LIMBER PINE (Rocky Mountain White Pine)
Pinus flexilis var. flexilis James
Limber pine is abundant in the Rocky Mountains and in scattered areas
over much of the West. In Texas, limber pine may be found in the
Guadalupe and Davis Mountains of West Texas.
As the name indicates, the branches and twigs are especially flexible
and tough, often light purple in color. The branches form a rounded tree
top or head. The trunk is stout and noticeably tapered.
The needle-like LEAVES are in clusters of five. They are stiff and
stout, about 2 to 3 inches long, and arranged in clusters or tufts near
the ends of the branches. They stay on the twig for five or six years.
[Illustration: LIMBER PINE (Fruit and leaves, one-third natural size)]
The “FRUIT”, a cone, is relatively short or stocky, mostly from 3 to 6
inches long, made up of rounded rather thick scales, some turned forward
and some backward. The cone is short-stalked. As with all the pines, the
seeds mature at the end of the second season of growth.
The WOOD is relatively soft, close-grained, slightly yellowish or
reddish. It is not cut in quantity and the trees are usually rather
limby and short-bodied, which largely accounts for the small commercial
use.
PINYON (Nut Pine)
Pinus edulis Engelm.
Pinyon is found as scattered trees or in small groves over the mountains
and canyons in the western part of the state to elevations of 8,000
feet. It is a small tree, grows on warm slopes or in sheltered
locations, and forms a bushy top with orange-colored branchlets.
The needle-like LEAVES grow in bundles of two (rarely 3); whereas in
Pinus cembroides Zucc., the Mexican Pinyon, there are usually three
needles per cluster. The dark green needles are approximately one inch
long, stiff, stout, and curved. They remain on the tree from 5 to 8
years.
[Illustration: PINYON (Natural size)]
Like all the pines, it has male and female “FLOWERS” separate on the
same tree. The “FRUIT”, a cone, is rounded, about 1 to 2 inches across,
and produces large seeds or “nuts”, from ½ to ¾ inch long. The seeds are
rich in food value and form an important article of diet for the
Indians. The seeds are gathered and sold widely as fancy “nuts” in many
larger towns and cities.
The WOOD is light, soft, close-grained, and pale brown, used for fuel
and sometimes as fencing. A close relative P. cembroides is found
scattered in the Texas cedar breaks.
PONDEROSA PINE (Western Yellow Pine)
Pinus ponderosa Laws.
Ponderosa pine is the most important commercial pine of the Southwest
and many parts of the Rocky Mountain region. It reaches the southeastern
limit of its range in the Guadalupe and Davis Mountains of West Texas
where it is scattered and of little commercial value. It is favored as
an ornamental in the Texas Panhandle.
[Illustration: PONDEROSA PINE (Fruit and leaves, one-half natural size)]
The needle-like LEAVES are in bundles of three and are mostly 5 to 8
inches long. The needles, massed toward the ends of naked branches,
remain on the tree about 3 years.
The “FRUIT”, a short-stalked cone, is oval-shaped, reddish-brown, and
armed with stout recurved prickles.
The WOOD of this species, from trees in the commercial part of its
range, is of excellent quality for lumber. The wood is hard, strong, and
rather fine grained. The heartwood is light reddish-white and the
sapwood nearly white. Lumber from this tree is widely used for house
construction and furniture.
LOBLOLLY PINE
Pinus taeda L.
This fast-growing yellow pine is the most abundant and valuable species
in Southeast Texas from Orange County west to Walker and Waller
Counties. The species is also abundant northward to the Oklahoma line.
Loblolly pine also constitutes the pine of the “Lost Pine Region” in the
vicinity of Bastrop.
[Illustration: LOBLOLLY PINE (Fruit and leaves, one-half natural size)]
Loblolly invades abandoned fields rapidly. For this reason it is often
called old field pine. In the virgin forest of Texas, loblolly pine was
most common along banks of streams. It is still the dominant pine on
moist sites, but may also be found in relatively dry sites.
The dark-colored BARK is deeply furrowed and often attains a thickness
of as much as 2 inches on large-sized trees. The needle-like LEAVES, 6
to 9 inches long, are borne three (occasionally two) in a cluster. In
the spring bright green clumps of needles grow at the end of branches
and give the tree a luxuriant appearance. The “FRUIT”, a cone, ripens in
the autumn of the second year and is 3 to 5 inches long. Many seeds with
wings an inch long are shed during the fall and early winter.
The resinous WOOD is coarse-grained. There is marked contrast, as in
other yellow pines, between the bands of springwood and summerwood. The
wood of second-growth trees has a wide range of uses such as building
material, box shooks, barrel staves, basket veneers, pulpwood, lath,
mine props, piling, and fuel.
SHORTLEAF PINE (Yellow Pine)
Pinus echinata Mill.
Shortleaf pine is an important pine over a wide area in Northeast Texas,
and is common in other parts of the “Piney Woods.” Essentially a tree of
the hilly section, growing in pure stands and in mixture with hardwoods,
the mature tree has a tall straight stem and an oval crown, reaching a
height of about 100 feet and a diameter of about 2½ feet. Unlike other
southern pines, young shortleaf pine trees may reproduce by sprouts when
cut or burned back.
[Illustration: SHORTLEAF PINE (Fruit, natural size; leaves, two-thirds
natural size)]
The BARK is brownish-red, broken into rectangular plates; it is thinner
and lighter-colored than that of loblolly pine.
The needle-like LEAVES are in clusters of two or three (3 to 5 inches
long), slender, flexible, and dark blue-green. The “FRUIT”, a cone, or
bur, the smallest of the Texas pines, are 1½ to 2½ inches long, oblong,
with small sharp prickles; are generally clustered, and often hold to
the twigs for 3 or 4 years. The small mottled seeds have a wing which is
broadest near the center.
The WOOD of old trees is rather heavy and hard, yellow-brown or orange,
fine-grained, and less resinous than that of the other important
Southern pines. It is used for finishing, general construction, veneers,
paper pulp, excelsior, cooperage, mine props, and other purposes.
LONGLEAF PINE
Pinus palustris Mill.
Young longleaf pine with its single upright stem, candle-like silvery
buds, and long, shiny leaves form a handsome tree. In later youth the
stalwart, sparingly-branched sapling, with heavy twigs and gray bark,
attracts immediate attention. Mature trees have tall, straight trunks,
1-3 feet in diameter and open irregular crowns.
Longleaf pine grows in sandy soils from Orange County, north to Sabine
County and west to Trinity County. A hybrid cross between longleaf and
loblolly pine is often found in this range and is known as Sonderegger
pine.
[Illustration: LONGLEAF PINE (Fruit and leaves, one-third natural size)]
The needle-like LEAVES are grey-green, from 10 to 15 inches long, in
clusters of three, and gathered toward the ends of the thick, scaly,
twigs. The “FLOWERS”, appearing in early spring before the new leaves,
are a deep rose-purple, the male in prominent, short, dense clusters and
the female in inconspicuous groups of two to four. Unlike other Southern
pines, common to Texas, this species grows in a “grass” stage for 2 to 5
years during which time it resembles a clump of grass. Once longleaf
pine starts its height growth, it grows rapidly.
The “FRUIT”, a cone bur, is 6 to 10 inches long, and slightly curved,
the thick scales armed with small curved prickles. The cones usually
fall soon after the seed ripens, leaving their bases attached to the
twigs.
The WOOD is heavy, hard, strong, tough and durable. It is used for
construction. Naval stores such as turpentine and rosin are obtained
from the tree.
SLASH PINE
Pinus elliottii var. elliottii
Slash pine is not a native of Texas, its natural range in the United
States being along the coast from South Carolina to eastern Louisiana.
The initial planting of slash pine in East Texas was made on the E. O.
Siecke State Forest near Kirbyville in 1926. It has been widely planted
in East Texas, and has been so successful in its growth and adaptability
to the region that it is now accepted as a forest tree of the State. It
is much favored for reforestation by planting because of its exceedingly
rapid height growth, good survival, and comparative freedom from
tip-moth damage.
