CLASS XXI. ORDER VII. ] QUERCUS. 1205 
GENUS XX. QUER’CUS.—Linn. Oak. 
Nat. Ord. CupuLiFre’Re. RicHp. 
Gen. Cuan. Barrer flowers in lax pendulous catkins. Perianth 
single, lacerated. Stamens five to ten. Fertile flowers with an 
inyolucre, of numerous small scales, united into a cup, perianth 
single, closely investing and adhering to the ovary, six toothed. 
Ovary three celled, two of the cells abortive. Stigmas three. 
Fruit (acorn) one celled, single seeded, surrounded at the base by 
the cup-shaped involucre.—Name from the Celtic quer, beautiful ; 
and cuez, a tree. As it produced the Misseltoe of the Druids, it 
was called derw; hence Darach, Gallic; devs, in Greek, and 
Dryades. 
1. Q. Ro'bur, Linn. (Fig. 1463.) Common British Oak. Leaves 
shortly pedunculated, or sub-sessile, deciduous, oblongo-obovate, deeply 
sinuated, the lobes roundish, obtuse, smooth; fruit two or three, 
sessile, upon long peduncles. 
English Botany, t. 1442.—English Flora, vol. iv. p. 148.—Hooker, 
British Flora, ed. 4. vol. i. p. 348.—Lindley, Synopsis, p. 240.—Q. 
pedunculata, Willd. 
A tree, the largest and most handsome of our forests, the trunk 
clothed with thick rough cracked bark, and the branches with round 
smooth bark, leafy, Zeaves alternate, smooth, a full bright green; 
with short footstalks, or sessile, oblong, obovate, more or less deeply 
emarginated at the base, unequally sinuated with deep somewhat 
acute sinuses and obtuse lobes, mid-rib prominent, with a lateral 
branch to each lobe, paler green beneath. Barren flowers in small 
lax clusters, on a slender peduncle, about two inches long, pendulous, 
and mostly several from lateral scaly buds, downy. Fertile flowers 
two or three, sessile, upon peduncles, from one to two inches long, 
spreading, downy when young, the involuere brown, of many united 
scales, forming the hardened cup of the fruit. Fruit an acorn, ovate, 
oblong, smooth, polished, single celled, single seeded, surrounded at 
the base by the hardened cup. 
Habitat.—W oods and hedges ; everywhere. 
Tree; flowering in April and May. 
2. Q. sessiliflo'ra, Salisb. (Fig. 1464.) Sessile fruited Oak. Leaves 
pedunculated, deciduous, oblong or obovate, deeply sinuated, the 
lobes obtuse, smooth ; fruit clustered, sessile, or on very short stalks. 
English Botany, t. 1845.—English Flora, vol. iv. p. 150.—Hooker, 
British Flora, ed. 4. vol. i. p. 348.—Lindley, Synopsis, p. 240.—Q. 
Robur, Willd. Huds. 
A tree, similar in appearance to that of the last species; the 
difference is that in this the leaves have longer footstalk, and when 
young more downy beneath, and of a rather paler green. The barren 
