HOP TREE
Reading edition
Ptelea trifoliata, L.
Form.—A shrub occasionally attaining the size and form of a small tree.
Leaves.—Alternate, compound, 3-foliate, the leaflets entire, ovate, pointed, downy when young.
Flowers.—June; polygamous; small, greenish-white, arranged in compound terminal cymes.
Fruit.—A 2-celled, 2-seeded, nearly circular samara, winged all around, in drooping cymes; bitter, used as a substitute for hops.
Bark.—Smooth, light brownish-gray.
Range.—Long Island to Minnesota and southward.
Distribution in West Virginia.—Rare, collected in Summers and Morgan counties.
Habitat.—Prefers sandy soils of river banks.
Notes.—This small, shrubby tree is useful only for ornamental planting for which purpose it will be found very interesting and attractive.
