THE SHRUBS OF NORTH CAROLINA 



Chinquapin Oak. (Quercus prinoides, Willd.) — Sometimes 

 called Dwarf Chestnut Oak. Its foliage is somewhat like that of 

 the Rock Chestnut Oak, and also has some likeness to that of the 

 Chinquapin, which gives it its common name. It is a mere shrub, 



2 to 4 feet high, of no value, and is here mentioned only to give a 

 complete view of the genus. It is found very sparingly in the 

 Lower District, but is not uncommon upon poor soils in the upper 

 parts of the State. 



Bear Oak. (Q. ilicifolia, Wang.) — A. shrub, ordinarily about 



3 to 5 feet high, extending from New Yorki southward through 

 the mountains of Virginia (where it is common) and North 

 Carolina (very rare), to Georgia. The leaves are 2 to 3 inches 

 long, cut about half way to the middle nerve into two divisions on 

 each side, and with a white down on the underside. Worthless 

 in itself, but a good indicator of barren soil. 



Chinquapin. (Castanea pumila, Michx.) — This extends from 

 the Delaware throughout the South. In this State it is known 

 from the seaboard to Cherokee, and in great varieties of soil. It 

 is usually a shrub from 6 to 12 feet high, but in cool fertile 

 situations it is sometimes 30 or 40, and 12 or 18 inches in diame- 

 ter. The wood is finer grained than the Chestnut and equally 

 durable ; but the stock is too small for extensive use. 



There is a distinct variety of this (var: nana) in our poor 

 forests with slender shoots and extensive runners, bearing fruit 

 at the height of a foot. 



Rose Locust. (Robinia hispida, Linn.) — A well-known orna- 

 mental shrub of our gardens, (sometimes known by the singular 

 misnomer of Rose of Sharon,) with large, deep rose-colored blos- 

 soms, bristly branches, flower-stems, and pods. It is indigenous 

 to the rocky summits of mountains and hills in the Upper and 

 Middle Districts; and a dwarf variety, in the Pine barrens of 

 the Lower. 



Mountain Maple. (Acer spicatum, Lam.) — This has nearly 

 the same range in the country with the Striped Maple. In this 

 State it is found only in the Mountains, and is also a shrub 6 to 

 10 feet high. From its insignificance it does not seem to have 

 attracted sufficient attention to acquire a popular name ; but is 

 known farther north by the above, and also as Low Maple. Euro- 

 peans, who have paid far more attention than ourselves to the 

 uses and capacities of our forest productions, have ascertained 

 that this and the Striped Maple acquire double their natural size 



