1932 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III. 
ever, (Mod. Trav.: Palestine.) who has collected the opinions of all these 
authors, doubts the correctness of all of them; observing, “ If it be anything 
more than a fable, it must have been a production peculiar to that part of 
Palestine, or it would not have excited such general attention. _It is possible 
that what they (Tacitus and Josephus) describe may have originated, like the 
oak galls in this country, in the work of some insect.” A. B. Lambert, Esq., 
having received some of these far-famed apples (“ Mala insana”) from the 
mountains east of the Dead Sea, whence they had been brought by the Hon. 
Robert Curzon, read an account of them before the Linnzan Society, proving 
them to be galls of a species of oak containing an insect. No description is 
given by Mr. Lambert of the insect; but Mr. Westwood, who furnished this 
article, states that it belongs to the family Cynipide, and is infested para- 
sitically by a species of the family Zchneuménide. Mr. Lambert, by some 
accident, was led into the supposition that the Dead Sea apples are identical 
with the galls of commerce (Linn. Trans., xvii. p. 446.) ; but 
this is not the case. Olivier, in speaking of this insect, and the 
gall produced by it, says that both differ from those of the 
tauzin oak (Q. pyrenaica: see fig. 1697. p. 1842.); and that 1825, 
the insect (jig. 1825.) has a body of brown and fawn-colour mixed, with the 
antenne blackish. (Zvav., Eng. ed. 2., p. 43.) 
Q. Libani Oliv., t. 49. f. 2., N. Du Ham., 7. p. 167. t. 49. £.2., and 
our jig. 1826., has the leaves on petioles, oblong, smooth, shining, and den- 
tated, with mucros at the points of the teeth. The acorns are of a round- 
ish oval, a little hollow at the summit. The scales of the calyx are placed 
close together, and scarcely imbricate. The branches are of a reddish 
brown, and perfectly glabrous. This oak, which bears some resemblance 
in its leaves to those of the chestnut, was discovered on Mount Lebanon by 
Olivier, who sent home specimens of it to Desfontaines. The leaves are 
perfectly glabrous on both sides, shining, and of a lively green above; 
and the teeth are distinctly marked by a sharp and conspicuous mucro. 
The acorns are sessile, or on very short peduncles; the nut is large, de- 
ressed, rather hollow at the summit, and enveloped for more than 
alf its length in a cup, the scales of which are rather soldered together 
side by side, than imbricated: the centre of each only is a little pro- 
minent, like those of the cones of some kinds of pine. (N. Du Ham.) 
It does not appear that living plants of this species have ever been 
brought to Europe. ‘The figure in the Nouveau Du Hamel, of which ; ; 
ours is a reduced copy, was taken from a dried specimen in the herbarium of Desfontaines. 
From the appearance of the cup, this would seem a very distinct species. 
Q. rigida Willd. Sp. Pl., 4. 7 434., N. Du Ham., 7. p. 161., Rees’s Cycl., No. 36.5 ? ‘lex acu- 
leata, &c., Tourn. Cor., 40. Leaves oblong, undivided, with spinous serratures, smooth ; glaucous 
beneath ; heart-shaped at the base. Footstalks bearded at the summit. Scales of the calyx rigid, 
spreading. (Willd.) A native of the coast of Caramania, in Asiatic Turkey. The branches are 
pale brown, dotted. The leaves are oblong, 1 in. or more in length, rigid, with spiny serratures ; 
deep green and shining above; glaucous beneath ; heart-shaped at the base, Footstalks very short, 
smooth, but furnished on each side with a line of brownish hairs, which is carried on up the midrib 
of the leaf. Theacorn is sessile; and the calyx is beset with rigid, woody, lanceolate, spreading scales. 
Q. tbérica Stev. in Mém. Soc. Imp. Nat. Mosc., 4. p. 70. M.a., Bieb. Fl. Taur.-Cauc., 2. p. 402. 
No. 1913., 3. p. 620. Leaves ovate-oblong, downy beneath, sinuated ; lobes short, blunt, somewhat 
serrated; serratures blunt. Fruit almost sessile. Scales of the cup mucronate. (Eichwald Plante 
Caspico-Caucasice, 2. p. 40. t. 38.) A native of Georgia and Imiretia. Bark smooth, not corky, 
greyish. Petioles 2—4 lines long, somewhat downy or glabrous, semicylindrical. Leaves from 
lin. to 13 in. long, and from 2 in. to 3in. broad ; obovate-oblong, acute; truncated at the base, some- 
what arrow-shaped ; glabrous above; densely covered with white tomentum beneath ; sinuated ; lobes 
short, somewhat ovate, obtuse, or rather acute, somewhat serrated ; serratures blunt. Male flowers 
disposed in aggregate catkins, 2—5 springing from one bud; lateral, slender, interrupted. Rachis 
thread-like, pubescent. Perianth deeply 5—6-cleft; the divisions linear, ciliated. Stamens 5—10. 
Female flowers unknown. (Idid., 2. p. 41.) 
Q. castaneefolia C. A. Meyer. Bark smooth. Leaves on footstalks, oblong-lanceolate ; hairy 
beneath ; thickly serrated ; serratures somewhat mucronate. Cups sessile, solitary, hemispherical. 
Scales linear-lanceolate, thickly imbricated the contrary way. Nut oblong-cylindrical. A tree, a 
native of Mazanderan, near the town of Balfrush. A very distinct and beautiful species. Bark of 
the branches and twigs membranaceous (never corky), yellow, warted. Petioles 3 in. to 1 in. long, 
slender, somewhat glabrous ; flat above, convex beneath. Smaller leaves 23 in. long, and 9 to 10 lines 
broad ; larger ones 4 in. to 44 in. long, and 1} in. to 14 in. broad ; all of them oblong-lanceolate, round, 
and frequently unequal, at the base, more or less pointed, thickly serrated; serratures blunt, pointed 
with small mucros (scarcely 2 a line long); shining above, rarely covered with stellate down; hairy 
beneath from minute stellate down, ash-coloured; veins parallel, prominent, having long hairs at 
their axils. Male flowers not seen. Cups lateral or terminal, sessile, hemispherical, 8 to 10 lines in 
diameter ; clothed in the inside with copious, soft, simple hairs; externally, with numerous, downy, 
linear-lanceolate scales, about 3 lines long; and, towards the base, 1line broad, all of them more or 
less pointed, rigid, imbricated the contrary way. Nut li in. long, cylindrical, 3 or 4 times as long as 
the cup; thickish at the base, blunt at the apex ; mucronate, smooth, reddish brown. (Kichwald 
Plante Caspico-Caucasice, 1. p. 9. t. 1. ; and our fig. 1827. 
Q. mongolica Fisch. A rare species, indigenous to the banks of the Argun in Tartary, and 
apparently of diminutive growth. There have been plants since 1835 in the Flétbeck Nurseries, 
which appear perfectly hardy. (Booth.) We trust that in 1838, or even before, this species will be 
introduced into England. 
SS 
