A medium to large-sized tree when growing in favorable locations, the
chinkapin oak has a straight trunk and a narrow, rounded head. Found quite
widely over the eastern United States to Iowa, where it is found principally
in the eastern and southern parts, it prefers the bottomlands along streams
or limestone ridges bordering streams where it makes its best growth.
The single leaves are oblong, 3 to 6 inches in length and 1-1/2 to 3 inches wide, coarsely and sharply toothed. They are thick and firm, light yellow-green above to silvery white below.
The acorn is broadly oval, chestnut brown in color and enclosed for one-half its length in the cup. The twigs are greenish tinged with red or purplish red, turning orange-brown or gray-brown. The bark is quite thin, breaking into plate-like scales, similar to white oak bark.
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