142 



WOOD AND FOREST. 



43 



Basket Oak. Cow Oak. 



Cow refers to the fact tliat its acorns are eaten bj- cattle, 

 Quercus michauxii Niittall. 



Quercus, the chassical Latin name; michauxii, named for the botanist 

 Michaux. 



llaljilat. 



Habitat: (See map) ; 

 best in Arkansas and 

 Louisiana, especially in 

 river bottoms. 



Characteristics of the 

 Tree: Height, 80'-100'; 

 diameter 3', even 7'; 

 trunk, often clean and 

 straight for 40' or .50'; 

 bark, conspicuous, light 

 gra}', rough witli loose 

 ashy gray, scaly ridges ; 

 leaves, obovate, regularly 

 scalloped ; acorns, edible 

 for cattle. 



Appearance of Wood: 



Color, light brown, sap- 

 M'ood light Imff; ring-por- 

 ous ; rings, marked by 

 few rather large, open 

 ducts; grain, likely to be 

 crool<od; rays, broad, con- 

 spicuous. 



Physical Qualities: 



Very heavy (5th in this 



