Handbook of Teees of the Noetheen States a^^b Canada. 163 



The Shingle Oak in the forest under most 

 favorable conditions of growth sometimes at- 

 tains a height of 100 ft., with straight columnar 

 trunk 3 or 4 ft. in diameter, but is usually 

 not more than 50 or 00 ft. in height. When 

 isolated it develops an oblong or rounded top 

 of numerous branches, and is conspicuous on 

 account of its large entire leaves, which are 

 ver}' different from those of all other American 

 Oaks. It is a distinctlj' handsome O.ik inhabit- 

 ing both rich uplands and fertile bottom-lands, 

 and is one of the most abundant Oaks of the 

 lower Ohio basin and the state of Missouri. 



Its wood is heavy, a cu. ft. when absolutely 

 dry weighing 46.92 lbs., hard and strong, and 

 is used in interior finishing, furniture and to 

 a considerable extent for clapboards and 

 shingles — a use from which it takes its name.i 



Leaves oblong or oblong-lanceolate, 4-6 in. long, 

 sometimes bristle-tipped, particularly when young, 

 acute or obtuse at apex and wedge-sbaped or 

 rounded at base, with entire or slightly undulate 

 margins, coriaceous, reddish or yellowish green 

 and tomentose at first, at maturity very lustrous 

 dark green above, paler and pubescent beneath 

 with yellowish midribs and prominent veins ; 

 petioles short, pubescent. Flowers staminate 

 aments slender and numerous, hoary-tomentose, 

 2-3 in, long with yellowish pubescent 4-lobed 

 calyx ; pistil with short tomentose peduncles ; 

 stigmas recurved. Fniit solitary or 2 or 3 to- 

 gether with short peduncles and subglobose dark 

 brown or striated nut about % in. long and oue- 

 third inclosed in a flattish turbinate cup of small 

 closely imbricated pubescent scales. 



1. A. W., XI, 270. 



