Trees, Shrubs, and Plants of Virgil 



of them along the Galleria di sopra near Albano, 

 but the tree does not go high into the Apennines. 

 The leaves are much darker than those of the 

 common oak and usually untoothed, and the tree 

 is evergreen. In a wind there is a harsh rustling 

 in the leaves. The acorns, which are small but 

 plentiful (Ge. iv. 81), are food for swine {Ge. ii. 72 ; 

 Ae. iii. 390). The wood was used for making water- 

 troughs {Ge. iii. 330). Bees, says Virgil, sometimes 

 establish themselves in the body of a decaying holm- 

 oak {Ge. ii. 453). 



In England the tree has been grown since Eliza- 

 beth's time, and attains full stature, but is apt to 

 divide into two or more stems. Perhaps the finest 

 specimen is one in the town of Uckfield. 



The gall, ' coccum,' which yields a scarlet dye, 

 seems to be most common on Q. coccifera, but our 

 ancient authorities say that it was also found on the 

 holm-oak. 



Flower, April and May. 

 Italian name, Elice. 



Inula. 



' malvaeque inulaeque virebant ' {Mor. 73). 



Elecampane (Inula Helenium) is found here and 

 there in Italy as in England, but appears to be 

 nowhere very common. My own plants generally 

 produce a few self-sown seedlings. It was cultivated 

 for its bitter root, which were used both as a table 

 vegetable and as a medical remedy. It was boiled 



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