32 



BRITISH FOREST TREES. 



ders, genera, species, varieties, long before they ac- 

 quire much knowledge of what they are so ready to 

 classify, or be able to distinguish between species and 

 variety, or know if species and Variety be really dis- 

 tinct, divide the oak of this country into two species, 

 Qiiercus Rohur and Q. sessiliftora, the former with 

 long fruit-stalks, and hard, strong, durable timber, 

 the late leafing old kind once so prevalent in the 

 island : the latter an earlier leafing, faster growing 

 kind, timber inferior, leaves petiolate, fruit sessile, 

 not common, but supposed native. We consider 

 there is no foundation for this specific distinction ; 

 we have met with oaks with various lengths of 

 fruit-stalks : Besides, short and long fruit- stalks is 

 a very common difference among seedling varieties. 

 The families or breeds which we have observed in 

 the indigenous oak resemble what are found among 

 almost every kind of vegetable, and graduate into 

 each other, — those farthest removed in appearance, 

 no doubt having power to commix by the pollen. 

 The most remarkable distinction we have observed 

 is in the colour of the bark, whether inclining to 

 white or black. The variety or breed with grey 

 white bark, often very smooth and shining, and some- 

 times beautifully clouded with green, has also a dif- 

 ferent form of leaf and figure of top from those with 



