294 



The Oaks 



and embracing one third to one half of nut, the scales closely imbricated, sharp- i 

 pointed, brown and smooth or finely hairy. 



The wood is hard, strong and coarse-grained, reddish brown; its specific gravity 

 is about 0.71 ; it is used for the same purposes as that of the Red oak, but is not 

 as valuable. 



Its comparatively rapid growth, beautiful foliage, and brilliant autumnal color- 

 ation, which lasts longer than that of any of its competitors, make the Scarlet oak 

 one of the most desirable trees for street or park. 



A supposed hybrid with the Bear oak, Q. ilicifolia Wangenheim, has been 

 found in Massachusetts. 



II. CALIFORNIA BLACK OAK — Quercns KeUo^ Newberry 



Quercus californica (Torrey) Cooper. Quercus tinctoria californica Torrey 



A tree of the mountain ranges of California and southwestern Oregon, reach- 

 ing its maximum development of 30 meters tall and a trunk diameter of 1.8 m., 



at an altitude of about 

 1800 meters; at very 

 high altitudes it is re- 

 duced to a shrub. It is 

 also known as Kellogg's 

 oak, Mountain black 

 oak, and Black oak. 



The stout branches 

 are widely spreading, 

 the tree becoming 

 round topped. The 

 bark is 4 cm. thick, 

 furrowed, the ridges 

 broken into irregular, 

 oblong scaly plates, 

 dark brown or black; 

 on younger stems it is 

 smooth and light 

 brown. The twigs are 

 hairy at first, becoming 

 smooth, light red or brown and finally darker red-brown. The winter buds are 

 ovoid, gradually tapering to a sharp point, 5 mm. long, brown, and somewhat 

 hairy. The leaves are oblong or obovate in outline, 7.5 to 15 cm. long, the 

 usually 7 lobes, wedge-shaped to broadly ovate, coarsely bristle-tipped, toothed or 

 sometimes entire, the middle pair of lobes much the largest, the sinuses oblique, 

 wide and usually rounded at. the bottom, the base of the leaf obliquely wedge- 

 shaped or rounded ; they are thick, firm, dark yellowish green and shining, occa- 



FlG. 246. — California Black Oak. 



