bearing fruit when only a few feet high. Several trees observed south
of the Kanawha River were well-formed, 20-25 feet tall, and with
straight trunks 6-8 inches in diameter. The Chinquapin is chiefly
prized on account of its nuts. It is susceptible to the attack of
chestnut blight and may eventually be killed out by this disease.
[Illustration: WHITE OAK]
WHITE OAK
=Quercus alba=, L.
=Form=.—Height 75-100 feet, diameter 3-6 feet; trunk long and
free from limbs and with slight taper; crown broad and open with
wide-spreading and often twisted branches.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 5-8 inches long, obovate-oblong, rounded
at the apex and with usually 7 rounded lobes with entire edges, bright
green above, glaucous beneath.
=Flowers=.—May, when leaves are one-third grown; monoecious; the
staminate in long pendulous catkins; the pistillate borne above on
short stalks in the leaf axils.
=Fruit=.—Acorns maturing in autumn after flowering; cup with small
brown tomentose scales, enclosing about ¼ of the nut; nut ovoid,
rounded at apex, light brown, shining; kernel bitter-sweet.
=Bark=.—On old trunks rough with deep fissures, and ridges which are
often broken into short flat light gray scales.
=Wood=.—Strong, heavy, close-grained, durable, light reddish brown
with thin sapwood.
=Range=.—Maine and Minnesota to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Found in every county and in almost
every locality except at high elevations.
=Habitat=.—Grows on many different types of soils and from moist
bottom lands to the tops of dry ridges.
=Notes=.—The White Oak ranks as one of the most valuable timber
trees. It is known to more persons than any of our other oaks, and is
generally praised as a beautiful and useful tree.
[Illustration: POST OAK]
POST OAK
=Quercus stellata=, Wang.
=Form=.—Height 50-75 feet, diameter 2-3 feet, trunk usually short; the
crown rounded, with spreading branches.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, about 4-5 inches long, usually with five
lobes, the middle pair largest but all short and broad; thick and
leathery, nearly smooth above, covered beneath with dense grayish or
yellowish stellate pubescence.
=Flowers=.—May; monoecious; the staminate on long drooping catkins;
the pistillate short-stalked and woolly, with bright red stigmas.
=Fruit=.—Acorn ripening in autumn after flowers; cup small, thin,
hairy inside, scales flat and woolly; nut small, oval ½-¾ inch long,
brown, sometimes marked with nearly black longitudinal stripes.
=Bark=.—Similar to that of White Oak, but usually rougher and more
yellowish.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, close-grained, durable in contact with the soil,
brown with thick sapwood.
=Range=.—New England, where it is a shrub, southward to Florida and
Texas, and west to Kansas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Distributed in nearly all the hilly
parts of the State, though nowhere very common and in some sections
rare.
=Habitat=.—Prefers dry sandy or gravelly soil.
=Notes=.—The Post Oak in winter may easily be mistaken for a White
Oak, but in summer and fall the small acorns and the peculiar lobing of
the leaves assist the student in distinguishing it from other species.
It is not commercially important but should be encouraged to grow on
account of the superior lasting qualities of the wood when used for
fence posts or otherwise in contact with the soil.
[Illustration: BUR OAK]
BUR OAK
=Quercus macrocarpa=, Michx.
=Form=.—Height 40-75 feet, diameter 2-4 feet; trunk usually short,
bearing a rounded crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 6-12 inches long, wedge-shaped at the
base, usually crenate lobed toward the apex with deep sinuses and
rounded lobes in the middle; thick and firm, dark green and glossy
above, pale pubescence beneath.
=Flowers=.—Similar to the other annual oaks, before described.
=Fruit=.—Matures in autumn of first season; very large acorn with
a deep cup heavily fringed on the rim; nut ovoid, 1-1½ inches long,
brown, pubescent, about one-third enclosed in the cup.
=Bark=.—Deeply furrowed and similar to that of White Oak; corky on the
twigs.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, durable, brownish, with
thin sapwood.
=Range=.—Nova Scotia and Manitoba south to West Virginia and west to
Kansas and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Rare. Observed in the following
localities: Hardy County, between Romney and Moorefield; Grant County,
several trees on Lunice Creek near Petersburg; Morgan County, near
Great Cacapon station. Reported from Tyler County.
=Habitat=.—Usually on rich soils near streams.
=Notes=.—This is a very large and valuable oak in Kansas and other
states but is too rare to merit much attention in West Virginia. The
beautifully-lobed leaves and large acorns will not fail to interest the
student of trees.
