44 HOUGH'S AMERICAN WOODS. 



293. QUERCUS LYRATA, WALT. 



OVER-CUP OAK. 

 Ger., Uberkelch-Eiche; Fr., Chene lyre; Sp., Roble de pantano. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: Leaves obovate-oblong, wedge-shaped at base, ly rate- 

 pinnated or lobed to beyond the middle, with 5-9 entire or sparingly-toothed tri- 

 angular oblique lobes the upper pair usually the larger and more divergent, shin- 

 ing dark green above, white tomentose beneath. Flowers staminate aments 3-6 in. 

 long; calyx with 5 acute lobes. Fruit sessile or with short peduncles; nut mostly 

 depressed globose and nearly or quite enveloped by the cup which is rather thin, 

 hoary tomentose, with thick rugged united scales at the base but gradually thinner 

 towards the margin, which often splits irregularly. 



The Over-cup Oak occasionally attains the height of nearly 100 ft. 

 (30 m.) with a trunk 3 or 4 ft. (1m.) in thickness, but usually it 

 is of considerably smaller dimensions. The bark of trunk is of a 

 light brownish gray color rough with narrow scaly ridges. 



HABITAT. Swamps and bottom-lands that are more or less 

 inundated during the greater part of the year, from eastern Virginia 

 and southern Missouri to the Gulf Coast. In such localities are also 

 found the Water and Laurel Oaks, Cotton Gum, Water Ash, River 

 Birch, Bald Cypress, etc. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood heavy, hard, strong, tough, dur- 

 able in contact with the soil, and of a grayish brown color with buff- 

 white sap-wood. Specific Gravity, 0.8313; Percentage of Ash, 0.65; 

 Relative Approximate Fuel Value, 0.8259 ; Coefficient of Elasticity, 

 133438 ; Modulus of Rupture, 1025 ; Resistance to Longitudinal 

 Pressure, 492 ; Resistance to Indentation, 252 ; Weight of a Cubic 

 Foot in Pounds, 51.81. 



USES. A valuable wood for use in the manufacture of agricul- 

 tural implements, boat-building, cooperage, baskets, railway-ties, 

 cabinet-making, furniture, interior finishing, etc. It is little if any 

 inferior to the wood of the White Oak in the qualities which make 

 that wood superior. 



294. QUERCUS TEXANA, BUCKL. 

 SOUTHERN RED OAK. SCHNECK'S OAK. 



Ger., Sudliche Rothe Eiche; Fr., Chene rouge du sud; Sp., Roble 



rojo meridional. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: Leaves ovate to broad oval, 3^-8 in. long, truncate or 

 broad wedge-shaped at base, deeply pinnated with broad rounded sinuses and 5-9 

 spreading lobes narrow below and spreading and dentate at apex with bristle- 



