Part 7

MOUNTAIN ASH

=Pyrus americana= (Marsh.) D. C.

=Form=.—Height 20-30 feet, diameter 8-12 inches; trunk short, supporting a round-topped crown.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 6-9 inches long; leaflets 9-17, 2-3 inches long, nearly sessile, except the terminal one, lanceolate, taper-pointed, sharply serrate above the entire base; glabrous, dark green above, paler beneath.

=Flowers=.—Appear in May; perfect, in flat cymes 3-4 inches across, white.

=Fruit=.—Matures in autumn, persistent on the tree through the winter; a round berry-like pome, ¼ inch in diameter, bright red, acid, in large flat-topped clusters.

=Bark=.—Smooth or slightly roughened, light gray.

=Wood=.—Light, close-grained, soft, weak, light brown with lighter sapwood.

=Range=.—Newfoundland west to Manitoba and Iowa, south along the mountains to North Carolina.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Confined to high swamps and mountains. Observed in the following counties: Pendleton, Pocahontas, Preston, Randolph and Tucker.

=Habitat=.—Moist soil of swamps and rocky slopes.

=Notes=.—This tree has no commercial value, being rare and of small size. Its form, foliage, flowers and bright persistent fruits make it a desirable tree for ornamental planting.

SHAD BUSH

=Amelanchier canadensis=, (L.) Medic.

=Form=.—Height 10-40 feet, diameter 4-16 inches; trunk short; crown shallow and usually narrow, with numerous slender branches.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 3-4 inches long, ovate to ovate-oblong, finely serrate, smooth when old, dark green above, paler beneath.

=Flowers=.—April; perfect, white, borne in drooping racemes.

=Fruit=.—June-August; a berry-like, globular pome, one-third-½ inch long, borne in racemes, red to purple, sweet and edible.

=Bark=.—Smooth, or somewhat rough, with narrow scaly ridges on old trees.

=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, warps and checks easily, dark reddish-brown with thick whitish sapwood.

=Range=.—Newfoundland and Ontario, south to Florida and west to Louisiana and Kansas.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common in nearly all parts of the State.

=Habitat=.—Dry, light soils of upland woods and hillsides. Grows in a variety of soils and exposures.

=Notes=.—Service tree and Juneberry are two other names of this tree. The wood is rarely used for any purpose.

At least two shrubby species of Amelanchier are native to West Virginia.

COCKSPUR THORN

=Crataegus crus-galli=, L.

=Form=.—Height 10-25 feet, diameter 6-12 inches; trunk short; crown broad and flat-topped.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, ovate-obovate, 1-3 inches long, sharply serrate except toward the base, long tapering at the base, rounded or blunt-pointed at the apex, thick, dark green and glossy above, paler beneath.

=Flowers=.—June; perfect; white, two-thirds of an inch across, arranged in many-flowered corymbs; stamens 10; styles 1-3.

=Fruit=.—Matures in autumn; an ovoid or sub-globose pome two-fifths-½ inch long, greenish to dull red, containing usually 2 boxy nutlets which are 2-3-grooved on the back.

=Bark=.—Grayish brown, roughened on old trees by small scales.

=Wood=.—Hard, heavy, close-grained, reddish brown with thick light-colored sapwood.

=Range=.—Southern Canada to northern Georgia, west to Missouri and Michigan.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—A common thorn throughout the State.

=Habitat=.—Borders of woods and abandoned fields on many kinds of soils.

=Notes=.—As indicated by the name, this species is armed with long, curved thorns. The taper-based, serrate, glossy leaves and the dull red-green fruits will help the student in identifying this common tree.

DOTTED THORN

=Crataegus punctata=, Jacq.

=Form=.—Height 10-35 feet, diameter 8-14 inches; trunk thick and short; crown very broad and flat-topped.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, oblanceolate-obovate, 1½-3 inches long, tapering at the base, rounded or blunt-pointed at apex, irregularly serrate or sometimes lobed, dull grayish-green and strongly impressed-veined above.

=Flowers=.—May-June; perfect; white, about ¾ of an inch across, in corymbs with tomentose stalks; stamens usually about 20.

=Fruit=.—Ripens in autumn; an ovoid pome, ½-1 inch thick, red (var. _rubra_, Ait.) or yellow, (var. _aurea_, Ait.) nutlets usually 3-4 with 2-5 ridges on the back.

=Bark=.—Gray, with thin scales on old trunks.

=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, close-grained.

