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9. Quercus imbricaria Michaux. SHINGLE OAK. Plate 48. 

 Medium to large sized trees; leaves on petioles generally 0.5-1 cm. long, 

 7-16 cm. long, elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, narrowed or rounded at the 

 base, apex generally sharp-pointed and ending with a bristle, some- 

 times very wide leaves are blunt at the apex, margins entire, when they 

 first appear the upper surface is somewhat woolly and the under surface 

 whitish with a dense tomentum, soon glabrous and a dark green 

 above, remaining more or less densely woolly or pubescent beneath; 

 acorns sessile or nearly so, solitary or in pairs; nuts ovoid, about 1 cm. 

 long and enclosed for about % their length in the cup; cup rounded at 

 the base; scales pubescent on the back and obtuse. 



Distribution. Pennsylvania, Michigan to Nebraska, south to 

 Georgia and west to Arkansas. Found throughout Indiana. It is es- 

 sentially a tree of low ground, but it is sometimes found near the base 

 of slopes, and in the knob area it is sometimes found on the crest of 

 ridges. In all parts of Indiana except the southwestern part it is found 

 only locally and then usually in colonies of a few trees. In Wells County, 

 I know of only two trees located at the base of a slope bordering a pond 

 in Jackson Township. In the southwestern part of the State it is 

 frequent to a common tree in its peculiar habitat. It appears that when 

 drainage basins decrease in size, and leave sandy river bottoms, and 

 bordering low sand dunes, that the shingle oak is the first oak to occupy 

 the area. On the sand ridges it is crowded out by the black, black jack 

 and post oaks. In the bottoms it is succeeded by pin, Schneck's, Spanish, 

 swamp white and post oaks. Special notes were made on its distribu- 

 tion on a trip through Gibson, Pike, Daviess, Greene and Sullivan 

 Counties, going from Francisco northward through the Patoka bot- 

 toms where in many places it forms pure stands. Usually in situations 

 a little higher than the pin oak zone. Thence eastward to Winslow 

 and then north to Sandy Hook in Daviess County, thence north to 

 Washington, Montgomery, Odon, Newberry, Lyons, Marco and Sul- 

 livan. In its habitat all along this route it was a frequent to a very 

 common tree. A few miles northeast of Montgomery is a small area 

 which a pioneer informed me was originally a prairie. Typical prairie 

 plants are yet found along the roadside and fences in the area. I was 

 informed that the shingle oak was the only species found on the area, 

 and on the border of the area. It is believed the mass distribution of 

 the species was in the area indicated by the preceding route. Both east 

 and west of this area the species becomes less frequent. 



Remarks. Wood similar to red oak, but much inferior. Evidently 

 it is rather a slow growing tree, but it might find a use as a shade or 

 ornamental tree in sandy habitats where the pin oak would not thrive. 

 It is also called black oak, peach oak, jack oak and water oak. 



