286 TREES OF NORTH AMERICA 



and densely hoary tomentose below, 2-4 long, '-!' wide, with a stout midrib thickly 

 covered with fascicled hairs, sometimes becoming glabrous, slender primary veins and 

 reticulate veinlets; petioles stout, hoary tomentose, \'-\' in length. Flowers: staminate 

 in short hoary tomentose aments; calyx densely villose, deeply divided into broad ovate 

 lobes rounded at apex; anthers red; pistillate on hoary tomentose peduncles, with hairy 

 bracts and calyx-lobes. Fruit solitary or in pairs, nearly sessile or raised on a pubescent 

 peduncle ^' |' in length; nut ellipsoidal or ovoid, broad and rounded at the ends, light 

 chestnut-brown, lustrous, \'-%' long, i' |' thick, inclosed for from half to two thirds its 

 length in the hemispheric to cup-shaped cup, hoary tomentose on the inner surface, and 



Fig. 262 



covered with small closely appressed acute hoary tomentose scales much thickened below 

 the middle of the cup, thin and much smaller toward its rim. 



A tree, rarely 18-20 high, with a trunk rarely 1 in diameter, small spreading and as- 

 cending branches forming a round-topped head, and slender branchlets thickly coated dur- 

 ing their first season with fascicled hairs, dark gray-brown and pubescent in their second 

 season and ultimately gray and glabrous; usually a low shrub spreading into thickets. 

 Winter-buds broad-ovoid, obtuse, pale pubescent. Bark thin, pale, rough, deeply fur- 

 rowed. 



Distribution. On dry limestone hills, usually not more than 18 high with spreading 

 branches; on deep sand, often not more than 3 high with more erect stems, often cover- 

 ing thousands of acres; only a tree in the protection of ledges in deep ravines and on steep 

 hillsides; northwestern Texas (Tom Green, Coke, Nolan, Howard, Armstrong, and Wheeler 

 Counties) ; central Texas (Bryan, Brazos County) ; southwestern Oklahoma (Beckham 

 County). 



38. Quercus Laceyi Small. 



Leaves oblong to oblong-obovate, usually with two pairs of small rounded lateral lobes, 

 occasionally 3-lobed toward the apex, rarely nearly entire, narrowed and rounded at apex, 

 rounded, cuneate or rarely cordate at the gradually narrowed base, coated below when 

 they unfold with loose white tomentum, soon glabrous, at maturity thin, blue-green above, 

 yellow-green below, 2'-3' long, f '-2' wide, with a slender midrib and primary veins, and 

 conspicuous reticulate veinlets; deciduous late in the autumn; on vigorous shoots some- 

 times 6'-7' long and 3'-4' wide; petioles glabrous or sparingly villose, \'-\' in length. 

 Flowers: staminate in slightly villose aments 2'-2^' long; calyx deeply divided into 4 or 5 