=Range=.—Minnesota and western New England, southward along the mountains to Georgia.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—A common tree, especially at high elevations. Found growing on Spruce Knob, Pendleton County, at altitude 4,860 feet. Forming almost pure stands on Bickle Knob, Randolph County, near Durbin, Pocahontas County, in Canaan Valley, Tucker County, and at many places along the Alleghanies.

=Habitat=.—Prefers rich sandy soil of stream borders and mountain flats.

=Notes=.—The large red or yellow fruits of this thorn help in the identification of the species and give it a very attractive appearance in the fall. The fruits are eaten by the Ruffed Grouse and other birds, and are sometimes used for making jelly. The spines are straight and from 1½ to 2¾ inches long.

BLACK CHERRY

=Prunus serotina=, Ehrh.

=Form=.—Height 60-100 feet, diameter 2-5 feet; trunk when in close stands tall and straight, bearing a rather open irregularly-oblong crown.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, lanceolate-oblong, taper-pointed, 2-5 inches long, thickish, serrate-crenate, with incurved teeth, smooth, dark green above, paler beneath.

=Flowers=.—May-June; perfect; ¼ inch wide, white arranged in drooping many-flowered racemes.

=Fruit=.—Matures in late summer and persists for two or three months; a nearly black drupe, in drooping clusters, one-third-½ inch thick, with purplish juicy slightly bitter edible flesh.

=Bark=.—On old trunks roughened by thick, blackish, irregular plates; inner bark aromatic, bitter.

=Wood=.—Light, strong, close-grained, light reddish brown, with thin yellowish sapwood.

=Range=.—Nova Scotia to Florida, west to Dakota and Arizona.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—A common timber tree in the more mountainous parts of the State; once plentiful on rich soils of upland flats and stream valleys of Tucker, Randolph, Barbour, Webster, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Greenbrier, and Monroe counties. Smaller and less common in most other sections.

=Habitat=.—Thrives best in rich, loose soils of slopes and mountain flats.

=Notes=.—This tree, which is usually called Wild Cherry, produces excellent lumber for furniture, and interior finish. It can be distinguished from the Choke Cherry, which it most closely resembles, by its larger size, longer narrower leaves, and rougher bark. Wild cherry trees large enough for lumber are now becoming scarce.

CHOKE CHERRY

=Prunus virginiana,= L.

=Form=.—Height 15-30 feet, diameter 6-12 inches; trunk usually short with a rounded crown.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 2-4 inches long, oval, oblong, or obovate, abruptly pointed, very sharply serrate, with slender teeth, glabrous, dull dark green above, paler beneath.

=Flowers=.—May-June; perfect; about ½ inch broad, white, arranged in a drooping, many-flowered raceme 3-6 inches long.

=Fruit=.—Ripens in late summer; a globular, dark crimson drupe, borne on short pedicels in drooping clusters, astringent.

=Bark=.—Smooth, dark gray, somewhat roughened on old trunks by shallow fissures. Inner bark has a disagreeable odor.

=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, close-grained, light-brown; sapwood light colored.

=Range=.—Newfoundland to Manitoba, south to Georgia and Texas.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Rare in most sections. Scattered trees grow at high elevations along the Alleghanies. Most common and of largest size on the borders of swamps from Cranesville, Preston County, southward to Canaan Valley, Tucker County.

=Habitat=.—Prefers damp soils of swamp borders, streams and thickets.

=Notes=.—The Choke Cherry is in no sense a timber tree but is attractive when growing wild or planted.

WILD RED CHERRY

=Prunus pennsylvanica=, L. f.

=Form=.—Height 20-35 feet, diameter 8-12 inches; trunk straight, short, tapering, with upright branches forming a narrow crown.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 3-5 inches long, oblong-lanceolate, pointed, finely and sharply serrate, glabrous, thin, bright green above, paler beneath.

=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; perfect; about ½ inch wide, white on slender pedicels in 4-5-flowered umbels.

=Fruit=.—Ripens in July and persists until autumn; a globular drupe, about ¼ inch in diameter, bright red, thick-skinned, sour.

=Bark=.—Smooth, or somewhat roughened by loose, papery plates, reddish brown.

=Wood=.—Light, soft, close-grained, light brown with thin yellowish sapwood.

=Range=.—Labrador to British Columbia and southward to North Carolina and Colorado.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common in West Virginia along the mountains, especially in areas from which other timber has been destroyed by fire.

=Habitat=.—Sandy soils of burned-over mountain-sides and flats, and along streams at lower elevations.

=Notes=.—Fire Cherry and Bird Cherry are two common names of this tree, the first denoting its habitat and the second the attractiveness of its fruit to birds. This species performs its principal service in covering otherwise bare, fire-burned areas to which the seeds have been carried and dropped by birds.

