in tropical regions of both hemispheres. The genus _Diospyros_ (page
215) is the only representative of this family in the United States and
includes 2 species one of which is native to West Virginia.
STYRACACEAE—THE STORAX FAMILY
This family embracing about 7 genera and comparatively few species is
distributed principally in North and South America and in eastern Asia.
Of the 3 North American genera only _Halesia_ (page 217) is found in
West Virginia.
OLEACEAE—THE OLIVE FAMILY
The Olive family comprises about 20 genera with 500 species distributed
principally in the northern hemisphere. In North America there are 5
genera with 20 species and in West Virginia 2 genera with 4 species.
The Olive Tree (_Olea Europaea_, L.), which produces the olives used
for food, belongs to this family. This tree has been introduced into
the southwestern part of the United States. The _Syringas_, (Lilacs),
_Forsythias_, and _Ligustrums_ (Privets) are extensively planted in
this State for ornamental purposes and for hedges. The two genera
described below have representatives in West Virginia.
=Fraxinus=, (pp. 219, 221, 223).—The _Ashes_, numbering about 40
species, are distributed chiefly in the north temperate zone. Of this
number 16 occur in North America and 3 in West Virginia. The European
Ash, (_F. excelsior_, L.) is occasionally planted.
=Chionanthus=, (page 225).—This genus embraces only 2 species one of
which is found in West Virginia. The other is native to northern and
central China.
CAPRIFOLIACEAE—THE HONEYSUCKLE FAMILY
The Honeysuckle family, comprising about 10 genera with 275 species,
is represented in North America by 8 genera and in West Virginia by
7 genera and about 18 species. Of this number 15 are shrubs or small
trees. The species not described herein belonging to the genera
_Viburnum_ (pp. 227, 229), _Diervilla_, _Lonicera_, and _Sambucus_, are
given in the list of native shrubs.
[Illustration: WHITE PINE]
WHITE PINE
=Pinus strobus=, L.
=Form=.—Height 50-100 feet, diameter 2-4 feet; trunk when in close
stands long, straight, and free from limbs; limbs arranged in whorls.
=Leaves=.—Arranged in clusters of 5, slender, 3-sided mucronate, 3-5
inches long, blue-green when mature.
=Flowers=.—May; monoecious; the staminate oval, light brown one-third
inch long, clustered at base of new growth; the pistillate catkins in
small groups or solitary along the new growth, cylindrical, about ¼
inch long, pink.
=Fruit=.—Cones maturing in autumn of second year, drooping,
cylindrical, often curved, 4-6 inches long, scales thin without spines;
seeds red-brown mottled with black spots, ¼ inch long with wings 1 inch
long.
=Bark=.—On young branches smooth, green, often with red tinge; on old
trunks thick, divided by shallow fissures into wide flat-topped ridges
covered with purplish scales.
=Wood=.—Soft, weak, straight-grained, easily worked, not durable in
contact with the ground, light brown with whitish sapwood.
=Range=.—Newfoundland and Manitoba to Pennsylvania, Indiana and Iowa,
and south along the Alleghany mountains to northern Georgia.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Originally abundant in parts of
Pocahontas, Greenbrier, Raleigh, and Tucker counties, and sparingly
distributed in all the counties east of the Alleghanies, and in
Gilmer, Jackson, Monongalia, Preston, Ritchie, Tyler, Wetzel, and Wirt
counties. Now becoming rare.
=Habitat=.—Prefers fertile, well-drained soil, but will grow in all
soils and situations excepting swamps and dry wind-swept ridges.
=Notes=.—White Pine is easily distinguished from all other native
species by the leaves which are in clusters of five. This tree is
one of the most valuable and beautiful of the conifers. Its wood is
extensively used for shingles, construction, cabinet work, woodenware,
matches, etc. As an ornamental tree it is especially attractive. A
fungous disease, the white pine blister rust, threatens to destroy the
species.
[Illustration: PITCH PINE]
PITCH PINE
=Pinus rigida=, Mill.
