FAGACEAE 
White Oak 
Quercus alba L, 
HABIT.—A large tree 60-80 feet high, with a trunk diameter 
of 2-4 feet; forming a short, thick trunk with stout, horizontal, 
far-reaching limbs, more or less gnarled and twisted in old age, 
and a broad, open crown. 
LEAVES.—Alternate, simple, 5-9 inches long, about one- 
half as broad; obovate to oblong; 5-9-lobed, some with broad: 
lobes and shallow sinuses, others with narrow lobes and deep, 
narrow sinuses, the lobes usually entire; thin and firm; glabrous, 
bright green above, pale or glaucous beneath; often persistent 
on the tree through the winter. 
FLOWERS.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; the stam- 
inate in hairy catkins 2-3 inches long; the pistillate sessile or 
short-peduncled, reddish, tomentose; calyx campanulate, 6-8- 
lobed, yellow, hairy; corolla 0; stamens 6-8, with yellow anthers ; 
stigmas red. 
FRUIT.—Autumn of first season; sessile or short-stalked 
acorns; cup with small, brown-tomentose scales, inclosing one- 
fourth of the nut; nut oblong-ovoid, rounded at the apex, about 
34 inch long, light brown; kernel sweet and edible. 
WINTER-BUDS.—Terminal bud % inch long, broadly 
ovoid, obtuse; scales smooth, dark red-brown. 
BARK.—Twigs at first bright green, tomentose, later red- 
dish, and finally ashy gray; thick, light’ gray or whitish on old 
trunks, shallowly fissured into broad, flat ridges. 
‘WOOD.—Very heavy, strong, hard, tough, close-grained. 
durable, light brown, with thin, light brown sapwood. 
DISTRIBUTION.—Rare in the Upper Peninsula, common 
in the Lower Peninsula, especially in the lower half. 
HABITAT.—Grows well in all but very wet soils, in all open 
exposures, 
NOTES.—Slow and even of growth. Difficult to transplant. 
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