CHAPTER VIII. 
THE OAK TREE (Quercus). 
THE Oak is found to be more widely spread than 
perhaps any other tree. It has been met with in 
Europe in about 35° N., and is known to extend to 
60°, or over 25° of North latitude. It is also found in 
the north of Asia, North America, and in Africa. 
The Oak exists in very great variety, and England 
produces two, if not three, distinct species, in addition 
to numerous others, not native, but which are cultivated 
for ornamental purposes. The botanical names of those 
which are indigenous to this country are the Quercus 
Robur pedunculata, the Quercus Robur sessilifiora, and 
the Quercus pubescens, or Durmast Oak. 
In the former, which is our best species, the foot- 
stalks of the flowers and acorns are long, while those 
of the leaves are short. In the Quercus sessilifiora this 
order is reversed, the footstalks of the fruit being short 
and those of the leaves long ; while the distinguishing 
character of the Quercus pubescens consists in its having 
the under sides of the leaves somewhat downy, the 
footstalks of the fruit and leaves nearly resembling those 
of the sessiliflora variety. It is also peculiar to the 
leaves of the Durmast or pubescent species that they 
hang longer on the tree than those of either of the 
others, 
It is the prevailing opinion that the wood of the 
Quercus Robur pedunculata is the best in quality, and 
that the Quercus Robur sessilifiora is slightly inferior to 
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