This tree closely resembles its brother, the black gum-tree, except in its fruit, which is larger, its wood softer, and it has a stone that is deeply grooved on both sides; its fruit is intensely acrid. It attains a height of seventy or eighty feet, with a diameter of four or five feet at the surface of the earth, and at about six or seven feet a diameter of thirty to forty inches. "When the leaves first unfold themselves in the spring they are downy, but as they gradually spread out they become smooth on both sides. The wood is extremely white and reasonably soft when unseasoned, but very light and hard when dry; and, as it possesses the same beautiful grain as the other members of this species, it is made into bowls, platters, trays, etc. The roots when seasoned are so light that they take the place of cork, and are much used by the fishermen to buoy up their nets. Its fruit is esteemed a delicacy, and is sold under the name of the Ogeechee lime, for the purpose of preserving in sugar, which, when properly prepared, is said to possess a most delicate and delicious flavor.