RED OAK 



years on the bank of the Genesee River about a mile from the 

 village of Geneseo, New York. Its circumference of twenty- 

 seven feet has kept its memory green although the tree has 

 long since been destroyed by the washing away of the river- 

 bank. 



RED OAK 



Qu/rczts riibra. 



Usually seventy to eighty feet high, maximum height one hundred 

 and forty, with stout branches growing at right angles to the stem ; 

 forming a narrow round-topped head ; grows rapidly ; is tolerant 

 of many soils and varied situations, but prefers the glacial drift 

 and well-drained borders of streams. Ranges from Maine to 

 Georgia and Tennessee, westward to Minnesota and Kansas. 



Bark. Dark gray brown tinged with red, with broad, thin, rounded 

 ridges, scaly. On young trees and large stems, smooth and light 

 gray. Rich in tannic acid. Branchlets slender, at first bright 

 green, shining, then dark red, finally dark brown. 



Wood. Pale reddish brown, sapwood darker ; heavy, hard, 

 strong, coarse-grained. Checks in drying, but when carefully treated 

 may be successfully used for furniture. Also used in construction 

 and for interior finish of houses. Sp. gr., 0.6621 ; weight of cu. ft, 

 41.25 Ibs. 



Winter Suds. Light chestnut brown, ovate, acute, one-fourth of 

 an inch long. 



Leaves. Alternate, seven to nine-lobed, oblong-ovate to oblong, 

 five to nine inches long, four to six inches broad ; lobes tapering 

 gradually from broad bases, acute, and usually repandly-den- 

 tate and terminating with long bristle-pointed teeth ; the second 

 pair of lobes from apex are largest ; midrib and primary veins 

 conspicuous. They come out of the bud convolute, pink, cov- 

 ered with soft silky down above, coated with thick white tomen- 

 tum below. When full grown are dark green and smooth, 

 sometimes shining above, yellow green, smooth or hairy on the 

 axils of the veins below. In autumn they turn a rich red, some- 

 times brown. Petioles stout, one to two inches long, often red ; 

 stipules caducous. 



Flowers. May, when leaves are half grown. Staminate aments 

 four to five inches long, hairy. Calyx four to five-lobed, greenish ; 

 stamens four to five ; filaments slender ; anthers yellow. Pistillate 

 flowers borne on short peduncles ; involucral scales broadly ovate, 

 dark reddish-brown ; stigmas elongated, bright green. 



349 



