QUEllCUS. 



a roitntl and comjjatl head. Leaves two or three inches 

 long, acute, generally rounded and a little unequal at the 

 bafe ; their upper furface of a fine (hining green, and nearly 

 fmooth ; the under whitifli, clothed with tine denfe down ; 

 the margin cut, at each fide, into four, five, or fix, to- 

 lerably regular, rounded or ovate, acute, pointed, entire 

 lobes, more or leis deep, feparated by round finufes ; the 

 diflc of the leaf being kft entire, of a confiderable width. 

 FooiftaJks near an inch long, downy. Supulas as in the 

 foregoing, but fmaller and (horter, ufually wbout half the 

 length of the footllalks. Acorns like thofe of the laft, but 

 fmaller. The figures of Lobel, Dodonxus, and Ger. Em. 

 J 345, do not well repreieiit the lea-ucs of this fpecies, or 

 indeed of the former : that of Clufius, adopted by the 

 editor of Gerarde, in p. 1346, is pcrfeAly correft. The 

 cuts of Dalechanip, both of one and the other, are futfi- 

 cientlv cxpreflive, and very correft as to the footitalks. 

 The lobes of neither of thefe fpecies are quite pointlels, but 

 rather more pointed, as well as acute, than thofe of Efcttlus, 

 n. 70. 



We have thus added eight fpecies of Quercus to WiUde- 

 now's lift. Thofe botaniils who may take the troub^ of 

 following us with attention, will perceive that this valuable 

 genus ftill requires elucidation, particularly with refpeft to 

 the European, and, above all, the oriental kinds ; fome of 

 which laft, barely indicated by authors, we have been 

 obliged to leave unexplained. Of the moft common and 

 important fpecies, Q. Robur, wc have feen in Mr. Coke's 

 woods at Holkham, fome itriking varieties, at leaft, whofe 

 diflinftions and qualities are well worthy of examination. 

 Two of thefe have (horter Jloiuer-fialis than the common 

 Robur, and one of them is three weeks earlier in coming 

 into leaf than the other. The footjialks of both are longer 

 than is ufual in Robur. How tar a difference of quality in 

 the wood may accompany thefe botanical diftinftions, we 

 muft refer to the inquiries of thofe who arc interefted in, 

 and have the means of inveftigating, fo important a fubjeft, 

 which is indeed of the firft economical, and even national, 

 confequence. It is much to be wiftied that the fpecies of 

 the Norway Oak, fo valuable for floors, on account of its 

 ftraightnefs, and freedom from knots, could be determined. 

 Perhaps thefe circumilances are owing to its being drawn 

 up itraight, with few branches, in its clofe native foreils, 

 and therefore it may not be fpecifically different from one 

 or other of our own fpecies. Michaux, and other writers 

 on the American Oaks, have taught us, that the pubefcence 

 of the leaves in this genus is of more fpecific importance 

 than had previoufly been fuppofed, and we therefore have 

 paid the more regard to it in difcriminating fome of the 

 European kinds. T\x Jloiuers, male and female, appear 

 ftill to demand more precife inveftigation and comparifon, 

 than they have any where received. S. 



QuEitcus, in Gardening, furnifties plants of the foreft, 

 deciduous, evergreen, ornamental tree-kinds, of which the 

 fpecies cultivated are, the common oak-tree (Q. robur) ; 

 the willow-leaved oak-tree (Q. phellos) ; the chefnut-leaved 

 oak-tree (Q. prinus); the black oak-tree (Q. nigra) ; the 

 red oak-tree (Q. rubra); the white oak-tree (Q. alba); 

 the Italian or fmall prickly-cupped oak-tree (Q. efculus) ; 

 the great prickly-cupped oak-tree (Q. regilops) ; the Tur- 

 key oak-tree (Q. cerris); the evergreen or holm oak-tree 

 (Q. ilex); the holly-leaved evergreen oak-tree (Q. gra- 

 muntia) ; the cork-barked oak, or cork tree (Q. fuber) ; 

 and the kermes oak-tree (Q. cocctfera). 