[Illustration: SLASH PINE (One-half natural size)]
In its native habitat a mature tree ranges to 100 feet high, with a
roundtopped head and a trunk 1 to 3 feet in diameter.
The BARK ranges in thickness from ¾ to 1 inch, separating freely on the
surface into large thin scales.
The needle-like LEAVES occur in clusters of 2 and 3, are from 8 to 12
inches long, and lustrous. The “FLOWERS” appear in late winter, the male
dark purple, the female pink, the “FRUIT”, a cone usually 4 to 6 inches
long, is brown and glossy, the thin scales armed with fine prickles.
Slash pine WOOD is exceedingly hard, very strong, durable, coarse
grained, rich, dark orange color, with thick, nearly white sapwood. In
this respect it is similar to longleaf, being sold as such, and used for
the same purpose. Naval stores, lumber, pulpwood and other products can
be produced from this tree.
DOUGLAS-FIR
Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Belssn.) Franco
This valuable timber tree of the western United States reaches its
extreme southeastern limit in the mountains of West Texas. It is a small
tree locally but in the Pacific Northwest Douglas-fir reaches a height
of 250 feet and a diameter of 10 to 12 feet.
The needle-like LEAVES are linear, more or less flattened, about an inch
in length, bluish green, and arranged closely in spirals around the
stem. They remain on the twigs for many years. The buds are a rich
reddish-brown and pointed.
[Illustration: DOUGLAS-FIR (Fruit and leaves, one-half natural size)]
The “FRUIT”, a cone, unlike that of true firs, hangs downward and is
easily identified by the protruding bracts, or “straws.” The mature
cones are 2 to 4 inches long, and brownish-red.
The WOOD is moderately light, reddish tinted and surrounded by nearly
white sapwood. It varies widely in respect to density, quality and width
of sapwood. Much high grade plywood is made from this species. Young
Douglas-firs are sold as Christmas trees.
BALDCYPRESS
Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.
Baldcypress grows in swamps which are flooded for prolonged periods, and
on wet stream banks and bottomlands. It occurs in East Texas west to the
Nueces River. The straight trunk has numerous ascending branches, and
narrow conical outline. In old age the tree generally has a broad
fluted, or buttressed base, a smooth slowly tapering trunk and a broad,
open, flat top of a few heavy branches and numerous small branchlets.
Virgin-growth timber attains heights up to 130 feet and diameters up to
10 feet.
[Illustration: BALDCYPRESS (Cone and leaves, seven-eighths natural size)]
The BARK is silvery to cinnamon-red, finely divided by numerous
longitudinal fissures. The light green LEAVES about ½ to ¾ inch long,
are arranged in feather-like fashion along two sides of small branchlets
which fall in the autumn with the leaves still attached.
The “FRUIT”, a rounded cone, is about one inch in diameter, with thick
irregular scales.
The WOOD is light, soft, easily worked, with a light sap wood and
dark-brown heartwood. It is particularly durable in contact with the
soil. Cypress is in demand for exterior trim of buildings, greenhouse
planking, boat and ship building, shingles, posts, poles, and crossties.
ASHE JUNIPER (Mexican Juniper--Mountain Cedar)
Juniperus ashei Buchholz
In Central and West Texas are found no less than nine species of cedars
or junipers, including one eastern, one southern, and seven western
species. Of these, the most abundant and important is the Mexican
juniper. This tree often forms extensive low forests or dense breaks on
the limestone hills and slopes of the Edwards Plateau and Grand Prairie.
[Illustration: ASHE JUNIPER (Berry-like fruit and leaves, two-thirds
natural size)]
The trunk is covered with shreddy, brown or reddish-brown BARK. The
LEAVES are dark blue-green, small, opposite or arranged in 3’s, scale
like, blunt pointed, and fringed with minute teeth. On vigorous young
plants the leaves are sharp pointed and longer, up to ½ inch long.
The “FRUIT”, a nearly round, dark blue, berry-like cone is covered with
glaucous bloom; has a thin, pleasant-scented, sweet flesh, enclosing 1
or 2 seeds; and ripens in one season.
The WOOD is light, hard, light brown, close-grained but weak. It is
extensively used for fence posts and fuel. The tree is sometimes planted
as an ornamental.
EASTERN REDCEDAR
Juniperus virginiana L.
Redcedar is scattered through East Texas, usually on gravelly ridges and
rocky hillsides of the uplands.
There are two kinds of LEAVES, usually both on the same tree. The most
common is dark green, minute, and scale-like, clasping the twig in four
ranks, so that the twig appears square. The other kind, usually
appearing on young growth, or vigorous shoots, is awl-shaped, quite
sharp-pointed, spreading, and whitened.
The BARK is thin, reddish-brown, turning ashy-gray on exposed surfaces,
and peels off in long shred-like strips. The trunk is usually more or
less grooved.
The male and female FLOWERS blooming in February or March, are at the
end of minute twigs on separate trees.
The “FRUIT” which matures in one season is pale blue, ¼ inch in
diameter, and berry-like, the sweet flesh enclosing one or two seeds.
[Illustration: EASTERN REDCEDAR (Fruit and leaves, three-fourths natural
size)]
The HEARTWOOD is distinctly red, and the sapwood white, this color
combination making very striking effects when finished as cedar chests,
closets, and interior woodwork. The wood is aromatic, soft, strong, and
of even texture, very durable in contact with the soil, and in great
demand for posts, poles, and rustic work.
Since redcedar spreads the cedar-rust of apples, it is inadvisable to
plant this tree in or near orchards, or anywhere in regions devoted to
commercial apple production.
BLACK WALNUT
Juglans nigra L.
This valuable forest tree occurs on rich bottomlands and moist fertile
hillsides as far west as the San Antonio River. It may attain a height
of nearly 100 feet with a straight stem, clear of branches for half of
its height.
The BARK is thick, dark brown in color, and divided by rather deep
fissures into rounded ridges.
The LEAVES are alternate, compound, 1 to 2 feet long, consisting of from
15 to 23 leaflets of a yellowish-green color. The leaflets are about 3
inches long, extremely tapering at the end, and toothed along the
margin.
[Illustration: BLACK WALNUT (Leaf, one-fifth natural size; fruit,
one-fourth natural size; twig, about natural size)]
The FRUIT is a nut, borne singly or in pairs, and enclosed in a solid
green husk which does not split open, even after the nut is ripe. The
nut itself is black with a very hard, thick, finely ridged shell,
enclosing a rich, oily, edible kernel.
The HEARTWOOD is heavy, hard and strong. Its rich chocolate-brown color,
freedom from warping, and checking, susceptibility to a high polish, and
durability make it highly prized for furniture and cabinet work and
gunstocks. Walnut is easily propagated from the nuts, and should be more
widely planted and grown for timber and nuts.
LITTLE WALNUT or TEXAS WALNUT (Juglans microcarpa Berlandier) is found
on limestone banks of streams in western Texas. The stumps supply a
beautiful veneer.
PECAN
Carya illinoensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch
Pecan, the “State tree” of Texas, is found native in the state from the
Piney Woods west throughout Central Texas, centering in the watershed of
the Colorado River. It makes an excellent shade tree and is very
valuable for the nut crop it bears. Many varieties are planted in
orchards. The pecan is a tall-growing tree, attaining heights of over
100 feet. When grown in the open it forms a large, rounded, symmetrical
top.
The outer BARK is rough, hard, tight, but broken into scales; on the
limbs it is smooth at first but later tends to scale or divide as the
bark grows old.
The LEAVES resemble those of the other hickories and the black walnut.
They are made up of 9 to 17 leaflets, each oblong, toothed and
long-pointed, and 4 to 8 inches long by about 2 inches wide.
[Illustration: PECAN (Leaf, one-sixth natural size; fruit, one-third
natural size)]
The FLOWERS appear in early spring and hang in tassels from 2 to 3
inches long. The FRUIT is a nut 1 to 2 inches long, and ½ to 1 inch in
diameter, in a thin husk which opens along its grooved seams when the
fruit ripens in the fall. The nuts vary in size and thickness of shell.
