The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1869-12-30
For the Record.
Trees and Shrubs of Ohio.
BY REV. G. II. WARREN.
THE SWEET GUM TREE,-(Liquidambar
Stwdcinue.)

lllul trees IN America, ana is
quite extensively diffused over
the United States. On The sea.
shore it is found growing as fal
north as Portsmouth, New
Hampshire; and it is found
Pbundantly as for south as the
Gulfof Mexico, and the Isthmus
of Darien. The leaves which
greatly resemble those Of the
Sugar Maple, are palmate, five
lobed, the lobes being Serrate
on the margin, and they pos
sess a dark color and firm tex.
ture. The flowers are incon.
spicuous. The fruit consists oi
a small bur, supported on a
long pedicle, being globular in
shape, somewhat resembling
that of the buttonwood, but
much rougher, and hristling
with points. Quite early in
the spring the male and female
catkins appear on the different
branches of the same tree
The woods beautiful, compact,
capable ofreceiving a fine pol.
iSh, and is employed in the
manufacturing of articles oil
furniture; it is also used for
lining mahogany, for bed
steads, and for a variety of pur.
poses i'll the interior of houses,
possessing great strength, but
requiring protection from the
weather. 1t otter attains to
the height Of a tree OF the larg-
er size I; where the soil is cons
genial to its growth it frequent
ly rises up majestically to the
height of sixty or seventy feet
with a beautiful clean trunk
from two to three feet in diam.
eter. In the dense forests ot
the sunny south, in soils which
are dampitdevelops its nnrival-
ed perfectic n, standing up with
its outshooting branches more
grandly than its surrounding
neighbors. This splendid tree
was first described by Span.
ish naturalist, DR.. Hernandes,
who observed that a fragrant
and transparent gum issued
from its trunk in that country,
to which from its appearance,
he gave the name of liquid
amber. This is now the com-
mon name of the tree in Europe,
and generally in our country.
The gum is at present an article
of expert from Mexico, being
greatly valued in Medicine as
a styptic, and for its healing
and balsami properties. "Thi'
substance, which in the shops
is sometimes called the white
balsam ofPeru, or liquid Storox
when it first issues from
the tree, perfectly liquid and
clear, white with a slight tinge
of yellow, quite balsamic ; ant
having a most agreeable fra
GRANGE, resembling that of am
bergris or styrox. tits a slim
ulant and aromatic and ha
long been used in in Franc,
as a perfume, especially 70
gloves" The balsamac liquid
from which the tree receive
both its generic and specifi
names, does not appear to b
developed at the North, but il
the Middle States a fragran
substance sometimes exude
from the leaves, and by Incl
sion, small quantities Of tn
gum may be procured from tn
trunk; a warmer climate ap
pears to be necessay to its pro
duction in considerable quaint
ties. In taking a survey owe
our grand and wide, extende'
forest we can scarcely find
more beautiful and interesting
tree, In every stage of growth
and during every season of tn
year, than the Sweet Gum o
Liquid Amber. During tn
entire summer months, Will,
the golden sun pours ont hi