Have you ever heard of Cow Oak?

[WDH]

Oh, no more than a week or two .

[Larry]

I took a picture just because of the extreme twist.  Put a name on it as chestnut oak.

 

 

Did I pass?  Or could it be something else?

[WDH]

I think that it is one of three possible choices. 

It could easily be swamp chestnut oak (Quercus michauxii).  Our good old cow oak.

It could easily be chinquapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii).

It is unlikely, but remotely possibly swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor).

It is not chestnut oak (Quercus prinus (or montana in some texts)).  Chestnut oak has dark bark with pronounced v-shaped fisures, not light and scaly.  In the photo, the bark looks light and scaly.

The coarse teeth on the margin are more rounded in swamp chestnut oak and more sharply pointed  in chinquapin oak (almost slightly swollen at the tip, a structure called glandular).  However, the big kicker is the acorn.  The swamp chestnut oak acorn is 4 times the size of chinquapin oak oak (which is no bigger than the end of your forefinger).  The swamp chestnut oak acorn can be as big as a ping pong ball.

Another real distinguishing feature is the site.  Swamp chestnut oak is a bottomland oak.  Chinquapin oak is not.  It likes limestone ridges and more calcareous soils.  What I am trying to say is that they do not occur together. 

If the acorns are really large, I go with swamp chestnut oak.
If they are average to small, I go with chinquapin oak.

Larry, are the acorns fit to feed cows with .

Right now I lean to chinquapin oak because of where you are located and because the teeth on the leaf margins look pretty sharp. 

[Larry]

Small acorns...guess we settled that one.  Its a chinquapin oak.

[Dodgy Loner]

The prospect of visiting this Torreya State Park that DanG talks about has really perked up dendrological brain cells (which is most of them).  I've always wanted to see them growing in the wild.  Is this also the park that houses the Florida yew?  That'd be something to see also.

BTW, I agree with the determination of chinquapin oak.

[WDH]

The prospect of visiting this Torreya State Park that DanG talks about has really perked up dendrological brain cells (which is most of them).  I've always wanted to see them growing in the wild.

DL,

I have never seen dendrological brain cells growing in the wild, either . 

[tcsmpsi]

WDH

It is with notable sadness that I relate, having checked with the service, our magnificent Magnolia was "withdrawn" some 10 yrs. ago.   

[WDH]

That is sad.  Maybe there is another big one somewhere over there .

[tcsmpsi]

There is one which took the place of the previous champ, but it is not near the area.

However, in the Big Creek area, where my buddy was withdrawn, it is recognized for its richness in species of others as well as Magnolias.  'Surprisingly' so, that part of the trail is known as "Magnolia Loop".

I was concerned, once I had got to thinking about it again, that there might be possibility of its withdrawal.  It had a large hollow, which would easily accomodate a human creature.  I know one who had spent quite a bit of time in there.   

[WDH]

That gives a new meaning to "OneWithWood" .

[tcsmpsi]

Perhaps, not so much a new meaning.  Rather, application of one rather old.