Cultivated varieties are sold on the market in large quantities.
The WOOD is heavy, hard, brittle, not strong, and of little value except
for fuel and wagon stock. Some wood is satisfactory for making softball
bats.
BITTERNUT HICKORY (Pignut)
Carya cordiformis (Wangenh.) K. Koch
Bitternut, the only hickory with bright yellow buds, is a tall slender
tree with a broad pyramidal crown, attaining a height of 100 feet and a
diameter of 2 to 3 feet. It is found in the eastern part of the state on
moist rich soils, and is not abundant.
The BARK on the trunk is granite-gray, faintly tinged with yellow, less
rough than in most hickories, yet broken into thin, plate-like scales.
[Illustration: BITTERNUT HICKORY (Twig, one-half natural size; leaf and
fruit, one-third natural size)]
The bright yellow winter BUDS are compressed and scurfy. The LEAVES are
alternate, compound, from 6 to 10 inches long, and composed of 5 to 11
leaflets. The individual leaflets are smaller and more slender than
those of the other hickories.
The male and female FLOWERS are on the same tree. The FRUIT is about 1
inch long and thin-husked, while the nut has a thin, smoothish, gray,
brittle shell. The kernel is bitter.
The WOOD is hard, strong, and heavy; reddish-brown in color, and often
called red hickory. It has the same uses as the other hickories but is
said to be inferior.
WATER HICKORY
Carya aquatica (Michx. f.) Nutt.
This tree, as its name indicates, grows in bottomlands and rich, wet
woods. It is found throughout the eastern portion of the state. It is
not a large hickory, seldom attaining a height of 100 feet or a diameter
of 2 feet. It is slender, with upright branches forming a narrow head.
It is easily distinguished from other hickories by its reddish-brown
winter buds which are covered with yellow glands that fall off easily.
[Illustration: WATER HICKORY (Fruit and twig, two-thirds natural size;
leaf, one-fourth natural size)]
The light brown BARK separates freely into long, loose, thick,
plate-like scales.
LEAVES are alternate, compound, 9 to 15 inches long, with 7 to 13
slender leaflets. The FLOWERS are like those of other hickories. The
FRUIT, often borne in clusters of 3 or 4, is a rather oblong nut,
conspicuously four-angled, with a thin, red-brown hull that splits
tardily. The nut itself is nearly as broad as long, four-angled and
ridged, with a thin shell and bitter kernel.
The WOOD is heavy, strong, close grained, brown, and rather brittle.
Probably used only for fuel.
SHAGBARK HICKORY
Carya ovata (Mill.) K. Koch
Shagbark hickory is found from eastern Texas to Florida and north to the
St. Lawrence River and Minnesota. It is a large tree of commercial
importance reaching 100 feet in height and 2 to 3 feet in diameter. It
thrives best on rich, damp soil.
The BARK of the trunk is rougher than on other hickories, light gray and
separating into thick plates which are only slightly attached to the
tree. The large terminal winter buds are egg-shaped, the persistent
outer bud-scales having narrow tips.
[Illustration: SHAGBARK HICKORY (Leaf, one-third natural size; twig,
one-half natural size; fruit, one-fourth natural size)]
The LEAVES are alternate, compound, from 8 to 15 inches long and
composed of 5, rarely 7, obovate to ovate leaflets. The twigs are smooth
or clothed with short hairs.
The male and female FLOWERS open after the leaves have attained nearly
full size.
The FRUIT is borne singly or in pairs and is globular. The husk is thick
and deeply grooved at the seams. The nut is pale, the shell thin, and
the kernel sweet. It is sold in commercial quantities.
The WOOD is heavy, hard, tough, and strong. It is used in the
manufacture of agricultural implements, tool handles, wagons, and sports
equipment.
MOCKERNUT HICKORY
Carya tomentosa Nutt.
Mockernut, white, or bigbud hickory, is common on well-drained soils in
the eastern part of the state. It is a short-limbed tree up to 60 feet
high and 1 to 2 feet in diameter.
The BARK is dark gray, hard, closely and deeply furrowed, often
apparently cross-furrowed or netted. The winter BUDS are large, round or
broadly egg-shaped, and covered with downy, hard scales. The outer, dark
scales fall off readily in the autumn. The recent shoots are short,
stout and more or less covered with a downy growth.
The LEAVES are large, strong-scented, and hairy; composed of 7 to 9
obovate to oblong, pointed leaflets pale to orange-brown on the lower
surface. The leaves turn a beautiful yellow in the fall.
[Illustration: MOCKERNUT HICKORY (Leaf, one-fifth natural size; twig,
two-thirds natural size; fruit, one-third natural size)]
The FLOWERS are of two kinds on the same tree; the male in
three-branched catkins, the female in clusters of 2 to 5. The FRUIT is
oval, nearly round or slightly pear-shaped with a very thick,
strong-scented husk which splits nearly to the base when ripe. The nut
sometimes has 4 to 6 ridges; is reddish-brown, thick shelled, and has a
small, sweet kernel.
The WOOD is heavy, hard, tough, and strong. It is white except for the
comparatively small, dark-brown heart, hence the name white hickory. It
is used for the same purpose as shagbark hickory and makes an excellent
fuel.
BLACK HICKORY
Carya texana Buckl.
This is a common hickory in northern and eastern Texas, growing on
hillsides and sandy uplands with post and black jack oaks. It is
distinguished by its rusty brown hairs found on the young leaves and
branches. It forms a tree 60 to 75 feet high, with a trunk 2 feet in
diameter.
[Illustration: BLACK HICKORY (Leaf, one-fourth natural size; fruit,
one-third natural size; twig, three-fourths natural size)]
The BARK is dark gray or nearly black, deeply divided into rough ridges,
or it may be irregularly fissured and separated into thin scales. The
winter buds are ovoid and covered with rusty hairs mixed with silvery
scales.
The LEAVES, 8 to 12 inches long with 5 to 7, usually 7, leaflets and
rusty-hairy slender petioles, are dark green, lustrous above; much paler
beneath. The FLOWERS are similar to other hickories.
The FRUIT is obovoid, narrow, or abruptly contracted into a short stalk
at the base, with a husk ¹/₁₂ to ⅙ inch thick, splitting to the middle
or nearly to the base. The sweet-seeded nut is nearly obovoid to oblong,
rounded at the ends, compressed and slightly four-angled, with a shell ⅙
to ⅕ inch thick.
The hard, brittle WOOD is used chiefly for fuel.
CORKWOOD
Leitneria floridana Chapm.
This lightest of all native woods in the United States grows in river
swamps near the Gulf, about the mouth of the Brazos River. It is a small
tree reaching a height of 20 feet, or a shrub, depending upon the
location and natural conditions. The base is usually swollen. The
straight, gradually tapering trunk is crowned with a loose, open-topped
head. The young branchlets are coated with hairs which later drop,
leaving a smooth, dark, red-brown stem.
[Illustration: CORKWOOD (Leaf, one-half natural size; fruit and winter
twig, natural size)]
The simple, alternate LEAVES are from 4 to 6 inches long and about 2
inches wide, borne on petioles 1 or 2 inches long. The leaves are shiny
above.
The FLOWERS are in catkins of two kinds or sexes, the male about 1½
inches long, the female about ¾ inch long. Both kinds are borne on the
same tree and appear about the first of March. The FRUIT is solitary or
in clusters of 2 to 4, each about ½ to ¾ inch long, and ripens when the
leaves are about one-half grown. The WOOD is soft, exceedingly light,
generally uniform in texture and of a pale yellow color. It is used as a
substitute for cork for floats on fishing nets.
EASTERN COTTONWOOD
Populus deltoides (Bartr.)
This cottonwood is found along streams throughout the state. The tree is
easily propagated by cutting and grows rapidly, hence it has been widely
planted to get shade quickly. The tree is often unsatisfactory for shade
because it begins to shed its leaves by midsummer. The cotton-bearing
seeds from the pistillate tree are often a nuisance. The soft wood is
easily broken by winds; and the rank growth of the roots often results
in stopping drain pipes and cracking and lifting sidewalks.
