Chapter II: Part 2

The _wood_ is heavy, hard and strong; when used at all, it is used mostly for firewood and mine props. It is also used for the manufacture of charcoal.

+SHINGLE OAK+ _Quercus imbricaria_ Michx.

THIS oak is found throughout the State with the exception of the extreme north portion. When growing alone, the tree develops a symmetrical rounded top, conspicuous on account of the good-sized, regular-shaped, oblong leaves which differ in shape from most other native oaks. It forms a handsome tree. It is sometimes incorrectly called "laurel" oak.

Leaf, one-third natural size. Twig, three-fourths natural size.]

The _bark_ is rather thin and divided by shallow fissures into broad ridges of a dark brown color.

The _leaves_ are alternate in arrangement along the stem, oblong in shape, 4 to 6 inches long by 1 to 2 inches wide, leathery in texture with smooth margins sometimes wavy in outline, dark green and shiny above, and thick downy or velvety below.

The _fruit_ is an acorn about one-half inch in length, borne singly or in pairs on stout stems, full or rounded at the end and faintly streaked, enclosed for about one-half its length in a thin-walled cup. Like all members of the black oak group, the fruit requires two seasons to mature.

The _wood_ is heavy, hard, rather coarse-grained, and used for common lumber, shingles (whence it gets its common name), posts and firewood.

The willow oak, _Quercus phellos_ L., is a river bottom tree rarely
found in southern Illinois. It is readily identified by its leaves,
which as the name implies, resemble those of the willows. These leaves
are from two to four inches long and one-half to one inch wide, light
green, shiny above and smooth beneath.

+AMERICAN ELM+ _Ulmus americana_ L.

THIS is a famous shade tree of New England, whose range, however, extends to the Rocky Mountains and southward to Texas. Within this vast area, it is generally common except in the high mountains. It reaches an average height of 60 to 70 feet and a diameter of 4 to 5 feet. The _bark_ is dark gray, divided into irregular, flat-topped thick ridges, and is generally firm, though on old trees it tends to come off in flakes. An incision into the inner bark will show alternate layers of brown and white.

Twig, one-half natural size. Leaf, one-half natural size.]

The _leaves_ are alternate, simple, 4 to 6 inches long, rather thick, somewhat one-sided, doubly toothed on the margin, and generally smooth above and downy below. The leaf-veins are very pronounced and run in parallel lines from the mid-rib to leaf edge. The _winter buds_ are pointed, brown, ovoid and smooth.

The _flowers_ are small, perfect, greenish, on slender stalks sometimes an inch long, appearing before the leaves in the early spring. The _fruit_ is a light green, oval shaped samara (winged fruit) with the seed portion in the center and surrounded entirely by a wing. This wing has a conspicuous notch at the end and is hairy on the margin, a mark distinctive of the species. The seed ripens in the spring and by its wing is widely disseminated by the wind.

The _wood_ is heavy, hard, strong, tough and difficult to split. It is used for hubs of wheels, saddle trees, boats, ships, barrel hoops, and veneer for baskets and crates.

Because of its spreading fan-shaped form, graceful pendulous branches, and long life, the white elm justly holds its place as one of the most desirable shade trees.

The rock or cork elm, _Ulmus thomasi_ Sarg., is found occasionally in
northern Illinois. Its excurrent branches are very different from
those of other elms. Its twigs often have corky ridges and the winter
buds are somewhat hairy.

The winged elm, _Ulmus alata_ Michx., a small tree, is found in the
southern part of the State. The twigs have two thin corky wings.

+RED OR SLIPPERY ELM+ _Ulmus rubra_ Muhl.

(_Ulmus fulva_ Michx.)

THE red elm, or slippery elm, is a common tree in all sections of the State. It is found principally on the banks of streams and on low hillsides in rich soil. It is a tree of small to moderate size, but noticeably wide-spreading. It is usually less than 50 feet in height and 16 inches in diameter although trees of larger dimensions are occasionally found.

Twig, one-half natural size. Leaf, one-half natural size.]

The _bark_ on the trunk is frequently one inch thick, dark grayish-brown, and broken by shallow fissures into flat ridges. The inner bark is used to some extent for medical purposes, as it is fragrant and when chewed, affords a slippery, mucilaginous substance, whence the tree gets its name. The _winter buds_ are large and conspicuously rusty-hairy.

The _leaves_ are simple, alternate on the stem, 4 to 6 inches in length, sharp pointed, their bases unsymmetrical, doubly-toothed on the edges, thick, dark green, and rough on both sides.

The _fruit_ consists of a seed surrounded by a thin, broad, greenish wing, about one-half an inch in diameter; the _flowers_ appear in early spring and the fruit ripens when the leaves are about half-grown.

The _wood_ is close-grained, tough, strong, heavy, hard, moderately durable in contact with the soil. It is used for fence posts, crossties, agricultural implements, ribs for small boats and for some other purposes.

The water elm, _Planera aquatica_ Gmel., is a small tree with slender
branches forming a low broad head and is found in swamps in the valley
of the Wabash River in this State. It reaches its best development in
Arkansas and Louisiana. It has dull green leaves 2 inches long and 1
inch wide. The fruit is an oblong, dark brown drupe.

+HACKBERRY+ _Celtis occidentalis_ L.

THE rough-leaved hackberry is found sparsely throughout the State. It occurs most abundantly and of greatest size in the rich alluvial lands in the lower part of the State, but thrives, however, on various types of soil, from the poorest to the richest. It is usually a medium-sized tree from 30 to 50 feet high and 10 to 20 inches in diameter, but trees 3 feet in diameter are found in the Wabash bottoms in southern Illinois. Its limbs are often crooked and angular and bear a head made of slender, pendant branches or short, bristly, stubby twigs. In the open the crown is generally very symmetrical. It makes an excellent shade tree.

Leaf, one-third natural size. Twig, one-half natural size.]

The _bark_ is grayish and generally rough with scale-like or warty projections of dead bark. In some instances the bark is smooth enough on the limbs to resemble that of the beech.

