Black Oaks 309 



makes a more symmetrical broad crown; a large majestic tree, with 

 beautiful, more deeply cut and large symmetrical foliage, dark green 

 and glossy above, light green beneath and turning dark red. The bark 

 is dark gray, glossy on the branches. It is a very rapid grower, most 

 adaptive to a variety of soils, and one of the easiest and best to plant. 



Q. coccinea Muench. (294), Scarlet Oak, ranging from Maine to Flor- 

 ida and Missouri, is a less handsome tree as regards form, with a rather 

 open crown, but when the narrow, unsymmetrical, very deeply cut, 

 bright green foliage turns to brilliant scarlet in the fall, there is nothing 

 finer to be seen. This tree is adapted to dry soils. 



Q. palustris Linn. (295), Pin Oak, native of a smaller range than 

 the others, from Massachusetts and Delaware to Wisconsin and Arkan- 

 sas, also to southwestern Canada. The Pin Oak is unique in outline, 

 the rather short, slender branches becoming pendulous, while the hand- 

 some, very deeply cut, unsymmetrical foliage, turning bright flaining 

 red in autumn, vies in beauty with the Scarlet Oak. In old age it 

 loses its symmetrical pyramidal crown and becomes open and irregular, 

 the lower branches dying but persisting, a defect which can be corrected 

 by pruning. It is a rapid grower; stands swampy conditions as well 

 as dry soils. It transplants readily. 



Q. cuneata Wangh. (296) (digitata or falcata), Spanish Oak, another 

 native species, from New Jersey south and west, is not quite hardy 

 farther north; has a peculiar distinct foliage of subdued tone, but is 

 otherwise without special merits. 



An entirely different type of foliage, namely, with entire margins, 

 like a willow leaf, or nearly so, is possessed by four black oak species 

 of more southern range: 



Q. Phellos Linn. (297), Willow Oak, is the type, its most northern 

 range being to New York, although it is hardy beyond; a beautiful 

 medium-sized tree, with a conical crown of slender branches and a 

 dense, dark, glossy, fine, small foliage like that of a willow, remaining 

 green into the fall, finally turning pale yellow. It is a swamp tree, 

 but adaptive to drier soils. 



Q. imbricaria Michx. (298), Shingle Oak, and Q. laurifolia Michx. 

 are of more southern distribution, and with larger foliage of the same 

 type as the preceding. Specimens of imbricaria at Ottawa are found 

 quite hardy. 



Q. nigra Linn. (299), Water Oak, with the foliage broader and occa- 

 sionally lobed at the apex is the tree commonly used as a street tree in 



