Part 32

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Infrequent. Found in the following localities: Grant County, on Lunice Creek; Hardy, near Moorefield; Pocahontas, near Marlinton; Greenbrier, near White Sulphur Springs; Berkeley, on Back Creek; Randolph, near Huttonsville; Upshur, at Lorentz.

=Habitat=.—Borders of swamps and low ground along streams.

=Notes=.—The Swamp White Oak can easily be distinguished from its near relatives; in the winter, by the bark ridges of the small branches and the drooping lower limbs; in the summer and fall by the wavy or sinuate-margined leaves and the long-stemmed acorns. This tree is not considered of much importance in this State.

YELLOW OAK

=Quercus Muhlenbergii=, Engelm.

=Form=.—Height 50-75 feet, diameter 2-3 feet; trunk usually short, sometimes buttressed at the base; crown round-topped with relatively short, ascending branches.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 4-7 inches long, oblong, tapering at both ends, margins with coarse, sharp-pointed teeth which somewhat resemble those of the Chestnut and Chestnut Oak; bright yellow-green above, pale and pubescent beneath.

=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate in long pendulous catkins; the pistillate in short spikes.

=Fruit=.—Acorns mature in autumn after the flowers; cup enclosing about ½ of the light brown, ¾-inch-long nut; kernel sweet and more edible than that of most other acorns.

=Bark=.—On trunks moderately rough, the light gray ridges broken into scales; resembles the bark of White Oak.

=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, durable, brown with brownish sapwood.

=Range=.—Vermont and Minnesota south to Florida and Texas.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Not common. Observed in the following counties: Boone, Doddridge, Fayette, Grant, Hardy, Kanawha, Monongalia, Morgan, Summers and Webster. This tree is more common near Petersburg, Grant County, and on Long Island Creek, Doddridge County, than at any other places where it was found.

=Habitat=.—River banks and limestone hillsides.

=Notes=.—The wood of this oak is inferior to that of some other species and it occurs here too infrequently to be classed as very valuable.

CHESTNUT OAK

=Quercus Prinus=, L.

=Form=.—Height 60-90 feet, diameter 3-5 feet; trunk long but usually more or less bent and often divided, forming a loose, open irregular crown.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 6-8 inches long, usually obovate, coarsely crenate, firm or leathery, smooth, dark green above, paler and finely pubescent beneath.

=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate flowers in long catkins; the pistillate in short spikes.

=Fruit=.—Acorns mature in autumn after the flowers; cup thin, deep, enclosing about ½ of the smooth, light brown, oblong-ovoid nut.

=Bark=.—Very rough with deep fissures and long, dark gray, continuous or broken ridges; rich in tannin.

=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, durable in contact with the soil, dark brown with light sapwood.

=Range=.—Maine to West Virginia and south along the mountains to Georgia and Alabama.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common except at high elevations.

=Habitat=.—Prefers dry gravelly hillsides and ridges.

=Notes=.—The Chestnut Oak is one of our common trees in the hilly sections and can easily be distinguished by its thick, dark-colored bark, crenate-margined leaves and large, deep-cupped acorns. Many of the best stands have been cut for tan bark. Rock Oak is a common name in some localities.

RED OAK