453 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— Sebtembeh 24,185(5. 
inches across, and are of a most vivid orange-scarlet 
colour. The whole plant, with its flower, may he covered 
with a tumbler glass; hence it is a beautiful littlo gem. 
It should bo grown on a block, with a little moss below 
the pseudo-bulbs, and placed in the cool houso rather in 
the shade. Syringe frequently when growing, and keep 
dry when at rest. 
With this gem I close my descriptive list of Orchids 
bearing a cold treatment. I trust the number is quite 
sufficient to induce many an amateur to devote a small 
house to them, or even to try a few amongst his green¬ 
house plants. I would also recommend a trial of the 
following: Trichojrilia tortilis and the Zygopetalums. 1 
have no doubt they would grow and flower well in a 
cool house. T. Appleby. 
OAKS FROM KURDISTAN. 
QUEKCUS INFECTORIA. 
Although it is stated in catalogues that this Oak, which 
produces the Nutgalls of commerce, was introduced to cul¬ 
tivation in this country in 1822, it is extremely doubtful 
whether the statement means anything more than that 
acorns had then been received; and there is reason to 
believe that in reality the lirst live plants seen in this 
country were raised in 1850, in the Society’s Garden, from 
acorns sent home by A. H. Layard, Esq. This distinguished 
traveller met with it abundantly in Kurdistan, especially in 
Acorn of Quercus infectoria. 
the_ neighbourhood of Bitlis, which sdema to be the ettL 
porium for “ Galls.” The inclemency of the winters in 
that region leads to a hope that, the species will be hardy in 
the milder pans of Great Britain. If, as Mr. Barker Webb 
supposes, it is not really distinct from Q. Lusitania) and 
australis, the probability of the species being hardy is 
increased. 
The Nutgnll Oak forms a small tree, with nearly smooth 
branches and leaves, the only down upon it, when the 
foliage is fully formed, consisting of a small quantity thinly 
scattered over the twigs and petioles. The leaves are ever¬ 
green, oblong, on slender petioles, from two to three inches 
long, rather shining and even on the upper side, finely 
netted on the under side, with very uniform broad simple 
serratures. The acorns are remarkable for their great 
length, as compared with the short cup with adpressed 
scales. 
QUERCUS BRANTII. 
When in the year 184!) (?) James Brant, Esq., H.M. 
Consul at Erzeroum, visited Kurdistan, he was accompanied 
by Dr, Edward Dickson, who prepared for the herbarium a 
considerable number of the more remarkable plants met 
with during the journey. The collection having been after¬ 
wards presented by Mr. Brant to the Hon. Wm. Fox 
Strnngwnys, was given by the latter gentleman to the writer 
of this notice, who published, in the Botanical Register for 
1840, an account of the remarkable Oaks which formed a 
part of Dr. Dickson’s* herbarium. Among them was a ' 
very remarkable species, named after Mr. Brant, the great 
heart-shaped, bristle toothed, leathery, woolly leaves of 
which, measuring as much as six inches by four, especially 
attracted attention, as of a plant likely to be ornamental in 
this country. Many attempts were made to procure acorns 
of the species, but in vain, until Mr. Layard took such 
measures as resulted in the despatch of a box of them, 
which arrived safely in the year 1850. Among these acoms 
there were some of remarkable, size, one of which was 
afterwards identified with Q. Brantii, when the young Oaks 
were old enough to he determined. The. strong, coarse, erect, 
woody scales of the cup, bordered by a row of recurved 
hooks, and more than half as long as the blunt-ended acorn, 
offer a ready means of recognition. After growing the 
plant for two years it has been ascertained that the species 
is deciduous, not evergreen, as had been supposed; and this 
renders it almost certain that another name of it is Quercm 
Pcrsica, of Jaubert and Spach, as appears from specimens 
(No. 115) collected by Kotschy in March, 1842, between 
Abuschir and Schiras, where it is represented to ho a com¬ 
mon tree. All the plants that wero raised from Mr. Layard's 
acorns have been distributed among Fellows of the Society 
fond of arboriculture. 
At the same time another Oak was raised very like 
Q. Brantii, and supposed to he a variety of it, of which i 
there is reason to believe that the annexed cut represents 
the acorn. 
Acorn of Quercus Brantii var.? 
The size and form of the acorns of Q. Brantii are so re¬ 
markable as to justify a conjecture that it was this very 
species which was occasionally employed by the Assyrians 
to decorate their sacred tree, before which King Senna- 
* It is right to state that the author of the notice in the Botanical 
Register was not aware, till long after 1810, that the collection had been 
formed bv Dr. Dickson, This explains why that gentleman's name was 
not mentioned, 
