617 



QCJATA. 



QUERCUS. 



us 



This tree yields the Quassia chips now so extensively employed in 

 Europe as a bitter substance. The wood is imported from Jamaica in 

 billets of various sizes, is white, scentless, but most intensely bitter. 

 It is one of the ingredients employed by fraudulent brewers in 

 adulterating beer. 



Q. Simaruba (Simaruba amara, Aublet) is the plant which furnishes 

 the bark called Simarouba, which comes from Jamaica in bales, and is 

 used as a tonic, although it also appears to act as an emetic. It is a 

 large tree, found in the West India Islands and on the mainland of 

 America. Its leaflets are 2 to 9 on each side, oval, smooth, firm, and 

 sharp-pointed. The flowers are very small, whitish, and arranged in 

 branching scattered panicles. 



The three genera, Quassia, Picrcena, and Simaruba, may be distin- 

 guished thus : 



Quassia. Petals forming a tube ; stamens 10. Flowers herma- 

 phrodite ; ovaries 5. 



Picrcena. Petals quite distinct; stamens 5. Flowers polygamous ; 

 ovaries 3. 



Simaruba. Petals quite distinct ; stamens 10. Flowers unisexual ; 

 ovaries 5. 



QTATA. [AiELEa] 



QUEEN'S GILLIFLOWER. [HESPERIS.] 



QUERCUS, the Latin word for an oak-tree, which is of frequent 

 occurrence in the Roman writers. It is now, as then, applied to the 

 oak and all the other species associated with it by botanists in one 

 common genus. Quercui differs essentially from C'aitama, the Chest- 

 nut, in having short obtuse stigmata, and from both it and Fagu>, the 

 Beech, in the cells of its ovary containing two ovules instead of four. 

 It is also distinguished by its acorn or nut being seated in a cup, and 

 not in a close husk ; but there are intermediate conditions of this 

 part, technically called the cupule, which render it of less value as a 

 mark of distinction than would at first sight appear. Many of tho 

 oaks of the hotter parts of Asia have the acorn completely inclosed 

 within the cupule. Still however the prickly husk of the beech and 

 the chestnut, splitting into valves, may in general be distinguished 

 from the closed-up cup of the Indian oaks. 



Oaks, like roses, are scarcely known in a wild state in the southern 

 hemisphere. In the islands of the Indian Archipelago they reach their 

 most southern limits, especially in Java ; thence they pass upwards 

 beyond the equinoctial line, and following the eastern parts of Asia, 

 they spread to the westward along the Himalaya Mountains, and 

 reaching Europe, are only arrested by the Atlantic Ocean. On the 

 other hand they find their way to the eastward of their Asiatic origin, 

 and overrun America from Canada and Oregon through California 

 and Mexico, till their progress to the south is stopped by the Isthmus 

 of Darien. 



While however the genus is thus extensively distributed, the species 

 are confined within comparatively narrow territorial limits. "Many of 

 the Javanese kinds appear to be peculiar to the Indian Archipelago, 

 or only occur near the south-eastern angle of Asia. Those of the 

 Himalayas are perfectly distinct from the oaks of the Trans-Himalayan 

 regions, and have not even been found on the mountains of Persia. 

 Several of the Oriental kinds are known nowhere else, and the 

 American species are quite peculiar to that country. 



The species are very numerous, and we propose to give some of 

 the more remarkable according to their geographical distribution. 



I. Oaks of Europe, Northern Asia, and Barbary. 



Under this head we include all the more common species of the 

 genus, the greater part of which exist in cultivation in this country. 

 They may be divided into three groups : the Forest Oaks, or Bobora : 

 the European Oaks, or 1 licet ; and the Mossy-Cupped Oaks, or 

 Cerra. 



a. The Forest Oaks (liobora). 



The species comprehended under this head have deciduous thin 

 leaves, whose lobes are never lengthened into a bristle, and whose 

 acorus are seated in shallow cups, the scales of which are so short 

 and closely pressed to the sides as not to form visible extensions. 

