The raiment of oak species that occurs in North America has almost as many different leaf shape as there are species . The oaks fall under two categories — livid and carmine – with each oak tree kinfolk having varied feature . Their leaf material body deviate , with some oaks having multi - lobate foliation , while others have leaves that resemble those of other trees . To discover oaks exclusively by the shapes of their leaves , you have to look tight at such features as the routine of lobe , the sinuses that live between the lobe and the edge of the leaves .
White Oak Leaves
Step 1
Look for rounded lobe on many of the oak species that fall within the family of white oak tree trees . Count the identification number of rounded lobe to distinguish white oak species from one another . The fair species of the white oak ( Quercus alba ) has from seven to nine of these rounded lobe . The distinctive burr oak tree ( Quercus macrocarpa ) has as few as five and as many as nine lobe . mintage such as office oak ( Quercus stellata ) average out just five rounded lobes per leaf , while the Gambel oak ( Quercus gambelii ) has between seven and eleven lobe .
Step 2
audit the sinuses of the white oak go out cautiously . Some of the sinuses can extend inward and almost reach the midvein of the leaf , while others are much shallower . White oak has varying sinuses on its leaves , with some abstruse and others scarcely indent . The burr oak tree has a deep sinus only on the lobes in the central part of the leaf . Oregon white oak ( Quercus garryana ) has rich sinuses between lobe .
Step 3
Distinguish the chestnut tree oaks by their foliage from their unaired resemblance to the leaves of the chestnut trees . The chestnut oaks , part of the family of white oaks , have oblong to ellipse pull up stakes that lack lobes , but instead have a rounded set of teeth all along their edges . These oaks include the chestnut oak ( Quercus prinus ) , the swamp white oak ( Quercus bicolor ) and the swampland chestnut tree oak tree ( Quercus michauxii ) .
Red Oak Leaves
depend for pointed lobes on the trees that fall within the red oak pigeonholing . Again , count the lobes to discern the coinage . Northern pin oak ( Quercus ellipsoidalis ) usually has five lobes but can have as many as nine lobe . Scarlet oak ( Quercus coccinea ) has nine toothed lobes , while Nuttall oak tree ( Quercus nuttalli ) has from five to seven lobe .
canvas the sinuses of the red oak , keeping in nous that the red oak have a much more marked sinus approach pattern than white oak in most of their leaves . The deep sinuses are distinctive of mintage like pin oak ( Quercus palustris ) and Shumard oak tree ( Quercus shumardii ) . Other flushed oak , like the northern reddish oak ( Quercus rubra ) , feature sinus that are not as deep .
Study some of the more irregular shapes of the red oak mintage ' leaves . Turkey oak tree ( Quercus laevis ) often has just three minute lobes , in a configuration that will prompt you of a turkey ’s foot . The pirate flag oak tree ( Quercus marilandica ) has three lobe so shallow that the leafage almost has a Pyrus communis shape to it . The willow oaks ( Quercus phellos ) have narrow foliage and the lively oak have elliptical foliage shapes , with some , like home lively oak tree ( Quercus wislizenii ) , with a folio that await like that of holly — elliptical and with sharp teeth along the border .
