Georgia Oak 



285 



3. GEORGIA OAK — Quercns geoigiana M. A. Curtis 



A small tree, but more often a bushy shrub, of very local occurrence, being 

 known only from Stone Mountain and a few similar granite uplifts in the same 

 section of the state for which it is named. Its maximum height is 9 meters, with 

 a trunk diameter of 3 dm. 



The bark is rough, thin, covered with small, light brown scales. The twigs are 

 slender, smooth, and dark green, becoming reddish and finally dark brown or gray. 

 The winter buds are 

 ovoid, sharp or blunt- 

 pointed, about 3 mm. 

 long. The leaves are 

 obovate or oblong in out- 

 line, 8 to 10 cm. long, 

 the 3 to 5, rarely 7, lobes 

 are triangular or ovate 

 and bristle pointed; their 

 sinuses are oblique, wide 

 or narrow, extending 

 about half-way to the 

 midrib; the base is grad- 

 ually wedge-shaped. 

 They are thin, bright 

 green . and shining, with 

 a slender rounded yel- 

 low midrib above, paler, ^i°- ^37- - Georgia Oak. 

 somewhat shining, smooth or with a few hairs at the axils of the principal veins 

 beneath, turning dull orange or scarlet in autumn; the leaf-stalk is slender, 

 grooved, somewhat hairy, and scarcely 2 cm. long. The flowers appear in April, 

 when the leaves are about one half unfolded, the staminate in clustered slender, 

 few-flowered catkins 5 to 7.5 cm. long; their hairy calyx has 4 or 5 ovate, rounded 

 lobes; stamens 4 or 5, somewhat exserted ; anthers oblong, slightly notched, smooth 

 and yellow. The pistillate flowers are on short, slender, smooth stalks, their 

 involucral scales ovate; calyx-lobes sharp-pointed and slightly hairy; styles elon- 

 gated, red. The fruit, ripening in the autumn of the second year, is borne on 

 stout stalks about 5 mm. long, solitary or in clusters of 2 or 3 ; nut ovoid to nearly 

 globose, 10 to 14 mm. long, reddish brown and shining; cup thin, saucer-shaped, 

 15 mm. wide or less, embracing very little of the base of the nut, its scales blunt 

 and irregularly toothed. 



Uncommon in cultivation, but hardy as far north as Massachusetts. 



A supposed hybrid occurs on Stone Mountain, which is thought to be a cross 

 with Quercus marylandica. 



