Trees of Indiana Part 11

On account of its abundance, and wide range of uses, it has always been the most important timber tree of Indiana.

Formerly the woods were full of white oak 1-1.5 meters (3-5 ft.) in diameter, but today trees of a meter (3 ft.) in diameter with long straight trunks are rare indeed. Michaux who traveled extensively in America 1801-1807, while the whole Mississippi Valley was yet a wilderness, remarks: "The white oak is the most valuable tree in America." He observed the ruthless destruction of this valuable tree, and predicted that the supply would soon be depleted, and that America would be sorry that regulations were not adopted to conserve the supply of this valuable tree. Michaux's prediction has come true, and yet no constructive measures have been provided to insure the Nation an adequate supply of this timber. It should be remembered that it requires two to three hundred years to grow a white oak a meter in diameter, and if we are to have white oak of that size in the next generation the largest of our present stand must be spared for that harvest.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 40.

QUERCUS ALBA Linnaeus. White Oak. ( 1/2.)

Acorns from different trees to show variation.]

White oak was formerly much used in construction work, but it has become so costly that cheaper woods take its place. At present it is used princ.i.p.ally in cooperage, interior finish, wagon and car stock, furniture, agricultural implements, crossties, and veneer. Indiana has the reputation of furnishing the best grade of white oak in the world.

Little attention has been given this valuable species either in horticultural or forestal planting. This no doubt is due in a great measure to the slow growth of the tree. It should be used more for shade tree, ornamental and roadside tree planting. There are good reasons why white oak should be much used in reforestation. The cheapest and most successful method of propagating white oak is to plant the seed in the places where the trees are desired to grow. This is best done by planting the acorns as soon as they fall or are mature. The best results will be obtained if the nuts are planted with the small end down, and covered about an inch deep with earth. If the ground is a hard clay soil and the small end of the nut is placed down a half inch of earth on the nut is sufficient. Rodents often destroy the nuts, and if this danger is apprehended it is best to poison the rodents or to stratify the seed, or grow seedlings and plant them when they are one year old. In forestal planting it is suggested that the planting be 4 4 feet.

The white oak is quite variable in the lobing of the leaves, and in size and shape of the fruit, and in the length of its peduncle. The variable lobing of the leaves has lead several authors to describe varieties based on this character. The latest is that of Sargent[32] who describes: "The trees with leaves less deeply divided, with broad rounded lobes and usually smaller generally sessile fruit," as =Quercus alba= variety =latiloba=.

=Quercus alba Muhlenbergii= ( _Quercus Deami_ Trelease). This rare hybrid was discovered in a woods about 3 miles northwest of Bluffton Indiana by L. A. Williamson and his son E. B. Williamson in 1904.[33]

The tree is still standing and in 1918 bore a heavy crop of seed. A liberal quant.i.ty was sent for propagation to the Arnold Arboretum, New York Botanical Gardens, and Missouri Botanical Gardens. The Arboretum succeeded in germinating several seed. The New York Gardens succeeded in getting 5 seedlings. The Missouri Gardens failed to get any to germinate. About a gallon of seeds was planted in the Clark County State forest nursery and all failed.

=2.= =Quercus bicolor Willdenow.= Swamp White Oak. Plate 41. Large trees; leaves on petioles 5-20 mm. long, 8-18 cm. long, obovate, wedge-shaped or narrowly rounded at base, rounded or pointed at the apex, margins coa.r.s.ely divided with rounded or blunt teeth or somewhat pinnatifid, primary venation beneath somewhat regular, but usually some of the veins end in a sinus of the margin, both surfaces hairy at first, becoming smooth above and remaining velvety p.u.b.escent beneath; the upper surface of the leaf a bronze or dark green and the under surface grayish due to the dense tomentum, which in some instances becomes spa.r.s.e and short, in which case the under surface is a light green; acorns usually in pairs on stalks 2-7 cm. long; nuts ovoid, 2-2.5 cm. long, enclosed for 1/3-1/2 their length in the cup; scales of cup acute to very long ac.u.minate, scurvy p.u.b.escent and frequently tuberculate; kernel sweetish.

=Distribution.=--Maine, southern Ontario, southern Minnesota south to Georgia and Arkansas. Found in all parts of Indiana. It is always found in wet places. In most of its range it is a.s.sociated with the bur oak from which it is not commonly separated. In the northern counties it is usually a.s.sociated with pin and bur oak, and white elm; in the flats of the southeastern part of the State it is usually a.s.sociated with cow oak and sweet gum, while in the southwestern counties it is found most commonly with Spanish and pin oak.

=Remarks.=--Commercially the wood is not distinguished from white oak, and the cut is sold for that species.

