HABIT.--A medium-sized tree 70-80 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 1-3
feet; slender, wide-spreading, pendulous branches, forming a narrow,
rounded, open crown.
LEAVES.--Alternate in pairs, simple, 3-4 inches long and one-half as
broad; outline variable, ovate to oblong-ovate; sharply doubly serrate,
with slender, incurved teeth; dull, dark green above, light yellow-green
beneath; petioles short, stout, hairy, deeply grooved above; aromatic.
FLOWERS.--April, before the leaves; monoecious; the staminate catkins 3-4
inches long, slender, pendent, yellowish; the pistillate catkins 1/2-3/4
inch long, erect or suberect, greenish.
FRUIT.--Ripens in autumn; sessile, glabrous, erect strobiles, 1-1-1/2
inches long and half as thick; scales glabrous; nuts slightly broader
than their wings.
WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud absent; lateral buds about 1/4 inch long,
conical, sharp-pointed, red-brown, divergent.
BARK.--Twigs light green, becoming lustrous, red-brown in their first
winter; very dark on old trunks, cleaving off in thick, irregular
plates. Resembles bark of Black Cherry. Inner bark aromatic, spicy.
WOOD.--Heavy, very hard and strong, close-grained, dark red-brown, with
thin, lighter colored sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.--Scattered throughout the state; rare in the south, more
abundant and of larger size in the north.
HABITAT.--Grows in any situation, but prefers moist, rocky slopes and
rich uplands.
NOTES.--Hardy throughout its range. Easily transplanted.
[Illustration: +Yellow Birch. Gray Birch+
1. Winter twig, × 1.
2. Portion of twig, enlarged.
3. Leaf, × 1/2.
4. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2.
5. Staminate flower, enlarged.
6. Pistillate flower, enlarged.
7. Fruiting branchlet, × 1/2.
8. Fruit, × 10.]
+BETULACEAE+
+Yellow Birch. Gray Birch+
_Betula lutea Michx. f._
HABIT.--A tree 60-80 feet high and 2-4 feet in trunk diameter; numerous
slender, pendulous branches form a broad, open, rounded crown.
LEAVES.--Alternate, solitary or in pairs, simple, 3-5 inches long and
one-half as broad; ovate to oblong-ovate; sharply doubly serrate; dull
dark green above, yellow-green beneath; petioles short, slender,
grooved, hairy; slightly aromatic.
FLOWERS.--April, before the leaves; monoecious; the staminate catkins 3-4
inches long, slender, pendent, purplish yellow; the pistillate catkins
sessile or nearly so, erect, almost 1 inch long, greenish.
FRUIT.--Ripens in autumn; sessile or short-stalked, erect, glabrous
strobiles, about 1 inch long and half as thick; scales downy on the back
and edges; nut about as broad as the wing.
WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud absent; lateral buds about 1/4 inch long,
conical, acute, chestnut-brown, more or less appressed; bud-scales more
or less pubescent.
BARK.--Twigs, branches and young stems smooth, very lustrous, silvery
gray or light orange; becoming silvery yellow-gray as the trunk expands
and breaking into strips more or less curled at the edges; old trunks
becoming gray or blackish, dull, deeply and irregularly fissured into
large, thin plates; somewhat aromatic, slightly bitter.
WOOD.--Heavy, very strong and hard, close-grained, light brown tinged
with red, with thin, whitish sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.--Throughout the state, but more abundant and of larger size
northward.
HABITAT.--Prefers rich, moist uplands, but grows in wet or dry
situations.
NOTES.--One of the largest deciduous-leaved trees of Michigan. Easily
transplanted, but not desirable as a street tree.
[Illustration: +Paper Birch. Canoe Birch. White Birch+
1. Winter twig, × 1.
2. Portion of twig, enlarged.
3. Leaf, × 1.
4. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2.
5. Staminate flower, enlarged.
6. Pistillate flower, enlarged.
7. Fruiting branchlet, × 1/2.
8. Fruit, × 3-1/2.]
+BETULACEAE+
+Paper Birch. Canoe Birch. White Birch+
_Betula alba papyrifera_ (_Marsh._) _Spach_. [_Betula papyrifera
Marsh._]
HABIT.--A tree 50-75 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 1-3 feet,
forming in youth a compact, pyramidal crown of many slender branches,
becoming in old age a long, branchless trunk with a broad, open crown,
composed of a few large limbs ascending at an acute angle, with almost
horizontal branches and a slender, flexible spray.
LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 2-3 inches long, 1-1/2-2 inches broad; ovate;
coarsely, more or less doubly serrate; thick and firm; glabrous, dark
green above, lighter beneath, covered with minute black glands; petioles
stout, yellow, glandular, glabrous or pubescent.
FLOWERS.--April, before the leaves; monoecious; the staminate catkins
clustered or in pairs, 3-4 inches long, slender, pendent, brownish; the
pistillate catkins about 1-1/2 inches long, slender, erect or spreading,
greenish; styles bright red.
FRUIT.--Ripens in autumn; long-stalked, cylindrical, glabrous, drooping
strobiles, about 1-1/2 inches long; scales hairy on the margin; nut
narrower than its wing.
WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud absent; lateral buds 1/4 inch long,
narrow-ovoid, acute, flattish, slightly resinous, usually divergent.
BARK.--Twigs dull red, becoming lustrous orange-brown; bark of trunk and
large limbs cream-white and lustrous on the outer surface, bright orange
on the inner, separating freely into thin, papery layers, becoming
furrowed and almost black near the ground.
WOOD.--Light, hard, strong, tough, very close-grained, light brown tinged
with red, with thick, whitish sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.--Lansing and northward. Common in central Michigan as a
small tree. Of larger size in the Upper Peninsula.
HABITAT.--Prefers rich, moist hillsides; borders of streams, lakes and
swamps; but is also found in drier situations.
NOTES.--A rapid grower in youth. The bark is used by the Indians and
woodsmen for canoes, wigwams, baskets, torches, etc.
[Illustration: +Beech. White Beech+
1. Winter twig, × 1.
2. Portion of twig, enlarged.
3. Leaf, × 1.
4. Flowering branchlet, × 3/4.
5. Staminate flower, enlarged.
6. Pistillate flower, enlarged.
7. Bur, opened, × 1.
8. Nut, × 1.]
+FAGACEAE+
+Beech. White Beech+
_Fagus grandifolia Ehrh._ [_Fagus atropunicea_ (_Marsh._) _Sudw._]
[_Fagus ferruginea Ait._] [_Fagus americana Sweet_]
HABIT.--A beautiful tree, rising commonly to a height of 50-75 feet, with
a trunk diameter of 2-4 feet; in the forest, tall and slender, with
short branches forming a narrow crown, in the open with a short, thick
trunk and numerous slender, spreading branches, forming a broad,
compact, rounded crown.
LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 3-5 inches long, one-half as broad;
oblong-ovate, acuminate; coarsely serrate, a vein terminating in each
tooth; thin; dark blue-green above, light yellow-green and very lustrous
beneath; petioles short, hairy.
FLOWERS.--April-May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate in
globose heads 1 inch in diameter, on long, slender, hairy peduncles,
yellow-green; calyx campanulate, 4-7-lobed, hairy; corolla 0; stamens
8-10; the pistillate on short, hairy peduncles in 2-flowered clusters
surrounded by numerous awl-shaped, hairy bracts; calyx urn-shaped,
4-5-lobed; corolla 0; ovary 3-celled; styles 3.
FRUIT.--Ripens in autumn; a prickly bur borne on stout, hairy peduncles,
persistent on the branch after the nuts have fallen; nuts usually 3, 3/4
inch long, sharply tetrahedral, brownish; sweet and edible.
WINTER-BUDS.--Nearly 1 inch long, very slender, cylindrical, gradually
taper-pointed, brownish, puberulous.
BARK.--Twigs lustrous, olive-green, finally changing through brown to
ashy gray; close, smooth, steel-gray on the trunk, often mottled by
darker blotches and bands.
WOOD.--Hard, tough, strong, very close-grained, not durable, difficult to
season, light or dark red, with thin, whitish sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.--Common in the Lower Peninsula, especially in the northern
portions; rare in the Upper Peninsula.
HABITAT.--Prefers deep, rich, well-drained loam, but is found and does
well on a great variety of soils.
NOTES.--Hardy throughout its range. Desirable for landscape work because
of its clean trunk and limbs, deep shade, and freedom from insect pests.
Often suckers from the roots.
