THE OAKS OF THE PHILIPPINES. 
By Elmer D. Merrill. 
{From the Botanical Section of the Biological Lahoralory, Bureau of SciencCj 
Manila, P. I.) 
riie first mention of Pliilippine oaks is in the first edition of Blanco's 
Flora de Filipinas, in 1837, where three species of Quercus are described, 
and one species of Castanopsis, the latter as a Fagus and without specific 
name. The three true oaks, Blanco identified with extra-Philippine 
species, one as Quercus molucca Rumph., of eastern Malaya, one with 
Q. glabra presumably of Thunberg, and one with Q. cerris Linn., an 
European species. In the second edition of the work, the name 
Quercus molucca is changed to Q. concentrica, Q. glabra is changed to 
Q, ovaliSy and a short description of a fourth species, Q. cooperta, is 
added. The identification of these species has caused considerable con- 
fusion, and one of the objects of the present paper is to determine their 
status, so far as possible. 
Nothing further appeared regarding Philippine Quercus until A. De 
Candolle's monogra})h of the family in 18(>4,^ when Quercus Ilanosii A. 
DU.j based on specimens supplied by Father Llanos, supposed to represent 
Blanco's Quercus concentrica, and Q. pliilippinensis A. DC, based on 
a specimen collected in Luzon by Cuming, were described. Quercus 
ovdlis Blanco was admitted, with a short diagnosis taken from Blanco's 
description, while the new name Q. hlancoi was proposed for Blanco's 
Q. glabra, the autlior overlooking the fact that in publishing Quercus 
oralis, Blanco simply proposed a new name for his own Q. glabra. 
Q. cooperta Blanco is also included but with doubt as to whether or not 
it was a true Quercus, while a drawing sent by Llanos was identified as 
probably Quercus pruinosa Blume, although so far this species has not 
been found in the Philippines. 
In 1875, Maximo Laguna y Villanueva published in Madrid, a pam- 
phlet of eight pages,^ witli one plate, enumerating the species of Quercus 
previously recorded from the Philippines, and described and figured 
F 
iProdr. 16= (1864) 1-123. 
^Apuutes sobro un iiiievo roble (Q. jordanae) do la flora dc Filipinas. (1875) 
1-8, cum lamina. 
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