An Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 



263 



QU£RCUS (the Latin name). Oak. Ord. CupulifercB. 

 A well-known genns, comprising nearly 300 species, of 

 mostly hardy trees, rarely shrubs. Flowers monoecious, 

 in unisexual, amentaceous or erect, very rarely andro- 

 gynous, sessile or sub-sessile spikes ; males in catkins, 

 with usually six. sometimes ten to twelve stamens ; 

 females solitary, inclosed in imbricating bracts or scales, 

 with a more or less perfect three-celled ovary, very rarely 

 four or five-celled. Nut (glans or acorn) fixed to, or 

 included within, a cup; seed, by abortion, usually soli- 

 tary. Leaves alternate, annual or perennial, entire, 

 toothed, or lobed, membranous or coriaceous, penni- 

 veined. As acorns do not long retain their germinative 

 powers, it is best to sow them soon after they are ripe. 

 It is of little use trying to import from, or export to, 

 distant countries seeds of any of the species unless these 

 are packed tightly in damp clay or earth. The curious 

 variegated and other forms of the common Oak, &e., 

 must be propagated by grafting. See also Oak. A 

 selection from the introduced species and their varieties 

 is given below. They are hardy trees, except where 

 otherwise stated. The flowers are usually produced in 

 spring, and the nuts shed in the autumn. 



O. acuta (acute-leaved), jl., catkins flexile, shorter than the 

 leaves, pendulous, solitary or fasciculate ; female spikes short. 

 Jr., cup hemispherical, with concentric rings ; nut ovoid or ellip- 

 soid, apiculate, thrice exceeding the cup. I. acute or obtuse at 

 base, elliptic or oblong, abruptly acuminate, entire or undulate- 

 crenate towards the apex, 2in. to 4i^in. long, im. to 2in. broad ; 

 young ones fulvous-tomentose, older ones glabrous ; petioles 

 about lin. long ; stipules ^in. long, narrow-linear, pilose at back. 

 Japan. Tree or shrub. Of this evergreen specie.s there are two 

 varieties in gardens : albo-jtervis, with white-veined, and rosco- 

 nerris, with red-veined, leaves. (\V. A' F. 85.) SVN. Q. Buergeri. 



O. .^gilops. -Egilops, Vallonea, or Velani Oak. Jl. greenish- 

 white. />., cup very large, hemispherical, with lanceolate, elon- 

 gated, spreading scales; nut brown, very ornamental. I. ovate- 

 oblong, with bristle-pointed, tooth-like lobes, hoary beneath. 

 h. 20ft. to 50ft. Grecian Archipelago, 1731. Evergreen or nearly 

 so. The cups and acorns are exported from the Levant in 

 large quantities, being in gTeat demand for tanning purposes. 

 (K. E. E. 7.) Syn. Q. Uivjeri (K. E. E. 13). Of this species, 

 there are two varieties : lati/olia. with rather broader leaves, 

 and pcndnlay with drooping branches. 



Q. agrifolia (scabby-leaved). Enceno Oak. J!., catkins longer 

 than the leaves. Jr., cup turbinate, Ain. broad, with adpressed 

 scales, more or less ciliated on their margins ; nut §in. to l^in. 

 long, ovoid-oblong, exserted, acute. I. broadly ovate or oval, sub- 

 cordate, remotely spine-tooUied, liin. to 2in. long, seven to 

 eighteen lines broad, chartaceous ; adult ones glabrous ; petioles 

 iin. long. Young branches pubescent, h. 20ft. California, 1849. 

 "Evergreen. (J. H. S. vi. 157.) 



Q. alba (white). American White Oak ; Quebec Oak. Jt., CEitkins 

 slender. .^V., cup hemispherical-saucer-sli;ipe(l, rough or tubercled 

 at maturity, naked, much shorter tlian the nut, which is about 

 lin. long, ovoid or oblong, with an etUble kernel. L, mature ones 

 3in. to 6in. long, lin. to 3in. broad, obovate-oblong, obliquely cut 

 into from three to nine oblong or linear, obtuse, mostly entire 

 lobes, smooth, pale or glaucous beneath, bright green aliove. 

 h. 60ft. N<irth America, 1724. A large and valuable, deciduous 

 tree. (B. M. PI. 250 ; E. T. S. 1^1. i. 145.) In the variety rcpanda, 

 the leaves are irregularly sinuated or sinuately lobed. 



O, aquatica (aquatic). Water Oak. /**. small; cup saucer-shaped 

 or hemispherical ; nut dark brown, globular-ovoid. I. obovate- 

 spathidate or narrowly wedge-shaped, with a long tapering base, 

 and an often obscurely three-lobed summit, varying to oblanceo- 

 late, thick, lin. to 4iu. long, ^in. to 2in. broad ; those on seedlings 

 and strouji shoots often incised or sinuate-pinnatifid. then mostly 

 bristle-pomted ; petioles rarely iin. long. h. 60ft. to 80ft. North 

 America (near ponds, Ac), 1723. Deciduous. The wood of this 

 species is similar to that of all other North American Oaks. 



Q, austriaca sempervirens (evergreen Austrian). A synonym 

 of ','. 'jlaiiihilij'era. 



