dd. Bark of trunk light to dark brown, smoothish or only

slightly fissured; acorns maturing in autumn of second season; kernel of nut bitter.

e. Lateral buds widely divergent; bud-scales scarious on the margins; lowermost branches of trees growing in the open not drooping nearly to the ground. [2] _Q. imbricaria_, p. 121.

ee. Lateral buds more or less appressed; bud-scales not scarious on the margins; lowermost branches of trees growing in the open drooping nearly to the ground. [2] _Q. palustris_, p. 111.

aa. Terminal buds usually about 1/4 inch long (slightly smaller in _Q. ellipsoidalis_).

b. Buds conspicuously hairy or tomentose.