SCARLET OAK
Quercus coccinea, Muench.
Form.—Height, 60-80 feet; diameter 2-3 feet; trunk tapering, usually straight; crown open, and narrow when crowded.
Leaves.—Alternate, simple, 3-6 inches long, usually with 7 lobes which are deeply toothed and bristle-tipped at the apex, and separated by oblique sinuses; thin and firm, bright green above, paler beneath, lustrous on both sides; brilliant scarlet in the fall.
Flowers.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; staminate flowers on long catkins; the pistillate on short stalks in the leaf axils.
Fruit.—Acorns mature in second autumn after flowering; cup deep, covering about ½ of the nut, with closely appressed, sharp-pointed scales, somewhat glossy or slightly pubescent, forming a fringe around the edge which is closely appressed to the large ovoid, reddish-brown and sometimes striate nut.
Bark.—On trunks resembling that of Red Oak, but with shallower fissures and narrower ridges; inner bark reddish.
Wood.—Heavy, hard, strong, coarse-grained, reddish-brown.
Range.—Maine to North Carolina and west to Minnesota and Nebraska.
Distribution in West Virginia.—Common in all parts of the State except at high elevations.
Habitat.—Prefers dry sandy soil of hillsides and ridges.
Notes.—The wood of Scarlet Oak is of less value than that of several other oaks, but is frequently used for lumber, cross-ties, and other purposes. The tree is desirable for streets or parks and in autumn is especially attractive.