800 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS castanba 



Q. conferta (Q. pannonica). — Black or 

 Hvjngariam, Oak ; Gipsy Tree. — A native 

 of S.E. Europe, forming a handsome 

 round-headed tree 20-30 ft. high, and 

 having beautiful deciduous leaves 5-7 or 

 more inches long, oblong obovate in out- 

 line, and pinnately cut into bluntly 

 toothed lobes. It rarely or ever flniits in 

 this country, but may be increased by 

 grafting on stocks of the Common Oak. 



Culture dc. as above. 



Q. cuspidata. — An evergreen Oak 

 about 30 ft. high, native of Japan. Leaves 

 ovate lance-shaped or oblong, leathery, 

 entire or wavy-toothed, 1^-3^ in. long, 

 downy when young, smooth when old. 

 There is a pretty variegated variety, and 

 also one with narrow (angusUfoUa), and 

 one with broader (latifoUa) leaves than 

 the type. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



Q. densiflora. — A more or less ever- 

 green Oak from the CaUfornian moun- 

 tains, where it attains a height of 50-60 

 ft. or more. It has beautiful leathery 

 deep green leaves more or less oblong 

 ovate or obovate in outline, with almost 

 entire wavy cartilaginous margins. Fruit- 

 cup nearly f in. broad, with an ovoid 

 downy half-protruding nut. 



Culture (tc. as above. 



Q. glabra. — -A handsome Japanese Oak 

 forming large bushes in cultivation, and 

 having oblong obovate entire smooth 

 leaves 2-4 in. long, and upright spikes of 

 oblong acorns which take two years to 

 ripen properly. There are several varia- 

 tions of this species according to trade 

 catalogues. 



Gultwre da. as above, 



Q. Ilex (Q. Oramuntta). — Holhj or 

 Holm Oak. — A valuable and handsome 

 evergreen Oak 20-30 ft. high, native of 

 S. Europe, with elliptic oblong ovate or 

 lance-shaped toothed or entire leathery 

 leaves 2-3 in. long, deep shining green 

 above, hoary beneath. There are several 

 forms of the Holly Oak, among which 

 may be mentioned crispa, with leaves 

 wrinkled at the edges; fagifoUa with 

 broader more or less wavy, and sometimes 

 slightly serrate leaves ; Fordi (or fasti- 

 giata) with a pyramidal habit; vntegri- 

 foKa, leaves lance-shaped entire; latifo- 

 Ua, leaves broad and nearly entire ; longi- 

 foUa, leaves long and narrow ; and serra- 

 tifoUa, leaves lance-shaped serrate. 



Culture and Propagation. — These 

 varieties show that the HoUy Oak is a 

 very variable plant, and if allowed to grow 

 naturally assumes fine proportions. It is 

 usually very hardy in most parts of the 

 country, but it sometimes loses its leaves 

 in severe frosts in the bleaker locaUties. 



Q. rubra {Champion or Bed Oak). — 

 A large N. American tree with rather 

 smooth dark grey bark and elliptic ob- 

 long pirmately lobed thinnish leaves, 

 which assume a beautiful deep red tint 

 late in autumn or when touched by frost. 

 Fruit-cup saucer-shaped or flat with a 

 narrow raised border ; nut oblong ovoid, 

 1 in. or so long. 



Culture dc. as above. 



Q. Suber (Cork Oak). — A handsome 

 S. European evergreen 25-30 ft. high, 

 interesting on account of its bark supply- 

 ing the Cork of commerce. Leaves oblong 

 oval coarsely toothed, smooth above, hoary 

 beneath. Fruit-cup obovate hemispherical, 

 with a nut often half as long again. 



Culture dc. as above. 



Q. virens. — This is the evergreen Live 

 Oak of Virginia where it grows about 40 

 ft. or more high. Leaves 1-3 in. long, 

 oblong eUiptic, hoary beneath, entire or 

 irregularly lobed or toothed. Fruit-cup 

 top-shaped with a protruding oblong nut. 

 Prom its appearance this tree resembles 

 the HoUy or Holm Oak, and forms of the 

 latter are often sold for it in error. The 

 true Q. virens seems to be rather rare. 



Cultwre dc. as above. 



CASTANEA (Sweet or Spanish 

 Chestnut). — ^A small genus of deciduous 

 trees with alternate often serrate-toothed 

 and parallel feather- veined leaves. Flowers 

 monoecious, in erect 1-sexed or andro- 

 gynous (2-sexed) spikes. Male flowers 

 clustered on long naked cylindrical cat- 

 kins with a 5-6-parted perianth and 10-20 

 stamens. Female flowers 2-3 together 

 in a prickly 4-lobed involucre which at 

 maturity encloses the leathery-coated 

 glossy brown fruits or nuts. 



C. sativa (C. vesca). — A highly orna- 

 mental tree 50-70 ft. high, native of Asia 

 Minor, with oblong lance-shaped pointed 

 sharply serrate deep green leaves. When 

 bearing its numerous yellowish catkins of 

 flowers it looks particularly handsome, 

 but apart from this the aspect of the tree 

 is such as to mark it as noble. The fruits 

 are ripe in October. There are a few 



