Oak tree groups?

[SteveBody]

I have been taught that all oak trees fall into 2 species.  White and red oaks.  All white oaks have smooth lobes on their leaf's while all red oaks have points on their lobes.  My question to a forester here is, have I been taught correctly?  Are there more species?  I know that there are many sub species of oaks, maybe even thousands world wide.

[lxskllr]

Never seen one in person, but live oak has a leaf that reminds me of laurel. No distinctive lobes at all.

[SteveBody]

Never seen one in person, but live oak has a leaf that reminds me of laurel. No distinctive lobes at all.

My neighbor has one in his front yard.  I don't know if "live oaks" are real oaks or not.

[ESFted]

Live oak, Willow oak, Laurel/Darlington oak and some others have no lobes. Classifying by pointed or smooth lobes is a start and works most of the time, but there are always exceptions to the rule.

[SteveBody]

Live oak, Willow oak, Laurel/Darlington oak and some others have no lobes. Classifying by pointed or smooth lobes is a start and works most of the time, but there are always exceptions to the rule.

Are all of those in the white oak family?

[Ianab]

Oak trees belong to the genus Quercus, and Southern Live Oak is Quercus virginiana, and falls under the "White Oak" subgenus. 
It, and the other "live" oaks, just happens to retain their leaves longer, and they don't fall until after some new ones have sprouted, hence the tree appears "Live" all year round. 
(And the leaves are a different shape too)

[Don P]

Oaks are marketed generally as "species groupings", red oak or white oak. Within each of those groups are a number of individual species.
The red oak group usually contains; Black, Cherrybark, Laurel, Northern Red, Pin, Scarlet, Southern Red, Water, Willow.

The white oak group typically contains the species; Bur, Chestnut,Live, Overcup, Post, Swamp Chestnut, Swamp White, White oak.

There are many others but these are the major commercial oaks. The red or white species groups is the same as the Southern Yellow Pine species group. There is not a species Southern Yellow pine, there are 6 individual species that are marketed as a group with similar characteristics.

[WDH]

White oak acorns mature in a single year.  It takes two years for a red oak acorn to mature.  Most, but not all, white oaks have tyloses which clog the pores.  Red oaks do not have tyloses. Red oak leaves when young have spines on the lobes or tip.  In some species as the leaves age, this spine can fall off.  White oak leaves typically do not have spines on the lobes or tips. 

[SteveBody]

White oak acorns mature in a single year.  It takes two years for a red oak acorn to mature.  Most, but not all, white oaks have tyloses which clog the pores.  Red oaks do not have tyloses. Red oak leaves when young have spines on the lobes or tip.  In some species as the leaves age, this spine can fall off.  White oak leaves typically do not have spines on the lobes or tips.

So I guess I was taught correctly about the white oaks have smooth or rounded ends or lobes and red oaks have points on their lobes or tips?  What about black oaks, are they a sub species of either white or red oaks or are they a species along with red and white oaks?  BTW, thank you all for your informative answers.

[Southside]

White oak acorns mature in a single year.  It takes two years for a red oak acorn to mature

And it takes 66 years for an ash forester to mature. :D  Happy Birthday Eddie.  ;D

[WDH]

Happy Birthday Eddie.  ;D

Thank you, Julian....
Black oak is a species of red oak.  One of many species of red oak.  In the South, there are many more species of red oaks.  Not so many in the North, but black oak is one found commonly in the North where the glaciers abound and the snow piles up and grits are eschewed. 

[SteveBody]

Happy Birthday Eddie.  ;D

Thank you, Julian....
Black oak is a species of red oak.  One of many species of red oak.  In the South, there are many more species of red oaks.  Not so many in the North, but black oak is one found commonly in the North where the glaciers abound and the snow piles up and grits are eschewed.

Thanks for the great info.

[Pullinchips]

I have been taught that all oak trees fall into 2 species.  White and red oaks.  All white oaks have smooth lobes on their leaf's while all red oaks have points on their lobes.  My question to a forester here is, have I been taught correctly?  Are there more species?  I know that there are many sub species of oaks, maybe even thousands world wide.

You are correct, all oaks are either red or white...that is not the species though.

[SteveBody]

I have been taught that all oak trees fall into 2 species.  White and red oaks.  All white oaks have smooth lobes on their leaf's while all red oaks have points on their lobes.  My question to a forester here is, have I been taught correctly?  Are there more species?  I know that there are many sub species of oaks, maybe even thousands world wide.

You are correct, all oaks are either red or white...that is not the species though.

That is what I get for being a refrigeration field engineer and not a forester. ;)  Thanks for the helpful info.

[Okefenokee_D]

Water oak and Live Oak are pretty similar. I have them everywhere here. The water oak leaves looks like a rain drop.

[WDH]

Live oak is the hardest of the American hardwoods of any significance.  The leaf is two toned, i.e. a very distinct color difference between the glossy green topside and the tawny, dull grennish brownof the underside.  Also, the leaf margin is revolute, which means the leaf margin is rolled downward to the underside of the leaf.

Water oak leaves are the same color green on the topside and bottomside, and the leaf margins are not revolute. 

Live oak has commonly been grouped with the white oaks, but some Dendrologist consider it the sole member of its own oak group. 

[Magicman]

some Dendrologist consider it the sole member of its own oak group.

I know nothing but I like that distinction.   ;)

It is certainly unlike any other Oak that I have ever sawn.




 
It is beautiful but the log doesn't want to give it to you.  Gotta fight!!  

[WDH]

It can have very interlocked grain.

[SteveBody]

some Dendrologist consider it the sole member of its own oak group.

I know nothing but I like that distinction.   ;)

It is certainly unlike any other Oak that I have ever sawn.




 
It is beautiful but the log doesn't want to give it to you.  Gotta fight!!  

Beautiful wood.

[cutterboy]

Live Oak.....beautiful wood and beautiful tree.