OAK FAMILY 



The Variant Leaves of Spanish Oak. 

 Qiiercns digitata. 



Leaves. — Alternate, six to seven 

 inches long, four to five inches 

 wide. Of two forms ; first form 

 oblong or obovate, usually wedge- 

 shaped at base, five to seven-lobed, 

 lobes often falcate, bristle-tipped, 

 sinuses broad ; second form is 

 obovate with a broad apex which 

 is three-lobed, otherwise entire. 

 Both forms are found on the same 

 branch, but sometimes character- 

 ize different trees. They come out 

 of the bud convolute, when full 

 grown are dark shining green 

 above, pale green covered with 

 rusty pubescence below ; midribs 

 stout, tomentose ; primary veins 

 prominent. In autumn they turn 

 a bright clear yellow or dull yellow 

 brown. Petioles short, flattened. 

 Stipules oblong, caducous. 



Flowers. — May, appearing with 

 the leaves. Staminate flowers 

 borne in hairy aments three to 

 five inches long. Calyx four to 

 five-lobed, pubescent; lobes 

 ovate, rounded, shorter than the 

 stamens. Stamens four to five 

 with olDlong yellow anthers. Pis- 

 tillate flowers borne on stout pe- 

 duncles. Involucral scales tomen- 

 tose, as long as the calyx lobes ; 

 stigmas long, dark red. 



Acorus. — Ripen in the summer 

 of second year. Sessile or stalked. 

 Nut is globular to oblong, one- 



half inch long, pale orange brown ; cup thin and saucer-shaped, 

 'sometimes deep, often em- 

 braces one-half the nut, 

 covered with reddish brown, 

 pubescent scales. 



The Spanish Oak is 

 really a southern tree 

 although it appears in 

 New Jersey, southern 

 Illinois and Indiana. Its 

 leaves vary greatly in 



Spanish Oak, Quercus digitata. 

 364 



long. 



