ì
1564. Q. C. h«terophJlIa.
•wood and bark are by
some considered as
having th e same properties
as th o se o f the
British oak j but, as it
is only about a century
since th e tre e was in- ]
troduc ed into this
country, very few specimens
have attained a \
sufficient size to be cut
down for timber, and
very little experience
has been obtained on
tlie subject. The tre e
is one o f very great
beauty, both in point
o f form and foliage ;
and, being o f great
rapidity o f growth, it
is equalled by few for
ornamental plantations.
T h e foliage o f some
varieties is persistent,
like th a t o f th e beech
and th e hornbeam : and
o f o th e rs, supposed to
be hybrids, it is sub-evergreen, o r so near being completely evergreen, as to be
retained on th e tre es till May. T h e species, and most o f th e varieties, ripen
acorns in England, from which plants are raised with great facility; but the
varieties, like those o f every oth e r oak, being very liable to sport, can only be
continued by grafting o r by layers. Th e stocks employed may be eith er those
o f Q. Cérris, o r o f th e common British oak ; and th e grafting may be performed
in the whip manner, with as great certainty o f success as in grafting
common fruit trees.
¥ 7. Q. Æ ' g i l o p s L . Th e Ægîlops, or Valonia, Oak.
I d e n ii jic a tio n . L in . S p . P l . , 1414. ; N . D u H am . , 7 . p . 175.
S y n o n y m e s . Q. o r i e n t à l i s , & c ., T o u r n . Cor. 40 . ; Æ 'g i lo p s s iv e C é r ru s m a s C. B a u h i n , Heco n d a t;
V e la n i T o u r n . V o y . 1. p . 128. ; G la n s C é r r i D a le c h . H is t. 1. p . 7 . t h e g r e a t p r ic k l y - c u p p e d O a k :
C h ê n e V e l a n i , F r . ; C h e n e V e l a iic d e B o s c ; K n o p p e r E i c h e , G e r . ; V a l lo n e a , I t a l .
E n g r a v i n g s . M ill. I c . , 2 . t . 215. ; O liv . T r a v e l . , t . 13. ; N . D u H am . , 7 . t . 5 1 . : t h e p la te s o f this
t r e e in A r b . B r i t . , 1 s t e d i t . , v o l. v i i . ; a n d o u r / g , 15G5.
Spec. Char., S/c. Leaves ovate-oblong, with bristle-pointed tooth-like lobes;
hoary beneath. Calyx o f th e fruit very large, hemispherical, with lanceo-
late, elongated, spreading scales. (Smith.) A low deciduous tre e. Islands
o f th e Archipelago, and th roughout all Greece. Height 20 ft. to 50 ft.
Introduc ed in 1731. Flowers greenish white ; May. Acorns large, brown,
with numerous lanceolate scales, very ornamental ; ripe in October.
Varieties.
¥ Q. Æ . 2 pendxda H o rt.—Branches droojiing.
¥ Q. Æ . 3 latifòlia H o rt. — Leaves ra th e r broader than those o f the
species.
One o f th e most splendid species o f th e genus. In British nurseries it is
n o t very common, b u t it is quite hardy, never injured by frost, and acorns
may be imported in abundance from th e South o f France. T h e cups and
acorns are annually ex p o rted from th e Levant in large quantities, and are
m great demand for tanning, being said to contain more tannin in a given
bulk o f substance th an any oth e r vegetable. A tre e o f this species a t Syon,
1565. Ç. Æ'iiilojis.
thouffh under 30 ft. in height, bears acorns annually ; which, however, do not
always ripen.
B . Natives o f North America.
The American oaks being generally propagated in Eu ro p e by acorns imported
from America, we shall here give a comparative view o f the acorns ol
some of the common kinds. Fig. 156G. represents acorns o f th e natural size,
1566. A corns of th e natiirn]
of all the kinds th a t were imported by Mr. Charlwood o f London, seed.sman,
in the year 1836 ; but, th a t year being unfavourable for tbe ripening o f acorns
in America, fewer sorts were imported than usual, and th e n u ts ot th e se few
are under th e average size. In this figure, a is th e acorn o f Quércus alba ;
b, that o f Q. macrocárpa, with th e cup on ; c, th a t o f Q. obtusiloba ; d, Q.
Prinus tomentosa ; e, Q. P. pùmila ; f , Q. tinctòria ; g , Q. nigra ; h, Q.
Phéllos ; and ?, Q. palùstris. Mo'st sorts o f the American oak in Mcssr.s. Lodr
i ;