196 



The Flora of Wiltshire. 



about a dozen flowers. Fertile ones above them, solitary on stouter 

 stalks. Fruiting catkin clothed with simple pliant prickles, con- 

 taining two or three triangular nuts commonly called mast. On our 

 downs the Beech seems to thrive hotter than almost any other tree, 

 even where the chalk is barely covered with soil. In Tottenham 

 Park and Savernake Forest it may be observed in the greatest num- 

 bers, and of great size and beauty. The grand Avenue through 

 which you enter from Marlborough is composed principally of Beech 

 trees, and is perhaps the finest in England. In Longleat, Bowood, 

 and Boundway Park, are many handsome specimens of this graceful 

 tree. Several varieties of the Beech are met with in our parks, and 

 shrubberies, of which the fern-leaved Beech whose leaves are almost 

 linear, and the Copper Beech, are the most remarkable. 



Quercus, (Linn.) Oak. 

 Linn. CI. xxi. Ord. vii. 

 Named from quer, fine, and cuez, a tree, (Celtic) according to 

 Lepelletier. 



1. Q. rohur, (Linn.) common British Oak. Rohur is a Latin 

 substantive signifying strength and durability. Engl. Bot. t. 1342. 



Locality. Woods and hedges. Tree Fl. April, May. Area, 1. 

 %. 3. 4. 5. Distributed throughout all the Districts^ though doubtless 

 planted in many of its stations. A large and very handsome tree, 

 growing to the height of 50 or even 100 feet, with a rough bark 



1 " Oakes (the best of trees). — Wee had great plenty before the disaffores- 

 tations. Wee had in North Wiltshire, and yet have, though not in the former 

 plenty, as good oakes as any in England. The best'that we have now (1670) 

 are at Okesey Parke, Sir Edmond Poole's in Maluiesbuiy hundred ; and the 

 oakes at Easton Piers (once mine) were, for the number, not inferior to them. 

 In my great-grandfather Lite's time (15 — ) one might have driven a plough 

 over every oake in the oake-close, which are now grown stately trees. The 

 great oake by the day-house is the biggest oake now, I believe in all the countie. 

 There is a commonwealth of rooks there. When I was a boy the two greatest 

 oakes were, one on the hill at the Park at Draycot Cerne ; the other at Mr. 

 Saddler's at Langley-Burrell. 'Twas one of these trees, I remember that the 

 trough of the paper mill at Longdeane in the parish of Yatton Keynell, anno 

 1636, was made. In Garsden Parke (now the Lord Ferrar's) is perhaps the 

 finest hollow-oake in England; it is not high, but very capacious, and well 

 wainscotted ; with a little table, which I thinke eight may sitt round." — Aubrey, 

 Nat. Hist. Wilts. 



