OAK FAMILY 



side roots and often care no more for its tap root which has been its only support 

 than the frog cares for the tail of the tadpole after it has got on its own legs." 

 ROBERT DOUGLAS in Garden and Forest. 



This genus is one of close family ties and marked resem- 

 blances. The bark of every species is heavily charged with 



tannic acid. The roots take hold of the 



earth in two ways ; a strong tap root goes 



down deep into the ground and at the same 



time wide spreading horizontal roots keep 



near the surface. The very poise of the 



tree denotes 



strength and 



this quality 



is present in 



the humblest 



member of 



the family. 

 The leaves 



vary in form. 



In those groups 

 which contain the representative spe- 

 cies of the genus the leaves are of a 

 shape unlike those of any other trees. 

 The character of the inflorescence 

 is the same in every species. It is 

 monoecious ; that is, the stamens and 

 pistils are separated, borne in different 

 flowers, but both kinds of flowers are 

 produced on the same branch. These 

 appear together, just when the leaves 

 are half grown. The staminate flowers 

 are found in the axils of quick falling 

 bracts which are borne on the rachis 

 of slender drooping aments produced 

 from separate or leafy buds in the 



axils of last year's leaves, or from the axils of the inner 



scales of the terminal bud, or from the axils of the leaves 



324 



Sprouting Acorn. 



Staminate Aments of Scarlet 

 Oak, Quercus coccinea. 

 Ovaries of Preceding Year. 



