Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 3 · column 3 of 6 · from the scan, no model involved
Nyssa is widest above the middle of the leaf; dogwood leaves are widest at the exact center of the leaf. Once I pointed that out, students quickly grasped the difference between the two trees.
Besides that, bla’gum leaves are glossily green, looking almost as if they might be evergreen. They are not, as my single crimson leaf on one tree proves. ' If a number of common names indicate affection and awareness among regular folk, the amount written about Nyssa sylvatica reveals its popularity among botanists. In researching the tree for this column I found page after page of description. Writers seemed to be trying to outdo themselves in communicating affection for this tree.
Trees of the Southeastern States (by William C. Coker and H. Roland Totten, The University of North Carolina Press, 1945) is sadly out of
frint. It is a favorite of mine. am not sure whether that is because it is a thorough and informative book or because Roland Totten was my inspired and inspiring teacher. To him, I owe my love of trees. This well-illustrated and gracefully written book occasionally turns up in second hand stores.
In reading the account of bla’gum in what I call “Dr. Totten’s book,” I found the following: “A conspicuous characteristic of the Black Gum is the way in which the tree begins to ‘grow shorter’ upon reaching old age. For many years the Black Gum holds a bald stump aloft above its green branches as death, followed by decay at a respectful distance, creeps down from the top.”
Now I will keep a close look out for a bla’gum growing shorter with age. May death continue to follow at a “respectful distance.”
94.0%