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WILLOW OAK {Qucrcus yhellos L.) 



THE willow oak, often called water oak, occurs 

 generally over the State, except on the higher 

 slopes and mountains. 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 forest. 

 The leaves are 2 to 4 

 inches long and one- 

 half to 1 inch 

 wide, with smooth 

 or slightly Avavy 

 margin, bristle- 

 pointed, smooth, light green 

 y y « •*'■ and shiny above, but dull and 



usually smooth below; alter- 

 nate in arrangement on the 

 twig and borne on a short stout 

 stem. The bark is generally 

 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 natural size. 



Leaf, 

 one-third natural size. 



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