The _leaves_ are simple, ovate, alternate, one-sided, 2 to 4 inches long, the edges toothed towards the long point.

The _flowers_ are inconspicuous, and the two kinds are borne on the same tree. They appear in April or May, and are of a creamy, greenish color. The _fruit_ is a round, somewhat oblong drupe, or berry, from 1/4 to 1/3 of an inch in diameter. It has a thin, purplish skin, and sweet, yellowish flesh. From this characteristic it is sometimes called sugarberry. The berries frequently hang on the tree most of the winter.

The _wood_ is heavy, rather soft, weak, and decays readily when exposed. It is used chiefly for fuel, but occasionally for lumber and railroad ties which are given preservative treatment.

The southern hackberry, _Celtis leavigata_ Willd., having narrow
leaves, is found occasionally along the streams in southern Illinois.
The fruit hangs from the axils of the leaves on slender stems. It is
orange-red in color, changing to purple-black as it matures.

+OSAGE ORANGE+ _Maclura pomifera_ Schneid.

THE osage orange, hedge apple, or mock orange, although not a native of Illinois, is found distributed throughout the State, but does not as a rule occur as a forest tree. It grows chiefly in open fields along fence rows, and as a pure hedge fence. Occasionally it reaches a height of 60 feet and a diameter of 30 inches, but more usually it is found from 20 to 40 feet in height and from 4 to 12 inches in diameter. This tree is sometimes used for shade, but mostly for hedges, and as living fence posts. The _bark_ is thin, gray, sometimes tinged with yellow, and on old trees divided into strips or flakes. The bark of the root is used as a yellow dye; that of the trunk has been used for tanning leather.

Leaf and fruit, one-quarter natural size. Twig, two-thirds natural size.]

The _leaves_ are deciduous, with milky sap and producing stout axillary thorns. They are green on the upper surface, 3 to 5 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide, and turn bright yellow in the autumn.

The yellowish _flowers_ appear in May. They are of two kinds on the same tree--the staminate flowers in a linear cluster and the pistillate flowers in a rounded ball. The _fruit_ is globular, from 2 to 5 inches in diameter, somewhat resembling a very rough green orange.

The _wood_ is heavy, exceedingly hard, very strong and very durable in contact with the soil. The heartwood is bright orange in color, turning brown upon exposure. The Indians called it "bois d'arc", or bow-wood, and used it for their finest bows. It does not shrink with weather changes. It is largely used for posts; sometimes for wheel-stock, lumber and fuel.

+RED MULBERRY+ _Morus rubra_ L.

THE red mulberry occurs throughout the State. It prefers the rich, moist soils of the lower and middle districts, but it is nowhere abundant. It is a small tree, rarely 50 feet high and 2 feet in diameter, often growing in the shade of larger trees.

Twig, two-thirds natural size. Leaf, one-third natural size.]

The _bark_ is rather thin, dark reddish-brown, peeling off in long narrow flakes.

The _leaves_ are alternate, thin, rounded or somewhat heart-shaped, toothed, pointed, 3 to 5 inches long, rough hairy above and soft hairy beneath. Often some of the leaves, especially on the young trees and thrifty shoots, are mitten-shaped or variously lobed.

The _flowers_ are of two kinds, on the same or different trees, in drooping catkins. The catkins of the staminate flowers are about 2 inches long; the spikes of the pistillate flowers are about half as long and stand on short stalks. The _fruit_ is dark red or black, and resembles a blackberry; however, a stalk extends through it centrally, and it is longer and narrower. The fruit is sweet and edible and greatly relished by birds and various animals.

The _wood_ is rather light, soft, not strong, light orange-yellow, very durable in contact with the soil. It is chiefly used for fence posts. The tree might be planted for this purpose and to furnish food for birds.

The white mulberry, _Morus alba_ L., is a native of China, where its
leaves are the chief food of the silkworm. Several varieties are
planted for ornamental purposes. Its leaves are broad and smooth; its
fruit is long, white, sweet, and insipid. A variety, under the name of
the Russian mulberry, _Morus alba_ var. _tatarica_ Loudon, has been
introduced into this country and has been cultivated for its fruit.
This fruit varies from creamy white to violet and almost black.

+CUCUMBER MAGNOLIA+ _Magnolia acuminata_ L.

THE cucumber magnolia attains an average height of 40 to 80 feet and a diameter of 1 to 2 feet. It occurs singly among other hardwood trees throughout the richer, cooler north slopes and bottom lands of southern Illinois, in Union, Johnson, Pope, Alexander and Pulaski counties.

Leaf, one-third natural size. Twig, two-thirds natural size.]

The _bark_ is aromatic and bitter; that of the young twigs is a lustrous red-brown, while the bark of the trunk is rather thin, dark brown, furrowed and broken into thin scales.

The _leaves_ are alternate, oblong, short-pointed, rounded at the base, silky, hairy when unfolding, later smooth or slightly silky, 6 to 10 inches long, 4 to 6 inches wide, often with wavy edges, dark green above, lighter beneath.

The _flowers_ are single, large--though smaller than those of the other magnolias--2-1/2 to 3 inches long. The six upright petals are whitish-green tinged with yellow.

The _fruit_ is a smooth, dark red, often crooked "cone", 2-1/2 to 3 inches long, somewhat resembling, when green, a small cucumber. The seeds are 1/2 inch long, and covered with a pulpy, scarlet coat, which attracts the birds, particularly as the seeds hang by thin cords from the opening "cones."

The _wood_ is light, soft, close-grained, durable, of a light yellow-brown color and is used for the same purposes as yellow poplar. It is quite desirable for roadside and ornamental planting.

+TULIP TREE+ _Liriodendron tulipifera_ L.

THE tulip tree, tulip poplar, is one of the tallest trees in the State with its straight trunk rising to a height of 125 feet. It is one of the largest and most valuable hardwood trees of the United States. It reaches its largest size in the deep moist soils along streams and in the cool ravines of southern Illinois. Vermilion County on the east and Randolph on the west side of the State represent its northern limit. As more commonly seen, it has a height of 60 to 100 feet and a diameter of 3 to 4 feet. Growing with a straight central trunk like the pines, and often clear of limbs for 30 to 50 feet, it has a narrow pyramidal head which in older age becomes more spreading. The tree has been extensively cut, but is reproducing rapidly and remains one of the most abundant and valuable trees in our young second-growth forests. It has been planted as an ornamental and shade tree.

