Handbook of Trees of the jSTortiiern States and Canada. 161 



This intei-esting and stately oak, when grow- 

 ing among other trees in favorable localities, 

 attains a lieigiit of 100 ft. with straight col- 

 iniinar trunk ."5-4 ft. in diameter, clothed in 

 i|uite sniDotl) bark, but fissured on old trunks 

 into flat firm ridges. It is distinctly a tree 

 of the lowlands of tiie Gulf and Atlantic coast 

 regions reaching its northernmost point of dis- 

 tribution in the Dismal Swamp of eastern Vir- 

 ginia. There it is common along the border of 

 the great swamp in company with the Over-cup 

 Oak, Red, Loblolly and Sweet Bays, Carolina 

 Ash, Sourwood, Water, Tupelo and Sweet Gums, 

 White Cedar, etc. 



It is a beautiful tree with its laurel-like 

 leaves and sturdy trunks and is deservedly 

 popular as a shade tree in th,e southern states, 

 where it is commonly planted and is usually 

 <'alled the Waie?' Oak. The wood heretofore 

 has been used mainly for fuel and charcoal, 

 though siiitable for lumber for interior finish- 

 ing, etc. A cubic foot when absolutely dry 

 ^veighs 47.82 Ibs.i 



Leaves narrow-oblong to oblonsr-obovate, some- 

 timps falcate, 2-4 in. long, cuneate at base, 

 roiindpd or acute at apex, entire or on vigorous 

 branches unequally lobed, at maturity lustrous 

 ■dark green above, paler beneath : petioles short 

 and stout. Flowrrt): staminate in reddish hairy 

 aments 2-.'i in. long; pistillate with short stout 

 glabrous peduncles. Fnrit sessile or nearly so, 

 usually solitary with short ovoid to hemispherical 

 nut. puberulous at apex about one fourth inclosed 

 in a thin flat saucer-shaped cup with thin pale- 

 piibeseent closely imbricated scales. 



1. A. W., XII, 295. 



