Ten White Oak Leaves

I have arranged ten white oak leaves in an array to illustrate the wide variety of shapes these leaves can have. Although B exemplifies the shape most often presented in botanical books and web sites as the characteristic lobed form for this species, the examples here demonstrate the wide variations of this leaf's lobes. The leaves vary not only by the number and shape of the lobes' substructures but also by the curvatures of the lobes. The lobes can be quite simple, but for the most part they are interestingly elaborated. Sometimes, as in J, they are uniquely wild.

Perhaps A had not reached its maturity before it fell to the ground. Its lower lobes are articulated, in conformity with the standard white oak model, but its upper lobes are clustered about the leaf blade, forming a mass that is not fully articulated. In B, all lobes are clearly delineated. C's lobes have begun to form sub-structures, although these are barely noticeable. Substructures become a bit more articulated in D, while E's lobes take on a curvature that emphasizes the substructures. F's lobes have multiple substructures, as do G's, where they are more clearly formed than in F. The lobes of H are even more highly elaborated. Leaf I retains a fair amount of elaboration in its lobes, but the lobes are narrow and subject to drastic upswings. In J, the narrow, elaborated lobes, seem to take on a life of their own, bending in all directions. With the exception of A, which I think might be an immature leaf from a tree whose leaves look mostly like B, each of these leaves has a shape that is characteristic of the particular tree from which they come. J has the most unusual shape I have come across in a White Oak. Other leaves from the “J” tree also have weirdly configured lobes, each one varying a little or a lot from the others. In another posting, I will display several “J” examples.