=Form=.—Usually 50-60 feet high, 1-2½ feet in diameter; trunk not
straight, tapering; crown rounded, usually open; limbs coarse, gnarled,
with thick bark, and persistent old cones.
=Leaves=.—In clusters of three; stout, rigid, somewhat twisted, often
standing at right angles with the branches; yellow-green.
=Flowers=.—Appear April-May; monoecious; the staminate in crowded
spikes, at base of new growth, yellow; the pistillate short-stalked,
nearly round, green tinged with rose.
=Fruit=.—Cones maturing autumn of second year; ovoid, often clustered,
divergent from stem, 1-3 inches long, adhering for several years;
scales thin, armed with stiff recurved prickles; triangular seeds ¼
inch long with wing ¾ inch long, one-third inch wide, dark brown to
black, sometimes spotted with gray or red dots.
=Bark=.—Twigs green becoming dull orange and then gray-brown with age;
trunk with rough, thick, deeply-and irregularly-furrowed, red-brown
bark.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, brittle, coarse-grained, durable, resinous; with
thick yellowish sapwood.
=Range=.—New Brunswick and Lake Ontario, south to Georgia, and west to
the Alleghany foothills of West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Found locally in the following
counties: Boone, Braxton, Berkeley, Clay, Doddridge, Fayette, Gilmer,
Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Kanawha, Logan, Mercer, Monroe,
Mingo, Nicholas, Preston, Pocahontas, Randolph, Roane, Summers, Tyler
and Wayne. Rare in McDowell, Wyoming, and Webster.
=Habitat=.—Prefers dry sandy soils of hillsides, sometimes found in
swamps.
=Notes=.—This is our only native pine having all the leaves in
bundles of three. It is of much less value than the White Pine but
wall often grow where other pines will not. and is resistant to fire.
Wood used chiefly for mine props, fuel, charcoal, boxes, crates,
and construction. Tar is sometimes made from this wood, and the
resin-filled knots and wood are excellent for kindling fires.
[Illustration: TABLE MOUNTAIN PINE]
TABLE MOUNTAIN PINE
=Pinus pungens=, Lamb.
=Form=.—A small tree 30-50 feet high, 1-2½ feet in diameter; trunk
sometimes with limbs almost to the ground, the lower drooping, the
upper ascending; often bearing cones when only a few feet tall.
=Leaves=.—Two in a bundle, stiff, usually twisted, sharp-pointed, 1½-3
inches long; dark blue-green.
=Flowers=.—April-May; monoecious; staminate in long, loose spikes,
anthers yellow; pistillate clustered on sides of new growth.
=Fruit=.—Cones large, oblong-conical, oblique at base, 2-3½ inches
long, hanging on for many years; scales with very stout, curved
prickles.
=Bark=.—On the trunk broken by fissures into irregular plates with
loose red-brown scales.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, brittle, coarse-grained, resinous, brown with
yellowish sapwood.
=Range=.—Pennsylvania and New Jersey to northern Georgia, in the
Appalachian mountains.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Scattered sparingly in the counties
along the Alleghany Mountains.
=Habitat=.—Usually found on dry gravelly slopes and ridges.
=Notes=.—This species is most easily distinguished from the other
pines of the State by the very large and prickly cones and by the
bundles of two stiff, short leaves. The yellow pine which has some of
its leaves grouped in twos has very small and nearly smooth cones. Not
valuable for lumber; used chiefly for fuel and charcoal.
[Illustration: YELLOW PINE]
YELLOW PINE
=Pinus echinata=, Mill.
=Form=.—From 80-100 feet high, 2-3½ feet in diameter; trunk straight,
slightly tapering; crown pyramidal or rounded; limbs not tolerant of
shade and in dense stands dropping off early leaving a long, clean
trunk.
=Leaves=.—In clusters of 2 and 3, the leaves in threes more often near
the ends of twigs; slender, flexible, 3-5 inches long, blue-green.