[Illustration: SWAMP WHITE OAK]
SWAMP WHITE OAK
=Quercus bicolor=, Willd.
=Form=.—Height 50-75 feet, diameter 2-3 feet; trunk, in the open,
usually short, supporting a broad round-topped crown; in close stands
the trunk is longer and well-formed; lower branches usually drooping.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 5-7 inches long, 3-5 inches broad,
obovate, coarsely sinuate or shallow-lobed, margins thick and firm,
smooth and shining above, paler and tomentose beneath.
=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate on
long drooping catkins; the pistillate few-flowered, borne above on
relatively long peduncles.
=Fruit=.—Matures in autumn after the flowers; acorns on pubescent
stems 1-4 inches long; cup deeply saucer-shaped, enclosing about
one-third of the nut, which is ¾ to 1¼ inches long, chestnut brown,
usually hairy at apex.
=Bark=.—Rough on trunks with deep furrows and flat-topped and scaly
ridges; on branches soon becoming rough, with scales which often curl
back at the edges.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, tough, light brown, with thin and hardly
distinguishable sapwood.
=Range=.—Maine, south to Georgia and west to Michigan and Arkansas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Infrequent. Found in the following
localities: Grant County, on Lunice Creek; Hardy, near Moorefield;
Pocahontas, near Marlinton; Greenbrier, near White Sulphur Springs;
Berkeley, on Back Creek; Randolph, near Huttonsville; Upshur, at
Lorentz.
=Habitat=.—Borders of swamps and low ground along streams.
=Notes=.—The Swamp White Oak can easily be distinguished from its near
relatives; in the winter, by the bark ridges of the small branches
and the drooping lower limbs; in the summer and fall by the wavy or
sinuate-margined leaves and the long-stemmed acorns. This tree is not
considered of much importance in this State.
[Illustration: YELLOW OAK]
YELLOW OAK
=Quercus Muhlenbergii=, Engelm.
=Form=.—Height 50-75 feet, diameter 2-3 feet; trunk usually short,
sometimes buttressed at the base; crown round-topped with relatively
short, ascending branches.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 4-7 inches long, oblong, tapering at both
ends, margins with coarse, sharp-pointed teeth which somewhat resemble
those of the Chestnut and Chestnut Oak; bright yellow-green above, pale
and pubescent beneath.
=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate in long
pendulous catkins; the pistillate in short spikes.
=Fruit=.—Acorns mature in autumn after the flowers; cup enclosing
about ½ of the light brown, ¾-inch-long nut; kernel sweet and more
edible than that of most other acorns.
=Bark=.—On trunks moderately rough, the light gray ridges broken into
scales; resembles the bark of White Oak.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, durable, brown with
brownish sapwood.
=Range=.—Vermont and Minnesota south to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Not common. Observed in the following
counties: Boone, Doddridge, Fayette, Grant, Hardy, Kanawha, Monongalia,
Morgan, Summers and Webster. This tree is more common near Petersburg,
Grant County, and on Long Island Creek, Doddridge County, than at any
other places where it was found.
=Habitat=.—River banks and limestone hillsides.
=Notes=.—The wood of this oak is inferior to that of some other
species and it occurs here too infrequently to be classed as very
valuable.
[Illustration: CHESTNUT OAK]
CHESTNUT OAK
=Quercus Prinus=, L.
=Form=.—Height 60-90 feet, diameter 3-5 feet; trunk long but usually
more or less bent and often divided, forming a loose, open irregular
crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 6-8 inches long, usually obovate,
coarsely crenate, firm or leathery, smooth, dark green above, paler and
finely pubescent beneath.
=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate flowers in
long catkins; the pistillate in short spikes.
=Fruit=.—Acorns mature in autumn after the flowers; cup thin, deep,
enclosing about ½ of the smooth, light brown, oblong-ovoid nut.
=Bark=.—Very rough with deep fissures and long, dark gray, continuous
or broken ridges; rich in tannin.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, durable in contact with
the soil, dark brown with light sapwood.
=Range=.—Maine to West Virginia and south along the mountains to
Georgia and Alabama.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common except at high elevations.
=Habitat=.—Prefers dry gravelly hillsides and ridges.
=Notes=.—The Chestnut Oak is one of our common trees in the hilly
sections and can easily be distinguished by its thick, dark-colored
bark, crenate-margined leaves and large, deep-cupped acorns. Many of
the best stands have been cut for tan bark. Rock Oak is a common name
in some localities.
[Illustration: RED OAK]
RED OAK
=Quercus rubra=, L.
