Texas Almanac, 1952-1953 Page: 169
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TEXAS PLANT LIFE RESOURCES. 169
humid Edwards Plateau (along perennially flow-
ing streams) is considered noteworthy.
DOGWOOD.-Throughout the forest regions of
East Texas the dogwood (Cornus florida. L.) is
found. It is used for ornamental planting and to
a limited extent for various commercial purposes.
ELM.-The bgst known of the Texas Elms is the
American or white elm (Ulmus americana L.). As
throughout the nation, it is probably the most
popular shade tree in Texas. It grows generally
on well-drained land and is found in the central,
northern and eastern portions of the state. It is
not of sufficiently dense growth at any place in
Texas to be of great commercial value. One of
the Texas elms is the winged elm (Ulmus alata
Michx.) found in Eastern Texas and throughout
South Texas to the valley of the Guadalupe, grow-
ing both on the uplands and in the bottoms. The
slippery or red elm (Ulmus fulva Michx.) grows
over much of the Same territory covered by the
winged elm, but extending farther west, and the
cedar elm (Ulmus crassifolia Nutt.), which is
widely distributed throughout Texas, grows on a
variety of soils and extends to the Pecos River.
Where found in sufficient quantities, all of these
elm trees are of commercial value for the manu-
facture of implements, furniture, etc.
FIR.-The Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga taxifolia
Britt.) is found in very limited quantities in the
Trans-Pecos Mountains. Though of great commer-
cial value in the Pacific Northwest, it does not
reach sufficient size, nor is it of sufficient quan-
tity, in Texas to be of commercial value.
GUM.-The gum is of considerable commercial
value in Texas. The sweet or red gum (Liqul-
dambar styraciflua L.) is a large tree growing on
the bottom lands of East Texas. It is used for
flooring, interior finish and very extensively for
the manufacture of baskets and crates. There it
a large manufacturing industry. The black gum
(Nyssa, sylvatica Marsh.) is also found in East
Texas extending as far west as the Brazos,
usually on moist soil. It is also used in the manu-
facture of baskets and crates. The tupelo gum or
cotton gum (Nyssa aquatic L.) is found in deep
swamps in the lower flooded areas of the coastal
plains and Southeast Texas. It is used in the
manufacture of baskets and crates and in mis-
cellaneous woodenware.
GUM ELASTIC.-This tree, also known as chit-
tam wood (Bumela lanuginosa Pers.), is found
in East and South Texas and over the Edwards
Plateau and Grand Prairie, reaching its largest
size in the coastal regions.
HACKBERRY.-The Southern hackberry (Celtis
laevigata Willd.) and the rough-leaf hackberry
ICeltis occidentalis crassifolia (La Marck) Gray]
are found in Texas, the first-mentioned being
widely distributed over the central and eastern
parts of the state, thriving on various types of
soils. It is widely used as a shade tree in Texas
cities. The rough-leaf hackberry is found in East
Texas and to a limited extent is used for lumber.
HAWTHORN.-Also known as the white or red
haw or thorn bush. This tree grows in many parts
of the state on a variety of soils. It is of little
commercial value.
HICKORY.-Probably the most lnportant of the
Texas hickories is the scaly-bark or shell-bark
hickory (Hicoria ovalta Britton) which grows in
the bottom soils of East Texas. Its tough, strong
wood is in demand for manufacture of implements
and tool handles and its edible nut is of some
commercial value. Thle bitternut or pignut hickory
(Hicoria cordiformis Britton), the mockernut or
white hickory (Hicoria alba Britton )and the black
hickory (Hicoria-Buckleyi Dur.) are found gener-
ally in East Texas.
HOLLY.-This small evergreen (Ilex opaca Ait.)
is found on bottom soils of East and Southern
Texas. There has been some utilization of this
tree for cabinet timber. It is much used as a
Christmas decoration.
HUCKLEBERRY.-The huckleberry or sparkle-
berry (Vaccinium arboreum Marsh.) reaches its
largest growth near Matagorda Bay in Texas. A
small tree here, it is a shrub in most other re-
gions. It is of little commercial value.
IRONWOOD.-The Ironwood or hop hornbeam
[Ostrya virginiana (Miller) Koch.] is found on
uplands of the eastern part of the state. It finds
some utilization for manufacture of tool handles,
mallets, etc.
