Handbook of Teees of the Northeex States and Canada. 181 



The Live Oak is Uie most majestic and im- 

 pressive Oak of tlie Atlantic states. Its height, 

 rarely more than 30 or 60 ft., is not as re- 

 markable as its great spread of branches. Its 

 massive trunk is sometimes 6 or 8 ft. in diame- 

 ter and usually divides near the ground into 

 a few great branches, which sometimes reach, 

 out horizontally from 50 to 75 ft. — a greater 

 distance than those of any other American 

 tree. Visitors to the coast regions of the South- 

 ern States are always impressed with these great 

 and beautiful trees. After contemplating them 

 one can hardly realize that tlie same species 

 is found (in var. minima) on sandy barrens 

 near the cost of Florida as a shrub bearing 

 fruit when no more than 1 ft. in height. 



Our bark picture, while it shows nicely the 

 characteristic bark of the species, tells also 

 the story of a long struggle for existence, 

 which the tree had had with a gigantic Grape- 

 vine, and the final victory of the Oak. 



The wood of the Live Oak, of which a cubic 

 foot when absolutely dry weighs 59.21 lbs., 

 is so hard and difficult to work as not to be 

 extensively used now-a-days, though it was 

 once highly valued for ship-building before 

 iron was substituted for that purpose, and 

 Congress, in its early sessions, enacted laws 

 for perpetuating the supply.^ 



Leaves evergi'een, very thick and coriaceous, 

 obovate-oblanceolate to oblong, mostly rounded at 

 apex and wedge-shaped at base with entire revo- 

 lute margins (rarely spinose-dentate above the 

 middle), shining darls green above, whitish pubes- 

 cent beneath, falling with the appearance of new 

 leaves in the spring. Fruit with unusually long 

 peduncles 1-.5 acorns to each peduncle ; acorns 

 small lustrous dark brown, ovoid to obovoid and 

 one-third covered by the tbin turbinate boary- 

 tomentose cup with small appressed scales ; seed 

 sweet. 



1. Syn. Quercus virens -Vit. 



2. A. W., V, 117. 



