FAGACEAE 



Pin Oak 



Quercus palustris, Muenchh. 



HABIT. A medium-sized tree 40-50 feet high, with a trunk 

 diameter of 1-2 feet; forming an oblong or pyramidal crown of 

 many upright, spreading branches, the lowermost drooping nearly 

 to the ground. 



LEAVES. 'Alternate, simple, 4-6 inches long, 2-4 inches 

 broad ; obovate to ovate ; 5-7-lobed by deep, wide, rounded sinu- 

 ses, the lobes few-toothed, bristle-tipped; thin and firm; very 

 lustrous, dark green above, paler beneath ; petioles slender. 



FLOWERS. May, with the leaves; monoecious; the stam- 

 inate in hairy catkins 2-4 inches long; the pistillate tomentose, 

 borne on short, tomentose peduncles ; calyx 4-5-lobed, hairy ; 

 corolla o; stamens 4-5, with yellow anthers; stigmas recurved, 

 bright red. 



FRUIT. Autumn of second season ; sessile or short-stalked 

 acorns ; cup saucer-shaped with scales closely appressed, dark 

 red-brown, inclosing only the base of the nut; nut nearly hemi- 

 spherical, about l /2 inch in diameter, light brown ; kernel bitter. 



WINTER-BUDS. Terminal bud % inch long, ovoid or 

 conical, acute, light brown, smooth. 



BARK. Twigs dark red and tomentose at first, becoming 

 lustrous, green, finally gray-brown; thick, gray-brown and 

 smooth ish on the trunk. 



WOOD. Heavy, hard, strong, coarse-grained, light brown, 

 with thin, darker colored sapwood. 



DISTRIBUTION. Confined to the most southern portions 

 of the Lower Peninsula. 



HABITAT. Prefers moist, rich soil; river-bottoms; bor- 

 ders of swamps. 



NOTES. Grows rapidly and uniformly. Easily trans- 

 planted. The tiny branchlets at a distance give the impression of 

 the tree being full of pins. 



Ill 



