The American chestnut, Castanea dentata Borkh., extends its range from Maine to Michigan, and southward to Delaware and Tennessee. There is a stand of chestnuts in Pulaski County and some trees have been planted in the southern part of the State. They are easily recognized by their alternate simple, broadly lanceolate coarsely toothed leaves, and their prickly burs about 2 inches in diameter containing 1-3 nuts.
A KEY TO THE OAKS OF ILLINOIS
| A. | Leaves without bristle tips; bark gray; acorns maturingat the end of 1 season; white oaks. | |||||||
| B. | Leaves lobed. | |||||||
| C. | Acorn-cup not enclosing the acorn. | |||||||
| D. | Acorn-cup shallow, warted. | Q. alba | ||||||
| DD. | Acorn-cup covering ½ of the acorn. | Q. stellata | ||||||
| CC. | Acorn-cup enclosing the acorn. | Q. stellata | ||||||
| D. | Acorn-cup not fringed. | Q. lyrata | ||||||
| DD. | Acorn-cup fringed. | Q. macrocarpa | ||||||
| BB. | Leaves not lobed, coarsely toothed. | |||||||
| C. | Acorn-stalked. | |||||||
| D. | Acorn-stalks longer than petioles. | Q. bicolor | ||||||
| DD. | Acorn-stalks short. | Q. bicolor | ||||||
| E. | Acorn-cup flat-bottomed; bark likethat of white oak. | Q. bicolor | ||||||
| CC. | Acorn-cup enclosing the acorn. | Q. stellata | ||||||
| D. | Acorn-cup not fringed. | Q. lyrata | ||||||
| DD. | Acorn-cup fringed. | Q. macrocarpa | ||||||
| BB. | Leaves not lobed, coarsely toothed. | |||||||
| C. | Acorn-stalked. | |||||||
| D. | Acorn-stalks longer than petioles. | Q. bicolor | ||||||
| DD. | Acorn-stalks short. | |||||||
| E. | Acorn-cup flat-bottomed; bark likethat of white oak. | Q. prinus | ||||||
| CC. | Acorns sessile, cup deep | Q. muhlenbergii | ||||||
| AA. | Leaves with bristle tips; bark dark; acorns matureat the end of two seasons; black and red oaks. | |||||||
| B. | Leaves lobed. | |||||||
| C. | Deeply lobed. | |||||||
| D. | Leaves deep green on both sides. | |||||||
| E. | Acorn-cup broad and shallow. | |||||||
| a. | Acorn large. | Q. rubra | ||||||
| aa. | Acorn small. | |||||||
| b. | Acorn ovoid. | Q. shumardii | ||||||
| bb. | Acorn globose. | Q. palustris | ||||||
| EE. | Acorn-cup deep. | |||||||
| a. | Cup-scales loosely imbricated,winter buds large and hairy. | Q. velutina | ||||||
| aa. | Cup-scales tightly appressed,winter buds small and smooth. | |||||||
| b. | Acorn small. | Q. ellipsoidalis | ||||||
| bb. | Acorn large. | Q. coccinea | ||||||
| DD. | Leaves pale green beneath. | Q. falcata | ||||||
| CC. | Leaves shallowly lobed, winter buds rusty-hairy. | Q. marilandica | ||||||
| BB. | Leaves entire. | |||||||
| C. | Leaves hairy beneath; acorn sessile. | Q. imbricaria | ||||||
| CC. | Leaves not hairy; acorn stalked. | Q. phellos | ||||||
WHITE OAK Quercus alba L.
WITHIN its natural range, which includes practically the entire eastern half of the United States, the white oak is one of the most important timber trees. It commonly reaches a height of 60 to 100 feet and a diameter of 2 to 3 feet; sometimes it becomes much larger. It is found in a wide variety of upland soils. When grown in a dense stand it has a straight continuous trunk, free of side branches for over half its height. In the open, however, the tree develops a broad crown with far-reaching limbs. Well-grown specimens are strikingly beautiful.