Trees of Indiana Part 12

Acorns from different trees.

The right two belong to the variety OLIVaeFORMIS.]

=7.= =Quercus macrocarpa= Michaux. Bur Oak. Plate 46. Large trees; branchlets of young trees generally develop corky wings which are usually absent on mature trees; leaves on petioles 1-2 cm. long, obovate in outline, generally 1-2.5 dm. long, the margins more or less deeply cut so that there are usually 7 lobes, sometimes only 5, or as many as 9 or 11, sometimes the sinuses extend to the midrib, giving the leaf a "skeleton" appearance, the lobes are very irregular in shape and variously arranged, but often appear as if in pairs, lobes rounded and ascending, the larger lobes are sometimes somewhat lobed, the three terminal lobes are usually the largest and considered as a whole would equal in size one half or more of the entire leaf area, the base of the leaf is wedge-shape or narrowly rounded; leaves at maturity are dark green and smooth above, or somewhat p.u.b.escent along the midrib, a gray-green and woolly p.u.b.escent beneath; acorns usually solitary, sometimes in pairs or cl.u.s.ters of three, sessile or on short stalks, sometimes on stalks as long as 2.5 cm.; nuts very variable in size and shape, ovoid to oblong, often very much depressed at the apex, 2-3 cm.

long, enclosed from 1/3 to almost their entire length in the cup which is fringed at the top; cups thick and large, sometimes 4.5 cm. in diameter; scales tomentose on the back and somewhat tuberculate, blunt near the base of the cup, but at and near the top of the cup they become long attenuate and on some trees appear almost bristle like; kernel sweet.

=Distribution.=--Nova Scotia to Manitoba, south to Georgia and west to Texas and Wyoming. Found in all parts of Indiana, although we have no reports from the k.n.o.b area where no doubt it is only local. It is a tree of wet woods, low borders of streams, etc., except among the hills of southern Indiana, it is an occasional tree of the slopes. In favorable habitats it was a frequent to a common tree. Its most constant a.s.sociates are white elm, swamp white and red oak, linn, green and black ash, sh.e.l.lbark hickory, etc. It is sometimes called mossy-cup oak.

=Remarks.=--Wood and uses similar to that of white oak. In point of number, size and value it ranks as one of the most valuable trees of the State. Michaux[39] says: "A tree three miles from Troy, Ohio, was measured that was fourteen feet and nine inches in diameter six feet above the ground. The trunk rises about fifty feet without limbs, and with scarcely a perceptible diminution in size."

=7a.= =Quercus macrocarpa= var. =olivaeformis= (Michaux filius) Gray.

This variety is distinguished from the typical form by its shallow cup, and the long oval nut which is often 3 cm. long. The cup is semi-hemispheric, and encloses the nut for about one-half its length.

Authentic specimens are at hand from Wells County, and it has been reported from Gibson and Hamilton Counties. No doubt this form has a wider range.

=8.= =Quercus lyrata= Walter. Overcup Oak. Plate 47. Medium sized trees; bark generally intermediate between that of the swamp white and bur oak; leaves on petioles 5-30 mm. long which are generally somewhat reddish toward the base, 10-20 cm. long, obovate or oblong-obovate, margins very irregularly divided into 5-9 short or long lobes, ascending and generally acute, ordinarily the three terminal lobes are the largest, base of leaves wedge-shape, or narrowly rounded, upper surface at maturity dark green and smooth, the under surface densely covered with a thick tomentum to which is added more or less long and single or fascicled straight hairs; when the leaves are as described on the under surface they are gray beneath; however, a form occurs which is yellow green beneath and has little or no tomentum, but is thickly covered with long single or fascicled straight hairs; acorn single or in pairs, on stalks generally about 1 cm. long, sometimes the stalks are 3 cm. long, the stalk lies in a plane at a right angle to the base of the acorn which is a characteristic of this species; nut depressed-globose, about 1.5 cm. long, generally almost completely enclosed in the cup, or sometimes enclosed only for about 2/3 its length; cup generally very thick at the base, gradually becoming thinner at the top, and often it splits open; scales tomentose on the back, those near the base, thick and tuberculate on the back and blunt, but those near the top of the cup are acute or long attenuate; kernel sweet.

=Distribution.=--Maryland to Missouri,[40] and south to Florida and west to Texas. In Indiana it is found only about river sloughs or deep swamps in the southwestern counties. At present it is known only from Knox, Gibson, Posey and Spencer Counties. It was reported by Nieuwland[41] for Marshall County on the authority of Clark. This specimen was taken during a survey of Lake Maxinkuckee, and is deposited in the National Museum. I have had the specimen examined by an authority, who reports that it is some other species. Its habitat is that of areas that are inundated much of the winter season. It is so rare that its a.s.sociates could not be learned. In one place it grew in a depression lower than a nearby pin oak, and in another place it grew in a depression in a very low woods, surrounded by sweet gum, big sh.e.l.l bark hickory, and pin oak.

