Nuttall Oak

Description

Nuttall oak Fagaceae Quercus texana Buckley symbol: QUTE
Leaf: Alternate, simple, 4 to 7 inches long, 5 to 7 bristle-tipped lobes of irregular length, deep sinuses, dull dark green above, paler below with axillary tufts.
Flower: Species is monoecious; males in long drooping catkins, yellow-green; females very small spikes in leaf axils, appearing with the leaves.
Fruit: Striped, oblong reddish brown acorn, 1 inch long; scaly cap covers about 1/2 of nut; matures in 2 seasons in the fall.
Twig: Slender to moderate, glabrous, reddish brown; clustered terminal buds are slightly angled, reddish brown with a small amount of fuzz on pointed tips.
Bark: Gray-brown, initially quite thin and smooth, later developing narrow scaly ridges and shallow fissures.
Form: A medium to large tree up to 100 feet tall. It has a tendency to retain dead limbs and has a narrower crown than many other bottomland oaks.
Looks like: pin oak – Shumard oak – scarlet oak