Part 3

231. SYCAMORE or buttonwood (_Platanus occidentalis_ L.) a common tree, along stream banks and in low woods, often the largest tree in its locality as it grows rapidly. Bark: thin, smooth, greenish gray, flaking off in large patches and exposing the under bark which is whitish like that on limbs, especially conspicuous in winter woods. Leaves: 4 to 7 inches long and about as broad, very coarsely toothed, often shallowly 3 or 5-lobed, light green above, paler below. Twigs: slender, rather shiny and zigzag; bud with a single, cap-like scale, enclosed by the base of the leaf-stalk. Fruit: a compact ball about 1 inch across, remaining on its drooping stem all winter, composed of many seeds which separate and are blown away in spring. Often planted as street tree because of rapid growth and resistance to drouth, but the large leaves and flaking bark cause unsightly litter. Wood: coarse-grained, hard, not strong, heavy, hard to split; used for butchers’ blocks, furniture, interior trim, and tobacco boxes.

ROSE FAMILY

232. RED HAW or hawthorn (_Crataegus_ species) probably about four species in the county. Three are easily distinguished by the shapes of the leaves and the size of the fruits:

(a) Leaves: very wooly when young, broad near base and nearly as broad as long, doubly toothed and often shallowly lobed; especially susceptible to the cedar rust. Fruit: red, resembling large rose hips, edible, mealy, about ¾ inch across, ripening in September and falling early. Grows in the vicinity of White Rock Creek and Lake. Leaves and flowers in early April.

(b) Leaves: usually obovate, tapering at base and somewhat blunt at tip, darker and smoother than (a). Fruit: about ½ inch or less across, ripening October or November, clinging late into winter. Flowers and leaves both smaller and appearing later than (a). Same region.

(c) Leaves: deeply and sharply cut. Fruit: ¼ inch or less across, many in a drooping cluster. River bottoms in southeastern part of county.

A fourth species is distinctive for its loose, flaky bark.

Wood: tough and hard but all trees in this region too small to be of commercial importance.

233. PRAIRIE ROSE (_Rosa setigera_ Michx.) rare, climbing or trailing, vine-like shrub of low sandy land. Leaves: compound leaflets; mostly three, or five. Stems: green, with stout, scattered prickles, sometimes 20 feet long, usually much less. Flowers: bright pink, styles united into a column. Fruit: rounded, red in autumn, nearly ½ inch in diameter. B (Vol. II, p. 283.)

234. PASTURE ROSE (_Rosa foliolosa_ Nutt.) a common, very low shrub. Habitat: meadows, roadsides, open woods, White Rock Lake, etc. Flowers: white or pale pink, solitary, sweet-scented. Stem: 6 to 12 inches tall, reddish, slender, with few prickles. Fruits: red, haw-like, in fall and winter. Leaves: pinnately compound, small leaflets 7 to 11, red in autumn or green and tardily deciduous. D (p. 106.)

235. DEWBERRY (_Rubus trivialis_) abundant trailing “shrub” of woods, roadsides, thickets and ditches. Leaves: compound, 3 to 5 leaflets, rose-like, evergreen or nearly so. Stems: green, prickly, usually lying on the ground, several feet long. Flowers: white, 5 petals, like small single roses. Fruit: black, many-seeded, juicy, ripe April-May, popular with birds, boys and redbugs.

236. WILD BLACK CHERRY (_Prunus serotina_ Ehr.) a rare, small tree observed in low, sandy woods. Leaves: oval or longer, pointed at tip, finely serrate, dark red glands at base; glossy above, paler below. 2-6 inches long. Flowers: in grape-like clusters, drooping, white, in late March. Fruit: resembling small grapes, bitter but edible. Bark: of branches and young trunks glossy, reddish brown, marked with white, horizontal lines, finally becomes rough and broken into irregular plates. Wood: is second in value only to black walnut, reddish brown, fine grained, used for furniture, and interiors. Fruit: used to flavor rum, the bark in medicines.

237. WILD PLUM (_Prunus mexicana_ S. Watson) common tree in woodlands, especially in low, rich ground. Leaves: oval, finely toothed, 2 to 3 inches long, downy or smooth but not shiny. Flowers: white, sweet-scented, in February and March. Fruit: oval, about 1 inch diameter, red, with a bloom; makes a delicious, tart jelly; different trees ripen from August into October. Winter TWIGS: smooth, dark purplish, the smaller ones often thorny-tipped. Bark: smooth on branches but peeling, finally rough and dark gray. J (p. 565.)

