Part 37

+Swamp White Oak. Swamp Oak+

Quercus bicolor Willd. [Quercus platanoides (Lam.) Sudw.]

HABIT.--A large tree 50-70 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 2-3 feet; forming a rather open, rugged crown of tortuous, pendulous branches and short, stiff, bushy spray.

LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 5-7 inches long, 3-5 inches broad; obovate to oblong-obovate; coarsely sinuate-crenate or shallow-lobed; thick and firm; dark green and shining above, whitish and more or less tomentose beneath; petioles stout, about 1/2 inch long.

FLOWERS.--May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate in hairy catkins 3-4 inches long; the pistillate tomentose, on long, tomentose peduncles, in few-flowered spikes; calyx deeply 5-9-lobed, yellow-green, hairy; corolla 0; stamens 5-8, with yellow anthers; stigmas bright red.

FRUIT.--Autumn of first season; acorns on pubescent stems 1-4 inches long, usually in pairs; cup cup-shaped, with scales somewhat loose (rim often fringed), inclosing one-third of the nut; nut ovoid, light brown, pubescent at the apex, about 1 inch long; kernel white, sweet, edible.

WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud 1/8 inch long, broadly ovoid to globose, obtuse; scales light brown, pilose above the middle.

BARK.--Twigs at first lustrous, green, becoming red-brown, finally dark brown and separating into large, papery scales which curl back; thick, gray-brown on the trunk, deeply fissured into broad, flat, scaly ridges.

WOOD.--Heavy, hard, strong, tough, coarse-grained, light brown, with thin, indistinguishable sapwood.

DISTRIBUTION.--Southern half of Lower Peninsula.

HABITAT.--Prefers moist, rich soil bordering swamps and along streams.

NOTES.--Fairly rapid in growth and reasonably easy to transplant.

1. Winter twig, × 2. 2. Leaf, × 1/2. 3. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2. 4. Staminate flower, enlarged. 5. Pistillate flower, enlarged. 6. Fruit, × 1.]

+FAGACEAE+

+Chinquapin Oak. Chestnut Oak. Yellow Oak+

Quercus muhlenbergii Engelm. [Quercus acuminata (Michx.) Houba]

HABIT.--A medium-sized tree 40-50 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 1-3 feet; erect, somewhat short branches form a narrow, rounded crown.

LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 4-7 inches long, 1-4 inches broad; oblong-lanceolate to obovate; coarsely toothed; thick and firm; lustrous, yellow-green above, pale-pubescent beneath; petioles slender, about 1 inch long.

FLOWERS.--May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate in hairy catkins 3-4 inches long; the pistillate sessile or in short spikes, hoary-tomentose; calyx campanulate, 5-8-lobed, yellow, hairy; corolla 0; stamens 5-8, with yellow anthers; stigmas red.

FRUIT.--Autumn of first season; sessile or short-stalked acorns; cup with small scales, hoary-tomentose, inclosing one-half of the nut; nut ovoid, about 3/4 inch long, light brown; kernel sweet, sometimes edible.

WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud 1/8 inch long, conical, acute; scales chestnut-brown, scarious on the margin.

BARK.--Twigs greenish at first, becoming gray-brown, finally gray or brown; thin, silvery gray or ash colored and flaky on the trunk.

WOOD.--Heavy, very hard, strong, close-grained, durable, dark brown, with thin, pale brown sapwood.

DISTRIBUTION.--Confined to the southern half of the Lower Peninsula.

HABITAT.--Prefers a limestone soil; dry hillsides; rich bottom-lands; rocky river-banks.

NOTES.--Grows uniformly until maturity. Leaves resemble those of the Chestnut. A form which differs from the type in having broader, obovate leaves broadest above the middle and a flaky bark has been described and named Quercus Alexanderi Britton.

1. Winter twig, × 1. 2. Leaf, × 1/2. 3. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2. 4. Staminate flower, enlarged. 5. Pistillate flower, enlarged. 6. Fruit, × 1.]

+FAGACEAE+