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3. QUERCUS. Tue Oaks. 
(From the Celtic, quer, fine, and cues, tree; in reference to the quality of the trees.) 
The leaves of the Indiana species are deciduous; flowers appear 
in April or May, staminate flowers in slender pendulous catkins, 
’ the pistillate solitary or in clusters in a scaly bud-like cup; fruit an 
acorn which takes one or two years to mature, ripening in the 
autumn. The trees that mature their fruit the first year are classed 
as white oaks and those that mature them the second year are called 
red, black or bristle-tipped oaks. 
The oaks are the longest lived of our native trees. They are 
peculiar in the amount of their annual growth, especially the white 
oaks. An examination of the annual rings of the oak will show 
that the rate of growth is nearly uniform from youth to old age. 
The slowest rate of growth will be found for the first five to twenty 
years. Almost all other trees show large annual rings in early 
years with a gradual decrease after the tree has fully matured 
With some trees the maximum growth rate is reached midway 
between youth and old age. The vitality of the acorn is short 
and nuts over a year old seldom, if ever, germinate. Nuts that 
are to be planted should be planted soon after they fall from the 
tree. 
This is the largest genus of Indiana trees and furnishes some of 
our most valuable hardwoods. The bark of some species contains 
a large percentage of tannin, and formerly tan bark was an import- 
ant article of commerce in the State. On account of their astringent 
properties, the bark, as well as the galls of some species are used in 
medicine. 
The heavy fruiting of the oaks was an important item to the 
pioneer, who was accustomed to feed his swine on the nuts of the 
forest, which were known as “mast’’, of which the acorns formed 
the greater part. 
Bark gray, more or less scaly; mature leaves never with 
bristle tips; fruit maturing the first year. 
*Leaves lyrate or sinuate lobed. 
Mature leaves pale or glaucous and glabrous beneath. 1 Q. alba. 
Mature leaves finely pubescent beneath. 
Terminal scales of the cup not awned. 
Pubescence on leaves beneath brownish; fruit 
nearly sessile; cup one-third to half as high 
ASL UME OVOLGHAGCONM saa Cet he arora oo 2 Q. stellata. 
Pubescence on leaves beneath whitish; fruit 
stalked; cup nearly covering the depressed 
PLIODOSCLACOLIG sawing a5. 8i, Oy Semin cna eye ee 3 Q. lyrata, 