238. DWARF PLUM (_Prunus angustifolia_ var. _varians_ Wight & Hedr.) a shrub, often flowering when 1 or 2 feet high, rarely a very small tree, common on dry hillsides, meadows and fence rows, often forming thickets. Leaves: slightly narrower than those of the tree plum, smooth or shiny above, often tending to fold together lengthwise. Flowers: small, white, in March. Fruit: about ½ inch in diameter, bright red, ripe in midsummer. Twigs: very glossy and dark reddish purple, with sharp thorns. J (p. 570.)

239. PEACH (_Prunus persica_ (L.) Sieb & Zucc.) an uncommon escape from cultivation, growing readily from seeds along roadsides, etc. These trees usually bear small, hard, flavorless fruit but may be used as parent stock on which to graft desirable cultivated varieties. Flowers: showy, pink.

PEA FAMILY

240. MESQUITE (_Prosopis glandulosa_ Torr.) an abundant small tree with a short trunk and open, spreading crown. Habitat: hilly pastures west of the Trinity River. Flowers: tiny, yellow, in catkins, blooming about May first and often again after summer rains. Pods: 4 to 9 inches long, somewhat constricted between the seeds, containing a sweet pulp as well as 10 to 20 seeds; valuable as food for livestock. Leaves: Twice-pinnately compound, alternate, 8 to 10 inches long, composed of one or two pairs of primary divisions each bearing 12 to 20 leaflets usually much less than two inches long. Twigs: have spines, usually in pairs at the leaf-axils. Wood: heavy, hard, closegrained, durable in soil, used for fence posts, underpinnings of buildings and fuel. The roots are large and heavy, giving rise to the saying that West Texans dig for their wood.

241. REDBUD (_Cercis canadensis_ L.) a medium or small tree common in woodlands. Leaves: heart-shaped or truncate at base and blunt or slender-pointed at tip, 3 to 5 inches long and wide, smooth above, margin entire. Twigs: smooth, dark reddish brown, slender. Bark: of larger trunks finally divided into long, narrow plates, the surface separating into thin scales. Flowers: pea-shaped, pink with a red calyx, ½ inch long, in clusters close to the branches and sometimes even down on the trunk. Fruit: reddish brown pods 2 to 4 inches long, about ½ inch wide, flattened, often persistent into winter. Wood: dark brown, hard but weak, not valued commercially. The tree is common in cultivation because of its attractive early-blooming flowers; it is easily grown from seed.

242. REDBUD (_Cercis reniformis_ Engl.) a small tree or tall shrub of limestone ridges southwest of Dallas. Leaves: kidney-shaped, not pointed, generally more glossy above than _C. canadensis_, “Mountain Redbud.”

243. HONEY LOCUST (_Gleditsia triacanthos_ L.) a very thorny tree common in a variety of soils. Leaves: some once-pinnately compound and some twice, both kinds on the same tree, leaflets numerous, 1 to 1½ inches long and ½ wide, nearly entire, turning yellow in autumn. Twigs: slender, shining, usually reddish brown, distinctive for the large, pronged thorns which they bear in the second year and retain for many years. Bark: of trunk becoming rough, its broad ridges with thick, recurved edges, highly variable as to the number of thorns retained. Flowers: tiny, yellow, in catkins, very sweet-scented. Fruit: flat, reddish brown pods, 10 to 18 inches long, usually twisted, containing a sweetish pulp between the hard seeds; they are widely scattered by many animals which relish the pulp but fail to digest the seeds. Wood: hard, strong, coarse-grained, durable in the soil, bright red-brown, used for fence posts, wheel hubs and in construction. This tree is very resistant to drouth but gives scanty shade and causes much litter.

244. EVE’S NECKLACE (_Sophora affinis_ Torr. & Gray) a small, slender tree becoming almost vine-like when crowded by other trees, common on stream borders, limestone hills, or prairie ravines. Leaves: pinnately compound of 13 to 19 pointed or blunt leaflets about 1½ in. long and 1 wide with entire or slightly wavy margins. Twigs: dull or glossy green becoming mottled with gray, sometimes zigzag. Bark: thin, gray, finally breaking into many, loose, oblong scales. Flowers: ½ in. long, white to lavender rose, in drooping clusters, pea-shaped. Fruit: dull black pods 1 to 4 inches long, tightly constricted between the seeds, often clinging to the tree with the flowers of the following spring. Wood: light red with 10 or 12 layers of bright yellow sapwood, heavy, hard and strong but too small to be of commercial importance. This little tree is native only to eastern and central Texas and the borders of adjacent states. K (p. 147.)

