quercus muehlenbergii - Chinquapin oak

This tree grows from 50 to 80 feet tall with a 2 to 3 foot diameter.  The leaves are narrowly elliptical to obovate, slightly thickened, pointed at the tip, and narrowed to the base.  The leaves have many straight parallel side veins, each ending in a curved tooth on the wavy edges.  They are shiny green above and whitish-green with tiny hairs beneath.  The leaves are large, alternate, with wavy margins.  The bark is light gray, thin, fissured, and scaly.  The acorns are 1/2" to 1" in length, egg-shaped, and 1/3 or more enclosed by a deep thin cup of many overlapping, hairy, long-pointed, gray-brown scales.  The acorns are usually stalkless.

The common name is due to the resemblance of the foilage to that of the Chinquapin.    It is reported to have the sweetest acorns of all the oaks, and is a favorite of many wildlife species.

This tree is found mostly on limestone outcrops in alkaline soils, including dry bluffs and rocky river banks.  They are often found with other oaks.