It is generally found singly in depressions, but it is a common tree on the low border of the west side of Burnett's pond in Gibson County.

=Remarks.=--Wood and uses similar to that of white oak. In our area it is usually known as bur oak.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 47.

QUERCUS LYRATA Walter. Overcup Oak. ( 1/2.)

Acorns from different trees.]

=9.= =Quercus imbricaria= Michaux. Shingle Oak. Plate 48. Medium to large sized trees; leaves on petioles generally 0.5-1 cm. long, 7-16 cm.

long, elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, narrowed or rounded at the base, apex generally sharp-pointed and ending with a bristle, sometimes very wide leaves are blunt at the apex, margins entire, when they first appear the upper surface is somewhat woolly and the under surface whitish with a dense tomentum, soon glabrous and a dark green above, remaining more or less densely woolly or p.u.b.escent beneath; acorns sessile or nearly so, solitary or in pairs; nuts ovoid, about 1 cm. long and enclosed for about 1/2 their length in the cup; cup rounded at the base; scales p.u.b.escent on the back and obtuse.

=Distribution.=--Pennsylvania, Michigan to Nebraska, south to Georgia and west to Arkansas. Found throughout Indiana. It is essentially a tree of low ground, but it is sometimes found near the base of slopes, and in the k.n.o.b area it is sometimes found on the crest of ridges. In all parts of Indiana except the southwestern part it is found only locally and then usually in colonies of a few trees. In Wells County, I know of only two trees located at the base of a slope bordering a pond in Jackson Township. In the southwestern part of the State it is frequent to a common tree in its peculiar habitat. It appears that when drainage basins decrease in size, and leave sandy river bottoms, and bordering low sand dunes, that the shingle oak is the first oak to occupy the area. On the sand ridges it is crowded out by the black, black jack and post oaks. In the bottoms it is succeeded by pin, Schneck's, Spanish, swamp white and post oaks. Special notes were made on its distribution on a trip through Gibson, Pike, Daviess, Greene and Sullivan Counties, going from Francisco northward through the Patoka bottoms where in many places it forms pure stands. Usually in situations a little higher than the pin oak zone. Thence eastward to Winslow and then north to Sandy Hook in Daviess County, thence north to Washington, Montgomery, Odon, Newberry, Lyons, Marco and Sullivan. In its habitat all along this route it was a frequent to a very common tree. A few miles northeast of Montgomery is a small area which a pioneer informed me was originally a prairie. Typical prairie plants are yet found along the roadside and fences in the area. I was informed that the shingle oak was the only species found on the area, and on the border of the area. It is believed the ma.s.s distribution of the species was in the area indicated by the preceding route. Both east and west of this area the species becomes less frequent.

=Remarks.=--Wood similar to red oak, but much inferior. Evidently it is rather a slow growing tree, but it might find a use as a shade or ornamental tree in sandy habitats where the pin oak would not thrive. It is also called black oak, peach oak, jack oak and water oak.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 48.

QUERCUS IMBRICARIA Michaux. Shingle Oak. ( 1/2.)]

=10.= =Quercus rubra= Linnaeus. [_Quercus maxima_ (Marshall) Ashe of some recent authors]. Red Oak. Plate 49. Large trees; winter buds ovoid, pointed, reddish, outer scales glabrous, sometimes p.u.b.escent on the edges; twigs soon smooth and reddish; leaves on petioles 2.5-5 cm. long, 10-20 cm. long, oval to oblong-obovate, broadly wedge-shape or truncate at the base, the margins divided by wide or narrow sinuses generally into 7-9 lobes, sometimes as many as 11, the lobes not uniform in size or shape, lobes broadest at the base and ending generally in 1-5 bristle points, p.u.b.escent above and below at first, soon becoming smooth at maturity and a dark green above, paler and yellowish-green beneath and smooth or with tufts of tomentum in the axils of the veins; acorns solitary or in pairs, sessile or on very short stalks; nuts ovoid, flat at the base, and rounded at the apex, 2-3 cm. long, enclosed for about 1/4 their length in the shallow cup; cups 2-3 cm. in diameter, thick, saucer-shape, flat or only slightly rounded at the base; scales ovate, blunt, appressed, and p.u.b.escent on the back; kernel somewhat bitter, eaten by hogs and cattle, but not relished by wild animals.

=Distribution.=--Nova Scotia to Minnesota, south to Florida and west to Texas. Found throughout Indiana, although local in the k.n.o.b area. Its preferred habitat is that of moist, rich and fairly well drained woods.

