In the northern part of the State it is a rare or infrequent tree, while
in favorable habitats in the hill country of the southern part of the
State it is a frequent to a common tree.
=Remarks.=--Wood similar but much inferior to red oak. The cut in this
State is marketed as black oak, from which it is rarely separated.
=16.= =Quercus falcàta= Michaux. Spanish Oak. Plate 55. Large trees;
bark thick, rather deeply fissured, furrows usually narrow, ridges
generally broad and broken into short lengths, the outer bark is
reddish, except sometimes it becomes grayish by weathering; twigs
densely pubescent at first, remaining more or less pubescent during the
first year, or becoming smooth or nearly so and a reddish brown by
autumn; leaves on petioles 0.5-6 cm. long, ordinarily about 2-3 cm.
long, blades very variable in outline, ovate, ovate-oblong or obovate,
usually somewhat curved, wedge-shaped, rounded or truncate at the base,
shallow or deeply lobed, generally about 2/3 of the distance to the
midrib; lobes 3-11, commonly 5-9, the number, size and shape of the
lobes exceedingly variable, the longest lateral lobes are generally near
the middle of the leaf, sometimes the lowest pair, sometimes the upper
pair are the longest, terminal lobe triangular or oblong, generally
widest at the base, although frequently widest at the apex, lateral
lobes widest at the base and gradually becoming narrower, towards the
apex, rarely somewhat wider at the apex, generally somewhat curved,
lobes generally sharp-pointed, sometimes wide-angled or rounded at the
apex, margins of lobes entire, wavy, toothed or lobed, sinuses wide and
rounded at the base; leaves densely pubescent on both surfaces at first,
gradually becoming smooth and dark green above by autumn, the under
surface remaining covered with a tomentum which is grayish or yellowish;
acorns sessile or nearly so, solitary or in pairs; nuts broadly ovoid,
generally 10-12 mm. long, broadly rounded at the base, rounded at the
apex, enclosed about one-half their length by the cup; cups strongly
convex at the base; scales blunt, grayish and pubescent on their backs,
their margins reddish and generally smooth.
=Distribution.=--New Jersey and Missouri, south to Florida and west to
Texas. The known distribution in Indiana would be that part of the State
south of a line drawn from Vincennes to North Madison. It is local
except in the southwestern counties. In our area it is found on both
high and low ground. In Jefferson and Clark Counties it is found only in
the flats where it is associated with beech, sweet gum, pin oak, red
maple and black gum. A colony was found in Washington County on high
ground, about eight miles southwest of Salem associated with black and
post oak. In Harrison County about two miles southeast of Corydon it was
found on the crest of a ridge with white and black oak. In Daviess
County about four miles east of Washington it is associated with black
and post oak. In Knox, Gibson, Pike and Warrick Counties it is local on
sand ridges with black oak. It occurs in the greatest abundance in the
river bottoms of Gibson, Posey and Spencer Counties, where it is
generally associated with pin, Schneck's, shingle, swamp white, black
and post oaks, and sweet gum. In the last named counties it is fairly
well distributed, and is a frequent to a common tree. Brown's[43] report
for Fountain County should not be recognized without a verifying
specimen, since his list was compiled from a list of common names of the
trees which he obtained.
[Illustration: Plate 55.