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White Oak (Quercus alba) Overview

The document provides a detailed description of the white oak tree (Quercus alba L.). It describes the leaf, flower, fruit, twig, bark, form, habitat, and classifications. The leaf is alternately arranged with 7-10 rounded lobes. Flowers are monoecious with male catkins and female spikes appearing in mid-spring. The acorn fruit has a warty cap covering 1/4 of the nut and detaches at maturity in early fall.

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4 views2 pages

White Oak (Quercus alba) Overview

The document provides a detailed description of the white oak tree (Quercus alba L.). It describes the leaf, flower, fruit, twig, bark, form, habitat, and classifications. The leaf is alternately arranged with 7-10 rounded lobes. Flowers are monoecious with male catkins and female spikes appearing in mid-spring. The acorn fruit has a warty cap covering 1/4 of the nut and detaches at maturity in early fall.

Uploaded by

api-24772337
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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Carmela Severino

Dr. King
Bio112
March 22, 2010
Whit Oak
Quercus alba L.

Description:

Leaf: Alternate, simple, oblong to ovate in shape, 4 to 7 inches long; 7 to 10 rounded,


finger-like lobes, sinus depth varies from deep to shallow, apex is rounded and
the base is wedge-shaped, green to blue-green above and whitish below.

Flower: Monoecious; male flowers are yellow-green, borne in naked, slender catkins, 2
to 4 inches long; female flowers are reddish green and appear as very small
single spikes; appearing with the leaves in mid-spring.

Fruit: Ovoid to oblong acorn, cap is warty and bowl-shaped, covers 1/4 of the fruit; cap
always detaches at maturity; matures in one growing season in the early fall.

Twig: Red-brown to somewhat gray, even a bit purple at times, hairless and often shiny;
multiple terminal buds are red-brown, small, rounded (globose) and hairless.

Bark: Whitish or ashy gray, varying from scaly on smaller stems to irregularly platy or
blocky on large stems. On older trees smooth patches are not uncommon.
Form: A very large tree; when open grown, white oaks have rugged, irregular crowns
that are wide spreading, with a stocky bole. In the forest crowns are upright and
oval with trees reaching up to 100 feet tall and several feet in diameter.

Habitat:

An eastern North American species from southeastern Ontario and


extreme southern Quebec, east to Maine; south along the Eastern Seaboard to
northern Florida, west to eastern Texas, and north to central Minnesota. Prefers
moist, well-drained uplands and lowlands, often in pure stands.

Definitions:

Apex- the tip, point, or vertex; summit.


Ovate- egg shaped
Monoecious- Having the female and male reproductive organs separated in
different floral structures on the same plant.
Catkins- A pendulous inflorescence modified for wind pollination.
Ovoid- shaped like egg
Globose- having the shape of a globe; globelike.
Platy- crystallizing in thin sheets and flaking
Bole- Tree trunk
Classification:

Kingdom- Plantae (Plants)


Subkingdom- Tracheobionta (Vascular plants)
Superdivision- Spermatophyta (Seed plants)
Division- Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants)
Class- Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons)
Subclass- Hamamelididae
Order- Fagales
Family- Fagaceae (Beech family)
Genus- Quercus L. (oak)
Species- Quercus alba L. (white oak)

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