248 



N. Ord. CUPULIFEB^. Lindl., Veg. K., p. 290; Le Maout & Dec 



p. 714; Baill., Hist. PL, vi. 

 Tiibe Quercinece. 



Genus Quercus,* Linn. Baill., Hist. PL, vi, p. 256. Species 

 300, natives of both hemispheres, chiefly in temperate 

 regions. 



248. Quercus Robur,f Linn., Sp. Plant., ed. 1, p. 996 (1753) 



Common Oak. 



. pedunculata, Ehrh. Q. sessiliflora, Salisb. Q. intermedia, 

 Don. Q. pubescens, Willd. 



Figures. Woodville, t. 10; Hayne, vi, t. 3G; Steph. & Ch., t. 151; 

 Nees, tt. 92, 93 ; Berg & Sch., tt. 7 f, 8 a; Syme, E. Bot., viii, tt. 1288, 

 1289 ; Reichenb., Ic. Fl. Germ., xii, tt. 644, 648 ; Nees, Gen. Fl. Germ. 



Description. A tree often reaching the height of 80 or 100 feet, 

 with a massive trunk and thick, wide- spreading, much-divided 

 twisted branches; bark grey, deeply furrowed. Leaves nume- 

 rous, alternate, spreading, nearly sessile or shortly stalked, with 

 a pair of rather large, strap -shaped, blunt, chaffy, pale brown 

 stipules at the base which are quickly deciduous, blade 2 5 

 inches long, oblong-obovate, blunt at the apex, usually rounded 

 at the narrow, often unsymmetrical base, irregularly sinuate with 

 unequal, obtuse, rounded lobes, 4 6 on each side, which do 

 not reach half way to the midrib, rather stiff, shining, quite 

 glabrous and dark green above, paler and (when young) usually 

 somewhat downy with stellate hairs beneath, plicately folded in 

 the bud. Flowers inconspicuous, unisexual, monoecious; the 

 male numerous, sessile, loosely and irregularly arranged on the 

 hairy axis of very slender, pendulous catkins which are 1 3 

 inches long, without bracts, and come off generally 2 or 3 

 together from small scaly buds in the axils of the lowest leaves, 

 or on the wood of the previous year. Female flowers sessile, 

 surrounded by an involucre of several rows of triangular, acute, 



* Quercus, the Latin name for some species of oak. 



f Robur, also a classical name for the oak, but applied especially to its 

 hard timber. 



