Part 2

71. Stems trailing, usually on the ground dewberries 235 71. Stems climbing prairie rose (rare) 233

72. Thorns long, often branched honey locust 243 72. Thorns or prickles short 73

73. Leaflets ovate and with odd leaflet at tip prickly ash 246 73. Leaflets oblong and without odd leaflet at tip mesquite 240

74. Vines 75 74. Not vines 78

75. Leaves twice-pinnately compound pepper vine 263 75. Leaves palmately compound or with 3 leaflets 76

76. Three leaflets 77 76. Five or more leaflets Virginia creeper 262

77. Leaves succulent (thick and juicy), sometimes three-lobed instead of parted cow-itch vine (rare) 264 77. Leaves not succulent, leaflets always fully parted, plant often shrubby when young poison oak or poison ivy 251

78. Leaves twice-pinnately compound chinaberry 248 78. Leaves not twice-pinnate 79

79. Three leaflets (sometimes 5 on wafer ash) 80 79. More than 3 leaflets 82

80. Leaflets less than 2 inches long aromatic or ill-scented sumac 252 80. Leaflets 2 to 5 inches long 81

81. All leaflets stemless, twigs glossy wafer ash (rare) 247 81. Terminal leaflet longer stemmed than other two, twigs not glossy poison oak or poison ivy 251

82. Leaflets rounded toward tips 83 82. Leaflets acute or acuminate 84

83. Twigs dark green, leaflets not gland-dotted Eve’s necklace 244 83. Twigs not green, leaflets dotted with tiny amber glands river locust 245

84. Leaf margins smooth or nearly so 84A 84. Leaf margins distinctly toothed or serrate 86

84A. Leaves 1 to 3 feet long, 13 to 41 leaflets, twigs very stout tree of Heaven (rare) 248A 84A. Leaves less than 1 foot long, 8 to 21 leaflets, twigs not very stout 85

85. Leafy wings along stems between leaflets with odd leaflet at tip winged or dwarf sumac 250 85. Leaf stem not or rarely winged between leaflets without odd leaflet at tip soapberry (wild chinaberry) 257

86. Leaflets 5 to 7 87 86. Leaflets 9 to 31 88

87. Terminal leaflet usually broader toward tip and at least twice as large as lowest pair hickory 211 87. Terminal leaflet not broader toward tip and not much larger than others Spanish or Texas buckeye 256

88. Twigs reddish or purplish, a shrub smooth sumac 249 88. Twigs neither reddish nor purplish, trees 89

89. Pith of twigs dark and chambered black walnut 208 89. Pith of twigs not dark, continuous 90

90. Nut nearly cylindric, seed sweet pecan 209 90. Nut 4-angled, seed bitter bitter pecan (rare) 210

_Leaves Compound and Opposite_

91. Vines 92 91. Not vines 94

92. Leaves palmately compound (alternate) Virginia creeper 262 92. Leaves not palmately compound 93

93. Twice-pinnately compound (alternate) pepper vine 263 93. Once-pinnate trumpet creeper 280

94. Palmately compound fetid or Ohio buckeye 258 94. Not palmately compound 95

95. With terminal leaflet 96 95. Without terminal leaflet mesquite 240

96. Twice-pinnately compound (alternate) chinaberry 248 96. Once-pinnate 97

97. Leaflets 5 to 11, usually 7, twigs not bright green 98 97. Leaflets 3 to 5 (rarely 7 or 9), twigs bright green box elder 255

98. Twigs brownish gray, lenticels obscure, flowers and fruits in cymes, shrubs elderberry 286 98. Twigs greenish gray or gray, whitish lenticels noticeable, flowers and fruits in panicles, trees 99

99. Leaves bright or yellowish green on both sides, leaf-scar of twig straight or nearly so on upper edge green ash 275 99. Leaves dark green above, paler below, leaf-scar of twig concave or notched on upper edge white ash 274

260 New Jersey tea; fruit 276 spring herald 261 rattan vine 268 St. Andrew’s cross 252 aromatic sumac 264 cow-itch vine 284 Indian current 253 swamp holly

254 waahoo 265 _Cissus ampelopsis_ 285 black haw 278 French mulberry 271 dwarf dogwood 283 bush honeysuckle 282 coral honeysuckle 277 swamp privet

280 trumpet creeper 244 Eve’s necklace 246 prickly ash 245 river locust 249 smooth sumac 256 Texas buckeye

