f university or California,^ 
OAKLAND, MAR.CH 12, l87 6* 
dearooctor, 
YOUR CUPULIFEROUS LETTER CAME YESTERDAY, HAVING EVI- 
ENTLY been snow-bound on its way. I DEFERRED REPLYING TO YOUR FORMER 
NE in HOPES OF THE WEATHER ALLOWING ME TO GO A LITTLE FARTHER FROM 
OME TO LOOK INTO THE LESS USUAL FORMS OF OUR COMMON OAK HERE — DOUBT- 
LESS THE ••LIVE OAK^* YOU INOUIRE FOR, AND THE ONLY ONE WITHIN MY I MME- 
r fATE REACH, I HAVE TAKEN TO BE ^1 , THE OAK OF OAK- 
LAND, OF ALL THE LEVEL LANDS AND MOST , OF THE "'l SLANDS AND CANONS ON THE 
bay, and also of the INTERIOR PLAINS, I, E. OF THE LOWER SACRAMENTO 
4ND SAN JOAGUIN VALLEYS. OCCUPIES ALL THE NORTHWARD SLOPES OF THE CAN- 
ONS, LARGELY IN THE SHRUBBY FORM , MAKING A KIND OF THICKET OR CHAPPA- 
RAL WHERE THE GROUND IS POOR OR MUCH EXPOSED TO SUN & WIND. ON THE LOW 
grounds IT FORMS STOUT TREES WITH SHORT TRUNK, SAY 6 TO TWELVE FEET ON M 
an average, dividing INTO FEW, LONG CROOKED LIMBS BUT LITTLE ABOVE THE 
horizontal, WITH FOLIAGE CROWDED NEAR THE END OF THE LIMBS AND FORMING 
A FLATTENED OR HEMISPHERICAL TOP, SHARPLY DEFINED, AND RARELY OVER 24 
TO 30 FEET HIGH. ALTOGETHER LOOKING MORE LIKE OLD ORCHARDS IN THE LAND- 
SCAPE, THAN LIKE AN OAK FOREST. THE TOPS OF THE ATLANTIC LIVE OAK LOOK 
MORE STRAGGLING, AND NOT SO MUCH AS IF THEY HAD BEEN TRIMMED WITH HEDGE 
SHEARS ; OTHERWISE THEY ARE A GOOD DEAL ALIKE IN GENERAL HABIT. I I N- 
CLOSe|sOME OF THE LEAF FORMS. OLD TREES ARE MORE INCLINED TO HAVE THE 
ENTI reform; YOUNG ONES AS WELL AS THE SHRUBBY VARIETIES SjlfOMETlMES SEEM 
V TO ATTEMPT TO APPRO/^ O. GARRYANA, THE BORDER BECOMING STRONGLY UNDU- 
LATE SO AS TO APPEAR LOBED AT FIRST SIGHT. 
the ONLY OTHER FORM SIMILAR TO TM 1 3^1 S THE ONE OF WHICH I INCLOSE 
^ ^ A SPRIG^ AT LEAST THEY SAY IT IS AN OAK; IT IS PLANTED FOR HEDGES; I 
HAVE NEVER SEEN IT IN BLOOM OR FRUIT. — THE ACORN OF THE LIVE OAK IS 
VERY POINTEDLY CONICAL, THE CUP QUITE SHALLOW. 
THE NEAREST PLACE TO THIS WHERE I HAVE SEEN Q. GARRYANA^ IS THE. 
SONOMA VALLEY. THERE IT GROWS ALONGSIDE OF G. SONOMENSIS — THE BLACK OAK 
— AND WHAT I SUPPOSE TO BE Q. LOBATA.THE LATTER IS DISTINGUISHABLE AT 
A DISTANCE BY THE |4UGE GALLSW I Th IvH I CH IT IS MOSTLY BESET, AND I INSTINB- 
TIVELY CALLED IT** POST OAK»*,' WHICH IN HABIT IT MOST RESEMBLES. I 00 
NOT REMEMBER SEEING ANY SHRUBBY FORM OF LOBATA IN THE VALLEY — PERHAPS, 
LIKE THE POST OAK, IT REQUIRES A PECULIAR SOIL TO PRODUCE^HE DWARF. 
ON THE WESTERN SLOPE OF THE SIERRA NEVADA, I HAVE SEEN WHAT I TAKE 
TO BE 0. GARRYANA,F ^ORMI NG S HRUBS FROM 6 .JO 8 FT. HIGH, SEEMINGLY ADULT. 
