Oaks of the World

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  Quercus stellata
Author Wangenh. 1787 Beytr. Teut. Forstwiss. 78
Synonyms alba var. minor Marsh. 1785
minor (Marsh.)
Sarg. 1889
obtusiloba Michx. 1802
stellata var. attenuata Sarg. 1918
stellata var. palmeri Sarg. 1918
stellata var. parviloba Trel. 1924
villosa Walt. 1788
Local names post oak
Range Central and Southeastern USA; to 1000 m; introduced in Europe in 1819;
Growth habit reaches 20 m tall; open, round crown, with spreading branches;
Leaves 8-15 x 5-12 cm; deciduous; stiff, thick; obovate; apex broadly rounded; base cuneate; 2-3 pairs of lobes; the central two lobes are longer, square, Maltese cross-shaped; grey-green, lustrous, rough at the touch above; pale, dull and densely tomentose beneath; 3-5 vein pairs; petiole 1-2 cm long;
Flowers
Fruits acorn 1.2-2 cm long; elliptic or subglobose; pale brown; singly or paired; cup subsessile, enclosing 1/3 or more of nut, with appressed, pointed, pubescent scales;

Bark, twigs and
buds

bark pale grey, furrowed, scaly, thick; young twigs yellowish pubescent, thick, glabrous at fall ; numerous lenticels; buds red brown, ovoid or subglobose, slightly pubescent, 4 mm long;
Hardiness zone, habitat hardy; prefers lime-free soils, even dry ones; not so fast growing;
Miscellaneous

-- A. Camus : n° 274 ;
-- Sub-genus Quercus, Section Quercus, Series Stellatae;
-- Numerous hybrids : xstelloides, xpseudomargaretta, xsterretti, xmacnabiana, xguadalupensis, xfernowii, xbernardensis;

Subspecies and
varieties
--- Q.margaretta (Ashe) Small 1903 Fl. S.E. U.S. 355 (A. Camus n° 275)
= Q. stellata var. araniosa Sarg. 1913
= Q. minor var. margareta Ashe 1894
= Q. stellata var. margaretta (Ashe ) Sarg. 1913
= Q. stellata subsp margareta (Ashe) E.Murray 1983
sand-post oak ; dwarf post oak ;
closely related to Q.stellata, but smaller (10 m), with bark very rough, twigs becoming grey and glabrous, leaves less rough above and less tomentose beneath; cup always sessile enclosing 3/4 of nut; sandy, rocky soils; 0 to 600 m; hybrids with Q.stellata, sometimes named Q.x drummondi Liebmann 1854 (= Q. x pseudomargaretta);
also written " margarettiae";

---
var. paludosa Sarg.
delta post oak ; Mississippi Valley oak ;
see Q.similis

Pictures

drawing of Q.margaretta