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PIN OAK {Quercus pahiatris Muench.) 



PIN OAK is rarely found naturally except on the 

 rich moist soil of bottomlands and the borders 

 of swamps. It is usually not abundant in any local- 

 ity but found scattered with other kinds of trees. 

 It more commonly attains heights of 50 to 70 feet, 

 with diameters up to 2 feet, but is sometimes larger. 

 The tree commonly has a single, upright stem with 



numerous long, tough 

 branches, the lower 

 ones drooping, the 

 middle horizontal, 

 and the upper as- 

 cending. The many 

 small bristling twigs 

 and branches give 

 the tree its name. 

 The bark on young 

 stems is smooth, 

 shining and light 

 brown ; on old trunks 

 light gray-brown and 

 covered by small, 

 close scales. Because of its beauty, its hardiness, 

 and its fairly rapid growth, pin oak makes an ex- 

 ceptionally fine street tree. 



The leaves generally resemble those of scarlet oak, 

 but the rounded openings do not extend quite so 

 near to the midrib ; they average somewhat smaller, 

 being 3 to 5 inches long and 2 to 4 inches wide. 



The flowers are of two kinds on the same tree, 

 and appear when the leaves are about one-third 

 grown. The fruit, taking two years to mature, is 

 an acorn nearly hemispheric, about one-half inch 

 long, light brown, often striped, enclosed only at the 

 base in a thin, shallow, saucer-shaped cup. 



The wood is heavy, hard, strong, and usually 

 knotty. It is light brown, with thin, darker -colored 

 sapwood. It is sold and has the same uses as red 

 oak, although it is generally not so good in quality. 



PIN OAK 

 Leaf, one-third natural size. 

 Twig, one-baU natural size. 



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