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Black Oak (Quercus velutina) [ Trees > Hardwoods > Oaks . . . ] Forest Type: Oak-Hickory
by Michael Kuo Note: The red oaks (those with bristle-tipped leaves) of eastern North America are notoriously difficult to separate--a task compounded by the fact that the trees often hybridize in nature. Many sources emphasize the shiny leaves with somewhat fuzzy stems as a means of identifying Black Oak, but I have not found these characters to be particularly useful, especially when trying to separate it from Northern Red Oak. Here I have emphasized the structure of the acorns and the buds. Habitat: Able to grow in dry or moist soil; often in mixed stands; east of the Great Plains. Stature: 50-100 feet high (or larger); to 3 feet in diameter; with an irregular, rounded crown. Leaves: With bristle tips; 5-9 inches long; with 5-7 lobes; indentations often extending more than halfway to the midrib; dark green and shiny above; paler and smooth below, with hairs near the ribs. Bark: Dark gray to black; thick; deeply furrowed; with narrow ridges in age. Acorns: Bitter; to 3/4 inch long; enclosed for 1/3 to 1/2 of the length, in a cup with free-tipped scales; appearing every two years. Buds: About 1/2 inch long; finely hairy or fuzzy; grayish brown. Sources: Preston, R. J. (1989). North American Trees. Ames: Iowa State UP; Mohlenbrock, R. H. (1978). Forest Trees of Illinois. SIU: Ill. Dept. Natural Res.; Peattie, D. C. (1991). A Natural History of Trees of Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Frequent Mushroom Associates: Amanita species; Boletus species; Laetiporus cincinnatus; Russula species, and many others. Further Online Information: Black Oak at Pennsylvania DNR |
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Cite this page as: Kuo, M. (2005, September). Black oak (Quercus velutina). Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/trees/quercus_velutina.html |