erosion-control species in California. Its palatability is slightly in- 

 ferior to that of Garry oak. 



Gray oak (Q. gi*i'sea), a common and abundant tree or shrub of 

 the Southwest, has thickish, gray-green, or bluish green leaves simi- 

 lar to those of Arizona white oak. Its abundance on some ranges 

 makes it an important and valuable drought emergency forage. The 

 foliage is grazed but lightly in the presence of palatable forage, 

 although the mast is eaten readily by livestock ancl wild animals. 



California white oak (Q. loba'ta), one of the largest of the Ameri- 

 can oaks, inhabits the rich bottom lands; of the Sacramento and San 

 Joaquin Valleys of California. This is a handsome, exceptionally 

 broad-crowned tree valued for its beauty, shade, and wood, which 

 makes excellent posts and fuel. It produces high-quality acorns, 

 formerly a favorite food of the Indians. 



Intermediate Oaks 



Canyon live oak (Q. chryso'lepis) and huckleberry oak (Q. vac- 

 cinifo'lia) are common live oaks which grow abundantly in Cali- 

 fornia and southern Oregon. Canyon live oak, a tree from 20 to 60 

 feet high, with leaves varying from entire to coarsely toothed, is 

 one of the most widely-distributed Pacific Coast oaks, occurring in 

 canyons and on hillsides in the mountains. Huckleberry oak is a 

 shrubby species of the higher mountains, commonly 2 to 6 feet high 

 and, as the name implies, has small, entire leaves which resemble 

 those of "huckleberry" (V actinium spp.). These two oaks are impor- 

 tant as a protective cover but, except for the acorns, are of little 

 or no value as forage. 



Red (or Black) Oaks 



Emory oak (Q. cmo'ryi), or blackjack oak, is the commonest forest 

 oak in the foothills and mountains of southern Arizona and New 

 Mexico. It has dark bark, sharp-pointed leaves, and is a more up- 

 right tree than most of the Southwestern oaks. Typically, this 

 species has one main trunk with small branches extending at nearly 

 right angles. It provides good watershed protection, satisfactory 

 fuel, posts, and mine props and, for a black oak, the acorns are 

 unusually sweet and palatable. However, the leaves are eaten but 

 little and rate as poor forage even during drought. 



8 See footnote on preceding page. 