=3.= =Quercus Muhlenbergii= Engelmann. Chinquapin Oak. Sweet Oak. Yellow Oak. Chestnut Oak. Plate 42. Large trees; leaves on petioles 1-3 cm.

long, blades very variable in size, shape and leaf margins, generally 10-20 cm. long, oblong-lanceolate to broadly obovate, narrowed or rounded and more or less unequal at the base, taper-pointed at the apex, the apex always forming an acute angle, margins coa.r.s.ely and rather regularly toothed, primary veins beneath regular and straight, and end in a prominent gland in the point of the teeth, teeth more or less incurved, leaves smooth and dark green above, and grayish p.u.b.escent beneath; acorns generally sessile, but often on short stalks up to 1 cm.

long; nut ovoid to oblong ovoid, 10-18 mm. long, enclosed for 1/4-1/2 its length in a very thin cup; scales of cup ovate, blunt-pointed or merely acute, sometimes tuberculate near the base of the cup, grayish p.u.b.escent without; kernel sweet, and the most edible of all of our oaks.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 41.

QUERCUS BICOLOR Willdenow. Swamp White Oak. ( 1/2.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 42.

QUERCUS MUHLENBERGII Engelmann. Chinquapin Oak. ( 1/2.)

Detached acorns and leaves from different trees.]

=Distribution.=--Vermont, southwestern Ontario to Wisconsin and south to Florida and west to Texas. Found in limited numbers in all parts of Indiana, although Hill's record for Lake county is the only record in the block of the 12 northwest counties. It is without a doubt found in every county south of the Wabash River. It is a rare or an infrequent tree in practically all parts of its range. It is generally found on the dry banks of streams, river terrace banks, rocky bluffs of streams, and only rarely in level dry woods. In the southern counties it is sometimes found on clay or rocky ridges. In most of its range it is now so rare that most of the inhabitants do not know the tree.

=Remarks.=--Wood similar to white oak, and with the same uses.

In White County a pioneer was found who knew the tree only by the name of pigeon oak. He said it received this name from the fact that the wild pigeons were fond of the acorns.

The leaves of this tree vary greatly in size, shape, and leaf margins.

The fruit also varies on different trees in the shape of the nut, and the depth of the cup. These variations have lead some authors to separate the forms and one histological study[34] seems to support minor differences. It has been observed that the leaves in the top of some trees may be thick, narrow and with long incurved teeth, while the leaves of the lower branches will be strongly obovate, thinner, and the teeth more dentate. In a general study it is best to include the polymorphic forms under one name. The distribution of the shallow and deep cup forms is so general that no regional or habitat areas can be a.s.signed to either of them in Indiana.

=4.= =Quercus Michauxii= Nuttall (_Quercus Prinus_ Sargent). Cow Oak.

Basket Oak. Plate 43. Large trees; leaves on petioles 1-3 cm. long, generally 1-2 dm. long, obovate, narrowed or narrowly rounded at the base, short taper-pointed, the apex generally blunt, the margins coa.r.s.ely toothed, the teeth broad and rounded or more rarely acute, shaded leaves sometimes with margins merely undulate, hairy on both surfaces when young, becoming at maturity a dark yellow green and glabrous above, sometimes remaining somewhat p.u.b.escent along the midrib and the princ.i.p.al veins, leaves grayish and woolly p.u.b.escent beneath; acorns solitary or in pairs, sessile or on very short stalks, up to almost a cm. in length; nuts ovoid or oval with a broad base, enclosed for about 1/3 their length by the cup, the cups thick and generally 2-3 cm. broad; scales ovate, acute, rather blunt-pointed and more or less tuberculate near the base of the cup, tomentose on the back; kernel sweet.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 43.

QUERCUS MICHAUXII Nuttall. Cow or Basket Oak. ( 1/2.)]

=Distribution.=--Delaware, southern Indiana, Missouri, south to Florida and west to Texas. In Indiana it is believed that its distribution is pretty well known and well defined. It is an inhabitant of low wet woods, although large trees may be found in fairly dry woods which have been made dry by drainage. In discussing the distribution it must be remembered that this species was reported as _Quercus Prinus_ before the sixth edition of Gray's Manual which was published in 1890. Gorby's[35]

