13. Quercus ellipsoidàlis. E. J. Hill. Hill's Oak. [Plate 52.] Medium sized trees; inner bark yellowish; twigs pubescent at first, becoming smooth and reddish brown by autumn; leaves on petioles 2-5 cm. long, ovate to slightly obovate or nearly orbicular in outline, 7-15 cm. long, wedge-shape or, truncate at the base, margin divided into 5-7 long lobes by wide sinuses which usually extend to more than half way to the midrib, sinuses rounded at the base, lobes broadest at the base or the apex, ending in 1-7 bristle points, leaves at first pubescent, both above and below, soon becoming glabrous above, and smooth beneath except tufts of hairs in the axils of the principal veins; acorns nearly sessile or on short stalks, single or in pairs; nuts oval to oblong, 12-20 mm. long, enclosed for 1/3-1/2 their length in the cup; scales obtuse, light reddish-brown, pubescent on the back; kernel pale yellow and bitter.
Distribution.—Northwestern Indiana to Manitoba and south to Iowa. In Indiana it has been reported only from Lake and Porter Counties by Hill, and from White County by Heimlich. According to Hill, who has made the most extensive study of the distribution of this species in our area, the tree is found on sandy and clayey uplands, and in moist sandy places. It closely resembles the pin oak for which it has been mistaken. It also resembles the black and scarlet oaks. We have very little data on the range or distribution of the species in this State.
Quercus velùtina14. Lamarck. Black Oak. [Plate 53.] Medium to large sized trees; inner bark yellow or orange; leaves on petioles 2-8 cm. long, ovate oblong or obovate, very variable in outline and in size, those of young trees and coppice shoots being very large, those of mature trees usually 12-18 cm. long, wedge-shape or truncate at the base, the margin divided into 5-9 lobes by wide and usually deep sinuses which are rounded at the base, the lobes variable in shape and size, the terminals of many of the lobes toothed or slightly lobed and ending in one or more bristles, leaves pubescent on both sides at first, soon becoming smooth, glossy and a dark green above; leaves of fruiting branches usually smooth beneath except the tufts of brown hairs in the axils of the principal veins, or rarely more or less pubescent over the whole under surface, the under surface of leaves of sterile branches and young trees usually are the most pubescent beneath, the leaves of some trees are much like those of the scarlet oak, but on the whole are larger; acorns sessile or nearly so, single or in pairs; nuts ovoid, oblong or subglobose, 1.5-2 cm. long, enclosed for about half their length in the cup-shaped cup; scales light-brown, densely pubescent on the back, obtuse, loose above the middle of the cup; kernel bitter.
QUERCUS ELLIPSOIDALIS E. J. Hill. Hill's Oak. (× 1/2.)
Specimens from type tree.
