CAROLINA BUCKTHORN
Rhamnus caroliniana Walt.
Growth Form: Small tree to 30 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 6 inches; crown spreading.
Bark: Gray, somewhat roughened.
Twigs: Slender, gray or pale brown, smooth or somewhat hairy; leaf scars alternate, crescent-shaped, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Lance-shaped, pointed, up to ¼ inch long, very hairy.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades elliptic, short-pointed at the tip, tapering or somewhat rounded at the base, up to 6 inches long, up to 2 inches broad, finely toothed or toothless along the edges, dark green, smooth, and glossy on the upper surface, paler and smooth or finely hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks finely hairy, up to 1 inch long.
Flowers: Few in umbrella-like clusters, inconspicuous, appearing when the leaves are nearly grown, each flower with 5 small petals.
Fruit: Spherical berries, up to ⅓ inch in diameter, red and shiny, containing 2-4 seeds.
Wood: Hard, light in weight, close-grained, light brown.
Use: Fuel.