Fifty Common Trees of New York 



II 



31. BLACK OAK 



Yellow Oak 



(Quercus rc/iiliiui Ij;i Marck) 



Black oak is another dominanl foresl tree of the southern pari of the 

 State though not so valuable or so East growing as the red oak. II is 

 usually found in univelly soils and <»n drier sites than y<'<\ oak. The 

 wood is luird, he;ivy, si rong, bu1 not considered so valuable as V{'i\ oak. 

 It finds its chid' use For ties, construction, and fuel wood. 



BLACK OAK 



Twig, one half natural size; leaf, one-third 

 natural size; fruit, one-half natural size 



Bark — on young stems smooth, dark In-own in color, soon becoming 

 dark gray to black in color, very rough, broken by deep furrows into 

 thick ridges which are further divided by cross Furrows; roughened es- 

 pecially at the base of trunk even in quite young i rees ; inner bark orange 

 yellow in color, rich in tannin, yields ;i yellow dya. 



Twigs — stout, reddish brown in color mottled with gray. 



Winter buds — cone-shaped, sharp-pointed, from '/i <( » V2 inch Long, 

 covered with yellowish gray wool, clustered at end of twig. 



Leaves — simple, alternate, from I to 10 inches Long, From 3 to 6 inches 

 wide, From 5 to 7 Lobed, toothed, bristle lipped, separated by wide, 

 rounded clefts, extending over halfway to midrib; at maturity leaves 

 thick, dark green in color and shining above, paler and woolly beneath. 



Fruit — an acorn, borne singly or in pairs, with or without stalks, ma- 

 turing in autumn of second year. Nut reddish brown in color, From Yj 

 to % inch long, enclosed about V-i its Length in Light brown cup. Meal 

 yellow, xwy bitter. 