LOCUST.-The honey locust (Gleditsia triacan-
thos L.), the water locust (Gleditsia aquatica
Marshall) and the black locust (Robinia pseudo-acacia L.) are found in Texas. the latter having
been introduced widely but more lately largely
exterminated by the borer. The honey locust,
which is native east of the Brazos, has been
planted widely as a shade tree. The water locust
is found in the low coastal plains and in the allu-
vial valleys of East Texas.
MAGNOLIA.-The evergreen magnolia (Magno-
lia grandiflora L.) famed for its beauty of flower
and foliage, grows enerally in the eastern and
southeastern parts of Texas. It finds appreciable
utilization in the manufacture of furniture.
MAPLE.-The sugar maple (Acer saccharium
Marsh.) is found in its extreme southwest habitat
min EaSt Texas. The growth is limited. The silver
maple (Acer saccharium L.) is found along
streams in the eastern part of the state. The red
maple (Acer rubrum L.) is the mst abundantly
growing maple in Texas, found generally in the
eastern part of Texas. It is used to limited extent
in manufacture of furniture and woodenware.
MESQUITE.-The mesquite [Prosopis juliflora
(Swartz) D. C.] grows generally throughout Cen-
tral and West Texas, extending to the Red River,
but growing best in the Colorado River Valley and
south to the Rio Grande and the Lower Gulf coast.
It is a drouth-resisting tree with a large root sys-
tem. The bean is relished by horses and cattle.
The wood takes a beautiful finish but is little
used commercially. A variety [Glandulosa (Torrey)
Cook] is found also in East Texas.
MIMOSA.-This beautiful, small tree (Leucaena
greggil S. Watson) is found in a limited area in
the central Edwards Plateau region.
MULBERRY.-The red mulberry (Morus rubra
L.) is found throughout East Texas and westward
through Central and Middle West Texas, growing
usually along streams. The berry is relished by
birds. It has been planted frequently as a shade
tree. The Mexican mulberry (Morus microphylla
Buckley) is found south of the Colorado River in
West Texas.
OAK.-There are fifty or more species of the
oak native in Texas. Next to the pine, it is the
most important commercially. The white oak
(Quercus alba L.) is the most valuable of the
Texas oaks. It is found generally east of the
Brazos. Often reaching a height of eighty feet or
more and of dense growth, it is the most valuable
of Texas hardwoods, being utilized for flooring.
cooperage, interior finish, the manufacture of im-
plements and shipbuilding. The post oak (Quercus
stellata Wang.) is the most widely distributed of
Texas oaks, being found in several wide belts in
East- and Central and North Central Texas. (See
pp. 159 and 160.) It grows on the sandy upland
soils. Several varieties are found. Aside from fuel
it is not of great commercial value. The overcup
oak (Quercus lyrata Walt.) is a large tree growing
on alluvial soils in East Texas and being utilized
somewhat as the white oak. Another oak of
some commercial value for flooring, cooperage and
other purposes is the swamp chestnut oak (Quercus
Springs L.) found on bottom land soils east of the
Trinity. Similar uses are made of the Chinquapin
oak (Quercus muelenbergii Engelm.), which is
found in the eastern part of the state and as far
west as the Guadalupe River. (Also found in lim-
ited growth in the Guadalupe Mountains of West
Texas.) The bur oak or mossy cup oak (Quercus
marerocarpa Michx.) grows over the eastern and
middle portions of Texas to the western limits of
the West Cross Timbers, finding some utilization
as lumber, crossties, etc. The Durant white oak
(Quercus durandii Buckl.) is found in East and
South Texas. The live oak (Quercus virginiana
Mill.) is one of the noteworthy trees of Texas
growing to some extent in nearly every part of the
state. Most common probably on the Coastal
Plains north and east of Corpus Christi, it Is found
throughout East Central and Midwest Texas and
in the mountains of the Trans-Pecos. An ever-
reen, it is one of the most desirable of shade
trees. It is long lived but of slow growth. The
willow, pin or water oak (Quercus phellos L.)
occurs in East Texas to the Brazos River on bot-
tom and upland soils and finds some utilization as
crossties and bridge timbers. The water oak (Quer-
cus nigra L.) is found on bottom lands as far west
as the Colorado; it is used to some extent for
piling and crosstles. The blackjack oak, commonly
referred to simply as the blackjack (Quercus mari-
landica Muench.) grows principally in sandy up--
land soils and is widely distributed as far west as
Middle West Texas. The black oak (Quercus
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Texas Almanac, 1952-1953, book, 1951; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117137/m1/171/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.