Quercus 1 28 1 



QUERCUS ILEX, Ilex or Holm Oak 



Quercus Ilex, Linnaeus, Sp. PI. 995 (1753); Loudon, Arb. et Frut. Brit. iii. 1899 (1838); 



Willkomm, Forstliche Flora, 415 (1887); Mathieu, Flore Forestiire, 374 (1897). 

 Quercus Gramuntia, Linnaeus, -S)*. P/. 995 (1753) ; Loudon, Arb. et Frut. Brit iii. 1906 (1838). 

 Quercus sempervirens. Miller, Gard. Diet. ed. viii. No. 3 (1768). 

 Quercus calicina and expansa, Poiret, in Lamarck, Diet. Suppl. ii. 216 (181 1). 

 Quercus ilicifolia, Salisbury, Prod. 392 (1796). 

 Quercus pseudoilex, Chatin, in Bull. Soc. Bat. France, xvi. 22 (1869). 



A tree, attaining in favourable conditions 90 ft. in height and 20 ft. in girth ; 

 often shrubby or of small size in dry climates and on poor soils. Bark of older stems 

 divided into small scaly plates. Young branchlets covered with grey tomentum, 

 retained in the second year. Leaves (Plate 339, Fig. 69) coriaceous, persistent 

 two or three years, very variable in size, shape, and margin, even upon the same 

 tree ; larger leaves, often 3 in. long and i^ in. broad, occurring on vigorous branches 

 and on trees growing in moist climates and in good soils ; smaller leaves, often i in. 

 long and \ in. broad, being characteristic of branches of feeble growth and on shrubby 

 trees growing in dry climates and on hot calcareous soils ; larger leaves usually 

 ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acuminate at the apex, and tapering at the base ; smaller 

 leaves usually oval, acute at the apex, and rounded at the base, but with many inter- 

 mediate forms ; margin entire or undulate on the upper branches of older trees, or 

 with holly-like spine-tipped teeth on lower branches and on young trees ; upper sur- 

 face dark green, shining, with numerous stellate hairs ; lower surface usually covered 

 with a dense fine white or greyish tomentum, occasionally glabrescent and light 

 green on branches of young trees ; lateral nerves seven to ten pairs, ending in 

 the teeth of dentate leaves, dividing and looping before reaching the margin of 

 entire leaves ; petiole 5 to | in. long, tomentose. 



Fruit ripening in the first year, solitary or in pairs, on a short stout grey 

 tomentose peduncle ; acorns, very variable in size and shape, often slightly pubescent 

 towards the apex, which is surmounted by a conical umbo, tomentose except for a 

 glabrescent or glabrous narrow basal zone ; cupule hemispheric or rarely turbinate, 

 with closely appressed ovate grey tomentose scales, diminishing in size. from the base 

 to the margin of the cupule. 



Varieties 



Spread over a wide area, occurring in different soils and climates, and showing 

 a large amount of variation in the individual tree, influenced by age, vigour of 

 branchlets, etc., — this species has numerous forms, impossible to define in the 

 present state of our knowledge, and only a few conspicuous varieties ^ can now be 

 alluded to. 



» Albert et Jahandiez, P/awA Vase, du Var, 439, PI. xi., xii., xiii., xiv. (1908), enumerate and describe thirty-one varieties. 

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