Quercus macrocarpa bur oak

Two Quercus macrocarpa (fore- and mid-ground) north of Arrillaga Alumni Center. The large leaves above are from a nearby London plane. Sairus Patel, 14 Oct 2018

Quercus macrocarpa leaves. John Rawlings

The classic tree of the prairies and savannas of central North America, where immense old specimens are often carefully preserved amid agricultural fields. The large acorns can approach 2 inches long, their cups conspicuously fringed; the broad, lobed leaves often have a distinctive narrow “waist,” where deep sinuses cut nearly to the midrib.

The rugged beauty of the deeply ridged trunk and limbs is best appreciated in the two old specimens north of the Alumni Center, near the path to Frost Amphitheater. Corky ridges along the branches can be seen on a young tree on O’Connor Lane, left of the sidewalk leading to the rear of Sigma Nu. Bur oak features prominently in several of the Magic trial plantings, including a row along Gerona Road opposite 400 and 415.

Quercus macrocarpa leaf and acorn. From: Howard E. McMinn & Evelyn Maino, An Illustrated Manual of Pacific Coast Trees