107 



Distribution. — Vermont, southwestern Ontario to Wisconsin and 

 south to Florida and west to Texas. Found in Uniited numbers in all 

 parts ot Indiana, although Hill's record for Lake county is the only 

 record in the block of the 12 northwest counties. It is without a doubt 

 found in every county south of the Wabash River. It is a rare or an 

 infre([uent tree in praeticidly all parts of its range. It is generally found 

 on the dry banks of streams, river terrace banks, rocky bluffs of streams, 

 and only rarely in level dry woods. In the southern counties it is 

 sometimes found on clay or rocky ridges. In most of its range it is 

 now so rare that most of the inhabitants do not know the tree. 



Remarks. — Wood similar to white oak, and with the same uses. 

 In White County a pioneer was found who knew the tree only by 

 the name of pigeon oak. He said it received this name from the fact 

 that the wild jiigeons were fond of the acorns. 



The leaves of this tree vary greatly in size, shape, and leaf margins. 

 The fruit also varies on different trees in the shape of the nut, and 

 the depth of the cup. These variations have lead some authors to 

 separate the forms and one histological study^ seems to support minor 

 differences. It has been observed that the leaves in the top of some 

 trees may be thick, narrow and with long incurved teeth, while the 

 leaves of the lower branches will be strongly obovate, thinner, and the 

 teeth more dentate. In a general study it is best to include the poly- 

 morphic forms under one name. The distribution of the shallow 

 and deep cup forms is so general that no regional or habitat areas can 

 be assignetl to either of them in Indiana,. 



4. Qucrciis Michaiixii Nuttall (Quercus Prinus Sargent). Cow 

 0.\K. Basket Oak. Plate 43. Large trees: leaves on petioles 1-3 cm. 

 long, generally 1-2 dm. long, obovate, nai-i'owed or narrowly rounded 

 at the base, short taper-pointed, the ape.x generally blunt, the mar- 

 gins coarsely toothed, the teeth bi'oad and roundetl or moie rarely 

 acute, shaded leaves sometimes with margins merely undulate, hairy on 

 both surfaces when young, becoming at matmity a dark yellow green 

 and glabrous above, sometimes remaining somewhat puliescent along 

 the midrib and the principal veins, leaves grayish and woolly pubescent 

 beneath; acorns solitary or m pairs, sessile ov on very short stalks, up to 

 almost a cm. in length; nuts ovoid or oval with a broad liase, enclosed 

 for about I3 their length by the cup, the cujis thick and generally 

 2-3 cm. broad; scales ovate, acute, rather blunt-pointed and more or 

 less tubei'culate near the base of the cup, tomentose on the Ixick; kernel 

 sweet . 



1 Elliott : Hi.stological vai-ialions otQiicreiix Muhlenhtriiii . riiivorsily of Kansas Science 

 Bui. 9:45:ri4:S Plates:1914. 



