Handbook op Tee:es of the jSToRTHEEisr States and Canada. 157 



The Water Oak, as its name implies, grows 

 naturally only on the moist bottom-lands or on 

 ridges in the vicinity of same, and attains the 

 height of 70 or 80 ft., with columnar trunk 

 2-3% ft. in diameter. When not crowded by 

 other trees it develops a rather narrow oblong 

 or sometimes wide rounded top with many 

 branches. A near enough view to reveal the 

 many forms and sizes of its leaves surprises one 

 accustomed only to the northern oaks, which 

 have leaves of generally more constant forms. 

 Being a handsome tree, of rapid growth and 

 easily transplanted, it is used extensively as a 

 shade tree in the streets and parks of the cities 

 and villages of the southern states. 



The wood of the Water Oak is hard and 

 heavy, a cubic foot when absolutely dry weigh- 

 ing 45.14 lbs., and heretofore has been little 

 used except for fuel and charcoal. ^ 



Leaves variable but mostly narrow-obovato, 

 tapering gradually from the broad rounded and 

 entire or more or less 3-lobed apex to a cuneate 

 base ; or on vigorous or sterile branohlets the 

 leaves are pionately lobed about halt way to the 

 midrib with 3-7 short triangular oblique bristle- 

 tipped lobes ; linear-lanceolate leaves with inter- 

 mediate forms also occur, pubescent at first but 

 at maturity glabrous and dark green above, paler 

 and glabrous or with hairs in the axils of veins 

 beneath, tardily deciduous during the winter. 

 Flowers: staminate aments hairy, 2-H in. long : 

 calyx thin, pubescent, with 4-rt rounded lobes : 

 pistillate with short thick tomentose peduncles ; 

 stigmas red. recurved. Fruit short-stalked with 

 short globose ovoid or hemisphei-ic acorn, about 

 V2 in. long, rounded and pubescent at the pointed 

 apex and scai'cely halt enveloped by the flat 

 saucer-shaped cup having thin small closely im- 

 bricated pale-pubescent s^ra'ps. 



1. Syn. Q. aquatica Walt. 



2. A. W., V. 118. 



