=2.= =Alnus rugòsa= (Du Roi) Sprengel. Smooth Alder. Plate 37. Shrubs with fluted or angled trunks, resembling _Carpinus_; bark thin, smooth or nearly so, reddish-brown, weathering gray; twigs hairy at first, becoming gray or reddish-brown by the end of the season and more or less glabrous and covered with small dark specks; leaves obovate, barely acute or rounded at apex, wedge-shape at base, average blades 6-10 cm. long, hairy on both surfaces while young, becoming smooth or nearly so above, remaining more or less hairy beneath, especially on the veins, under surface of leaves sufficiently glutinous to adhere to paper if pressure be applied, margins set with short callous teeth, about .5-1 mm. long; fertile catkins cone-shape, 10-20 mm. long and about 7 mm. in diameter, borne at the ends of branches in clusters of 2-5. =Distribution.=--Maine to Minnesota, south to Florida and Texas. In Indiana it is quite local. It has been reported in many of the counties of northern Indiana north of the Wabash River. It has been found in several of the southern counties and as far north as Salt Creek in Monroe County. No reports for the central part of the State. It is absent also in all of the eastern counties of the State, and the western part of Ohio. It is found growing in clumps in wet woods, swamps, cold bogs and along streams. It is usually a tall slender shrub; however, a specimen has been seen that measured 7 cm. in diameter and 5 m. in height. =Remarks.=--Of no value except for ornamental planting in wet ground. =FAGÀCEAE.= The Beech Family. Trees with simple, alternate, petioled leaves; flowers of two kinds; fruit a one-seeded nut. This is the most important family of trees occurring in the State. [Illustration: Plate 37. ALNUS RUGOSA (Du Roi) Sprengel. Smooth Alder. (× 1/2.)] Winter buds long and slender, at least 4 times as long as wide; staminate flowers in globose heads on drooping peduncles; nuts sharply 3-angled 1 Fagus. Winter buds not long and slender and less than 4 times as long as wide; staminate flowers in slender catkins; nuts not as above. Staminate catkins erect or spreading; nut flattened on one side and enclosed in a spiny, woody husk 2 Castanea. Staminate catkins drooping; nuts not flattened on one side, seated in a scaly, woody cup 3 Quercus. =1. FÀGUS.= The Beech.