Part 55

Twigs: Rather stout, reddish-brown, smooth or nearly so; leaf scars alternate, but clustered near the tip of the twig, half-round, with several bundle traces; pith star-shaped in cross-section.

Buds: Pointed, brown, somewhat hairy, up to ½ inch long.

Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades obovate to broadly lanceolate, pointed at the tip, narrowed to the base, thick and leathery, coarsely round-toothed along the edges, smooth, shiny, and yellow-green on the upper surface, finely hairy over all the lower surface, up to 9 inches long and up to 4 inches broad; leafstalk up to 1 inch long, smooth or slightly hairy.

Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same tree, minute, without petals, the staminate crowded into long, slender catkins, the pistillate few in a group.

Fruit: Acorns borne in groups of 1 or 2, usually on a short stalk, the nut ovoid to ellipsoid, chestnut-colored, up to 1½ inches long, the cup covering about ½ the nut or less, the scales of the cup reddish-brown and warty.

Wood: Hard, heavy, strong, close-grained.

Uses: Fence posts, railroad ties, fuel.

Habitat: Dry, rocky, wooded slopes.

Range: Maine across to southern Illinois, south to Mississippi and Georgia.

Distinguishing Features: The acorns of the Rock Chestnut Oak are about twice the size as those of the Yellow Chestnut Oak. The teeth of the leaves of the Rock Chestnut Oak tend to be more rounded than the pointed teeth of the Yellow Chestnut Oak.

NORTHERN RED OAK Quercus rubra L.

Other Name: Red Oak.

Growth Form: Medium to tall tree to 80 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3 feet; crown broadly rounded, with large spreading branches; trunk straight, columnar, often buttressed at the base.

Bark: Grayish-brown, reddish-brown, blackish, or gray, with dark stripes.

Twigs: Slender, smooth, reddish-brown; pith star-shaped in cross-section; leaf scars alternate, but clustered near the tip of the twig, half-round, slightly elevated, with several bundle traces.

Buds: Pointed, smooth, reddish-brown, shiny, up to ¼ inch long.

Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades rather shallowly 7- to 11-lobed, the lobes bristle-tipped, dark green and smooth or somewhat hairy on the upper surface, paler and smooth or often with hairs along the veins on the lower surface, up to 10 inches long, up to 6 inches broad; leafstalks up to 2 inches long, stout, usually smooth.

Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same tree, appearing as the leaves begin to unfold, minute, without petals, the staminate in slender, drooping catkins, the pistillate in groups of 1-3.

Fruit: Acorns solitary or 2 together, with or without stalks, the nut ovoid, up to 1½ inches long, pale brown, covered less than ¼ by the cup, the cup reddish-brown, with tight scales.

Wood: Hard, heavy, close-grained, light brown.

Uses: Interior finishing, furniture, fuel, fence posts.

Habitat: Rich, upland woods; along river banks; on well-drained slopes.

Range: New Brunswick, across southern Quebec and Ontario, to northcentral Minnesota, south to eastern Kansas, east across Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and in the mountains of eastern Tennessee and northeastern Georgia.

Distinguishing Features: The acorn with its very shallow, saucer-shaped cap is the best identifying characteristic for the Red Oak. The leaves are generally more shallowly lobed than those of the Black Oak, Southern Red Oak, and Scarlet Oak.

SHUMARD’S OAK Quercus shumardii Buckl.

Other Names: Southern Red Oak; Schneck’s Oak.

Growth Form: Up to 120 feet tall; trunk up to 5 feet in diameter; crown broad and open, with wide-spreading branches.

Bark: Firmly ridged and dark brownish-black.