Fifty Common Trees of New York 



39 



29. CHESTNUT OAK 

 Rock Oak 



(Quercus montana Willclenow ) 



Chestnut oak gets its name from its chestnut-like leaves. It is found 

 principally on dry, rocky ridges and hillsides, and is very common on 

 such soils in the lower Hudson Valley. The wood is similar though 

 somewhat inferior to white oak and is used generally for the same pur- 

 poses. 



CHESTNUT OAK 



Leaf, twig, and fruit, one-third natural size 



Bark — on young branches smooth, thin, yellowish brown in color ; with 

 age becoming dark brown to black in color, deeply furrowed into long, 

 more or less continuous thick, rough ridges which are sharp and angular. 

 At the bottom of the furrow, the bark may be reddish brown in color. 

 The thick bark of mature trees is an important source of tannin. 



Twigs — stout, light orange or reddish brown in color. 



Winter ?mds— clustered at ends of twigs, sharp-pointed, light yellow- 

 ish brown in color, Vi inch long. 



Leaves — simple, alternate, thick, yellowish green in color above, some- 

 what paler beneath, from 5 to 9 inches long, coarsely toothed as in chest- 

 nut, but teeth rounded and without bristle tips. 



Fruit — an acorn, borne singly or in pairs on short stalks, maturing 

 in September of the first season, starts sprouting soon after falling ; one 

 of the larger of our native acorns. Nut — shiny, light chestnut brown in 

 color, from 1 to 1% inches long, y s enclosed in the cup. Meat — white, 

 somewhat bitter. 



