The LEAVES are evergreen, thick, leathery, elliptical or oval, dark green and shiny above, rusty or silvery beneath, and mostly from 5 to 8 inches long, and 2 to 3 inches wide, with prominent midribs. They remain on the tree for approximately 2 years. The large FLOWERS are 6 to 8 inches broad, with pure white petals surrounding a splash of bright purple in the center, and have a pleasing fragrance. The FRUIT is a rounded or oval aggregate 3 to 4 inches long containing many seeds, each enclosed in a follicle. These open in the fall and display the bright red seeds dangling on slender threads. The WOOD is moderately heavy, hard, and of a creamy color. It is used chiefly for furniture, Venetian blinds, and fuel. SWEETBAY (Sweetbay Magnolia) Magnolia virginiana L. Sweetbay, better known locally as white or swampbay, is found in the southern part of the Texas pine belt to western Montgomery County, in swamps and rich, moist soils. Often appearing as a clump of sprouts in open woods, in dense forests it grows as a tree 60 to 90 feet high, and up to 3 feet in diameter. The bark is light gray; the branchlets silky-white. The LEAVES are simple, oblong, pale green above and hairy-white beneath, 4 to 6 inches long, 1 to 2 inches wide, remaining on sprout growth to spring, usually dropping from older trees in the fall. [Illustration: SWEETBAY (Leaf, one-third natural size; twig, two-thirds natural size; fruit, one-fourth natural size)] The fragrant FLOWERS, with 9 to 12 creamy-white petals on slender smooth stems, measure 2 to 3 inches across. They continue to open during several weeks of spring and early summer. The FRUIT aggregate or “bur” is oval-shaped, dark red or brown, about 2 inches long, and contains scarlet seeds which are usually oval, flattened, and less than ½ inch long. The WOOD is soft, creamy white to reddish, and is used for furniture, boxes, woodenware, and venetian blinds. PAWPAW Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal This odd and attractive tree does not grow abundantly in Texas and seems to be little known. It is found near streams in the extreme east portion of the state and in greater abundance in Harrison and Grayson Counties. It is seldom over 30 feet high with a trunk 8 or 10 inches in diameter. The BARK on young trees and branches is a smooth, clean brown; on older trees becoming blotched with gray, and bearing a few small wart-like excrescences. The LEAVES are obovate—lanceolate, 8 to 12 inches long, light, bright green above and paler below. The FLOWERS are strikingly characteristic. The three light green, hairy sepals are early deciduous. The outer three petals are a rich brownish-purple and deeply veined. The inner three petals are pointed, glandular, and erect.