Part 3

Bitternut Hickory Carya cordiformis (Wangenh.) K. Koch

Bark brown to slate gray, smooth to lightly furrowed or with strongly interlaced ridges. Branches stiff, ascending, spreading. Twigs slender, glossy, often with yellow glands early in the season. Buds compressed, ovoid, 6 to 10 mm long, covered with yellow, valvate glandular scales. Leaves alternate, deciduous, odd-pinnately compound, 15 to 25 cm long with 7 to 9 leaflets, 7 to 15 cm long and 3 to 6 cm wide; lateral leaflets narrowly to broadly elliptic, terminal leaflet largest and usually obovate, apex acuminate, margin finely serrate, base wedge-shaped, with yellow glands on undersurfaces and on rachis. Flowers unisexual, staminate in 3-branched catkins appearing after leaves; pistillate terminal on new growth. Fruit ovate to subglobose, 2 to 3 cm in diameter, often slightly compressed, 4-winged on sutures from apex to middle of husk, husk thin, covered with yellow glandular scales, shell of nut thin, meat very bitter.

Southern Red Oak Quercus falcata Michx.

Bark dark brown to grayish black, divided by shallow, irregular fissures into broad ridges. Branches stout, spreading to ascending. Twigs 2 to 5 mm in diameter, dull reddish brown. Buds ovoid, angulate 8 to 13 mm long, apex acute. Leaves alternate, deciduous, simple, many remaining as dead foliage until spring, ovate to obovate with bell-shaped base, 10 to 28 cm long, 7 to 30 cm wide; with 3 to 9 lobes and margins with deep rounded sinuses; when 3-lobed, central lobe strap-shaped and toothed near the apex and side lobes acute to acuminate, somewhat falcate; permanently pubescent below, white at first, turning rust. Flowers unisexual, staminate in tomentose catkins as leaves unfold; pistillate in leaf axils on twigs. Fruit an acorn, small, spherical to hemispherical; cup 12 to 15 mm wide, shallow saucer-shaped, enclosing about one-fourth to one-half of the nut; nut 8 to 12 mm long.

Cherrybark Oak Quercus falcata var. pagodaefolia Ell.

Bark dark gray to gray-black consisting of appressed scales in narrow flat ridges with shallow furrows. Branches stout, spreading to ascending. Twigs 2 to 4 mm in diameter, reddish, lightly fluted. Buds ovoid, 10 to 15 mm long, angled, scales pubescent with dark margins. Leaves alternate, tardily deciduous, persisting into December, simple, oval to oblong, 12 to 20 cm long, 7 to 8 cm wide; with 5 to 11 lobes, major lobes opposite each other, large rounded sinuses extending nearly to the midrib, margin entire with occasional bristle-tipped teeth near the apex of the lobes, dark green above, permanently pubescent below, sometimes thinly so, varying from white to rust color, especially on drying. Flowers as in Q. falcata. Fruit an acorn broader than tall; cups 12 to 15 mm wide; nut about 8 to 10 mm long, subglobose, flattened at base, rounded at apex.

Black Oak Quercus velutina Lam.

Bark brownish-black on older trees, with thick, broad scaly ridges and deep furrows; inner bark yellow-orange—the only American oak with this feature. Branches stout, spreading to ascending. Twigs about 5 mm in diameter, reddish brown to dark brown, lightly fluted. Buds ovoid, 10 to 15 mm long, lateral buds sharply angled, scales ciliate, margin dark. Leaves alternate, deciduous, simple; membranous in seedlings and saplings to somewhat leathery in the middle to upper crown; lower leaves broadly elliptic to obovate, 15 to 30 cm long, 10 to 15 cm wide, entire to faintly lobed; middle-crown leaves 10 to 20 cm long, 10 to 15 cm wide, distinctly 5 to 9 lobed with broad rounded sinuses with apical bristles on each lobe; upper-crown leaves oblong to obovate, 8 to 20 cm long, 8 to 15 cm wide; dark shiny green above, yellow scurfy pubescence on young leaves of middle and upper crown, petioles 4 to 6 cm long, yellow to reddish. Flowers unisexual; staminate catkins 7 to 15 cm long; pistillate on short tomentose peduncles. Fruit an oval to obovoid acorn 10 to 25 mm long; cup cup-shaped to conical enclosing about one-half of the nut.

