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.
[Illustration: 255 box elder]