By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 



197 



and widely-spreading branches, and when standing singly, with a 

 head often broader than it is high. Leaves deciduous, oblong, wider 

 towards the extremity, sinuses rather acute ; lobes blunt, glabrous 

 when old, somewhat shining, pubescent beneath when young. Flow- 

 ers monoecious, the males in slender pendulous catkins, or spikes, 

 Females solitary or clustered, oblong ovoid, or globular, becoming 

 much enlarged and hardened, constituting the well-known permanent 

 cup of the smooth nut, or acorn. It varies much both in foliage, 

 and inflorescence, and two permanent forms may be observed in the 

 county, a. Q. sessilijtora, Sm ; leaves petioled, peduncles very short. 

 /3. Q. pedunculated, Ehrh., leaves sessile, peduncles long, this last variety 

 being the more frequently distributed of the two. With us the 

 Oak is certainly one of our most beautiful trees and frequently attains 

 a size hardly to be surpassed in England. At Savernake Forest, and 

 Tottenham Park numberless oaks will be found of from fifteen up to 

 twenty feet and more in circumference, and of great height. Of 

 these two may be particularly mentioned : — the " King's Oak." and 

 the " Duke's Vaunt/' each measuring at five feet from the ground, 

 about twenty-five feet in circumference. Longleat and Bowood also 

 afford noble specimens of all ages, and almost of all sizes. In Spye 

 Park are a number of venerable relics, some of immense size and 

 apparently sound, measuring from twenty to twenty -four or twenty- 

 five feet in circumference. But doubtless our readers have each their 

 favourites in their own immediate neighbourhoods. Among the 

 most frequent exotic species in our plantations may be mentioned, 

 the Quercus ilex, Qi. suber, Q. cerris, and the Q. ruhra. 



Corylus, (Linn.) Hazel. 

 Linn. CI. xxi. Ord. vii. 

 An old Latin word ; from corus, a helmet, which the hazel-nut 

 resembles in form. 



1. C. Avellana, (Linn.) Hazel-nut; Avellana is properly the 

 Filbert, so named from Avella, a town of Campania, from whence it 

 was introduced. Engl. Bot. t. 301. 



Locality. Hedges and copses. Shrub Fl. March, April. Area, 

 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Common in all the Districts. A shrub, or sometimes 



