File:Bulletin (Pennsylvania Department of Forestry), no. 11 (1901) (20315838789).jpg

Title: Bulletin (Pennsylvania Department of Forestry), no. 11
Identifier: bulletinpennsylv11pennx (find matches)
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Pennsylvania. Dept. of Forestry
Subjects: Forests and forestry
Publisher: Harrisburg, Pa. : The Department : WM. Stanley Ray, state printer of Pennsylvania
Contributing Library: Penn State University
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation

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PLATE XLVI. GRAY BIRCH 1. FloweriiiR bran«-h witli immatuic leaves (») stauiinate flowers, (p) pistillate flowers, x h 'J. Branch with mature leaves and fruiting strobiles, x J. 3. A winged seed, enlarged. 4. A strobile scale, enlarged. . n. A winter bran* h with a i)artl.v developed terminal stammate ajnent, x *. U. Section of a winter twig, enlarged. 123 GRAY BIRCH Betula populifolia, Marshall FOKM—^A small tree asuallj occurring in clump« and attaining a height of 20-30 ft. with a diameter of 9 inches, but may reach a height of 45 ft. and a diameter of 18 inches. Trunk slender, often inclined, continuous, and covered with ascending lateral branches with drooping ends which form a narrow pyramidal, rather open, and (minted crown. BABE—^Dull white, close, smooth, not peeling oif into thin film-like layers but covered with triangular black spots below the insertion of the lateral branches. On old trunks black and roughened with fissures. Inner bark orange-yellow. See Figs. 85 and 90. TWIOS—Slender, greenish to l»rown, roughened by warty projections and by raised, pale, and horizontally-elongated lenticels, later smooth and dull white. BUDI^-Altemate, 2-ranked, ovate, 1/5 of an inch long, sharp-pointed, divergent, covered with 3-4 visible, smooth, slightly resinous, brovni bud-scales with downy margins. LEAVES—Alternate, simple, triangular, ovate, 2i-3 inches long, li-2 inches wide, wedge- shaped at base, decidedly serrate on margin, with long-toothed apex and long, slender petioles which cause the leaves to quiver when stimulated by a slight breeze only. LEAF-SCABS—See "Leaf-Scars" under Black Birch, page 124. FLOWEBS—^Appear about April before the leaves. Staminate occur in solitary or occasionally paired amenta wtilch are about li-H inches long and i of an inch wide during the winter, but develop in spring to a length of 2-4 inches. Pistillate are cylindrical, slender, about i of an inch long and stalked. FBXTIT—A slender, cylindrical, stalked strobile about I of an inch long and obtuse at the apex. Scales are small and downy; their lateral lobes broad and recurving, while the terminal one is rather straight and narrow. Seeds small, oval and winged. Wings are broader than the •eed. WOOD—Diffuse-porous; rays inconspicuous; light, soft, not strong, not durable; heartwood light brovra; sapwood light. Weighs 36 lbs per cubic foot. Used for fuel, and in the manufacture of paper pulp, spools, shoe pegs, and hoops for barrels. DJBTINOUISHIN'a CHABACTEBISTICS—The Gray Birch, also known as Oldfleld, White, Poverty, or Poplar Birch, can be distinguished from all the other Birches of Pennsylvania, except the native Paper Birch, and the commonly introduced European White Biroh, by its white bark which is never renewed when once removed. The bark is close, dull white, and marked with black triangular blotches just below the insertion of the lateral branches and does not peel off in thin paper-like layers like that of the Paper Birch. The Gray Birch is usually a small tree with a rather continuous trunk and frequently occurs in cliunps. The twigs of the Gray Birch are also rougher than the Paper Birch and its leaves are long-acuminate, while those of the Paper Birch are ovate. BAlfOE—^Nova Scotia south to Delaware and southern Pennsylvania, west to the southern shores of Lake Ontario. DISTBIBTJTION IN PENNSYLVANIA—Occurs chiefly in the northeastern and northern parts. Common in Monroe, Schuylkill and Pike counties. Abundant along streams in northern part of the State and on the piles of coal refuse (culm) in the anthracite region. Pure stands occur near Tamaqua, Schuylkill county. A few specimens found on the Knob of South Mountains, in Adams cotmty, and on the Tuscarora mountains west of Mercersburg in Franklin county near the Mason and Dixon line, and on Tussey mountain in Huntingdon county. A pure stand of medium and large trees occurs south of Baston, Northampton county. HABITAT—^Usually occvu-s on moist soil along streams, ponds, and lakes; also grows on hillsides and occasionally on rocky mountain tops. nCPOBTANCE OF THE SPECIES—The Gray Birch Is of little commercial value on account of the small size which it attains due to its short life. The existing stands should, however, be conservatively utilized. It cannot be recommended for forest planting, but is an extremely attractire tree for ornamental purposes.

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