17. Quercus Stellata Wang. Post Or Iron Oak

Fig. 1530

Quercus alba minor Marsh. Arb. Am. 120. 1785. Quercus stellata Wang. Amer. 78. pi. 6. f. 15. 1787. Q. obtusiloba Michx. Hist. Chen. Am. 1. pi. 1. 1801. Quercus minor Sargent, Gard. & For. 2: 471. 1889.

A tree, with rough gray bark, or sometimes a shrub; maximum height about 100° and trunk diameter 4°. Leaves broadly obovate in outline, deeply lyrate-pinnatifid into 3-7 broad rounded often deeply undulate or toothed lobes, when mature firm, glabrous, dark green and shining above, brown-tomentulose beneath, 5'-8' long, 4'-6' wide or smaller; petioles stout, 1/2'-1 long; fruit maturing the first season, nearly or quite sessile; styles short; cup hemispheric, 6"-8" broad, base narrowed, its bracts lanceolate, subacute, slightly squarrose; acorn ovoid, 6"-10" high, 2-3 times as long as the cup.

In dry soil, Massachusetts to New York, Iowa, Florida and Texas. Wood hard, close-grained, very durable, brown; weight per cubic foot 52 lbs. May-June. Acorns ripe Sept.-Oct. Brash, white, rough or turkey-oak. Box or rough white-oak.

Quercus Margaretta Ashe, ranging from Virginia to Florida and Alabama, has similar but smaller acorns and leaves with rounded lobes; it is probably a race of this species, or a hybrid.

18. Quercus Lyrata Walt. Overcup Or Swamp Post Oak

Fig. 1531

Quercus lyrata Walt. Fl. Car. 235. I753

A large tree, maximum height about 100° and trunk diameter 3 1/20; bark gray or reddish, in thin plates. Leaves obovate in outline, mostly narrowed at the base, 6'-8' long, lyrate-pinnatifid or lobed to beyond the middle, thin, when mature bright green, glabrous and shining above, densely white-tomentulose or becoming glabrate beneath, the lobes lanceolate or oblong, rounded or subacute, entire or toothed, the upper pair the larger and usually divergent; petioles 3"-9' long; fruit maturing the first season, peduncled; styles short; cup depressed-globose, 1'-1 1/2' in diameter, 1/2'-1' high, its bracts broad, thin, cuspidate; acorn depressed-globose, 1/2'-1 1/2 high, nearly or quite immersed in the cup.

In swamps or along streams, New Jersey to Indiana and Missouri, Florida and Texas. Wood hard, strong, tough, close-grained, very durable, dark brown; weight per cubic foot 52 lbs. April-May. Water white-oak.

19. Quercus Macrocarpa Michx. Mossy-Cup, Blue Or Bur Oak

Fig. 1532

Q. macrocarpa Michx. Hist. Chen. Am. 2. pl. 23. 1801. Q. olivaeformis Michx. f. Hist. Arb. Am. 2: pi. 2. 1812.

A large tree, with gray flaky bark; maximum height about 160°, and trunk diameter 8°. Leaves obovate or oblong-obovate in outline, rather thin, irregularly lobed, pinnatifid, or some coarsely crenate; when mature bright green and shining above, grayish-white-tomentulose beneath, 4'-8' long, the lobes toothed or entire, rounded, ascending or somewhat divergent; petioles 1/2'-1' long; fruit short-peduncled or sessile, maturing the first season; styles short; cup hemispheric or subglobose, 8"-2' in diameter, its bracts floccose, thick, hard, ovate or lanceolate, the lower acute, the upper subulate-tipped, the tips forming a fringe around the acorn; acorn 8"-1 1/2' long, ovoid, 1-2 times as high as the cup.

In rich soil, Nova Scotia to Manitoba, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Georgia, Kansas and Texas. Wood hard, strong, tough, close-grained; color dark brown; weight 46 lbs. Mossy-cup white-oak. Scrub-oak. May-June.