

Quercus.] LXXII. CUPULIFERiE. 489 



18. Q. spicata, Smith; Wall. PI. As. rar. t. 46. Syn. Q. squamata, 

 Eoxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 638; Wight Ic. t. 213. Vern. Dandwa singali y phaco 

 singhali, arkaula, Nepal ; Bara chaJcma, Silhet ; Thitcha* Burm. 



A large evergreen tree, with thick, glabrous branchlets. Leaf-buds 

 open, scales imbricate, lanceolate, cuspidate. , Leaves entire, glabrous, 

 shining, coriaceous, thick and firm, elliptic -lanceolate or oblanceolate, 

 narrowed into a short petiole, 6-9 in. long, main lateral nerves 12-18 pair. 

 Flowers in erect terminal and axillary spikes, forming terminal panicles. 

 Male and female flowers on distinct spikes, and often on separate trees. 

 Male flowers in sessile globose or elongated tomentose heads, supported 

 by 3 lanceolate bracts, the middle one longer than the lowest flower, with 

 subulate bracteoles between the flowers. Perianth-segments 5-6, stamens 

 10-12, surrounding a tomentose rudimentary ovary. .Fruit in sessile 

 clusters of 3-5, arranged in erect spikes with woody rachis, 9-12 in. long. 

 Cup with adpressed imbricate scales, enclosing the acorn while young, 

 afterwards flat-concave, supporting the base of the subglobose acorn, ad- 

 joining cups generally connate. Acorn hard, f-1 in. diam. 



Nepal, Sikkim (2000-4000 ft.), Bhutan, Assam, Kasia, Chittagong, Burma, 

 Indian Archipelago. Fl. March, April ; the fruit ripens Sept. -Oct. of the 

 second year. 



Other common Indian evergreen Oaks of this section with entire leaves and 

 spicate fruit, are : 1. Q. fenestrate, Boxb., glabrous ; scales of cup imbricate, nearly 

 connate, apex free, spreading. East Bengal, Burma. Wood hard, warps much, 

 medullary rays very broad. 2. Q. dealbata, Hook. f. & Th. (probably identical 

 with Q. acuminata, Boxb.), leaves white-hoary beneath, scales of cup imbricate. 

 East Bengal, Burma. 3. Q. lappacea, Boxb., with pubescent membranous or 

 thinly coriaceous leaves, upper half of cup-scales free, spreading. East Bengal, 

 Burma. 4. Q. lancecefolia, Boxb., glabrous ; cup with concentric bands, with- 

 out scales, enclosing | of acorn. A species differing from most other Oaks by 

 a ruminate albumen, and by the structure of the wood, which has very fine 

 medullary rays. East Bengal, Burma. 



2. CASTANOPSIS, Spach. 



Evergreen trees with entire, rarely serrate coriaceous penniveined leaves. 

 Flowers in erect spikes, arranged in terminal panicles, the female flower- 

 spikes generally terminal, the male spikes lateral and more numerous. 

 Male flowers fasciculate ; perianth 5-6-lobed ; stamens generally twice as 

 many, surrounding a hairy rudimentary ovary; anthers small, 2-celled, 

 cells connate. Female flowers 1-3, included in an involucre of numerous 

 scales. Limb of perianth of 6 biseriate segments. Ovary 3-celled, with 2 

 ovules in each cell ; styles 3, rarely more, linear, stigmatose at the apex. 

 One to three 1 -seeded nuts entirely included in the enlarged capsuliform 

 subglobose involucre, which is coriaceous, outside thickly covered with 

 sharp, often branching, prickles, and splits open irregularly. Cotyledons 

 farinaceous. 



* Thitcha is the Burmese name also for Q. fencstrata, lappacea, scmiserrata, and 

 other Oaks. 



