Trees of Indiana Part 13

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 52.

QUERCUS ELLIPSOIDALIS E. J. Hill. Hill's Oak. ( 1/2.)

Specimens from type tree.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 53.

QUERCUS VELUTINA Lamarck. Black Oak. ( 1/2.)]

=Distribution.=--Maine, southern Ontario, southern Minnesota, southern Nebraska south to Florida and west to Texas. Found throughout Indiana.

It was no doubt found in every county or nearly every county of the State. It of course would be a rare tree throughout the rich black loam soils of the central Indiana counties. The black oak is confined to the poorer soils of the State, such as clay and gravelly ridges, sand dunes, sand ridges, and the hills of southern Indiana that are not covered with beech or white oak. It is a frequent to a common tree in the southwestern part of the State in the bottom lands where it is a.s.sociated with Schneck's, s.h.i.+ngle, and post oaks. In the northern part of the State it is generally a.s.sociated with the white oak and if the soil is very poor it will form almost pure stands. On the poor ridges of southern Indiana it is generally a.s.sociated with the white, and scarlet oaks, and invades habitats still poorer which are occupied by post, black jack, or chestnut oaks. Wherever the black oak is found it is generally more than a frequent tree and is usually a common tree or forms the princ.i.p.al stand. While the black is not so uniformly distributed over the State as the white oak, yet in point of numbers it nearly equals it, or may even exceed it.

In Floyd and Harrison Counties are certain small areas which were known to the early settlers as the "barrens." These areas were treeless. They were covered with a growth of some sort of oak which the natives call "scrub" oak, hazel, and wild plum. The height of the growth in any part would "not hide a man on horse back." These areas are now all under cultivation, and are no longer distinguished from the forested areas.

However, many parts of the barrens are now covered with forests, but these forests are a complete stand of black oak. Last year one of these areas was cut off, and the age of the trees were ascertained to be about 65 years old. The barrens of southern Indiana and adjacent States offer a good problem for ecologists.

=Remarks.=--Wood similar to that of red oak, but often much inferior.

The uses of the best grades of black oak are practically the same as red oak.

Where the black and scarlet oaks are a.s.sociated, the scarlet oak is rarely separated from it. The two species superficially much resemble each other. The black oak is always easily distinguished by cutting into the inner bark which is yellow, while that of scarlet oak is gray or reddish. The inner bark imparts a yellow color to spittle, and the scarlet does not. When mature fruiting branches are at hand they may be separated by the appearance of the acorns. The scales of the cups of the black oak are dull, and loosely imbricated near the top while those of the scarlet oak are rather glossy and closely imbricated. The scales of the scarlet oak, however, become somewhat loose after the acorn has matured, and fallen for some time.

This species is sometimes called yellow oak. Since the chinquapin oak is also often called yellow oak, it is best to always call this species black oak.

=15.= =Quercus coccinea= Muenchhausen. Scarlet Oak. Plate 54. Medium sized trees with bark resembling the black oak, inner bark gray or reddish; twigs reddish by autumn; winter buds reddish-brown and p.u.b.escent; leaves on petioles 2.5-6 cm. long, broadly oval to obovate, blades 7-15 cm. long, truncate or wedge-shape at the base, the blade divided into 5-7 lobes by deep and wide sinuses which cut the blade more than half the distance to the midrib, sinuses rounded at the base, the lobes variable in size and shape, usually the lowest are the shortest and smallest, the middle lobes the largest and longest, the lobes widest either at the base or the apex, the terminal part toothed or lobed, the terminal lobe generally 3-lobed or 3-toothed, both surfaces of the leaves at first p.u.b.escent, soon smooth and a dark glossy green above, and paler and smooth beneath except tufts of hairs in the axils of the princ.i.p.al veins; acorns sessile or nearly so, solitary or in pairs; nuts ovoid to oblong, 1.5-2 cm. long, enclosed for about half their length in the thick cup-shape cup; scales triangular but blunt, closely appressed, p.u.b.escent on the back except the center which is generally elevated and smooth and s.h.i.+ny, giving the cup a glossy appearance which easily separates it from its nearest ally the black oak whose cup is a dull, ash or reddish gray color; kernel white within, and less bitter than the black oak.

