Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (20) View all

Common forest trees of North Carolina

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Item’s are ‘child’ level descriptions to ‘parent’ objects, (e.g. one page of a whole book).

  • FOREST TRE ^e> ■mp-zz?"^ -<5>.-m><z&- BLACK WILLOW (Salix nigra Marsh.) THE black willow is common along streams throughout the State except in the high mountains. It rarely comes to be over 50 feet in height and is frequently found growing singly or in clumps along the water courses. In winter the easily separable, bright reddish-brown or golden, naked twigs are quite conspicuous. The leaves are from 3 to 6 inches, long and less than one- half an inch wide; the tips are very much tapered and the entire margins finely toothed. The leaves are bright green on both sides, turning pale yellow in the early autumn. The flowers are in catkins, the male and female on separate trees. The fruit is a pod bearing numerous minute seeds which are furnished wPth long silky down, enabling them to be blown long distances. The bark is deeply divided into broad, flat ridges which separate into thick plate-like scales. On old trees it becomes very shaggy. In color it varies from light brown tinged with orange to dark brown or nearly black. The wood is soft, light and not strong. A high grade of charcoal, used in the manufacture of gunpowder, is obtained from willow wood, and it is the chief wood used in the manufacture of artificial limbs. There are many species, or kinds, of willows not easily distinguished. They are of high value in checking soil erosion and waste along stream banks, for which purpose they should be more extensively grown. fe 25 BLACK WILLOW Two-thirds natural size.
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Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).