146 WOODY PLANTS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



autumn. The rich and beautiful deep scarlet color, red dotted 

 with crimson, or orange scarlet, of the foliage of this oak, sepa- 

 rates it strikingly, at that season, from every other species. 



To obviate the difficulty of discrimination, I have brought 

 together the points of difference, by which they may be dis- 

 tinguished from each other, at any age or season. 



In the black oak, the leaves are broader and fuller towards the 

 end; larger, more nearly entire, and usually darker and thicker; 

 on small plants they are more full and more nearly entire ; 

 the footstalk is stouter ; the axils of the veins are very downy ; 

 and the leaf is more fully covered with down, on both surfaces, 

 when young. The buds are larger, grayish, and downy ; the 

 young branches and shoots stouter; the acorn cup has the upper 

 edge of the scales next the acorn loose and fringed. The stem 

 of the tree is blacker, particularly towards the base, rougher, 

 with chinks numerous, and black within ; and the old bark not 

 so fully covered with lichens. The kernel of the acorn, the 

 inside of the acorn cup, and the inner portions of the bark, are 

 of a rich orange color, and all intensely bitter. 



In the scarlet oak, growing in the same forests, the leaves 

 are fuller towards the middle, smaller, thinner, more deeply cut, 

 and of a lighter and livelier color; on small plants, more deeply 

 cut, but sometimes running down along the footstalk ; the foot- 

 stalk is longer and more slender, and both surfaces and the axils 

 of the veins are always less downy. Young branches and shoots 

 more slender and smooth ; buds smaller, conical, obtusely point- 

 ed, brownish, smooth ; in the acorn cup the extremity of the 

 scales closer, and not forming so much of a fringe next the acorn. 

 The stem is gray, with a bluish tinge, and less rough ; chinks 

 less numerous, light brownish within ; the old bark, where 

 smooth, covered with lichens. The kernel of the acorn and 

 inside of the acorn cup, are white or pale yellow; inner portions 

 of the bark reddish ; all much less bitter. 



The scarlet oak abounds in the eastern part of the State, 

 forming a considerable portion of the oak forests in Plymouth 

 and Bristol counties, and in the vicinity of Boston, — for thirty 

 or forty miles on every side. It is found, also, but far less 



