''Quercus stellata'', the post oak or iron oak, is a North American species of oak in the white oak section. It is a slow-growing oak that lives in dry areas on the edges of fields, tops of ridges also grows in poor soils, and is resistant to rot,

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...

, and drought. Interbreeding occurs among white oaks, thus many hybrid species combinations occur. The species is native to the eastern and central

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

, and found along the east coast from

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...

, and as far inland as

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the so ...

. It is identifiable by the rounded cross-like shape formed by the leaf lobes and hairy underside of the leaves.

Description

Post oak is a relatively small tree, typically tall and trunk in diameter, though occasional specimens reach tall and in diameter. The

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

have a very distinctive shape, with three perpendicular terminal lobes, shaped much like a

Maltese cross The Maltese cross is a cross symbol, consisting of four " V" or arrowhead shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles, two tips pointing outward symmetrically. It is a heraldic cross variant which developed f ...

. They are leathery, and tomentose (densely short-hairy) beneath. The branching pattern of this tree often gives it a rugged appearance. The acorns are long, and are mature in their first summer.

Similar species

Both ''Quercus stellata'' and ''

Q. alba Q is the seventeenth letter of the English alphabet. Q may also refer to: People * Q, pseudonym of Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, the Cornish writer * Q, pseudonym used by the originator of QAnon, an American far-right conspiracy theory * Q, pseud ...

'' are in a section of '' Quercus'' called the white oaks. In the white oak section, ''Q. stellata'' is a sister taxon with ''Q. alba''. ''Q. stellata'' is sold and distributed as white oak. One identifiable difference between the two trees is that ''Q. stellata'' is 'hairy' on the underside of the leaf.Stein, John D., Denise Binion, and R. E. Acciavatti.
Field guide to native oak species of eastern North America.
(2003): 96-97.

Taxonomy

The specific epithet ''stellata'' is

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

for "star"; it is named this because the trichome hairs on the bottom of the leaves are stellate or star-shaped. Several variants of ''Q. stellata'' were named by American botanist

Charles Sprague Sargent Charles Sprague Sargent (April 24, 1841 – March 22, 1927) was an American botanist. He was appointed in 1872 as the first director of Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum in Boston, Massachusetts, and held the post until his death. He p ...

. The variety most recognised by the

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...

is ''Q. stellata'' var. ''paludosa'' Sarg (delta post oak).Stransky, John J. "Quercus stellata Wangenh.--post oak.
''Silvics of North America'' 2
(1990): 738–743.

Varieties

Varieties include: * var. ''margarettiae'' (Ashe) Sarg. * var. ''paludosa'' Sarg. * var. ''boyntonii'' (Beadle) Sarg. * var. ''anomala'' Sarg. * var. ''attenuata'' Sarg. * var. ''araniosa'' Sarg. * var. ''palmeri'' Sarg. * var. ''parviloba'' Sarg. * var. ''rufescens'' Sarg.

Hybrids

Distribution and habitat

''Q. stellata'' is found in the Southeastern United States both inland and along the coast, then in a narrow range along the coastal plain from Maryland to coastal

, then westward to

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, and inland to

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

. In Texas, the Post Oak Savannah extends down to, and ends in, far northwestern Atascosa county where a fairly dense population exists. Normally found at the edge of a forest, it typically grows in dry, sandy areas, deficient of nutrients.

Ecology

''Q. stellata'' has the ability to survive

s by having thicker

bark Bark may refer to: * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Places * Bark, Germany * Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland Arts, ...

. It is useful for fire surveys where the tree rings are used to get a fire history of an area. A tree ring survey of 36 trees in Illinois provided a 226-year tree ring record that indicated that many ''Q. stellata'' persisted through annual fire return intervals of 1.44 fires/year for over 100 years. It is used for food for deer,

turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...

s, and other

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are roden ...

s, but because the

nuts Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, or a collective noun for dry and edible fruits or seeds * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut or Nuts may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Com ...

contain tannin, it is toxic to cattle.

Uses

Because of its ability to grow in dry sites, attractive crown, and strong horizontal branches, it is used in urban forestry. It is resistant to decay, so it is used for

railroad tie A railroad tie, crosstie (American English), railway tie (Canadian English) or railway sleeper (Australian English, Australian and British English) is a rectangular support for the Track (rail transport), rails in railroad tracks. Generally la ...

siding Siding may refer to: * Siding (construction), the outer covering or cladding of a house * Siding (rail) A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch l ...

, planks, construction timbers,

stair riser Stairs are a structure designed to bridge a large vertical distance between lower and higher levels by dividing it into smaller vertical distances. This is achieved as a diagonal series of horizontal platforms called steps which enable passage ...

s and treads, flooring, pulp,

veneer Veneer may refer to: Materials * Veneer (dentistry), a cosmetic treatment for teeth * Masonry veneer, a thin facing layer of brick * Stone veneer, a thin facing layer of stone * Wood veneer, a thin facing layer of wood Arts and entertainment ...

, particle board, fuel, and its namesake fence posts. It is one of the most common types of wood used for Central Texas barbecue.

References

External links

IPNI

Kew

Flora of North America

Plants.USDA.gov

photo of herbarium specimen at Missouri Botanical Garden, collected in Missouri in 1939
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2600501 stellata Endemic flora of the United States Trees of the Eastern United States Trees of the Southern United States Flora of the Northeastern United States Flora of the Southeastern United States Flora of the United States Plants described in 1787