QUE 
QUE 
only for their large white flowers in spring. 
P. coronaria, the sweet-scented crab, is 
equally deserving attention, and among 
the shrubby kinds, may be mentioned the 
P. arbutifolia and its varieties, nivalis , re¬ 
markable for its silvery leaves, and mela- 
nocarpa, with singular black fruit. All 
the kinds do best in rich loam, deep and 
porous; they may be increased by layers 
or seeds, the more difficult and scarce 
being grafted upon apple stocks, or upon 
the mountain-ash. 
QUERCUS, Oak (Linn.) Nat. Qrd. 
Cupuliferce. The family of oaks are in¬ 
habitants of the temperate zones in both 
hemispheres, and rank among the most 
noble, as well as useful, forms of the 
vegetation of those regions. In the fauna 
of our own country, the oak has ever held 
a prominent position, and either as an 
ornamental object, or in the more utile 
character of a timber tree, is universally 
regarded as pre-eminent. 
Both the scientific and popular names 
of the genus have been by turns the sub¬ 
jects of controversy among the learned; 
the generally received derivations are, of 
Quercus, from the Celtic quer, fine, and 
cuez a tree, expressive of the veneration 
in which the tree was formerly held, 
associated as it was with the religious 
ceremonies of the primitive Britons, and 
bearing, as is asserted, the holy mistletoe; 
another derivation, of very opposite con¬ 
nexions, is sought by some in the Greek 
word choiros , a pig, because that animal 
feeds upon acorns. The common Celtic 
name of the oak was derw, whence druids , 
and in Wales, where much of this extra¬ 
ordinary language is still retained, the 
names of many places, evidently derived 
from their proximity to forests, exhibit 
a reference to the ceremonial rites of 
those times in which the oak was so in¬ 
timately connected as to render the Celtic 
derivation by far the most probable one. 
There are now known in this country 
about a hundred species and varieties. 
The most common species is Q. robur, 
which is supposed to be the true English 
oak, as it is more prevalent in the form 
of one of its varieties, gedunculata , than 
any other kind. Q. sessilijlora, another 
variety or sub-species of robur, is also 
found extensively, and in the New Eorest, 
Hampshire, pubescens, or the Durmast 
oak, is common ; the timber of the first 
and last is whitish and hard, while that 
of sessilijlora is reddish and brittle; the 
latter also is often erect in its growth, 
while in naval architecture, the others 
are esteemed for their crooked stems and 
branches, peculiarly adapted for ships’ 
knees. Next in importance is the Turkey 
oak {Q. cerris ), now extensively planted 
both for ornament and timber; three of 
its varieties, the Eulham, Lucombe, and 
Ragnal oaks, being of very handsome erect 
habit, and nearly evergreen, are in much 
request for embellishing park lands. 
Among the American species there are 
several valuable trees, especially in the 
ornamental class. Q. coccinea, the scarlet 
oak, is particularly remarkable in autumn, 
on account of the bright red tints of its 
large foliage, which hangs upon the tree 
till near Christmas. Q. rubra alsa 
assumes a similar appearance, though 
scarcely so intense in colour. Q. Phellos, 
the willow oak, is a strongly-marked 
species, having linear leaves tapering to 
each end, and smooth, with small roundish 
nuts; the tree attains a considerable 
height. Q. Ilex, the evergreen oak, 
another esteemed species, is very gene¬ 
rally employed in shrubberies, its oblong, 
leathery, deep green leaves, are very ef¬ 
fective in forming the background of 
such plantations; there are several va¬ 
rieties of this species, among the most 
conspicuous of which are crispa, with 
holly-like leaves, latifolia, on account of 
its very ample foliage, and variegata, suit¬ 
able for the front rows of dense masses 
of shrubs ; these are all slow-growing 
trees, which seldom attain a great size, ex¬ 
cept in the western parts of the kingdom, 
where they are large and prevalent ; the 
wood is reckoned as nearly equal in 
strength and durability to that of the 
common, but, for the reason just stated, 
they are to be regarded rather as orna¬ 
mental objects than for their utility. 
Q. virens, the live oak, is another ever¬ 
green species, and for its great size, and 
strong durable wood, is accounted one of 
the most valuable timber trees of America ;. 
5 
