CHAP. CV.
coryla'ce®. quf/rcus.
1943
mm
mm
of New Spain, near Moran. It was only found by Humboldt on the mountain Cerro do las Nahajas,at an elevation of 4800 ft (800 toises). . It is on this mountain that the stones (obsidians) are found, ingreat quantities, of which the Mexican Indians make the heads of their arrows j and they are said,also, to make razors and k’Njwes of them. The wood is very hard, and much esteemed by the Mexicans.
Q. siderbxyla Humb. ttconp. PI. iEquin., t. 85., and our Jig. I860. , Michx. N. Amer, Syl., 1.p. 109. Leaves wedge-shaped, oblong; obtuse at the base; mucronate and dentate towards the tip;white with down beneath. Fruit sessile. {Humb. et Bonp.) A lofty tree, with thick rugged bark,and very hard wood. Leaves crowded, on short footstalks; in. long, rigidly coriaceous ; glabrousabove. Female flowers generally twin, upon very short footstalks, in the axils of the leaves. Cupsglobose, closely imbricated. Scales membranaceous, roundish-oval, obtuse; covered externally withpowdery down ; scarious and naked on the margin. Nut ovate, twice as long as the cup. A nativeof the temperate regions of New Spain, near Villalpando , in dry and arid places, at an elevation of8600 ft. (1440 toises). This is one of the most valuable species of oaks furnished by New Spain. Itattains a great height; its wood is very compact, and capable of taking a fine polish j and it hasanother property, as rare as valuable, viz. that of hardening when exposed to moisture, or entirelyplunged in water, and never decaying in such a situation. For this reason, it is preferred for subter-raneous works, by the miners, to every other.
mgrA
n Humb. et Bonp. PI. iEquin., t. 82., and our Jig. 1861., Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 1.
*}■ Leaves oblong, blunt, with a very minute point j somewhat wavy on the margin;aowny beneath. Acorns slightly stipitate. A tree, from 18 ft. to 20 ft. high. Younger branchesWv! y ' ^ eaves about 2in. long; white beneath with stellate down, glaucous above, shining,av'ii ry ’ y° un £ er ones lanceolate, downy on both sides, quite entire. Male flowers inferior, inxuiary aggregate catkins; female nearly sessile, in the axils of the leaves, almost solitary. Maleeohw : i 1 one concave roundish scale, instead of a calyx; stamens constantly 7, very short CupdScales oval, obtuse, flat, membranaceous; covered externally with a powder-likewhu , ovate > terminated by the persistent style. Very common in Mexico . The wood is
i * re > anc * neither strong nor compact; but it is much sought after for making charcoal. The youngves have all the characters of Q. microphyila. {Nees.)sioM • ss *P es angustifblici Humb. et Bonp. PI. iEquin., t. 84., and out Jig. 1859., differs from Q. cr&s-pw, m the leaves being narrowed, and more diminished towards the point. Found, along with**• crassipes, near Ario, in the interior of Valladolid.
M- crassipes Humb. et Bonp. PI. ^Equin., t. 83., and our fig. 1862., Michx. N, Amer. Syl., 1.