=Form=.—Height 60-100 feet, diameter 2-5 feet; trunk long and free
from limbs when standing in close growth, with a narrow or rounded open
crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 5-9 inches long, with 5-7 toothed,
bristle-tipped lobes, becoming narrower outward from rounded sinuses,
thin and firm, smooth, lusterless dark green above, paler beneath.
=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate flowers in
long hairy catkins, the pistillate on short smooth stalks.
=Fruit=.—Acorns maturing the second autumn after the flowers; cup
shallow, saucer-shaped, enclosing only the base of the nut; scales
closely-appressed and somewhat glossy; nut oblong-ovoid, 1 inch long;
kernel white, bitter.
=Bark=.—Rough with long fissures and flat-topped ridges, gray brown,
inner bark light red, not bitter.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, light red-brown.
=Range=.—Southern Canada and Minnesota to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—A common tree in all parts of the
State. Most abundant and of superior size and quality in the high hilly
and mountain sections.
=Habitat=.—Rich loamy or gravelly soils of bottom lands, slopes and
ridges.
=Notes=.—The Red Oak is most frequently confused with the Black
Oak from which it can be distinguished by the light red inner bark,
the shallow-cupped acorns and the dull green leaves. This oak is
extensively sawed into lumber which is easily worked and capable of a
fine finish for furniture and interior work. As a tree for the park or
lawn there are few which surpass it.
[Illustration: PIN OAK]
PIN OAK
=Quercus palustris=, Michx.
=Form=.—Height 50-75 feet, diameter 2-3 feet; trunk usually straight
and bearing a conic, well-shaped crown, lower limbs usually drooping
and curving upward at the tips.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, much smaller than those of the Red Oak,
with 3-7, coarse-toothed, bristle-tipped lobes, with rounded sinuses;
dark green and shining above, pale below, and smooth except for bunches
of brownish tomentum in the axils of the principal veins.
=Flowers=.—Appear with the leaves; monoecious; staminate flowers in
catkins 2-3 inches long; pistillate short-stalked and with red styles.
=Fruit=.—Acorns maturing in autumn of second year after the flowers;
cup thin, shallow, about ½ inch across, enclosing about ¼ of the nut;
kernel yellowish, bitter.
=Bark=.—Not as rough as that of most of the oaks, but with shallow
fissures and broad flat ridges.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, light-brown.
=Range=.—Massachusetts and Michigan to Virginia, Tennessee and
Oklahoma.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Not a common tree. Plentiful near
Princeton, Mercer County, and less common in Hardy and Morgan counties;
doubtless growing locally in most of the counties south of the Great
Kanawha River.
=Habitat=.—Prefers low ground along streams and borders of swamps.
=Notes=.—Pin Oak leaves resemble those of Scarlet Oak, but the
appearance of the whole tree is quite different from it. The drooping
lower branches and the location of the tree most readily distinguish
it, and a comparison of its small acorns with the large acorns of the
Scarlet Oak will serve to separate the two species. It is unexcelled
as a tree for parks where it grows with a straight trunk and beautiful
rounded crown.
[Illustration: SCARLET OAK]
SCARLET OAK
=Quercus coccinea=, Muench.
=Form=.—Height, 60-80 feet; diameter 2-3 feet; trunk tapering, usually
straight; crown open, and narrow when crowded.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 3-6 inches long, usually with 7 lobes
which are deeply toothed and bristle-tipped at the apex, and separated
by oblique sinuses; thin and firm, bright green above, paler beneath,
lustrous on both sides; brilliant scarlet in the fall.
=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; staminate flowers on long
catkins; the pistillate on short stalks in the leaf axils.
=Fruit=.—Acorns mature in second autumn after flowering; cup deep,
covering about ½ of the nut, with closely appressed, sharp-pointed
scales, somewhat glossy or slightly pubescent, forming a fringe around
the edge which is closely appressed to the large ovoid, reddish-brown
and sometimes striate nut.
=Bark=.—On trunks resembling that of Red Oak, but with shallower
fissures and narrower ridges; inner bark reddish.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, coarse-grained, reddish-brown.
=Range=.—Maine to North Carolina and west to Minnesota and Nebraska.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common in all parts of the State
except at high elevations.
=Habitat=.—Prefers dry sandy soil of hillsides and ridges.
=Notes=.—The wood of Scarlet Oak is of less value than that of several
other oaks, but is frequently used for lumber, cross-ties, and other
purposes. The tree is desirable for streets or parks and in autumn is
especially attractive.
[Illustration: BLACK OAK]
BLACK OAK
=Quercus velutina=, Lam.
