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WILLOW OAK 



{Quercus phcllos L.) 



THE willow oak, often called water oak, occurs 

 generally over the State, except in the mountains 

 in the northern section. It is most often found in 

 lowlands and along the borders of rivers and 

 swamps, but often also on rich sandy uplands. It is 

 a beautiful and long-lived tree, and desirable for 

 roadside, lawns and parks, for which it has been 

 widely planted. 



The slender willow-like leaves, on a tree whose 

 habit of growth is manifestly that of an oak, make 



the tree easy to 

 identify in the for- 

 est. The leaves axe 

 2 to 4 inches long 

 and one-half to 1 

 inch wide, with 

 smooth or slightly 

 wavy margin, bris- 

 tle-pointed, smooth, 

 light green and 

 shiny above, but 

 dull and usually 

 smooth below ; al- 

 ternate in arrange- 

 ment on the twig 

 and borne on a 

 short stout stem. 

 The bark is gener- 

 ally smooth and of a reddish brown color ; with age, 

 the bark becomes slightly roughened and divided by 

 narrow ridges. 



The small acorns, closely set along the stem, ma- 

 ture at the end of the second year. The nut is a 

 light-brown hemisphere, about one-half an inch in 

 diameter, its base scarcely enclosed in the shallow, 

 reddish-brown cup. The nuts are eaten as food by 

 bluejays, grackles ("black birds"), and several 

 other species of birds, as well as by rodents. 



The wood is not separated commercially from 

 other species in the red oak group. It is heavy, 

 strong, rather coarse-grained, light brown tinged 

 with red, and not durable when exposed to the 

 weather. It is used locally for crossties, bridge 

 planks, barn sills, and general construction. 



WILLOW OAK 



Twig, 

 one-half natur£Ll size. 



Leaf, 

 one-third natural size. 



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