245. RIVER LOCUST (_Amorpha fruticosa_ L.) or false indigo: a tall shrub fairly common in low, moist ground, more common in sun than shade. Leaves: pinnately compound, of 9 to 25 leaflets, oblong or elliptical, ½ to 1½ in. long, gland-dotted. Flowers: in dense, erect clusters, each floret consisting of one dark purple petal wrapped around the ten gold-tipped stamens and the style. Fruit: pods about ¼ in. long heavily dotted with amber-colored glands. K (p. 160.)

RUE FAMILY

(Citrus Fruits In This Family)

246. PRICKLY ASH (_Xanthoxylum clava-herculis_ L.) also called tear-blanket or toothache tree: a rather small tree common in rich lowlands, “of its largest size on the rich intervale lands of the streams flowing into the Trinity River”. Leaves: pinnately compound of 3 to 9 pairs of leaflets, usually ovate with acute or acuminate tips, 1 to 2½ in. long, shiny above, dull beneath, margins crenate-serrate, aromatic and tingling-spicy as are the fruit and bark. Twigs: have scattered, hooked spines, often black on young shoots. Bark: smooth, bluish gray, conspicuous for its corky, cone-shaped knobs which are sometimes still tipped with sharp spines; bark of root is especially stimulating and tonic, used by negroes for toothache and rheumatism. Flowers: small, white or greenish, in small cymes, opening after the leaves. Fruit: ¼ inch long, and nearly round, pitted capsules split in early autumn to reveal the shiny black seeds; relished by many birds. Wood: light weight, close-grained, light brown with yellow sapwood, not valued as much as the bark.

247. WAFER ASH (_Ptelea trifoliata_ L.) or hop tree: a rare, small tree or shrub of low woodlands. Leaves: pinnately compound, usually composed of three, rarely five leaflets, 2 to 5 inches long, 1 to 3 wide, the terminal generally larger and more tapering toward the base than the others, margins entire or finely serrate, dark and shiny above, gland-dotted beneath. Twigs: dark, glossy, resembling cherry; winter buds rounded, whitish. Bark: of branches resembles cherry, dark and shining but cracks and curls, becoming rough; bitter, tonic. Flowers: greenish white, compound terminal cymes; in midsummer; disagreeable odor. Fruit: winged seed disks similar to those of elm but larger, nearly 1 inch; the drooping clusters conspicuous on winter branches; occasionally used in place of hops in beer brewing. Wood: heavy, hard and close-grained.

MAHOGANY FAMILY

248. CHINABERRY (_Melia azederach_ L.) a familiar cultivated tree occasionally escaped from cultivation; a native of China much planted for shade in the southern states; sometimes found in remote woods where birds must have dropped the seeds. Leaves: alternate, twice-pinnately compound, dark green above, margins of leaflets often shallowly lobed or wavy. Twigs: thick, upright, dark. Bark: dark, somewhat smooth on branches. Flowers: lavender, in large, loose clusters on wood of the previous year, scented, in April or May. Fruit: Opaque, yellow, size of marbles, remaining into winter. Wood: light and brittle, color resembles mahogany but the grain is much coarser and does not polish well. I (p. 353.)

QUASSIA FAMILY

248A. TREE OF HEAVEN, Chinese sumac, (_Ailanthus glandulosa_ Desf.) Several sprouts of this tree were observed in Kessler Park woodlands after this booklet had been set in type. The 1 to 3 foot, pinnately compound LEAVES and very stout TWIGS are ready marks of identification. Flowers: greenish, in large panicles, the staminate ill-scented. Fruit: winged seeds rusty colored. Wood: soft and weak. An escape from cultivation, undesirable because of its numerous root-suckers.

CASHEW FAMILY

249. SMOOTH SUMAC (_Rhus glabra_ L.) abundant tall shrub, in woods or fields, prefers lowlands but also common in shallow depressions of uplands. Leaves: pinnately compound, 6 to 12 inches long, leaflets toothed, dark and smooth above; turning bright scarlet in early autumn. Twigs: smooth, reddish brown or with a whitish bloom; stout; buds entirely encircled by leaf stem or scar, juice milky. Flowers: dioecious, staminate in large, loose clusters of small, creamy flowers; pistillate clusters more compact and soon showing tinge of red. Fruit: dark red, fuzzy, acid skins cover each dry seed, retain color nearly all winter; may be used to make a substitute for lemonade. Wood: too scanty to be of value, center pithy.