Leaf, one-third natural size. Twig, two-thirds natural size.]

The _leaves_ are simple, 4 to 6 inches in length and breadth, 4-lobed, dark green in summer, turning to a clear yellow in fall.

The greenish-yellow tulip-shaped _flowers_ appear in May or June. The _fruit_ is a narrow light brown, upright cone, 2 to 3 inches long, made up of seeds, each enclosed in a hard bony coat and provided with a wing which makes it easily carried by the wind.

The _wood_ is light, soft, easily worked, light yellow or brown, with wide cream-colored sapwood. It is extensively cut into lumber for interior and exterior trim, vehicle bodies, veneers, turnery and other high-grade uses. It is marketed under the name yellow poplar, because of the yellow color of the heartwood.

The tulip tree transplants easily, grows rapidly and forms a tall stem. It is one of the best trees for forest planting on good moist soil. It can be recommended for roadside planting because it grows tall and has a deep root system. Where conditions of life are not too severe, it may be used for shade tree planting.

+PAPAW+ _Asimina triloba_ Dunal

THE papaw, which grows as a small tree or large shrub, is very well known throughout the State, except in the northern parts, and is sometimes called the "wild banana" tree. Most commonly it occurs as an undergrowth in the shade of rich forests of the larger hardwood trees. Its range extends from New York westward to Iowa and southward to Florida and eastern Texas. When growing alone, however, it forms dense clumps on deep, moist soils in creek bottoms. The _bark_ is thin, dark grayish-brown, and smooth, or slightly fissured on old trees.

Leaf, one-quarter natural size. Twig, two-thirds natural size.]

The _leaves_ are alternate on the stem, pear-shaped with pointed ends and tapering bases, smooth and light green above, from 8 to 10 inches long, clustered toward the ends of the branches.

The dark purple, attractive _flowers_ appear with the leaves singly or in two's along the branch, measure nearly 2 inches across, and produce nectar which attracts the bees.

When thoroughly ripe, the _fruit_ is delicious and nutritious. It measures from 3 to 5 inches in length, turns from greenish-yellow to very dark brown in color, and holds rounded or elongated seeds which separate readily from the pulp.

The _wood_ is light, soft or spongy, and weak, greenish to yellowish in color, and of no commercial importance.

Because of its handsome foliage, attractive flowers and curious fruit, the papaw has been much used in ornamental planting.

+SASSAFRAS+ _Sassafras albidum_ Nees.

THE sassafras is an aromatic tree, usually not over 40 feet in height or a foot in diameter in Illinois. It is common throughout the State on dry soils as far north as La Salle County, and is one of the first broad-leaf trees to come up on abandoned fields, where the seeds are dropped by birds. Its range extends from Maine, southern Ontario to Iowa and south to Florida and west to Texas. In parts of its range it attains large size.

Twig, one-half natural size. Leaf, one-third natural size.]

The _bark_ of the trunk is thick, red-brown and deeply furrowed and that of the twigs is bright green.

The _leaves_ are very characteristic. It is one of the few trees having leaves of widely different shape on the same tree, or even on the same twig. Some are oval and entire, 4 to 6 inches long; others have one lobe, resembling the thumb on a mitten; while still others are divided at the outer end into 3 distinct lobes. The young leaves and twigs are quite mucilaginous.

The _flowers_ are clustered, greenish, yellow, and open with the first unfolding of the leaves. The staminate and pistillate flowers are usually on different trees. The _fruit_ is an oblong, dark blue or black, lustrous berry, containing one seed and surrounded at the base by what appears to be a small orange-red or scarlet cup at the end of a scarlet stalk.

The _wood_ is light, soft, weak, brittle, and durable in the soil; the heartwood is dull orange-brown. It is used for posts, rails, boat building, cooperage and for ox-yokes. The bark of the roots yields the very aromatic oil of sassafras much used for flavoring candies and various commercial products.

The sassafras deserves more consideration than it has received as a shade and ornamental tree. The autumnal coloring of its foliage is scarcely surpassed by any tree, and it is very free from insect pests.

+SWEET GUM+ _Liquidambar styraciflua_ L.

THE sweet or red gum is a very common tree on low lands in southern Illinois, but it is seldom found north of Jackson County in the west or north of Richland in the east. It is usually abundant in old fields or in cut-over woods. The _bark_ is a light gray, roughened by corky scales, later becoming deeply furrowed. After the second year the twigs often develop 2 to 4 corky projections of the bark, which give them a winged appearance.

Leaf, one-third natural size. Twig, two-thirds natural size.]

The simple, alternate star-shaped _leaf_, with its 5 to 7 points or lobes, is 5 to 7 inches across and very aromatic. In the fall its coloring is brilliant, ranging from pale yellow through orange and red to a deep bronze.

The _flowers_ are of two kinds on the same tree, unfolding with the leaves. The _fruit_ at first glance reminds one of the balls of the sycamore, but on closer inspection proves to be a head. It measures an inch or more in diameter and is made up of many capsules with projecting spines. It frequently hangs on the tree by its long swinging stem late into the winter.

The _wood_ is heavy, moderately hard, close-grained, and not durable on exposure. The reddish-brown heartwood, which suggests the name, red gum, is not present to any appreciable extent in logs under 16 inches in diameter. In the South, the wood is extensively used for flooring, interior finish, paper pulp and veneers for baskets of all kinds. Veneers of the heartwood are largely used in furniture, sometimes as imitation mahogany or Circassian walnut. This tree should be more widely planted for ornamental use.

+SYCAMORE+ _Platanus occidentalis_ L.