[Illustration: EASTERN COTTONWOOD (Leaf, one-half natural size; twig,
one-third natural size)]
The LEAVES are simple, alternate, broadly ovate or triangular, pointed,
square at the base, and coarsely toothed on the edges, 3 to 5 inches
across each way, covered with soft white hairs on the under side,
supported by flattened slender petioles, 2 to 3 inches long. The winter
buds are covered with chestnut-brown, resinous scales. The male and
female FLOWERS are in catkins on separate trees and appear before the
leaves. The FRUIT, a capsule, contains a number of seed with white silky
hairs which permit the winds to carry the seed for long distances.
The WOOD is soft, light-weight, warps easily upon drying, but is used
for many purposes, sometimes as a substitute for yellow poplar and
linden.
Three other species of Southern cottonwood occur in western Texas. One
species, P. sargentii Dode, which has long pointed leaves, is found in
the Panhandle.
BLACK WILLOW
Salix nigra Marsh.
Black willow is found along streams throughout the state. It rarely
grows taller than 50 feet and is frequently found growing singly or in
clumps along the water courses. In winter the easily separable bright
reddish-brown or golden, naked twigs are quite conspicuous.
The BARK is deeply divided into broad, flat ridges which separate into
thick plate-like scales. On old trees it becomes shaggy. In color it
varies from light brown tinged with orange, to nearly black.
The LEAVES are from 3 to 6 inches long, and less than ½ inch wide; the
tips are greatly tapered and the entire margin finely toothed. The
leaves are bright green on both sides, turning pale yellow in the early
autumn.
The FLOWERS are in catkins, the male and female on separate trees.
The FRUIT is a capsule containing numerous minute seeds with long silky
hairs which enable them to be blown long distances.
[Illustration: BLACK WILLOW (Leaf, two-thirds natural size; fruit and
twig, natural size)]
The WOOD is soft, light, and not strong. A high grade of charcoal, used
in the manufacture of gunpowder, is obtained from willow wood, and it is
the chief wood used in manufacture of artificial limbs.
AMERICAN HORNBEAM (Blue Beech)
Carpinus caroliniana Walt.
American hornbeam or blue beech, also known as ironwood and water beech,
is a small slow-growing, bushy tree with a spreading top of slender,
crooked or drooping branches. It is found along streams and in low
ground, usually in the shade of other trees. Its height is usually from
20 to 30 feet and its diameter 4 to 8 inches, although it sometimes
grows larger.
[Illustration: AMERICAN HORNBEAM (Leaf and fruit, one-half natural size;
twig, natural size)]
The TRUNK is fluted with irregular ridges or “muscles” extending up and
down the tree. The BARK is smooth, light brownish-gray to dark
bluish-gray in color, sometimes marked with dark bands extending
horizontally on the trunk.
The LEAVES are simple, alternate, oval, long-pointed, doubly toothed
along the margin, and 1 to 3 inches long. They resemble those of the
black or sweet birch, but are smaller.
The FLOWERS are borne in catkins separately on the same tree; the male
catkin about 1½ inches long, the female, about ¾ of an inch, with small,
leaf-like, three-lobed green scales. The FRUIT is a nutlet about ⅓ inch
long. It falls, attached to the leaf-like scale which acts as a wing
aiding its distribution by the wind.
The WOOD is tough, close-grained, heavy, and strong. It is sometimes
selected for use for levers, tool handles, wooden cogs, mallets, wedges,
etc. The tree is of little commercial importance and often occupies
space in the woods that should be utilized by more valuable species.
EASTERN HOPHORNBEAM (Ironwood)
Ostrya virginiana (Mill.) K. Koch
The tree gets its common names from the qualities of its wood and the
hop-like fruit. It is a small, slender, generally round-topped tree,
from 20 to 30 feet high and 7 to 10 inches in diameter. The top consists
of long slender branches, commonly drooping toward the ends. It is found
mostly on rather dry soils throughout the uplands of the eastern part of
the state.
The BARK is mostly light, gray-brown, or reddish-brown, and finely
divided into thin scales.
[Illustration: EASTERN HOPHORNBEAM (Twig, three-fifths natural size;
leaf and fruit, one-half natural size)]
The LEAVES are simple, alternate, generally oblong with narrow tips,
sharply doubly toothed along the margin, and from 2 to 3 inches long.
The FLOWERS are of two kinds on the same tree; the male, in drooping
catkins which form the previous summer, the female, in erect catkins on
the newly formed twigs. The FRUIT, which resembles that of the common
hop vines, consists of a branch of leafy bracts 1 to 2 inches long
containing a number of flattened ribbed nutlets.
The WOOD, strong, hard, durable, light brown to white, with thick, pale
sapwood, is often used for handles of tools, mallets, and other small
articles.
RIVER BIRCH (Red Birch)
Betula nigra L.
This is the only native birch found at low elevations in the South. It
occurs in East Texas and, as the name implies, in the deep, rich soils
along the borders of streams, ponds, lakes, and swamps.
The BARK provides a ready means of identifying this tree. It varies from
reddish-brown to cinnamon-red in color, and peels back in tough papery
layers. These layers persist on the trunk, presenting a very ragged and
quite distinctive appearance. Unlike the bark of other birches the thin
paper layers are usually covered with a gray powder. On older trees, the
bark on the main trunk becomes thick, deeply furrowed, and a
reddish-brown color.
[Illustration: RIVER BIRCH (Twig, natural size; leaf and fruit,
one-half natural size; male flower, one third natural size)]
The LEAVES are simple, alternate, 2 to 3 inches long, more or less oval
in shape, with double-toothed edge. The upper surface is dark green and
the lower a pale yellowish green.
The FLOWERS are in catkins, the two kinds growing on the same tree. The
FRUIT is cone-shaped about one inch long, and densely crowded with
little winged nutlets that ripen from May to June.
The WOOD is strong and fairly close-grained. It has been used to some
extent in the manufacture of wooden-ware, in turnery, and for wagon
hubs. However, this tree is scattered in its distribution and is not of
commercial importance.
AMERICAN BEECH
Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.
Beech is found in East Texas to the Trinity River on the bottomland of
streams and the margins of swamps. It is one of the most beautiful of
all trees, in summer or winter.
The simple, alternate, oblong-ovate LEAVES are 3 to 4 inches long,
pointed at the tip, and coarsely toothed and hairy along the margin.
When mature, they are almost leathery in texture. The beech produces a
dense shade. The light brown winter buds are long, slender, and pointed.
[Illustration: AMERICAN BEECH (Fruit, leaves, and twig, one-half natural
size)]
The BARK is, perhaps, the most distinctive characteristic, as it
maintains an unbroken, light gray surface throughout its life.
The little, brown, three-sided FRUITS or beechnuts are almost as well
known as chestnuts. The nuts are in pairs in a prickly involucre. The
kernel is sweet and edible. The fallen fruit, known as mast, is a
favorite food of wildlife.
The WOOD of the beech is hard, strong, and tough, though it will not
last long on exposure to weather or in the soil. The tree is of economic
importance as a lumber tree, the wood being used for furniture,
flooring, carpenters’ tools, and novelty wares.
ALLEGHENY CHINKAPIN
Castanea pumila Mill.
Chinkapins may grow as trees or form shrubby thickets; consequently
their identification is at times confusing.
Some taxonomists credit East Texas with one species and a variety.
Others list four species. Further study is needed.
C. pumila grows in dry woods, sandy ridges, and on borders of swamps
from Florida to East Texas north to Ark., Tenn., Pa., and N. J. It may
grow into a small tree 10 to 30 feet high and may reach 50 feet. If
burned back by fires, it may send out stolons or sprouts and form dense
shrubby growths. BRANCHLETS pubescent, gradually changing to a lustrous
olive-green or orange-brown, then darker. The LEAVES are 4 to 6 inches
long, 1½ to 2 inches wide, oblong to ovate and acute, the margin
coarsely toothed with slender, rigid, spreading or incurved teeth. Base
of leaf unequal, either rounded or wedge-shaped. Leaf at first tomentose
above and below, later yellow-green above and whitish-downy below.
