QUEUCUS — OAK. 240 



rhubuil) in the inikliu'ss of its iiction ami frooilom from irritating pi'opor- 

 lius. ll iiiis been used with beat ellect iu ImbiLuul coustipatiuu. 



CUPULIFERiC. 



Clmradcr «f the Ordr. — TreoH (ji- shrubs with alternuto, Kinii^lo, feat iter- 

 vohiocl loaves, funuHhetl with vciy deciduous stipules, foniiin<,' tlio bud- 

 Healos. Flowers uionaicious ; the stauiinate in ea' dns ; the pistillate sol- 

 itary, chistcrod or spiked, andprovidi;d with an invcjlucre which forms a cnp- 

 lik(! receptacle, or an entire coverin;^' to the l-celhul, 1-seeded nut. C'alyx 

 adherent to the ovary, the nanute teeth erowniny its snmmit. Ovary nioro 

 or less 2- to 7-cclled, each cell 1-ovuled, only one of which maturea. Seeds 

 comparatively large, thick and lieshy, often edible. 



An oi'd(;r of few genera, but comprising many valuable species. The 

 oak (^,>Mr'/v(/,s), chestnut (CWrt/ica), and beech (I'li'jns), are among the most 

 important. 



QUKRCUS.— Oak. 



Querciis alba Linne. — I17/(7r Oa/,: 



/>('xr/v'y<//oy/.— Staminate llowers in long, slender, pendulous catkins ; 

 stamens 5 to 12, surroundetl by narrow scales which are sometimes united 

 into an irregular perianth. Pistillate th)W( rs s(rattei"ed or clustered ; peri- 

 anth more or less (i-lobed, adherent to the ovary, which is about i]-celled, 

 tlie whole enclosed by a scaly, bud-like involucre which becomes a hard, 

 woody cup about the base of the rounded nut oi* acorn. 



A large tree, sometimes growing to the height of 70 to 80 feet, with a 

 diameter of G to 7 feet. Loaves ovate or obovate-oblong in general out- 

 line, obliquely and deeply cleft into 8 to i) oblong, obtuse lobes. When 

 young they are reddish above, whitish and downy beneath, but at matu- 

 rity bright green above, and smooth, pale, or glaucous beneath. Cup 

 hennspherical-saucer- shaped, rough or tuberculated at maturity, naked, 

 nuich shorter than the ovoid or oblong (1 inch long), sweetish, edible 

 acorn. The bark is very light-colored, whence the specific name of the tree. 



Hohilaf.— -From Canada to Florida and westward; conunon. 



Dirt f'svY/.— The bai-k, deprived of the corky layer — official name, 

 Quercus alba. — United Stalrfi I'liarmacopaua. 



Coiixtilnrnlx. — The only important constituent of oak bark is tannin. 



Prepamlkmit. — There are no official preparations. It is usually em- 

 ployed, whether internally or topically, in decoction. 



Medical ProjM'rtics and Uxrs, — Oak bark is astringent by virtue of its 

 tannin, and is used for the same purposes as other vegetable astringents. 

 The decoction is sometimes employed exteruiilly to prevent the formation 

 of bed-sores. 



Many other indigenous species of oak possess essentially similar prop- 

 erties. . 



