Chinkapin Oak
Classification:
Family: Fagaceae, beech family
Genus, species: Quercus muehlenbergii
Leaves:
Leaves are coarsely toothed with a wave-like pattern of lobes or teeth along edges. Leaves are wider at tip than at base.
Bark:
Bark is thin, light gray with shallow fissures and scales
Flowers:
Male and female flowers are separate but on same tree (monoecious). Male flowers are yellow, arranged in hanging clusters. Female flowers are smaller, on short hairy spikes at base of leaves.
Fruit:
Acorns are 1 inch long, shiny brown, egg-shaped, pointed tip.
More Information:
The common name "Chinkapin" is an Algonquian word for the American Chestnut, a tree with similar shaped leaves. The genus name Quercus is from the Latin for "oak." The species name muehlenbergii is named for Henri Ludwig Muhlenberg (1756-1817), a botanist from Pennsylvania.
Photos:Chinkapin Oak leaf
Chinkapin Oak bark
Chinkapin Oak acorn
