Quercus Identification Flashcards
chinkapin oak - Quercus muehlenbergii
Family: Fagaceae
Growth habits: medium sized w/ rounded crown
Leaf arrangement: alternate, simple
Leaf margins: shallow lobes or very coarse teeth
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: tiny gland on tip of each lobe
Bark: thin, light gray, rough and flaky, similar to white oak
Fruit: small acorn, broadest below middle, thin cap with tattered fringe
Other:
Range: central hardwoods into south, mostly central/western KY
may have brown “fuzz” on leaf underside in spring
black oak - Quercus velutina
Family: Fagaceae
Growth habits: canopy sized, 80-90’
Leaf arrangement: alternate, simple
Leaf margins: lobed, entire, deep sinuses, typically 2-3 lobes/side, sinus angle less acute than northern red
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: extremely variable, in spring have brown “fuzz” underneath, shinier and larger than northern red oak leaf
Bark: dark blocky bark that continues up into canopy
Fruit: very small acorn with rough scales on cap
Other: long pointed somewhat hairy buds
Range: widespread eastern US, scarce or absent in north, widespread in KY
bur oak - Quercus macrocarpa
Family: Fagaceae
Growth habits: large crown, large DBH when old, maybe 80’ tall
Leaf arrangement: alternate, simple
Leaf margins: lobed, entire
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: deepest sinus in middle of leaf
Bark: rougher than white oak, rough/corky on branches but not peeling like swamp white oak
Fruit: largest acorn, loose scales, hairy, “mossy cup oak”
Other:
Range: Central hardwoods to Upper Midwest, ranges into prairie states nad central Texas
northern red oak - Quercus rubra
Family: Fagaceae
Growth habits: fast growing, 75’ tall, straight dominant trunk
Leaf arrangement: alternate, simple
Leaf margins: 7-11 bristle-tipped lobes, acute angled sinus cut halfway to the midrib
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other:
Bark: dark grey with lighter colored vertical furrows resembling ski trails
Fruit: fat acorn with small cap (5 gallon hat on a 10 gallon head)
Other:
Range: widespread eastern N.A., widespread KY
white oak - Quercus alba
Family: Fagaceae
Growth habits: large canopy tree
Leaf arrangement: alternate, simple
Leaf margins: lobed, entire
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: rounded lobes, deep sinuses, no bristle tips
Bark: light to med gray, flaky and furrowed, “opening door” look to plates
Fruit: acorn with a cap about 1/3 the length of the nut
Other:
Range: widespread in eastern US and KY
Shumard oak - Quercus shumardii
Family: Fagaceae
Growth habits: pyramidal when young, open rounded crown when mature, 70-80’
Leaf arrangement: alternate, simple
Leaf margins: lobed, entire
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: sinuses deep and somewhat narrow, ends of lobes flare a bit, creating “thumb” shaped outline in sinues
Bark: similar to northern red oak
Fruit: 3/4-1-1/4 in long, shallow bowl-shaped scaly cap covering less than 1/3 of nut
Other:
Range: Central hardwoods and southern
southern red oak - Quercus falcata
Family: Fagaceae
Growth habits: medium sized, open rounded form
Leaf arrangement: alternate, simple
Leaf margins: lobed, entire, small # of lobes
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: long terminal lobe, “jet wings”, u shaped base (sometimes oblique), shade leaves can look like duck feet
Bark: blocky, dark
Fruit: ver small acorns
Other:
Range: southern US
pin oak - Quercus palustris
Family: Fagaceae
Growth habits: medium sized, can get 80-90’ on best site, drooping lower branches, poor pruning
Leaf arrangement: alternate, simple
Leaf margins: lobed, entire, bristle tips
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: usually 2 lobes/side, mostly perpindicular lobes, wide sinuses, smaller than other red oak leaves
Bark: similar to other reds but smoother
Fruit: small acorn that looks squashed or compressed
Other:
Range: central hardwoods
swamp white oak - Quercus bicolor
Family: Fagaceae
Growth habits: medium sized, similar form to other white oaks
Leaf arrangement: alternate, simple
Leaf margins: lobed/larged teeth, 6-8 lobes per side
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: dark on top, light on underside