=Flowers=.—April-May; monoecious, pale purple, staminate flowers in
clusters at base of new growth; pistillate flowers 2-4 in a whorl near
end of new growth, pale rose-colored.
=Fruit=.—Cones maturing at end of second year; ovoid, 1½-2½ inches
long; flat scales, armed with weak, often deciduous prickles; seeds
triangular, winged, brown mottled with black.
=Bark=.—On the trunk broken into large more or less rectangular plates
the scales of which readily peel off.
=Wood=.—Hard, heavy, coarse-grained, yellowish.
=Range=.—New York to Florida and west to Missouri and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—A scattered growth in the hilly
counties lying east of the Ohio river and in the counties along the
Alleghany Mountains.
=Habitat=.—Usually found with hardwoods and other pines on clay or
gravelly soil, on hills or stony slopes.
=Notes=.—The Yellow-Pine can be distinguished from the other pines by
its clusters of two and three slender leaves and its small cones. It
furnishes excellent lumber for commerce and is extensively used for
many purposes in buildings.
[Illustration: SCRUB PINE]
JERSEY OR SCRUB PINE
=Pinus virginiana=, Mill.
=Form=.—A small tree usually 30-50 feet high, diameter 1-2 feet; trunk
short and often crooked; crown pyramidal to flat-topped.
=Leaves=.—Clustered in twos, 1½-3 inches long, twisted, rather stout,
sharp-pointed, gray-green.
=Flowers=.—April-May; monoecious; staminate in clusters at base of new
growth, yellow-brown; pistillate near middle of season’s growth, pale
green, the scale tips rose-colored.
=Fruit=.—Ovoid when open, sometimes slightly curved; scales thin,
nearly flat, bright brown, with persistent prickles.
=Bark=.—With shallow fissures, and dark brown loose scales.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, brittle, pale orange with whitish sapwood.
=Range=.—Southern New York to Georgia, west to Kentucky and southern
Indiana.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common in Berkeley, Jefferson,
Morgan, Grant, Mercer and other counties southward along the mountains;
less common in Barbour, Boone, Fayette, Kanawha, Logan, Monongalia,
Randolph, Ritchie, Wayne and Wyoming counties.
=Habitat=.—Prefers light sandy and thin rocky soils; often found on
exhausted farm lands.
=Notes=.—This species is most easily confused with yellow pine, but
can be distinguished by its uniform 2-leaf clusters, small prickly
cones and comparatively smooth bark. The leaves are twisted and
divergent, giving the twigs a disheveled appearance. Of little value as
a timber tree; wood used chiefly for boxes, crates, fencing, ties, and
fuel.
[Illustration: TAMARACK]
TAMARACK
=Larix laricina=, (DuRoi) Koch.
=Form=.—A tree usually 30-60 feet high, 1-2 feet in diameter; trunk
straight, tapering, and having numerous slender, upward-curving
branches; crown narrowly pyramidal.
=Leaves=.—Scattered singly or clustered in dense fascicles on short
lateral spurs; linear, triangular in cross-section, ¾-1¼ inches long,
light green, falling each year in autumn.
=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; staminate sessile,
sub-globose, yellow; pistillate oblong with light-colored bracts and
nearly orbicular rose-colored scales.
=Fruit=.—Cones mature autumn of first season; ovoid, obtuse, ½-¾ inch
long with few light brown rounded scales.
=Bark=.—Thin, roughened with small rounded red-brown scales.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, slightly resinous, very strong, durable in soil,
light brown.
=Range=.—Newfoundland south to Maryland and West Virginia, west to
Minnesota and the Rocky Mountains, through British Columbia to Alaska.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—A few trees near Cranesville, Preston
County, growing in a swamp.
=Habitat=.—Prefers swamps and lake borders, but thrives in many other
places.
=Notes=.—Tamarack is our only native cone-bearer with deciduous
leaves. This tree has been transplanted in several places in the State
where it makes a good appearance on the lawn.