Petiole short, stout, and flattened on the upper side. FRUIT a single
brown, ovoid, pointed, plump, sweet, edible nut, ¾ to 1 inch long,
encased in a bur covered with erect, crowded spines approximately ¾ inch
long. WOOD light, hard, strong, coarse-grained; used for fence posts and
railway ties. Of little economic importance because of its relative
scarcity. C. pumila is a nut-producing tree of potential commercial
importance.
[Illustration: ALLEGHENY CHINKAPIN (Fruit, leaves and twig, two-thirds
natural size)]
ASHE CHINKAPIN (C. pumila var. ashei Sudw.) is a small tree of dry sandy
soils. Leaves are felt-like below. This variety is distinguished by its
bur which has scattered, forked, and horizontally divergent bristles.
The surface of the bur has smooth areas free of bristles.
A variation of chinkapin with leaves 3 to 4 inches long and lustrous
below is frequently described as FLORIDA CHINKAPIN (C. alnifolia var.
floridana Sarg.)
SHUMARD OAK (Spotted Oak)
Quercus shumardii Buckl.
This species, one of the largest Southern red oaks, was named for
Benjamin F. Shumard, an early state geologist of Texas. SHUMARD OAK is
found in the eastern part of the state on well-drained alluvial soils
and on fertile slopes. It forms a tall, wide-spreading, rather open
head. The BARK is dark, rough, divided into ridges, and usually from 1
to 1½ inches thick. It seldom comprises the principal species of any
forest stands, but more often occurs as individual trees. It attains a
diameter of more than 3 feet and a height of more than 100 feet, but is
usually smaller.
Winter BUDS covered with gray, smooth scales, while the buds of Texas
oak (page 44) are covered with red, densely pubescent scales.
[Illustration: SHUMARD OAK (Twig and leaf, one-half natural size; fruit,
natural size)]
The LEAVES are deciduous, simple, alternate 6 to 8 inches long by 4 to 5
inches wide; 7-lobed, rarely 5, and each lobe 2 or 3-lobed or deeply
toothed. The lobes are frequently thicker than is shown in the drawing.
The leaves are smaller and more deeply lobed than those of the black
oak. Leaves smooth except for dense tufts of pale hairs at the axils of
the veins below.
The FRUIT is a small acorn, about ⅔ inch in diameter and ¾ to 1¼ inches
long, set in a shallow saucer-like cup.
The WOOD is heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, and light reddish-brown
in color, and commercially important for lumber and cross ties.
The variety shumardii has leaves with narrow lobes, a rougher, dark
grayish bark, and deeper cups to the acorns. It is the more common form
in Texas.
TEXAS OAK
Quercus shumardii var. texana (Buckl.) Ashe
Texas oak is found on the dry limestone hills and ridges, and in the
more fertile soils at their base, in Central and western Texas to the
Edwards Plateau. It is rarely over 30 feet tall or 10 inches in
diameter.
[Illustration: TEXAS OAK (Leaf, two-thirds natural size; fruit, and
twig, natural size)]
The BARK is light brown, red-tinged, deeply ridged, and broken into
plate-like scales.
The LEAVES are deciduous 2½ to 3 inches wide, 3 to 3½ inches long;
widest above the middle; divided into 5 to 7 lobes, with the terminal
lobe 3-lobed; dark green and shiny above, pale-shiny below; petiole
slender, about 1 inch long.
The FRUIT is short-stemmed, usually single, ¼ to ¾ inch long and broad,
varying to nearly 1 inch long and ⅓ inch broad, set in a cup that covers
one-third or less of the fruit, reddish-brown and often streaked with
dark lines.
The WOOD is most useful for fuel.
GRAVES OAK (Q. gravesii Sudw.) is found in the Davis and Chisos
Mountains of southwestern Texas.
BLACK OAK
Quercus velutina Lam.
Black oak, also called yellow oak, reaches 80 feet in height and 1 to 3
feet in diameter. It grows in East Texas, and in the hills and canyons
near the mouth of the Pecos River. The crown is irregularly shaped and
wide, with a clear trunk for 20 feet or more on large trees. The BARK on
the very young trunks is smooth and dark brown, but soon becomes thick
and black with deep furrows and rough broken edges. The bright yellow
color and bitter taste of the inner bark are distinguishing
characteristics.
[Illustration: BLACK OAK (Twig and fruit, one-half natural size; leaf,
one-third natural size)]
The LEAVES are deciduous, alternate, simple, 5 to 10 inches long and 3
to 8 inches wide, shallow or deeply lobed, the shape varying greatly.
When mature, the leaves are dark green and shiny on the upper surface,
pale on the lower, more or less covered with a scurfy yellow or orange
down, and with conspicuous rusty brown hairs in the forks of the veins.
The FRUIT matures the second season. The light brown nut is from ½ to 1
inch long, more or less hemispherical in shape, and from one-half to
three-fourths enclosed in the thin, dark brown, scaly cup. The yellow
kernel is bitter.
The WOOD, used and marketed as red oak, is hard, heavy, strong,
coarse-grained, and checks easily. It is a bright red-brown with a thin
outer edge of paler sapwood.
SOUTHERN RED OAK
Quercus falcata Michx.
Southern red oak, commonly known as red oak and formerly as Spanish oak,
usually reaches a height of 80 feet and diameter of 3 feet, although
larger trees are found. It grows on dry hills in the eastern part of the
state to the Brazos River, while three varieties are found in richer,
more moist locations. Its large spreading branches form a broad, round,
open top. The BARK is rough, not deeply furrowed, and varies from light
gray on younger trees to dark gray or almost black on older ones.
[Illustration: SOUTHERN RED OAK (Leaf and fruit, one-third natural
size; twig, one-half natural size)]
The LEAVES are deciduous, with pear-shaped or irregular, rounded or
narrow bristle-tipped lobes, the central lobe often longest. Variety
pagodaefolia Ell., (Cherrybark Oak) has more numerous lobes. All leaves
have brown or gray down beneath.
The staminate FLOWERS appear as catkins 3-5 inches long in April while
the leaves unfold. The FRUIT ripens the second year. The small, rounded,
½ inch long acorn is set in a thin saucer-shaped cup that tapers to a
short stalk.
The WOOD is heavy, hard, strong, coarse-grained, and valuable for
lumber. The bark is rich in tannin. The tree is also desirable for shade
and ornamental use.
BLACKJACK OAK
Quercus marilandica Muenchh.
The occurrence of blackjack oak is said to indicate poor soil since it
often occurs on dry or poorly drained, gravelly, clay, or sandy upland
soils where few other forest trees thrive. This perhaps accounts chiefly
for its slow rate of growth. It is found in those parts of the state
that support a natural tree growth, as far west as Callahan County. The
tree sometimes reaches a height of 50 or 60 feet and a diameter of 16
inches, but it is usually much smaller. Its hard, stiff, drooping
branches form a dense crown which usually contains many persistent dead
twigs.
The BARK is rough, very dark, often nearly black, and “blocky”; inner
bark bright orange or yellow.
[Illustration: BLACKJACK OAK (Twig, two-thirds natural size; leaf and
fruit, one-third natural size)]
The LEAVES are deciduous, tawny-pubescent, of leathery texture, dark
green on the upper surface, lighter underneath, broadly wedge-shaped,
and variable in shape, 4 to 10 inches long and about the same in width.
The FRUIT is an acorn about ¾ inch long, yellow-brown and often striped,
enclosed for half its length or more in a thick, light-brown cup. The
acorns mature at the end of the second season; flesh of cotyledons
yellow.
The WOOD is heavy, hard and strong. It is used for firewood and is made
into charcoal.
WATER OAK
Quercus nigra L.
Water oak is native along the borders of swamps and streams and on rich
bottomlands in Texas as far west as the Colorado River. It has been
widely planted along streets and in parks as a shade tree. When fully
grown this tree reaches a height of about 80 feet and a diameter
exceeding 1 to 3 feet. The BARK is smooth, light brown tinged with red,
and has many smooth, thin scales over the surface. Water oak can be best
distinguished from the willow oak—a close associate, but longer-lived—by
the differences in the general shape and size of leaves.
