FAGACEAE 

 Scarlet Oak 



Quercus coccinea Muench. 



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; 5~9-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 

 Icng. 



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

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

 scent peduncles l / 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 imbricated, 

 slightly puberulous, red-brown scales, inclosing about one-half 

 of the nut; nut usually short-ovoid. Y^A inch long, light red- 

 brown; kernel whitish, bitter. 



WINTER-BUDS. Terminal bad 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. 



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