412 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



The Velani oak grows in the Dardanelles, on the 

 western coasts of Natolia, in the islands of the 

 Archipelago, and indeed throughout all Greece and 

 the maritime parts of Asia Minor. Tournefort 

 describes it as growing to the size of our common 

 oak, but Dr. Clarke was never able to discover one 

 which was beyond the growth of a shrub. " How- 

 ever," he observes, " the accuracy of such a writer 

 as Tournefort is by no means to be disputed upon a 

 point that he was so peculiarly qualified to deter- 

 mine *." The intelligent and indefatigable traveller 

 we have just quoted endeavoured to propagate this 

 tree in England, and for this purpose collected with 

 the utmost care some Velani acorns, which he con- 

 veyed home and caused to be sown in the botanic 

 g-arden at Cambridge, but they did not produce a 

 single plant. 



The leaves of this tree are of a bright green, and of 

 a long oval form, with serrated edges. The acorns 

 are short and thick, and a little hollowed at the top. 

 The cup is very broad, and closely beset with oblong 

 scales. This tree grows more commonly in the 

 plains than on the mountains. The cups of the 

 velani, known in commerce as valonia, form an 

 important article of export from Smyrna and its 

 neighbourhood. 



This is an article of great and increasing con- 

 sumption, being beyond all comparison greater than 

 that of galls. The last year (1830), 2,297 cwt. of 

 galls, and 86,538 cwt. of valonia, were retained for 

 home consumption. Most probably \ 7 alonia has 

 not nearly as much proportionate useful part in a 

 given quantity as the gall-nut, but the average price 

 of the best is only 18s. per cwt., which is less than one- 

 fifth the cost of galls. 



* Clarke's Travels, vol. vi. 



