QUERCUS 305 



furrowed bark. Two trees are in the Kew collection raised from acorns 

 sent from Algeria in 1869. The leaves of these trees are much smaller than 

 in the type (the largest 4 to 5 ins. by i- ins.), and the young shoots are more 

 downy. Pomel, who regarded the Algerian form as a distinct species and 

 called it Q. AFARES, says that it also differs in having the acorns clustered 

 four or five together. As in the type, they ripen the second year. 



Q. CERRIS, Linnaus. TURKEY OAK. 



A noble deciduous tree over 120 ft. high, with a trunk occasionally more 

 than 6 ft. in diameter ; winter buds all furnished with long, linear, downy 

 scales ; young shoots covered with a close, greyish down. Leaves thin and 

 hard in texture, oval or oblong, tapered at both ends, very coarsely toothed 

 or lobed, the lobes penetrating one-third to two-thirds towards the midrib ; 

 normally 2^ to 5 ins. long, i to 3 ins. wide, but very diverse in shape, size 

 and lobing"; dark lustrous green and harsh, with starry down above ; dull 

 greyish green and closely covered with similar down beneath ; stalk \ to f in. 

 long. Acorns solitary or in pairs, each i to i ^ ins. long, very shortly stalked ; 

 the cup clothed with long, linear, downy scales. 



Native of S. Europe and Asia Minor; introduced in 1735. I* i s a ver Y 

 hardy tree attaining to dimensions under cultivation nobler than those of 

 most introduced trees. As a timber tree it has very little value, being much 

 inferior to the common oak. As a purely ornamental tree, however, for 

 avenues, etc., it has some points in its favour, being quicker-growing and 

 more elegant in growth. 



Var. AUSTRIACA. Leaves with comparatively shallow triangular lobes, 

 and more downy beneath than in the type. 



Var. LACINIATA (dissecta). Leaves lobed almost to the midrib, often 

 much narrower than in the type, between which and this variety are several 

 intermediate forms. 



Var. VARIEGATA. Leaves bordered by a white band of varying width, 

 which penetrates here and there to the midrib. A rather effective variegated 

 tree. 



Q. CHRYSOLEPIS, Liebmann. MAUL OAK. 



An evergreen tree up to 40 or 50 ft. high in a wild state, with a short, thick 

 trunk, but scarcely more than a shrub as yet in cultivation ; young shoots 

 covered with starry down. Leaves \ to 2 ins. long, half to almost as wide, 

 ovate or oval, the smaller ones often roundish, heart-shaped at the base, 

 terminated by a spiny tooth, also furnished on young plants with four to 

 ten large spiny teeth at each side, terminating as many parallel veins. On 

 old trees the leaves are described as entire. The upper surface is at first 

 furnished with stellate down, but soon becomes nearly or quite smooth, and 

 of a dark shining green ; lower surface dull and at first yellowish downy, 

 but often smooth the second year ; stalks -^ to \ in. long., clothed with starry 

 down. Acorns solitary or in pairs, scarcely stalked, egg-shaped, | to i in. 

 long, the downy cup enclosing less than half its length. 



Native of California ; introduced by Sargent in 1877, but apparently lost 

 to cultivation afterwards, as none but quite young trees are at present in 

 gardens. It is distinguished among evergreen oaks with foliage of the same 

 character, by the yellowish appressed down beneath the leaves, which, how- 

 ever, is not so thick on plants cultivated in this country as it is in W. America. 

 Of this tree Sargent observes that, in its native state, it is surpassed in 

 majestic dignity and massive strength by no other American species except 

 Q. virginiana of the southern Atlantic States. Trees exist with heads of 

 branches fifty yards across. 



