Population of the northern savannah expression of Quercus coccinea growing on acid sandy loam with aspen, white birch (a few Bur Oak) in a tall grass prairie ecosystem in Minnesota.
Included is a Discriminant Functions Statistical Analysis centroid graph of 25 populations of Northern Pin and Scarlet Oak across eastern US including Minnesota . Morphology of buds, twigs, leaves, and acorns were examined. Morphological distance was noted with Black ((velutina) and Pin Oak (palustris). Quercus ellipsoidalis and Quercus coccinea group as one species not two.
Diagnostic characters of Quercus coccinea seen in this tree and population include:
20+mm acorn cupules with glossy orange acuminate bract scales
*Gray outer bark with. reddish inner bark
with possible smooth patch disease of bark
Dry south-west facing slope. Not many in bud yet.
Dry south-west facing slope. Just starting to come up and some starting to show their yellow buds.
Quercus palustris × rubra, growing with both parent species, which are common at this location.
The last three photos are of fruit from (1) Q. palustris, (2) hybrid, and (3) Q. rubra at this site.
My thanks to Albert Garofalo for showing me this woodland.