[Illustration: WATER OAK (Leaf, one-third natural size; twig and fruit,
one-half natural size)]
The LEAVES are simple, quite variable in shape, mostly oblong, broader
near the point, and more narrow at the base, giving a wedge-shaped
effect, often slightly three-lobed at the outer end, thin, and of a dull
bluish-green color, paler below than above; mostly smooth, and usually 2
or 3 inches long and 1 to 2 inches wide; remain green for some time,
then turn yellow and gradually fall from the tree during the winter.
The FLOWERS appear in April when the leaves begin to unfold. The FRUIT,
an acorn, matures at the end of the second season. The acorn is from ½
to ⅔ inch long and nearly as broad, light brown or yellowish-brown and
often striped, enclosed at the base only in a thin saucer-shaped cup.
The WOOD is heavy, hard, and strong, light brown in color, with
lighter-colored sapwood. The wood is utilized chiefly for crossties and
fuel.
WILLOW OAK (Pin Oak)
Quercus phellos L.
Willow oak, also called water oak, and pin oak, occurs in the eastern
part of the state to the Brazos River. It is frequently found in
lowlands and along the borders of rivers and swamps, but often also on
rich sandy uplands. It is a beautiful and long-lived tree, and desirable
for roadsides, lawns and parks.
The BARK is generally smooth and of a reddish-brown color; with age, the
bark becomes slightly roughened and divided by narrow ridges.
[Illustration: WILLOW OAK (Twig, one-half natural size; leaf and fruit,
one-third natural size)]
The slender willow-like LEAVES on a tree whose habit of growth is
manifestly that of an oak, make the tree easy to identify in the forest.
The deciduous leaves are 2 to 5 inches long and ½ to 1 inch wide,
smooth, light green and shiny above, but dull and usually smooth below;
alternate in arrangement on the twig and borne on a short stout petiole.
The FRUIT, small acorns, closely set along the stem, matures at the end
of the second year. The nut is a light yellow-brown hemisphere, about ½
inch in diameter, its base scarcely enclosed in the shallow, pale
greenish-red or reddish-brown cup. The nuts are eaten as food by
bluejays, grackles (blackbirds), several other species of birds, and by
rodents.
The WOOD is not separated commercially from other species in the red oak
group. It is heavy, strong, rather coarse-grained, light brown tinged
with red, and not durable when exposed to the weather. It is used
locally for crossties, bridge planks, barn sills, and general
construction.
BLUEJACK OAK (Sandjack Oak)
Quercus incana Bartr.
This species, which grows on dry sand hills, is usually no more than 25
feet in height and 5 or 6 inches in diameter; ranging mainly through
East Texas extending as far west as the Brazos River and scattering in
Central and Northwest Texas.
The BARK is similar to that of blackjack, being divided into thick
nearly square blocks 1 to 2 inches in length and covered with small dark
brown or nearly black scales slightly tinged with red.
[Illustration: BLUEJACK OAK (Leaves, twigs, and fruit about two-thirds
natural size)]
The LEAVES of this tree are oblong-lanceolate, pale blue-green above,
almost white beneath; 2 to 5 inches in length and 1 to l½ inches in
width with a stout yellow midrib. The tree is most attractive in early
spring when it is covered with the light red flowers and young leaves.
ACORNS are produced in great profusion, sessile, or on a short stock.
They are rounded at the ends, striate, and about ½ inch in length, and
mature at the end of the second year.
The WOOD is hard, strong, close-grained, light brown, tinged with red.
It has a dark colored sapwood. The wood is of no value except for fuel.
There are several hybrids of this species reported in Texas.
EMORY OAK
Quercus emoryi Torr.
In the canyons and on the southern slopes of the Davis and Chisos
Mountains occurs this interesting oak with glossy, spiny, “holly-like”
leaves, and sweet, edible acorns. A small round-topped tree up to 30 or
40 feet in height, the emory oak has drooping branches and slender,
decidedly reddish branchlets.
The LEAVES are mostly persistent, oblong, pointed, smooth or sharply
toothed along the margin, thick, very glossy green, about 2 inches long
and less than 1 inch wide.
[Illustration: EMORY OAK (Leaf three-fourths natural size; fruit and
twig, three-fourths natural size)]
The acorn, or FRUIT, is borne close to the branchlet and matures in one
season. It is oblong in shape, ½ inch or more in length, with a dark
brown or nearly black nut enclosed for about one-third its length in a
narrow cup. The latter is lined with dense gray fuzz or “tomentum.”
The WOOD is heavy, strong, somewhat brittle, close-grained, dark brown,
with light brown sapwood tinged with red. The acorns are an important
article of food for Mexicans and Indians.
MEXICAN BLUE OAK (Q. oblongifolia Torr.), closely resembling emory oak,
is a smaller tree and does not occur at the higher elevations (over
6,000 ft.) where emory oak may be found.
GRAY OAK (Quercus grisea Liebm.) occurs in the Trans-Pecos area in
Texas. This species is a scrub or small tree 20 to 30 feet high, but
sometimes reaching a height of 65 feet.
LIVE OAK
Quercus virginiana Mill.
Live oak range extends from southeastern Virginia through the lower
Coastal Plain of the Atlantic and Gulf States; in Texas, from the mouth
of the Rio Grande north to the Red River and west to the Guadalupe
Mountains, also in southern Mexico and Cuba. It is a tree of striking
character from its wide-spreading habit; sometimes reaching more than
100 feet in spread; with a short stout trunk, 3 to 4 feet in diameter,
dividing in several large limbs with nearly horizontal branches, forming
a low, dense, round-topped head. Its height is commonly from 40 to 50
feet. The BARK on the trunk and large branches is dark brown tinged with
red, and slightly furrowed. It grows to largest size on the rich
hammocks and low ridges near the coast and only a few feet above the
water level. Slow-growing and long-lived, it is one of the most
desirable trees for roadside and ornamental planting throughout most of
its range. It is one of the very few trees that is apparently immune to
cotton root-rot.
[Illustration: LIVE OAK (Leaf, natural size; fruit and twig, one-half
natural size)]
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.
[Illustration: MOHRS OAK (Fruit, natural size; leaf, two-thirds natural
size)]
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.
[Illustration: DURAND OAK (Leaves and fruit, one-half natural size)]
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.
[Illustration: WHITE OAK (Twig, one-half natural size; leaf and fruit,
one-third natural size)]
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.
[Illustration: POST OAK (Leaf and twig, one-third natural size; fruit,
one-fourth natural size)]
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.
Bur oak occurs throughout the eastern part of the state and as far west
as Callahan and Menard Counties, in rich bottomlands along streams, or
on rich hillsides along spring-fed rivers. The name alludes to the
fringe around the cup of the acorn, which is sometimes large. The tree
usually has a broad top of heavy spreading branches and a relatively
short body. In maturity it attains a diameter of 5 feet or more and a
height of over 80 feet.
The branches frequently have conspicuous corky ridges after the second
year.
[Illustration: BUR OAK (Illustrations, one-third natural size)]
The BARK is light gray and is usually broken up into small narrow
flakes. The deciduous LEAVES resemble somewhat those of the common white
oak, but are much larger and have a pair of deep indentations on their
border near the base, and wavy notches on the broad, middle and upper
portions of the leaf. They range from 6 to 12 inches long and 3 to 6
inches wide. The FRUIT, or acorn, is set deeply in the fringed cup. The
fruit is usually 1 inch or more in diameter but varies widely in respect
to size and the degree to which the nut is enclosed in the mossy-fringed
cup. The fruit matures in one season.
The WOOD is heavy, hard, strong, tough and durable. It is used for much
the same purposes as the other white oaks—for lumber, crossties, and
fuel.
OVERCUP OAK
Quercus lyrata Walt.
Overcup oak, sometimes known as the swamp post oak or water white oak,
becomes a large tree with small, often pendulous branches. It is found
in moist, rich bottomlands in East Texas to the Navasota River Valley.