248 chinaberry 262 Virginia creeper 250 winged sumac 263 pepper vine 257 soapberry 258 Ohio buckeye

247 wafer ash 251 poison ivy 230 Canada moonseed 259 Indian cherry 286 elderberry 255 box elder 229 Carolina moonseed 228 wooly pipevine

GUIDE TO NATIVE WOODY PLANTS OF DALLAS COUNTY

_Capital letters and page numbers following the descriptions of a few of these plants refer to the bibliography at the end of this guide._

PINE FAMILY

201. RED CEDAR (_Juniperus virginiana_ L.) abundant tree of medium height. Habitat: all soils, especially limestone hills in southwestern part of county. Leaves: small, thick, scale-like or like short needles. Bark: thin, reddish brown, shreddy, inner layers yellowish brown. Twigs: of young shoots bear the sharper-pointed leaves. Flowers: dioecious, in February or March; staminate minute, numerous, rusty; pistillate purplish, inconspicuous. Fruit: light blue, spherical, ¼ inch diameter. Wood: reddish at heart, sapwood light, used for cedar chests, rustic work, and fence posts; for the last inferior only to bois d’arc as it is very lasting in contact with the soil.

202. MOUNTAIN CEDAR (_Juniperus mexicana_ Spreng.) rare tree except at Camp Wisdom and vicinity. Habitat: dry uplands, this about its eastern limit but abundant westward. Leaves: similar to red cedar. Inner bark: darker brown than on red cedar. Fruit: larger and darker than red cedar, purplish. Wood: light brown, hard and close-grained but weak, used for fuel, fence posts, poles and landscape planting.

PALM FAMILY

203. DWARF PALMETTO (_Sabal minor_ Pers.) low shrub of the river bottom, rare. Leaves: 15 to 20 inches long, spreading, fan-shaped, from an underground stem; browsed by cattle and mostly destroyed when Bois d’Arc Island was cleared for cultivation. Flowers: whitish, small, from a slightly branched central stalk. Fruit: black, spherical, smooth, dry, about ¼ inch across. L (p. 223) (_S. glabra_). M (p. 240.)

LILY FAMILY

204. GREENBRIER (_Smilax bona nox_ L.) abundant vine; locally called stretchberry, saw-brier, cat-brier. Habitat: woodlands and thickets, becoming especially obnoxious in heavily pastured woodlands. Leaves: 1½ to 4½ inches long, ½ to 3 wide, alternate, oval or somewhat heart-shaped, margins entire; smooth, thick, shining, many remaining green and some mottled with brown in winter; all primary veins running lengthwise of leaf. Stems: long, evergreen, often very prickly, climbing by tendrils. Flowers: small, inconspicuous, yellowish or greenish, dioecious, in umbels, six “petals”. Fruit: black, shining or covered with a bloom, round or nearly so, size of small peas. This vine’s greatest virtue seems to be that it offers food and shelter to the birds.

205. YUCCA, bear-grass, Spanish dagger (_Yucca_ species) more than one species in the county; abundant in meadows and along roadsides. Leaves: grasslike but large, thick and tough, in rosettes, often with white threads on margins; sharp-pointed. Woody stem: very short in our species. Flowers: greenish white or creamy, many along a central stalk two or three feet tall; each cupped flower about an inch or two long, fertilized by a small white moth which lays its egg inside. Fruit: a short, thick, cylindrical pod containing layers of flat, black seeds.

WILLOW FAMILY

206. WILLOW (_Salix nigra_ Marsh.) the black willow is probably the only native species growing in the county. The weeping willow (_Salix babylonica_) has not been observed growing in the county except where planted. Willows grow close to water or in low ground, are very common and grow very rapidly where they have an abundant supply of water; very valuable in checking soil erosion as their roots help to hold the soil in place. Leaves: simple, alternate, 3 to 6 inches long, ⅛ to ¾ wide, acuminate, with fine, incurved serrations. Bark: rough, shaggy on old trees, usually light brown. Twigs: conspicuously yellowish orange in winter, smooth or glossy, very slender. Flowers: in catkins, yellowish, dioecious. Fruit: cottony-covered seeds. Wood: soft, light, weak, used for a special charcoal in manufacturing gunpowder, some species for artificial limbs.