250. WINGED OR DWARF SUMAC (_Rhus copallina_ L.) a tall shrub or rarely a small tree, abundant on limestone hills and bluffs. Leaves: pinnately compound, 6 to 8 inches long, leaflets not or remotely serrate on margins, leafy wings along stem between leaflets. Twigs: slightly pubescent (fuzzy), buds not entirely encircled by leaf scar, juice watery. Flowers: similar to R. glabra but later, in August. Fruit: clusters do not retain their bright color as late. Wood: light and soft, greenish brown.

251. POISON IVY, POISON OAK (_Rhus toxicodendron_ L.) an abundant, woody, high-climbing vine, often appearing shrubby when young, or in the absence of a support; preferring woodlands, but also in open places. Leaves: compound, of three leaflets 2 to 5 inches long, coarsely toothed or lobed or more rarely entire. Bark: noticeable for numerous aerial rootlets on large specimens. Branches: extending at right angles from main stem. Flowers: inconspicuous, whitish. Fruit: white, in small, loose clusters. All parts of the plant very poisonous to the touch: the apparent immunity of some persons may be lost at any time and those who have suffered previous attacks seem more subject to the poison thereafter.

252. AROMATIC OR ILL-SCENTED SUMAC (_Rhus trilobata_ and var. _aromatica_) or skunk bush: a spreading, low to medium shrub common in dry upland woods. Leaves: compound, of three leaflets, teeth or lobes usually rounded, ½ to 1½ inches long; both plants and opinions vary as to whether leaves are aromatic or ill-scented when crushed. Twigs: are noticeable in winter for their cone-shaped buds. Flowers: in March, small, yellow. Fruit: small clusters of red stone fruits covered with white hairs, ripe in midsummer, decorative. K (p. 204-5.)

HOLLY FAMILY

253. SWAMP HOLLY (_Ilex decidua_ Walt.) or possum haw, a common small tree or shrub thriving best in lowlands, but also grows on dry limestone bluffs. Leaves: 1 to 2 inches long, usually blunt at the tip, margins with small, rounded teeth. Twigs: light gray, the short stems often densely covered with fruit scars, resembling tiny cones; alternate on the branches. Bark: pale gray often mottled, smooth. Flowers: dioecious, white, very inconspicuous. Fruit: round, scarlet or orange, close to the branches, singly or few together, on wood of the previous year, often remain through winter. Wood: heavy, close-grained, creamy-white. This tree suffers from vandals, especially near Christmas, although not evergreen like its spiny-leaved relative, _Ilex opaca_ which is grown commercially and is also a native of East Texas. Youpon (_Ilex vomitoria_) is another native of East Texas which resembles our swamp holly even more closely except that its leaves are evergreen, and its fruit more pulpy.

STAFF-TREE FAMILY

254. WAAHOO or burning bush (_Evonymus atropurpureus_ Jacq.) a medium to tall shrub or small tree of low woodlands, not very common. Leaves: opposite, simple, 2 to 5 inches long, tapering at both ends, finely serrate, light green and often turning pinkish in autumn. Twigs: green with gray stripes, often more or less 4-angled. Bark: smoothish, mottled gray. Flowers: small, very dark red, 4-lobed, in May. Fruit: crimson, not more than one in each lobe of 4-lobed rosy pod hanging from red, threadlike stem, in winter. Wood: heavy, hard and close-grained. The climbing bittersweet, native of Oklahoma and East Texas, is a member of this family.

MAPLE FAMILY

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.

SOAPBERRY FAMILY

256. SPANISH or TEXAS BUCKEYE (_Ungnadia speciosa_ Endl.) a tall shrub or small tree, not very common, in upland woods; native only to Texas, New Mexico and northern Mexico; Dallas County about its northeastern limit. Leaves: pinnately compound, ash-like but alternate, leaflets 1 to 3 inches long, wrinkled undersurface. Twigs: light brown. Bark: light gray, thin, with numerous shallow fissures. Flowers: color of redbud, slightly larger and averaging two weeks later, 4 or 5 slender petals and red stamens often curving in opposite directions. Fruit: 3 or rarely 4 round, black, shiny seeds, smaller than true buckeyes but having the pale “eye-spot”; leathery brown pods usually crack open and drop the seeds in October or November, themselves remaining through the winter. The seeds are powerful emetics and reputed to be poisonous. Wood: heavy, close-grained, soft but brittle, reddish brown. K (p. 215.)