[Illustration: RED SPRUCE]
RED SPRUCE
=Picea rubra=, (DuRoi) Deitr.
=Form=.—Height 70-80 feet, diameter 2-3 feet; trunk straight,
continuous, free from limbs to a considerable height when in close
stands; crown conical; limbs somewhat drooping below, horizontal in the
middle, ascending above.
=Leaves=.—Crowded and diverging in all directions from the twig;
rounded or acute points, ½-⅝ inch long, dark yellow-green.
=Flowers=.—April-May; monoecious; staminate oval, almost sessile, red;
pistillate oblong, with thin rounded scales.
=Fruit=.—Cones ovate-oblong, narrowed from middle to acute apex; 1¼-2
inches long; scales reddish-brown with entire margins.
=Bark=.—Roughened by thin, irregular-shaped brown scales.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, close-grained, not strong, pale in color, with
whitish sapwood.
=Range=.—Newfoundland to West Virginia and southward along the
Alleghany Mountains to northern Georgia, west to Minnesota.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Growing at high elevation in Grant,
Tucker, Randolph, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Webster, Nicholas and
Greenbrier counties. Now largely removed by lumbermen.
=Habitat=.—Well-drained uplands; also on mountain tops and
occasionally on borders of swamps.
=Notes=.—Since this species is the only native spruce in West Virginia
there is no cause for confusing it with anything else. Norway spruce
has much larger cones. Originally red spruce was one of our principal
lumber trees, but when it is removed there is but little natural
reproduction. Often planted for shade. Wood used for construction,
musical instruments, furniture, aeroplanes and paper pulp.
[Illustration: HEMLOCK]
HEMLOCK
=Tsuga canadensis=, (L.) Carr.
=Form=.—Height 60-100 feet, diameter 2-4 feet; trunk with limbs nearly
to the ground when in the open but free from them to a considerable
height when in dense stands; slender horizontal branches form a
pyramidal crown which is often irregular.
=Leaves=.—Arranged on all sides of the branch, but appearing as if in
two ranks, flat, thin, rounded or slightly notched at the tip, about ½
inch long, dark green above, pale beneath.
=Flowers=.—April-May; monoecious; staminate in the axils, globose,
yellow; pistillate terminal, pale green, oblong, with broad bracts and
short pinkish scales.
=Fruit=.—Cones mature each autumn; borne on slender stalks; ovate,
about ¾ of an inch long; scales rounded, about as broad as long; seeds
about ⅛ inch long, half as long as their wings.
=Bark=.—With deep fissures on old trunks and prominent rounded ridges;
inner bark cinnamon-red.
=Wood=.—Light, medium hard, brittle, coarse-grained, not easily
worked, not durable when exposed to the weather; red-brown with lighter
sapwood.
=Range=.—Nova Scotia, south to Alabama and west to Minnesota.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common in nearly all parts of the
State, reaching high elevations in the mountain counties, and confined
to ravines and rough stony ground in most of the hilly sections.
=Habitat=.—Prefers damp stony northern exposures, deep stream gorges,
river banks, and swamp borders.
=Notes=.—The hemlock ranks as one of the most useful trees. The wood
is used for construction, paper pulp, and lath; the bark is used in
tanning; and the trees are often planted on lawns and in hedges.
[Illustration: BALSAM FIR]
BALSAM FIR
=Abies fraseri=, (Pursh) Poir.
=Form=.—Height 30-70 feet, diameter 1-2½ feet; trunk continuous,
tapering; crown pyramidal; rigid horizontal or ascending branches.
=Leaves=.—Linear, arranged around the stem, ½-¾ of an inch long, dark
silvery green.
=Flowers=.—Monoecious; staminate yellow with red tinge; pistillate
with rounded scales and pale yellow-green bracts.
=Fruit=.—Cones oblong-ovate, about 2½ inches long; width of scales
twice their length, dark purple; bracts reflexed covering at maturity
about half the scale.
