The Trees of Vermont 123 



FAGACEAE 



CLestmit Oak 

 Quercus prinus L. 



Habit.— A medium-sized tree 30-50 feet high, with a trunk di- 

 ameter of 1-2 feet; usually dividing near the ground into a few large 

 branches and forming a broad, open, rather irregular crown. 



Leaves. — Alternate, simple, 6-8 inches long and one-third to one- 

 half as broad ; lanceolate to obovate ; coarsely crenate ; thick and firm, 

 almost leathery ; glabrous, dark green above, paler and finely pubescent 

 beneath; petioles ^-1 inch long. 



Flowers. — May, with the leaves ; monoecious ; the staminate in 

 hairy catkins 2-2^ inches long; the pistillate in short spikes on stout, 

 pubescent peduncles ; calyx deeply 7-9-lobed, pale yellow, pilose ; corolla 

 ; stamens 7-9, with yellow anthers ; stigmas dark red. 



Fruit. — Autumn of first season ; short-stalked acorns ; cup thin, 

 deep, turbinate, inclosing one-half or less of the nut ; scales small, thin- 

 tipped, with thickened bases, hoary-pubescent ; nut ovoid to oblong- 

 ovoid, 1-1^^ inches long, light brown; kernel sweet, but insipid. 



Winter-buds. — Terminal bud }i-}i inch long, ovoid, sharp- 

 pointed ; scales light brown, slightly hairy toward the apex and on the 

 margin. 



Bark. — Twigs greenish, becoming orange and brown, with some- 

 what bitter taste ; thick, dark red-brown to nearly black on old trunks, 

 deeply fissured into thick, roughish ridges (a section through one of the 

 ridges would resemble an inverted letter V). 



Wood. — Heavy, hard, strong, tough, close-grained, dark brown, 

 with thin, lighter colored sapwood. 



Distribution. — Frequent throughout the western part of Ver- 

 mont from Charlotte to Pownal ; abundant on Snake mountain at an 

 altitude of 1,300 feet and on the western slopes of the Green mountains, 

 especially in Addison county. 



Habitat. — Dry, rocky hillsides. 



Notes. — The popular name of this oak is suggested by the marked 

 resemblance of its leaves to those of the chestnut. It is one of the 

 common oaks from Massachusetts and New York southward, forming 

 a large tree on rocky hillsides, often associated with the chestnut. The 

 line of its northern distribution passes through the Champlain valley. 

 It occurs probably also in the southeastern part of Vermont. The 

 acorns are large, one inch or more in length. The wood is hard and 

 tough and is used frequently for railroad ties. 



