CHAP. CV. 



1845 



1699 



1700 



ticultural Society's Garden. " So little attention," 

 says Sir J. E. Smith, " has been paid to this species 

 by botanical writers, that we can find no certain de- 

 scription or figure of it, except in Dalechamp's Hist. 

 Plant. We even doubt whether the plant intended 

 in the first edition of the Hortus Kewcnsis be the true 

 one; yet this seems what Willdenow describes as 

 such. What Linnaeus briefly describes, in his Man- 

 tissa (496.), under the name of J^'sculus, seems to be 

 Q. Cerris ; with which latter the description copied 

 by Willdenow, and the specific character extracted 

 therefrom, well agree ; but not at all with the original 

 and authentic specimen of Q JS'sculus in the Lin- 

 naean herbarium." (Rees's Cycl.) Sir James next describes the Linnsean spe- 

 cimens ; and his descriptions agree remarkably well with the trees bearing 

 this name in the Horticultural Society's Garden : " The branches angular, 

 furrowed, and smooth. Leaves scattered, aggre- 

 gate at the top from 2 in. to 3 in. long, and 

 lin. at most in breadth. Footstalks nearly 

 Tin. long; destitute of the long, linear, tufted, 

 stipulaceous scales, or ramenta, found in Q. 

 Cerris, Q. JE'gilops, and Q. austriaca. Young 

 acorns axillary, nearly sessile, solitary, or in 

 pairs; the cup scaly; the size of small peas. 

 Dalechamp represents the full-grown acorns as 

 about 1 in. long, embraced by a hemispherical 

 scaly cup, about one third that length. He 

 says that they are sweet and eatable ; and that 

 they are brought to table roasted by the Spa- 

 niards, as well as by the rustic Italians ; but 

 that they are sometimes found to affect the 

 head like darnel." (Ibid.) It is singular, that 

 very little is known respecting this tree even in 

 France. Bosc says that it is cultivated in the 

 garden of the Museum ; but that, as far as he 

 knew, it had never produced fruit. The tree 

 in the Horticultural Society's Garden, which 

 is upwards of 20 ft. high, has produced fruit 

 three or four seasons. The tree in the Hackney arboretum has also, we 

 believe, produced fruit. Figs. 1699. and 1700. are sprigs taken from the 

 tree in the Horticultural Society's Garden. Plants, in the London nur- 

 series, are 3s. Gd. each. 



Varieties. The leaves of this species vary considerably (see/g. 1 701., all of 

 which grew on 

 the same tree); 

 and, if it were 

 desirable, several 

 varieties might be 

 selected from a 

 bed of seedlings, 

 and continued by 



grafting. There is a tree in the Fulham Nursery with decidedly pendulous 

 shoots, which, being a free grower, forms a very ornamental object. 



Statistics. In the environs of London, at Ham House, it is 15 ft. high ; the diameter of the head 

 2 ft., and of the trunk 11 in. In Staffordshire, at Trentham, it is 26 ft. high ; the diameter of the head 

 23ft., and of the trunk 13 in. In Ireland, in the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, 35 years planted, it is 

 30 ft. high ; the diameter of thc head 18 ft., and of the trunk 1 ft. In Germany, at Bruck on thc 

 Leytha, 44 years planted, it is 34 ft. high ; thc diameter of the head 15 ft., and of the trunk 9 in. 



6 D 4 



