FAGACEAE 



Scarlet Oak 



Quercus coccinea, Muenchh. 



HABIT. A tree 40-50 feet 'high and 12-15 inches in trunk 

 diameter; long, slender branches form a rather open, rounded 

 crown. 



LEAVES. Alternate, simple, 3-6 inches long and nearly as 

 broad ; broadly obovate to oval ; 5-g-lobed by deep, wide, rounded 

 sinuses, the lobes toothed and bristle-tipped ; thin and firm ; shin- 

 ing, bright green above, paler beneath, both sides glabrous ; 

 turning brilliant scarlet in autumn; petioles slender, 1-2 inches 

 long. 



FLOWERS. May, with the leaves; monoecious; the stam- 

 inate in glabrous catkins 3-4 inches long; the pistillate on pube- 

 scent peduncles y 2 inch long, bright red, pubescent; calyx 4-5- 

 lobed, reddish, pubescent; corolla o; stamens usually 4, with 

 yellow anthers ; stigmas long, spreading, bright red. 



FRUIT. Autumn of second season; sessile or short- 

 stalked acorns; cup top-shaped to cup-shaped, with closely im- 

 Sricated, slightly puberulous, red-brown scales, inclosing about 

 one-half of the nut; nut usually short-ovoid, l /2-*A. inch long, 

 light red-brown; kernel whitish, bitter. 



WINTER-BUDS. Terminal bud about ^ inch long, broadly 

 ovoid, acute, dark red-brown, pale-pubescent above the middle. 



BARK. Twigs at first scurfy-pubescent, later lustrous, 

 green, finally smooth, light brown ; thick, dark gray or brown 

 on old trunks, shallowly fissured, scaly; inner 'bark red, not 

 bitter. 



WOOD. Heavy, hard, strong, coarse-grained, light red- 

 brown, with thick, darker brown sapwood. 



DISTRIBUTION. Lower Peninsula, southern half. 

 HABITAT. Prefers a light, dry, sandy soil. 



NOTES. Rapid of growth. Desirable for ornamental plant- 

 ing. 



