Handbook of Trees of the jSTqetheen States and Canada. 165 



The White Oak is one of the most useful 

 trees of the American forests, attaining under 

 most favorable conditions when growing in the 

 forest a height of 150 ft. and trunk 4-5 ft. in 

 diameter, \yhen isolated from other trees its 

 habit is to form a very broad top of firm, rigid 

 horizontal branches and short thick trunk — 

 the emblem of strength and solidity'. It takes 

 its name from the light color of the seal}' ridged 

 bark, the aptness of which is shown in the 

 accompanj-ing illustration. It is one of the 

 most common and generally distributed Oaks 

 of the Atlantic states and Mississippi basin, 

 growing alike on rich uplands and river bot- 

 toms where not too moist, in company with 

 several of the Hickories, Tulip-tree, Sweet and 

 Sour Gums, Magnolias, Red and other Oaks, 

 etc. 



Its wood, of which a cubic foot when abso- 

 lutely dry weighs 46.35 lbs., is the standard of 

 excellence among the Oaks and is used for fur- 

 niture-making, interior finishing, cooperage, the 

 manufacture of agriculutral implements, bas- 

 kets, railroad ties, etc., and for fuel.i 



Leaves obovate to oblong, wedge-sbaped at base, 

 sinuate-pinnatifld with usually 0-7 broad, hut 

 sometimes narrow, obliciue-rounded entire lobes, 

 red and pale pubescent when they unfold but 

 finally glabrous dark green above, paler beneath, 

 4-9 in. long, turning rich darli red in autumn, 

 withering and hanging to the branches until lat" 

 in the winter: petioles stout glabrous. Plnwcm . 

 staminate aments 2V2-4 in. Inng ; calyx yellow 

 pubescent ; stamens 6 8 ; pistillate with broad in 

 Tolucral scales and short dilated stigmas. Fruit 

 maturing the first autumn, sessile or nearly so. 

 abortive ovules basal : acorn avoid-oblong, lustrous, 

 about % in. long and about 14 covered by th" 

 flattish hemisDheric tnmpntose cup. warty "belo^- 

 with tbickpned and unitPd scales which near the 

 rim are thin and niembranuns. 



1. A. W., II, 38. 



