284 TREES OF NORTH AMERICA 



sile or stalked, in long many-flowered tomentose spikes, their involucral scales and 

 calyx hoary-tomentose ; stigmas red. Fruit sessile or short-stalked ; acorn oval, 



broad at the base, broad and rounded or acute at the apex, '-!' long, '-' broad, 

 inclosed for one half to two thirds its length in a deep cup-shaped or hemispherical 

 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. 



A tree, occasionally 25-30 high, with a trunk 12'-18' in diameter, small branches 

 forming a round-topped head, and slender branchlets coated at first with hoary tomen- 

 tum, becoming in their first winter ashy gray or light or dark reddish brown and 

 usually pubescent or tomentose; more often an intricately branched rigid shrub, with 

 stout stems covered by pale gray bark and usually 6-8 high, often forming dense 

 thickets. Winter-buds oval, generally acute, ^ -^ long, with thin pale red often 

 pilose and ciliate scales. Bark of the trunk bright brown and scaly. 



Distribution. California; western slopes of the central Sierra Nevada; common 

 on the coast ranges south of San Francisco Bay and the islands off the coast of the 

 southern part of the state, ranging inland to the borders of the Mohave Desert and 

 to the canons of the desert slopes of the San Bernardino and San Jacinto mountains, 

 and southward into Lower California; arborescent only in sheltered canons of the 

 islands; north of San Francisco Bay replaced by the variety revoluta, Sarg., ranging 

 to Mendocino County and to Napa valley. 



46. Quercus Virginiana, Mill. Live Oak. 



Leaves oblong, elliptical or obovate, rounded or acute at the apex, gradually nar- 

 rowed and wedge-shaped or rarely rounded or cordate at the base, usually entire, 

 with thickened strongly involute margins or rarely spinose-dentate above the middle: 

 when they unfold light green tinged with red, covered by scattered stellate pale hairs 

 above and coated below with thick hoary tomentum, at maturity thick and coriaceous, 

 dark green and lustrous on the upper surface, pale and silvery white and pubescent 

 or puberiilous on the lower surface, 2'-5' long, ^'-2^' wide, and conspicuously or 

 inconspicuously reticulate-venulose, with narrow yellow midribs and few slender 



