kybirder's Favorites

Population of the northern savannah expression of Quercus coccinea growing on acid sandy loam with aspen, white birch (a few Bur Oak) in a tall grass prairie ecosystem in Minnesota.
Included is a Discriminant Functions Statistical Analysis centroid graph of 25 populations of Northern Pin and Scarlet Oak across eastern US including Minnesota . Morphology of buds, twigs, leaves, and acorns were examined. Morphological distance was noted with Black ((velutina) and Pin Oak (palustris). Quercus ellipsoidalis and Quercus coccinea group as one species not two.

Diagnostic characters of Quercus coccinea seen in this tree and population include:

• 5mm Pubescent tipped buds

• 20+mm acorn cupules with glossy orange acuminate bract scales
  *Gray outer bark with. reddish inner bark

• Glossy Scarlet leaves with C-shaped sinuses
• Concentric pitting and rings are found in this population but most typical of southern Quercus coccinea populations but are frequently lacking in trees growing in the northern parts of its range.