Southern Red Oak
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| Quercus falcata Michx. |
The Southern Red Oak, also known as Spanish Oak, is an oak in the red oak section of the Quercus genus Lobatae, native to the southeast of the United States. It occurs on dry or sandy upland sites from southern New York (Long Island) south to central Florida and west to southern Missouri and eastern Texas.
It is a medium sized deciduous tree reaching 25-30 m tall, rarely 35 m, with a trunk diameter up to 1.5 m, the crown with a broad, round-topped head. The leaves are 10-30 cm long and 6-16 cm wide, with 3 to 5 sharply pointed, often curved, bristle-tipped lobes, the central lobe long and narrow; the small number of long, narrow lobes is diagnostic, readily distinguishing Southern Red Oak from other red oaks. The base of the leaf is distinctly rounded into an inverted bell shape and often lopsided. They are dark green and shiny above, and rusty and hairy below, particularly along the midrib and veins. The fruit is a short acorn 9-16 mm long long, bright orange-brown, enclosed for one-third to half of its length in a flat cup. The acorn matures at the end of its second season. The bark is dark brownish gray with narrow, shallow ridges.
Southern Red Oak has been reported to form occasional hybrids with several other red oaks in the region.
[edit] Uses
The wood is hard, strong, coarse-grained, and light-red in color; it is marketed with related species as simply "red oak". It is used for lumber, furniture and flooring. Its bark is also a source of tannin.
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