1 II I <>w o \K. CHESTNl I \K 

 Querent acuminata (Michx.) Sarg. 



The Oak Family 



■ ICEAl 



Habit and Habitat : A medium-sized tree. 10 et tall, with a 



trunk diameter of l-.". feet, or considerably taller and 

 farther eastward llong the Wabash river in southern Indiana; 



numerous, comparatively small branches form a narrow, rounded crown, 



re or less low and 1 ushy. on tlrs its n limit. Prefer* a lime- 



1. but occurs upon dry hillsidea and sunny slopes in various 



soils, also found in rich b ttc m-lands and alon.tr rocky river-banks. 



Leaves and Buds: The leave! alternate, Bimpli 



1-1 inches wide, oblong or lanceolate, wedire-shaped or roundel at the 



Be, coarsely toothed, the teeth acute or rounded, each tipped with a 

 small glandular point, thick ami firm, bronze-green and hairy as they 

 unfold from the bud. but when full grown or mature are yell reen 



and shiny above, pale, often silvery white and downy beneath, turning 



p yellow and scarlet in the autumn. Petioles slender, aboul 1 

 long, slightly flattened. Winter-buds pale chestnut -brown, %-"% inch 

 long, conical, acute, more or less hairy, margin of the scales hairy- 

 fringed. 



Flowers and Fruits: Flow iced in May when the 1< ire 



about one-third grown. Staminate flowers borne in slender, hairy cat- 

 kins 3-4 inches long; calyx light yellow, hairy, deepl; parted; stamens 

 . yellow. Pistillate flowers stalkless or borne in short few-flowered 

 clusters in the axils of the leaves, hoary-hairy, calyx bell-shaped. ■ 

 lobed. yellow; stigmas bright red. The fruits or acorns mature at the 

 end of the first n and are borne in short-stalked or stalkless ] airs 

 or sinely, acorn or nut oval or ovate, rounded and rather obtuse or 

 pointed at the apex, briprht chestnut-brown, about % inch long, inclosed 

 for ab e-half the length in the thin, cup-shaped, light brown cup; 

 eim hairy on the interior, hoary on the exterioj by small 

 obtuse scales; kernel or seed sweet, sometimes edible. 



Bark. TWISTS and Wood: Park light, silvery gray or an] 

 and flaky on the main trunk, usually less than 1 L> inch thick: the young: 

 twiirs Green or more or less tinged with red or purple, and hairv when 

 • aopear. lieht orang or or gray-brown through the first 



winter, finally becoming gray. Wood very hard, heavy, strong, close- 

 grained, durable, dark brown, with thin, pale sapwood; largely used 

 in eoonerapre. for wheels, railway ties, fern •• ind fuel. 



Distribution in the State: Common in the for iri 



from which it has followed the Missouri river in! * ska and has be- 



come established alonir that river in Richardson and Nemaha count :< 



Remarks: This species is called "chestnut oak" from th< na- 



nce of the i to those of the true chestnut of eastern United Stat* 



Still another chestnut oak closely related to this specit 10 occurs 



about the same localities in the This prinoui 



Willd.; it is usually a smaller tree than the ab and of I< 



importance, but the two may bo quite easily confused since the l< 



types of the two are very much alike. 



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