[Illustration: +Chestnut+
1. Winter twig, × 1.
2. Leaf, × 1/2.
3. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2.
4. Staminate flower, enlarged.
5. Pistillate flower, enlarged.
6. Prickly bur, opened, × 1/2.
7. Nut, × 1/2.]
+FAGACEAE+
+Chestnut+
_Castanea dentata_ (_Marsh._) _Borkh._ [_Castanea vesca, v. americana
Michx._] [_Castanea sativa, v. americana Sarg._]
HABIT.--A tree 60-80 feet high, forming a short, straight trunk 2-4 feet
in diameter, divided not far above the ground into several stout,
horizontal limbs and forming a broad, open, rounded crown.
LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 6-8 inches long, 2-3 inches broad;
oblong-lanceolate, long-pointed at the apex; coarsely serrate with
stout, incurved, glandular teeth; thin; dull yellow-green above, lighter
beneath, glabrous; petioles short, stout, puberulous.
FLOWERS.--June-July, after the leaves; monoecious; the staminate catkins
6-8 inches long, slender, puberulous, bearing 3-7-flowered cymes of
yellow-green flowers; calyx 6-cleft, pubescent; stamens 10-20; the
androgynous catkins 2-1/2-5 inches long, puberulous, bearing 2-3 prickly
involucres of pistillate flowers near their base; calyx campanulate,
6-lobed; styles 6.
FRUIT.--Ripens in autumn; round, thick, prickly burs, about 2 inches in
diameter, containing 1-3 nuts; nuts compressed, brownish, coated with
whitish down at the apex; sweet and edible.
WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud absent; lateral buds 1/4 inch long, ovoid,
acute, brownish.
BARK.--Twigs lustrous, yellow-green, becoming olive-green and finally
dark brown; old trunks gray-brown, with shallow fissures and broad, flat
ridges.
WOOD.--Light, soft, coarse-grained, weak, easily split, very durable in
contact with the soil, red-brown, with very thin, lighter colored
sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.--South-eastern Michigan, as far north as St. Clair County.
Abundant in eastern Monroe County and Wayne County.
HABITAT.--Pastures; hillsides; glacial drift; well-drained, gravelly or
rocky soil.
NOTES.--A rapid grower and living to a great age. Difficult to
transplant. Subject to a disease which threatens extermination in this
country.
+SUMMER KEY TO THE SPECIES OF QUERCUS+
a. Leaves deeply cut or lobed.
b. Leaf-lobes acute, bristle-tipped; fruit maturing in the
second season.
c. Lower surface of leaves more or less pubescent.
d. Leaf-lobes usually 7; buds hoary-tomentose; bark of trunk
deeply furrowed and scaly; inner bark yellow; cup-scales of
acorn hoary-pubescent; nut ovoid; large tree, common in
Michigan. _Q. velutina_, p. 117.
dd. Leaf-lobes usually 3 (at apex of the leaf only); buds
rusty-hairy; bark of trunk divided into nearly square plates;
inner bark not yellow; cup-scales of acorn rusty-tomentose;
nut subglobose; shrubby tree, rare in Michigan. _Q.
marilandica_, p. 119.
cc. Lower surface of leaves glabrous or nearly so.
d. Cup of acorn top-shaped or cup-shaped, inclosing one-third
to one-half of the nut.
e. Kernel of nut yellow; buds glabrous, lustrous, slightly
angular; inner bark of trunk yellow; trunk provided with pins
or stubs of dead branches near the ground. _Q. ellipsoidalis_, p. 115.
ee. Kernel of nut whitish; buds pubescent above the middle,
not angular; inner bark of trunk red; trunk not provided with
pins or stubs of branches near the ground. _Q. coccinea_, p. 113.
dd. Cup of acorn saucer-shaped, inclosing only the base of the
nut.
e. Upper surface of leaves usually lustrous, especially on the
lower branches; lowermost branches of trees growing in the
open drooping nearly to the ground; nut about 1/2 inch long
_Q. palustris_, p. 111.
ee. Upper surface of leaves usually dull; lowermost branches
of trees growing in the open not drooping; nut about 1 inch
long. _Q. rubra_, p. 109.
bb. Leaf-lobes rounded, not bristle-tipped; fruit maturing in
the first season.
