BLACK OAK {Quprcus velutina Lam.) 



THE black oak, sometimes farther north called 

 yellow oak or yellow-barked oak, usually grows 

 to be about 80 feet in height and 1 to 3 feet in diame- 

 ter. It is found commonly throughout the State 

 on dry plains and ridges, but seldom on rich ground. 

 The crown is irregularly shaped and wide, with a 

 clear trunk for 20 feet or more on large trees. The 



bark on 

 the very 

 young 

 trunks is 

 s m o 1 'h 

 and dark 

 brown but 

 soon be- 

 comes 

 thick and 

 black, 

 with deep 

 f ur r o ws 

 and rough 

 broken 

 ridges. 

 Thebright- 

 yellow 

 color and 

 bitter taste of the inner bark; due to tannic acid, 

 are distinguishing characteristics. 



The leaves are alternate, simple, 5 to 10 inches 

 long and 3 to 8 inches wide, shallow or deeply 

 lobed, the shape varying greatly. When mature, 

 the leaves are dark green and shiny on the upper 

 surface, pale on the lower, more or less covered 

 with down, and with conspicuous rusty brown hairs 

 in the forks of the veins. 



The fruit matures the second season. The light- 

 brown nut is from one-half to 1 inch long, more 

 or less hemispherical in shape, and from one-half 

 to three-quarters enclosed in the thin, dark-brown, 

 scaly cup. The kernel is yellow and extremely 

 bitter. 



The wood is hard, heavy, strong, coarse-grained 

 and checks easily. It is a bright red-brown with 

 a thin outer edge of paler sapwood. It is used for 

 the same purposes as red oak, under which name 

 it is put on the market. Its growth is rather slow. 



Twig one-half 

 natural size. 



BLACK OAK 

 Leaf, one-third natural size. 



43 