=Distribution.=--Maine, southern Ontario to southern Nebraska, south to North Carolina, Alabama and Arkansas. It has been reported for the northwest counties and the southern part of Indiana, but we have no records for the east-central portion of the State. Clark reports it as common about Winona Lake, but does not report _Quercus velutina_ which is a common tree of the vicinity, and it is believed that Clark has confused the two species. In the northern part of the State its habitat is that of sand and gravel ridges a.s.sociated with black oak. In the hill part of southern Indiana it is intimately a.s.sociated with the black oak on the poorer ridges. We have no authentic records for the southwestern counties. The author has Schneck's specimens on which the record for Gibson and Posey County was based. I determined the specimens as belonging to the Spanish oak, and William Trelease verified the determination. I have no doubt that scarlet oak occurred on the sand ridges of that area.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 54.

QUERCUS COCCINEA Muenchhausen. Scarlet Oak. ( 1/2.)]

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 falcata= 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 p.u.b.escent at first, remaining more or less p.u.b.escent 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 p.u.b.escent 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 p.u.b.escent 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 a.s.sociated with beech, sweet gum, pin oak, red maple and black gum. A colony was found in Was.h.i.+ngton County on high ground, about eight miles southwest of Salem a.s.sociated 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 Was.h.i.+ngton it is a.s.sociated 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 a.s.sociated with pin, Schneck's, s.h.i.+ngle, 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 55.

QUERCUS FALCATA Michaux. Spanish Oak. ( 1/2.)]

=Remarks.=--Wood and uses similar to that of red oak. In Indiana it is all sold as red oak. In all parts of its range in Indiana it is known as red or black oak. However, the best accepted common name of this species throughout its range is Spanish oak, and since no other species is known by this name, it should be used for this species.

The bark of this species varies considerably in color and tightness. The leaves are exceedingly variable in form. The leaves on the same tree will vary from 3-lobed to 11-lobed. Usually the lobing is deepest in the leaves nearest the top of the tree. Leaves of small trees, coppice shoots, and of the lower branches of some trees are often all or for the greater part 3-lobed. The color of the p.u.b.escence of the lower surface of the leaves varies from a gray to a yellow-gray. The variations have lead authors to divide this polymorphic species into several species and varieties. The author has included all the forms that occur in Indiana under one name.

This species is variously known as _Quercus digitata_, _Quercus triloba_, _Quercus paG.o.daefolia_, and by the most recent authors as _Quercus paG.o.da_ and _Quercus rubra_ and its varieties. Specimens in the author's collection from Jefferson County were reported by Sargent[44]

as _Quercus rubra_ var. _triloba_.

=17.= =Quercus marilandica= Muenchhausen. Black Jack Oak. Plate 56.

Mature trees generally 10-30 cm. in diameter; bark resembles that of a gnarled black oak; twigs generally scurvy-p.u.b.escent the first year; leaves on petioles from nearly sessile to 2.5 cm. long, usually less than a cm. long, blades 7-15 cm. long, broadly obovate, often almost as wide as long, narrowly rounded at the base, with three primary lobes at the apex, sometimes with two small lateral lobes, the apex is sometimes almost rounded and the position where the lobes usually occur is indicated by three primary veins which end in a bristle, the apex of the leaf is generally about equally divided into three lobes by two very shallow rounded sinuses, the lobes are rounded or merely acute; sometimes the terminal lobes develop a secondary lobe, leaves very p.u.b.escent both above and beneath when they first appear, becoming smooth and glossy above at maturity, and remaining more or less p.u.b.escent beneath; acorns sessile or nearly so, single or in pairs; nuts ovoid or oblong, 1-1.5 cm. long, broadly rounded at the base, rounded or somewhat conic at the apex, enclosed for about half their length in the cup-shaped cup; scales blunt, not closely appressed, p.u.b.escent on back, light reddish-brown; kernel bitter.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 56.

QUERCUS MARILANDICA Muenchhausen. Black Jack Oak. ( 1/2.)]

