palmately compound, of 5 to 7 leaflets, irregularly toothed, tapering at each end, 2 to 4 in. long; turning bright scarlet in early fall. Flowers: clustered, inconspicuous. Fruit: bluish, round, like tiny grapes, popular with birds. More than one species but not readily distinguished. Some have adhesive disks at the tips of tendrils. Often but needlessly confused with poison ivy.
262 Virginia creeper
263. PEPPER VINE (Cissus arborea Des Moulins) a fairly common vine in river bottoms and low, sandy soils. Leaves: alternate, twice-pinnately compound, dark green, reddish when young and in autumn; resembling chinaberry; decorative. Stems: slender. Flowers: whitish, small. Fruit: like small grapes but glossy black, inedible, ripe in August. K (p. 223).
263 pepper vine
264. COW-ITCH VINE (Cissus incisa Des Moulins) a rather rare vine preferring open, sandy woods. Leaves: fleshy, sometimes palmately compound, or deeply 3-lobed or 3-parted. Stems: somewhat fleshy. Flowers: small, in compound umbels, usually 4 spreading petals. Fruit: small, grape-like, blackish. K (p. 222).
264 cow-itch vine
265. (CISSUS AMPELOPSIS Pers.) no common name; a rare vine of low woods. Leaves: grape-like, but smooth and thin, broadly oval, or heart-shaped, coarsely toothed. Fruit: bluish, inedible, like small grapes. Main STEM: sometimes with many short, leafy branches. B (Vol. II, p. 509).
265 Cissus ampelopsis
266. MUSTANG GRAPE (Vitis candicans Engelm.) abundant vine of roadside thickets and woods. Leaves: large, angled, shallow-toothed, very wooly beneath; the leaves of young shoots are usually deeply, many-lobed in marked contrast to the older. Flowers: small, whitish, fragrant, in drooping clusters. Fruit: large as marbles, acid, but palatable, blackish, ripe July. K (p. 220).
267. SUMMER GRAPE (Vitis species) a vine of woods and roadside thickets. Leaves: large, unlobed to deeply lobed, wooly when young. Fruit: small, pleasant, ripe in autumn.
268. ST. ANDREW’S CROSS (Ascyrum hypericoides L.) low shrub of low, sandy woods, rather rare. Leaves: ½ to 1½ inches long, opposite, many remaining green through mild winters. Flowers: yellow, about ½ inch across, of four petals, falling early; two of four sepals larger, leaflike, clasping bud or seed-pod between them. Fruit: several small seeds in each disk-like pod, tardily deciduous. B (Vol. II, p. 528).
268 St. Andrew’s cross
269. PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS (Opuntia Sp.) a shrub, common in meadows and dry woods. Branches (joints): broad, flat, green, spiny and somewhat leaflike. True LEAVES: small, fleshy, thick scales, early deciduous. Flowers: 2 to 5 inches across, having many glossy, yellow petals and numerous stamens. Fruit: reddish, prickly, about an inch across and slightly longer. This shrub is a valued forage crop in many parts of western Texas, after the spines have been burned off with a blow torch.
270. FLOWERING DOGWOOD (Cornus florida L.) shrub or small tree, very rare; usually in rocky or sandy woods, often with cedar. Leaves: simple, 2 to 5 inches long, 1¼ to 2 wide, opposite, mostly in clusters at the ends of branches; entire or nearly so, veins prominent beneath. Twigs: distinguished in winter by the pale “flat turnip-shaped” flower buds; bright red or yellowish green, slender. Bark: furrowed and breaking into somewhat rectangular plates; astringent and aromatic, used in medicine. Branches: usually horizontally spreading and upcurved at tips. Flowers: greenish yellow, small, in dense heads surrounded by 4 large, white, notched, petal-like bracts; in March and April. Fruit: dense clusters of glossy, scarlet, oval berries, about ½ inch long. Wood: heavy, hard, strong, very close-grained; for turnery, tool handles, forms for metal-spinners for which last it is sold by the pound.