Q. Ballota (Ballota). Barbary Oak; Sweet Acorn Oak. fr., 

 scales uf the cup usually convex at back ; kernel of a mild and 

 agreeable flavour. I, often rounded at base, dentate or entire, 

 very hoary beneath. South-west Europe, &c. 



Q. bambussQfoUa (Bambusa-leaved). A synonym of Q. mlicina. 



Q. Banisterl (Banister's). A synonym of Q. iliciJ'oUa. 



Q. bicolor (two-coloured). Swamp White Oak. y!., catkins pilose. 

 //•. bunie on i)tduncles much longer than the petioles; cup hemi- 

 spherical, alu'ut Hn. long, hoary, the upper scales awn-shaped, 

 sometimes forming a mossy-fringed margin ; nut scarcely lin. long, 

 ellipsoid. I. obovate or oblong obovati-, wt-diii-sliaped at base, 

 coarsely sinuate-crenate and often rather pinnatitid tlian toothed, 

 soft-downy and white-hoary beneath, the main primary veins 

 six to eight pairs, lax and a little prominent. /(. 60ft. North 



Quercus — confimied. 



America, 1800. Deciduous. (E. T. S. M. 153.) Syn. Q. Prinus 

 tomenfosa. 



Q, Buergeri (Buerger's). A synonym of Q. acuta. 



Q,. Catesb0ei(('atesliy"s). Scrub Oak. /r. hemispherical-turbinate 

 half asli.uj; us tlie blackish, ellipsoid nut, with adpressed, slightly 

 silky scales. /. 4in. to 7in. long, 3in. to bin. broad, shortly petiulate, 

 cuneate at base, oblong, deeply cut into three to five unequal, 

 often falcate or spreading, ovate, acuminate lobes, which are 

 subulate-nuicronate at the apex, and also sometimes on the 

 margins, the central one trilobed ; young ones pubescent, adult 

 ones glabrous. /(. 15ft. to 30ft. North America, 1823. Deciduous. 



Fig. 342. Branch of Quercus Cerrls, with Male Catkins. 



Q. Cerris (Cerris).* Bitter, Mossy-cupped, or Turkey Oak. 

 jl. gi'eenish-white ; catkins pubescent, lin. to 3in. long ; females 

 at the sides of a short pe<luncle. fr. solitary or twin ; cup hemi- 

 spherical, bristly, with elongated, pubescent scales ; nut brown, 

 cylindrical, ^in. to IJin. long. I. oblong or obovate, variable, 

 sinuate-toothed or often pinnatifid, with obtuse or acute, often 

 mncronulate lobes, very shortly pilose on both sides, rarely 

 stellate above, on very short petioles ; stipnies narrow-linear, 

 pilose. Young branches pubescent, h. 40ft. to 60ft. South 

 Europe, Ac, 1755. See Figs. 342 and 345. (W. D. B. ii. 92.) 



Q, C. austriaca (Austrian). /. on rather long stalks, ovate- 

 oblong, slightly but copiously sinuated, downy and hoary 

 beneath ; loljes short, ovate, acute, entire ; stipules shorter than 

 the footstalks, h. 40ft. South-east Europe, 1824. (K. E. E. 20, 

 under name of Q. austriaca.) 



Q, C. crispa (curled). I. somewhat curled at the edges. Bark 

 corky, li. over 60ft. 



Q. C. dentata (toothed). A garden syncmym of Q. C. suhperennin. 



Q, C. fulhamensis (Fulham). A garden synonym of Q. C. 

 siibperiiiiii.s. 



Q. C. IiUCUmbeana (lucomlie). A garden synonym of Q. C. 

 subjycrennis. 



Q, C. pendula (pendulous), l. narrow, <leeply lobed ; lobes ob- 

 tuse or sub-acute. Branches long, pendent or prostrate. 



Q, C. subperennis (almost evergreen), fr., .'^cales of the cup 

 ovate, Iniist'ly licit. I. variable, sometimes incised, sometimes 

 curled, alnmst evergreen. This variety is also known in gardens 

 as Q. C. 'h'ntata (W. D. B. 95), Q. C. fulhamensis (G. C. 

 n. s., viii. 159), and Q,. C. Lucuinbcana. 



Q, C, variegata (variegated). In this variety, the leaves are 

 variegated. 



Q. cinerea (ashy-grey). Blue Jack ; l^pland Willow Oak. 

 Ji., catkins lin. to l^in. long. fr. solitary, sessile or very shortly 

 pedunculate; cup hemispherical-turbinate, with adpres.sed, silky 

 scales ; nut globular, often half as long again as the cvip. l. acute 

 or obtuse at base, oblong or obovate-olilong, often obtuse, mucro- 

 nate, entire, sparsely stellate-hairy above, and thickly so below, 

 liin. to 5in. long, six to ten lines broad, on very short petioles. 

 North America, 1789. A small, twisted, sub-evergreen tree, 

 rarely exceeding 30ft. in height, the bark yielding a yellow dye. 

 Syn. Q. Phellos cinerea. 



Q,. coccifera O'erry-bearing). Kermes Oak. Jl., males on lon^, 

 slender peduncles ; females sessile, three to seven, on a rachis 

 eight to fifteen lines long. fr. on a short, thick peduncle, some- 

 times sub-sessile, solitary or twin ; cup hemispherical, with 