207. COTTONWOOD (_Populus deltoides_ var. _virginiana_ Sudw.) common, large tree, also called Carolina poplar. Habitat: prefers lowlands and stream banks although will grow in dry soil. Leaves: simple, alternate, 3 to 5 inches each way, commonly glossy on both sides, broad and straight across at the base, coarsely toothed or crenate, stems flattened. Bark: thick, light gray, deeply furrowed on trunks to smooth and yellowish green on branches. Twigs: stout, greenish yellow to pale gray, smooth; lenticels large, pale, lengthwise; buds large, scales very sticky-resinous. Flowers: staminate are red catkins, pistillate greenish yellow, dioecious. Fruit: cottony-covered seeds. Wood: soft, light weight, warps easily but cheap because of rapid growth of tree; new methods of rapid kiln-drying have lessened warping.

WALNUT FAMILY

208. BLACK WALNUT (_Juglans nigra_ L.) tree, common in rich bottomlands. Leaves: alternate, pinnately compound, one to two feet long, 15 to 23 leaflets, each about 3 inches long, tapering and toothed; with a characteristic odor when crushed. Bark: thick, dark, rough. Twigs: have dark, chambered pith shown by splitting lengthwise through center. Flowers: greenish, male in catkins, female inconspicuous, both kinds on the same tree. Fruit: green to black husk does not split, round; shell rough, very hard, dark; nut rich and sweet. Wood: hard, strong, rich brown color, very valuable for gunstocks, furniture, etc.

209. PECAN (_Carya pecan_ Engl. & Graebn.) abundant, the state tree. Habitat: rich bottomlands preferred. Leaves: similar to black walnut but average fewer leaflets, 9 to 17. Twigs: do not have dark, chambered pith. Bark: somewhat variable in appearance but generally lighter in color than walnut and not as flaky as soapberry both of which it resembles. Fruit: very valuable crop in Texas, many cultivated varieties tending toward larger size of nuts and thinner shell. Wood: not valuable, hard but brittle and not strong.

210. BITTER PECAN (_Carya texana_ Schn.) rare tree of low woodlands. The nuts are 4-angled and the seeds bitter. Wood tough and strong.

211. HICKORY (_Carya buckleyi_ Durand) uncommon in this county. Observed in sandy woods. Leaves: pinnately compound, of 5 to 9 leaflets, the terminal 4 to 6 inches long, 2 to 2¼ wide, twice as large as the lowest, obovate and tapering at each end. Bark: dark, rough, close. Fruit: resembles pecan but broader; shell thick, somewhat wrinkled, light in color; seed sweet. Wood: hard, brittle, little used except for fuel.

BEECH FAMILY

White Oak Group: _Fruit requires 1 year to mature; leaves without sharp points to lobes_ (_except chinquapin oak leaves_). Bark: _usually lighter gray than on black or red oaks_.

212. POST OAK (_Quercus stellata_ Wang) most abundant tree of dry, sandy, upland woods. Leaves: 3 to 5 inches long, with 5 rounded lobes wider toward the outer end; like bur oak but smaller; dead leaves often cling in winter, especially on young trees. Flowers: as in other oaks, male in catkins, female inconspicuous, both kinds on same tree. Fruit: an oval acorn, ½ to 1 inch long in a rather shallow cup. Bark: rough, with deep grooves. Twigs: very fuzzy when young. Wood: hard, durable in soil but difficult to season, used mainly for fuel, fence posts and crossties.

213. SCRUB OAK: or dwarf post oak (probably a variety of _Q. stellata_). Habitat: on limestone hills where common. Leaves: similar to post oak but less than 3 inches long and less deeply lobed. Bark: thin, light gray, with loose scales. Sometimes attains tree size though usually shrubby and growing in dense thickets, typically not over 20 feet high.

214. BUR OAK or mossy-cup oak (_Quercus macrocarpa_ Michx.) common large tree of lowlands; heavy, thick branches make it the sturdiest looking of our oaks. Leaves: 6 to 12 inches long, deeply 5 to 7 lobed with the lobes rounded and larger toward the tip, upper lobe largest and wavy margined or shallowly lobed. Acorns: large, 2 inches or more in diameter, the cup usually deep and heavily fringed. Wood: for cabinetmaking and all sorts of construction, shipbuilding, etc.

215. SWAMP CHESTNUT OAK or basket oak (_Quercus prinus_ L.) Habitat: rich bottomlands, not common. Leaves: obovate, margins deeply wavy or with small, regularly rounded notches, downy beneath, 3 to 8 inches long. Bark: light gray, with broad flakes. Acorns: about 1½ inches long by 1 inch wide, shiny brown, with a shallow cup, eaten by cows (cow oak). Wood: used for lumber, veneer, cooperage, wheels, implements, and baskets.