WILD PLUM

=Prunus americana=, Marsh.

=Form=.—Height 10-25 feet, diameter 6-12 inches; trunk short supporting a wide-spreading crown of horizontal and drooping branches.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple 2-4 inches long, narrowly obovate, long taper-pointed at apex, sharply and doubly serrate, firm, dark green and rough above, paler and hairy below.

=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; perfect; 1 inch wide, white, arranged in 2-5-flowered umbels.

=Fruit=.—Ripens in early autumn; a globose, red drupe about 1 inch in diameter, the flesh sweet and edible; stone flattened.

=Bark=.—Grayish-brown and rough on old trunks with thin, flat plates.

=Wood=.—Hard, heavy, strong, close-grained, red-brown, with thin light sapwood.

=Range=.—New York to Florida, west to Texas and Montana.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Scattered throughout the State but nowhere common except in small areas.

=Habitat=.—Grows principally on swamp borders and along streams.

=Notes=.—The Wild Plum is found growing in dense thickets in some of our upland swamps where it produces large crops of fruit. The tree is of little importance commercially but is sometimes used as a stock upon which domestic plums are grafted.

HONEY LOCUST

=Gleditsia triacanthos=, L.

=Form=.—Height 40-50 feet, diameter 1-2 feet; trunk usually short and armed with branched thorns; crown broad, round-topped.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, singly or doubly compound, 7-8 inches long, the single compound leaves having 18-28 leaflets; the double compound leaves 8-14 divisions each, with 18-20 leaflets; leaflets lanceolate-oblong, somewhat serrate.

=Flowers=.—May-June; polygamous; small, greenish.

=Fruit=.—A flattened and twisted pod, 10-18 inches long, containing oval brownish seeds.

=Bark=.—Sometimes smooth but often roughened on old trunks, by shallow fissures and thick ridges with projecting edges, and by branched thorns.

=Wood=.—Hard, heavy, strong, durable in contact with the soil, bright reddish brown heartwood, whitish sapwood.

=Range=.—Ontario to Florida, west to Kansas and Texas.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Not common in any part of West Virginia, but found in scattered stands throughout the State, except at high elevations. Rare in Upshur and other high hilly counties west of the Alleghanies, and also in the Eastern Panhandle.

=Habitat=.—Thrives best in fertile soil of river bottoms, but grows well in other situations.

=Notes=.—The wood of Honey Locust is used principally for fencing, wheel hubs, and general construction; but the tree is too rare and not of sufficient size to give it any commercial importance.

RED BUD

=Cercis canadensis=, L.

=Form=.—Height 15-25 feet, diameter 6-10 inches; trunk usually inclined and short; crown broad, open and shallow.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, rounded, 3-5 inches long, with heart-shaped base, and blunt apex; smooth, entire, bright pale green above, paler beneath.

=Flowers=.—April, before the leaves; perfect; in form like the sweet pea, red-purple, arranged in umbel-like clusters along the branches of the last or preceding years.

=Fruit=.—A flattened, many-seeded pod, the upper suture with a winged margin.

=Bark=.—Thin, with shallow fissures and scaly reddish brown ridges.

=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, not strong, reddish brown with thick whitish sapwood.

=Range=.—Ontario to Florida, west to Minnesota and Kansas.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common in most parts of the State, forming thickets along borders of woods and streams. Rare in the higher counties.

=Habitat=.—Rich moist soil of abandoned fields, open woods and stream banks.

=Notes=.—This tree is chiefly ornamental. Its profuse purplish flowers give it attractiveness early in the spring, when the Service and Flowering Dogwood are in bloom.

COMMON LOCUST

=Robinia Pseudo-Acacia=, L.

=Form=.—Height 50-75 feet, diameter 2-3 feet; trunk when grown in the forest often tall and free from limbs; crown loose and more or less irregular.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, odd-pinnate, 8-14 inches long; leaflets 7-21, ovate or oblong, 1-2 inches long, entire, very thin, smooth, dull green above, paler beneath; stipules thorny or spine-like.

=Flowers=.—May, after the leaves; perfect, pea-shaped, white, very fragrant, borne on slender pedicels in loose drooping racemes 4-5 inches long.

=Fruit=.—A flat pod 3-4 inches long, containing 4-8 small brown seeds.

=Bark=.—Deeply furrowed into firm, prominent ridges, reddish-brown.

=Wood=.—Heavy, very hard and strong, close-grained, very durable in contact with the soil, brownish with thin yellow sapwood.