reference to Miami County should be ignored, because he compiled his list of trees from a list of common names to which he appended the scientific names. His list includes several species which are not native, and his water willow (_Dianthera americana_) is an herbaceous plant. Wilson's[36] report for Hamilton County I believe also to be an error. Wilson preserved no specimen. Since Hamilton County has no cow oak habitat, and Wilson was not acquainted with the species, I think this reference should be transferred to the broad-leaf form of _Quercus Muhlenbergii_. The author has collected and distributed authentic specimens from a point 2-1/2 miles southwest of Napoleon in Ripley County. This species is reported by Meyncke for Franklin County as scarce, and by Collins for Dearborn County. Since the habitat of the species is found in these counties, it is fair to admit them into the range of the species. This species is a frequent to a very common tree in the flats of Clark, Scott, Jefferson, Jackson, Jennings, and Ripley Counties, where it is usually a.s.sociated with beech and sweet gum. It is now known to range as far north as the northern parts of Jackson, Jennings and Ripley Counties. It is an infrequent tree of the Lower Wabash Valley as far north as southern Knox County and no doubt followed eastward along White River. It follows the Ohio River eastward at least to a point six miles east of Grandview in Spencer County. It no doubt was an occasional tree along the Ohio River up to Dearborn County. It has also been reported by Aiken for Hamilton County, Ohio. In the Lower Wabash Valley it is a.s.sociated with Spanish and pin oak.

=Remarks.=--Wood and uses similar to white oak. In the flats of southeastern Indiana it is generally called white oak, and in some places it is known as bur oak. It grows very rapidly and to a large size. A tree was measured in 1919 in the Klein woods about 4 miles north of North Vernon that was 3.57 meters (11 feet, 7 inches) in circ.u.mference, breast high, and was estimated to be 15 m. (50 feet) to the first branch.

This species when grown in the open forms a large oval head, and in moist soil would make one of the best shade and roadside trees to be had. It is not known how it would adapt itself to high ground, but it is believed this species is worthy a trial as a shade tree. It is apparently hardy in the northern counties.

=Quercus Beadlei= Trelease. (_Quercus alba Michauxii_). This hybrid between the white and cow oak was found by the writer in 1913 in the White River bottoms 3 miles east of Medora in Jackson County.

The tree measured 3.54 meters (139 inches) in circ.u.mference breast high.

Specimens were distributed under No. 19,037, and the determination was made by William Trelease, our leading authority on oaks.

=5.= =Quercus Prnus= Linnaeus. (_Quercus montana_ Willdenow of some recent authors). Chestnut Oak. Plate 44. Medium to large sized tree; bark dark, tight, deeply fissured, the furrows wide, and the ridges continuous; leaves on petioles 1-3 cm. long, 1-2 dm. long, obovate to lanceolate, those growing in the shade usually the widest, rounded at the base, usually narrowly so or even wedge-shaped, short or long taper-pointed at the apex, the apex blunt, margins coa.r.s.ely and nearly regularly crenate-toothed, the teeth broad and rounded, dark green above at maturity, a lighter and usually a yellow or grayish green beneath, only slightly hairy above when young, soon becoming entirely glabrate, very p.u.b.escent beneath when young and usually remaining so until maturity; petioles, midrib and primary veins beneath are usually conspicuously yellow, which is a distinctive character of this species; acorns solitary or in pairs, on short stalks usually about 1 cm. long, sometimes sessile; nuts large ovoid or oblong-ovoid, 2-3 cm. long, enclosed generally for about 1/3 their length in a thin cup; scales with triangular blunt tips, generally somewhat tuberculate and p.u.b.escent on the back; kernel sweet.

=Distribution.=--Maine, northern sh.o.r.e of Lake Erie, to west central Indiana and south to northern Georgia and Alabama. In Indiana its distribution is limited to the k.n.o.bstone and sandstone area of the State. Its distribution has been fairly well mapped. Two large trees on the edge of the top of the bluff of the Ohio River at Marble Hill which is located in the south corner of Jefferson County is the eastern limit of its range. It crowns some of the ridges, sometimes extending down the adjacent slopes a short distance, from Floyd County north to the south side of Salt Creek in Brown County. Its range then extends west to the east side of Monroe County, thence southwestward to the west side of Martin County, thence south to the Ohio River. Where it is found it is generally such a common tree that the areas are commonly called chestnut oak ridges and are regarded as our poorest and most stony land. In Floyd and Clark counties it is usually a.s.sociated with scrub pine. In the remainder of its range it is generally a.s.sociated with black jack post and black oaks. In our area this species is never found closely a.s.sociated with limestone, and reports of this species being found on limestone areas should be referred to _Quercus Muhlenbergii_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 44.

QUERCUS PRINUS Linnaeus. Chestnut Oak. ( 1/2.)

Acorns and loose leaves from different trees.]