Bark: similar to white oaks, exfoliates on limbs
Fruit: acorn on very long stalk
Other:
Range: central hardwoods
chestnut oak - Quercus montana
Family: Fagaeceae
Growth habits: canopy sized, 70-80’, can get very large girth when old
Leaf arrangement: alternate, simple
Leaf margins: could be considered lobed or coarsely serrate
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other:
Bark: dark, deeply fissured unlike other white oaks
Fruit: long plump acorn, rough scales on cap, can look like beatles haircut
Other:
Range: Appalachian, eastern/western KY but absent in central KY
scarlet oak - Quercus coccinea
Family: Fagaceae
Growth habits: medium sized, often poor form
Leaf arrangement: alternate, simple
Leaf margins: lobed, entire
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: deep, open rounded sinuses, lets light through in canopy
Bark: dark and blocky down low, similar to northern red oak up higher
Fruit: slightly bigger acorn than black oak, often has concentric circles around point on bottom
Other: showy red fall color
Range: widespread eastern US, rare/absent in northern states, east and west KY but nearly absent in central KY
post oak - Quercus stellata
Family: Fagaceae
Growth habits: small-med up to 65’, gnarled twisted branching
Leaf arrangement: alternate, simple
Leaf margins: lobed, entire/wavy
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: cruciform shape w/ squared middle lobes, leathery texture, felty and pale underside
Bark: blocky and ridged similar to white oak
Fruit: small acorn w/ warty cap, individual scales more apparent than white oak
Other:
Range: southern, throughout KY but more common in western KY
shingle oak - Quercus imbricaria
Family: Fagaceae
Growth habits: medium up to 70’, lower branches often droop
Leaf arrangement: alternate, simple
Leaf margins: unlobed, entire
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: lanceolate with single bristle tip, leathery/shiny
Bark: tight, hard, very shallow furrows, gray-brown
Fruit: 5/8 inch acorn, apressed scales on cap, 1/3-1/2 covered by cap
Other:
Range: central hardwoods
swamp chestnut oak - Quercus michauxii
Family: Fagaceae
Growth habits: med-large 80’, good form with narrow crown
Leaf arrangement: alternate, simple
Leaf margins: lots of large blunt teeth or very small lobes
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: larger than chestnut oak, no glands like chinkapin oak
Bark: ragged version of white oak bark
Fruit: large 1-1.5” acorn, cap covers 1/3 of nut
Other:
Range: southern, far west KY
willow oak - Quercus phellos
Family: Fagaceae
Growth habits: medium sized up to 80’, dense oblong crown, poor self-pruning
Leaf arrangement: alternate, simple
Leaf margins: entire, unlobed
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: single bristle tip, short petiole
Bark: smooth/gray/tight when young, dark w/ irregular ridges/furrows when mature
Fruit: 1/4” acorns, nearly round, thin cap covering 1/4 of nut
Other:
Range: southern US, western/southern KY
cherrybark oak - Quercus pagoda
Family: Fagaceae
Growth habits: large, straight form, up to 100’ and 3’ dbh
Leaf arrangement: alternate, simple
Leaf margins: entire, lobed
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: lobes resemble pagoda when viewed upside down, bright green above and duller below
Bark: smooth when young, dark/scaly/rough when mature, can resemble black cherry
Fruit: 1/2” acorn, cap covers about 1/3
Other:
Range: southern US
overcup oak - Quercus lyrata
Family: Fagaceae
Growth habits: medium sized, poor form
Leaf arrangement: alternate, simple
Leaf margins: entire, lobed
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: variable, 5-9 lobes, white pubescent underside
Bark: resembles white oak
Fruit: 1/2-1” acorn, almost entirely covered by warty cap
Other:
Range: southern
water oak - Quercus nigra
Family: Fagaceae
Growth habits: medium sized, rounded crown, weeping lower branches
Leaf arrangement: alternate, simple
Leaf margins: 0-5 lobes, entire
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: may or may not be bristle tipped, variabe shape from spatulate to lanceolate, smooth texture
Bark: dark, tight, smooth when young, scaly ridges when mature
Fruit: 1/2’ acorn, very dark, 1/3 covered by cap
Other:
Range: southern; western/souther counties of KY