 The wild oaks of England may be taken as the representatives of the 

 others, which differ from them chiefly in the quantity of down upon 

 their leaves, the size of the acorns, and the quality of their timber. 



Q. pedunculata, Common British Oak. Leaves sessile or nearly so, 

 with numerous deep sinuosities and a thin texture, with but little 

 polish on the upper side. Acorns arranged in long stalked spikes. 

 This, which is our commonest oak in England at the present day, 

 appears not to be confined to the colder parts of Europe, as has by 

 some been supposed, for we have specimens before us both from 

 Spain and Hungary, but it is certainly much more common in the 

 north than in the south, where its place is usurped by the next 

 specie*. It has the reputation of being the True British Oak, whose 

 timber is alone suited for naval purposes on account of its durability 

 and hardness ; but this is a mere fable, the wood of the next species 

 being as suitable in all respects under equal circumstances. But the 

 r of the oak, like all other wood, is materially affected by the 

 nature of the soil in which it grows, and this has probably given rine 

 to the often repeated assertion that Sussex oak, which chiefly consists 

 of Q. pedunculate, is the best kiud that can be employed in thip 



building. The species is readily known by its leaves having very 

 short stalks, or none at all, while the acorns are placed on very long 

 stalks. In consequence of the importance of distinguishing it from 

 Q. sessttijiora, we have thought it desirable to introduce a wood-cut of 

 the plant, common as it is. 



1, Common British Oak (Quercui pedunculata}; 2, Manna-Oak (Q. manni- 

 fera) ; 3, Sessile-Cupped Oak (Q. teuiliflora). 



The Q. faetigiata of the gardens is a singular variety, with tho 

 branches rising close to the stem, like those of a Lombardy poplar. 



Q. teisiliflora, Sessile-Cupped Oak. Leaves on long yellowish stalks, 

 with numerous sinuosities, and a firm texture ; much polished on tho 

 upper side. Acorns either altogether sessile or arranged in very short 

 stalked spikes. We have already stated that the timber of this has 

 been supposed, although erroneously, to be inferior to that of 

 Q. pedunculata. Experiments as to strength and toughness have 

 shown that there is no material difference between the two in those 

 respects, and the durability of the wood of the Sessile-Cupped Oak 

 is attested by the well-known fact, that the roof of Westminster Hall 

 is constructed of it, and not of chestnut, ns has been sometimes said. 

 It haj been found to be the timber of some of the most ancient 

 of buildings in this country and elsewhere ; an immense beam in an 

 old Shropshire building, now called Stone House, was Q. sessilijlora, 

 and the oak usually obtained from bogs, where it must have lain for 

 centuries, has often proved to be the same. 



The wood may be easily known by its medullary rays, or silver 

 grain, being so far apart that it cannot be rent, and this gives it quite 

 a peculiar aspect. Q, sessilijlora is found all over England now, but 

 nowhere in much quantity. It however is more abundant in the west 

 than elsewhere, and constitutes the greater part of the oak of North 

 Wales. It is a much handsomer plant than the last, and grows con- 

 siderably faster, and therefore is by far the most advantageous kind 

 for the planter. Its comparative scarcity at the present day may 

 perhaps have arisen from its having been felled in preference as long 

 as any of it remained in the ancient forests, which its superiority in 

 size to the other species would render probable, and not having been 

 replaced, it would thus become gradually exterminated. It appears 

 to be still common over all the south of Europe, where however it 

 is not uncommonly mistaken for the last. Tho supposed species 

 called Q. apennina and Q. microcarpa are probably varieties of it. 

 What is called the Durmast Oak, which has been regarded as a species 

 by some botanists under the name of Q. atrovirens, or Q. intermedia, 

 seems to us a slight variety of Q. icssilijtora, with the leaves pubescent 

 on the under side. It is here in all probability that the classical 

 Etculnu of Virgil belongs, for, according to 1'rofuasor Tenore, a 