THE sycamore, also called buttonwood, is considered the largest hardwood tree in North America. It occurs throughout the State, but is most abundant and reaches its largest size along streams and on rich bottom lands. It is one of the more rapidly-growing trees. In maturity it occasionally attains a height of 140 to 170 feet and a diameter of 10 to 11 feet. It often forks into several large secondary trunks, and the massive spreading limbs form an open head sometimes 100 feet across.

Leaf, one-third natural size. Twig, one-half natural size.]

The _bark_ of the sycamore is a characteristic feature. On the younger trunk and large limbs it is very smooth, greenish-gray in color. The outer bark yearly flakes off in large patches and exposes the nearly white younger bark. Near the base of the old trees the bark becomes thick, dark brown and divided by deep furrows. The _flowers_ are very small and arranged in dense globular green heads.

The _leaves_ are simple, alternate, 4 to 7 inches long and about as broad, light green and smooth above, and paler below. The base of the leafstalk is hollow and in falling off exposes the winter bud. The _fruit_ is a ball about 1 inch in diameter, conspicuous throughout the winter as it hangs on its flexible stem, which is 3 to 5 inches long. During early spring, the fruit ball breaks up, and the small seeds are widely scattered by the wind.

The _wood_ is hard and moderately strong, but decays rapidly in the ground. It is used for butchers' blocks, tobacco boxes, furniture and interior finish.

The tree grows rapidly, bears transplanting well and is often planted as a shade tree.

The European sycamore or London plane tree, _Platanus acerifolia_
Willd., is less subject to disease than our native species and has
been widely planted in this country for ornament and shade. The leaves
are more deeply lobed than our sycamore and there are two or three
fruit balls on each stem.

+WILD CRAB APPLE+ _Malus ioensis_ Britton

THE wild crab apple, or prairie crab, is found throughout Illinois forming small trees 20 to 30 feet high with trunks from 6 to 12 inches in diameter. In the open it develops a broad open crown with rigid, contorted branches bearing many short, spur-like branchlets, some of which develop into sharp rigid thorns. Under less favorable conditions, these crab apples often form bushy shrubs.

Flower, fruit and leaves one-half natural size.]

The _bark_ on the branches is smooth, thin and red-brown in color, while on the trunk the thicker bark often breaks into scales. The twigs are at first hoary-hairy, but soon become smooth and reddish.

The _leaves_ are alternate, simple, 3 to 4 inches long and almost as broad. They are sometimes slightly lobed and sharply and deeply toothed. They are dark green and shiny above, but pale and hairy beneath, borne on stout, hairy petioles.

The _flowers_, which are from one to two inches broad, are borne in clusters of 3 to 8, on wooly pedicels about an inch long. The white or rosy petals form a cup which surrounds the numerous stamens and the five styles. The calyx is pubescent.

The _fruit_ ripens in October, forming a globose, pale green, very fragrant apple with a waxy surface. It is about an inch in diameter, flattened at each end.

Like the other crabs, its handsome flowers have a delicious fragrance which makes the tree popular for planting for ornamental purposes. The fruit is sometimes gathered for jelly. The _wood_ is heavy, close-grained and reddish-brown.

The wild sweet crab, _Malus coronaria_ Mill., differs from the above
in having more nearly smooth leaves and calyx. It is rarely found in
Illinois but is common in Ohio. A cultivated variety, _Malus ioensis
plena_ Rheder, is sold under the name of Bechtel's crab, and has
large, double, rosy-pink blossoms.

+SERVICE BERRY+ _Amelanchier arborea_ (Michx. f.) Fern.

(_Amelanchier canadensis_ Medic.)

THE downy service berry, or shadblow, as it is more commonly called in the East, has little economic importance except for its frequency throughout the State and the touch of beauty its flowers give to our forests early in the spring before the foliage has come out. It is a small tree 20 to 50 feet high and seldom over 8 inches in diameter, with a rather narrow, rounded top but is often little more than shrub. The name shadblow was given by the early settlers who noticed that it blossomed when the shad were running up the streams.

The _bark_ is smooth and light gray, and shallowly fissured into scaly ridges. The _winter buds_ are long and slender.

The _leaves_ are alternate, slender-stalked, ovate, pointed, finely toothed, 2 to 4 inches long, densely white-hairy when young, then becoming a light green, and covered with scattered silky hairs.

The white _flowers_ appear in erect or drooping clusters in early spring, before the leaves, making the tree quite conspicuous in the leafless or budding forest. The petals are slender and rather more than a half inch long.

The _fruit_ is sweet, edible, rounded, reddish-purple when ripe, 1/3 to 1/2 an inch in diameter, ripening early in June. Birds and denizens of the forest are very fond of the berries.

The _wood_ is heavy, exceedingly hard, strong, close-grained and dark brown. It is occasionally used for handles. This is a desirable ornamental tree and should be planted for this purpose and to encourage the birds.

The smooth service berry, _Amelanchier leavis_ Wieg., differs from the
above species in having smooth leaves, dark green and slightly
glaucous when mature, and they are half grown at flowering time. The
fruit is sweet, purple or nearly black, glaucous and edible.

+COCK-SPUR THORN+ _Crataegus crus-galli_ L.

THE hawthorns, or thorn-apples, are small trees or shrubs of the apple family which are widely distributed throughout the northeastern United States, with fewer species in the South and West. In North America, no less than 150 species have been distinguished, but their proper identification is a task for the expert. There are about a dozen haws that reach tree size in Illinois, attaining a height of 20 to 30 feet and a stem diameter of 8 to 12 inches. Of these, perhaps the best known is the cock-spur thorn with its many strong straight spines and shining leaves. Its _bark_ is pale gray and scaly. Its _winter buds_ are small, globose and lustrous brown.

The _leaves_ are conspicuous because of their dark green glossy surface. They are broadest toward the apex tapering to the short petiole. They vary in size in different localities, the smaller-leaved varieties seem to be more frequently met with in the southern part of the State than in the north. These leaves are alternate, wedge-shaped, notched on the edges, and from 2 to 3 inches long.

The _flowers_ are rather small, arranged in flat-topped clusters, white in color, with about a dozen pink stamens.

The _fruit_ is 1/3 inch thick, greenish-red; the flesh is hard and dry.

