FAGACEAE 
Pin Oak 
Quercus palustris Muench. 
HABIT.—A medium-sized tree 40-50 feet high, with a trunk 
diameter of 1-2 feet; forming an oblong or pyramidal crown of 
many upright, spreading branches, the lowermost drooping nearly 
to the ground. 
LEAVES.—Alternate, simple, 4-6 inches long, 2-4 inches 
broad; obovate to ovate; 5-7-lobed by deep, wide, rounded sinu- 
ses, the lobes few-toothed, bristle-tipped; thin and firm; very 
lustrous, dark green above, paler beneath; petioles slender. 
FLOWERS.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; the stam- 
inate in hairy catkins 2-4 inches long; the pistillate tomentose, 
borne on short, tomentose peduncles; calyx 4-5-lobed, thairy; 
corolla 0; stamens 4-5, with yellow anthers; stigmas recurved, 
bright red. 
FRUIT.—Autumn of second season; sessile or short-stalked 
acorns; cup saucer-shaped with scales closely appressed, dark 
red-brown, inclosing only the base of the nut; nut nearly hemi- 
spherical, about 14 inch in diameter, light brown; kernel bitter. 
WINTER-BUDS.—Terminal bud % inch long, ovoid or 
conical, acute, light brown, smooth. 
BARK.—Twigs dark red and tomentose at first, becoming 
lustrous, green, finally gray-brown; thick, gray-brown and 
smoothish on the trunk. 
WOOD.—Heavy, hard, strong, coarse-grained, light brown, 
with thin, darker colored sapwood. 
DISTRIBUTION.—Confined to the most southern portions 
of the Lower Peninsula. 
HABITAT.—Prefers moist, rich soil; river-bottoms; bord- 
ers of swamps. : 
NOTES.—Grows rapidly and uniformly. ‘Easily trans- 
planted. The tiny branchlets at a distance give the impression of 
the tree being full of pins. 
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