c. Leaves cut nearly to the midrib by a pair of deep sinuses
near the middle of the leaf; branches corky-ridged; nut
1/2-1-1/2 inches long, deeply seated in a large, conspicuously
fringed cup. _Q. macrocarpa_, p. 103.
cc. Leaves not cut by a pair of deep sinuses; branches not
corky-ridged; nut about 3/4 inch long, about one-fourth
covered by a thin, tomentose, warty cup. _Q. alba_, p. 101.
aa. Leaves not deeply cut nor lobed.
b. Margin of leaf entire to sinuate-crenate, but not toothed;
acorns on stalks 1/2-4 inches long.
c. Margin of leaf entire, or only slightly undulate; acorns on
peduncles 1/2 inch long, the nut about 1/2 inch long; bark on
branches not breaking into large, papery scales. _Q.
imbricaria_, p. 121.
cc. Margin of leaf sinuate-crenate, rarely lobed; acorns on
stems 1-4 inches long, the nut about 1 inch long; bark on
branches breaking into large, papery scales which curl back
_Q. bicolor_, p. 105.
bb. Margin of leaf coarsely toothed; acorns sessile or on
stalks less than 1/2 inch long. _Q. muhlenbergii_, p. 107.
+WINTER KEY TO THE SPECIES OF QUERCUS+
a. Terminal buds usually about 1/8 inch long.
b. Twigs thick-tomentose; entire bud pale-pubescent; branches
corky-ridged; cup of acorn conspicuously fringed at the rim.
[1][G] _Q. macrocarpa_, p. 103.
bb. Twigs glabrous; buds glabrous, or only slightly or
partially pubescent; branches without corky ridges; cup of
acorn not conspicuously fringed at the rim.
c. Bark on branches breaking into large, papery scales which
curl back; buds pilose above the middle; acorns on pubescent
stems 1-4 inches long. [1] _Q. bicolor_, p. 105.
cc. Bark on branches not breaking into large, papery scales;
buds glabrous; acorns sessile or very short-stalked.
d. Bark of trunk ash-gray or nearly white, flaky; acorns
maturing in autumn of first season; kernel of nut sweet.
e. Buds conical, acute; bud-scales scarious on the margins;
nut white-downy at the apex. [1] _Q. muhlenbergii_, p. 107.
ee. Buds broadly ovoid, obtuse; bud-scales not scarious on the
margins; nut not white-downy at the apex. [1] _Q. alba_, p.
101.
dd. Bark of trunk light to dark brown, smoothish or only
slightly fissured; acorns maturing in autumn of second season;
kernel of nut bitter.
e. Lateral buds widely divergent; bud-scales scarious on the
margins; lowermost branches of trees growing in the open not
drooping nearly to the ground. [2] _Q. imbricaria_, p. 121.
ee. Lateral buds more or less appressed; bud-scales not
scarious on the margins; lowermost branches of trees growing
in the open drooping nearly to the ground. [2] _Q. palustris_,
p. 111.
aa. Terminal buds usually about 1/4 inch long (slightly
smaller in _Q. ellipsoidalis_).
b. Buds conspicuously hairy or tomentose.
c. Buds rusty-hairy, acute at the apex; cup-scales of acorn
rusty-tomentose; inner bark of trunk not yellow; shrubby tree,
rare in Michigan. [2] _Q. marilandica_, p. 119.
cc. Buds hoary-tomentose, obtuse at the apex; cup-scales of
acorn hoary-pubescent; inner bark of trunk yellow; large tree,
common in Michigan. [2] _Q. velutina_, p. 117.
bb. Buds glabrous, or pubescent only above the middle.
c. Buds strictly glabrous throughout, lustrous; inner bark of
trunk yellow or whitish.
d. Buds obtuse at the apex; trunk provided with pins or stubs
of dead branches near the ground; inner bark of trunk yellow;
nut 1/2-3/4 inch long, inclosed for one-third to one-half of
its length in a top-shaped cup; kernel of nut yellow. [2] _Q.
ellipsoidalis_, p. 115.
dd. Buds acute at the apex; trunk not provided with pins or
stubs of branches near the ground; inner bark of trunk
whitish; nut about 1 inch long, inclosed only at the base by a
shallow, saucer-shaped cup; kernel of nut white. [2] _Q.
rubra_, p. 109.
cc. Buds pale-pubescent above the middle, but usually glabrous
below, not lustrous; inner bark of trunk red. [2] _Q.
coccinea_, p. 113.
