B. L e a v e s evergreen.
A. Natives o f Europe,
§ v iii. Vlex. H o lm , or H o lly , Oaks.
1607. Q. I. serratifòlia. 1608. Q. i./ig if o lia 1609. Q. I. latifòlia.
¥ • Q. I. 4 ciispa Lodd. Cat. ed. 1836. — Leaves wrinkled a t th e edges,
i » Q. 1. 5 latifòlia Lo d d . Cat. ed. 1836. Q. I. oblónga Hort. (T h e plate
o f this variety in Arb. B rit., 1st edit., vol. viii. ; and o u r / g s . 1609.
and 1610.) — Leaves broad, nearly entire.
5“ « Q. I. 6 longifòlia Lodd. Cat. ed. 1836. Q. I . ialicifòlia Hort. — Leaves
long and very narrow,
i s Q. I. 7 variegala I lo r t. — Leaves variegated vviili vvliite.
■
Sect. Char. Leaves ovate o r oval, soiiietinies lanceolate, entire or serrated ;
with o r with o u t prickly mucros ; downy beneath. Bark smooth and black,
o r rough and corky. Fru ctificatio n biennial. Cups imbricate. N u t ovale,
acuminate ; sometimes very long in p roportion to th e c u p .— Low trees or
shrubs, of g reat commercial in terest, from including th e oaks which produce
cork, th e kermes insect, and edible acorns.
? 28. Q. J ' l e x L . T \\e common evergreen, or Holm, Oak.
I d e n ti fic a tio n . L in . S p . P l . , 1412. ; A it . H o r t . K e w . , 5. p . 289.
S y n o n y m e s . / ' l e x a r b ò r e a B a u h . H i s t . I. p . 9 5 . ; I ’Y e u s e , o r C h è u e v o r t , F r . ; S t e in E i c h e , Gei-. ;
E lic e , I t a l . \ E n c i n a , S p a n .
E n g r a v in g s . B l a c k w . H e r b . , t . 186. ; N . D u H am . , t . 4 3 , 44 . ; D e n d . B r i t . , t. 90. ; t h e p la te s o f the
t r e e in A r b . B n t . 1 s t e d i t . , v o l . v ii. ; a n d o a r f i g .
Spec. Char., S/c- Leaves ovate-oblong, acute, coriaceous, entire o r serrated;
hoary beneath. B a rk even. N u t ovate. (JVilld.) A middle-sized evergreen
tre e , o r large shrub. South o f E u ro p e , N o rth o f Africa, Cochin-
China and o th e r p arts o f Asia. Height 15 ft. to 30 ft. rarely 60 ft. In cultivation
in British gardens from a very remote period. Flowers greenish
w h ite ; May. Acorns brown ; ripening th e second year.
Varieties. The se are very numerous, and frequently very d istin ct ; and, as
in th e case o f every species o f oak, th ey might be greatly increased by
selecting from beds o f seedling plants.
Î Q. I. 1 integrifòlia Lodd. Cat. ed. 1836. — Leaves lanceolate, entire.
Î Q. I. 2 .serratifòlia Lodd. Cat. ed. 1836. ( O u r / g . 1607.) — Leaves
lanceolate, serrated.
Î Q. I. 3 (agifòlia Lodd. Cat. ed. 1836. Phéllodrys Ma tth . Valgr.\,
p. 189.; J 'l e x No. 3. Du Ham. Arb. i. t. 224. ( O u r / g . 1608.) —
Leaves bro ad er and less rigid, more o r less undulated, and sometimes
slightly serrated.
1610- «. I. latifòlia.
In favourable situations, in th e South o f Fran c e , Spain, and Italy, and also
in the wan n est parts o f England and Ireland, th e Q. J 'le x forms a bushy
evergreen tre e, exceeding th e middle size. T h e tru n k is generally furnished
with branches from th e ground upwards ; and, being concealed by th e dense
mass o f foliage borne by these branches, th e general
character o f the species, even when fully grown, is
that of an immense bush, ra th e r than th a t o f a
timber tre e. When judiciously pruned, o r drawn
up by other trees, however, it forms a handsome ,
well-balanced head, on a straight tru n k , and with
graceful pendent branches. Th e ro o ts descend to
a very great depth, altogether disproportionate to
the height o f th e tru n k ; for which reason this oak
is never found indigenous to soil with a wet bottom.
The bark is black, thin, hard, and even; sometimes
slightly furrowed, but never corky. Th e leaves vary
exceedingly in shape and size, from 5 in. in length
and nearly 3 in. in breadth (a s in Q. J . latifòlia
and Q. J . /agifolia), to I in. in length and ^ in.
in breadth (a s in Q. J. crispa ), o r ^ in . in breadth and Sin. in length
(as in Q. I . salicifòlia). In some plants, th e leaves are prickly, like those of
the holly ; and, when this is th e case, th e most prickly a re nearest the
ground ; a circumstance beautifully exemplified in a fine tre e a t P u rs e r’s
Cross. Th e colour o f th e leaves is a dark green ; and, being convex above,
and quite smooth, they have a fine shining appearance. In th e climate of
London, seedling plants grow with considerable rap id ity ; attaining, in good
loamy soil, from 15 ft. to 20 ft. in height in 10 years from th e acorn. As
they become larger, they grow slower ; and, after they have attained the height
of 30 or 40 feet, they increase in .width nearly as much as in height. The
tree attains a great age, remaining in a growing s ta te for several centuries.
The sap wood is whitish ; b u t th e heart, o r perfect wood, is o f a brown
colour, very close-grained, heavy, and very hard. I t weighs 70 lb. to tbo
cubic foot, and tak es a fine polish ; b u t twists and splits a great deal in
drying, like most o th e r hard and heavy woods. I t is o f great duration, and
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