MASSACHUSETTS FOREST TREES 



SCARLET OAK (Quercus coccinea Muenchh) 



THE deep scarlet which the leaves assume in the 

 ' autumn is responsible for the popular name which 

 the tree possesses. Normally growing on dry soil, it 

 occurs abundantly in the eastern sections of Massa- 

 chusetts, frequently in the central portion and only 

 rarely in the western. 



As to habit, it is usually a medium-sized tree, 

 thirty to fifty feet in height and one to two feet in 

 diameter. The trunk is straight and taper- 

 ing. The branches are slender, horizontal 

 and drooping towards the ends. The head 

 is rather narrow and open. 



The bark on the old trunk is dark gray 

 and broken by shallow fissures into irreg- 

 ular ridges. The inner bark is reddish. 



The leaves are simple, alternate, three to 

 six inches in length, variable in outline but 

 usually oblong or egg-shaped, divided into 

 seven' or sometimes nine lobes and bright, 

 lustrous green on the upper surface. 



The flowers appear in May when the 

 leaves are about half grown. 



The fruit matures the second season. 

 The acorn is about one-half inch long, 

 bright reddish-brown, often striped and 

 enclosed in the cup for about one-half its 

 length. 



The wood is heavy, hard and strong. In 

 value it ranks a little lower than that of 

 the Red Oak and serves to a limited extent 

 for the same purposes. 



Chiefly because of its beautiful autumnal 

 coloring it is rather commonly planted for 

 ornamental purposes. 