This haw is one of the best for planting for ornamental purposes; with its spreading branches, it forms a broad, rounded crown. It is hardy and succeeds in a great variety of soils.

The dotted hawthorn, _Crataegus punctata_ Jacq., also has wedge-shaped
leaves but they are leathery, dull gray-green in color with
conspicuous veins. The tree reaches a height of 25 feet with
distinctly horizontal branches forming a broad flat crown. It is often
almost without thorns. The fruit is oblong, dull red with pale dots,
becoming mellow.

The pear-thorn, _Crataegus calpodendron_ Med., is a smaller tree, with
broader leaves, very few thorns and pear-shaped fruit. The haw is
scarlet or orange-red, the flesh is thin and sweet.

+RED HAW+ _Crataegus mollis_ Scheele

LIKE almost all the hawthorns, the red haw is a tree of the pasture lands, the roadside, the open woods and the stream banks. It is the largest of our haws, occasionally reaching a height of 30 feet, with ascending branches usually forming a low conical crown. The twigs are hairy during the first season, but are soon smooth, slender, nearly unarmed or occasionally armed with stout, curved thorns.

Flowers one-half natural size.]

The _leaves_ are ovate or nearly orbicular, coarsely toothed nearly to the base, usually 3 to 5 pairs of broad, shallow lobes. Both surfaces are hairy.

The _flowers_ are often nearly an inch across, in compact clusters. They have about 20 cream-colored, densely hairy stamens.

The _fruit_, or the haw, is large, nearly 3/4 inch across, bright crimson or scarlet in color. The edible sweet flesh is firm but mellow, surrounding 5 bony seeds. It is often used for making jelly.

The _wood_ is strong, tough, heavy and hard, and is used for mallets, tool handles and such small articles.

The Washington thorn, _Crataegus phaenopyrum_ Med., is a smaller tree,
with bright red fruit, but its broad leaves are smooth and bright
green. The flowers are small, in very large clusters, followed by
small bright scarlet edible haws.

In the southern half of Illinois, growing on moist river bottoms, the
green haw, _Crataegus viridis_ L., becomes a tree 20 feet tall. The
broad leaves are dark green and quite smooth. The fruit is small but
produced in large clusters becoming bright red or orange-red as it
ripens.

+WILD PLUM+ _Prunus americana_ Marsh.

THE common wild plum, or yellow plum, is a small tree which at a height usually of 3 to 6 feet divides into many spreading branches, often drooping at the ends. Not uncommonly it grows in thickets where it attains only large shrub size. The value of the tree lies in its fruit from which jelly and preserves are made, and its handsome form, and foliage, pure white fragrant flowers, and showy fruit which make it desirable for ornamental planting.

Three-quarters natural size.]

The _leaves_ are alternate, oval, pointed, sharply toothed, (often doubly toothed) along the margin, thick and firm, 3 to 4 inches long by 1 to 2 inches wide, narrowed or rounded at the base, and prominently veined on both surfaces.

The _flowers_ appear in numerous small clusters before, or simultaneously with, the leaves, and are white with small bright red portions in the center. The _fruit_, or plum, which ripens in late summer, is red or orange colored, about an inch in diameter, contains a stone or pit that is flattened and about as long as the pulpy part, and varies rather widely in its palatability.

The _wood_ is heavy, hard, close-grained, reddish-brown in color and has no especial commercial uses.

The Canada plum, _Prunus nigra_ Ait., is similar to the common wild
plum, but the teeth of the leaves are blunt, the leaves are thin and
the fruit is orange in color, almost without bloom.

The wild goose plum, _Prunus hortulana_ Bailey, has thin lance-shaped
leaves; its flowers have short petals and it has a rather hard, small
globular fruit.

+BLACK CHERRY+ _Prunus serotina_ Ehrh.

A common tree in Illinois and attaining sizes up to about 70 feet in height and 1 to 3 feet in diameter, black cherry as a tree is found all over the State. The forest-grown trees have long clear trunks with little taper; open-grown trees have spreading crowns. The _bark_ on branches and young trees is smooth and bright reddish-brown, marked by conspicuous, narrow white, horizontal lines, and has a bitter-almond taste. On the older trunks the bark becomes rough and broken into thick, irregular plates.

Twig, two-thirds natural size. Leaf, one-third natural size.]

The _leaves_ are alternate, simple, oval to lance-like in shape, with edges broken by many fine incurved teeth, thick and shiny above, and paler beneath.

The _fruit_ is dull purplish-black, about as large as a pea, and is borne in long hanging clusters. It ripens in late summer, and is edible, although it has a slightly bitter taste.

The _wood_ is reddish-brown with yellowish sapwood, moderately heavy, hard, strong, fine-grained, and does not warp or split in seasoning. It is valuable for its lustre and color and is used for furniture, interior finish, tools, and implement handles. With the exception of black walnut, black cherry lumber has a greater unit value than any other hardwood of the eastern United States.

The wild cherry, _Prunus pennsylvanica_ L., is a small tree, growing
on light soils, in the northern part of the State. The bark is a dark
reddish-brown; the leaves are lance-shaped bright green and shiny
above, while the fruit is round and bright red in color.

The choke cherry, _Prunus virginiana_ L., is common along fences and
under larger trees in the forest in the northern half of the State. It
seldom becomes a tree but it bears a fruit which is sweet but very
astringent and is dark purple when ripe.

+HONEY LOCUST+ _Gleditsia triacanthos_ L.

THE honey locust occurs scattered throughout the State. It grows under a wide variety of soil and moisture conditions. It sometimes occurs in the forest, but more commonly in corners and waste places beside roads and fields. It reaches a diameter of 30 inches and a height of 75 feet. The _bark_ on old trees is dark gray and is divided into thin tight scales. The strong thorns--straight, brown, branched, sharp and shiny which grow on the 1-year-old wood and remain for many years--are sufficient to identify the honey locust.

Twig, three-quarters natural size. Leaf, one-quarter natural size.]