[Illustration: +White Oak+
1. Winter twig, × 2.
2. Leaf, × 1/2.
3. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2.
4. Staminate flower, enlarged.
5. Pistillate flower, enlarged.
6. Fruit, × 1.]
+FAGACEAE+
+White Oak+
_Quercus alba L._
HABIT.--A large tree 60-80 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 2-4 feet;
forming a short, thick trunk with stout, horizontal, far-reaching limbs,
more or less gnarled and twisted in old age, and a broad, open crown.
LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 5-9 inches long, about one-half as broad;
obovate to oblong; 5-9-lobed, some with broad lobes and shallow sinuses,
others with narrow lobes and deep, narrow sinuses, the lobes usually
entire; thin and firm; glabrous, bright green above, pale or glaucous
beneath; often persistent on the tree through the winter.
FLOWERS.--May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate in hairy
catkins 2-3 inches long; the pistillate sessile or short-peduncled,
reddish, tomentose; calyx campanulate, 6-8-lobed, yellow, hairy; corolla
0; stamens 6-8, with yellow anthers; stigmas red.
FRUIT.--Autumn of first season; sessile or short-stalked acorns; cup with
small, brown-tomentose scales, inclosing one-fourth of the nut; nut
oblong-ovoid, rounded at the apex, about 3/4 inch long, light brown;
kernel sweet and edible.
WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud 1/8 inch long, broadly ovoid, obtuse; scales
smooth, dark red-brown.
BARK.--Twigs at first bright green, tomentose, later reddish, and finally
ashy gray; thick, light gray or whitish on old trunks, shallowly
fissured into broad, flat ridges.
WOOD.--Very heavy, strong, hard, tough, close-grained, durable, light
brown, with thin, light brown sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.--Rare in the Upper Peninsula, common in the Lower
Peninsula, especially in the lower half.
HABITAT.--Grows well in all but very wet soils, in all open exposures.
NOTES.--Slow and even of growth. Difficult to transplant.
[Illustration: +Bur Oak+
1. Winter twig, × 2.
2. Leaf, × 1/3.
3. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2.
4. Staminate flower, enlarged.
5. Pistillate flower, enlarged.
6. Fruit, × 1.]
+FAGACEAE+
+Bur Oak+
_Quercus macrocarpa Michx._
HABIT.--A large tree 60-80 feet high, with a trunk 2-4 feet in diameter;
great, spreading branches form a broad, rugged crown.
LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 6-10 inches long and one-half as broad;
obovate to oblong, wedge-shaped at the base; crenately lobed, usually
cut nearly to the midrib by two opposite sinuses near the middle; thick
and firm; dark green and shining above, pale-pubescent beneath; petioles
short, stout.
FLOWERS.--May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate in slender,
hairy catkins 4-6 inches long; the pistillate sessile or short-stalked,
reddish, tomentose; calyx 4-6-lobed, yellow-green, downy; corolla 0;
stamens 4-6, with yellow anthers; stigmas bright red.
FRUIT.--Autumn of first season; sessile or short-stalked acorns; very
variable in size and shape; cup typically deep, cup-shaped, tomentose,
fringed at the rim, inclosing one-third or all of the nut; nut
broad-ovoid, 1/2-1-1/2 inches long, brownish, pubescent; kernel white,
sweet and edible.
WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud 1/8 inch long, broadly ovoid or conical,
red-brown, pale-pubescent.
BARK.--Twigs yellow-brown, thick-tomentose, becoming ash-gray or
brownish; branches with corky ridges; thick and gray-brown on the trunk,
deeply furrowed.
WOOD.--Heavy, hard, strong, tough, close-grained, very durable, brownish,
with thin, pale sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.--Common throughout both peninsulas.
HABITAT.--Prefers rich, moist soil; bottom-lands; but is tolerant of many
soils.
NOTES.--Rather slow of growth. Difficult to transplant.
[Illustration: +Swamp White Oak. Swamp Oak+
1. Winter twig, × 2.
2. Leaf, × 1/2.
3. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2.
