THE HOLM OAK. 575 



LEAVES. 



Towards the end of May the branchlets are tufted with several 

 new shoots. These and the upper sides of the young leaves are a pale 

 green with pink tints, while the under sides of the leaves are nearly 

 white, and all have a dusty look due to the hairs which cover 

 them, and which are not silky like those of the willow leaf. When 

 the sun shines through the young foliage it appears a very pale 

 olive green. The leaves are arranged singly on rather short foot- 

 stalks, each of which bears a pair of narrow withered-looking dull 

 brown stipules at the base. The new shoots are now some five 

 inches long, and furnished with bunches of hanging catkins. Both 

 they and the leaves with their soft texture and pale colouring form 

 a very striking contrast to the mass of older dark green leaves from 

 which they stand out. 



A month later and the young leaves have become stiff and 

 leathery. Their upper surface has changed to a glossy very dark 

 green, with the mid-rib showing a brighter tone. Their lower surface 

 still looks dusty, though the hairy coat is greener than it was earlier 

 in the year ; the main-rib appears clearly marked as a raised 

 cord, the secondary ones are less obvious. The leading shoots are 

 now six inches long, the others shorter, three to four inches only. 

 The mature leaf measures from two to four inches in length by 

 half an inch to an inch in width. It tapers at both ends, but more 

 abruptly at the base, and one edge of the leaf-blade often extends 

 farther down the footstalk than the other. 



Usually the edges are smooth, though sometimes they are 

 serrated, and the two forms may be found either on individual trees, 

 or both on the same tree. In the latter case it is usually the 

 lower leaves which show the serrated edge. 



