Mature leaves more or less pubescent on the whole under surface.
Leaves grayish or yellowish pubescent beneath; scales of cup with a reddish-brown border; nut enclosed for about 1/3 its length 16 Q. falcata.
Leaves brownish or rusty pubescent beneath, sometimes appearing grayish; scales of cup without a dark border; nut enclosed for about half of its length.
Leaves expanded at the apex, and generally with three lobes; mature twigs generally scurvy-pubescent 17 Q. marilandica.
Leaves deeply lobed; mature twigs generally glabrous. 14 Q. velutina.
=1.= =Quercus álba= Linnæus. White Oak. Plate 40. Large trees with gray, fissured bark, flaky on the branches, on the upper part of the trunks of some trees the bark loosens at the fissures and peels back, forming flat strips which remain attached at one side; twigs at first hairy, becoming smooth; leaves mostly obovate in outline, generally 8-20 cm. long on petioles 0.5-2 cm. long, more or less deeply lobed into 5-9 lobes, the lobes ascending and generally blunt and entire, sometimes the lobes have one or two secondary lobes, leaves narrowed and oblique at the base, smooth above, smooth and glaucous beneath; acorns sessile or on stalks up to 2 cm. long; nuts quite variable on different trees as to size and shape, ovoid or oblong, 18-30 mm. long; cup flat on the bottom, tuberculate and encloses about 1/4 of the nut; scales blunt and woolly.
=Distribution.=--Maine, southern Ontario, Minnesota south to Florida and Texas. Found in all parts of Indiana. In point of number it is exceeded only by the beech, although it has a more general distribution. It is adapted to many types of soil, and is found in almost all situations in Indiana except in very wet soils. It is sparingly found in the sand dune area. On the clay soils of the northern part of the State it is a frequent to an abundant tree, and in the southern part of the State it often forms complete stands on the slopes of the hills.
The white oak is one of the largest and possibly the longest lived tree of Indiana. While it is able to adapt itself to many situations, it grows to the largest size in a porous, moist and rich soil.
=Remarks.=--Wood heavy, hard, close-grained, tough, strong and durable. On account of its abundance, and wide range of uses, it has always been the most important timber tree of Indiana.