Tin Trs of Texas 65 



( '2 ) Cup top-shaped or hemispheric, 

 enclosing the nut generally 

 about % its length. 



(a) Inner bark bright orange, 

 scales of the cup large, 



forming a loose margin. ... 19 Q. velutina. 



(b) Inner bark gray, reddish, or 

 yellow, cup less than % ' 



broad 20 Q. Te-xana. 



c. Leaves irregularly lobed with a gray 



or rusty pubescence beneath 21 Q. digitata. 



d. Leaves obovate with 3-5 lobes above 

 the middle. 



( 1 ) Leaves hairy beneath 22 Q. Marylandica. 



(2) Leaves smooth beneath 23 Q. nigra. 



2. Leaves entire or with few teeth. 



a. Leaves smooth beneath, sharp 



pointed, cup very flat 24 Q. Phellos. 



b. Leaves hairy beneath, cup saucer 



shaped 25 Q. cinerea. 



1. Quercus alba Linnaeus. White Oak. A large forest 

 tree usually 60-80 in height and trunk diameter of 4 but 

 frequently larger. Trees growing in the open are rather low 

 with round full crown, crowded in the forest they become 

 tall Miid without branches except at the extreme top. The 

 bark is a light gray, sometimes tinged with brown, flaky 

 without deep fissures except on the lower part of the main 

 trunk. Leaves obovate to oblong, 4'-8' in length, wedge-shaped 

 at has**, 3-9 usually 7 lobed, the lobes entire or with one or 

 two secondary lobes, pale and smooth beneath, bright or dull 

 green above. Flowers appearing before the leaves have 

 n ndied more than one-fourth their mature size. Acorns 

 stalked or sessile, ovoid to oblong, the cup enclosed from !/4 

 to ', of its length. 



Southern Maine, Ontario, west to Minnesota and south to 

 Florida and Texas. In Texas it extends to the valley of the 

 Brazos. 



The wood is heavy, hard, close grained and is very tough, 

 durable, and strong. The heart wood is light brown, the sap 

 wood liiilii. The medullary rays are prominent and the quar- 

 ter sawed wood is extensively employed in the manufacture 

 of Furniture. It is the most valuable timber tree of America. 



