ALMOND: EVERGREEN OAK 249 



sertions short and broad, elliptic, extending 

 about J round the shoot. Buds showing 

 several scales. 



Amygdalus communis, L. Almond. Small tree with 

 slender spreading branches and glabrous shoots. Leaves 

 lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, sharply or obtusely serrate, 

 the lower teeth glandular ; glabrous, shining above, softly 

 hairy beneath when young. About 4 10 x 2 2'5 cm. 

 Flowering before the leaves appear. Petiole 15 25 mm., 

 with four or more glands above. Leaves conduplicate. 

 Autumn leaves red and yellow. 



[The Willows can always be distinguished from Prunus 

 and Amygdalus by their broader and narrower leaf-inser- 

 tions and their buds. See p. 274.] 



** Leaves not typically lanceolate; relatively 

 broad and not more than about twice as 

 long as wide. 



t Leaves tomentose or velvety hoary beneath. 

 Leaves hard, evergreen, spinescent-dentate. 



Quercus Ilex, L. Evergreen Oak, Holme Oak. Small 

 evergreen tree with greyish foliage. Leaf ovate-oblong or 

 ovate-lanceolate, to narrow elliptic or rounded; very vari- 

 able, 3 7 x 1 3 (1 8 x 0*5 5) cm., leathery, persisting 

 nearly three years; apex acute or obtuse, base slightly 

 attenuate to cordate, spinose-dentate, like the Holly, on 

 young and vigorous trees, but entire on old ones ; thick, 

 dark green, glabrous and polished above, greyish or fawn 

 tomentose beneath, or on young trees pale and pubescent 

 to glabrescent. Petiole 5 20 mm. Stipules linear, pur- 

 plish. Dying leaves dirty brown. 



Venation pinnate, on the general plan of other Oaks. 

 Midrib often sinuous, secondaries 6 10, relatively thin 



