Part 11

The LEAVES are simple, persistent, thick, leathery, oblong, smooth above, pale and silvery white beneath; from 2 to 4 inches in length and 1 to 2 inches in breadth.

The FRUIT is an acorn about 1 inch long and ⅓ inch wide, borne on a long stem or peduncle; it is oblong, dark brown and lustrous, and set in a top-shaped, downy cup of a light reddish-brown color. The acorn matures at the end of the first season.

The WOOD is very heavy, hard, strong and tough, light brown or yellow, with nearly white, thin sapwood. It was formerly largely used in ship building.

MOHRS OAK (Shin Oak) Quercus mohriana Buckl.

Over a wide section of Central Texas, on inferior soils, are found four or more species of “shin” oaks, so called from their low-growing bushy habit. Mature trees vary from 3 to 18 feet high. These are considerably alike in foliage and fruit. The “oak shinneries” form a forest cover in Central Texas that affords watershed protection on the head waters of some of the state’s main rivers.

The tree has a thin, pale-colored BARK, rough, with deep furrows running up and down the tree.

The deciduous LEAVES of the above small-tree species of shin oak are elliptical, pointed or rounded at the end, smooth or wavy or sometimes lobed or slightly toothed along the margin. They are thick, gray-green, dense hairy beneath, about 3 inches long by 1 inch wide.

The acorns, or FRUIT, occur solitarily or in pairs, on very short peduncles, and mature in one season. They are small, deeply enclosed in a relatively heavy cup, thin toward the outer end.

The WOOD of Mohrs oak is not of economic importance.

DURAND OAK (Durand White Oak) Quercus durandii Buckl.

This oak is found on the well-drained soil of river bottoms from the coast region of East Texas to the bottoms of the Guadalupe River (Victoria County) and inland to San Saba County, and the Dallas area.

It forms a tree 60 to 90 feet high with a tall trunk 2 to 3 feet in diameter; comparatively small branches, the lower horizontal, the upper ascending, forming a dense, round-topped, handsome head.

The BARK is thin, light gray or nearly white and broken into loose appressed scales.

The deciduous LEAVES are 2½ to 7 inches long, yellow-green, thin, smooth on the edges, three-lobed toward the tip, or irregularly lobed, the three forms appearing on different branches of the same tree.

The FRUIT, an acorn, solitary or in pairs on a very short peduncle, is nearly egg-shaped, pale chestnut-brown, shinning, ½ to ¾ inch long, and barely enclosed at the base in the thin saucer-shaped cup. The acorn matures in one season.

The WOOD is hard and heavy and is used largely as fuel.

WHITE OAK Quercus alba L.

Within its natural range, which includes practically the entire eastern half of the United States, the white oak is one of the most important timber trees. Found in East Texas to the Brazos River, it commonly reaches a height of 80 feet and a diameter of 3 feet. It is found on high quality soils. Grown in a dense stand it has a long, straight trunk, free of side branches for over half of its height. In the open, it develops a short trunk and broad crown with far-reaching limbs.

The BARK is thin, light ashy gray and covered with loose scales or broad plates.

The deciduous LEAVES are alternate, simple, 5 to 9 inches long and about half as broad. They are deeply divided into 5 to 9 rounded, finger-like lobes. The young leaves are a soft silvery-gray or yellow or red while unfolding, later becoming bright green and lustrous or dull above and much paler and glaucous below. The FRUIT, an acorn maturing in one season, is ¾ to 1 inch long, light brown, and about one-fourth enclosed in a warty cup. The acorn is relished by hogs and other livestock.

The WOOD is heavy, strong, hard, tough, close-grained, durable, and light brown in color. The uses are many, including construction, watertight barrels, furniture, wagons, implements, interior finish, flooring, and fuel. Although white oak is slow growing, it is valuable for forest, highway and ornamental planting.

POST OAK Quercus stellata Wangenh.

Post oak of Texas is usually a medium-sized tree, with a rounded crown, commonly reaching a height of 50 feet and a diameter of 1 foot, but sometimes considerably larger. It is the common oak in Central Texas and occurs frequently in East Texas. It occurs most abundantly on the poorer upland soils that have poor drainage.

The deciduous LEAVES are usually 4 to 5 inches long and nearly as broad, deeply five-lobed with broad rounded divisions, the lobes broadest at the ends. They are thick and somewhat leathery, dark green and shiny on the upper surface, lighter green and rough hairy beneath.

The FLOWERS, like those of the other oaks, are of two kinds on the same tree, the male in drooping clustered catkins, the female inconspicuous. The FRUIT, an oval acorn ½ to 1 inch long, is set in a rather small cup which has thin scales and may or may not be stalked. The fruit matures in one season.

The WOOD is heavy, hard, close-grained, light to dark brown, and durable in contact with the soil. It is used for crossties and fence posts, and occasionally for furniture and lumber.

Aside from the typical form, two varieties are found in the state. The variety margaretta (Ashe) Sarg. is the common post oak of eastern Texas.

BUR OAK (Mossy-Cup Oak) Quercus macrocarpa Michx.