The LEAVES are deciduous, 7 to 9 inches long, 1 to 4 inches broad,
oblong, wider toward the point, narrowed at the base, dark green above,
often whitish beneath, with 7 to 9 distinct pointed lobes. They
frequently turn to a bright scarlet or to scarlet and orange in the
fall. The BARK is rough, flaky, and gray tinged with red.
[Illustration: OVERCUP OAK (Leaf and fruit, one-third natural size;
twig, two-thirds natural size)]
The FLOWERS open with the unfolding of the leaves. The FRUIT, an acorn,
ripens in one season. The large rounded or somewhat flattened acorn, an
inch or more across and ½ to 1 inch high, is nearly covered by the ovate
or nearly spherical cup, which is thickened at the base but gradually
grows thinner, often irregularly split at the margin of the cup.
The WOOD is heavy, hard, strong, and durable and is used for the same
purposes as that of white oak.
SWAMP CHESTNUT OAK
Quercus michauxii Nutt.
This species, also called basket oak and cow oak, is distinguished by
having a wavy leaf-margin, a large fruit which is sessile or very short
stalked, and by the fact that it occurs in its greatest abundance in
bottomlands. It is confined chiefly to the eastern part of the state as
far west as the Trinity River.
In the appearance of its bark and branches it closely resembles the
ordinary white oak, but the leaf lacks deep indentations and the acorn
is usually larger. The tree attains heights of about 100 feet and
diameters of about 4 feet.
The LEAVES are deciduous, obovate or oblong ovate, notched on the edge
somewhat like the chinkapin oak, but the lobes are rounded instead of
pointed. They vary from 4 to 8 inches in length, are downy beneath and
turn a rich crimson in the fall. The BARK is very light gray, and on old
trees is broken into broad flakes or divided into strips.
[Illustration: SWAMP CHESTNUT OAK (Twig, one-half natural size; fruit
and leaf, one-third natural size)]
The acorn, or FRUIT, matures in one season and attains a diameter of
more than an inch and a length of 1½ inches. The acorn is a bright,
shiny brown and set in a rather shallow cup. The acorn is frequently
eaten by cows and this fact gives the tree one of its common names.
The WOOD is heavy, hard, tough, strong, and takes an excellent polish.
It is used in manufacturing lumber, veneer, boards (shakes), water-tight
barrels, fuel, fence posts, and baskets.
CHINKAPIN OAK
Quercus muhlenbergii Engelm.
This oak, also known as chestnut oak, occurs over the eastern part of
the state and west to the Guadalupe River; also on the Guadalupe
Mountains. It grows on most classes of soils, except in swamps, and is
tenacious on shallow, dry, limestone soil. The BARK is light gray, and
breaks up in the short narrow flakes on the main trunk and old limbs.
It reaches a height of 20 to 50 feet. The straight, shapely trunk bears
a round-topped head composed of small branches, which makes it an
attractive shade tree.
The LEAVES are deciduous, oblong, 3 to 6 inches in length, 1½ to 3
inches wide, equally toothed or notched on the edges, resembling the
leaves of chestnut oak. The FRUIT, which ripens in the fall of the first
season, is light to dark brown when ripe, and edible if roasted. This
acorn is ½ to nearly 1 inch long, usually less than 1 inch in diameter,
and set in a shallow cup.
The WOOD is heavy, hard, strong, durable, and takes an excellent polish.
It is used for barrels, fencing, crossties, fuel, and occasionally for
furniture.
[Illustration: CHINKAPIN OAK (Leaf, one-half natural size; twig and
fruit, one-third natural size)]
AMERICAN ELM (White Elm)
Ulmus americana L.
The range of this famous American shade tree extends west to the Dakotas
and southward to Coke County, Texas. Within this vast area, it is
generally common except in the high mountains and wet bottomlands. It
reaches an average height of 60 feet and a diameter of 3 feet. The BARK
is dark gray, divided into irregular flat-topped, thick ridges, and is
generally firm. An incision into an outer ridge of bark will show
alternate brown and cream colored layers. A cross section of slippery
elm bark is uniformly cream or tan colored.
[Illustration: AMERICAN ELM (Twig, one-half natural size; leaf and
fruit, one-third natural size)]
The LEAVES are alternate, simple, 4 to 6 inches long, rather thick,
somewhat lopsided, double toothed on the margin, and either smooth or
scabrous above and soft pubescent or glabrate below. The leaf veins are
very pronounced and run in parallel lines from the midrib to the leaf
margin.
The FLOWERS are small, perfect, greenish, on slender pedicels, soon
pendulous, and appear before the leaves. The FRUIT ripens in the spring
and is a light green, oval-shaped samara (winged fruit) with the seed
portion in the center and surrounded entirely by a wing. A deep notch in
the end of the wing is distinctive of the species.
The WOOD is heavy, hard, strong, tough, and difficult to split. It is
used for hubs of wheels, saddle trees, veneer for baskets and crates,
and slack cooperage.
American elm is rapidly being destroyed in the East and Midwest by the
Dutch elm disease and by phloem necrosis.
WINGED ELM
Ulmus alata Michx.
Winged elm gets its common name from the thin corky growth or “wings”,
usually found on smaller branches. These “wings” generally end abruptly
at the leaf nodes as contrasted by the cedar elm (p. 63) whose “wings”
are generally continuous. On large rapidly growing trees the wings are
often absent. It occurs in eastern Texas south to the valley of the
Guadalupe River, on dry uplands, and in moist soils along streams and
swamps. It grows rapidly in moist situations, and may also be planted
along roadsides in relatively dry, poor locations. It is comparatively
free from disease, though not long-lived. Winged elm is a medium-sized
tree 40 to 50 feet in height and rarely as large as 2 feet in diameter.
It forms a rather open, round-topped head.
[Illustration: WINGED ELM (Leaf and fruit, one-third natural size;
twig, one-half natural size)]
The BARK is light brown tinged with red, and divided by irregular
shallow fissures into flat ridges.
The LEAVES are simple alternate, 2 to 4 inches long and 1 to 2 inches
broad, coarsely double-toothed, thick, dark green and smooth above, and
pale and pale-pubescent or glabrous below with auxiliary hairs and
prominent veins. The leaves are small and pointed at the tip, which
distinguishes them from the small blunt leaves of the cedar elm.
The FLOWERS appear in early spring, long before the leaves unfold. The
FRUIT ripens in the spring about the time the leaves appear; it is
winged, tipped with two, small, incurved arms or beaks; oblong,
reddish-brown; about ⅓ inch long, with a long, slender pedicel at the
base, and covered with white hairs.
The WOOD is very similar to that of the other elms—heavy, hard, and
difficult to split. It is occasionally used for hubs and mauls.
Formerly, rope made of the inner bark was used for binding the covers to
cotton bales.
CEDAR ELM
Ulmus crassifolia Nutt.
Cedar elm is distributed widely over the state, near streams, in deep
rich soil, and on dry, limestone hills. It is the most common elm tree
of Texas, extending to the Pecos River. It forms a tree up to 75 feet
high with a tall straight trunk 2 to 3 feet in diameter, and with an
inversely conic round-topped head and drooping branches. It reaches its
largest size on the bottomlands of the Guadalupe and Trinity Rivers.
[Illustration: CEDAR ELM (Illustrations, three-fourths natural size)]
The BARK is light-brown tinged with red, deeply fissured, with
flattened, scaly ridges. The young twigs are finely velvet and reddish,
sometimes developing thin corky wings which continue around the leaf
nodes.
The LEAVES are small, the largest less than 2 inches long, often double
toothed and usually rather blunt at the tip. Their upper surface is dark
green and rough, while the lower surface and petiole are hairy.
The FLOWERS, which appear in the autumn, are in small short-pedicelled
clusters at the axils of the leaves. The FRUIT, an oval-shaped samara
slightly more than ¼ inch long, is hairy all over, especially on the
edges and is deeply notched at the tip.
The WOOD is reddish-brown, brittle, and with a thick layer of lighter
colored sapwood. The wood is sometimes used in the manufacture of hubs,
furniture, and fencing.
