THE OAKS WITH ACORNS. 



169 



yellowish and rusty colored below. In autumn it 

 turns brown or brown-yellow. The acorn has a 

 coarse-scaled, top-shaped cup which half covers the 

 nut. It is nearly but not quite stemless. 



The black Jack oak is common in sandy barrens, 

 and extends from Long Island southward to Tampa 

 Bay, Florida, and westward to southeastern Nebraska 

 and Texas, including portions of the intermediate 

 country. It is a small tree, 20 to 

 30 or rarely 50 feet high. 



Laurel or Shingl* Oak. The laurel or 

 Quercus imbricaria. shingle Oak 



grows from 30 to 60, and in low, 

 rich grounds occasionally 100 feet 

 high. Its leaf is similar to that 

 of the laurel ; thick, stiff, dark 

 green, smooth, and lustrous above, 

 and pale green and downy below. 

 In autumn it turns a rich, leather- 

 red color. The acorn has a globu- 

 lar nut and a thin cup with close- 

 pressed scales. The kernel is bitter. 

 The bark is light brown, and has 

 close, ruddy scales. The wood from an early date 

 has been used in the making of shingles hence the 

 name " shingle oak." This species is commonly 

 found in rich woodlands from Lehigh County, Pa., 



Laurel Oak. 