271. DWARF or ROUGH-LEAF DOGWOOD (Cornus asperifolia Michx.) a large shrub, or rarely a small tree, common and widespread, preferring lowlands. Leaves: simple, opposite, nearly entire, rough above, paler and downy beneath, 2 to 4 inches long, ovate or oblong. Twigs: bright red in winter, rough or with whitish pubescence. Bark: thin, narrowly ridged, with close, dark red-brown scales. Flowers: small, white, in flat-topped clusters, in April or May following black haw flowers which they resemble. Fruit: small, white, on reddish stems, ripe late summer and fall. Wood: heavy, hard, strong, fine-grained; adapted for turnery.
271 dwarf dogwood
272. WOOLY BUMELIA, CHITTAM WOOD, or GUM ELASTIC (Bumelia lanuginosa Pers.) a common tree of widespread and varied habitat. Leaves: mostly blunt at apex, entire, 1 to 2½ inches long, dark and smooth above, whitish or sometimes rusty, wooly beneath, especially when young; tardily deciduous. Twigs: with small, scattered spines usually tipping the smallest twigs. Flowers: in July, whitish, inconspicuous. Fruit: ripe Sept. and Oct., oval, black, few or solitary; sweetish, with a single, dark brown, shining seed about ¼ inch across. Wood: hard, heavy, tough, smooth-grained.
273. PERSIMMON (Diospyros virginiana L.) a common small or rarely large tree, on dry, open ground, old fields or sometimes rich bottom lands. Leaves: ovate, entire, 4 to 6 inches long, dark and shining above, paler beneath. Twigs: slender, light brown or ashy gray, with a thick pith cavity. Bark: dark, divided into nearly square blocks. Flowers: dioecious, pistillate solitary bell-shaped about ¾ inch deep and ½ inch wide; staminate shorter and tubular clustered in 2’s or 3’s; both creamy colored, opening in May. Fruit: soft, round, orange-brown, about 1 to 2 inches across, containing many large, flat, smooth seeds; edible, ripe in fall and winter, whenever the calyx separates readily from the fruit. Wood: hard, dense, strong; brown or black heartwood, wide sapwood white or yellowish; used for shuttles, golf-stick heads, but not commercially valuable.
274. WHITE ASH (Fraxinus americana L.) a common, rather large tree of widespread and various habitat. Leaves: opposite, pinnately compound, 5 to 9 but usually 7 leaflets, entire or with obscure or rounded teeth, 3 to 5 inches long and 1½ to 3 wide, dark green above and paler beneath. Twigs: stout, gray or light brown in winter, with large, roundish leaf-scars concave or notched on upper side. Bark: dark brown or gray, broken by many narrow fissures. Flowers: dioecious, the staminate clusters often mistaken for seeds when they harden and cling through winter, a condition caused by the sting of an insect mite. Fruit: nearly cylindrical seed with a thin wing attached, oar-shaped, 1 to 2½ inches long, in dense clusters. Wood: heavy, hard, tough, strong, brown; valuable for tool handles, oars, furniture and interiors; valued as a shade tree.
275. GREEN ASH (Fraxinus pennsylvanica var. lanceolata Sarge.) prefers bottom lands. Leaves: differ from white ash in the leaf color which is light or bright green on both sides, margins more sharply serrate and serrations extending nearly to the base, leaflets narrower. Fruit: wings extend more than half way along two sides of the seed portion. Twigs: leaf-scar straight or nearly so on upper side. Since this tree often hybridizes with the white ash, the species are sometimes hard to distinguish.
276. SPRING HERALD (Adelia pubescens Nutt.) spring goldenglow, or devil’s elbow; an abundant shrub of medium height, widespread but preferring upland woods. Leaves: simple, opposite, ¾ to 1½ inches long, blunt, with fine, rounded teeth. Twigs: light, gray, zigzag or tangled. Flowers: dioecious, very early, petal-less, clusters of stamens pale yellow, pistillate flowers greenish. Fruit: oval, bluish, ripen and fall early in summer. These bushes make dense cover for birds and small animals. It is always distinguishable from swamp holly by its opposite twigs. K (p. 287).
