^6 FIELD AND FOREST. 



Quercus imbricaria, the Laurel or Shingle oak is rare in the district, 

 but the Willow oak {^Q. phellos,) is rather frequent and some large 

 trees may be seen. Quercus heterophylla was known here many years 

 a'go, and has recently been rediscovered by a member of the Club. 

 It is probably a hybrid between Q. imbricaria and Q. falcata. It 

 presents a strong resemblance to Q. Leana, of which a specimen is in 

 the Botanic garden, raised from seed of one of the original trees near 

 Cincinnati. The parents of Q. Leana are probably, imbricaria and 

 coccinea or rubra. 



There are in the Botanical and Agricultural grounds several trees of 

 {Populus angulata,) the Carolina Poplar. There are also in the 

 Smithsonian grounds several large trees of the Populus monilifei-a. It 

 is donbted by some if these two kinds can properly rank as distinct 

 species, but there is certainly in P. angulata a much greater luxuriance 

 of foliage than in P. vionilifera. The street commissioners have in- 

 troduced the former on several streets, notably on New York Avenue, 

 where one can hardly fail to notice the thrifty young trees with their 

 large leaves of varnished green as they line each side of the car track. 

 Certainly they now promise to be a great improvement on the old 

 Silver Cottonwoods, [P. alba.) 



Of native Pines, strange to say, we have a very poor show. There 

 are indeed many fine specimens of the white pine, (Z'. strobus,) but 

 our other species are mostly confined to nursery specimens. Of Spruces 

 there are some conspicuous examples of the black (Abies nigra,) the 

 white {A. alba,) the hemlock, {A. canadensis) and the balsam, {A. bal- 

 samifera.) 



The American Larch seems to have had but few admirers, its place 

 being mostly usurped by its English relative, Larix Europea. Spec- 

 imens of the Arbor Vitge are mostly of the small compact bushy vari' 

 ety so common in borders, and much resembling the Chinese arbor 

 vitse, which however is of a different genus, {Biota.) They may be 

 readily distinguished by the very different appearance of their cones 

 or fruit burs. 



Of the American Cypress {Taxodium distichum), there are some 

 noble specimens in several of the parks. During the summer months 

 its slender branches covered with thin delicate light green leaves, 

 make it a very attractive tree, but it is tardy in taking on foliage in 

 the spring, and during the winter loses all its leaves. The oldest 



