130 
southwestern part of the State. Dr. Schneck reported it from 
Gibson and Posey counties as very rare. Ridgway reports it from 
Gibson County as common in clayey and poor soil but rare in rich 
soil. He remarks that the bark of the specimens found in rich 
soil was light and scaly, like that of the white or chinquapin oaks, 
while the bark of those found on clayey soil was darker and re- 
sembled that of the true black oaks. In Point Township in Posey 
County, in which Dr. Schneck did not work it is the most common 
oak. It is usually found in low ground and is associated with 
Quercus bicolor, Quercus palustris, Quercus Schneckii, Quercus 
stellata and Quercus velutina. The whole of this township is low 
and a peculiar feature is to find the preceding oaks intimately 
associated. In this locality it is one of the largest trees, frequently 
attaining a diameter of 10 dm. (40 inches). Sometimes the lower 
branches shade off tardily which gives the tree the appearance of 
the pin oak. 
This is the Spanish oak of text books, but no one in this State 
was found who recognized it by that name. A majority of the 
persons questioned answered that it was a “kind of a black or red 
oak.” 
This species by some authors has been divided into two species, 
but it is believed the characters on which the division is made are 
not constant. A study of hundreds of trees in the lower part of 
Posey County in May, September and November shows that the 
bark will vary from a light to a very dark gray; that the leaves on 
the same tree will sometimes vary from 3-lobed to 11-lobed, and 
the bases from rounded or truncate to wedge-shaped. ‘Trees that 
have the 3-5 lobed type of leaves with a rounded base on the lower 
branches will also have in the top the more characteristic 7-9 lobed 
leaves with a wedge-shaped base. 
The published records of the distribution are as follows: Foun- 
tain (Brown); Gibson (Ridgway) and (Schneck); Posey (Schneck). 
Additional records are: Posey (Deam). 
Economic uses. Wood and uses similar to that of the red oak. 
16. Quercus imbricaria Michaux. Buack Oak. SHINGLE OAK. 
PracH Oak. Jack Oak. WatTreR Oak. Plate 59. Bark on the 
trunk deeply fissured, the ridges much broken, dark brown to 
nearly black; branchlets at first hairy, becoming smooth, gray, 
reddish or a dark brown; winter buds ovoid, pointed at the apex, 
about 3 mm. (% inch) long, reddish brown, scales ciliate; leaves 
elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, sometimes somewhat falcate, 8-16 cm. 
