Wood of the species Quercus virginiana, native to the southeastern and gulf area of the United States into Mexico, and Cuba. It is the hardest of all American oaks. It is used in the construction of ships, wagons, and farm implements. Favored for shipbuilding because of its tolerance for salt water and its resistance to decay, it was famously used to build the USS Constitution sailing ship, nicknamed Old Ironsides, in the 1790s.
