438 



QuERCUS MINIMA (Sarg.) 



Qnercus virens van dentata Chapm. Fl. S. States, 421. i860. 



Not Q. dentata Bartr. 1794. 



Quercus Virgmianavzx. minima Sarg. Silva N. A. : lOi. 1895. 



A low shrub forming wide patches by the extensive spreading 

 of the underground stems. Branches erect or ascending, less than 

 I meter tall, solitary or several together, simple, or branched 

 above; leaves firm, obovate or sometimes oblong to oblanceolate, 

 3-10 cm. long, acute or apiculate at the apex, repand-serrate, or 

 the upper ones sometimes entire, those of the shoots often lobed, 

 all glabrous or finely tomentose beneath, gradually or abruptly 

 narrowed into short petioles which vary from 2-5 mm. in length ; 

 staminate aments very slender, 1-4 cm. long, tomentose ; acorns 

 solitary or several at the ends of peduncles which vary from 1-3 

 cm. in length, or sometimes sessile; cups turbinate hemispheric, 

 about 1.5 cm. broad, white-tomentose, the bracts appressed, thick- 

 ened on the back, except near its edge where they form a fringe ; 

 nuts ovoid or elliptic, 1.5-I.8 cm. long, dark brown, glabrous. 



Sandy sterile pine barrens, Florida, chiefly near the coast. 

 Flowers in March and April ; matures its fruit in the fall. 



This peculiar oak cannot pose as a variety of Qnercus Virgini- 

 ana under any reasonable considerations. It may be of interest 

 to note that it bears much the same relation to Qtiercus Virginiana 

 as Castanea nana does to Castanea pumila or Castanea dentata. 

 The habit of Quercus minima, with its underground stems, and 

 low erect branches which are usually much less than one meter in 

 height, is enough to separate it specifically from the gigantic forest 

 tree Quercus Virginiana. In addition to the differences in habit 

 just mentioned, the leaf types are characteristic and the nerves in 

 the leaves of Quercus minima are much more prominent than they 

 are in the live oak. The cups seem to furnish a diagnostic char- 

 acter, those of the Quercus minima being of a turbinate type, while 

 those of Quercus Virginiana are hemispheric. 



Quercus geminata n. sp. 



A shrub or small tree, 2-5 meters tall, with a maximum trunk 

 diameter of about 1 5 cm. Leaves narrowly oblong, elliptic, or ob- 

 long-oblanceolate, 3-6 cm. long, entire, obtuse or apiculate, 

 strongly revolute, mostly gradually narrowed at the base, glab- 

 rous and parchment-like above, finely tomentose and conspicu- 

 ously rugose by the prominent nerves beneath ; petioles 2-6 mm. 



