of New York 



71 



RED OAK 



Quercus rubra, Linnaeus 



THE RED Oak is one of the biggest, stateliest, and hand- 

 somest trees of eastern North America. As early as 1 740 

 it was introduced into Europe. 



The leaves are simple, alternate, 5 to 9 inches long, 4 to 6 

 inches wide, 7 to 9-lobed. Lobes are bristle-tipped and sepa- 

 rated by clefts that reach halfway to midrib. 



The flowers appear with 

 the leaves. The pollen- 

 bearing are arranged in 

 droopi n g tassels; the 

 acorn-producing occur in 

 few-flowered clusters on 

 new growth. 



The fruit is an acorn 

 maturing in two seasons. 

 The cup is wide, shallow, 

 covered with overlapping 

 reddish-brown scales, en- 

 closing only base of nut. 

 The nuts average one inch 

 long, Yi to 24 of an inch 

 wide, are flat a base and 

 short-tipped at apex. 



RED OAK 



Leaf, one-third natural size. 

 Twig, one-half natural size. 



The bark on young 

 stems is smooth, grayish or brown. On older trunks it 

 becomes rough with furrows separating wide, smooth grayish 

 to brownish ridges. The lateral branches are straight and 

 ascend at about an angle of 45 degrees. The twigs are 

 smooth and rich brown. The buds are }4 of an inch long, 

 sharp-pointed, smooth, glossy, reddish-brown, without hairs. 



The wood is heavy, hard, strong, light reddish-brown, 

 with light sapwood. It is used for furniture, interior finish- 

 ing, ties, and general construction. 



The Red Oak has a wide distribution. It is found from 

 Nova Scotia to Minnesota and Kansas south to Florida and 

 Texas. This tree is found in rich woods and uplands across 

 New York outside of the Adirondacks, where it occurs up to 

 1,500 feet, and in the Catskills up to 2,500 feet. Moist, 

 porous, sandy to gravelly clay soils are its favorite homes. 

 It is one of the most important timber trees of North Amer- 

 ica, reaching a height of 150 feet and an age of 300 or more 

 years. 



