OAKS AT ALDENHAM. 



183 



securing a specimen of this handsome tree which in its foliage reminds 

 one of the red oaks of the Eastern States. I have only a small nursery 

 plant some 2 ft. high, which was given me by Mr. F. R. S. Balfour, 

 and was raised from seed which he gathered in California. He writes 

 to me picturesquely of his remembering them " forming a grove on 

 the ' floor ' of the King's River Canon there, where among Libocedrus 

 decurrens and Pinus ponder osa their trunks rose tall and straight out 

 of a wild garden of evening primroses." He adds that he thinks this 

 tree more likely to flourish in our climate than any other Western 

 oak. I have, however, often had the opportunity of admiring the 

 fine examples at Tortworth, probably almost the only private grounds 

 in Europe where developed members of this species are to be seen. 

 These two fine well-grown specimens are now over forty years old, and 

 over 30 ft. high, and are still growing strong, and in the rich soil in 

 which they are planted there seems no reason why they should not 

 some day double their present height. The tree was first discovered 

 in 1846, but outside its own habitat it has never been other than 

 very rare. Though a -handsome deciduous oak, its general superficial 

 aspect is not sufficiently different from the far commoner but at 

 least equally beautiful Q. rubra to make it important that anyone 

 who is not a collector should possess them both. Though so like the 

 Eastern Q. rubra in leaf, the acorns, which require two seasons to 

 reach maturity, are markedly different. It is also true that the 

 bright shining appearance of the leaves gives it a superiority over 

 the comparatively dull ones of Q. rubra. 



Q. lacera (Bliime). — This is an interesting Japanese oak which has, 

 I believe, never been grown in England, but seems well worthy of 

 introduction. Kew imported two plants some few years ago, but 

 they did not survive the journey. It is possibly allied to, or even a 

 variety of, Q. glauca, but the foliage appears to lack the silky appressed 

 hairs which are characteristic of that species. I have never seen 

 more than a dry leaf of Q. lacera, but that was noticeably different 

 from any other oak which I know. It was 5 J in. long by 1 J in. at the 

 widest, and had nine lateral nerves on each side of the midrib ; along 

 the edge were short, sharp, spiny lobes, and the apex was very long, 

 very narrow, and spike-like. The specific name means "torn" or 

 " lacerated," and probably in the leaf which I have endeavoured to 

 describe the laceration was less pronounced than usual. 



Q. laevigata (Bliime). — Little is known of this hardy and 

 handsome Japanese species ; it does not appear to be figured in any 

 publication, and there is no specimen to be seen at Kew. The plant 

 in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, was obtained in April 

 1908 from the Yokohama Nursery Company, in whose (1907) catalogue 

 it is described as a large-leaved, large acorn-bearing, fine forest tree. 

 It is now about 4 ft. high ; and my specimen, which I owe to the 

 generosity of Professor Bayley Balfour, is about the same height, 

 and thriving well. The Professor has favoured me with a trans- 

 lation of the account of this oak as given by Blume in " Museum 



