FAGACE^E 



275 



tudes or on exposed mountain slopes a low shrub. Winter-buds ellipsoidal, acute, about ' 

 long, pale pubescent toward the apex, with thin closely imbricated light chestnut-brown 

 ciliate scales. Bark l'-2' thick, dark brown or nearly black, deeply divided into large 

 oblong thick plates separating into small thin closely appressed scales. Wood heavy, 

 strong, brittle, close-grained, dark brown or almost black, with thick bright brown sap- 

 wood tinged with red. The sweet acorns are an important article of food for Mexicans 

 and Indians, and are sold in the towns of southern Arizona and northern Mexico. 



Distribution. Mountain ranges of western Texas, southern New Mexico, Arizona 

 south of the Colorado plateau, and of northern Mexico; in Texas common in the can- 

 ons and on the southern slopes of the Limpio and Chisos mountains; the most abundant 

 Oak of southern New Mexico and Arizona, forming a large part of the forests covering 

 the mountain slopes and extending from the upper limits of the mesa nearly to the 

 highest ridges; attaining its largest size and beauty in the moist soil of sheltered canons. 



28. Quercus dumosa Nutt. Scrub Oak. 



Leaves oblong, rounded and acute at apex, broad and abruptly cuneate or rounded 

 at base, usually about f long and %' wide, spinescent with a few minute teeth, or undu- 

 late and entire or coarsely spinescent, with an obscure midrib and primary veins, con- 

 spicuous reticulate veinlets, and stout petioles rarely ' long; or sometimes oblong to ob- 

 long-obovate and divided by deep sinuses into 5-9 oblong acute rounded or emarginate 

 bristle-tipped lobes, the terminal lobe 3-lobed, rounded or acute, 2'-4' long and I'-l^' 

 wide, with primary veins running to the points of the lobes, obscure reticulate veinlets, 

 and petioles sometimes 1' long, thin when they unfold and clothed with scattered fascicled 

 hairs, or rarely tomentose above and coated below and on the petioles with hoary tomentum, 

 at maturity thick and firm, dark green and glabrous on the upper surface, paler and more 

 or less pubescent on the lower surface; mostly deciduous during the winter. Flowers: 

 staminate in pubescent aments; calyx divided into 4-7 ovate lanceolate hairy segments; 

 pistillate sessile or stalked, in long many-flowered tomentose spikes, their involucral scales 

 and calyx hoary-tomentose; stigmas red. Fruit sessile or short-stalked; nut ovoid, broad 

 at base, broad and rounded or acute at apex, %'-!' long, |'-f thick, inclosed for one half 

 to two thirds its length in a deep cup-shaped or hemispheric cup light brown and pubescent 

 within, covered by ovate pointed scales coated with pale or rufous tomentum, usually 

 much thickened, united and tuberculate, those above with free acute tips forming a fringe 

 to the rim of the cup, or frequently with basal scales but little thickened and furnished with 

 long free tips; in var. Alv&rdiana Jeps., with a nut l^'-lf long, j'-|' thick, gradually 

 narrowed and acute at apex, inclosed only at base in a shallow cup-shaped cup. 



