230 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA 



Exposition and soil agree in all these localities. 



The bark of this tree is rather thin, whitish, and less coarsely rirnose than 

 any other of the Californian oaks. It is always a flat-topped, middle-sized tree, 

 apparently of a very slow, almost stunted, growth. The whitish bark of trunk 

 and branches, the glaucous foliage, and the light-green color of the acorns, 

 which it yields, however, quite sparingly, give this tree, compared with other 

 oaks especially, quite a pale and hoary appearance. 



Farmers consider the fine-grained wood of this oak very valuable for many 

 farming implements. It ranks highest among our oaks. 



14. Quercus Douglasii, Hook. (Pale Oak.) Anderson Valley ! 



The general aspect aud habit of this tree resembles very much that of Quer- 

 cus lobata, with which it grows in the low, flat portions of Anderson Valley. 

 Its branchlets, however, are short, rigid, and erect, while those of Qu. lobata 

 are mostly drooping. In fall, when laden with acorns, it presents a very strik- 

 ing difference by having its rather pale acorns densely aggregated and clustered 

 at the extremities of the branchlets. resting, as it were, on the dark-green 

 leaves. At a distance it may be mistaken for a full-bearing apple tree. It 

 increases rapidly in number in Anderson Valley from south to north, outnum- 

 bering almost every other oak at the lower end of the valley. Its wood ranks 

 next to that of Quercus Douglasii. 



15. Quercus lobata, Nees. (Burr-Oak.) 



The most common and largest oak in all the valleys of the interior of Cali- 

 fornia. Thus far, I never found it on a hillside. It is this mighty oak, with 

 its peculiar, gracefully-drooping branchlets, that gives character to the land- 

 scape of the Californian valleys. It is especially noted for its very long acorns ; 

 but they do not always attain that large size, and are never so conspicuously 

 arranged as those of Qu. Garryana, ; they are usually in pairs. It may also 

 be stated that this tree forms, on an average, about the longest trunk of Cali- 

 fornian foliaceous trees. The acorns of this species form a principal part of 

 the food of the Indians. On the Coast Range they seem to give, however, 

 preference to those of Quercus Sonomensis. The wood ranks next to that of 

 the preceding species. 



These above-mentioned three species of oaks, belonging to the section of 

 white oaks, are surely distinct. I met with no transitions thus far. They may 

 be distinguished at a distance; every farmer distinguishes them, for there is 

 quite a difference in the quality of the wood. 



16. Quercus Sonomensis, Benth. (Black Oak.) San Diego!! Anderson Val- 

 ley ! Auburn ! 



Eastern and northern hillsides in the Coast Ranges. It also occupies the 

 more easterly-situated flats, among the redwoods, wherever they are too dry for 

 redwood. Very seldom it is found in the valley ; and when found, it occupies 

 that portion of it which is adjaceut to the hillsides, where there is generally a 

 gravelly soil. It is always a middle-sized tree, having mostly numerous erect 

 branches arranged like those of Acer saccharinum. In fall it sheds its leaves, 