276 spring herald
277. SWAMP PRIVET (Adelia acuminata Poir.) a tall shrub or rarely a small tree growing only in low or swampy woods where fairly common. Leaves: opposite, usually 1½ to 3 inches long and about an inch wide, margins entire or finely serrate, tips acuminate. Twigs and BARK: dark, rather smooth with light dots. Flowers: similar to spring herald. Fruit: elongated, usually tapering.
277 swamp privet
278. FRENCH MULBERRY (Callicarpa americana L.) or beautyberry: a medium shrub fairly common in low woods especially where sandy. Leaves: simple, opposite, coarsely toothed, 3 to 5 inches long, 1½ to 3 wide, light green, tapering at both ends, softly fuzzy on both sides and with tiny shining glands beneath. Twigs: with pale, rusty fuzz. Flowers: pale pink, in dense clusters close to the branches at each pair of leaves. Fruit: bright reddish purple, about ¼ inch across, in dense clusters 1 to 1½ inches across, surrounding the stems. Often planted for the decorative fruits which are attractive to birds. K (p. 341).
278 French mulberry
279. CIGAR TREE (Catalpa speciosa Warder.) a tree well known in cultivation and rarely as an escape, in woods. This tree with its large, opposite, heart-shaped LEAVES, showy white or lavender, flaring bell-shaped FLOWERS and pencil-like PODS is too conspicuous to require a detailed description. Wood: soft, light, coarse-grained; sometimes planted in groves in rich soil for use as fence posts or sometimes for railroad ties.
280. TRUMPET CREEPER (Tecoma radicans L.) a rare vine growing along fence rows and edges of woods in sandy land; common in East Texas. Leaves: pinnately compound and opposite, of 9 to 11 leaflets, toothed, pointed, ovate. Flowers: large, orange-red, flaring trumpet-shaped, nearly 3 inches long. Fruit: pods 2 to 5 inches long, tapered; seeds flat, winged, numerous.
280 trumpet creeper
281. BUTTONBUSH (Cephalanthus occidentalis L.) button willow: usually a large shrub, fairly common in swamps or near water; often cultivated. Leaves: simple, opposite or in whorls of 3 or more, smooth, dark green, with a stout yellow midrib, 2 to 7 inches long, ½ to 3½ wide. Twigs: stout, smooth, with a thick pith, pale reddish-brown and covered with a bloom in their first winter. Bark: dark, rough, with narrow scales; contains tannin; used in treatment of fevers. Flowers: creamy white, fragrant, in dense balls about 1 to 1½ inches in diameter. Fruit: a dark brownish, hard ball, remaining through the winter.
282. CORAL HONEYSUCKLE or TRUMPET HONEYSUCKLE (Lonicera sempervirens L.) an evergreen vine, rare except in cultivation; common in East Texas; low woods and thickets. Leaves: oblong, smooth, upper pairs united or encircling stem. Flowers: Trumpet-shaped, light red, yellowish inside, 1 to 1½ inches long, in clusters. Fruit: scarlet, fleshy.
282 coral honeysuckle
283. BUSH HONEYSUCKLE (Lonicera albiflora T. & G.) not very common; on limestone bluffs, upland meadows and thickets. Leaves: opposite, upper pair usually united or encircling stem, not evergreen. Stems: stiff and upright or sometimes long and trailing, both usually to be found on one bush; this habit is the best point of distinction between this species and the rarer trumpet honeysuckle when there are no flowers present. Fruit: scarlet, fleshy. Flowers: whitish or yellowish, small. K (p. 382).
283 bush honeysuckle
284. INDIAN CURRANT (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus Moench.) or coralberry, the last name also used for other plants, locally well known as buckbrush or partridge brush. This 1 to 3-foot shrub is abundant in woodlands, especially in rich soil. Leaves: simple, opposite, entire or nearly, 1 to 1½ inches long, usually blunt at tip, darker above. Twigs: wiry, brown. Flowers: white, small, in dense clusters at leaf-axils. Fruit: magenta red, in dense clusters encircling stems, remaining through winter. The much smaller size of bush, leaves and fruit clusters prevents confusion with French mulberry. B (Vol. III, p. 277).
