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Cornell Junior Extension Bulletin 26 



32. SCARLET OAK 

 (Quercus coccinea Muenchhausen) 

 Scarlet oak, so called from the brilliant coloring of its autumnal foli 

 age, thrives on poor soils. The wood is hard, heavy, strong, and coarse 

 in texture. It is of inferior commercial value except for props, ties, and 

 fuel. Because of its characteristic shape and brilliant coloring of the 

 leaves in autumn, it is often used for, ornamental purposes. 



SCARLET OAK 



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

 third natural size ; fruit, one-half natural 

 size 



Bark — on young trunks, smooth, light brown in color; with age di- 

 viding into irregular ridges with shallow furrows between ; in general, 

 ridges not so regularly flat-topped as in red oak or so roughly broken 

 up as in black oak ; inner bark reddish in color. 



Twigs — medium, stout to slender, light red in color. 



Winter buds — broadly oval, blunt at the top, clustered at end of twig, 

 dark reddish brown in color, somewhat woolly. 



Leaves — simple, alternate, from 3 to 6 inches long, from 3 to 5 inches 

 wide, from 5- to 9-lobed; lobes toothed, separated by wide, rounding 

 clefts, extending well over halfway to the midrib; at maturity leaves 

 thin, firm, shiny, dark green in color above, paler below. 



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

 turing in autumn of second year. Nut — oval, reddish brown in color 

 from % to 1 inch long, from Vi> to M', enclosed in reddish brown cup. 

 Meat — pale yellow, bitter. 