=Distribution.=--New York to Nebraska, south to Florida and west to Texas. In Indiana it is known to the author from Sullivan, Greene and Clark Counties and southwestward. It has been reported from Jefferson County by Barnes which is no doubt correct. Doubtful records are those by Brown for Fountain County, Miami County by Gorby, and Phinney's report for the area of Delaware, Jay, Randolph and Wayne Counties. It has been reported for the vicinity of Chicago by Higley and Raddin. It may be local on sterile, sandy ridges of the northern part of the State, but very local if it does occur. It is generally found in very poor soil on the crest of ridges a.s.sociated with black and post oak. However, it has been found in Greene, Sullivan and Knox counties on sand ridges and at the base of sand ridges a.s.sociated with black and post oak. The species has a very limited ma.s.s distribution and is only occasionally found and in colonies of a few trees each.

=Remarks.=--Trees too small and scarce to be of any economic importance.

ULMaCEAE. The Elm Family.

Trees or shrubs with simple, alternate, 2-ranked, petioled leaves; sepals 3-9, petals none, stamens as many as the sepals and opposite them, stigmas 2.

Branchlets with solid pith; leaves with primary veins parallel; flowers borne on the twigs of the preceding season 1 Ulmus.

Branchlets with chambered pith at the nodes; leaves 3-veined at the base; flowers borne on the twigs of the season 2 Celtis.

1. uLMUS. The Elms.

Trees with furrowed bark; leaves short petioled, with lateral veins prominent and parallel, oblique or unequally heart-shaped at the base, taper-pointed at the apex, mostly double-serrate; flowers of Indiana species expanding before the leaves in March or April; fruit a samara surrounded with a wide membranous margin, maturing in the spring.

Inner bark mucilaginous; leaves very rough above; flowers nearly sessile; fruit not ciliate 1 U. fulva.

Inner bark not mucilaginous; leaves smooth or somewhat rough above; flowers on slender pedicils; fruit ciliate.

Branches without corky wings; sides of samara glabrous 2 U. americana.

Branches (at least some of them) with corky wings; at least one side of the samara p.u.b.escent.

Buds ovate, not twice as long as wide, obtuse, or short-pointed, dark brown; scales p.u.b.escent and ciliate; leaves usually not twice as long as wide, base of petiole glabrous beneath; calyx lobes 7-9 3 U. Thomasi.

Buds small, narrow, twice as long as wide, very sharp-pointed, light brown; scales glabrous or merely p.u.b.erulent; leaves usually twice as long as wide, base of petiole p.u.b.escent all around 4 U. alata.

=1. Ulmus fulva= Michaux. Slippery Elm. Red Elm. Plate 57. Fairly large trees with deeply fissured reddish-brown bark without white streaks between the layers of the ridges, twigs very p.u.b.escent and green at first, becoming gray or reddish-brown at the end of the season and remaining more or less p.u.b.escent for a year or more; buds ovate, a very dark reddish brown, the scales more or less p.u.b.escent; leaves ovate, oval or slightly obovate, average blades 8-15 cm. long, hairy on both surfaces at first, remaining more or less p.u.b.escent beneath until maturity, and becoming very rough above with a few scattered hairs remaining, fragrant when dried, fragrance remaining for years; fruit ripening the last of April or the first of May before or with the unfolding of the leaves; samara orbicular or obovate, usually longer than wide, average size 13-17 mm. long and 9-12 mm. wide, the margin as wide or wider than the seed, margin glabrous, seed densely p.u.b.escent on both sides; wood hard, strong, light when well seasoned and not warping as badly as white elm.

=Distribution.=--Quebec south to Florida, west to Texas, Nebraska and North Dakota. Found in all parts of Indiana. In the prairies or in the "flats" it may be absent in one or more contiguous counties and may be entirely absent on the crests and upper slopes of ridges. It prefers a moist well drained soil, and where it is found it is usually a frequent to a common tree, although rarely is it found as a very common tree. It is usually a.s.sociated with sugar maple, beech, white ash, linn, tulip, white oak, etc.

=Remarks.=--This tree usually is from 3-6 dm. in diameter and tall for its diameter. However, larger trees occur. In the Ind. Geol. Rept.

6:70:1875 mention is made of a tree in Jackson County that was "18 feet in circ.u.mference." The uses of the wood are similar to that of white elm. The inner bark collected in spring is much used in medicine under the name of slippery elm.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 57.