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North America. The large^ sweet, edible acorns are eagerly de- 

 voured by cattle and other animals. 



Q. oblongifolia Torr. Evergreen Oak. Live Oak. 



California and New Mexico. This species furnishes the Indians 

 of the West with acorns for food use. 



Q. persica Jaub. et Spach. Manna Oak. 



Persia. The acorns are eaten in southern Europe and, in southern 

 Persia, afforded material for bread. The leaves also furnish a manna. 

 In olden times, as we read in Homer and Hesiod, this was the common 

 food of the Arcadians. There is, however, much reason to suppose that 

 chestnuts, which were named in the times of Theophrastus and Dios- 

 corides "Jupiter acorns" and "Sardian acorns," are often alluded to 

 when we read of people having lived on acorns in Europe; and, in 

 Africa, dates are signified, because they were likewise called by Herod- 

 otus and Dioscorides acorns and palm-acorns. Batholin says that in 

 Norway acorns are used to furnish a bread. During the famine in 

 France in 1709, acorns were resorted to for sustenance. In China, the 

 fruits of several species of oak are used as food for man, and a kind 

 of curd is sometimes made from the ground meal. Oak bark is pounded 

 bv the Digger Indians of California and used as food in times of 

 famine. 



Q. phellos Linn. Willow Oak. 



Eastern States of North America. The acorns are edible. 



Q. printis Linn. Q. montana. Chestnut Oak. 



Northeastern America. The fruit is sweet and abundant. 



Q. robur Linn. Black Oak. Truffle Oak. 



Europe and western Asia. Varieties are mentioned by Tenore as 

 bearing edible acorns. This species yields a manna-like exudation in 

 Kurdistan. Hanbury says a saccharine substance called ddabekei 

 manna, is found upon the leaves of the dwarf oaks about Smyrna, from 

 which it is collected by the peasants, who use it instead of butter in 

 cooking their food. The taste is saccharine and agreeable. 



Q. undulata Torr. Rocky Mountain Scrub Oak. 



California. The acorns are sweet and edible. 



Q. virginiana jNIill. Live Oak. 



Eastern North America. Eastern Indians consumed large quanti- 

 ties of the acorns and also obtained from them a sweet oil much used 

 in cookery. 



Mr. H. C. Skeels, Associate Botanist, of the Bureau of Plant In- 



