Trees of New York State 195 



FAGACEAE 



Quercus velutina Lain. [Qucrcus tinctoria Bartr. ; Quercus eoecinea, var. tinc- 



toria A. DC] 



Black Oak, Yellow-bark Oak 



Habit — One of the commonest and most variable oaks of New York State. 

 A tree usually CO-80 feet in height with a trunk diameter of 3-4 feet, 

 in the lower Ohio basin sometimes 150 feet in height. Crown oblong, 

 irregular, wide-spreading in the open with rather slender branches. 



Leaves — Alternate, obovate to oblong, 4-6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide, 

 acute at the apex, obtuse or truncate at the base, 5-7 lobed, the lobes 

 repandly dentate and bristle-tipped and separated by deep, wide, rounded 

 sinuses which extend over half way to the midrib. At maturity the 

 leaves are thick, firm, glabrous, dark green and very lustrous above, and 

 paler and pubescent beneath. Petioles stout, 2-6 inches long. 



Flowers — Appearing in May and early June when the leaves are about 

 one-third grown, monoecious. Staminate flowers in interrupted, filiform, 

 pendulous, hairy aments 4-6 inches long which are borne on the grovrth 

 of the preceding season or from the axils of the inner scales of the ter- 

 minal bud. Calyx campanulate, reddish green, pubescent, deeply cut into 

 4 ovate, acute lobes. Stamens 4, exserted, with yellow, apiculate anthers. 

 Pistillate flowers in groups of 2-3 (occasionally solitary) on short tomen- 

 tose peduncles, borne in the axils of the leaves of the season, each sub- 

 tended by the ovate, hairy involucral scales. Calyx campanulate, adnate 

 to the ovary, the lobes acute and hirsute. Pistil consisting of a 3-celled 

 (rarely 4-5 celled) ovary surmounted by 3 ascending red styles stigmatie 

 on the inner surface. 



Fruit — An acorn, borne solitary or in pairs, sessile or on a short, stout 

 pedimcle, ripening the second season. Nut ovate to oval, reddish brown, 

 often striate and pubescent at maturity, round-pointed at the apex, ^/^-% 

 of an inch long, enclosed for about half of its length in the cup. Cup 

 thin, turbinate, dark reddish broAvn and puberulous within, pale hoary 

 and chestnut-brown without, the ovate acute scales with free scarious tips 

 toward the top. 



Winter characters — Twigs stout, pale-lenticellate, smooth or sparingly 

 pubescent, dull reddish brown, at length dark brown. Buds alternate, 

 those near the branch-tip clustered about the terminal bud, ovate, acute, 

 yellowish gray, pubescent^ V4-V2 of an inch long. Mature bark dark 

 brown or nearly black, thick, rough, divided by deep fissures into broad, 

 rounded ridges, scaly at the surface. Inner bark orange-colored. 



Habitat — An upland species preferring well-drained sites on ridges, hills and 

 dry plains. Thrives on poor soils. 



Range — Southern Maine westward through Ontario to central Minnesota and 

 eastern Nebraska, south to Florida, and eastern Texas. Zones A, B, 

 and C. 



Uses — Of little importance as a timber species. Wood hard, heavA% strong, 

 coarse-grained, light reddish brown with paler sapwood. Largely used for 

 fuel. A yellow dye (quercitron) may be obtained from the inner bark. 



