Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (20) View all

Common forest trees of North Carolina

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  • wcu_great_smoky_mtns-9710.jpg
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  • T TREES WHITE ELM (American Elm) (Vlmus americana L.) THE 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 and wet bottom lands. 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. The leaves are alternate, simple, 4 to 6 inches long, rather t h i c k, somewdiat one- sided, doubly toothed on the margin, and generally WHITE ELM Smooth Leaf, one-third natural size. aboye &nd downy below. The leaf veins are very pronounced and run in parallel lines from the midrib to leaf- edge. The flowers are small, perfect, greenish, on slender stalks sometimes an inch long, appearing before the leaves in very 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. A deep notch in the end of the wring is 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 diffi- cut to split. It is used for hubs of wheels, saddle trees, boats and 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. Twig one-half natural size. 48
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Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).