Quercus ellipsoidalis E. J. Hill
HABIT.—A tree 50-60 feet high, with a short trunk 2-3 feet in diameter; forming a rather narrow, oblong crown of upright and horizontal branches. Many small, drooping branches are sent out near the ground, which eventually die; and it is to the stubs or pins which persist about the trunk that the appelation Pin Oak is due.
LEAVES.—Alternate, simple, 3-7 inches long and about as broad; oval to nearly orbicular; narrowly 5-7-lobed by deep, wide, rounded sinuses, the lobes few-toothed, bristle-tipped; thin and firm; lustrous, bright green above, paler beneath, both sides glabrous except for the tufts of hairs in the axils of the veins beneath; petioles slender, glabrous.
FLOWERS.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate in puberulous catkins 2-3 inches long; the pistillate red, tomentose, borne on stout, tomentose, 1-3-flowered peduncles; calyx 2-5-lobed or-parted, glabrous except at the apex, which is fringed with long, twisted hairs; corolla 0; stamens 2-5, with short filaments; stigmas 3, recurved, dark red.
FRUIT.—Autumn of second season; short-stalked or nearly sessile acorns; cup top-shaped, with scales thin, puberulous, inclosing one-third to one-half of the nut; nut ellipsoid, 1/2-3/4 inch long, light brown, puberulous; kernel yellow, bitter.
WINTER-BUDS.—Terminal bud 1/8-1/4 inch long, ovoid, rather obtuse, slightly angular, lustrous, red-brown.
BARK.—Twigs bright red-brown, covered with matted, pale hairs, becoming glabrous, dark gray or brown; thin, dull gray to dark brown, rather smooth or closely ribbed on the trunk; inner bark yellow.
WOOD.—Heavy, hard, strong, coarse-grained, red-brown, with thin, paler sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.—South-western part of the Lower Peninsula, but limits not definitely known.
HABITAT.—Well-drained uplands, especially on clays; occasionally on the borders of ponds and in low woods.