Q 



QUACK GBASS, QUICK GRASS : QUITCH GRASS. 



See Agropyrum. 



QUAKING GBASS. Species of Briza. 

 QUAMASH. Camassia esculenta. 

 QUAMOCLIT. See Ipomcea. 



QUEEN LILY. This name has been proposed for 

 Phcedranassa; also for Curcuma; and it has been errone- 

 ously used for Strelitzia. 



QUEEN OF THE MEADOWS. Ulmaria pentapetala ,- 

 also Spircea. 



QUEEN OF THE PRAIRIE. Spircea lobata. 



QUERCUS (ancient Latin name). Ciipuliferce , OAK. 

 Ornamental deciduous or evergreen trees, rarely shrubs, 

 with alternate, petioled, entire or lobed Ivs., and incon- 

 spicuous monoecious fls., the staminate ones in slender, 

 pendulous, rarely upright, catkins (Fig. 2038); the 

 fruits, or "acorns." consisting of a globular to oblong 

 nut, inclosed or embraced only at the base, or rarely 

 wholly, by a cup-like involucre. The deciduous species 

 are mostly hardy north, while of the evergreen ones 

 none seem to be hardy farther north than Washington, 

 D. C. ; some half -evergreen Oaks, like Q. Turneri and 

 Q. Macedonica, will probably prove hardy in the vicin- 

 ity of New York. Most of the Oaks are stately trees of 

 noble and majestic habit with stout, wide-spreading 

 branches; some, like Q. alba, Garryana, Virginiana 

 and cnrysolepis, often cover a space more than 100 ft. in 

 diameter; others, like Q. macrocarpa, Prinus and tine- 

 toria, have a more oval, round-topped head, while Q. 

 palustris and imbricaria form symmetrical broad pyra- 

 mids. A very few hardy species are shrubs, generally 

 called Scrub Oaks, as Q. prinoides and Q. llicifolia. 

 Oaks rank among our most valuable park and avenue 

 trees, and are as beautiful when grown as single trees 

 as they are when grouped together and forming groves 

 and woods. As avenue trees Q. palustris, rubra, coc- 

 cinea, imbricaria and PJiellos are among the best, the 

 last-named when medium-sized trees are desired ; in the 

 southern states, Q. laurifolia, uliginosa and the ever- 

 green Q. Virginiana are preferred. The shrubby spe- 

 cies, like Q. prinoides and Q. ilicifolia, may be used 

 for covering rocky hillsides and dry ridges. 



2038. Staminate catkins of an Oak Quercus pedunculata 

 (X%.) See No. 29, 



Oak leaves are always beautiful. They have many 

 shades of green; especially attractive are some with 

 leaves of contrasting colors, the under side being silvery 

 white, the upper one dark green, as in Q.Muhlenbergi, 

 macrocarpa, Micnauxi and some foreign evergreen spe- 



cies. In many Oaks the leaves show a handsome pink 

 or crimson color when unfolding, and some species as- 

 sume brilliant autumnal tints. Especially beautiful in 

 autumn are Q. coccinea and palustris, with the foliage 

 turning brilliant scarlet; Q. rubra, imbricaria and Mi- 

 chauxi, which turn bright or dark red; Q. alba, violet or 

 vinous purple; Q. lyrata, scarlet or orange; Q. Phellos. 

 pale yellow; Q. Prinus, orange or orange-brown; Q 

 cuneata and ilicifolia, orange-brown or yellow; Q. stel- 

 lata and nigra, brown or dull orange. Some of the for- 

 eign species, like Q. sessiliflora, and also pedunculata, 

 Cerris, iawuginosa, glandulifera and others, retain the 

 green color until late in fall. Besides our native ever- 

 green species, the Japanese Q. acuta, cuspidata and 



2039. Annual-fruited Oak 

 Quercus alba (X %). 



The mature acorn is 

 borne on the wood of the 

 season. See No. 28. 



glauca are among the best evergreen Oaks for cultiva- 

 tion in the South; the European Q. Ilex and Suber are 

 also handsome evergreen trees. 



Generally the Oaks grow best in a moderately moist, 

 rich soil, including heavy clay; some, as Q. bicolor, uli- 

 ginosa, alba, Phellos, falcata and Virginiana, prefer 

 moister situations and grow naturally in low and often 

 even in swampy ground; while others, especially the 

 Red Oaks, like Q. rubra, coccinea, imbricaria, Marilan- 

 dica, Prinus and stellata, grow well in drier, rocky or 

 sandy soil, and the Scrub Oaks on dry and barren soiL 

 The Black and Red Oaks, and especially the Pin Oak, 

 are usually easily transplanted and large trees are 

 moved successfully, while the White Oaks are more 

 particular and only younger nursery-grown trees can be 

 safely transplanted. 



Oaks are prop, usually by seeds sown immediately 

 after gathering in fall ; this is especially necessary with 

 Q. alba, Virginiana and some other White Oaks which 

 sprout as soon as they are ripe; but only the root is pro- 

 duced in fall, while the stem does not appear until the 

 following spring. The seeds of Red and Black Oaks, 

 and also of Q. pedunculata, if not sown at once should 

 be stratified and sown early in spring. Acorns should 

 be packed in earth, moss or saw-dust when shipped for 

 a great distance. Varieties are usually grafted on potted 

 stock in the greenhouse in early spring or sometimes in 

 August. As a stock Q. pedunculata is preferred, but 

 Q. rubra, tinctoria and Prinus are also employed. It is 

 probably safer to graft varieties of White and of Red 

 Oak each on stock of the same group. The evergreen 

 species are sometimes increased by layers and also by 

 cuttings. 



About 300 species are known, distributed through the 

 colder and temperate regions of the northern hemisphere 

 and in the mountains of the tropics. Almost all species 

 are trees, but sometimes become shrubby in high alti- 

 tudes or in dry and rocky or sandy localities. Lvs. 

 short-petioled, with deciduous stipules, penninerved: 

 fls. monoecious; the staminate in slender, pendulous or 



(1476) 



