Michigan Trees Part 25

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-p.u.b.escent 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, p.u.b.escent; kernel white, sweet and edible.

WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud 1/8 inch long, broadly ovoid or conical, red-brown, pale-p.u.b.escent.

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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: +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.]

+f.a.gACEAE+

+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; coa.r.s.ely 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 p.u.b.escent 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, p.u.b.escent 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 l.u.s.trous, 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, coa.r.s.e-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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: +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.]

+f.a.gACEAE+

+Chinquapin Oak. Chestnut Oak. Yellow Oak+

_Quercus muhlenbergii Engelm._ [_Quercus ac.u.minata (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; coa.r.s.ely toothed; thick and firm; l.u.s.trous, yellow-green above, pale-p.u.b.escent 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, h.o.a.ry-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, h.o.a.ry-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_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: +Red Oak+

1. Winter twig, 1.

2. Leaf, 1/2.

3. Flowering branchlet, 1/2.