84 Native Trees of Canada 



The leaves in outline resemble those of the white oak of the East. They are 

 deep green in colour, and shiny and smooth on the upper surface. In texture they 

 are leather}^ and thick. 



The acorn is large and the cup is shallow and hairy. The kernel is sweet. 



QUERCUS STELLATA, Wang. POST OAK 



Common name: Post oak. 

 French names: Chene a lobes obtus, chene etoile. 



It has been reported that the post oak has been found in southern Ontario, 

 but it is not common and its range in Canada is probably confined to the counties 

 bordering on lakes Ontario and Erie. 



It is a small tree 25 to 30 ft. in height, but often a shrub of 10 ft. or less. It has 

 a straggling habit of growth and its stout, spreading branches form a very irregular 

 crown. It has no commercial value in Canada. 



The bark is greyish and scaly, and much resembles that of the white oak, 

 except that it is somewhat darker and rougher. 



The twigs, which come out abundantly all along the stout branches, are stout, 

 reddish-brown, and when young are covered with a rough down. They soon be- 

 come roughened by scaly bark. The leaf-scars are raised on conspicuous projections. 



The leaves are 5 to 8 in. long and 3 to 6 in. wide. They vary greatly in shape 

 and have what has been described as a sprawling outline. The lobes are all rounded 

 and the middle pair are usually the largest. This frequently gives the leaf a some- 

 what cross-shaped outline. The base is wedge-shaped. They are very coarse, 

 rough on both sides, and of a shiny, dark green, which makes the tree conspicuous 

 at some distance. 



The acorn is J4 to 1 in. long, reddish-brown, sometimes with darker stripes, 

 and somewhat downy at the tip. The cup is top-shaped and covers from one-third 

 to one-half the nut. The scales are thin and flat. The kernel is sweet and ripens 

 in one year. 



QUERCUS BICOLOR, Willd. SWAMP WHITE OAK 



Common names: Swamp white oak, blue oak*. 

 French names: Chene bicolore, chene bleu*. 



The swamp white oak, as its name implies, is found in low, damp woods, border- 

 ing on swamps and streams. In Canada its range extends from eastern Ontario 

 westward throughout southwestern Ontario. 



It is a medium-sized tree commonly 50 to 60 ft. in height, and 2 to 3 ft. in 

 diameter. Its wood is similar to that of white oak {Quercus alba) and is sold mixed 

 with the other white oaks. 



The bark on the trunk is greyish-brown and flaky. It resembles that of the 

 white oak except that it is more deeply fissured and looser. On the small branches 

 it peels off in layers. 



The small, crooked branchlets which hang from the larger limbs are very 

 characteristic of the tree. The twigs are smooth and seldom downy. They are 