257. SOAPBERRY or wild chinaberry (_Sapindus drummondii_ H. & A.) a medium-sized tree, fairly common in lowlands, a tree of the southwest-central states. Leaves: pinnately compound of 4 to 9 pairs of sickle-shaped leaflets about 2½ inches long with entire margins; lack the odd terminal leaflet of walnuts and pecans. Twigs: slender, the outer branches often drooping. Bark: light gray, rough and loosely scaly. Flowers: small, creamy white, showy because of large size of the terminal clusters, in May or June. Fruit: golden, or amber, translucent, size of marbles, drooping from tips of branches, remain until spring when they sometimes turn black. Wood: heavy, strong and splits easily between annual rings, hence used for basket splints.

258. FETID or OHIO BUCKEYE (_Aesculus glabra_ Willd.) medium shrub or rarely small tree in this region, low or upland woods but nowhere common. Leaves: opposite, palmately compound, of 7 to 9 slender, toothed leaflets, 2½ to 4½ inches long, 1 to 2 wide, conspicuous in early spring as they are among the first to open. Twigs: stout, with large opposite buds, the terminal one containing leaves as well as flower clusters; branches usually divide into twos. Flowers: in April, pale yellow clusters, stamens slightly longer than the petals. Fruit: brown, glossy seeds, flattened on one side, with a large, pale “eye-spot”; two or three in a leathery, rounded husk, 1 to 2 inches across, covered with short, scattered prickles. The seed was once believed to be a cure for rheumatism when carried in the pocket. Wood: light, close-grained, tough; used for artificial limbs, splints, woodenware and paper pulp; ill-scented.

BUCKTHORN FAMILY

259. INDIAN CHERRY (_Rhamnus caroliniana_ Walt.) or yellow buckthorn, a shrub or small tree, fairly common in rich, low woods and limestone slopes. Leaves: glossy, dark green, 2 to 5 in. long and 1 to 2 in. wide, rounded at base and acute or acuminate at tip, margins obscurely serrate, veins yellow, evenly spaced and prominent on the under side; turning dark purple or yellow in autumn, tardily deciduous on young trees. Twigs: with naked winter buds small and pointed. Flowers: in May, inconspicuous, usually dioecious. Fruit: size of small peas, containing 2 to 4 seeds; scattered, on short stems; red in summer, turning black in autumn. Wood: hard, light brown, close-grained and brittle.

260. NEW JERSEY TEA (_Ceanothus ovatus_ Desf.) or RED-ROOT; a shrub 1 to 3 feet high, common on dry uplands of woods, meadows and roadsides. Leaves: veins depressed above and prominent beneath as in the other two local members of this family, lowest pair longest, not dark and glossy above, 1 or 2 in. long, less than half as wide. Twigs: slender, retaining stems and whitish fruit “cups” in winter. Flowers: tiny, white, fragrant, in small, dense, rather cone-shaped clusters; the 5 petals and 5 sepals all white and incurved, petals forming a hood from which anthers project; in April. Fruit: small, three-lobed, white, ripening in summer. K (p. 216.)

261. RATTAN VINE or SUPPLE-JACK (_Berchemia scandens_ Trel.) a fairly common, high-climbing, woody vine of low woods. Leaves: similar to Indian cherry except much smaller, 1 to 2 in. long. Stems: smooth, greenish, pliable, tough, very slender when young, becoming several inches thick in old age. Flowers: small, greenish-white, in small panicles. Fruit: oval, blackish, about ¼ in. long, containing one seed. B (Vol. II, p. 502).

VINE (GRAPE) FAMILY

262. VIRGINIA CREEPER (_Psedera quinquefolia_ Greene) (_Parthenocissus q._ Planch.) or woodbine: common woodland vine preferring lowlands, climbing tall trees or covering stumps. Leaves: alternate, palmately compound, of 5 to 7 leaflets, irregularly toothed, tapering at each end, 2 to 4 in. long; turning bright scarlet in early fall. Flowers: clustered, inconspicuous. Fruit: bluish, round, like tiny grapes, popular with birds. More than one species but not readily distinguished. Some have adhesive disks at the tips of tendrils. Often but needlessly confused with poison ivy.

263. PEPPER VINE (_Cissus arborea_ Des Moulins) a fairly common vine in river bottoms and low, sandy soils. Leaves: alternate, twice-pinnately compound, dark green, reddish when young and in autumn; resembling chinaberry; decorative. Stems: slender. Flowers: whitish, small. Fruit: like small grapes but glossy black, inedible, ripe in August. K (p. 223).