Quercus stellata

Quercus stellata, the post oak or iron oak, is a North American species of oak in the white oak section. It is a slow-growing oak that lives in dry areas on the edges of fields, tops of ridges also grows in poor soils, and is resistant to rot, fire, and drought. Interbreeding occurs among white oaks, thus many hybrid species combinations occur. The species is native to the eastern and central United States, and found along the east coast from Massachusetts to Florida, and as far inland as Nebraska. It is identifiable by the rounded cross-like shape formed by the leaf lobes and hairy underside of the leaves. Post oak is a relatively small tree, typically tall and trunk in diameter, though occasional specimens reach tall and in diameter. The leaves have a very distinctive shape, with three perpendicular terminal lobes, shaped much like a Maltese cross. They are leathery, and tomentose (densely short-hairy) beneath. The branching pattern of this tree often gives it a rugged appearance. The acorns are long, and are mature in their first summer. Both Quercus stellata and Q. alba are in a section of Quercus called the white oaks. In the white oak section, Q. stellata is a sister taxon with Q. alba. Q. stellata is sold and distributed as white oak. One identifiable difference between the two trees is that Q. stellata is 'hairy' on the underside of the leaf. The specific epithet stellata is Latin for "star"; it is named this because the trichome hairs on the bottom of the leaves are stellate or star-shaped. Several variants of Q. stellata were named by American botanist Charles Sprague Sargent. The variety most recognised by the United States Forest Service is Q. stellata var. paludosa Sarg (delta post oak). Varieties include: var. margarettiae (Ashe) Sarg. var. paludosa Sarg. var. boyntonii (Beadle) Sarg. var. anomala Sarg. var. attenuata Sarg. var. araniosa Sarg. var. palmeri Sarg. var. parviloba Sarg. var. rufescens Sarg. Q.