QUERCUS 309 



Var. VARIEGATA has smaller leaves than the type ; they are rarely more 

 than 2 to i\ ins. long, and have a broad regular margin of creamy yellow ; 

 sometimes the whole of one side of the midrib is of that colour. It is not 

 so hardy as the green type, but is occasionally used in greenhouse decoration. 



Q. DENSIFLORA, Hooker. TAN BARK OAK. 



(Pasania densiflora, Oersted..} 



An evergreen tree, 70 ft. or more high, in a young state pyramidal ; young 

 shoots clothed with & thick pale wool which persists through the second 

 season. Leaves stiff and leathery, oval or oblong, rounded or broadly tapered 

 at the base, pointed, twelve to fourteen parallel ribs on either side the midrib, 

 each rib ending in a sharp tooth ; 2 to 4 (occasionally 6) ins. long, to 2^ ins. 

 wide ; upper surface at first covered with loose, stellate down which falls 

 away by the end of the season, leaving it dark glossy green ; lower surface 

 with a thick down, at first pure white, becoming tawny and ultimately falling 

 away, leaving it grey, glaucous,- and nearly smooth ; stalk \ to f in. long. The 

 leaves remain on the tree for two or three years. Male flowers in erect, 

 slender spikes, 2 to 4 ins. long. Acorn solitary or in pairs, | to I in. long ; 

 the cup shallow, covered with slender, downy, reflexed scales. 



Native of California and Oregon ; introduced in 1874 to Kew, where 

 it has proved a perfectly hardy and very striking oak. The milk-white 

 down which covers the young leaves of the new shoots is very effective, and 

 with the strong parallel ribs renders the species quite distinct from all other 

 evergreen oaks. It is at present rare, but young plants have recently been 

 raised from acorns introduced by Mr F. R. S. Balfour of Dawyck. This is 

 fortunate, as it is becoming rare in a wild state through being cut down for 

 its bark, which is exceedingly rich in tannin. 



Q. DENTATA, Thunberg. DAIMYO OAK. 

 (Q. Daimio, Koch.') 



A deciduous round-headed tree, 60 or more feet high, described as being 

 of ungainly, unpicturesque habit only known in a small state in cultivation; 

 young shoots stout, densely covered with greyish soft hairs. Leaves amongst 

 the largest of all hardy oaks ; occasionally over I ft. long and 6 or 7 ins. wide ; 

 the smallest one-third those dimensions ; obovate, tapered at the base, blunt 

 or rounded at the apex, the margin with five to nine rounded lobes or deep 

 undulations at each side. When quite young the upper surface is covered 

 with minute down, the under-surface with a whitish felt ; but, as the season 

 advances, the down falls away from the upper surface, the lower one remaining 

 sparsely downy. Acorns ^ to f in. long, rounded, produced in clusters ; the 

 cup covered with long narrow, downy scales. 



Native of Japan and Corea ; introduced to Europe in 1830. It is a 

 remarkable oak on account of its enormous leaves, but has never been really 

 a success in this country, and is usually short-lived. Its habit is thin and 

 gaunt. The under-surface of its leaves sometimes presents an extraordinary 

 appearance because of a covering of disk-like galls, so thickly placed as to 

 overlap each other. 



Q. GAMBELII, Nuttall. SHIN OAK. 



Little is known in cultivation of this West American oak, which has 

 recently been introduced to this country. It is described by Sargent as a 

 tree 20 to 25 ft. high, whose young shoots are clothed at first with a pale 