It does not thrive in situations that are inundated much of the winter season such as the pin oak will endure. In the southern part of the State, especially in the flats it is frequently found on the high bluffs of streams and very large forest trees are frequent on a dry wooded slope of ten acres, on the Davis farm four miles south of Salem. In a congenial habitat it was a frequent to a common tree, although such a thing as nearly a pure stand would never be met with, such as was often formed by the white, black, shingle or pin oak.

=Remarks.=--Wood hard, heavy, strong, close-grained, but not as good as white oak in any of its mechanical qualities. Commercially all of the biennial oaks are usually considered as red oak. The true red oak, however, is generally considered the best of all the biennial oaks.

Until recently, when white oak became scarce, red oak was not in much demand, and was used princ.i.p.ally for construction material. Now it is subst.i.tuted in many places for white oak, and the uses now are in a great measure the same as those of white oak.

The red oak grows rapidly, and is able to adapt itself to many soil conditions. It has been used in European countries for two centuries for shade and ornamental planting. It reproduces easily by planting the acorns, and should receive attention by woodlot owners as a suitable species for reinforcing woodlands, or in general forest planting.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 49.

QUERCUS RUBRA Linnaeus. Red Oak. ( 1/2.)

Acorns from different trees.]

=11.= =Quercus pal.u.s.tris= Du Roi. Pin Oak. Plate 50. Medium to large trees with very tight bark, the furrows shallow and generally wide; twigs at first p.u.b.escent, soon becoming smooth and reddish-brown; leaves on petioles generally 1-5 cm. long, blades about 7-15 cm. long, usually about 2/3 as wide, sometimes as wide as long, ovate to obovate in outline, narrowed to broadly truncate at the base, the margins divided into 5-7 lobes by deep and wide sinuses, except leaves that grow in the shade, the sinus cuts the blade to more than half way to the midrib, the lobes are widest at the base, or sometimes widest near the apex, the lobes usually somewhat toothed or lobed and end in 1-7 bristle tips, leaves hairy when they first appear, soon becoming glabrate and a glossy dark green above, a paler green beneath and smooth except tufts of hairs in the axils of the princ.i.p.al veins; acorns sessile or nearly so, single or in cl.u.s.ters; nuts subglobose or ovoid, generally 10-12 mm. long, the ovoid form somewhat smaller, covered about 1/4 their length by the shallow cups; cups saucer-shape and generally flat on the bottom, those with the ovoid nuts are rounded on the bottom; scales p.u.b.escent on the back, and rounded or blunt at the apex.

=Distribution.=--Ma.s.sachusetts, southwestern Ontario, Michigan to Iowa and south to Virginia and west to Oklahoma. Found in every county of Indiana. It is found only in wet situations where it is a frequent to a common tree. It prefers a hard compact clay soil with little drainage hence is rarely met with on the low borders of lakes where the soil is princ.i.p.ally organic matter.

=Remarks.=--Wood similar to red oak, but much inferior to it. It is tardy in the natural pruning of its lower branches, and when the dead branches break off they usually do so at some distance from the trunk.

The stumps of the dead branches which penetrate to the center of the tree have given it the name of pin oak. It is also sometimes called water oak, and swamp oak.

For street and ornamental planting it is one of the most desirable oaks to use. It is adapted to a moist soil, grows rapidly, and produces a dense shade. When grown in the open it develops a pyramidal crown.

The nut of this species always has a depressed form, except a tree or two in Wells County which produce ovate nuts which are cone-pointed, and in bulk about half the size of the ordinary form. This form should be looked for to ascertain its area of distribution.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 50.

QUERCUS PAl.u.s.tRIS Muenchhausen. ( 1/2.)

Acorns from different trees. Those on the left the common form, those on the right the rare form.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 51.

QUERCUS SCHNECKII Britton. Schneck's Oak. ( 1/2.)

Specimens from type tree.]

=12.= =Quercus Schneckii= Britton. Schneck's Oak. Plate 51. Large trees; bark somewhat intermediate between pin and red oak; twigs gray by autumn; winter buds large, about 0.5 cm. long, ovoid, glabrous and gray; leaves on petioles 2-6 cm. long, blades generally 8-18 cm. long, generally truncate at the base, sometimes wedge-shaped, leaves ovate to obovate in outline, divided into 5-7 lobes, by deep rounded and wide sinuses, the sinuses cutting the blade to more than half way to the midrib, except the leaves of lower branches that grow in the shade, the lobes variable in shape and size, usually the lowest are the shortest and smaller, the middle the longest and largest, the lobes are sometimes widest at the base, and sometimes widest at the apex, the end of the lobes are more or less toothed or lobed; the leaves at maturity are bright green, glossy and smooth above, a paler and yellow green and smooth beneath except tufts of hairs in the axils of the princ.i.p.al veins; acorns solitary or in pairs, usually on stalks about 0.5 cm.

long; nuts ovoid, sometimes broadly so, or oblong, broad and flat or slightly convex at base, usually 1.5-2 cm. long, enclosed in the cup from 1/4-1/3 their length; cups flat or convex at the base: scales generally p.u.b.escent on the back, gray or with a reddish tip on those of the Lower Wabash Valley, or reddish gray and with margins more or less red of trees of the Upper Wabash Valley.