=Range=.—Pennsylvania to Georgia west to Iowa and Kansas. Naturalized over a large area in America and extensively cultivated in Europe.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common throughout West Virginia, but most abundant and healthiest in high limestone areas.

=Habitat=.—Prefers rich limestone soil, but adapts itself to other soils and to almost all exposures and elevations.

=Notes=.—Black Locust, Yellow Locust, and False Acacia are other names of this tree. According to Sargent’s “Manual of the Trees of North America” locust trees are “most abundant and of largest size on the western slopes of the Alleghanies of West Virginia.” It is a rapid grower, its wood is unsurpassed for many purposes and, as a legume, it adds fertility to the soil wherever it grows.

HOP TREE

=Ptelea trifoliata=, L.

=Form=.—A shrub occasionally attaining the size and form of a small tree.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 3-foliate, the leaflets entire, ovate, pointed, downy when young.

=Flowers=.—June; polygamous; small, greenish-white, arranged in compound terminal cymes.

=Fruit=.—A 2-celled, 2-seeded, nearly circular samara, winged all around, in drooping cymes; bitter, used as a substitute for hops.

=Bark=.—Smooth, light brownish-gray.

=Range=.—Long Island to Minnesota and southward.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Rare, collected in Summers and Morgan counties.

=Habitat=.—Prefers sandy soils of river banks.

=Notes=.—This small, shrubby tree is useful only for ornamental planting for which purpose it will be found very interesting and attractive.

STAGHORN SUMACH

=Rhus typhina=, L.

=Form=.—A shrub or small tree sometimes reaching a height of 15-20 feet and a diameter of 8-10 inches; trunk short, bearing a broad crown of ascending branches.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 16-24 inches long, and with 11-31 leaflets; leaflets oblong, 2-5 inches long, nearly sessile, oblanceolate, pointed, serrate, when mature dark green and smooth above, pale beneath.

=Flowers=.—May-June; polygamous, arranged in compact oblong yellowish-green panicles.

=Fruit=.—Matures in late summer and persists through the winter; numerous dry drupes aggregate in a compact pyramidal panicle, 5-8 inches long; drupes thickly studded with red acid hairs, not poisonous.

=Bark=.—On old trunks somewhat roughened by loose brown scales. Twigs and leaf stalks are densely velvety-hairy.

=Wood=.—Soft, light, coarse-grained, orange-colored, showing plainly the annual growths.

=Range=.—New Brunswick to Minnesota, south to Georgia and Alabama.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common throughout the State and reaching higher altitudes than some of the other sumachs.

=Habitat=.—Fertile dry upland soil, preferring abandoned fields, borders of woods and fence rows.

=Notes=.—The wood of this species is sometimes used for sugar spiles and for the manufacture of napkin rings, cups, etc. The leaves are rich in tannin; the wood has little commercial value. Its beautiful foliage and red fruit spikes give it value for ornamental planting.

DWARF SUMACH

=Rhus copallina=, L.

=Form=.—A shrub or small tree often attaining in West Virginia a height of 15-20 feet and a diameter of 3-5 inches; trunk straight or angular, supporting a loose irregular crown.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 6-12 inches long, with petioles wing-margined between the 9-21 oblong or ovate lanceolate, nearly entire leaflets which are smooth and shining above and pubescent beneath.

=Flowers=.—July; polygamous; in terminal compact panicles.

=Fruit=.—Matures in late summer; small dry drupes in compact erect panicles, red, turning dark later in the year, the panicles finally drooping; not poisonous.

=Bark=.—Roughened on old trunk by brown papery scales or elevated brown projections.

=Wood=.—Soft, coarse-grained, light brown, richly striped with yellow and black.

=Range=.—Maine to Florida, west to Texas and Nebraska.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common in most sections of the State except at high elevations.

=Habitat=.—Dry hillsides and ridges, frequenting abandoned fields.

=Notes=.—This sumach, like others of the genus, is chiefly valuable for landscape work, being especially ornamental in its autumnal foliage. The wood is sometimes used in the manufacture of small wooden novelties.

POISON SUMACH

=Rhus vernix=, L.

=Form=.—A shrub or small tree sometimes reaching a height of 10-15 feet; trunk usually branching near the ground and separating into a loose irregular head.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, leaflets 7-13, oblong-obovate, entire, poisonous.

=Flowers=.—June-July; polygamous; small, yellowish-green, arranged in long drooping panicles.

=Fruit=.—Small, nearly spherical, glossy, dull white drupes in long, loose, drooping, axillary panicles; ripening in early autumn and persisting into the winter.

=Bark=.—Thin, streaked, smooth, covered with numerous raised lenticels.