=Form=.—Height 50-100 feet, diameter 2-4 feet; trunk long, clear,
slightly tapering; crown spreading and rounded.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 5-10 inches long, lobes usually 7, with
coarse, bristle-tipped teeth, thick and firm, dark green and shining
above, paler beneath; on lower limbs and young trees, often with
rounded, mucronate lobes; petioles yellowish.
=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate flowers in
long, hairy catkins; the pistillate on short stalks, reddish.
=Fruit=.—Acorns mature the second autumn after flowering; cup deep,
cup-shaped, enclosing about ½ of the nut; scales reddish-brown
pubescent, tightly appressed at the base, and loosely over-lapping at
the edge forming a fringe-like margin; nut small, light reddish-brown,
often pubescent; kernel yellow, bitter.
=Bark=.—Rough with thick cross-fissured ridges, nearly black, inner
bark yellow and bitter.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, brown, with thin lighter sapwood.
=Range=.—Northern New England and Ontario, west to Minnesota and
Nebraska, south to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common throughout the State except at
high elevations.
=Habitat=.—Rich soils of slopes or drier gravelly soils of ridges.
=Notes=.—Black Oak is very common but of less value than several of
the other oaks. The lumber is similar to that of Red Oak. For the
characteristics which distinguish this oak from the species with which
it is most often confused, see “Notes” on Red Oak. Yellow Oak and Black
Jack are two local names for this oak in West Virginia.
[Illustration: SPANISH OAK]
SPANISH OAK
=Quercus falcata=, Michx.
=Form=.—Height 60-80 feet, diameter 2-3 feet; crown round-topped.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 6-7 inches long; variable in shape, with
3-7 toothed bristle pointed lobes, terminal lobes often elongated and
falcate, dark green and lustrous above, paler and downy beneath.
=Flowers=.—April-May, with the leaves; monoecious; staminate flowers
in long catkins, the pistillate on short hairy stalks.
=Fruit=.—Acorns mature the second autumn after flowering; cup
hemispheric, ½-¾ inch across, reddish-brown inside and with reddish,
pale, pubescent scales; nut ½ inch long, ovoid, pale orange-brown.
=Bark=.—On trunks with shallow fissures and brownish scaly ridges.
=Wood=.—Hard, strong, not durable, coarse-grained, reddish with light
sapwood.
=Range=.—New Jersey to Florida and west to Missouri and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Confined, as far as known, to a few
trees on the north side of Great Kanawha River near Charleston.
=Habitat=.—Dry soil.
=Notes=.—This tree, which is rare in West Virginia, must be listed in
the class of unimportant trees. Its wood is comparatively inferior and
it is less desirable for ornamental purposes than many other species.
[Illustration: SCRUB OAK]
SCRUB OAK
=Quercus ilicifolia=, Wang.
=Form=.—Height 4-20 feet, diameter 2-6 inches; trunk short, branches
stiff, contorted forming a flat-topped irregular head.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 2-5 inches long, usually 5-lobed, with
shallow sinuses and sharp, bristle-tipped divisions of the lobes;
leathery, dark green and lustrous above, coated beneath with a dense
white pubescence.
=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; staminate flowers on long
catkins, the pistillate on short tomentose stalks, and with red stigmas.
=Fruit=.—Acorns mature in second autumn after the flowers; cup deep,
reddish-brown and soft downy within, with light brown scales, the outer
row forming a narrow fringe around the edge; nut ovoid, about half
enclosed in the cup; kernel yellow.
=Bark=.—Dark gray and scaly on old trunks.
=Wood=.—Strong, hard, with brown heartwood.
=Range=.—Maine to southern Virginia, west to Ohio.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common along the Alleghany Mountains
and in the Eastern Panhandle.
=Habitat=.—Dry soils of slopes and mountain tops.
=Notes=.—This oak is usually a shrub in West Virginia, but it
sometimes reaches the form and size of a small tree. In many places
it grows in dense thickets covering large areas on mountain sides and
flats. The red-brown dry leaves often hang on over winter, giving rise
to a common local name, “Red-brush.”
[Illustration: BLACK JACK OAK]
BLACK JACK OAK
=Quercus marilandica=, Muench.
=Form.=—Height 30-50 feet, diameter 12-18 inches; crown narrow and
compact with short stout branches.
=Leaves.=—Alternate, simple, 6-7 inches long, nearly as wide as long,
rounded and narrow at the base, broadening outward, with about 3 broad
and shallow lobes which are dentate; leathery, dark green and lustrous
above, paler and often coated with a rusty, scurfy pubescence beneath.