The _leaf_ is pinnate, or feather-like with 18 to 28 leaflets; or it is twice-pinnate, consisting of 4 to 7 pairs of pinnae or secondary leaflets, each 6 to 8 inches long and somewhat resembling the leaf of the black locust.

The _flowers_ which appear when the leaves are nearly full-grown are inconspicuous, greenish-yellow and rich in honey. The petals vary from 3 to 5, the stamens are 3 to 10 and the ovary is wooly and one-celled.

The _fruit_ is a pod, 10 to 18 inches long, often twisted, 1 to 1-1/2 inches wide, flat, dark brown or black when ripe and containing yellow sweetish pulp and seeds. The seeds are very hard and each is separated from the others by the pulp. The pods are eaten by many animals, and as the seeds are hard to digest, many are thus widely scattered from the parent tree.

The _wood_ is coarse-grained, hard, strong and moderately durable in contact with the ground. It is used for fence posts and crossties. It should not be confused with the very durable wood of the black locust.

The water locust, _Gleditsia aquatica_ Marsh., is found in river
bottoms in southern Illinois, becoming a medium sized tree. It may be
known by its short pods, 1 to 2 inches long, with only 2 or 3 seeds.

+REDBUD+ _Cercis canadensis_ L.

THE redbud is a small tree occurring under taller trees or on the borders of fields or hillsides and in valleys throughout the State. It ordinarily attains a height of 25 to 50 feet and a diameter of 6 to 12 inches. Its stout branches usually form a wide flat head.

Leaf, one-fourth natural size. Twig, and flowers, two-thirds natural size.]

The _bark_ is bright red-brown, the long narrow plates separating into thin scales.

The _leaves_ are alternate, heart-shaped, entire 3 to 5 inches long and wide, glossy green turning in autumn to a bright clear yellow.

The conspicuous bright purplish-red, pea-shaped _flowers_ are in clusters along the twigs and small branches and appear before or with the leaves in early spring.

The _fruit_ is an oblong, flattened, many seeded pod, 2 to 4 inches long, reddish during the summer, and often hanging on the tree most of the winter.

The _wood_ is heavy, hard, not strong, rich, dark brown in color, and of little commercial importance. The redbud is cultivated as an ornamental tree and for that purpose might be planted more generally in this State.

The Kentucky coffee-tree, _Gymnocladus dioicus_ K. Koch, though not
anywhere a common tree, is found on rich bottom lands throughout the
State. The much-divided leaves are 2 to 3 feet long. The pods are 5 to
8 inches long and 1 to 2 inches wide and contain hard seeds 3/4 inch
long. It has few qualities to recommend it for ornamental planting.

+BLACK LOCUST+ _Robinia pseudoacacia_ L.

THE black locust is a native to the Appalachian Mountains but has been introduced into Illinois, and now occurs throughout the entire State growing on all soils and under all conditions of moisture except in swamps. It is found generally in thickets on clay banks and waste places or along fence rows.

Leaf, one-third natural size. Twig and flower, two-thirds natural size.]

The twigs and branchlets are armed with straight or slightly curved sharp, strong spines, sometimes as much as 1 inch in length which remain attached to the outer bark for many years. The _bark_ is dark brown and divides into strips as the tree grows older.

The _leaves_ are pinnate, or featherlike, from 6 to 10 inches in length, consisting of from 7 to 19 oblong thin leaflets.

The _flowers_ are fragrant, white or cream-colored, and appear in early spring in graceful pendent racemes. The _fruit_ is a pod from 3 to 5 inches long containing 4 to 8 small hard seeds which ripen late in the fall. The pod splits open during the winter, discharging the seeds. Some seeds usually remain attached to each half of the pod; the pod thus acts as a wing upon which the seeds are borne to considerable distances before the strong spring winds.

The _wood_ is yellow in color, coarse-grained, very heavy, very hard, strong, and very durable in contact with the soil. It is used extensively for fence posts, poles, tree nails, insulator pins and occasionally for lumber and fuel.

The tree is very rapid in growth in youth but short-lived. It spreads by underground shoots and is useful for holding and reclaiming badly gullied lands. The usefulness of the black locust is, however, very greatly limited by the fact that it is subject to great damage from an insect known as the locust borer.

+TREE OF HEAVEN+ _Ailanthus altissima_ Swingle

THIS tree is a native of China but planted in Illinois because of its tropical foliage. It has escaped and become naturalized. It is a handsome, rapid-growing, short-lived tree, attaining a height of 40 to 60 feet, and a trunk diameter of 2 to 3 feet. Its crown is spreading, rather loose and open. The twigs are smooth and thick with a large reddish-brown pith. The _winter buds_ are small, globular and hairy, placed just above the large leaf-scars.

Twig, one-half natural size. Leaf and fruit, one-fourth natural size.]

The _leaves_ are alternate, pinnately compound and one to three feet long. The leaflets number from 11 to 41, are smooth, dark green above, paler beneath, turning a clear yellow in autumn.

The _flowers_ appear soon after the leaves are full grown, on different trees, borne in large upright panicles. They are small yellow-green in color with 5 petals and 10 stamens. The staminate flowers have a disagreeable odor.

The _fruit_, ripening in October but remaining on the tree during the winter, is a one-seeded samara, spirally twisted, borne in crowded clusters.

The tree of heaven is useful for landscape planting, succeeding in all kinds of soils and all kinds of growing conditions. It makes a rapid showing and is practically free from all diseases and insect injury.

+SMOOTH SUMAC+ _Rhus glabra_ L.

THE smooth sumac is usually a tall shrub but occasionally it develops as a tree 20 to 25 feet tall with a trunk diameter of 6 to 10 inches. A few large spreading branches form a broad, flat, open head. The twigs are smooth and glabrous and have a thick, light brown pith with small round winter buds.

Twig, one-half natural size. Leaf and fruit, one-fourth natural size.]

The compound _leaves_ are 6 to 18 inches long, composed of 9 to 27 leaflets with sharply notched margins. They are dark green above, whitish beneath, changing to red, purple and yellow early in the autumn.

The _flowers_ are small and green, produced in dense terminal panicles. The _fruit_ is a small globose berry, covered with crimson hairs and has a pleasant acid taste. The conspicuous deep red panicles of fruit remain unchanged on the tree during the winter.

