=Distribution.=--Vermont, southwestern Ontario to Wisconsin and south to
Florida and west to Texas. Found in limited numbers in all parts of
Indiana, although Hill's record for Lake county is the only record in
the block of the 12 northwest counties. It is without a doubt found in
every county south of the Wabash River. It is a rare or an infrequent
tree in practically all parts of its range. It is generally found on the
dry banks of streams, river terrace banks, rocky bluffs of streams, and
only rarely in level dry woods. In the southern counties it is sometimes
found on clay or rocky ridges. In most of its range it is now so rare
that most of the inhabitants do not know the tree.
=Remarks.=--Wood similar to white oak, and with the same uses.
In White County a pioneer was found who knew the tree only by the name
of pigeon oak. He said it received this name from the fact that the wild
pigeons were fond of the acorns.
The leaves of this tree vary greatly in size, shape, and leaf margins.
The fruit also varies on different trees in the shape of the nut, and
the depth of the cup. These variations have lead some authors to
separate the forms and one histological study[34] seems to support minor
differences. It has been observed that the leaves in the top of some
trees may be thick, narrow and with long incurved teeth, while the
leaves of the lower branches will be strongly obovate, thinner, and the
teeth more dentate. In a general study it is best to include the
polymorphic forms under one name. The distribution of the shallow and
deep cup forms is so general that no regional or habitat areas can be
assigned to either of them in Indiana.
=4.= =Quercus Michaúxii= Nuttall (_Quercus Prinus_ Sargent). Cow Oak.
Basket Oak. Plate 43. Large trees; leaves on petioles 1-3 cm. long,
generally 1-2 dm. long, obovate, narrowed or narrowly rounded at the
base, short taper-pointed, the apex generally blunt, the margins
coarsely toothed, the teeth broad and rounded or more rarely acute,
shaded leaves sometimes with margins merely undulate, hairy on both
surfaces when young, becoming at maturity a dark yellow green and
glabrous above, sometimes remaining somewhat pubescent along the midrib
and the principal veins, leaves grayish and woolly pubescent beneath;
acorns solitary or in pairs, sessile or on very short stalks, up to
almost a cm. in length; nuts ovoid or oval with a broad base, enclosed
for about 1/3 their length by the cup, the cups thick and generally 2-3
cm. broad; scales ovate, acute, rather blunt-pointed and more or less
tuberculate near the base of the cup, tomentose on the back; kernel
sweet.
[Illustration: Plate 43.