oaks have pointed margins and sharp pointed lobes as shown in Figs.
60, 62 and 64. The _bark_ of the white oaks is light colored and
breaks up in loose flakes as in Fig. 58, while that of the black
oaks is darker and deeply ridged or tight as in Figs. 59 and 61. The
white oak is the type of the white oak group and the black, red and
pin oaks are types of the other. For the characterization of the
individual species, the reader is referred to the following pages.

[Illustration: FIG. 57.--Leaf and Fruit of White Oak. (Quercus alba.)]


WHITE OAK (_Quercus alba_)

Distinguishing characters: The massive ramification of its branches is
characteristic of this species and often an easy clue to its
identification. The *bark* has a *light gray color*--lighter than
that of the other oaks--and breaks into soft, loose flakes as in
Fig. 58. The *leaves are deeply lobed* as in Fig. 57. The *buds are
small, round and congested* at the end of the year's growth. The
acorns usually have no stalks and are set in shallow, rough cups.
The kernels of the acorns are white and palatable.

Form and size: The white oak grows into a large tree with a
wide-spreading, massive crown, dissolving into long, heavy, twisted
branches. When grown in the open it possesses a short sturdy trunk;
in the forest its trunk is tall and stout.

Range: Eastern North America.

[Illustration: FIG. 58.--Bark of White Oak. (Quercus alba.)]