gion.

Maine,--frequent; New Hampshire,--in the highlands of the southern
section, and along the Connecticut river valley to a short distance
north of Windsor; Vermont,--frequent in the western part of the state,
and in the southern Connecticut valley (_Flora of Vermont_, 1900);
Massachusetts and Rhode Island,--frequent throughout, especially in the
highlands, less often near the coast; Connecticut,--widely distributed,
especially in the Connecticut river valley, but not common.

South to Delaware, along the mountains to Florida; west to
Minnesota and Kansas.

=Habit.=--A medium-sized or rather large tree, 50-75 feet high, with a
trunk diameter of 1-4 feet, often conspicuous along precipitous ledges,
springing out of crevices in the rocks and assuming a variety of
picturesque forms. In open ground the dark trunk develops a symmetrical,
wide-spreading, hemispherical head broadest at its base, the lower limbs
horizontal or drooping sometimes nearly to the ground. The limbs are
long and slender, often more or less tortuous, and separated ultimately
into a delicate, polished spray. Distinguished by its long
purplish-yellow, pendulous catkins in spring, and in summer by its
glossy, bright green, and abundant foliage, which becomes yellow in
autumn.

=Bark.=--Bark of trunk on old trees very dark, separating and cleaving
off in large, thickish plates; on young trees and on branches a dark
reddish-brown, not separating into thin layers, smooth, with numerous
horizontal lines 1-3 inches long; branchlets reddish-brown, shining,
with shorter lateral lines; season's shoots with small, pale dots. Inner
bark very aromatic, having a strong checkerberry flavor,--hence the
common name, "checkerberry birch"; called also "cherry birch," from the
resemblance of its bark to that of the garden cherry.

=Winter Buds and Leaves.=--Buds reddish-brown, oblong or conical,
pointed, inner scales whitish, elongating as the bud opens. Leaves
simple, in alternate pairs, 3-4 inches long and one-half as wide,
shining green above and downy when young, paler beneath and
silvery-downy along the prominent, straight veins; outline ovate-oval,
ovate-oblong, or oval; sharply serrate to doubly serrate; apex acute to
acuminate; base heart-shaped to obtuse; leafstalk short, often curved,
hairy when young; stipules soon falling.

=Inflorescence.=--April to May. Sterile catkins 3-4 inches long,
slender, purplish-yellow; scales fringed: fertile catk