March 14, 191 1 



^7 



in heit^lit and from i to 2 feet in diameter. Very old trees in 

 the open are from 60 to 75 feet hi<^h and from 3 to T,y4 feet 

 throuo;h. \'ery lonj^, thick, crooked limbs are <j^iven off from 

 the short, clear trunk (which is often only from 4 to 8 feet long), 

 forming with nnmerons fine twigs a dense, exceedingly broad 

 crown, sometimes reaching the ground; trees in crowded stands 

 have rather slender branches. Small trees and the large limbs 

 of big irees have smooth, light grayish-brown bark, with fre- 

 quent ashy-white areas, while large trees have very thick, hard, 

 blackish or very dark brown, roughly furrowed bark, with wide 

 ridges. Season's twigs, dull gras- to reddish brown, with pale 

 chestnut-colored budj, are somewhat downy, with very short, 

 whiti-;h hairs. 





Figure 6. Ouercus ayrifolii Nee 



''Mature leaves are more or less con>|jicuously curled on 

 their prickly-toothed or entire edges and are u.-^ually dark (but 

 often light) shiny green on their convex upper sides — sometimes 

 coated with light colored minute, star-shaped hairs, while be- 

 neath they are paler green, smooth, somewhat shiny, and with 

 brownish hairs in the angles of the veins, or, again, the entire 

 under surface is down\- with niinute, dense Iii.irs. Tl'.e leax'es 

 are thinnisli, but jeculiaily siilT and britlle. The foliage aj)- 



