307 



which were considered hybrids, and an enumeration of twenty was 

 the result. Three of these were Q. Rudkini and the others either 

 typical Q. heterophylla or else members of the same series, show- 

 ing Q. Phellos to be undoubtedly at one extreme and some one 

 of the broad, lobed-leaved species at the other. Not more than 

 fifteen trees of Q. Phellos were noted. The trees of Q. Rudkini 

 are mostly low, with dark green coriaceous fohage, showing their 

 relationship to Q. nigra. These, however, need not concern us, 

 as I consider their proper status and relationship to be definitely 

 settled, so that in what follows I shall confine myself to a discus- 

 sion of the forms which include Q. heterophylla. These are evi- 

 dently designed to be large, the tallest one being about 50 feet 

 in height and 3 feet 8 inches in circumference, and having the 

 appearance of a young and vigorous growing tree. The leaf 

 and fruit of this tree are shown at fig. i, plate LXXXV. As a 

 rule the largest trees are those having the leaves most cut or lobed 

 and the largest acorns, while the smaller trees approach nearer to 

 the Phellos type. The leaves upon each tree, however, vary a 

 great deal, although there is generally enough of some one pre- 

 vailing form to give to each a decided individuality, and if they 

 could he arranged side by side according to leaf form a graduated 

 series would be the result, showing an almost imperceptible change 

 from member to member. 



The petioles are of medium length, varying from ^ in. in the 

 large, deeply lobed leaves, to i^ in. in the entire leaved forms. 

 The margins are either entire, wavy, lobed on one or both sides, 

 or sinuate toothed with the teeth bristle pointed. In some there 

 are bristles on the margin where a tooth or lobe is merely indi- 

 cated by a slight inequality. As a rule they are rather thin, 

 green both sides, somewhat tomentose along the midrib or at the 

 junction of the midrib and main veins. In others the texture is 

 somewhat coriaceous — approaching forms of Q. Rudkini. Fig. 3, 

 Plate I XXXIV. represents an anomalous form, with thin, spar- 

 ingly lobed leaves, covered over the entire under surface with a 

 close light brown tomentum. The acorn is globose, flattened and 

 with a deeper cup than the others. The general habit of the tree 

 is slender and willow like, and it hardly appears to be a member 

 of the series. 



