96 TREES OF NEW ENGLAND. 



5. In the oak form the limbs are more or less tortuous 

 and less arching, forming a wide-spreading, rounded head. 



In all forms short, irregular, pendent branchlets are occa- 

 sional along the trunks. The trees most noticeably feathered 

 are usually of medium size, and have few large branches, the 

 superfluous vitality manifesting itself in a copious fringe, 

 which sometimes invests and obliterates the great pillars 

 which support the masses of foliage. Conspicuous at all 

 seasons of the year, in spring when its brown buds are 

 swollen to bursting, or when the myriads of flowers, insig- 

 nificant singly, give in the sunlight an atmosphere of purplish- 

 brown ; when clothed with light, airy masses of deep green in 

 summer or pale yellow in autumn, or in winter when the 

 great trunk and mighty sweep of the arching branches 

 distinguish it from all other trees. The roots lie near the 

 surface and run a great distance. 



Bark. Dark gray, irregularly and broadly striate, rather 

 firmly ridged, in very old trees sometimes partially detached 

 in plates ; branches ash-gray, smooth ; branchlets reddish- 

 brown ; season's shoots often pubescent, light brown in late 

 fall. 



Winter Buds and Leaves. Buds ovate, brown, flattened, 

 obtuse to acute, smooth. Leaves simple, alternate, 2-5 inches 

 long, 2-3 wide, dark green and roughish above, lighter and 

 downy at first beneath ; outline ovate or oval to obovate- 

 oblong, sharply and usually doubly serrate ; apex abruptly 

 pointed ; base half acute, half rounded, produced on one side, 

 often slightly heart-shaped or obtuse ; veins straight and 

 prominent ; leafstalk stout, short ; stipules small, soon fall- 

 ing. Leaves drop in early autumn. 



Inflorescence. April. In loose lateral clusters along the 

 preceding season's shoots ; flowers brown or purplish, mostly 

 perfect, with occasional sterile and fertile on the same tree ; 

 stems slender ; calyx 7-9-lobed, hairy or smooth ; stamens 

 7-9, filaments slender, anthers exserted, brown red ; ovary 

 flat, green, ciliate ; styles 2. 



Fruit. Ripening in May, before the leaves are fully grown, 

 a samara, ^ inch in diameter, oval or ovate, smooth on both 



