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slender stalk 2 to 5 ins. long-, one-third enclosed in the cup. The common 

 oak has produced many varieties, of which the following are a selection : 



Van CONCORDIA, Lemaire. Golden Oak. Leaves of a bright yellow 

 lasting during the summer, but liable to scorch ; not of a strong constitution. 

 It appeared in Van Geert's nursery at Ghent about 1843-4. Var. AUREA 

 LEUCOCARPA is somewhat similar. 



Var. CRISPA. Leaves small, very wrinkled. 



Var. FASTIGIATA, De Candolle. Cypress Oak. A form with leaves and 

 acorns like those of the common oak, but having the habit of a Lombardy 

 poplar. It has been found wild in various parts of Europe. As a picturesque 

 tree of slower growth but longer life than the Lombardy poplar, it is worthy 

 of more notice from planters than it has yet received. Sub-varieties of 

 it are GRANGEI, of broadly pyramidal rather than columnar growth ; and 

 TORTUOSA, branches contorted ; neither is of any importance. 



Var. FILICIFOLIA, Lemaire (Q. asplenifolia ; Q. pectinata ; Q. taraxaci- 

 folia). Fern-leaved Oak. Leaves downy beneath, long-stalked, cut almost or 

 quite to the midrib into narrow, slender, pointed lobes about ^ in. wide ; base 

 of leaf tapered. The leaves are occasionally 6 or 7 ins. long. The stalked, 

 downy leaves would seem to point to an affinity with Q. sessiliflora, but the 

 acorns are stalked. 



Var. HAAS, De Candolle (Q. Haas, Kotschy\ This, by some regarded as 

 a distinct species, has downy shoots, leaf-stalks, and under-surface of leaves. 

 Acorns and leaves very large, the latter up to 7^ ins. long by 4^ ins. wide, 

 and the acorn-stalks up to 3 ins. long ; young shoots very stoutf. Wild in 

 Asia Minor. 



Var. HETEROPHYLLA, London (var. Trinessii). Leaves very variously 

 shaped, some long and narrow, scarcely or not at all lobed, often hooded ; 

 others deeply and raggedly cut, never so regularly as in filicifolia. They 

 usually hang loosely from the branches, and are 3 to 9 ins. long, ^ to 2 ins. 

 wide. This must not be confused with the American Q. heterophylla (g.v.}. 



Var. LONGIFOLIA. I first saw this remarkable variety in the Arnold 

 Arboretum. Its leaves are stalked, oval or slightly obovate, perfectly entire, 

 blunt at the apex, and with the ordinary pair of auricles at the base ; I to 3^ 

 ins. long, to i| ins. wide ; stalk J to ^ in. long. Acorn stalk 3 ins. or more 

 long. 



Var. PENDULA, London. Weeping Oak. Branches pendulous. A slender 

 tree as I have seen it, but probably variable in this respect, as there are many 

 specimens of independent origin. 



Var. PURPURASCENS, A. De Candolle. Leaves, young shoots, and young 

 acorn-cups purple. This occurs in several forms, the most striking of which 

 is NIGRA (or "nigricans "), with very deep purple foliage which keeps its colour 

 late. Var. GRANBYANA is of the same group. 



Var. VARIEGATA. There are several forms of variegated common oak, 

 but very few, so far as I have seen, of much value in the garden. The 

 leaves are variously marked with white or yellow, either on the margins 

 or over the blade generally. A curious form at Kew is green on the first 

 growth of the season, variegated on the second. 



The common oak of Britain is well known as one of the longest-lived and 

 most valuable timber trees of the world. It is spread pretty generally over 

 Europe, the Caucasus, and Asia Minor. Although its timber is in less demand 

 now than it was before iron and steel came into use for ship-building, it is 

 still the best that can be used in house-building floors, panelling, and the 

 like. None other lasts so well, has so much beauty, or satisfies one's 

 sentiment so completely in an English house. 



It is only likely to be confused with Q. sessiliflora, the durmast oak, which 

 differs in having comparatively long-stalked leaves, but stalkless or nearly 

 stalkless acorns ; its leaves, too, are always more or less downy beneath, and 



