Handbook of Trees of the Nortiiebn States and 



The Burr Oak has been known to attain the 



great height of 170 ft. and G or 7 ft. in diame- 

 ter of trunk, in the magnificent forests of the 

 Wabash Kiver basin — dimensions wliich make 

 this one of the very largest American O.iks. 

 but such trees are very uncommon. When 

 isolated it develops an ovoid or rounded top 

 ■with large branches and stout branchlets. As- 

 sociate with its majestic stature the beauty of 

 its party-colored foliage and its large acorns 

 with mossy-fringed cups and we have one of 

 the most interesting trees of its genus. It in- 

 habits almost exclusively rich bottom-lands, 

 excepting the western part of its range, in 

 company with the Swamp White Oak, the 

 Black and Silver ilaples. Big Shelbark Hick- 

 ory, Hackberry, Elms, etc. 



Its wood is heavy, a cubic foot when abso- 

 lutely dry, weighing 40.45 lbs., tough and 

 stiDiiL;.! It i^ fully (Miual in properties to that 

 of tlie White Oak and usually not distin- 

 guished from it in commerce. It is highly 

 valued for sliip building, furniture, interior 

 finishing, agricultural implements, baskets. 

 railway ties, fuel, etc. 



Lrnvr.t obovate to oblons. n-9 in. long:, mostly 

 wedge-shaped at base, deeply lyrate-pinnatifid. 

 with i")-? lobes the terminal one the larjrest and 

 irregularly crenate dentate, sometimes nearly en- 

 tire, lustrous dark green above and whitish pubes- 

 cent beneath : petioles short. Flowers: staminate 

 aments slender. 2-0 in. long ; calyx yellowish with 

 4-6 lacinately-toothed lobes. Fniit solitary or in 

 pairs, sessile or with stalk shorter than the 

 petioles : acorn broad-ovoid, usually rounded or 

 depressed at apex from i/> in. in length on northern 

 trees to 2 in. on southern trees, with usually thick 

 tomentose cups, tuberculate below and with scales 

 near the rim prolonged into awn like tips forming 

 a fringed border. 



Canada. H't9 



