QUERCUS 325 



O. SESSILIFLORA, Salisbury. DURMAST OAK. 



A deciduous tree, 60 to 80 ft. or more high, closely allied to and resembling 

 Q. pedunculata, but with a head of branches less rugged and open ; young 

 shoots downy. Leaves 3 to 5 ins. long, with stalks up to I in. long ; oval or 

 obovate, deeply lobed, usually larger than in Q. pedunculata ; dark glossy 

 green and smooth above, greyish and more or less downy beneath. Acorns 

 | to i^ ins. long, solitary or clustered (two, three, or more together) close to 

 the twig, or on a quite short stalk. The durmast oak has not been so prolific 

 of varieties as Q. pedunculata, but the following are worth notice : 



Var. AFGHANISTANENSIS, Booth. Leaves oval or obovate, with shallower 

 lobes than the type. Acorn with a distinct stalk as much as ^ in. long. 



Var. COCHLEATA, Petzold. Leaves decurved at the margin so that the 

 centre is humped or hooded. 



Var. FALKENBERGENSIS. Leaves short and broad, with large looes ; very 

 downy beneath. 



Var. GIESLERI, Spath. Leaves long, deeply and unequally lobed, as in 

 Q. pedunculata heterophylla. 



Var. IBERICA. Lobes of leaf pointed. 



Var. MESPILIFOLIA, Wallroth. Leaves long, narrow, 4 to 8 ins. long, 

 \ to 2 ins. wide ; entire, or shallowly lobed, tapered at both ends. A 

 remarkably distinct variety, often grown as " Q. Louettii." 



Var. MUSCOVIENSIS, Koehne. Leaves of first growth often nearly or quite 

 entire, those of the second or July growth nearer the type, and lobed. 



Var. RUBICUNDA (purpurea). Young leaves red. 



The durmast oak, a native of Europe and Asia Minor, is found wild in the 

 British Isles, generally in elevated districts. Although it is considered by 

 some planters to be better adapted to dry situations than Q. pedunculata, it is 

 most abundant in some of the wettest parts of the country, as for instance 

 on the hills between Kenmare and Killarney, where all the oaks seem to be 

 sessiliflora. On the south-western coast of Scotland, too, it succeeds 

 admirably. Generally it appears to be the quicker grower, and is capable of 

 attaining to a great height. Mr Elwes mentions one in Whitefield Park, 

 Herefordshire, 130 ft. high. But, generally, the trees with huge trunks and 

 the famous oaks of history appear to be Q. pedunculata. There appears to be 

 little difference in the quality of the timber of the two ; if any, the consensus 

 of opinion is in favour of Q. pedunculata. 



There are oaks intermediate in various ways between Q. sessiliflora and 

 Q. pedunculata, sometimes uniting stalked acorns with downy leaves, or 

 sessile acorns with auricled leaves, and so on ; but generally they are easily 

 determinable. 



Q. SUBER, Linnceus. CORK OAK. 



An evergreen tree up to 60 ft. high, with a trunk 5 ft. in diameter, whose bark 

 is remarkably thick and corky ; young shoots covered with a close, grey down. 

 Leaves oval, ovate or oblong, i to T.\ ins. long, f to i^ ins. wide ; rounded or 

 abruptly tapered at both ends, toothed except near the base ; upper surface 

 dark glossy green, smooth except when quite young ; lower surface clothed 

 with a minute grey felt ; stalk to \ in. long, minutely downy. Acorns 

 ripening the first year, f in. long, about half enclosed in the cup, and borne 

 singly or in pairs on a short, downy stalk. 



Var. OCCIDENTALS, Henry (Q. occidentalis, Gay). The French botanist 

 Gay was the first to distinguish this from the type about 1855. Its chief 

 distinction is in the fruits taking two seasons to mature. It has also a distinct 

 habitat, being found on the west or Atlantic side of Europe, whilst the true 