216. CHINQUAPIN OAK or chestnut oak (_Quercus muehlenbergii_ Engelm.) Habitat: various, prefers limestone soil, common. Leaves: similar to preceding species but more sharply notched. Bark: thick, usually silvery gray, large, loose scales on surface. Acorns: smaller than preceding and have very short stems. Branches: typically fewer, larger and more irregular than preceding. Wood: hard, strong, close-grained, durable, used for cooperage, furniture, crossties, fuel.

Black or Red Oak Group: _Fruit requires two years to mature, leaves have sharp points on lobes._

217. WATER OAK, duck oak, or pin oak (_Quercus nigra_ L.) Habitat: low, sandy land, rare. Leaves: usually about 2½ inches long and 1½ wide, narrow toward base, usually broader toward tip, shallowly lobed toward tip or entire, smooth and dark green above, tardily deciduous. Bark: rather smooth, reddish brown. Fruit: acorns usually solitary, very short-stalked, light brown, ½ to ⅔ inch long. Wood: heavy, hard, strong, little used except for fuel and crossties.

218. BLACK JACK OAK (_Quercus marilandica_ Muench.) Habitat: dry, upland woods, sandy soil, with post oaks where few other trees grow, common. Leaves: 4 to 10 inches long, very wide at tip, narrow toward base, only very shallowly lobed, dark above, leathery, dead leaves often clinging to young trees in winter. Bark: rough, dark, broken into small, hard flakes. Fruit: an acorn about ¾ inch long with a cup enclosing about half the nut which is yellowish brown and often striped. Wood: heavy, hard and strong but little used except as fuel.

219. RED OAK (_Quercus_ species). Several species of red oak are not easily distinguished except by specialists and the problem is complicated by the fact that many species interbreed readily, thus producing many variations from the typical forms. Probably _Q. shumardii_ var. _schneckii_ is the most common red oak around Dallas. The leaves are similar in shape to the black oak but are thinner and lack the prominent rusty hairs in the forks of the veins; lobes are usually from 5 to 7 and vary greatly as to length and width. The Texas red oak (_Q. texana_ Buckley) is a closely related smaller tree of dry uplands. The Spanish oak (_Q. rubra_ L.) is another red oak of dry uplands; it is easily recognized when the leaves assume one typical form which is narrow and rounded at the base with the three or more narrow lobes occurring near the tip. For more complete descriptions of these trees the reader is referred to the latest edition of Sargent’s “Manual of the Trees of North America.”

NETTLE FAMILY

220. RED OR SLIPPERY ELM (_Ulmus fulva_ Michx.) Habitat: principally in rich soil on low hillsides or stream banks, a common tree. Leaves: doubly toothed, unequal at the base, 3 to 7 inches long, rough on both sides. Twigs: somewhat mucilaginous or “slippery” when chewed; buds covered with rusty hairs. Inner BARK: very mucilaginous, used in medicine; outer BARK: grayish brown with flat ridges. Flowers: small, inconspicuous, appearing very early in spring, before the leaves; in clusters, each flower on a long drooping stalk. Fruit: green-winged seeds, disk-shaped, notched at tip but without incurved tips. Wood: close-grained, tough, heavy, hard, used for fence posts, crossties, implements, ribs for small boats, etc.

221. WHITE OR AMERICAN ELM (_Ulmus americana_ L.) Habitat: similar to red elm, less common. Leaves: similar except usually rather smooth above and downy below, veins prominent below and parallel from midrib to leaf edge. Twigs: brownish and smoother, buds without rusty hairs, not, or very slightly, mucilaginous. Cross section of BARK shows alternate layers of brown and white; surface dark gray with irregular, flat-topped ridges. Flowers: very short-stalked. Seed: wings notched, with incurving tips. Wood: hard, strong, tough, difficult to split, coarse-grained, used for wheel-hubs, saddletrees, floors, boats.

222. CEDAR ELM (_Ulmus crassifolia_ Nutt.) Habitat: varied, our most abundant elm, resists drouth and root rot, hence recommended as a shade tree. Leaves: 1 to 2 inches long, usually blunt tipped. Young TWIGS: reddish and slightly downy, sometimes have corky wings. Flowers and Fruit: in late summer and early autumn. Branches: relatively short and numerous, making dense shade in spite of small size of leaves. Wood: brittle, sometimes used for hubs, furniture and fencing; mostly for fuel and charcoal.

