Handbook of Trkes of tiik Nortiiekn States and Canada. 163 



Tlie Shingle Oak in tlie forest under most 

 favorable conditions of growth sometimes at- 

 tains a height of 100 ft., with straight eolumnar 

 trunk 3 or 4 ft. in diameter, hut is usually 

 not more than 50 or tiU ft. in lieiyht. \\ hen 

 isolated it develops an oblong or rounded top 

 of numerous branches, and is conspicuous on 

 vccount of its huge entire leaves, which are 

 very dilTerent from those of all otiier .\nierican 

 Oaks. It is a distinetl}- handsome Oak inliabit- 

 ing both rich uplands and fertile bottom-lands, 

 and is one of the most abundant Oaks of the 

 lower Ohio basin and the state of Missouri. 



Its wood is heavy, a cu. ft. when absolutely 

 dry weighing 46.92 lbs., hard and strong, and 

 is used in interior finishing, furniture and to 

 a considerable extent for clapboards and 

 shingles — a use from which it takes its name.* 



Leaves oblong or oblong-lanceolate, 4-6 in. long. 

 sometimes bristle-tipped, particularly when young, 

 acute or obtuse at apes and wedge-shaped or 

 rounded at base, with entire or slightly undulate 

 margins, coriaceous, reddish or yellowish green 

 and tomentose at first, at maturity very lustrous 

 dark green above, paler and pubescent beneath 

 with yellowish midribs and prominent veins : 

 petioles short, pubescent. Flowers staminatc 

 aments slender and numerous, hoary-tomentose, 

 2-.'{ in. long with yellowish pubescent 4-lobed 

 calyx : pistil with short tomentose peduncles : 

 stigmas recurved. Fruit solitary or 2 or ;} to- 

 gether with short peduncles and subglobose dark 

 brown or striated nut about lA in. long and one- 

 third inclosed in a flatfish turbinate cup of small 

 closely imbricated pubosci'ut scales. 

 1. A. W., XI, 270. 



