292 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



oak comes into flower and leaf later by some days than the other species, and it is 

 less liable to attacks of the roller moth. It bears shade better, and on this account 

 can be grown closer as a forest tree. It grows naturally on drier soils, and on 

 the Continent ascends to higher altitudes than Quercus pedunculata. It is different 

 in habit, the terminal bud being stronger than the others, so that the shoot is 

 continued in the same direction, and the branches keep straight ; whereas in 

 Q. pedunculata the lateral buds at the apex often develop more vigorously and a 

 crooked branch results, with the leaves much more tufted. 



Seedling 



At first the seedling differs little from that of Q. pedunculata, though the young 

 leaves are more distinctly stalked; but towards the end of the first year, the 

 characters shown in the adult stage are well marked, namely :— the stem, leaves, and 

 terminal bud are pubescent, and the leaves have a cuneate base and short but distinct 

 stalks. 



Varieties of Quercus sessiliflora 



1. Var. longifoha, Dippel, Laubh. ii. 67 (1892). — This is also known as 

 ynacrophylla. The leaves are variable, but are as a rule very long, as much as 

 eight inches, and narrow in proportion to their length, the lobing being never constant. 

 The base of the leaf is always cuneate. 



2. Var. laciniata, Koehne, Dendrol. 130 (1893).— Leaves small with deeply-cut 

 segments, which are directed forwards ; base cuneate. 



3. Var. mespilifolia, V^/'allroth, Sched. Crit. 494 (1822). — Leaves, with a petiole 

 of one inch, lanceolate, long, and narrowed at both ends, averaging five inches long by 

 one inch broad at the widest part ; quite entire in margin or very slightly lobed. This 

 form has been found wild at Nordhausen in the Harz mountains, at Wolgast in 

 Pomerania, and in various places in Austria and Hungary. Var. Louetti, is a 

 somewhat pendulous sub-variety, which is considered by most authors to be identical 

 with var. mespilifolia. 



4. Var. sublobata, Koch, Dendrol. ii. 2, 2,2 (1S73). Quercus sublobata, Kitaibel, 

 in Schult. Oest. Fl. i. 619 (1814). — This is nearly the same as the last variety, but 

 the leaves are slightly and regularly lobed. It came into commerce from the Royal 

 nursery at Geltow near Potsdam, and hence is often known as var. geltoviana. 



5. Var. cochleata, Petzold et Kirchner, Arb. Muse. 630 (1864). — This resembles 

 the common form, except that the edges of the leaf are curved upwards, so that 

 the centre of it is rendered concave. It is said to be a free-growing variety. 



6. Var. afghanistanensis, Hort. — This variety, as cultivated at Kew, has obovate 

 leaves very similar to the common form, except that the lobes of the leaf are more 

 shallow and more numerous, and its bluish under surface is covered with a fine 

 pubescence which extends to the petioles. It is considered by Zabel ^ to be a hybrid 

 between Q. lanuginosa and Q. sessiliflora. It was sent out by Messrs. Booth of 



' Laiibhoh-Bcneimung., 77 (1903). 



