139 



RED OAK. 

 Quercus rubra, Linnaeus. 



FORK — One of the largest forest trees of the Korthem States. DsnaOy attalnliig 8 he!^t 

 or 70-90 ft. with a diameter of 2-4 ft. hot occasionallr readilng a bei^t of 150 ft. with a 

 ^.ameter of 5 feet. ^*heo grown In the open has a sh<vt trunk aod a broad sj'mmetrical ctdwb: in 

 i-^Qse forest stands the tmnk is straight, clean and cootinQoas bearing a small, narrow crown. 

 The straight ascending and clean branches of the crown are characteristic. 



B ARK — On yonng stems and branches smooth, ^ray to brown; on older trunks it is thick, 

 slowly broken np by shallow fissures into regnlar. cootinQoas, dark-brown and disanctly flat- 

 topped ridges. Trunks above 3 ft. in diameter are often rery rough near the base, having 

 lost the characteristic flat-topped ridges which are, bowcTer. retained higher up on the 

 stem. See Fig. 72. 



TWIGS^Katber slender, smooth, greeaisb -brown to dark brown, corered with pale indistinct 

 lenticels; pith star-shaped. 



BUDS — Alternate, oroid, 1/6-1/3 of an Inch loo^, widest part near middle, narrowed op- 

 ward to a sharp point, light brown, and free fran woolly eorering-. Bod-scales nnmerons, 

 overlapping, light brown, slightly longitudinally -striate, with slightly pat>c«cent margins. 



I.EATE& — Alternate, simple oral to oborate in outline. 5-9 inches toog. 4-6 inches wide. 

 7-d-lobed, with sinoses extending half-way to the midrib and separating ascending lobes with 

 entire margin or few bristle- pointed te^th. Matxire leaves firm, dull green, with yellowish to 

 reddish midrib above and pale with a yellowish midrib t>elow. 



LEAF- SCARS— See "Leaf-Scars" under White Oak, page 132. 



FLOWXRS— Appear about M^y when leaves are about I dereloped. Staminate borne In 

 alender. hairy aments 4-5 Inches long, with greenish 4-5-k>bed calyx and 4-5 stamens terminated 

 by yellow anthers. Pistillate borne on short stalks: Involncral scales bnadlj orate, blsnt, 

 pubescent: calyx lobes nharp-polnted: style spreading recurred, light gre«B- 



FRUTT — .\n acorn, maturing at the end of second season, solitary or paired, short-stalked. 

 Hat ovoid. }-l} Inches long, flat at base, narrowed at apex. Cvp velvety inside, broad, 

 shallow, covering only base of nut. with closely imbricated, sometimes hairy, reddish-brown 

 scales. Immature acorns usually divergent from twig, witb basal scales reachii^ abo«t 

 ] of the way op. and appearing as if arranged In 3 rows. 



'WOOD — Ring-porons; with ciHisplcQOos medollary rays; heavy, strong, hard, dose-grained, 

 light reddish -brown, with thin lighter colored sapwcod. Tsed tor furniture, cooperage, con- 

 struction, interior finish of houses, and railroad ties. Weighs 41.25 lbs. per cub:c foot. 

 The wood of this species as well as that of the Black Oak aod Scarlet Oak is relatively poor 

 but is cominjr more into use daii.v. The despised species of to-day may be priaed to-morrow. 



DISTINGT7ISHIK0 CHARACTERISTICS — The Red Oak may 1>e recognised by its flat-topped 

 ridges of the bark, its straight clean branches, its large dull green leaves witb red midribs 

 and ascending lobes with entire or few hristle-l<^eth, its light reddish inner tark. its glabrous. 

 sharp- pointed, ligbt brown buds which are often constricted at the base, and its large acorns 

 with broad and shallow cups. 



RAHGE — Nova Scotia to Minnesota and Kansas, soath to Florida and Texas. Planted 

 extensively in Europe for ornamental and forestry purposes. 



DISTRIBXTTIOK IN PEXNSTLVANIA— Found ibroughoot the State. At its c^timnm in the 

 CumberUnd Vsllo.v and adjoining lower slopes. Barer in the northern than in other parts. 



HABITAT— Prefers jwrous sandy or gravelly clay soil. It will not grow in wet soOs and 

 b also intolerant of shade, except when young. 



nCPORTAilCE OF THE SPECIES— The Red Oak is the n:v>st rapid growing species of aU 

 the Oak*. In one year it has g:\nvn to the height of 19 inches, in 10 years IS feet, 30 years 

 S^^ feet, .V) years :*0 5T feet. It deserves to be planted and regenerated naturally on an 

 CKtenslve scale. In a sir^le small nursery the reensylvania Department of Forestry in 1911 

 vmlsed o^er 200,000 seedlings of this spec.es. In Germany it has at present a wider dlstri- 

 botlon than any other .\merloan hardwood species. It is very attractive ozsamentally oa 

 account of Its smooth bark, straight branches, and the form and antnmnal eoluatloB of its 