223. WINGED ELM (_Ulmus alata_ Michx.) Usually found on low, sandy land; not common. Leaves: 1½ to 3 inches long, pointed at the tip. Twigs: usually with many broad, corky wings, though sometimes absent. Flowers: in spring. Wood: similar to other elms.

224. ROUGH-LEAVED HACKBERRY (_Celtis occidentalis_ var. _crassifolia_ Gray). Habitat: varied, more common on rich soil. Leaves: ovate, toothed at least toward the long point, 2 to 4 inches long. Fruit: a roundish, dark purple berry ripening in early fall, often clinging to the tree through the winter and forming a popular food for many birds; about ¼ inch in diameter. Bark: of trunk usually conspicuous with its characteristic warty projections. Wood: heavy but soft and weak, decays rapidly when exposed, little used except for fuel. The characteristic brown gall on the twigs is almost a mark of recognition in winter, when trees are too small to show the typical warty bark.

225. SOUTHERN HACKBERRY (_Celtis laevigata_ Willd.) Less common than previous species. Distinguished by the smooth margins of the slightly longer and narrower LEAVES and by the orange or yellowish color of the FRUIT. Both trees are widely planted for shade as they are resistant to root rot.

226. BOIS D’ARC OR OSAGE ORANGE (_Maclura pomifera_ Schn.) also called horse-apple. Abundant in rich bottomland. Leaves: entire, dark green and glossy, oval, pointed at tip, 3 to 5 inches long. The yellowish-brown BARK distinguishes it from any other thorny tree, contains tannin and that of root a yellow dye. Flowers: monoecious, the female in a rounded ball, male in an elongated cluster. Fruit: resembles a very rough, large, bright green orange. Wood: bright orange in color, most durable in contact with the soil, used principally for posts.

227. RED MULBERRY (_Morus rubra_ L.) Common in rich lowlands, often in the shade of larger trees. Leaves: 3 to 5 inches long or rarely much larger in dense shade, toothed, ovate, pointed at tip, rounded or heart-shaped at base; on young trees often mitten-shaped or deeply and variously lobed, rough above. Flowers: monoecious or dioecious, in drooping catkins, the female shorter. Fruit: red to black, resembles blackberry, ripens through May, very attractive to many birds, especially the migrating thrushes. Bark: thin, dark grayish brown, breaking into long scales. Twigs: slender, somewhat zigzag, with milky juice. Wood: light, soft, weak, used for fence posts, cooperage and boat building.

BIRTHWORT FAMILY

228. WOOLY PIPEVINE (_Aristolochia tomentosa_ Sims.) or Dutchman’s pipe. Habitat: low, rich woods, not abundant. Leaves: large, round-heart shaped, downy, soft, margins entire. Stems: slender, very high climbing. Flowers: tube u-curved like a Dutchman’s pipe, with lobes turned back; small yellowish, inconspicuous flowers not to be confused with the leather flower (Viorna) which is also sometimes called pipevine; Viorna has four thick, leathery, purplish petals shaped like the bowl of a pipe. Fruit: many flat, black, shiny, pie-shaped seeds packed in a six-angled, cylindrical seed case about 1 to 2 inches in diameter and 2 to 3 inches long. A closely related cultivated vine is often planted where a dense screen is desired. B (Vol. I, p. 646).

MOONSEED FAMILY

229. CAROLINA MOONSEED (_Cocculus carolinus_ (L) DC.) also called wild sarsaparilla or coral vine. Habitat: hedgerows and thickets, edges of woods, a common vine. Leaves: variable, oval to slightly heart-shaped, usually blunt or rounded at the tip, usually about 2 or 3 inches long. Stems: slender, green and somewhat fuzzy when young. Flowers: dioecious, small, greenish, 6-parted. Fruits: size of small peas, soft, scarlet, one-seeded, in small, dense clusters; very decorative in winter and excellent bird attraction.

230. CANADA MOONSEED (_Menispermum canadense_ L.) very rare vine of low woods. Stems: 6 to 12 feet long. Leaves: 3 to 7-angled or shallowly lobed, broader than long, 4 inches or much more. Flowers: small, white, 6-8 petals, 12-24 stamens. Fruit: black with a bloom, resembling small grapes; seed spirally curved. B (Vol. II, p. 131).

PLANE TREE FAMILY