=Distribution.=--In Indiana this species has been reported only from Wells, Bartholomew, Vermillion, Knox, Gibson and Posey Counties. This species was not separated from our common red oak until after all of the local floras of Indiana had been written, and it may have a much wider range than is at present known. In Wells County it is the prevailing "red oak" of the county, and no doubt is distributed throughout the Wabash Valley. In this area it is a.s.sociated with all moist ground species. In the lower Wabash Valley, especially in Gibson, Knox and Posey Counties it is a.s.sociated with Spanish, pin, and shingle oaks, sweet gum, etc. Several trees were noted in Knox County in Little Cypress swamp where it was a.s.sociated with cypress, pin oak, white elm, red maple and swell-b.u.t.t ash.

=Remarks.=--This anomalous red oak has a range from Indiana to Texas.

When the attention of authors was directed to it, several new species were the result. Later authors are not agreed as to whether this form, which has such a wide range and hence liable to show considerable variation within such a long range, is one or several species. C. S.

Sargent who for years has studied this form throughout its range has seen the author's specimens and calls those with shallow cups typical or nearly typical _Quercus Shumardii_ Buckley[42] and those with the deep cups _Quercus Shumardii_ variety _Schneckii_ (Britton) Sargent.

The writer has made rather an intensive study of the forms in Wells County and in the Lower Wabash Valley and has not been able to satisfy himself that, allowing for a reasonable variation, there is even a varietal difference in Indiana forms. The description has been drawn to cover all of the forms of Indiana.

Dr. J. Schneck of Mt. Carmel, Illinois, was one of the first to discover that this form was not our common red oak, and when he called Dr.

Britton's attention to it, Dr. Britton named it _Quercus Schneckii_ in honor of its discoverer.

=13.= =Quercus ellipsoidalis.= E. J. Hill. Hill's Oak. Plate 52. Medium sized trees; inner bark yellowish; twigs p.u.b.escent at first, becoming smooth and reddish brown by autumn; leaves on petioles 2-5 cm. long, ovate to slightly obovate or nearly orbicular in outline, 7-15 cm. long, wedge-shape or, truncate at the base, margin divided into 5-7 long lobes by wide sinuses which usually extend to more than half way to the midrib, sinuses rounded at the base, lobes broadest at the base or the apex, ending in 1-7 bristle points, leaves at first p.u.b.escent, both above and below, soon becoming glabrous above, and smooth beneath except tufts of hairs in the axils of the princ.i.p.al veins; acorns nearly sessile or on short stalks, single or in pairs; nuts oval to oblong, 12-20 mm. long, enclosed for 1/3-1/2 their length in the cup; scales obtuse, light reddish-brown, p.u.b.escent on the back; kernel pale yellow and bitter.

=Distribution.=--Northwestern Indiana to Manitoba and south to Iowa. In Indiana it has been reported only from Lake and Porter Counties by Hill, and from White County by Heimlich. According to Hill, who has made the most extensive study of the distribution of this species in our area, the tree is found on sandy and clayey uplands, and in moist sandy places. It closely resembles the pin oak for which it has been mistaken.

It also resembles the black and scarlet oaks. We have very little data on the range or distribution of the species in this State.

=14.= =Quercus velutina= Lamarck. Black Oak. Plate 53. Medium to large sized trees; inner bark yellow or orange; leaves on petioles 2-8 cm.

long, ovate oblong or obovate, very variable in outline and in size, those of young trees and coppice shoots being very large, those of mature trees usually 12-18 cm. long, wedge-shape or truncate at the base, the margin divided into 5-9 lobes by wide and usually deep sinuses which are rounded at the base, the lobes variable in shape and size, the terminals of many of the lobes toothed or slightly lobed and ending in one or more bristles, leaves p.u.b.escent on both sides at first, soon becoming smooth, glossy and a dark green above; leaves of fruiting branches usually smooth beneath except the tufts of brown hairs in the axils of the princ.i.p.al veins, or rarely more or less p.u.b.escent over the whole under surface, the under surface of leaves of sterile branches and young trees usually are the most p.u.b.escent beneath, the leaves of some trees are much like those of the scarlet oak, but on the whole are larger; acorns sessile or nearly so, single or in pairs; nuts ovoid, oblong or subglobose, 1.5-2 cm. long, enclosed for about half their length in the cup-shaped cup; scales light-brown, densely p.u.b.escent on the back, obtuse, loose above the middle of the cup; kernel bitter.