THE TREES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 63 



wassee. Its northern limit is in western Pennsyl- 

 vania. It is more common in the Western States, as 

 far north as Illinois, and is there known by the names 

 of Jack Oak, Black Jack Oak, Laurel Oak and Shin- 

 gle Oak. In those parts of our State where it occurs, 

 I have heard it called only Water Oak, a name very 

 generally applied elsewhere to a very different species. 

 This is from 40 to 50 feet high and 12 to 15 inches in 

 diameter, branches low, and casts a thick shade with 

 its dark crowded foliage. The leaves are 8 or 4 

 inches long, about 1 inch broad, and of a light shin- 

 ing green. The wood is hard and heavy, but porous, 

 and inferior to that of Willow Oak, which it resem- 

 bles. In Illinois it has been used for shingles, prob- 

 ably for want of a better material. On the Pigeon 

 River I have noticed a few trees with the leaves more 

 or less cut or lobed, which are probably a cross be- 

 tween the Shingle Oak and one of the Red Oaks, 

 though their whole appearance and habit were, in 

 other respects, those of the former. This is Q. Leana, 

 Nutt. 



11. Upland Willow Oak. (Q. cinerea, Michx.) 

 Found only in the Pine barrens of the Lower Dis- 

 trict, where it is very generally diffused. It rarely 

 exceeds 20 feet in height and 6 inches in diameter, 

 though I have seen it, when standing alone and in 

 favorable situations, quite a large tree with a circum- 

 ference of 3 feet. As a general thing it may be con- 

 sidered too insignificant to merit more than a passing 

 notice. Its foliage is of an ashy hue. The bark af- 