Of the firil there are feveral varieties ; as with the acorns 

 on long peduncles. This is found in the wilds of Kent and 

 Suflex, where there are many large trees. The leaves are 



not fo deeply finuated, nor are they fo irregular as in the • 

 common fort, but the indentures are oppolite ; they liavc 

 fcarcely any footllalks, but fit dole to the branches ; but the 

 acorns Hand upon very long footllalks. The timber of 

 this fort is accounted better than that of the common oak, 

 and the trees have a better appearance. 



The broad-leaved evergreen oak, which grows upon tiie 

 Apennines, and alfo in Suabia and Portugal. The leaves 

 are broader, and not fo deeply finuated as thofe of -the 

 common oak ; they arc of a lighter green on their upper 

 fide, and pale on their under ; have very fhort footllalks, 

 and their points are obiufe ; the acorns have very long foot - 

 flalks, which frequently fuflain three or four in a clufter. 



'i'he dwarf oak, which grows in the fouth of France and 

 Italy, and is a low bufhy oak, riles but fix or feven feet 

 high, fending out many flendcr branches the whole length. 

 The leaves are oblong, and obtufely indented, about three 

 inches long, and an inch and a half broad, ilanding upon 

 flender footllalks ; the acorns fmall, growing in cluflers. 



There are alio rhany other varieties of common oak, 

 which dealers in timber and woodmen diftinguifh by their 

 ufe, qualities, and accidents, and to which they give dif- 

 ferent names ; but thefe being merely local, and not 

 founded on permanent charafters, it is difficult to afcertaiii 

 them. 



In the fecond fpecies they diftinguifh two forts; one of 

 which is called the Highland willov/ oak, and grows upon 

 poor dry land ; the leaves are of a pale green, and entire, 

 fhaped like thofe of the willow tree ; the acorns are very 

 fmall, but have pretty large cups. The other grows in 

 low moiil land, and rifes to a much greater height ; the 

 leaves are larger and narrower, but the acorns are of the 

 fame fize and fhape. It is fuggefted, as probable, that 

 their difference jnay be owing to the foil in which they 

 grow. Martyn obferves, that the latter becomes a large 

 timber tree, and that there are faid to be feveral varieties 

 of it. 



The third fpecies has feemirigly two varieties, one of 

 which grows to a much larger tree than the other ; but this 

 may be occafioned by the foil, for the largeft trees grow in 

 rich low lands, where they become bigger than any of the 

 North American oaks. The wood is not of a very fine 

 grain, but is very ferviceable ; the bark is grey and fcaly ; 

 the leaves are five or fix inches long, and two inches and a 

 half broad in the middle, indented on the edges with many 

 tranfverfe veins running from the midrib to the borders ; 

 they are of a bright green, and fo nearly refemble thofe of 

 the chefnut tree as fcarcely to be diftinguilhed from it. 

 The acorns are very large, and their cups are fhort. The ' 

 leaves of the other variety are not fo large, nor fo ftrongly 

 veined ; and the acorns are fmaller, and a little longer. 

 The different varieties are diftinguilhed by the form of 

 their leaves, which in the one is ovate, and in the other 

 oblong. 



The fifth fort has feveral varieties. 



And in the ninth fort there are feveral varieties. 



The tenth fpecies has likewife feveral varieties, differing 

 greatly in the fize and fhape of their leaves ; but thefe will 

 all arife from acorns of the fame tree : even the lower and 

 upper branches have very frequently leaves very different in 

 fize and fhape ; thofe on the lower branches being miuch 

 broader, rounder, and their edges indented and fet with 

 prickles ; but thofe on the upper long, narrow, and entire. 

 The leaves are from three to four inches long, and an inch - 

 broad near the bafe, gradually leffening to a point ; they 

 are of a lucid green on their upper fide, but whitifh aiid 

 downy on their under, and do not fall till they are thruft 



off 