4. Staminate flower, enlarged.
5. Pistillate flower, enlarged.
6. Fruit, × 1.]
+FAGACEAE+
+Swamp White Oak. Swamp Oak+
_Quercus bicolor Willd._ [_Quercus platanoides (Lam.) Sudw._]
HABIT.--A large tree 50-70 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 2-3 feet;
forming a rather open, rugged crown of tortuous, pendulous branches and
short, stiff, bushy spray.
LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 5-7 inches long, 3-5 inches broad; obovate to
oblong-obovate; coarsely sinuate-crenate or shallow-lobed; thick and
firm; dark green and shining above, whitish and more or less tomentose
beneath; petioles stout, about 1/2 inch long.
FLOWERS.--May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate in hairy
catkins 3-4 inches long; the pistillate tomentose, on long, tomentose
peduncles, in few-flowered spikes; calyx deeply 5-9-lobed, yellow-green,
hairy; corolla 0; stamens 5-8, with yellow anthers; stigmas bright red.
FRUIT.--Autumn of first season; acorns on pubescent stems 1-4 inches
long, usually in pairs; cup cup-shaped, with scales somewhat loose (rim
often fringed), inclosing one-third of the nut; nut ovoid, light brown,
pubescent at the apex, about 1 inch long; kernel white, sweet, edible.
WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud 1/8 inch long, broadly ovoid to globose,
obtuse; scales light brown, pilose above the middle.
BARK.--Twigs at first lustrous, green, becoming red-brown, finally dark
brown and separating into large, papery scales which curl back; thick,
gray-brown on the trunk, deeply fissured into broad, flat, scaly ridges.
WOOD.--Heavy, hard, strong, tough, coarse-grained, light brown, with
thin, indistinguishable sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.--Southern half of Lower Peninsula.
HABITAT.--Prefers moist, rich soil bordering swamps and along streams.
NOTES.--Fairly rapid in growth and reasonably easy to transplant.
[Illustration: +Chinquapin Oak. Chestnut Oak. Yellow Oak+
1. Winter twig, × 2.
2. Leaf, × 1/2.
3. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2.
4. Staminate flower, enlarged.
5. Pistillate flower, enlarged.
6. Fruit, × 1.]
+FAGACEAE+
+Chinquapin Oak. Chestnut Oak. Yellow Oak+
_Quercus muhlenbergii Engelm._ [_Quercus acuminata (Michx.) Houba_]
HABIT.--A medium-sized tree 40-50 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 1-3
feet; erect, somewhat short branches form a narrow, rounded crown.
LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 4-7 inches long, 1-4 inches broad;
oblong-lanceolate to obovate; coarsely toothed; thick and firm;
lustrous, yellow-green above, pale-pubescent beneath; petioles slender,
about 1 inch long.
FLOWERS.--May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate in hairy
catkins 3-4 inches long; the pistillate sessile or in short spikes,
hoary-tomentose; calyx campanulate, 5-8-lobed, yellow, hairy; corolla 0;
stamens 5-8, with yellow anthers; stigmas red.
FRUIT.--Autumn of first season; sessile or short-stalked acorns; cup with
small scales, hoary-tomentose, inclosing one-half of the nut; nut ovoid,
about 3/4 inch long, light brown; kernel sweet, sometimes edible.
WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud 1/8 inch long, conical, acute; scales
chestnut-brown, scarious on the margin.
BARK.--Twigs greenish at first, becoming gray-brown, finally gray or
brown; thin, silvery gray or ash colored and flaky on the trunk.
WOOD.--Heavy, very hard, strong, close-grained, durable, dark brown, with
thin, pale brown sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.--Confined to the southern half of the Lower Peninsula.
HABITAT.--Prefers a limestone soil; dry hillsides; rich bottom-lands;
rocky river-banks.
NOTES.--Grows uniformly until maturity. Leaves resemble those of the
Chestnut. A form which differs from the type in having broader, obovate
leaves broadest above the middle and a flaky bark has been described and
named _Quercus Alexanderi Britton_.
[Illustration: +Red Oak+
1. Winter twig, × 1.
2. Leaf, × 1/2.
3. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2.
4. Staminate flower, enlarged.
5. Pistillate flower, enlarged.
6. Fruit, × 1.]
+FAGACEAE+
+Red Oak+
_Quercus rubra L._
HABIT.--A large tree 70-80 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 2-4 feet;
forming a broad, rounded crown of a few large, wide-spreading branches
and slender branchlets.