42 TREES OF NORTH CAROLINA 



long, and thus easily distinguished from our other 

 oaks when in fruit. 



50. Quercus Muhlenbergii Englm. Yellow Chestnut 



Oak. 



A rare tree that is said to occur in limestone soil 

 along the larger mountain streams of the southern 

 Appalachian mountains (Ayres and Ashe), and 

 Michaux reports a single tree found by him on the 

 Cape Fear River a mile from Fayetteville. It has 

 been collected at Biltmore and at Farmington, Davie 

 County (Biltmore Herbarium). The leaves are 

 lanceolate or obovate, usually narrower than others 

 of this group, with many shallow lobes or teeth, the 

 under side whitish pubescent. The acorns are nearly 

 or quite sessile, only about 2 / 3 inch long, the cups 

 covering about half of their length. 



51. Quercus virginiana Mill. Live Oak. 



This beautiful evergreen tree almost reaches its 

 northern limit in North Carolina, passing into Vir- 

 ginia only up to Norfolk, where it is of small 

 size. In this state it occupies a narrow strip of coun- 

 try along the coast and is plentiful only south of Cape 

 Hatteras. The small, evergreen, thick leaves are usu- 

 ally without teeth or lobes, occasionally toothed near 

 the end ; acorns oblong, borne on short or long stalks. 

 The Live Oak makes a fine ornamental tree in culti- 

 vation, and is hardy and thrifty at least as far west 

 as Chapel Hill. The wood is very tough and is valued 

 in ship building. 



