shallow cup which is found only in this group, altho all members 

 of the group do not have this type of acorn. Those of the laurel 

 oak will, except by the botanist, not be distinguished from those 

 of the willow and water oaks. All possess a deep yellow uneatable 

 kernel and hence may generally Idc found beneath the trees. 



Willow and water oaks. The li^T and the laurel oaks are 

 truly evergreen, that is, they hold their leaves over from one 

 season to the next, shedding only a portion each year. As par- 

 tially evergreen may be classified the willow and the water oaks, 

 which are this month still bearing a certain proportion of green 

 leaves along with many partially or wholly dead ones. Unlike 

 the two former, these trees will give up all of last velar's leaves 

 and in the spring be clothed in an entirely new set. 



Willow and laurel oaks. Most difficult to distinguish of 

 the oaks about Charleston have been the laur(4 and the willow, 

 especially early in the winter, wh(ni the willow oak is still green. 

 But at the present time the more evergreen character of the laurel 

 oak will generally prove a safe guide. It would be well for mem- 

 bers of the Natural History Societ to study these two trees now 

 while they may be most easily differentiated. A good example of 

 the willow oak may be seen in Cannon Park. It has a smooth 

 light gray trunk and a symmetrical dome-shaped crown. The 

 willow and laurel oak leaves are very similar, particularly in 

 autumn, but the former are typically longer and proportionally 

 narrower. Th(^ young leaves in shape and texture, resemble 

 those of the willow tree, hence the name. 



Water oak. No tree shows greater variation in the shape of 

 its leaves than the water oak, yet few are more easily recognized. 

 No matter how many forms the leaves may assume, among them 

 will be found the type, a leaf broadly rounding at the apex and 

 narrowing down to the petiole in almost perfect wedge fashion. 

 Once this leaf is known the tree cannot be mistaken. This is 



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