( l'''>7 ) 



NEW PLANTS, ETC., FROM THE SOCIETY'S 

 GARDEN. 



8. QuERCUS AGRIFOLIA. Nee, i/i Ann. Sciences Naturelles, 

 III., 211. Hooker, Ic. Plant., t.Zll. Botany of Beechey's 

 Voyage, p. 37 1. 



A few miserable living plants of this species were sent home 

 by Hartweg from California, and are now beginning to grow in 

 tiie Society's Garden. It will probably be a hardy evergreen 

 tree, concerning which Nuttall, who knew it in its native 

 coiuitry, has the following remarks : — 



" This species, almost the only one which attains the mag- 

 nitude of a tree in Upper California, is abundantly dispersed 

 over the plain on which St. Barbara is situated, and, being 

 evergreen, forms a conspicvious and predominant featui'e in the 

 vegetation of this remote and singular part of the Western world. 

 It appears more sparingly around Monterey, and scarcely 

 extends on the north as far as the line of the Oregon territory. 

 It attains the height of about 40 or 50 feet, with a diameter 

 rarely exceeding 18 inches ; the bark is nearly as rough as in 

 the Red Oak. The wood, hard and brittle and reddish, is used 

 only for purposes of fuel, or the coarse construction of log- 

 cabins. 



" As an ornamental tree for the south of Europe or the warmer 

 States of the Union, we may recommend this species. It forms 

 a roundish summit, and spreads but little till it attains a con- 

 siderable age. As a hedge it would form a very close shelter, 

 and the leaves, evergreen and nearly as prickly as a holly, would 

 render it almost impervious to most animals. The leaves vary 

 from roundish ovate to elliptic, and are of a thick rigid con- 

 sistence ; the serratures are quite sharp ; the young shoots are 

 covered more or less with stellate hairs, and for some time tufts 

 of this kind of down remain on the under side of the midi'ib of 

 the leaves, which are, however, at length perfectly smooth, and 

 of a dark-green above, often tinged with brownish yellow 

 beneath. The staminiferous flowers are very abundant, and 

 rather conspicuous ; the racemes the length of 3 or 4 inches ; 

 tlie flowers with a conspicuous calyx and 8 or 10 stamens ; the 

 female or fruit-bearing flowers are usually in pairs in the axils, 



