The _bark_ is aromatic and bitter; that of the young twigs is a lustrous
red-brown, while the bark of the trunk is rather thin, dark brown,
furrowed and broken into thin scales.
The _leaves_ are alternate, oblong, short-pointed, rounded at the base,
silky, hairy when unfolding, later smooth or slightly silky, 6 to 10
inches long, 4 to 6 inches wide, often with wavy edges, dark green
above, lighter beneath.
The _flowers_ are single, large--though smaller than those of the other
magnolias--2-1/2 to 3 inches long. The six upright petals are
whitish-green tinged with yellow.
The _fruit_ is a smooth, dark red, often crooked "cone", 2-1/2 to 3
inches long, somewhat resembling, when green, a small cucumber. The
seeds are 1/2 inch long, and covered with a pulpy, scarlet coat, which
attracts the birds, particularly as the seeds hang by thin cords from
the opening "cones."
The _wood_ is light, soft, close-grained, durable, of a light
yellow-brown color and is used for the same purposes as yellow poplar.
It is quite desirable for roadside and ornamental planting.
+TULIP TREE+ _Liriodendron tulipifera_ L.
THE tulip tree, tulip poplar, is one of the tallest trees in the State
with its straight trunk rising to a height of 125 feet. It is one of the
largest and most valuable hardwood trees of the United States. It
reaches its largest size in the deep moist soils along streams and in
the cool ravines of southern Illinois. Vermilion County on the east and
Randolph on the west side of the State represent its northern limit. As
more commonly seen, it has a height of 60 to 100 feet and a diameter of
3 to 4 feet. Growing with a straight central trunk like the pines, and
often clear of limbs for 30 to 50 feet, it has a narrow pyramidal head
which in older age becomes more spreading. The tree has been extensively
cut, but is reproducing rapidly and remains one of the most abundant and
valuable trees in our young second-growth forests. It has been planted
as an ornamental and shade tree.
[Illustration: TULIP TREE