THE OAKS OF THE PHILIPPINES. 



By Elmer D. Merrill. 

 (From the Botanical Section of the Biological Laboratory, Bureau of Science, 



Manila, P. I.) 



The first mention of Philippine oaks is in the first edition of Blanco's 

 Flora cle Filipinas, in 1837, where three species of Quercus are described, 

 and one species of Castanoims. the latter as a Far/as and without specific 

 name. The three true oaks, Blanco identified with extra-Philippine 

 species, one as Quercus molucca Eumph., of eastern Malaya, one with 

 Q. glahm presumably of Thunberg, and one with Q. ccrris 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. ovalis, 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 monograph of the family in 1864,^ wlien Quercus llanosii A. 

 DC, based on specimens supplied by Father Llanos, supposed to represent 

 Blanco's Quercus concentrica. and Q. philippinensis A. DC, based on 

 a specimen collected in Luzon by Cuming, were described. Quercus 

 ovalis Blanco was admitted, with a short diagnosis taken from Blanco's 

 description, wliile the new name Q. bianco i was proposed for Blanco's 

 Q. glabra, the autlior overlooking the fact that in publishing Quercus 

 ovalis. Blanco simply proposed a new name for his own Q. glahra. 

 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 

 ])roba])lv 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,- Avith one plate, enumerating the species of Quercus 

 previously recoi-ded from the Philippines, and described and figured 



iPiodr. 16^ (1S()4) 1-123. 



-Apuntes sobre un nuevo roble (Q. jordanae) de la flora de Filipinas. (187.5) 

 l-S, cum lamina. 



74379 4 '^^"^ 