284 Indian current
285. BLACK HAW (Viburnum rufidulum Raf.) or possum haw: a shrub or more often a small tree; in woods, preferring lowlands. Leaves: thick, glossy, finely serrate, about 3 inches long and half as wide; a rusty fuzz at the base of the veins beneath; simple, opposite, red in autumn. Twigs: sometimes coated with rusty fuzz as the buds always are. Bark: dark reddish brown, with small, roundish scales. Flowers: late March or early April, white, in flat clusters about 5 or 6 inches across. Fruit: oval, about one-half inch long, blue with a bloom, containing a single stony seed; especially attractive in autumn, turning from red to blue. Wood: ill-scented.
285 black haw
286. ELDERBERRY or common elder (Sambucus canadensis L.) usually a tall shrub; common in low, rich woods. Leaves: pinnately compound, of 5 to 11 oblong, or oval, smooth leaflets, 2 to 4 inches long, the lower often 3-parted; sharply serrate, opposite. Twigs: with thin woody layer surrounding thick white pith. Flowers: small, white, in large, compound, flat clusters; sweet-scented. Fruit: purplish black, glossy, juicy, popular with birds, ripe in late summer. K (p. 381).
286 elderberry
A. Blakeslee & Jarvis, “Trees in Winter,” Macmillan, 1926. Includes only the trees found in New England, about 25 of them also here; illustrated. Contains a good section on the care and planting of trees.
B. Britton & Brown, “Illustrated Flora of the Northern States and Canada,” 3 vol., Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1913 edition. These volumes, though technical, are helpful in the identification of many plants because of the detailed line drawings which illustrate every species.
C. Brown, H. P., “Trees of Northeastern United States,” Christopher Publishing house, 1938, second edition. Useful leaf, fruit and twig keys.
D. Coulter, John M., “Botany of Western Texas,” the U. S. National Herbarium, Vol. II, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C., 1894. Obviously out of date and also out of print but describes a few species of this region which are to be found in no other book.
E. Gray, Asa, “Gray’s New Manual of Botany,” American Book Co., 7th edition, 1908. A technical handbook for the flowering plants and ferns of the Central and Northeastern states and Canada. Mentioned here because its system of classification and scientific names has been followed, in most cases. This manual more nearly conforms to the new international rules of classification than any other available, except Sargent.
F. Hough, Romeyn Beck, “Handbook of the Trees of the Northern States and Canada.” Published by the author, Lowville, N. Y., 1907. Includes many of our trees and useful because of the detailed photographic illustrations.
G. Mattoon & Webster, “Forest Trees of Texas,” bulletin 20, Texas Forest Service, College Station, 1928. Contains descriptions and drawings of 92 Texas trees, about 45 of them in Dallas County. Inexpensive.
H. Parks, H. B., “Valuable Plants Native to Texas,” Bulletin 551, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, College Station, 1937. Notes on the uses and habits of native plants, with special emphasis on honey plants.
I. Rogers, Julia Ellen, “The Tree Book,” Doubleday Page, 1912. Old but still popular guide to the trees of North America, illustrated. Useful and interesting facts about trees are here told in a most interesting manner.
J. Sargent, Charles Sprague, “Manual of the Trees of North America,” Houghton Mifflin, 1933. Includes complete technical descriptions of the 56 plants in this booklet which sometimes attain such height and habit as to be called trees.
K. Schulz, Ellen D. (Quillen), “Texas Wild Flowers,” Laidlaw Bros., 1928. Describes about 18 of the species in this booklet. One of the best books for beginners in the study of wild flowers of our region.
L. Small, John Kunkel, “Flora of the Southeastern United States,” published by the author, 1903. This is the only complete floral manual ever published which includes Dallas County. Needed for identification of a few species but the book is out-of-date in its system of classification and also out of print. Ditto for the edition of 1913.
M. Small, John Kunkel, “Manual of the Southeastern Flora,” published by the author, New York, 1933. Descriptions technical but helpful in the identification of a few species not described in many other books. This volume does not include Texas.
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