A. Leaves without bristle tips; bark gray; acorns maturing
at the end of 1 season; white oaks.
B. Leaves lobed.
C. Acorn-cup not enclosing the acorn.
D. Acorn-cup shallow, warted Q. alba
DD. Acorn-cup covering 1/2 of the acorn Q. stellata
CC. Acorn-cup enclosing the acorn.
D. Acorn-cup not fringed Q. lyrata
DD. Acorn-cup fringed Q. macrocarpa
BB. Leaves not lobed, coarsely toothed.
C. Acorn-stalked.
D. Acorn-stalks longer than petioles Q. bicolor
DD. Acorn-stalks short
E. Acorn-cup flat-bottomed; bark like
that of white oak Q. prinus
EE. Acorn-cup deep; bark like that of
red oak Q. montana
CC. Acorns sessile, cup deep Q. muhlenbergii
AA. Leaves with bristle tips; bark dark; acorns mature
at the end of two seasons; black and red oaks.
B. Leaves lobed.
C. Deeply lobed.
D. Leaves deep green on both sides.
E. Acorn-cup broad and shallow
a. Acorn large Q. rubra
aa. Acorn small
b. Acorn ovoid Q. shumardii
bb. Acorn globose Q. palustris
EE. Acorn-cup deep
a. Cup-scales loosely imbricated
winter buds large and hairy Q. velutina
aa. Cup-scales tightly appressed,
winter buds small and smooth
b. Acorn small Q. ellipsoidalis
bb. Acorn large Q. coccinea
DD. Leaves pale green beneath Q. falcata
CC. Leaves shallowly lobed, winter buds
rusty-hairy Q. marilandica
BB. Leaves entire.
C. Leaves hairy beneath; acorn sessile Q. imbricaria
CC. Leaves not hairy; acorn stalked Q. phellos
+WHITE OAK+ _Quercus alba_ L.
WITHIN its natural range, which includes practically the entire eastern
half of the United States, the white oak is one of the most important
timber trees. It commonly reaches a height of 60 to 100 feet and a
diameter of 2 to 3 feet; sometimes it becomes much larger. It is found
in a wide variety of upland soils. When grown in a dense stand it has a
straight continuous trunk, free of side branches for over half its
height. In the open, however, the tree develops a broad crown with
far-reaching limbs. Well-grown specimens are strikingly beautiful.
[Illustration: WHITE OAK