DECIDUOUS TREES. 
313 
The Spanish Oak, Q.falcata, is a southern oak resembling the 
black oak in its bark, and with leaves somewhat like those of the 
pin oak and scarlet oak. 
The Black Jack Oak, Q. nigra , is a dwarf species of no value 
for decorative planting. 
The Marsh or Pin Oak. Q. palustris. — It has been prettily 
remarked of this tree that it is a graceful savage. A 
thorny, scraggy tree, armed like a hedge-hog against 
approach, when growing wild in wet ground, but full 
of grace with its delicate light foliage when in full leaf 
in open ground. A multitude of small branches, of 
great hardness of fibre, radiate at right angles from 
the main stem, and with their numerous angular 
branchlets and thorn-like spurs, give the tree the ap¬ 
pearance, when bare of leaves, of a prodigious natural 
hedge-plant. The bark is extremely hard, and darker 
colored than that of the red oak, but smooth when 
young. The leaves, the form of which is shown by 
Fig. 99, are smaller and lighter colored than most 
oaks. When grown in open ground the lower branches droop to 
the ground, and the light-green of its fine-cut foliage, the sharpness 
of its stratified lights and shadows, and the general downward 
sweep of its branches, altogether make it a pleasing tree; and, in 
Loudon’s opinion, “ the most graceful of the oaks.” This, however, 
is no great compliment, remembering that grace is not a character¬ 
istic of the oak family. Our cut gives the usual form of a young 
pin oak, but does not indicate sufficiently the drooping habit of 
the lower branches. 
Willow Oak Group. 
Willow Oaks. Quercus Phellos .—These are seldom seen north 
of Philadelphia. There, and southward, they become large trees, 
whose dark bark and foliage give them a sombre appearance. 
Leaves very small, lanceolate, smooth edged, and willow-like. 