=Bark=.—Roughened by cinnamon or gray scales.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, not strong, coarse-grained, pale brown with
whitish sapwood.
=Range=.—From Virginia and West Virginia south to North Carolina and
Tennessee.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Growing near Cheat Bridge, Randolph
County; on the head of the Greenbrier River, Pocahontas County; and
near the head of Blackwater fork of Cheat River in Tucker County.
=Habitat=.—Grows at high elevations and seems to prefer swampy soil in
West Virginia.
=Notes=.—This species, which reaches the northern limit of its
restricted range in Tucker County, is not commercially important. The
trunks are occasionally sawed into lumber, and the tree has been widely
transplanted on lawns.
[Illustration: ARBOR VITAE]
ARBOR VITAE
=Thuja occidentalis=, L.
=Form=.—Height 40-50 feet, diameter 1-2 feet; trunk often divided;
crown compact, pyramidal.
=Leaves=.—In 4 ranks on the stems, scale-like, ⅛-¼ inch long,
longest and long-pointed on leading shoots, yellow-green, aromatic.
=Flowers=.—April-May; monoecious; staminate round, small, yellow;
pistillate larger, oblong, reddish.
=Fruit=.—Cones maturing in early Autumn, oblong, about ½ inch long,
reddish-brown, and persisting through the following winter.
=Bark=.—On trunk reddish-brown, slightly furrowed, and separating in
ragged and twisted strips.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, brittle, durable, fragrant, yellowish-brown;
sapwood whitish and thin.
=Range=.—Labrador, Manitoba and Minnesota, southward along the
mountains to North Carolina.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Small trees on the South Branch
of the Potomac River and on the North Fork of the South Branch in
Pendleton County. Reported from Grant and Mineral counties.
=Habitat=.—River banks, swamps, rocky hillsides.
=Notes=.—This tree, often called white cedar, is so rare in West
Virginia, and of so small a size that it has but little value, except
from the standpoint of the botanist. It is commonly planted throughout
the State for hedges and other ornamental purposes.
[Illustration: RED CEDAR]
RED CEDAR
=Juniperus virginiana=, L.
=Form=.—Height 30-40 feet, diameter 1-2 feet; crown pyramidal or
rounded, often irregular, dense.
=Leaves=.—Opposite, of two kinds: (1) scale-like overlapping
one-sixteenth inch long, (2) awl-shaped, ¼-½ inch long, less common
than the other form.
=Flowers=.—April-May; dioecious, or occasionally monoecious; in small
lateral catkins.
=Fruit=.—A berry-like strobile, maturing in autumn, about ¼ inch in
diameter, dark blue with white bloom, sweet and resinous.
=Bark=.—Thin, peeling off in long strips, reddish-brown.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, fragrant, close-grained, very durable, red, with
whitish sapwood.
=Range=.—Nova Scotia and Ontario, south to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Occasionally found in Randolph,
Tucker, Upshur, Pocahontas, Webster, Barbour, Harrison, Taylor, Lewis,
and in the mountainous parts of Nicholas, Greenbrier, Grant, Preston
and Monongalia counties. A scattered growth throughout the western and
southern hilly counties. Plentiful in Jefferson, Berkeley, Morgan,
Hampshire, and in parts of Gilmer, Calhoun and Putnam counties.
=Habitat=.—Prefers rough limestone soils and dry hillsides, but grows
in a variety of soils and situations.
=Notes=.—This species is valued on account of its durable wood and
attractive appearance. During the past two or three years many red
cedars have been destroyed in the eastern section of the State in order
to stamp out apple rust which exists in one of its stages upon this
tree.
[Illustration: BLACK WILLOW]
BLACK WILLOW
=Salix nigra=, Marsh.
=Form=.—Height 30-50 feet, diameter 1-2 feet; trunk often crooked or
leaning; crown open with long straggling limbs.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, narrowly lanceolate, taper-pointed,
margins finely serrate, 3-6 inches long, ¼-¾ inch broad; large
semicordate stipules.