Scarlet Oak Quercus coccinea Muenchh.

Bark dark grayish-black, divided into irregular fissures and scaly ridges. Branches stout, spreading to ascending. Twigs 3 to 4 mm in diameter, reddish, turning a dull red. Buds ovoid, acute, 5 to 7 mm long, covered with rounded, lightly pubescent scales. Leaves alternate, deciduous, simple; glabrous, except in axils of main veins on underside, oval to slightly obovate, 8 to 17 cm long, 5 to 13 cm wide, with 5 to 9 deep lobes often terminated by secondary lobes with bristle tips, sinuses usually deep, round, and wider than lobes; both surfaces pale green, upper surface shiny, bright scarlet in autumn, petioles about 4 cm long. Flowers unisexual; staminate in catkins with developing leaves; pistillate on pubescent peduncles. Fruit an acorn; cup 15 to 30 mm wide, covered with brown scales enclosing about one-third to one-half of the nut; nut ovoid, 10 to 20 mm long, occasionally with ring grooves near apical point at maturity.

Northern Red Oak Quercus rubra L.

Bark dark brown, thick, divided by shallow furrows into long, flat-topped scaly ridges. Branches stout, spreading and ascending to form a round-topped crown. Twigs slender, reddish-brown to dark red. Buds ovate, acute, light brown, 8 to 10 mm long. Leaves alternate, deciduous, simple, oblong to oval to obovate, 12 to 22 cm long, 10 to 15 cm wide; 7 to 11 short lobes, lobes 3-toothed, bristle-tipped; upper surface dull green. Flowers unisexual; staminate in slender catkins appearing with the developing leaves, pistillate inconspicuous on last year’s wood. Fruit an acorn, 15 to 30 mm long; cup saucer-shaped, enclosing about one-fourth of the nut.

Shumard Oak Quercus shumardii Buckl.

Bark dark gray to blackish, relatively smooth at first, then breaking into scaly ridges. Branches spreading to ascending. Twigs about 5 mm in diameter, olive green then turning dark reddish. Buds clustered at apex 5 to 7 mm long, sharp pointed, strongly angled. Leaves alternate, deciduous, simple; oval to slightly obovate, 10 to 20 cm long, 6 to 15 cm wide; with 7 to 10 bristle-tipped lobes, lobes on upper crown leaves narrower to slightly wider than sinuses, lobes on lower crown leaves wider than sinuses; dark green above, paler below, glabrous except for vein axils on lower surface; petiole about 5 cm long. Flowers unisexual; staminate in yellow catkins appearing with the unfolding leaves; pistillate on pubescent peduncles. Fruit an acorn; cup 20 to 31 mm across, enclosing about one-fourth of the nut; nut about 25 mm long, 15 mm in diameter.

Blackjack Oak Quercus marilandica Muenchh.

Bark black, very rough, consisting of thick blocky plates. Branches stout, spreading to drooping. Twigs stout, about 5 mm in diameter. Buds with rusty brown hairs, about 4 to 8 mm long. Leaves alternate, tardily deciduous, simple, 7 to 25 cm long, broadly obovate at apex (bear-paw shape) tapering to a narrow base, margin entire or with 3 bristle-tipped apical lobes, upper surface dark green, rusty pubescent on undersurfaces. Flowers unisexual; staminate in catkins, appearing with the leaves; pistillate solitary or paired. Fruit an acorn, cup enclosing one-half to two-thirds of the nut; nut nearly ovoid, 20 to 25 mm long by 15 to 20 mm in diameter.

Laurel Oak Quercus laurifolia Michx.

Bark nearly black, divided into broad flat ridges by deep fissures. Twigs 2 to 3 mm in diameter, usually reddish brown. Buds ovoid, reddish brown, 2 to 4 mm long. Leaves alternate, semi-deciduous, simple, a few shed in fall, a few persisting until spring; elliptic to spatulate, 7 to 15 cm long, 2 to 4 cm wide; apex acute or obtuse, margin entire, base cuneate; shiny green above, paler below; petioles 3 to 5 mm long, midrib conspicuous on underside. Flowers unisexual; staminate in catkins as leaves unfold; pistillate on twigs at leaf scars. Fruit an acorn, sessile to subsessile, cup 15 to 20 mm wide, enclosing about one-fourth of nut; nut hemispheric, rounded at apex and flattened at bottom, 15 mm long.

