Quercus imbricaria
The shingle oak ( Quercus imbricaria ) is a medium sized tree from the kind of oak trees in the family of book -like. The distribution area is in the northeast and southeast of the United States.
Description
The Shingle Oak is a up to 25 meters high tree with conical to rounded, open crown. The bark is dark gray and is flat and irregularly fissured in old age, the inner bark is pink. The shoots are bare. The leaves are 8-20 cm long, oblong lanceolate to ovate, entire, acuminate at both ends with wavy edge. The center rib ends in a sometimes indistinct Grannenspitze. The upper leaf surface is glossy dark green, the underside pale green and hairy. The petiole is 0.5 to 1.5 inches long. The fruits are 1 to 1.5 inches long, nearly globular, short-stalked and surrounded at a third to a half of a flat fruit cups. The fruits ripen in the second year. The chromosome number is.
Distribution and ecology
The distribution area is in the northeast, southeast and the center of the United States. It grows in 100 to 700 meters above sea level in floodplains and along river banks to moderately dry, fresh to moist, slightly acidic to neutral, sandy soils in full sun to light shade locations. The species is thermophilic and usually frost hardy.
Systematics and history of research
The shingle oak ( Quercus imbricaria ) is a species in the genus of oaks (Quercus ) in the beech family ( Fagaceae ). The first description was in 1801 by André Michaux in the Histoire de l' Amérique the chênes ....
The species forms with Quercus coccinea, Quercus falcata, Quercus ilicifolia, Quercus marilandica, Quercus palustris, Quercus phellos, Quercus rubra, Quercus velutina and Quercus shumardii hybrids.
Use
The shingle oak is heavily used economically. Previously shingles were made of their wood, which has earned it the name of Shingle Oak. The Cherokee used the bark at, diarrhea, chronic indigestion, mouth sores, chapped skin, chills and fever.