TREES OF NORTH CAROLINA 43 



52. Quercus rubra L. Red Oak. 



A fine tree found abundantly in good soil in the 

 mountains, not rarely near the edges of low grounds 

 and along branches in the Piedmont and very spar- 

 ingly in similar situations in the coastal plain. 

 Leaves large, broad, smooth, dull, deep green on 

 both sides, with lobes which cut 1 / 3 to 2 / 3 the way to 

 the mid rib ; acorns very large, at least 1 inch long, 

 in nearly flat cups. A very beautiful tree for the 

 home grounds. This is easily confused by beginners 

 with the Scarlet Oak, but they grow in different 

 places, the acorns are very unlike and the leaves are 

 dull beneath in the Red and shining in the Scarlet 

 Oak. Date of flowering: April 16, 1916. Exam- 

 ples : trees at northwest foot of Lone Pine Hill. 



53. Quercus coccinea Muench. Scarlet Oak. 



Named from the scarlet color of the leaves in the 

 fall. This is the commonest oak of the mountains 

 and is plentiful on poor rocky hills in the Piedmont. 

 In the coastal plain it is mostly found in the valleys. 

 Leaves deeply cut and shining; acorns varying in 

 size and shape, in a fairly low cup, but not flat like 

 the cups of the Red, Swamp Red, and Pin Oaks, and 

 never reaching the size of Red Oak acorns. Dates 

 of flowering: about April 5, 1903; April 17, 1915; 

 April 16, 1916. Example: tree by field at top of 

 Lone Pine Hill. 



