8 4 2 A R B O R E T U M E T F R U T I C E T U M B R I T A N N I C U M . L X I X . a e t u i . a ' c e æ : b e ' t u l a . 8 4 3
A vei'y graceful tre e, with ra th e r broader
leaves than th e common birch. The wood is
very soft, brilliant when polished, and perfectly
white ; but it speedily decays, and, in America,
is employed for no purpose, not even for fuel.
Th e twigs are to o brittle for common brooms.
When th e plants are raised from seed, they
make very handsome trees ; and, as seed is
freely produced, this mode ought always to be
adopted ; b u t plants from layers seldom attain
any magnitude.
¥ 8 . R . p a p y r a ' c e a Ail. Th e P ap e r Birch.
I d e n t i f i c a t io n . A it. H o r t . K ew ., 3 . p, 337. ; N . D u H am .
3 . p . 2 05. ; P u r s h F l . A m e r . S e p t ., 2. p . 621.
S y n o n ijm e s . B . p p y r i f e r a M ic k x . F l. B o r . A m e r . 2. p . 180. •
B . la n c e o là t a H o r t. ; B . r i ib r a L o d d . Cat. e d . ] 836 ; B .
c a n a d e n s is L o d d . Cat. ; B . n i g r a q f tk e P a r i s n u r s e r i e s :
C a n o e B i r c h , w h i t e B i r c h , A m e r . ; B e tu l a d a c a r t a I t a l
E n g r a v in g s . M ic h x . N . A m e r. S y l ., 2. t . 3 5 . ; t h e p la te o f
t h i s t r e e in A rb . B r i t . , 1st e d i t . , v o l. v ii. ; a n d o u t f i g s . 1.535.
a n d 1536.
fr e e . Char., f r . Leaves ovate, acuminate,
doublj' sen-ate ; veins hairy beneath ; petiole
glabrous. Female catkins on long footstalks,
1534. ß . populifòlia.
drooping ; scales having th e side lobes short, somewhat orbiculate. ( fFd/d )
somewhat orbiculate. (Willd.)
wri® ‘re®’ Hréeht 6 0 ft. to 7 0 ft. Introduc ed iii
17o0. Flowers greenish white ; May and Ju n e . F ru it b row n ; ripe in
October. Decaying leaves greenish yellow.
Varieties.
S B. p . 2 fú sca . B . fosca Bosc. — Leaves smaller than those o f th e spe-
Cies, and less down}'.
¥ B. 3 trickóclada H o rt. — B ranches extremely hairy, and twio-s in
thre es ; leaves heart-shaped. H o rticu ltu ra l Society’s Garden.
¥ B. p . 4 p la typ h jlla H o rt. — Leaves very broad. H o rt. Soc. Garden.
T h e branches are much less flexible th an those
of th e common birch, and are more ascending in
direction. T h e bark, in Canada and th e district
o f Maine, is employed
for many
purposes. I t is
placed in large ■
pieces immediateiy
under th e shingles
o f the roof, to
prevent th e water
from penetrating
through it. Baskets,
boxes, and
portfolios are made
o f it, which are
sometimes embroidered
with silk of
different colours.
Divided into very
thin sheets, il forms
a substitute for
p ap e r; and, placed
1535. Ji. papyïàcêa.
between th e soles o f th e shoes, and in th e crown o f th e h at (as th e bark of
th e birch o f Eu ro p e is in Lapland), it is a defence against humidity. B u t the
most important purpose to which it is applied, and one in which it is replaced
by the bark oi no o th e r tree, is th e construction o f canoes. The plant
usually known by th e name o f R . papyràcea, in th e London nurseries, is the
R. riibra o f Michaux, ju n ., th e R . lanulòsa o f Michaux, sen., and our R . nigra.
No. 9. This mistake has arisen from th e bark o f R . nigra, even in trees not
above 1 in. in diameter, separating from th e tru n k , and rolling up in very thin
pciper-like laininæ,
¥ 9. R. n T g r a L . Th c black Birch.
N . D u H am . , 3. p . 20.3.
P u r s h F l . A m e r . S e p t. 2. p . 621. ; :
Id en tiJicaU o n . W i lk i . S p . P l . , 4. p . 4 6 L ;
SiiH u n ym es. B . la n u lO s a M tc h x . b l . B o r . A m e r •..
2. p . 181. ; ? B . r ù b r a M ic h x . A ■r b ■ . 2 ■ . p .
1 6 2 .; B .
an ^ 'u làc a L o d d . Cat. e d . 1 8 3 6 ; r e d B i r c h , A m e r •.. ,; B e .......................................
tu l a d a C a n o a , I t a l .
E n s r a v in g s . D e n d . B r i t . , t . 153. ; M ic h x . F L B o r . A m e r., 2. t . 3 . ; B o t . C a b ., t . 1248. ; th e p la te s
o f th i s t r e e in A rb . B r i t . 1 s t e d i t . , v o l. v ii. ; a n d o u t f i g s . 1537. a n d 1538.
Spec. Char., 4c. Leaves rhomboid-ovate, doubly serrated, acute ; pubescent
beneath, entire a t th e base. Scales o f th e strobiles villose; segments
linear, equal. (W illd .) A deciduous tree, with th e bark rising in very
1538. B. nigra.
thin paper-like laminae.
New Jersey to Carolina.
Height 60 ft. to 70 ft. In troduc
ed in 1736. Flowers
greenish w h ite ; Ma}’.
F ru it brown ; ripe in June.
The epidermis is reddish,
o r o f a cinnamon
colour. T h e petioles are
sh o rt and downy. The
leaves, on young trees, are
about 3 in. long, and 2 in.
broad, o f a light green on
th e u p p er surface, and
whitish beneath, though on
old tre es they are much
smaller : they are doubly
denticulated a t th e edge,
very acuminate a t th e summit,
and terminated a t th e base in an acute angle, more regular than is seen in
the leaf o f any oth e r tre e. T h e female catkins in America are 5 or 6 inches long,
straight, and nearly cylindrical; about London, they a re n o t h a lf th e size.
¥ 10. R. e x c e ' l s a I f . Keiv. Th e tall Birch.
I d e n ti fic a tio n . A it.
H o r t . K e w . , 3. p .
3 3 7 . ; P u r s h F l .
A m e r . S e p t . , 2 . p .
2 6 1 . ; N . D u H am .,
3 . p . 203.
S y n o n y m e s . B . l ù t e a
M ic h x . N . A m e r . S y l.
2 . ! 0 3 . ; ? - 5 . n i g r a D «
H o t H e r b . B a u m . 1.
p . 148. ; y e llow B i r c h ,
A m e r .
E n g r a v in g s . M ic h x .
N . A m e r . S y l ., 2.
103. ; W a t s . D e n d .
B r i t . , t . 95. ; N . D u
H a m . , 3 . t . 5 2 . ;W '! l l d .
B a u m . , t . 1. f . 2. ;
a n d o u r fig . 1539.
f rom M ic h a u x , a n d
f i g . 1540. f ro m th e
N o u v . D u H am .
Spec. Char., 4c.
Leaves ovate,
acute, serrated ;
petioles pubescent,
shorter
than thc pedim- laio. «.encó-sa