248 FIRST BOOK OF FORESTRY 



g. Cherry. Bark scaly, of dark color, its inner part with 

 a taste of cherry seeds ; heartwood of reddish color 

 and hard. The fruit is so perishable that it helps 

 us to distinguish the tree only for a short time in 

 summer (Fig. 93, C). 



h. Sycamore or Button Tree. Bark whitish to greenish 

 gray, smooth, peeling off more or less regularly and 

 thus gives the tree a very conspicuous appearance. 

 The peculiar fruit (Fig. 93, Z>) persists all through 

 winter and thus helps us to recognize this tree. 

 2. The edge of the leaf lobed. 



i. Oaks. The bark of the older trees is rough ; the fruit, 

 or acorn, is similar in all kinds of oaks, consisting 

 of a scaly cup and a leathery smooth berry or nut 

 containing the fleshy seed. There are three distinct 

 groups of oaks : the white oaks, red oaks (includ- 

 ing the so-called black oaks) and the live oaks. In 

 the different kinds of red and white oaks the leaves 

 vary considerably in size and shape ; some are large 

 and much lobed, others small and almost or entirely 

 without lobes, so that a part of the oaks might well 

 be treated under another group. 



The following scheme helps to separate the principal 

 groups of oaks. 



(1) Leaves with bristlelike tips on their lobes, or at 

 their tips if entire : red oaks. 



(a) Leaves large, much lobed : red, scarlet, black, 



and Spanish oaks (Fig. 94, A). 



(b) Leaves broad, little lobed: black jack and 



water oaks. 



(c) Leaves mostly entire, narrow, pointed, bristle- 



tipped : willow, laurel, and shingle oak 

 (Fig. 94, C). 



