46 DOUGLAS' JOURNAL 



Plentiful in the middle States, upon every kind of soil. Between 

 Amherstburg and Sandwicli, Upper Canada, it constitutes with Q. rubra 

 and Q. alba the largest trees in the forest. Its leaves fade early in the 

 season, and, as is justly observed by Pursh, who places it in fertile woods 

 (New England to Georgia), it gives the woods a very picturesque appearance. 

 The wood is of an inferior quality. The cup of the acorn of this oak, 

 besides being attenuated at the base, is incurved at the margin, and 

 Michaux further informs us that though this species is certainly alhed 

 in the structure of its leaves and acorns to the black oak {Q. tinctoria) 

 yet it may always be known from it by the acorns of the scarlet 

 oak being white within, whilst those of the black oak are yellowish. 

 The timber is reddish and of coarse texture, and being liable to decay 

 soon, it is used as httle as possible for housebuilding and wrights' work. 

 Staves are made from it, which are sent to the West India Islands. The 

 bark is thick and much employed in tanning. Sir J. E. Smith, in Bees' 

 Cyclopedia, observes that this was among the first American trees that 

 were brought to Europe, it having been cultivated before the end of the 

 seventeenth century by Bishop Compton, as well as by the first Earl of 

 Portland. A plantation was made of these trees from acorns sent by the 

 elder Michaux, and exists at LambouiUet in France, the trees of which 

 in thirty years' time had attained the height of about 45 feet. 



29. QuEECUS BOREALis. Grey Oak. 



Q. borealis. Foliis sinuatis glabris, sinubus svbacutis, cwpula siibscutel- 

 lata, glande turgide ovata. — Michx. 



Q. borealis, Michx. f. N. Am. Sylv. v. 1, p. 119, t. 26. 



Q. ambigua, Michx. f. Hist. Arb. Am. 2, p. 120, t. 24 ; Pursh, Fl. Am. 

 Sept. V. 2, p. 630. 



Q. ambigua, Michx. f. Hist. Arb. Am. 2, p. 120, t. 24 ; Pursh, M. Am. Sept. 2, 

 p. 630 ; Nutt. Gen. 2, p. 215. Exolud. Sm. in Rees' Encyc. 29, part 1st. 



Q. ambigua Is found in great abimdance in the northern parts of California 

 from the 43° of North latitude southwards. As far as my observation went it is not 

 found immediately on the sea coast, but on the undulating groimd of the interior in a 

 thick stratum of alluvial soil on a substratum of clay. It forms belts and groups 

 over the face of the country, and is comparatively of diminutive growth to the timber 

 found on the Atlantic side of America ; few trees will give a plank exceeding a foot 

 broad and 12 or 20 long. The northern Umit of this species is near the sources of 

 River Multnomah. 



My specimens of this oak perfectly accord with the beautiful figure of 

 it in Michaux, yet I must confess there is some truth in the observation of 

 Pursh that it seems intermediate between Q. coccinea and Q. rubra ; its 

 fruit however differs from that of either of these species, being smaller 

 and more clustered. It forms a fine large tree with large and very variable 

 foHage, of a vivid green above and brownish hue underneath. I am not 

 aware of the wood having any peculiar quality, and Michaux reckons it 

 among the least valuable of the American oaks. Michaux first named 

 this species ambigua to indicate its alliance with Q. coccinea and Q. rubra ; 

 but afterwards, on discovering that this appellation was already appHed 

 to an oak of New Spain, by M. De Humboldt, he altered it to Q. borealis, 

 since it extends further North than any other. 