SLIPPERY ELM (Red Elm)
Ulmus rubra Muhl.
Slippery elm, or red elm, is found in the eastern and southern parts of
the state as far as the upper Guadalupe and Leon Rivers in Kerr and
Comal Counties. It is found principally on the banks of streams and on
low hillsides in rich soil. It is a tree of small to moderate size, but
noticeably wide-spreading. It is usually less than 40 feet in height and
6 inches in diameter, although trees of larger dimensions are
occasionally found.
The BARK on the trunk is frequently 1 inch thick, dark grayish-brown on
the surface, uniformly tan or cream colored in cross section, and broken
by shallow fissures into flat ridges. The inner bark is used to some
extent for medicinal purposes and, when chewed, affords a slippery
mucilaginous substance, whence the tree gets its name.
The LEAVES are simple, alternate on the stem, 4 to 6 inches in length,
sharp-pointed, their bases unsymmetrical, doubly toothed on the edges,
thick, dark green, and very rough above, pubescent below.
[Illustration: SLIPPERY ELM (Leaf and fruit, one-third natural size;
twig, one-half natural size)]
The FLOWERS appear in early spring and are nearly sessile. The FRUIT, a
samara, ¾ inch long and ½ inch in diameter, consists of a seed
surrounded by a thin, broad, greenish wing. The fruit ripens when the
leaves are about half grown. The margin of the fruit is not ciliate.
The WOOD is close-grained, tough, strong, heavy, hard, and moderately
durable in contact with the soil. Slippery elm and American elm are sold
commercially as “soft elm,” and have similar uses.
PLANER TREE (Water Elm)
Planera aquatica (Walt.) Gmel.
Planer tree or water elm is found on low wet lands along the streams of
the eastern part of the state as far west as Brazos and Matagorda
Counties. It forms a small spreading tree with a low broad head 30 to 40
feet in height and with a maximum trunk diameter of 20 inches.
[Illustration: PLANER TREE (Illustrations, nearly natural size)]
The BARK is light brown or gray, about ¼ inch thick, and separates into
large scales.
The LEAVES resemble those of the small-leaved elms. They are 2 to 2½
inches long, ¾ to 1 inch wide on a short petiole, dark dull green above
and paler on the lower surface, and have yellowish veins.
The FLOWERS appear with the leaves in March or early April. The small
flowers are sometimes perfect; occasionally the male and female flowers
are borne separately on the same tree. The FRUIT is a peculiar, rounded,
shaggy-appearing structure, about ⅜ inch long. It consists of a nut-like
center covered with soft and irregular wing-like outgrowths which extend
out on all sides from the center.
The WOOD is light brown, coarse-grained and soft, very light in weight,
and has a broad zone of nearly white sapwood. The wood has little
economic value.
HACKBERRY
Celtis occidentalis L.
Hackberry is found over eastern Texas on various types of soil. It is
usually a medium-sized to large tree, becoming 60 to 100 feet or more
high and 10 to 20 inches in diameter. Its limbs are often crooked and
angular and bear a head made of slender, pendant branches or short,
bristly, stubby twigs. In the open, the crown is generally symmetrical.
It makes an excellent shade tree.
The BARK is brownish-gray, one inch or more thick, and generally very
rough with many scale-like or warty projections of dead bark.
[Illustration: HACKBERRY (Leaf and fruit, two-thirds natural size;
twig, one-half natural size)]
The LEAVES are simple, ovate, alternate, one-sided, 2 to 4 inches long,
thick, very rough above, green on both surfaces, and the edges toothed
toward the long point. The FLOWERS are inconspicuous, and the two kinds
are borne on the same tree. They appear in April or May, and are of a
creamy greenish color. The FRUIT is a round, somewhat oblong, drupe or
berry, dark purple, ⅓ inch in diameter, ripening in September. The
peduncle (fruit stem) is much longer than the petiole of the leaf. It
has a thin, purplish skin, and sweet yellowish flesh. The berries
frequently hang on the tree most of the winter.
The WOOD is heavy, rather soft, weak, and decays readily when exposed.
It is used chiefly for fuel, and occasionally for lumber.
The range of this hackberry extends far into the northern and
northeastern parts of the United States.
SUGARBERRY (Sugar Hackberry)
Celtis laevigata Willd.
Sugarberry is distributed widely over the eastern half of the state. It
occurs most abundantly and attains greatest size in rich alluvial soil,
but thrives on various soil types. The species may grow 30 to 50 feet
high and 10 to 20 inches in diameter, though sometimes much larger. Its
limbs are spreading or pendulous, forming a broad head. Its branchlets
are slender, light green, glabrous or pubescent when young, and bright
reddish-brown during their first winter.
The BARK is pale gray and covered with prominent excrescences.
The LEAVES are simple, oblong-lanceolate, one-sided, 2½ to 5 inches
long, thin, smooth, with the edges entire.
[Illustration: SUGARBERRY (Leaf, fruit, and twig, three-fourths natural
size)]
The FLOWERS, not conspicuous, are borne on slender, smooth peduncles in
April or May, and are of a creamy-greenish color. The FRUIT is
short-oblong to pear shaped, orange-red or yellow, ¼ inch in diameter,
and ripens in September. The peduncle of the fruit is shorter or
slightly longer than the petiole of the leaf.
The WOOD is soft, weak, close-grained, and light yellow, and is used
occasionally for flooring and furniture, but chiefly for fuel.
RED MULBERRY
Morus rubra L.
Red mulberry occurs in eastern Texas and west to the canyon of Devils
River, Valverde County. It prefers rich moist soils. It is a small tree,
rarely 50 feet high and 2 feet in diameter, often growing in the shade
of larger trees.
The BARK is rather thin, dark grayish-brown, and peels off in long
narrow flakes.
[Illustration: RED MULBERRY (Twig, two-thirds natural size; leaves and
fruit, one-third natural size)]
The LEAVES are alternate, thin, rounded or somewhat heart-shaped,
toothed, pointed, 3 to 5 inches long, rough hairy above and soft hairy
beneath. Some of the leaves are mitten-shaped or lobed.
The FLOWERS are of two kinds, on the same or different trees, in long
drooping catkins, the female catkins shorter, appearing with the leaves.
The multiple FRUIT is edible, dark purple or black when ripe, and ¾ to 1
inch long.
The WOOD is rather light, soft, not strong, light orange-yellow, and the
heartwood is durable in contact with the soil. It is chiefly used for
fence posts.
The TEXAS MULBERRY (Morus microphylla Buckl.) is found in West Texas and
south from the Colorado River. Its leaves are rarely longer than 1½
inches.
The WHITE MULBERRY (Morus alba L.) a native of China, has become
naturalized in the United States.
OSAGE-ORANGE (Bois-d’arc)
Maclura pomifera (Raf.) Schneid.
Osage-orange, “bodark”, hedge apple, or mock orange is native to eastern
and Central Texas; attaining its largest size in the valley of the Red
River in the northeast part of the state. It commonly reaches a height
of 20 to 40 feet and a diameter of 4 to 12 inches. The BARK is thin,
gray, sometimes tinged with yellow; on old trees it is divided into
strips or flakes. It contains tannin and has been used for tanning
leather. The twigs are armed with stout, straight thorns ⅜ to 1 inch
long.
[Illustration: OSAGE-ORANGE (Leaf and fruit, one-fourth natural size;
leaf and twig, nearly one-half natural size)]
The LEAVES are simple, alternate, oval-pointed and lustrous green on the
upper surface, 3 to 5 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide, and entire.
The leaves turn bright yellow in the autumn.
The yellowish FLOWERS appear in May; two kinds on the same tree—the male
flowers in a linear cluster and the female flowers a rounded ball. The
FRUIT is globular, from 2 to 5 inches in diameter, resembling a rough,
green orange.
The WOOD is heavy, exceedingly hard, very strong, and very durable in
contact with the soil. The heartwood is bright orange in color, turning
brown upon exposure. It is largely used for posts. The Indians prized
the wood for bows and war clubs. The tree is planted for windbreaks and
hedges. The bark of the roots supply a yellow dye.