Part 40

+Yellow Oak. Black Oak+

Quercus velutina Lam.

HABIT.--A medium-sized tree 50-60 feet high and 1-3 feet in trunk diameter; slender branches and stout branchlets form a wide-spreading, rounded crown.

LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 5-10 inches long, 3-8 inches broad; ovate to oblong; usually 7-lobed, some with shallow sinuses and broad, rounded, mucronate lobes, others with wide, rounded sinuses extending half-way to the midrib or farther and narrow-oblong or triangular, bristle-tipped lobes, the lobes more or less coarse-toothed, each tooth bristle-tipped; thick and leathery; dark green and shining above, pale and more or less pubescent beneath; petioles stout, yellow, 3-6 inches long.

FLOWERS.--May, when the leaves are half grown; monoecious; the staminate in pubescent catkins 4-6 inches long; the pistillate reddish, on short, tomentose peduncles; calyx acutely 3-4-lobed, reddish, hairy; corolla 0; stamens usually 4-5, with acute, yellow anthers; stigmas 3, divergent, red.

FRUIT.--Autumn of second season; sessile or short-stalked acorns; cup cup-shaped or turbinate, inclosing about one-half of the nut; scales thin, light brown, hoary; nut ovoid, 1/2-3/4 inch long, red-brown, often pubescent; kernel yellow, bitter.

WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud 1/4 inch long, ovoid to conical, obtuse, strongly angled, hoary-tomentose.

BARK.--Twigs at first scurfy-pubescent, later glabrous, red-brown, finally mottled gray; thick and nearly black on old trunks, deeply furrowed and scaly; inner bark thick, yellow, very bitter.

WOOD.--Heavy, hard, strong, coarse-grained, bright red-brown, with thin, paler sapwood.

DISTRIBUTION.--Southern half of the Lower Peninsula.

HABITAT.--Prefers glacial drift; dry or gravelly uplands; poor soils.

NOTES.--Rapid of growth. Undesirable for street use.

1. Winter twig, × 1. 2. Portion of twig, enlarged. 3. Leaf, × 1/2. 4. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2. 5. Staminate flower, enlarged. 6. Pistillate flower, enlarged. 7. Fruit, × 1.]

+FAGACEAE+

+Black Jack+

Quercus marilandica Muench.

HABIT.--A small, shrubby tree 20-30 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 6-14 inches; spreading, often contorted branches form a rounded or obovoid crown.

LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 5-7 inches long and broad; broad-obovate; more or less 3-lobed at the apex, the lobes entire or toothed, bristle-tipped, very variable in size and shape; thick and leathery; very lustrous and dark green above, yellowish and scurfy-pubescent beneath; petioles short, stout.

FLOWERS.--May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate in slender, hoary catkins 2-4 inches long; the pistillate rusty-tomentose, on short, rusty-tomentose peduncles; calyx 4-5-lobed, thin, scarious, tinged with red, pale-pubescent; corolla 0; stamens 4, with apiculate, red anthers; stigmas recurved, dark red.

FRUIT.--Autumn of second season; short-stalked acorns; cup turbinate, with large, red-brown, rusty-tomentose scales, inclosing about one-half of the nut; nut subglobose, about 3/4 inch long, yellow-brown, puberulous; kernel yellowish.

WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud 1/4 inch long, ovoid, acute, prominently angled; scales light red-brown, rusty-hairy.

BARK.--Twigs at first light red and scurfy, later glabrous, red-brown, and finally brown or ashy gray; thick and almost black on the trunk, divided into nearly square plates.

WOOD.--Heavy, hard, strong, dark brown, with thick, lighter colored sapwood.

DISTRIBUTION.--Southern Michigan (Ann Arbor and Lansing).

HABITAT.--Dry, sandy or clay barrens.

NOTES.--Rare in Michigan.

1. Winter twig, × 2. 2. Portion of twig, enlarged. 3. Leaf, × 1/2. 4. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2. 5. Staminate flower, enlarged. 6. Pistillate flower, enlarged. 7. Fruit, × 1.]

+FAGACEAE+