127 



Dr. J. Schneck of Mt. Carmel, Illinois, was one of the first to dis- 

 cover that this form was not our common red oak, and when he called 

 Dr. Britton's attention to it Dr. Britton named it Quercus Schneckii in 

 honor of its discoverer. 



13. Quercus ellipsoidalis. E. J. Hill. HILL'S OAK. Plate 52. 

 Medium sized trees; inner bark yellowish; twigs pubescent at first, be- 

 coming smooth and reddish brown by autumn; leaves on petioles 2-5 

 cm. long, ovate to slightly obovate or nearly orbicular in outline, 7-15 

 cm. long, wedge-shape or, truncate at the base, margin divided into 5-7 

 long lobes by wide sinuses which usually extend to more than half 

 way to the midrib, sinuses rounded at the base, lobes broadest at the 

 base or the apex, ending in 1-7 bristle points, leaves at first pubescent, 

 both above and below, soon becoming glabrous above, and smooth 

 beneath except tufts of hairs in the axils of the principal veins; acorns 

 nearly sessile or on short stalks, single or in pairs; nuts oval to oblong, 

 12-20 mm. long, enclosed for YyY^ their length in the cup; scales 

 obtuse, light reddish-brown, pubescent on the back; kernel pale yellow 

 and bitter. 



Distribution. Northwestern Indiana to Manitoba and south to 

 Iowa. In Indiana it has been reported only from Lake and Porter 

 Counties by Hill, and from White County by Heimlich. According to 

 Hill, who has made the most extensive study of the distribution of this 

 species in our area, the tree is found on sandy and clayey uplands, and 

 in moist sandy places. It closely resembles the pin oak for which it has 

 been mistaken. It also resembles the black and scarlet oaks. We have 

 very little data on the range or distribution of the species in this State. 



14. Quercus velutina Lamarck. BLACK OAK. Plate 53. Me- 

 dium to large sized trees; inner bark yellow or orange; leaves on petioles 

 2-8 cm. long, ovate oblong or obovate, very variable in outline and in 

 size, those of young trees and coppice shoots being very large, those of 

 mature trees usually 12-18 cm. long, wedge-shape or truncate at the 

 base, the margin divided into 5-9 lobes by wide and usually deep sinuses 

 which are rounded at the base, the lobes variable in shape and size, 

 the terminals of many of the lobes toothed or slightly lobed and ending 

 in one or more bristles, leaves pubescent on both sides at first, soon 

 becoming smooth, glossy and a dark green above; leaves of fruiting 

 branches usually smooth beneath except the tufts of brown hairs in the 

 axils of the principal veins, or rarely more or less pubescent over the 

 whole under surface, the under surface of leaves of sterile branches and 

 young trees usually are the most pubescent beneath, the leaves of some 

 trees are much like those of the scarlet oak, but on the whole are larger; 

 acorns sessile or nearly so, single or in pairs; nuts ovoid, oblong or sub 



