CHAP. CV. CORYLA‘CEX. QUE’RCUS. 1845 
ticultural Society’s Garden. “ So little attention,” 
says Sir J. E. Smith, “ has been paid to this species 
by botanical writers, that we can find no certain de- 
scription or figure of it, except in Dalechamp’s Hist. 
Plant. We even doubt whether the plant intended 
in the first edition of the Hortus Kewensis be the true 
one; yet this seems what Willdenow describes as 
such. What Linnzus briefly describes, in his Man- 
tissa (496.), under the name of /Z’sculus, seems to be 
Q. Cérris; with which latter the description copied 
by Willdenow, and the specific character extracted 
therefrom, well agree ; but not at all with the original 
and authentic specimen of Q ’sculus in the Lin- 
nzan herbarium.” (Rees’s Cycl.) Sir James next describes the Linnzan spe- 
cimens; and his descriptions agree remarkably well with the trees bearing 
this name in the Horticultural Society’s Garden : — “ The branches angular, 
furrowed, and smooth. Leaves scattered, aggre- Ny 
gate at the top from 2in, to 3in, long, and sh, ¥ | 
1 in. at most in breadth. Footstalks nearly oN Gods? 
lin. long; destitute of the long, linear, tufted, Si) oe 
stipulaceous scales, or ramenta, found in Q. a pia oe 
Cérris, Q. Z’gilops, and Q.austriaca. Young ag, Wy efor 4 
acorns axillary, nearly sessile, solitary, or in 2m ~YRee 
pairs; the cup scaly; the size of small peas. Dy \/ ee 1700 
Dalechamp represents the full-grown acorns as ih | p Pm. 
about lin. long, embraced by a hemispherical Oy 5) 
scaly cup, about one third that length. He Qa¥ INE ORL 
says that they are sweet and eatable; and that “%& iy AY Za 
they are brought to table roasted by the Spa- = 
niards, as well as by the rustic Italians; but 
that they are sometimes found to affect the 
head like darnel.” (Zéid.) It is singular, that 
very little is known respecting this tree even in 
France. Bosc says that it is cultivated in the 
den of the Museum; but that, as far as he 
new, it had never produced fruit. The tree 
in the Horticultural Society’s Garden, which Gy 
is upwards of 20 ft. high, has produced fruit \ 
three or four seasons, The tree in the Hackney arboretum has also, we 
believe, produced fruit. Figs. 1699. and 1700. are sprigs taken from the 
tree in the Horticultural Society’s Garden. Plants, in the London nur- 
series, are 3s. 6d. each. . 
Varieties. The leaves of this species vary considerably (see fig. 1701., all of 
which grew on 
the same tree); 
and, if it were < 
desirable, several © 
varieties might be @ 
selected from a 
bed of seedlings, 
and continued by 
grafting. There is a tree in the Fulham Nursery with decidedly pendulous 
shoots, which, being a free grower, forms a very ornamental object. 
Statistics. Yn the environs of London, at Ham House, it is 15 ft. high ; the diameter of the head 
22 ft., and of the trunk 1lin, In Staffordshire, at Trentham, it is 26 ft. igh ; the diameter of the head 
23ft., and of the trunk 13in. In Ireland, in the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, 35 years planted, it is 
30 ft. high; the diameter of the head 18ft., and of the trunk 1 ft. In Germany, at Briick on the 
Leytha, #4 years planted, it is 34 ft. high ; the diameter of the head 15 ft., and of the trunk Qin. 
6p 4 