=Flowers.=—May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate flowers in
long catkins, the pistillate on short pubescent stalks.
=Fruit.=—Acorns mature the second autumn after the flowers; cup deep,
covering about ½ of the nut, downy within, scales large, reddish-brown
and loose.
=Bark.=—Rough, with deep fissures and dark ridges which are broken
into broad angular plates.
=Wood.=—Heavy, hard, strong, dark brown.
=Range.=—New York to Florida and Texas, west to Nebraska.
=Distribution in West Virginia.=—Observed only on the western slope of
Blue Ridge Mountains in Jefferson County.
=Habitat.=—Sandy or heavy clay soils.
=Notes.=—The Black Jack Oak is very rare and scrubby in growth in
this State. It has no value as a timber tree, but is desirable for
ornamental purposes.
[Illustration: LAUREL OAK]
LAUREL OAK
=Quercus imbricaria=, Michx.
=Form=.—Height 50-100 feet, diameter 1-3 feet; crown pyramidal or
round-topped and open, with drooping lateral branches.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 4-6 inches long, oblong or lanceolate,
margins entire or sometimes undulate, with acute apex, dark green and
lustrous above, pale and hairy beneath.
=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; staminate flowers borne
on long catkins; the pistillate on short stalks.
=Fruit=.—Acorns mature the second autumn after the flowers; cup
saucer-shaped, brown and glossy inside, with reddish-brown scales, and
enclosing about ½ of the ovoid, dark brown, often striate nut.
=Bark=.—With shallow fissures and with ridges having brown scales.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, coarse-grained, reddish-brown.
=Range=.—Pennsylvania to Georgia west to Michigan. Nebraska and
Arkansas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Locally distributed in many parts
of the State, but nowhere common. Observed in Barbour, Grant, Hardy,
Mason, Monongalia, Morgan, and Upshur counties.
=Habitat=.—Prefers bottom lands along streams.
=Notes=.—This oak is unusual in appearance since the leaves are
entirely without lobes. It cannot be recommended for forestry purposes.
[Illustration: SLIPPERY ELM]
SLIPPERY ELM
=Ulmus fulva=, Michx.
=Form=.—Height 40-80 feet, diameter 1-2½ feet; trunk usually short and
soon branching; crown open and broad.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 5-7 inches long, ovate-oblong, oblique at
base, abruptly sharp-pointed apex, margin doubly serrate, rough-hairy
on both sides.
=Flowers=.—April, before the leaves; mostly perfect; on short pedicels
in crowded branches; corolla absent, calyx green, anthers red, two
stigmas purple.
=Fruit=.—Matures in spring a few weeks after the flowers; a one-seeded
samara consisting of a small flat seed surrounded by a wing which is
nearly circular in outline and smooth, except over the seed cavity.
=Bark=.—Thick, divided by fissures and with large, thick appressed
scales, brown tinged with red within, inner bark fragrant, mucilaginous
and slippery.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, reddish-brown, with thin sapwood.
=Range=.—Southeastern Canada to Florida, west to North Dakota and
Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common locally, rare in many
sections. Found in the following counties: Barbour, Braxton, Clay,
Fayette, Grant, Mingo, Monongalia, Pocahontas, Putnam, Roane, Tyler,
Upshur and Wetzel.
=Habitat=.—Fertile, rocky soil.
=Notes=.—The slippery, inner bark, the smooth-margined fruits and the
rusty-brown, orbicular, pubescent buds distinguish this from other
elms. It is not an important tree for forest planting. It is sometimes
called Red Elm.
[Illustration: AMERICAN ELM]
AMERICAN ELM
=Ulmus americana=, L.
=Form=.—Height 60-100 feet, diameter 2-6 feet, sometimes much larger;
trunk usually dividing 25-30 feet above the ground; crown varied in
form, usually wide-spreading.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 4-6 inches long, oval,
coarsely-doubly-serrate, oblique at the base, thick, dark green and
rough above, paler and smoother beneath.
=Flowers=.—April, before the leaves, mostly perfect; borne in dense
fascicles, corolla absent, calyx 5-9 round-lobed, stamens with red
anthers, styles two, green.
=Fruit=.—Matures in spring soon after the flowers; oval samara
consisting of a flat seed surrounded by a wing which has a terminal
notch and ciliate margin.
=Bark=.—Rough, with deep fissures and scaly ridges, ashy-gray.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, not easily split, light brown.
=Range=.—Newfoundland to the Rocky Mountains and south to Florida and
Texas.