Leaf: Alternate, simple, pinnately veined with a doubly serrate margin. Leaves are elliptical in shape with an acuminate tip.

Flower: Does not have preformed staminate aments. Female aments are paired, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long. Flowering from March to June.

Fruit: Hanging on a stalk nutlet carried by a 3-lobed leafy bract that is 1 inch long. Maturing from August to October.

Twig: Slender, somewhat zigzag, brown to gray in color. Buds are brown, angled, and somewhat silky, approximately 1/4 inch or less in length.

Bark: Thin, smooth, and gray to bluish gray in color. The trunk is fluted, resulting in a muscular appearance.

Form: A small, nearly shrubby tree with a rounded crown and a twisted trunk.

Copyright (c) 2001 Santee-Wateree Resource Conservation and Development Council.
This page was last updated on October 29, 2001.

_______________________________________________