9 I TREES OF NEW ENGLAND. 



raised dots; season's shoots yellowish-green, with a tawny, 

 scurfy pubescence. 



Winter Buds and Leaves. Buds -J-J inch long, ovoid or 

 conical, covered with imbricated, brownish, minutely ciliate 

 scales. Leaves simple, alternate, 3-4 inches long and - 3 

 inches broad; when unfolding reddish above and woolly on 

 both sides, when mature yellowish-green and somewhat glossy 

 above, smooth except on the midrib, rusty-white, and pubescent 

 beneath: very variable in outline and in the number (3-7) 

 and shape of lobes, sometimes entire, oftenest obovate with 5 

 bristle-tipped angular lobes, the two lower much smaller ; base 

 unequal, wedge-shaped, tip obtuse or rounded; leafstalk short ; 

 stipules linear, soon falling. 



Inflorescence. Early in May. Appearing when the leaves 

 are half grown ; sterile catkins 2-4 inches long ; calyx pubes- 

 cent, lobes oftenest 2-3, rounded ; stamens 3-5 ; anthers red 

 or yellow : pistillate flowers numerous ; calyx lobes ovate, 

 pointed, reddish, pubescent ; stigmas 3, reddish, recurved, 

 spreading. 



Fruit. Abundant, maturing in the autumn of the second 

 year, clustered along the branchlets on stout, short stems : 

 cup top-shaped or hemispherical : acorn about ^ inch long, 

 varying greatly in shape, mostly ovoid or spherical, brown, 

 often striped lengthwise. 



Horticultural Value. - - Hardy in New England ; grows well 

 in dry, gravelly, ledgy, or sandy soil, where few other trees 

 thrive ; useful in such situations where a low growth is 

 required ; but as it is not procurable in quantity from nurs- 

 eries, it must be grown from the seed. The leaves are at 

 times stripped off by caterpillars, but otherwise it is not seri- 

 ously affected by insects or fungous diseases. 



Plate XLVII. Quercus ilicifolia. 



1. Flowering branch. 



2. Sterile flower, side view. 



3. Fertile flowers, side view. 



4. Fruiting branch. 



5. Variant leaves. 