=Flowers=.—March-April, before the leaves; dioecious; both kinds of
flowers borne in slender, hairy catkins, 1-3 inches long; calyx and
corolla wanting; scales yellow, with 3-6 stamens.
=Fruit=.—A capsule ⅛ inch long, early splitting open and liberating
the hairy seeds which are carried about by the wind.
=Bark=.—On twigs reddish-brown; on old trunks thick, and rough with
many broad connecting ridges, often becoming shaggy.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, brittle, not durable, very dark colored with
light sapwood.
=Range=.—New Brunswick south to Florida, west to Dakota, Arizona and
central California.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—A common tree along streams in nearly
all parts of the State.
=Habitat=.—Banks of streams and pond borders.
=Notes=.—This is the commonest and most easily recognized of the
willows. Its greatest value in West Virginia is probably the part it
plays in holding stream banks in place. The wood is sometimes used for
fuel and charcoal.
[Illustration: AMERICAN ASPEN]
AMERICAN ASPEN
=Populus tremuloides=, Michx.
=Form=.—Height 30-40 feet, diameter 10-20 inches; trunk usually
continuous, supporting a rounded loose crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 1½-2 inches long, roundish, heart-shaped,
thin, margins finely serrate; petioles long and slender, permitting the
leaves to tremble with the slightest breeze.
=Flowers=.—April, before the leaves; dioecious; both kinds of flowers
on drooping aments.
=Fruit=.—A 2-valved capsule ¼ inch long; seeds brown, with long, white
hairs.
=Bark=.—Smooth, greenish, sometimes with raised, warty bands and dark
blotches below the bases of limbs.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, not strong nor durable, brownish with lighter
sapwood.
=Range=.—Alaska to Newfoundland south to Pennsylvania and along the
mountains to Kentucky, west to California and Mexico; the widest range
of any North American species.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Small trees found growing sparingly
in the mountain counties; observed in Randolph, Pocahontas, Pendleton,
Grant, Tucker, Preston and Upshur counties. Reported from Calhoun,
Gilmer, Monongalia, Mason, Summers and Wirt counties.
=Habitat=.—Prefers sandy and gravelly soils, but thrives on others;
frequent in high cut-over areas which have been burned.
=Notes=.—This tree, which is locally known as Quaking Asp, can be
distinguished from the other poplars by its finely-toothed tremulous
leaves. The species is not important in West Virginia, and is seldom
used for any purpose.
[Illustration: LARGE-TOOTHED POPLAR]
LARGE-TOOTHED POPLAR
=Populus grandidentata=, Michx.
=Form=.—Height 30-60 feet, diameter 1-2 feet; trunk continuous,
tapering; slender ascending branches forming a somewhat loose oval
crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, round-ovate, coarsely sinuate-toothed,
thin, dark green above, paler beneath, smooth; petioles long, slender,
laterally flattened.
=Flowers=.—April-May, before the leaves; dioecious; staminate in short
catkins; pistillate in elongating looser catkins.
=Fruit=.—Two-halved, cone-shaped, hairy capsules ⅛ inch long on
drooping catkins; seeds brown, small, with long white hairs.
=Bark=.—Smooth except near the base, gray-green, resembling that of
American Aspen, but with more yellowish or buff color on young trunks
and limbs.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, not strong, light brown with almost white sapwood.
=Range=.—Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Minnesota to Iowa, Illinois,
Indiana and Delaware; southward along the Alleghanies to North Carolina.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Not common. Found in the following
localities: Webster, on Elk Mountain; Randolph, Horton and Gandy Creek;
Tucker, near Davis; Monongalia, Deckers Creek; Tyler near Middlebourne.
Reported from Ohio and Preston counties.
=Habitat=.—Rich, moist, sandy soil.
=Notes=.—This tree can be distinguished by its coarse-toothed leaves.
It is comparatively rare and of little importance commercially.
[Illustration: COTTONWOOD]
COTTONWOOD
=Populus deltoides=, Marsh.