OAK FAMILY 



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, tonientose ; 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 oblong yellow anthers. Pis- 

 tillate flowers borne on stout pe- 

 duncles. Involucral scales tomen- 

 tose, as long as the calyx lobes ; 

 stigmas long, dark red. 



Acorns. — 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, Qticrcui digitaln. Acorns Yi' long. 



364 



The Variant Leaves of Spanish Oak. 

 Quercus diffitata. 



