362 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



QUI 



Oaks, still associated in his mind with the 

 Commander-in-Chief of the American Army 

 and the first President of the United States. 

 The daughter of the second William Denning, 

 to whom we are indebted for these facts, still 

 inhabits the old mansion built on ' Presqu'ile' 

 in 1813 ; and her life and that of her father 

 span the years which separate us from the 

 days of Washington and the Colonial Army. 



" The tree is still healthy and vigorous, and 

 standing directly at the top of the low river 

 bank. The trunk girths, at the present time, 

 twenty-one feet, and, judging from the age of 

 its companion, which was blown down seven 

 years ago, eight or ten centuries may have 

 passed since the acorn from which it sprang 

 fell to the ground." 



Q. macrocarpa, the Over-cup White Oak, 

 and Q. coccinea, the Scarlet Oak, are the most 

 beautiful for shade trees. Q. ilicifolia, is the 

 common Scrub Oak, that rarely attains a 

 height of eight feet. Q. infectoria, a native of 

 the Levant, is a very common species, the 

 branches of which are liable to be stung by 

 insects, causing the formation of the Gall 

 Nuts of commerce. All the species are invalu- 

 able for timber or fuel, excepting the low- 

 growing kinds. The bark of all the species con- 

 tains large quanties of tannin, which gives it 

 a value exceeding that of the timber. Q. suber, 

 Cork Oak, a native of southern Europe and 

 northern Africa, furnishes the Cork of com- 

 merce. The outer layers of bark in this tree 

 Increase annually, and after eight or nine 

 years fall off; but for commercial purposes 

 they are removed one or two years pre- 

 viously. The bark of the tree is removed by 

 incisions round the top and bottom of the 

 tree, and by a long one connecting these two, 

 which allows the bark to be stripped off. 

 This is effected when the bark is most firmly 

 attached to the wood, in order that the inner- 

 most layers of bark may not be injured, nor 

 the health of the tree impaired, more than is 

 necessary. The trees furnish a crop of bark 

 once in eight or nine years. 



Quilla'ja. From the Chilian name Quillai. A 

 small genus of South American trees, belong- 

 ing to the Nat. Ord. Rosacece, remarkable for 

 possessing soap-like qualities. 



The bark of Q. saponaria, which is a tree 

 from fifty to sixty feet high, is rough and 

 dark-colored externally, but inside consists of 

 numerous whitish layer's, which contain a 



BAD 



large quantity of carbonate of lime and other 

 mineral matters. It is also rich in a vegeta- 

 ble soap-principle, called Saponine, and there- 

 fore much used as a substitute for Soap. 



Quiiiate. Arranged in fives. 



Quince. See Cydonia. 



Quince. Bengal, ^gle marmelos. 



Quinine Plants. The principal plants produc- 

 ing the Quinine-bark of commerce are several 

 species of Cinchona, the principal of which 

 are the Yellow bark, C. Calisaya ; the Gray or 

 Huanuco bark, C. micrantha, and C.nitida; the 

 Loxa or Crown-bark, the produce of C. Con- 

 daminea (syn. C. officinalis), and the Bed bark 

 furnished by C. succirubra. 



Quin'tinia. Named for La Quintinie, a French 

 writer on horticulture. Nat. Ord. Saxifra- 

 gacece. 



A small genus of shrubs or small trees, 

 natives of New Zealand and southern Aus- 

 tralia. The genus is closely allied to Escal- 

 Ionia, and the species are seldom found in 

 cultivation. 



Quinsy-Berry. The fruit of Ribes nigrum. 



Quisqu'alis. From quis, who, and qualis, what 

 kind ; referring to the fact that when the 

 genus was named it was uncertain to what 

 class or order it belonged. Nat. Ord. Combre- 

 tacecB. 



A genus of plants indigenous to tropical 

 and sub-tropical Asia and Africa, and consist- 

 ing of climbing shrubs, with opposite, rarely 

 alternate leaves, and axillary or terminal 

 spikes of flowers. These are very fine plants 

 for the hot-house or a warm green-house, and 

 are great favorites with those who grow them. 

 Q. Indica, Q. glabra, and Q. Sinensis, are among 

 the best, bearing brilliant red, orange red, 

 and rose-colored flowers. Propagated from 

 cuttings of young wood. First introduced 

 into England in 1815. 



Quitch, or Quick Grass. The common name 

 for an intolerable pest. See Triticum. 



Quiver Tree. A common name for Aloe dicho- 

 toma. 



Quivi'sia. Bois de Quivi is the name given in 

 the Isle of France. Nat. Ord. Meliacece. 



A genus of trees and shrubs, natives of 

 Mauritius, Bourbon and Madagascar. Q. 

 heterophylla, the only species yet introduced, 

 has white flowers borne in axillary clusters, 

 but is of little horticultural interest. 



K. 



Rabbit Berry. Shepherdia argentea. 

 abbit Foot. Trifolium arvense. 



Rabbit Root. Aralia nudicaulis. 



Raccoon Berry. Podophyllum Peltatum. 



Race. A term applied to varieties of plants as 

 distinguished from species, when they can be 

 perpetuated by seed through a series of gen- 

 erations, when they become permanent varie- 

 ties. The Cauliflower, Broccoli, Cabbage, 

 etc., are distinct races, which have sprung 

 from the species Brassica oleracea. 



Raceme. An inflorescence in which the flowers 

 are arranged singly on distinct pedicles along 

 a common axis ; a spike with stalked flowers, 

 as the Laburnum. 



Racemose. Flowering in a raceme. 



Rachis. The axis or central stem of an inflor- 

 escence, or of a compound leaf. 



Radial. Growing on the circumference of a circle. 



Radiate. Diverging from a common centre, 

 like rays, as the arms of an umbel, or the ligu- 

 late florets of any composite. 



