AMERICAN BASSWOOD (Leaf and [fruit], one-third natural size; twig, one-half natural size)
The LEAVES are more or less heart-shaped, 3 to 6 inches long, thin, saw-toothed, smooth on both sides in some species, but woolly on the under surface of others.
The fragrant FLOWERS, a favorite of bees, are yellowish-white, in drooping clusters opening in early summer, and the flower-stem is united to the middle of a long, narrow, leaf-like [bract].
The [FRUIT], a dry, 1 to 2-seeded nut-like [drupe], ¼ to ½ inch in diameter, is covered with short, thick, gray-brown wool. It remains attached in clusters to the leafy [bract], which later acts as a wing to bear the fruit away in the wind.
The WOOD is light, soft, tough, not durable, and light brown in color. It is used in states where the growth is better for the manufacture of pulp, woodenware, furniture, trunks, excelsior, and many other articles. The principal use of basswoods in Texas is for shade and ornament.
DEVILS-WALKINGSTICK (Hercules-Club)
Aralia spinosa L.
This tree, a native of Northeast Texas, is armed from the ground up with many sharp spines, a characteristic that has given the tree many names such as Hercules-club, prickly-elder, and prickly-ash. The last name properly belongs to another tree. Devils-walkingstick possesses sufficient beauty to compensate for its spitefulness. The tree is usually small, but occasionally attains a height of 30 feet, the leaves forming a flat-topped, spreading [crown].
DEVILS-WALKINGSTICK (Branch, one-half natural size; leaf and [fruit] greatly reduced)
The brown [BARK] is divided by broad shallow [fissures] into circular, horizontal ridges. The sharp spines along its trunk best identify this tree.