BETULACEAE - - Birch Family

Carpinus caroliniana Walter — American Hornbeam

Other common names: Ironwood, Muscle-tree, Water-beech, Blue-beech

American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) is a small tree, 20 to 40 ft. high and up to 2 ft. in diameter, with a short, irregular, fluted trunk and round-topped crown. Leaves are alternate, simple, 2 to 4 in. long, 1 1/2 to 2 in. wide, oblong-ovate, finely doubly serrate, thin and firm in texture, smooth above, smooth or finely hairy below. The flowers are borne separately on the same tree; the male in catkins, the female in spikes or short catkins. The fruit is a nutlet borne at the base of a three-lobed leafy bract, a number of which are arranged spirally to form a conelike cluster. The bark is smooth, dark bluish gray; trunk fluted giving it the characteristic muscular appearance.

Habitat:

An understory tree found on deep, rich, moist loams, along streams, in swamps and wet bottoms in association with many hardwoods.

The native range of Carpinus caroliniana (American Hornbeam)

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2015. North American Plant Atlas. (http://bonap.net/napa). Chapel Hill, N.C. [maps generated from Kartesz, J.T. 2015. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP). (in press)].

The Georgia range of Carpinus caroliniana (American Hornbeam)

Zomlefer, W.B., J.R. Carter, & D.E. Giannasi. 2014 (and ongoing). The Atlas of Georgia Plants. University of Georgia Herbarium (Athens, Georgia) and Valdosta State University Herbarium (Valdosta, Georgia). Available at: http://www.georgiaherbaria.org/.