FAGACE^ 



235 



often striate and puberulous, inclosed for one third to one half its length in a turbi- 

 nate or cup-shaped cup gradually narrowed at the base, thin, light red-brown, pu- 

 berulous on the inner surface, and covered by narrow ovate obtuse or truncate 

 brown pubescent closely appressed scales. 



A tree, 60-70 high, with a short trunk rarely 3 in diameter, much forked 

 branches ascending above and often pendulous low on the stem, forming a narrow 

 oblong head, and slender branchlets covered at first with matted pale hairs, bright 

 reddish brown during their first winter, becoming dark gray-brown or reddish brown 

 in their second season. Wiiiter-buds ovate, obtuse, or acute, sometimes slightly 

 angled, about ^long, with ovate or oval red-brown lustrous slightly puberulous outer 

 scales ciliate on the margins. Bark thin, light yellow internally, close, rather 

 smooth, divided by shallow connected fissures into thin plates, dark brown near the 

 base, dull above, gray-brown and only slightly furrowed on the large branches. 



Distribution. In the neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, to eastern Iowa and 

 southeastern Minnesota. 



5. Quercus Texana, Buckl. Red Oak. 



Leaves obovate, truncate or abruptly or rarely gradually wedge-shaped at the 

 base, divided by wide or narrow oblique sinuses rounded at the bottom into usually 

 7 rarely 9 or sometimes 5 lobes, the terminal lobe oblong, dentate or entire toward 

 the acute apex, with two spreading lateral teeth, the lateral lobes contracted below 

 the broad apex or occasionally tapering from the base and coarsely repand-dentate 

 above the middle, when they unfold light red and covered with pale scurfy pu- 

 bescence, at maturity thin and firm, bright green, lustrous and glabrous above, paler, 



r^ 



with large tufts of pale hairs in the axils of the primary veins below, 2l'-6' long, 

 2'-5' wide, with slender red or yellow midribs, late in the autumn turning gradually 

 dark vinous red or brown, or often falling with only a slight change of color; their 

 petioles slender, nearly terete, reddish, l'-2' long. Flovrers : staminate in slender 

 slightly pubescent aments 2'-3' long; calyx thin, villous on the outer surface, divided 

 into 4 or 5 acute laciniately cut segments ; pistillate on short hoary-tomentose pe- 

 duncles, their involucral scales brown tinged with red, pubescent; stigmas bright 

 red. Fruit sessile or stalked, usually solitary; acorn oval, abruptly narrowed and 



