IN EXTRA-TROPICAL COUNTRIES. 277 



soil on the sides of mountains it is of giant growth, spreading out 

 in magnificent proportions. In toughness and density of wood it 

 represents the Live Oak of Florida. 



Quercus coccifera Linne. 



The deciduous Kermes Oak of South Europe, North Africa and 

 South- West Asia. So called from the red dye furnished by the 

 Coccus ilicis from this Oak. It also supplies tanner's bark con- 

 taining about 8 per cent. . tannin (Muspratt). The huge and 

 ancient Abraham's ^Oak belongs to this species. The tree likes 

 rich woods. 



Quercus coccinea Wangenhein. 



The Black Oak of North America. Height 100 feet; stem 

 diameter 5 feet. Foliage deciduous. The tree thrives best in rich 

 woodlands and moist soil. The wood is almost as durable as that 

 of the White Oak, and in use for flooring and other carpenter's 

 work. The yellow dye known as quercitron comes from this tree. 

 It is much more powerful than that of Woad (Bancroft). With 

 alumina the tinge of the bark is bright yellow, with oxyde of tin it 

 is orange, with oxyde of iron it is drab (Porcher). Q. tinctoria 

 (Bartram) is a variety, which according to Sargent, produces timber 

 of close grain, and great durability, utilized for carriage building, 

 cooperage, and various constructions ; the bitter inner bark yields 

 a yellow dye. The bark of the variety called Scarlet Oak is practi- 

 cally far inferior in value to that of the Black Oak (Meehan). 

 Bark contains about 8 per cent, of tannic acid. (Gard. Chron.). 

 Dr. Eiigelmann found the Black Oaks twice as fast in growth as the 

 White Oaks of the United States. The Bartram's Oak (Q. 

 heterophylla) is according to him a hybrid between the Willow Oak 

 and Scarlet Oak. Hybrid Oaks produce acorns fit to germinate. 



Quercus cornea, Loureiro. 



China. An evergreen tree, 40 feet high. Acorns used for food. 



Quercus cuspidata, Thunberg. 



Japan. The acorns, when boiled or roasted, are edible and regu- 

 larly sold in Japan for food (Rein). A magnificent Oak, grand in 

 its proportions, bears acorns in bunches or strings, of very sweet 

 taste when baked like chestnuts, but only of the size of kidney 

 beans (F. C. Christy). 



Quercus densiflora, Hooker and Arnott. 



Californian Chestnut Oak. A large evergreen tree of beautiful 

 outline, dense foliage and compact growth. Bark very valuable for 

 tanning ; wood however subject to rapid decay (Prof. Bolander). 

 Quercus Douglasii is another tall Oak of California. 