The _wood_ is light and of a golden yellow color. Either as a tree, or as a shrub, the smooth sumac is excellent for ornamental planting, being particularly desirable on terraces or hillsides, where mass effects are desired. It transplants very readily and spreads freely.

The staghorn sumac, _Rhus typhina_ L., is a slightly taller tree, as
it reaches a height of 20 to 35 feet, and a stem diameter of 8 to 12
inches. The twigs and leaves are similar to those of the smooth sumac
but are conspicuously hairy. Its occurrence is limited to the northern
part of the State.

The shining sumac, _Rhus copallina_ L., usually occurs in shrub form
but it occasionally reaches a height of 20 feet with a stem diameter
of 6 inches. The leaves are smooth above but somewhat hairy beneath
with a winged rachis and about 9 to 21 leaflets that are slightly
toothed. Late in the summer its foliage turns a brilliant red. The
fruit clusters are much smaller than the preceding species. It is
found throughout the State.

+SUGAR MAPLE+ _Acer saccharum_ Marsh.

THE sugar maple is an important member of the climax forests which stretch from Maine to Minnesota and southward to Texas and Florida. It is an associate of the hemlocks and the birches in the North, with the beeches and chestnuts through the middle states, with the oaks in the West and with the tulip and the magnolias in the South. In Illinois it is a common and favorite tree throughout the State. In the open it grows fairly rapidly and has a very symmetrical, dense crown, affording heavy shade. It is, therefore, quite extensively planted as a shade tree. The _bark_ on young trees is light gray and brown and rather smooth, but as the tree grows older, it breaks up into long, irregular plates or scales, which vary from light gray to almost black. The twigs are smooth and reddish-brown, and the _winter buds_ are smooth and sharp-pointed. The tree attains a height of more than 100 feet and a diameter of 3 feet or more. The sap yields maple sugar and maple syrup.

Leaf, one-third natural size.

Twig, one-half natural size.]

The _leaves_ are 3 to 5 inches across, simple, opposite, with 3 to 5 pointed and sparsely-toothed lobes, the divisions between the lobes being rounded. The leaves are dark green on the upper surface, lighter green beneath, turning in autumn to brilliant shades of dark red, scarlet, orange and clear yellow.

The _flowers_ are yellowish-green, on long threadlike stalks, appearing with the leaves, the two kinds in separate clusters. The _fruit_, which ripens in the fall, consists of a two-winged "samara", or "key", the two wings nearly parallel, each about 1 inch in length and containing a seed. It is easily carried by the wind.

The _wood_ is hard, heavy, strong, close-grained and light brown in color. It is known, commercially as hard maple, and is used in the manufacture of flooring, furniture, shoe-lasts and a great variety of novelties.

The black maple, _Acer nigrum_ Michx., occurs with the sugar maple
with darker bark. The leaves are usually wider than long, yellow-green
and downy beneath, and the base of the petioles enlarged. The two
lower lobes are very small; the lobes are undulate or entire.

+SILVER MAPLE+ _Acer saccharinum_ L.

THE silver or river maple, also called the soft maple, occurs on moist land and along streams. It attains heights of 100 feet or more and diameters of 3 feet or over. It usually has a short trunk which divides into a number of large ascending limbs. These again subdivide, and the branches droop but turn upward at the tips. The _bark_ on the old stems is dark gray and broken into long flakes or scales; on the young shoots it is smooth and varies in color from reddish to a yellowish-gray. The silver maple grows rapidly and has been much planted as a shade tree. Because of the brittleness of its wood, it is often damaged by summer storms and winter sleet.

Twig, one-half natural size. Leaf, one-third natural size.]

The _leaves_ are opposite on the stem, have from 3 to 5 lobes ending in long points with toothed edges and are separated by deep angular sinuses or openings; they are pale green on the upper surface and silvery-white underneath. The buds are rounded, red or reddish-brown, blunt-pointed; generally like those of red maple.

The _flowers_ appear in the spring before the leaves, in dense clusters, and are of a greenish-yellow color. The _fruit_ ripens in late spring. It consists of a pair of winged seeds or "keys" with wings 1 to 2 inches long on slender, flexible, threadlike stems about an inch long.

The _wood_ is soft, weak, even-textured, rather brittle, easily worked, and decays readily when exposed. It is considerably used for boxboards, furniture, veneers and fuel.

The red maple, or swamp maple, _Acer rubrum_ L., has leaves deeply
lobed with the lobes sharply toothed. The autumn color is deep red.
The flowers also are red and the fruit is small reddish, maturing late
in spring.

+BOX ELDER+ _Acer negundo_ L.

THE box elder is a fairly rapidly growing tree, found commonly along streams rather generally over the State. It is a tree of medium size, rarely reaching over 24 inches in diameter and 60 to 70 feet in height. It has been considerably planted for shade because in good soil its growth is rapid. Its limbs and branches, however, are fragile, and the tree as a whole is rather subject to disease. It is not long-lived or generally satisfactory for any purpose. It is prolific in reproduction but is largely destroyed by grazing and cultivation.

Twig, two-thirds natural size. Leaf, one-third natural size.]

The _bark_ on young branches is smooth and green to purple in color; on old trees it is thin, grayish to light brown and deeply divided.

The _leaves_ are compound, with usually 3 leaflets (rarely 5 or 7), opposite, smooth and lustrous, green, and borne on a leaf stem or petiole 2 to 3 inches long. The leaflets are 2 to 4 inches long by 1 to 2 inches wide, making the whole leaf 5 to 8 inches in length.

The _fruit_ is a samara, or key, winged similarly to that of a sugar maple, but smaller. It ripens in late summer or early fall, and so is like its close relative, the sugar maple, but unlike its close relatives, the red maple and silver maple.

The _wood_ is soft, light, weak, close-grained and decays readily in contact with heat and moisture. It is used occasionally for fuel.

