The leaves are simple, alternate, oval, long-pointed, doubly-toothed along the margin, 2 or 3 inches in length. They resemble those of the American elm, but are smaller and thinner.
The flowers, appearing after the leaves, are borne in catkins separately on the same tree; the staminate catkins are about 1½ inches long, the pistillate being only ¾ of an inch long with small leaf-like green scales each bearing 2 pistils with long scarlet styles.
The fruit ripens in midsummer, but often remains on the tree long after the leaves have fallen. It is a nutlet about ⅓ of an inch long, attached to a leaf-like halberd-shaped bract which acts as a wing in aiding its distribution by the wind.
The wood is tough, close-grained, heavy and strong. It is sometimes selected for use for levers, tool handles, wooden cogs, mallets, wedges, etc.
Another small tree of the birch family is the speckled alder, Alnus incana Moench, which is found occasionally in wet places in the northern part of the State. The black alder, Alnus glutinosa Gaertn., a European tree, has been planted near ponds. The flowers of the alders are in catkins and among the earliest in the spring. The fruit is a small cone which persists throughout the winter.
HOP HORNBEAM Ostrya virginiana K. Koch
THIS tree is also called ironwood and gets its common names from the quality of its wood and the hop-like fruit. It is a small, slender, generally round-topped tree, from 22 to 30 feet high and 7 to 10 inches in diameter. The top consists of long, slender branches, commonly drooped toward the ends. It is found throughout the State.