Ord 81. CUPULIFERJE.* 



1. QUERCUS, Linn. 



1. Quercus densiflora, Hook. & Am. 



Quercus densiflora, Hook. & Arn. Bot. Beech, p. 391 ; Hook. Ic. 4, t. 380 ; New- 

 berry in Pacif. R. Road Expl. 6 (Bot.), p. 31, & fig. xylog. 8. 

 Q. echinacea, Torr. in Pacif. R. Road Expl. 4 ; Bot. Whippl. Rep. p. 137. 



Hab. Valley of the Upper Sacramento, California. — Mr. Bracken- 

 ridge found this handsome evergreen oak attaining the heighf of 25 

 or 30 feet, with a trunk not more than 6 inches in diameter. In the 

 specimens before us all the leaves are entire, and mostly obtuse ; in 

 which state they strongly resemble those of the Live Oak ( Q. virens) 

 of the Southeastern States. Very often, however, the leaves are 

 sharply and conspicuously serrate, with the apex acute. When 

 young they are whitish-tomentose underneath, but nearly smooth 

 when old. The fertile flowers are 8-12-androus ; the anthers 2-celled, 

 and apparently polliniferous. The acorns are two or three together 

 on a short erect peduncle, globose-ovate or ovate, obtuse, with a short 

 abrupt point. The cup is hemispherical, about three-fourths of an 

 inch in diameter, and clothed with rigid subulate or filiform scales, 

 which at length are reflexed or recurved. This character occurs in 

 all the specimens that I have seen of this oak. As the figure of 

 Hooker represented the scales as lanceolate and appressed (as does 

 also that of Newberry), I supposed our species must be distinct, and 

 accordingly described it in the work above quoted as Q. echinacea. In 

 the dense-clustered and erect staminate aments, the staminiferous 



* This was written before the appearance of the volume of DeCandolle's Prodromus 

 containing the Oupuliferce, &c, and had not been since revised by the author. 