The Norway maple, _Acer platanoides_ L., is a European species which
has been extensively planted. It forms a round, spreading crown of
stout branches with coarse twigs. The leaves resemble those of the
sugar maple but somewhat broader and the petioles exude a milky juice
when cut. The flowers are larger than those of our native maples and
fruit is large with diverging wings. It holds its leaves longer in the
fall and the autumn coloring is pale yellow. It succeeds well as a
city shade tree.

+OHIO BUCKEYE+ _Aesculus glabra_ Willd.

THE buckeye is rare in the northern fourth of Illinois, but is known in the rest of the State, forming no considerable part of the forest stand. It reaches a height of 60 to 70 feet and a diameter of 18 to 24 inches. The trunk is usually short, limby, and knotty. The crown or head, is generally open and made up of small spreading branches and twigs orange-brown to reddish-brown in color. The _bark_ is light gray and, on old trees, divided or broken into flat scales, which make the stem of the tree rough; the bark is ill-smelling when bruised.

Twig, two-thirds natural size. Nut, one-third natural size.

Leaf, one-quarter natural size.]

The _leaves_ are opposite on the twigs, compound and consisting of 5 long-oval, rarely 7, pointed, toothed, yellow-green leaflets, set like the fingers of a hand at the top of slender petioles 4 to 6 inches long. They usually turn yellow and then fall early in the autumn.

The _flowers_ appear after the leaves unfold; are cream-colored; in terminal panicles 5 to 7 inches long and 2 to 3 inches broad, quite downy.

The _fruit_ is a thick, leathery, prickly capsule about an inch in diameter, and, breaking into 2 or 3 valves, discloses the bright, shiny, mahogany colored seeds, or nuts.

The _wood_ is light, soft and weak, and decays rapidly when exposed. It is used for woodenware, artificial limbs, paper pulp, and for lumber and fuel.

The horse-chestnut, _Aesculus hippocastanum_ L., is a handsome
European tree with a very symmetrical crown. The flowers are larger
than those of our native species and add beauty to the foliage. It
forms a desirable shade tree.

+BASSWOOD+ _Tilia americana_ L.

THE basswood, or American linden, is a rather tall tree with a broad, round-topped crown. It ranges throughout Illinois and may be found wherever rich, wooded slopes, moist stream banks and cool ravines occur. It grows best in river bottoms, where it is common and forms a valuable timber tree, attaining a height of 80 feet and a diameter of 4 feet. The _bark_ is light brown, deeply furrowed and the inner bark furnishes bast for making mats.

Leaf, one-third natural size. Twig, one-half natural size.]

The _leaves_ are broadly heart-shaped, 3 to 6 inches long, coarsely saw-toothed, smooth on both sides, except for some hairs on the axils of the veins. They are dark above but light green beneath.

The _flowers_ are yellowish-white, in drooping clusters opening in early summer, and flower stem is united to the middle of a long narrow leaf-like bract. They are very fragrant and from them the bees make a large amount of choice grade honey.

The _fruit_ is a berry-like, dry, 1 or 2 seeded, rounded nutlet 1/4 to 1/2 an inch in diameter, covered with short, thick and brownish wool. It remains attached in clusters to the leafy bract, which later acts as a wing to bear it away on the wind.

The _wood_ is light, soft, tough, not durable, light brown in color. It is used in the manufacture of pulp, woodenware, furniture, trunks, excelsior and many other articles.

It makes a fine shade tree, grows rapidly and is easily transplanted.

The white basswood, _Tilia heterophylla_ Vent., is similar to the
preceding species, but with somewhat lighter bark. The leaves are
larger, dark yellow-green above, the under surface being generally
densely covered with short, silvery or gray hairs with tufts of brown
hairs in the axils of the veins. It is more plentiful in the southern
part of the State.

+FLOWERING DOGWOOD+ _Cornus florida_ L.

THE flowering dogwood is rare in the northern third of the State. It is a small tree, growing under the larger forest trees, usually 15 to 30 feet in height and 6 to 12 inches in diameter, with a rather flat and spreading crown and short, often crooked trunk. The _bark_ is reddish-brown to black and broken up into small 4-sided scaly blocks.

Leaf and flowers, one-half natural size. Twig, two-thirds natural size.]

The _leaves_ are opposite, ovate, 3 to 5 inches long, 2 to 3 inches wide, pointed, entire or wavy on the margin, bright green above, pale green or grayish beneath.

The _flowers_, which unfold from the conspicuous round, grayish, winter flower buds before the leaves come out, are small greenish-yellow, arranged in dense heads surrounded by large white or rarely pinkish petal-like bracts, which give the appearance of large spreading flowers 2 to 4 inches across.

The _fruit_ is a bright scarlet "berry", 1/2 inch long and containing a hard nutlet in which are 1 or 2 seeds. Usually several fruits, or "berries", are contained in one head. They are relished by birds, squirrels and other animals.

The _wood_ is hard, heavy, strong, very close-grained, brown to red in color. It is in great demand for cotton-mill machinery, turnery handles and forms. One other tree has quite similar wood--the persimmon.

The dogwood, with its masses of early spring flowers, its dark red autumn foliage and its bright red berries, is probably our most ornamental native tree. It should be used much more extensively in roadside and ornamental planting.

The alternate-leaved dogwood, _Cornus alternifolia_ L., occasionally
reaches tree size with long slender branches arranged in irregular
whorls giving the tree a storied effect. The flowers are small,
followed by blue-black fruit borne in loose red-stemmed clusters.

+SOUR GUM+ _Nyssa sylvatica_ Marsh.

THE sour gum, often called black gum, is found in many types of soil and in most conditions of soil moisture in southern Illinois, but it becomes rare in the northern half of the State. In lowlands, it is occasionally found in year-round swamps with cypress, and in the hills on dry slopes with oaks and hickories.

One-half natural size.]

The _leaves_ are simple, 2 to 3 inches long, entire, often broader near the apex, shiny, dark green in color. In the fall the leaves turn a most brilliant red.

The _bark_ on younger trees is furrowed between flat ridges, and gradually develops into quadrangular blocks that are dense, hard and nearly black. Most of the branches are nearly horizontal.