OAKS AT ALDENHAM. 



215 



another plant of the same variety might behave — indeed, my second 

 plant has done better and has reached 9 ft. 6 in. Of those with quaintly 

 shaped leaves there are two trees of Q. sessiliflora laciniata crispa, of 

 which the taller is 18 ft. high with a girth of 9 in. ; it is shapely and 

 vigorous and looks like making a fine tree, the leaves are very curious, 

 growing in great bunches or conglomerations, some 01 them being quite 

 normal, while others are converted into long narrow ribands 7 or 8 in. 

 long and less than half an inch in width. The plant so far shows no sign 

 of reverting in any part to type, nor does the proportion of riband- 

 like leaves seem to lessen. We have also two specimens of another 

 variety, Q. sessiliflora Louettii, which are 18 ft. X 11 in. and 16 ft. 

 X 11 in. respectively; this is described in Bean's book under a 

 synonym, Q. sessiliflora mespilijolia ; it is also a striking form, with 

 long narrow leaves tapering at both ends. We have, too, two Q. 

 sessiliflora Giesleri, which are 22 ft. high with a girth of 1 ft. 5 in., 

 and 17 ft. with a girth of 1 ft. respectively ; these have grown particu- 

 larly freely and well, and like Q. sessiliflora laciniata have some leaves 

 normal and some unnaturally lengthened and narrowed, but the 

 eccentricity of form is not so marked in this case. Besides these there 

 is Q. sessiliflora longijolia, 18 ft. X 1 ft. 6 in., and Q. sessiliflora longijolia 

 hybrida, 14 ft. 6 in. X 1 ft. 7 in. ; both these varieties have all their 

 leaves converted into ribands, but what the justification may be for call- 

 ing the latter a hybrid I am unable to say. Over and above these named 

 varieties we have two seedlings which are the progeny of an unnamed 

 tree in the arboretum at Tortworth, and belong apparently to this 

 species. The leaves are quite exceptionally large, being fully 5 in. long, 

 and varying greatly in width from J of an inch at the base to 2 J in. at 

 the broadest, just below where they begin to narrow to form the apex. 

 They are also very deeply and very irregularly lobed, in some cases 

 being cut away to within J of an inch of the midrib. The effect 

 produced is noticeably distinct from that of a normal Q. sessiliflora, 

 and the tree deserves a varietal name much more than many which I 

 have seen thus distinguished. 



I have also to record a striking-looking variety, Q. sessilijolia 

 Hentzii. When I bought it from a Continental nursery it bore the 

 name Q. Cerris Hentzii, but when it fruited it became clear that this 

 was a misnomer ; it is now over 15 ft. high, and girths more than 

 a foot at 3 ft. above ground. The leaves are short, of a greyish 

 tone, and wavy or crumpled in form, being very woolly on the under 

 side. 



At one time our catalogue shows we had yet another variety, 

 Q. sessiliflora laciniata, but as to this I can only make the announce- 

 ment which we have so often seen during the last few years concerning 

 our gallant soldiers — " Missing, believed to be dead." 



Q. Suber (Linnaeus). — Though I look on the cork oak as so tender 

 that I have almost given up hope of succeeding in establishing it at 

 Aldenham, yet as " hope springs eternal in the human breast," and 

 having recently had some young plants given me by Lord Phillimore, 



