Quercus velutina

Lamarck in J. Lamarck et al.

in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl. 1: 721. 1785.

Common names: Black oak
EndemicIllustrated
Synonyms: Quercus tinctoria W. Bartram
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Trees, deciduous, to 25 m. Bark dark-brown to black, deeply furrowed, ridges often broken into irregular blocks, inner bark yellow or orange. Twigs dark reddish-brown, (1.5-) 2.5-4.5 (-5) mm diam., glabrous or sparsely pubescent. Terminal buds ovoid or ellipsoid to subconic, 6-12 mm, noticeably 5-angled in cross-section, tawny or gray-pubescent. Leaves: petiole 25-70 mm, glabrous to sparsely pubescent. Leaf-blade ovate to obovate, (80-) 100-300 × 80-150 mm, base obtuse to truncate, inequilateral, margins with 5-9 lobes and 15-50 awns, lobes oblong or distally expanded, separated by deep sinuses, apex acute to obtuse; surfaces abaxially pale green, glabrous except for small axillary tufts of tomentum or with scattered pubescence, especially along veins, adaxially glossy, dark green, glabrous, secondary-veins raised on both surfaces. Acorns biennial; cup cupshaped or turbinate, 7-14 mm high × 12-22 mm wide, covering 1/2 nut, cup margins not involute, outer surface puberulent, inner surface pubescent, scale tips loose, especially at margin of cup, acute to acuminate; nut subglobose to ovoid, 10-20 × 10-18 mm, glabrate, scar diam. 5.5-12 mm. n = 12 ± 1; 2n = 24.


Phenology: Flowering spring.
Habitat: Commonly on dry slopes and upland areas, occasionally on sandy lowlands (especially in north) and poorly drained uplands and terraces
Elevation: 0-1500 m

Distribution

V3 980-distribution-map.gif

Ont., Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis.

Discussion

The bark of this species (quercitron) is rich in tannins and was once an important source of these chemicals used for tanning leather. (The yellow dye obtained from the bark is also called quercitron.)

Native Americans used Quercus velutina medicinally for indigestion, chronic dysentery, mouth sores, chills and fevers, chapped skin, hoarseness, milky urine, lung trouble, sore eyes, and as a tonic, an antiseptic, and an emetic (D. E. Moerman 1986).

Quercus velutina reportedly hybridizes with Q. coccinea, Q. ellipsoidalis (= Q. ×paleolithicola Trelease), Q. falcata [= Q. ×willdenowiana (Dippel) Zabel] (= Q. ×pinetorum Moldenke)], Q. ilicifolia (= Q. ×rehderi Trelease), Q. imbricaria (= Q. ×leana Nuttall), Q. incana, Q. laevis, and Q. laurifolia (= Q. ×cocksii Sargent, although E. J. Palmer [1948] challenged the validity of this claim), Q. marilandica, Q. nigra, Q. palustris (= Q. ×vaga E. J. Palmer & Steyermark), Q. phellos (= Q. ×filialis Little), Q. rubra, Q. shumardii, and possibly Q. arkansana (D. M. Hunt 1989).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Quercus velutina"
acute +  and obtuse +
Kevin C. Nixon +
Lamarck in J. Lamarck et al. +
dark-brown;black +
inequilateral;obtuse;truncate +
2-6-lobed +
pistillate +, capitate +  and spicate +
Black oak +
connate +  and distinct +
starchy +  and fleshy +
tuberculate +
turbinate +  and cup-shaped +
×12-22 +, 7mm +  and 14mm +
multibracteate +, spiny +  and scaly +
Ont. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Nebr. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Vt. +, Va. +, W.Va. +  and Wis. +
0-1500 m +
pistillate +  and staminate +
biennial +, annual +  and maturation +
1-seeded +  and winged +
in groups +  and enclosed +
Commonly on dry slopes and upland areas, occasionally on sandy lowlands (especially in north) and poorly drained uplands and terraces +
pistillate +, spicate +  and staminate +
orange +  and yellow +
silky-tomentose +
8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
ovate +  and obovate +
arranged +  and alternate +
5 (?) +  and 9 (?) +
expanded +
entire +, dentate +  and serrate +
toothed +  and entire +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
subglobose +  and ovoid +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
glabrous +  and sparsely pubescent +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
Flowering spring. +
in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl. +
distinct +
few-to-many +
reduced +
acute +  and acuminate +
0.55 cm5.5 mm <br />0.0055 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
anastomosing +, branching +  and unbranched +
Endemic +  and Illustrated +
inconspicuous +
distinct +
linear-spatulate +
Quercus tinctoria +
Quercus velutina +
Quercus sect. Lobatae +
species +
5-angled +, ellipsoid +  and subconic +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
bristle-tipped +
dark reddish-brown +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
pubescence +
dark green +