The Oaks 91 



QUERCUS PALUSTRIS, Muench. PIN OAK 



Common names: Pin oak, water oak, swamp oak. 

 French name: Chene de marais. 



The pin oak, in Canada, is confined to the southwestern part of Ontario, 

 from Niagara westward in the counties bordering on lake Erie and the Detroit 

 river, where it is frequently found growing in damp positions, such as the borders 

 of swamps and streams. 



It is a tree 50 to 60 ft. high and 1 to 2 ft. in diameter. The trunk is tall and 

 straight, and extends well up into the crown. Young trees growing in the open are 

 very graceful and readily distinguished by their characteristic habit of sending 

 their branches out horizontally from the trunk. The lower branches sometimes 

 droop slightly. The name "pin oak'* is derived from the many tiny, slender 

 branchlets which stand out from the branches, which at a distance have a pin-like 

 appearance. The wood when utilized in Canada is sold as red oak. 



The bark is smooth, somewhat shiny, and steel-brown in colour. 



The winter buds are very small, }i in. long, pointed, and chestnut-brown. 



The leaves are 4 to 6 in. long, and resemble much those of the scarlet oak, 

 but are smaller. The incisions are deep, broad, and rounded. The lobes are 

 pointed and bristle-tipped. 



The acorn has a very small cup with thin scales. The nut is less than J^ in. 

 long, and is wider than long. It is light brown and striped. The kernel is bitter 

 and the inside of the shell is somewhat downy. The acorn takes two years to 

 develop and ripen. 



QUERCUS COCCINEA, Muench. ' SCARLET OAK 



Common names: Scarlet oak, black oak*, red oak*. 

 French name: Chene ecarlate. 



The scarlet oak in Canada is confined to the southwestern part of Ontario, 

 from Toronto westward, where it is found growing on sandy and gravelly lands_ 

 along with other oaks. It is a tree 40 to 50 ft. in height and 1 to 3 ft. in diameter. 

 Growing in the open it forms a narrow, rounded, more or less open crown. Its 

 lumber is sold with that of the other black oaks. 



The bark of the trunk is dark brown and shallow-fissured ; in roughness it has 

 been described as intermediate between that of the red and black oaks. The 

 inner bark is yellowish but not bitter, as in the case of the black oak. 



The winter buds are }i to }4 in. long and dark reddish-brown. The upper 

 half of the bud is covered with hair, the lower half is smooth. In this latter respect 

 the buds somewhat resemble those of the swamp white oak, but can be distinguished 

 by the more pointed tip of the scarlet oak buds. 



The leaves are 3 to 6 in. long and 2 to 5 in. broad. The lobes are pointed and 

 bristle-tipped. The notches or indentations are very wide and deep, deeper than 



