170 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



thereof, but it lacks the grey down or tomentum which is such 

 a marked feature of that species. Professor Henry states that 

 the timber is practically indistinguishable from Q. sessili flora, and 

 fetches about two-thirds of the price of Q pedunculata. 

 Q. crispula, see sub Q. grosseserrata and Q. mongolica. 

 Q. cuneata (Wangenheim), Spanish Oak, often known by one 

 of its synonyms, Q. falcata. — My two specimens of the type are young 

 plants not above 4 ft. high, which do not merit as yet any special 

 account of them. I have, however, two well-established plants with 

 varietal names added, viz. Q. cuneata hypophlaeos, 18 ft. high with a 

 girth of 11 in., and Q. cuneata macrophylla, 12 ft. high. The former 

 variety occurs in old Continental catalogues. 



Q. cuneata hypophlaeos is exceptionally handsome, but beyond the 

 fact that the leaves are much larger I confess that I cannot detect in 

 them any marked divergence from the type. The foliage is markedly 

 cuneate or wedge-shaped at the base, and fully justifies the name. 

 I consider the tree as well worth growing ; indeed, in foliage it is as 

 conspicuous as any, unless it be Q. marylandica. It is strange indeed, 

 having regard to the fact that the type was first introduced more than 

 150 years ago, that it should still be such a rarity that in 1910 Dr. 

 Henry wrote that he had seen none except at Kew and Aldenham. 



As to Q. cuneata macrophylla, though our plant came from Muskau, 

 generally a trustworthy place, I believe it to be nothing more than 

 a common Q. rubra, so will waste no more time about it. 



Q. cuspidata (Thunberg) is said to make a large tree in its own 

 country, Japan, but shows no prospect of ever becoming more than 

 a pleasing evergreen shrub at Aldenham ; my plant at present is 2 ft. 

 6 in. high with a spread of 1 ft. 6 in. across. It has bright-green 

 leathery leaves over 2 in. long. The acorns are stated to be edible, 

 but I should doubt if these would ever be produced in this country. 

 It was first introduced to Holland as early as 1830, but not to England 

 till 1879 > i s stu "l extremely rare, and I think it quite likely that 

 there may not be a dozen plants in existence here. It does not appear 

 to have been one of the trees collected by Wilson, to whom ultimately 

 I owe so many of my rarities, though I gather that it has been found 

 in Central and Southern China. I cannot now recall whence I 

 obtained my specimen. It is absolutely hardy, and even 33 0 of frost 

 last February left it entirely uninjured. 



Q. densi flora (Hooker and Arnott), the Tan-bark Oak, is a 

 handsome evergreen tree, which is becoming rare in its own habitat, 

 California and Oregon, and is and has always been so here. Dr. 

 Henry states in 1910 that it was then " apparently unknown in 

 cultivation in Europe except at Kew." My friend, Mr. F. R. S. 

 Balfour, has, I know, grown it for some years in his beautiful grounds 

 at Dawyck, co. Peebles, and indeed he reintroduced it into British 

 cultivation from seeds gathered in the coast range north of the 

 Bay of San Francisco. My plants, which I owe to his kindness, are 

 still quite small, and have not yet got well hold of the ground nor 



