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NORTHERN RED OAK 



{Qucrcus hGrcalis maxima Ashe, 

 formerly Q. rubra L.) 



THE northern red oak occurs throughout the 

 State, but is most common and of best quality in 

 tlte higher mountains. It is not found in swamps. 

 It usually attains a height of about 70 feet and a 

 diameter ranging from 2 to 3 feet, but is sometimes 

 much larger. The forest-grown tree is tall and 

 straight with a clear trunk and narrow crown. 



The bark on young 

 stems is smooth, gray to 

 brown, on 

 older trees 

 thick and 

 broken by 

 shallow fis- 

 sures into 

 regular, flat, 

 smooth - sur- 

 faced plates. 



The leaves 



are simple, 

 alternate, 5 

 to 9 inches 

 long and 4 to 

 Cinches wide, 

 broader to- 

 ward the tip, 

 divided into 



7 to 9 lobes, each lobe being somewhat coarsely 

 tootled and bristle-tii3ped, and firm, dull green 

 above, paler below, often turning a brilliant red 

 after frost. The flowers, as in all the oaks, are of 

 two kinds on the same tree, the male in long, droop- 

 ing, clustered catkins, opening with the leaves, the 

 female solitary or slightly clustered. The fruit is 

 a large acorn maturing the second year. The nut 

 is from three-fourths to 1% inches long, blunt- 

 topped, flat at base, with only its base enclosed in 

 the very shallow dark-brown cup. 



The wood is hard, strong, coarse-grained, with 

 light reddish-brown heartwood and thin lighter-col- 

 ored sapv\'ood. It is used for cooperage, interior fin- 

 ish, construction, furniture, and crossties. Because 

 of its average rapid growth, high-grade wood, and 

 general freedom from insect and fungus attack, it is 

 widely planted in the higher portions of the State 

 for timber production and as a shade tree. 



NORTHERN RED OAK 

 Leaf, one-third natural size. 

 Twig, one-liulf natural size. 



41 