=Wood=.—Soft, brittle, light yellow.

=Range=.—Ontario to Florida, west to Louisiana and Minnesota.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Rare, found in swamps at Cowen, Webster County and near Elkins, Randolph County.

=Habitat=.—Thrives best in swamps but may be found on moist slopes.

=Notes=.—Poison Dogwood, Poison Elder, and Poison Oak are other names of this species. This is one of our most poisonous plants and should be avoided except by those who are immune. It has no commercial importance.

AMERICAN HOLLY

=Ilex opaca=, Ait.

=Form=.—Height 15-30 feet, diameter 1-2 feet; trunk short; branches slender, spreading and ascending, forming a conic crown.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, evergreen, leathery, glabrous, oval, margins wavy with scattered spiny teeth, dark green above, pale green beneath.

=Flowers=.—May to June; dioecious, or polygamo-dioecious, the staminate 2-9 on a common stalk, the pistillate usually solitary; small, white.

=Fruit=.—Matures in late summer and persists through the following fall and winter; a bright red berry-like drupe about the size of a pea, smooth, shining, containing a 4-ribbed, brown nutlet.

=Bark=.—Smooth, or slightly rough with age, grayish or grayish-brown.

=Wood=.—Hard, tough, close-grained, chalky-white in color.

=Range=.—Maine to Florida, west to Texas and Missouri.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Observed in the following counties: Boone, Braxton, Fayette, Logan, Mingo, McDowell, Nicholas, Randolph, Upshur, Webster and Wyoming. Rare east of the mountains and sparsely scattered in other counties along the Ohio River.

=Habitat=.—Prefers moist soil near rivers or rich loamy and rocky ground.

=Notes=.—Holly wood is very valuable for inlaid work, cabinet making, interior finish, and piano keys, but the trees in West Virginia are usually small, and afford little timber. During the holidays the evergreen foliage with bright red fruits are much sought after. The tree is slow-growing but is otherwise very desirable for ornamental planting.

MOUNTAIN HOLLY

=Ilex monticola=, Gray.

=Form=.—Height 15-25 feet, diameter 2-8 inches; a shrub or small tree with short trunk and slender ascending branches.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, deciduous, 4-5 inches long, ovate or lance-oblong, taper-pointed, thin-membranaceous, smooth, sharply serrate.

=Flowers=.—May-June; polygamo-dioecious; staminate and pistillate flowers on very short pedicels, white, clustered, about one-third of an inch across.

=Fruit=.—Ripens in early autumn; globose, about two-fifths of an inch in diameter, bright scarlet, containing 4-6 striate nutlets ridged on the back.

=Bark=.—Thin, somewhat rough and warty on old trees, light brownish-gray.

=Wood=.—Hard, close-grained, nearly white.

=Range=.—New York, southward along the Alleghanies.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Not common except locally. Found principally at high altitudes. Common near Davis, Tucker County, and in various parts of Randolph and Pocahontas counties.

=Habitat=.—Upland sandy flats, cool mountainsides, and swamp borders.

=Notes=.—This small tree is not important except for ornamental use. Its bright foliage and fruits recommend it for this purpose. The species may easily be confused with Winterberry (_Ilex verticillata_, (L.) Gray) which often grows with it. The nutlets of the latter, however, are smooth and smaller, its flowers are shorter-stalked and its leaves somewhat downy beneath.

STRIPED MAPLE

=Acer pennsylvanicum=, L.

=Form=.—Height 10-25 feet, diameter 6-12 inches; trunk medium short; crown irregular, usually broad.

=Leaves=.—Opposite, simple, 5-6 inches long, nearly as broad, 3-lobed above the middle with short, pointed lobes, sharply and doubly serrate, rounded or cordate at base, rather smooth above and rusty pubescent beneath.

=Flowers=.—May-June; usually monoecious, yellow, bell-shaped, in long, drooping, terminal racemes.

=Fruit=.—Matures in autumn; paired samaras in long racemose drooping clusters, wing ¾ inch long, widely divergent, marked on one side of each nutlet by a small cavity.

=Bark=.—Smooth, thin, greenish or reddish-brown, marked longitudinally by pale stripes.

=Wood=.—Light, soft, close-grained, pinkish brown, with thick sapwood.

=Range=.—Novia Scotia south along the mountains to Georgia, west to Minnesota.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common in shaded ravines and rich slopes in the mountainous parts of the State, especially in Webster, Randolph, Upshur, Pocahontas and Nicholas counties.

=Habitat=.—Thrives best in rich soil of rocky or sandy woods.