=Remarks.=--Wood similar and uses generally the same as white oak. The tree usually grows in such poor situations that it never acquires a large diameter, and it is only when a tree is found in a cove or in richer and deeper soil that it grows to a large size. The amount of this species is very limited and it is therefore of no especial economic importance as a source of timber supply. The bark is rich in tannin. The crests of chestnut oak ridges are often cut bare of this species. The trunks are made into crossties, and the larger branches are peeled for their bark. The nuts germinate on top of the ground as soon as they fall, or even before they fall. Usually a large percentage germinate.

The tree grows rapidly where soil conditions are at all favorable. It is believed that this species should be used to reforest the chestnut oak ridges of the State, and possibly it would be one of the best to employ on the slopes of other poor ridges.

=6.= =Quercus stellata= w.a.n.genheim. Post Oak. Plate 45. Medium to large trees; bark resembles that of the white oak except on old trees the fissures are deeper when compared with a white oak of equal size, and the ridges are usually broken into shorter lengths; twigs stout, yellowish-brown at first, remaining this color more or less to the end of the season, at first densely covered with hairs which remain throughout the season, and usually one year old branchlets are more or less tomentose; leaves on hairy petioles 0.3-3 cm. long, generally about 1 cm. long; leaves obovate in outline, commonly 1-2 dm. long and about 2/3 as wide, and generally lobed into five princ.i.p.al lobes which are disposed as follows: the two basal are formed by two deep sinuses just below the middle of the leaf which cut off a large roughly triangular portion, one angle of which forms the base, the top two angles prolonged on each side into a rounded lobe which may be long or short; the terminal lobe is produced by two deep sinuses which constrict the blade at about 1/4-1/3 its length from the apex; the two basal and two terminal sinuses form the two lateral lobes which in size are equal to about one half of the leaf area; the lateral lobes are generally ascending with the terminal portion usually indented with a shallow sinus which produces two short lobes; the terminal lobe of the leaf commonly has two or three shallow secondary lobes; all the lobes of the leaf are rounded; base of leaf narrowed or rounded; leaves very thick at maturity, when they first appear both surfaces are densely covered with a yellowish p.u.b.escence, at maturity the upper surface is a dark glossy green, and smooth or nearly so, except some leaves retain fascicles of hairs, and the midrib and princ.i.p.al veins may be more or less rough p.u.b.escent, the under surface at maturity is a gray-green, and remains more or less densely covered with fascicles of hairs; acorns single or in cl.u.s.ters, sessile or nearly so; nuts small, ovoid 10-15 mm. long and 6-10 mm. wide, inclosed for about 1/2 their length in the cup; scales ovate, gray or reddish brown, tomentose on the back, blunt except those near the top of the cup which are sometimes acute; kernel sweet.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 45.

QUERCUS STELLATA w.a.n.genheim. Post Oak. ( 1/2.)

Acorns from different trees.]

=Distribution.=--Ma.s.sachusetts, Indiana, south to Florida, and west to Oklahoma and Texas. In Indiana it is confined to the southwestern part of the State. In our area it is found on the crest of ridges in the k.n.o.b area where it is generally a.s.sociated with black, and black jack oaks, hence in our poorest and thinnest soils. West of the k.n.o.b area it takes up different habitats. From Vigo County southward it is found on sand ridges a.s.sociated with black and black jack oaks. West of the k.n.o.b area it is frequently found in black oak woods and in Warrick County about two miles southwest of Tennyson it is a frequent tree in the Little Pigeon Creek bottoms which are a hard light clay soil. Here it is a.s.sociated with pin oak and cork elm (_Ulmus alata_). In the Lower Wabash Valley, especially in Point Township of Posey County in the hard clay of this area it is a frequent to a common tree, a.s.sociated with Spanish, pin, swamp, white and shingle oaks, and sweet gum. In this area it grows to be a large tree.

This species has been reported for Hamilton County by Wilson, but I regard this reference a wrong identification which will relieve Hamilton County of the reputation of having "post oak" land. It was reported, also, by Gorby for Miami County. Since Gorby's list is wholly unreliable, it is best to drop this reference. Higley and Raddin[37]

reported a single tree near Whiting. Nieuwland[38] reported this species from near Mineral Springs in Porter County, the report being based on his number 10,207 which I have not seen. There is no reason to doubt these references, because it is not an unusual thing to find a southern form jump from southern Indiana to a congenial habitat about Lake Michigan.

=Remarks.=--Wood is similar but tougher than white oak, and its uses are the same as white oak. Since in our area the tree is usually medium sized, most of the trees are worked up into crossties. A tree in a black oak woods 4 miles east of Washington in Daviess County measured 2.22 meters (87-1/2 inches) in circ.u.mference breast high. This species in some localities is called iron oak, and in Gibson County on the sand dune area it is called sand bur oak.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 46.

QUERCUS MACROCARPA Michaux. Bur Oak. ( 1/2.)