Intro:

Stems: Pith continuous. Young twigs (1-year-old or less) brown or gray or orange or reddish-brown or yellow, (2-)3-5 mm wide, pubescent, stellate or tomentose. Twigs (2-4 years old) glabrous or pubescent. Leaf scars half-round, bundle scars numerous, stipule scars inconspicuous, stipule scars not circumferential. Bark of mature trunks checkered or furrowed or ridged. Buds axillary or terminal, bud clusters at ends of twigs present, brown or reddish-brown, (2-)3-4(-6) mm long, globose or ovoid or ovoid-conic, blunt or sharp, glabrate or pubescent, bud scales imbricate.

Leaves: Leaves deciduous, simple, petiolate, alternate or spiral, 4-15(-20) cm long, 2-10(-12) cm wide, elliptic or obdeltoid or obovate, leaf margins entire, shallowly lobed or moderately lobed or deeply lobed, pinnately lobed, leaf lobes (3-)5 per leaf, leaf apices rounded, leaf bases attenuate or cordate or cuneate or obtuse. Leaf upper surface green or yellow-green, glabrate or pubescent, stellate. Leaf lower surface brown or gray or yellow-green, pubescent, stellate or stipitate glandular. Leaf venation pinnate, secondary veins on either side of the midvein 3-5. Petioles 0.3-1.5(-3) cm long, pubescent. Stipules present, caducous, not circumferential.

Inforescence: Inflorescences axillary, catkins or flowers solitary or spikes, flowers sessile.

Flowers: Flowers unisexual, epigynous. Perianth. Calyx radially symmetric, synsepalous. Sepals (2-)6(-8) per flower, caducous. Corolla absent. Androecium. Stamens (2-)6(-12) per flower, separate. Gynoecium. Ovaries inferior, pistils 1 per flower. Gynoecium syncarpous, 3 carpels per flower, styles 3 per pistil, placentation axile. Other floral features. Hypanthia present, involucres present.

Fruits: Fruits accessory fruits or acorns or nuts, 1-3 cm long, brown, fruit maturation 1 years.

Comments: Staminate flowers in pendent catkins, pistillate flowers solitary or in few- to many-flowered spikes; pistillate flowers enclosed by a scaly involucre which develops into the acorn cup.

Height: to 85 feet

plant sale text: A mature post oak has a dense, rounded crown, with its height about the same as its width. Fall color varies, with individual trees showing a range of shades of yellow and brown. This handsome specimen, produces many massive horizontal limbs. Post oak is found growing in poor upland clay or sandy soils. Called post oak because its durable wood serves very well when made into fence posts. The species name, stellata, refers to its star-shaped hairs that are found on the underside of its leaves.

bloom table text:

description:

stems: Pith continuous. Young twigs (1-year-old or less) brown or gray or orange or reddish-brown or yellow, (2-)3-5 mm wide, pubescent, stellate or tomentose. Twigs (2-4 years old) glabrous or pubescent. Leaf scars half-round, bundle scars numerous, stipule scars inconspicuous, stipule scars not circumferential. Bark of mature trunks checkered or furrowed or ridged. Buds axillary or terminal, bud clusters at ends of twigs present, brown or reddish-brown, (2-)3-4(-6) mm long, globose or ovoid or ovoid-conic, blunt or sharp, glabrate or pubescent, bud scales imbricate.

leaves: Leaves deciduous, simple, petiolate, alternate or spiral, 4-15(-20) cm long, 2-10(-12) cm wide, elliptic or obdeltoid or obovate, leaf margins entire, shallowly lobed or moderately lobed or deeply lobed, pinnately lobed, leaf lobes (3-)5 per leaf, leaf apices rounded, leaf bases attenuate or cordate or cuneate or obtuse. Leaf upper surface green or yellow-green, glabrate or pubescent, stellate. Leaf lower surface brown or gray or yellow-green, pubescent, stellate or stipitate glandular. Leaf venation pinnate, secondary veins on either side of the midvein 3-5. Petioles 0.3-1.5(-3) cm long, pubescent. Stipules present, caducous, not circumferential.

inflorescence: Inflorescences axillary, catkins or flowers solitary or spikes, flowers sessile.

flowers: Flowers unisexual, epigynous. Perianth. Calyx radially symmetric, synsepalous. Sepals (2-)6(-8) per flower, caducous. Corolla absent. Androecium. Stamens (2-)6(-12) per flower, separate. Gynoecium. Ovaries inferior, pistils 1 per flower. Gynoecium syncarpous, 3 carpels per flower, styles 3 per pistil, placentation axile. Other floral features. Hypanthia present, involucres present.

fruits: Fruits accessory fruits or acorns or nuts, 1-3 cm long, brown, fruit maturation 1 years.

comments: Staminate flowers in pendent catkins, pistillate flowers solitary or in few- to many-flowered spikes; pistillate flowers enclosed by a scaly involucre which develops into the acorn cup.

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: eastern United States