636 Ketv lianly Trees and Shrubs 



CoRYLA^CEyE. — Q,uerciis reticulata Humb. et Bonp. Arb. Brit., p. 1941. fig. 

 1865. ; Bot. Reg. Miscel., No. IGl. 1840. The leaves of this species are not 

 much above half the size of those of Q. spicata, but very much of the same shape, 

 except that they are not so blunt, slightly dentated, vfith longer mucros, and 

 less undulated. They are very much reticulated on the under surface, rather 

 glaucous, and quite smooth on both surfaces; the acorns are rather small. It 

 was raised from seeds received from Mr. Strahgways collected at Real del 

 Monte in Mexico. 



Quh'cus sider6xi/la Humb. et Bonp. Arb. Brit., p. 1941. fig. I860.; Bot. 

 Reg. Miscel., No. 166. 1840. This distinct species has rather small lobulate, 

 unequally dentated, undulated, dark shining leaves, with the mucros hardly 

 perceptible. They are smooth on both surfaces, and the acorns are very 

 small. I have raised three tolerably distinct sorts, varying mostly in the size 

 of the leaves only, but they are certainly nothing but varieties of the iron oak ; 

 and I fear that one half of the Mexican oaks described in books are species 

 made out of specimens collected from old and young plants of the same spe- 

 cies, or from plants grown in damp rich soil in the warm valley, or poor stunted 

 specimens grown high up on the mountains. The difference between young 

 and old plants is so great that I do not think any botanist would credit it, 

 unless they were to gather the seeds and raise the young plants themselves. 

 Q. sideroxyla was raised from seeds given to the Society by Mr. Strangways, 

 and is said to be one of the hardiest of the Mexican oaks. 



Quercus acutifolia Willd. Arb. Brit., p. 1941. fig. 1874, ; Bot. Reg. Mis- 

 cel,, No. 160. 1840. This distinct species has rather large, glabrous, and 

 widely serrated raucronate leaves, each lateral rib terminating in a rather long 

 slender mucro. The leaves are quite smooth on both surfaces, and of a bright 

 shining green. The acorns are very large, flat, and very much depressed. 

 It probably belongs to [the same section as Q. Prinos or Castanea. It was 

 raised from seeds sent to the Society by M. Hartweg, and the acorns were 

 thrown loose into a box of Orchideae, packed in moss, which gives an excel- 

 lent hint as to the best way of transmitting acorns on long journeys ; as pack- 

 ing them in moss is decidedly the best v/ay of transmitting such seeds as soon 

 lose their vitalitj', but they must not be by any means in small cases. 



Quercus sjncdta Humb. et Bonp. A7'b. Brit., p. 1941. fig. 1867. ; Bot. Reg. 

 Miscel., No. 163. 1840. This very fine oak has large, broad, obovate leaves, 

 in some tapering very much towards the base, in others nearly round, which 

 are rather crenulated, or in some nearly entire ; but regularly undulated at 

 the margin, and having very short but broad mucros. The upper surface is 

 quite smooth ; but the under surface, particularly the mid and lateral ribs, 

 is covered with a dense brovv'n tomentum, and is beautifully reticulated. The 

 leaves are nearly sessile, and the acorns are rather small. This species be- 

 longs to the same division as Q. lanuginosa (which is known under the name 

 of Q. nepalensis in some collections). It was raised in the garden of the So- 

 ciety from acorns presented by the Hon. W. F. Strangwaj^s. The plant was 

 also found by M. Hartweg at a place called Tlalpuxahua, in Mexico. It is 

 the same as that extant in some of the London nurseries under the name of 

 Q,. rugosa. It is also very nearly related to Q. Hartwegw of Mr. Bentham. 



Quercus glabrescens Benth. PI. Hart w.. No. 428. — This beautiful small- 

 leaved species is well described by Mr. Bentham in his excellent PlantcB Hart- 

 wegiancB, as above quoted. It has the leaves deltoid, slightly undulated (par- 

 ticularly in the young ones), with the extreme ends rather deeply serrated, 

 but without mucros : they are quite glabrous on both surfaces ; but the young 

 wood, hke that of most of all the other oaks, is covered with a dense tomentum, 

 and furnished with rather long stipules, which both disappear after the first 

 season, and show ho.w little reliance is to be placed on such fugacious appen- 

 dages. The leaves and acorns are the smallest of all the Mexican oaks be- 

 longing to the lobulated division at present known. The acorns were given 

 to the Society by Mr. Strangways, and M Hartweg found the same species 

 at Heal del Monte. 