Water Oak Quercus nigra L.

Bark smooth, grayish black, becoming scaly with age. Branches spreading to ascending, forming a round-topped crown in the open. Twigs 3 to 5 mm in diameter, gray. Buds ovoid, acute, reddish brown, 3 to 7 mm long. Leaves alternate, deciduous, simple; variable in shape and size, obovate to spatulate, 5 to 10 cm long, 2 to 5 cm wide; margin entire, wavy to distinctly lobed in juvenile specimens; sessile or with petiole to 1 cm long. Flowers unisexual; staminate catkins 5 to 8 cm long, pistillate catkins short-peduncled. Fruit an acorn about 15 mm wide, 10 mm high; cup thin, enclosing about one-fifth to one-third of the nut.

White Oak Quercus alba L.

Bark light gray, separated by shallow furrows into flat ridges with loose appressed scales. Branches stout, drooping, spreading to ascending. Twigs 2 to 3 mm in diameter, reddish. Buds globose to ovoid, angulate, apex acute to obtuse, 3 to 5 mm. Leaves alternate, deciduous, simple, oblong to obovate, 7 to 20 cm long, 4 to 10 cm wide, with 7 to 11 uneven, rounded lobes and deep sinuses. Flowers unisexual, in catkins, preceding leaf expansion. Fruit an acorn, 15 to 35 mm long, 20 to 25 mm in diameter, cup 1.5 to 3 cm wide, usually cup-shaped, conspicuous with thickened scales, enclosing one-fourth to one-third of the nut.

Post Oak Quercus stellata Wangenh.

Bark medium to dark gray, with deep furrows, scaly ridges. Branches stout, irregular, drooping to horizontal and ascending. Twigs 3 to 5 mm in diameter, gray to brownish. Buds broadly ovate, blunt to acute, 5 mm long, clustered at apex of twig. Leaves alternate, deciduous, simple; obovate, to 18 cm long, 5 to 10 cm wide; divided into 5 to 7 sinuate rounded lobes, the two lower lobes smaller than the upper pair, upper lobes and the terminal lobe resembling a cross, dark, shiny green above, grayish to brownish below, leathery. Flowers unisexual; staminate in catkins appearing with the unfolding leaves; pistillate on last year’s wood. Fruit an acorn, 13 to 25 mm long, 6 to 20 mm in diameter; cup hemispherical, enclosing about one-half of the nut, cup scales rusty-pubescent; nut ovate to ovate-oblong, about 15 mm long.

Chestnut Oak Quercus prinus L.

Bark dark reddish brown to nearly black, deeply furrowed with narrow ridges. Branches stout, spreading to ascending. Twigs stout, angulate, smooth, purplish-green when new, turning orange or reddish-brown. Buds ovate-conical, somewhat angulate, 8 to 12 mm long, silky hairy. Leaves alternate, deciduous, simple; elliptic to obovate, 10 to 30 cm long, 3 to 8 cm wide; somewhat leathery, margin crenate with a vein ending in each rounded tooth, smooth green above, stellate-pubescent below. Flowers unisexual; staminate in catkins 5 to 10 cm long; pistillate in short spikes on stout peduncles. Fruit an acorn 25 to 35 mm long, 15 to 25 mm in diameter; cup vase-shaped, thin, rough with thickened scales, covering one-third to one-half of the nut.

Winged Elm Ulmus alata Michx.

Bark dark, smooth at first becoming deeply furrowed on larger trees. Branches slender, ascending to spreading, corky ridges or wings on branches 3 years or older. Twigs about 2 mm in diameter, light green tinged with red. Buds sharp-pointed, divergent from twig 3 to 4 mm long. Leaves alternate, deciduous, simple; broadly ovate to elliptic, 4 to 8 cm long, 2 to 4 cm wide; apex acute to short-acuminate, margin doubly to triply serrate, base rounded; dull green above, lighter green below with prominent pinnate veins. Flowers perfect, abundant, tiny, opening just before leaves unfold, several in a cluster at a leaf scar, blooming late January into February. Fruit a samara, flat and elliptic, 6 to 8 mm long, margin ciliate.