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In the northern part of the State it is a rare or infrequent tree, while 

 in favorable habitats in the hill country of the southern part of the 

 State it is a frequent to a common tree. 



Remarks. Wood similar but much inferior to red oak. The cut in 

 this State is marketed as black oak, from which it is rarely separated. 



16. Quercus falcata Michaux. SPANISH OAK. Plate 55. 

 Large trees; bark thick, rather deeply fissured, furrows usually narrow, 

 ridges generally broad and broken into short lengths, the outer bark 

 is reddish, except sometimes it becomes grayish by weathering; twigs 

 densely pubescent at first, remaining more or less pubescent during 

 the first year, or becoming smooth or nearly so and a reddish brown 

 by autumn; leaves on petioles 0.5-6 cm. long, ordinarily about 2-3 cm. 

 long, blades very variable in outline, ovate, ovate-oblong or obovate, 

 usually somewhat curved, wedge-shaped, rounded or truncate at the 

 base, shallow or deeply lobed, generally about % of the distance to the 

 midrib; lobes 3-11, commonly 5-9, the number, size and shape of the 

 lobes exceedingly variable, the longest lateral lobes are generally near 

 the middle of the leaf, sometimes the lowest pair, sometimes the upper 

 pair are the longest, terminal lobe triangular or oblong, generally widest 

 at the base, although frequently widest at the apex, lateral lobes widest 

 at the base and gradually becoming narrower, towards the apex, rarely 

 somewhat wider at the apex, generally somewhat curved, lobes generally 

 sharp-pointed, sometimes wide-angled or rounded at the apex, margins 

 of lobes entire, wavy, toothed or lobed, sinuses wide and rounded at the 

 base; leaves densely pubescent on both surfaces at first, gradually 

 becoming smooth and dark green above by autumn, the under surface 

 remaining covered with a tomentum which is grayish or yellowish; 

 acorns sessile or nearly so, solitary or in pairs; nuts broadly ovoid, 

 generally 10-12 mm. long, broadly rounded at the base, rounded at 

 the apex, enclosed about one-half their length by the cup; cups strongly 

 convex at the base; scales blunt, grayish and pubescent on their backs, 

 their margins reddish and generally smooth. 



Distribution. New Jersey and Missouri, south to Florida and west 

 to Texas. The known distribution in Indiana would be that part of the 

 State south of a line drawn from Vincennes to North Madison. It is 

 local except in the southwestern counties. In our area it is found on 

 both high and low ground. In Jefferson and Clark Counties it is found 

 only in the flats where it is associated with beech, sweet gum, pin oak, 

 red maple and black gum. A colony was found in Washington County 

 on high ground, about eight miles southwest of Salem associated with 

 black and post oak. In Harrison County about two miles southeast 

 of Corydon it was found on the crest of a ridge with white and black 

 oak. In Daviess County about four miles east of Washington it is 



