WILLOW OAK (Pin Oak) Quercus phellos L. Willow oak, also called water oak, and pin oak, occurs in the eastern part of the state to the Brazos River. It is frequently found in lowlands and along the borders of rivers and swamps, but often also on rich sandy uplands. It is a beautiful and long-lived tree, and desirable for roadsides, lawns and parks. The BARK is generally smooth and of a reddish-brown color; with age, the bark becomes slightly roughened and divided by narrow ridges. [Illustration: WILLOW OAK (Twig, one-half natural size; leaf and fruit, one-third natural size)] The slender willow-like LEAVES on a tree whose habit of growth is manifestly that of an oak, make the tree easy to identify in the forest. The deciduous leaves are 2 to 5 inches long and ½ to 1 inch wide, smooth, light green and shiny above, but dull and usually smooth below; alternate in arrangement on the twig and borne on a short stout petiole. The FRUIT, small acorns, closely set along the stem, matures at the end of the second year. The nut is a light yellow-brown hemisphere, about ½ inch in diameter, its base scarcely enclosed in the shallow, pale greenish-red or reddish-brown cup. The nuts are eaten as food by bluejays, grackles (blackbirds), several other species of birds, and by rodents. The WOOD is not separated commercially from other species in the red oak group. It is heavy, strong, rather coarse-grained, light brown tinged with red, and not durable when exposed to the weather. It is used locally for crossties, bridge planks, barn sills, and general construction. BLUEJACK OAK (Sandjack Oak) Quercus incana Bartr. This species, which grows on dry sand hills, is usually no more than 25 feet in height and 5 or 6 inches in diameter; ranging mainly through East Texas extending as far west as the Brazos River and scattering in Central and Northwest Texas. The BARK is similar to that of blackjack, being divided into thick nearly square blocks 1 to 2 inches in length and covered with small dark brown or nearly black scales slightly tinged with red. [Illustration: BLUEJACK OAK (Leaves, twigs, and fruit about two-thirds natural size)] The LEAVES of this tree are oblong-lanceolate, pale blue-green above, almost white beneath; 2 to 5 inches in length and 1 to l½ inches in width with a stout yellow midrib. The tree is most attractive in early spring when it is covered with the light red flowers and young leaves. ACORNS are produced in great profusion, sessile, or on a short stock. They are rounded at the ends, striate, and about ½ inch in length, and mature at the end of the second year. The WOOD is hard, strong, close-grained, light brown, tinged with red. It has a dark colored sapwood. The wood is of no value except for fuel. There are several hybrids of this species reported in Texas.