=Distribution.=--Nova Scotia south to Florida, west to Texas and north
to South Dakota. It is found in all parts of Indiana, although sparingly
in the northern part, especially where streams with bluffs are absent.
No doubt this species in the original forests was confined principally
to the bluffs of streams and rocky ravines. Since the forests have been
cut, it is now found growing along fences, in open dry woods, and in
southern Indiana it is a common tree in old abandoned fields, and in
waste places.
=Remarks.=--Red cedar has had many uses, and the large trees have been
practically all harvested. It is now used principally for poles, posts,
crossties, cigar boxes and lead pencils. It is the best wood known for
lead pencils. The odor is so objectionable to insects that a market has
been made for chests of this wood in which to store clothing and furs.
=SALICÀCEAE.=[10] The Willow Family.
Trees or shrubs with bitter bark; simple alternate leaves; flowers in
catkins, which fall off as a whole, the staminate after flowering, the
pistillate after ripening and scattering of the seeds, the staminate and
pistillate on different plants (dioecious); flower scales single, below
each flower; fruit a lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate capsule opening
lengthwise into 2 recurving carpels or valves; seeds numerous, minute,
oblong, bearing a tuft of hairs at the base. Genera 2, _Salix_, the
willows, and _Populus_, the aspens and poplars, or cottonwoods,
separated by the following characters, those applying only to Indiana
trees species in parentheses:
Buds covered by a single scale; (leaf-blades mostly
enlongated, more than twice as long as wide); flower
scales entire or rarely shallowly toothed at apex;
stamens mostly 2 or 3-8 or 10 1 Salix.
Buds covered by numerous scales; (leaf-blades mostly
cordate-ovate, less than twice as long as broad);
flower scales deeply cut or lacerate; stamens more
than 10 2 Populus.
[Illustration: Plate 9.