REESE LIBRARY
OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA.
Received
Accessions No. _ _>^^ c3j£L Shelf No.
FORESTRY LIR
ARBORETUM ET FRUTICETUM
BRITANNICUM ;
on,
THE TREES AND SHRUBS OF BRITAIN,
Jiatfoc antt JforngiT, ??artn> auK l^alf^artJw,
PICTORIALLY AND BOTANICALLY DELINEATED,
AND SCIENTIFICALLY AND POPULARLY DESCRIBE]) ;
WITH
TEIEIR PROPAGATION, CULTURE, MANAGEMENT,
AND I'lSES IX THE ARTS, IN USEFUL AND ORNAMENTAL PLANTATIONS, AND IN
LANDSCAPE-GARDENING ;
PRECEDED BY A HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL OUTLINE
OF THE TREES AND SHRUBS OF TEMPERATE CLIMATES
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
BY J. C. LOUDON, F.L. & H.S. &c.
AUTUOR OF THE ENCYCLOPEDIAS OP GARDENING AKD OF AGRICULTURE.
IN EIGHT VOLUMES :
TOUR OF LETTERPRESS, ILLUSTRATED BY ABOVE 2500 ENGRAVINGS ;
AND FOUR OF OCTAVO AND QUARTO PLATES.
VOL. III.
FHOM ^SCLEPIAD/CE.E P. 1257-, TO COKYLA'CE,E, P. 2030., INCLUSIVE.
SECOND EDITION.
LONDON:
HENET G. BOHN, TOEK STEEET, COVENT GAEDEX.
1854. s
-
Fc
CONTENTS OF VOL. III.
The Roman numerals refer to the General Table of Contents, Vol. I. p. xvii. to cliii., where the species
and varieties, with all their synpnymes, will be found systematically arranged ; the first column of Arabic
figures to the pages of the text in this volume, and the second to those of the supplementary matter con-
tained in Vol. IV.
The names of the half-hardy and suffruticose orders and genera are in small type.
I.
III. IV.
I.
III.
IV.
Asclepiadaceae.
xcix.
1257 2581
Aosmarinus L.
Stachys Bieb.
Lav£&nduia L.
cii.
eii.
cii.
1279
1281
1281
Periploca L.
xcix.
1257
^'cynos Lk.
Gardoqula Hook. -
cii.
cii.
1282
1282
Westringia Sm.
cii.
1282
JBignomaceds. -
xcix.
1258 2581
Silvia I..
AudiWrtm Benth. -
cii.
cii.
1282
1283
Bignoma Tourn. -
Trumpet Flower.
Tecoma Juss.
c.
c.
1285 2581
1259 2581
Plectranthus L. •
Siderttis Ait.
J>eon6tis R. Br.
Sphacele Benth.
liracocephalum Com.
cii.
cii.
cii.
eii.
cii.
1283
1283
1283
12S3
1283
Catalpa Juss.
c.
1261
Prasium L.
Prostanthera Lab.
cii.
cii.
1283
1283
2583
Eccremocarpus Thunb.
e.
1203
Calampelis D. Don -
e.
1263
Verbendcece. -
cii.
1285
2583
Cbfosaceae.
C.
1264
Titex L.
cii.
1285
2583
Coboe'a Cav.
e.
1264
Chaste Tree.
Clerodendron ft. Br.
cii.
1286
2583
Duranta Hort.
rii.
1286
Convolvuldcea. -
C.
1264
Alo^sia Or.
eii.
1286
2583
Convolvulus L.
e.
1264
Myoporince. -
cii.
1287
ftoragindcea.
' ithospdrmum L. -
C.
e.
1265
1265
Mydporum R. Br.
Globular iacecB. -
eii.
cii.
1287
1287
Weiiotropiuin L.
e.
1265
1265
Globularia L.
cii.
12S7
CVwcHacese.
C.
1265
Plumbaginece. -
cii.
1287
2583
Stitice L. -
ct'i.
1287
Ehretia
e.
1265
Plumbago L. -
eii.
1287
2583
Solandcece.
c.
1266 2581
Chenopodidcece.
cii.
1287
2583
Sfolanum
c.
1266 2581
Chenopodium L.
cii.
1288
Nightshade.
Z,ycium L, -
ci.
1269 2582
Goosefoot.
y4'triplex L.
Tree Purslane.
ciii.
1289
2583
Grabowskia Schl. -
ci.
1273
Diotis Schreb.
ciii.
1290
Nicot«,>nn Grab.
Rruemdnsia R. et P.
Soldndra L.
ci.
ei.
ci.
ci.
1274
1274
1274
1274
Anabasis L.
Kochta Schr.
Bosea L.
Camphordsma Schk.
ciii.
ciii.
ciii.
ciii.
1291
1291
1291
1291
8583
Scrophularidcece.
Buddlea L.
ci.
ci.
ci.
1274
1276 2582
1276
Polygondcece. -
Tragopyrum Bieb. -
Goat Wheat.
ciii.
ciii.
1292
1292
2583
2583
Halleria L. . " .
Maurandva Jacq.
Jtffmulus W.
Anthocercis R. Br.
Calceolaria L.
VerAnica Ait. -
Cflsia Jacq.
2.2.2.2.2.2.2.
1277
1277
1277
1277
1277
1277
1277
Atraphaxis L.
Calligonum L
Brunnichia Gtertn.
ftumex L. -
Poiygonum R. Br.
ciii.
ciii.
ciii.
eiii.
ciii.
1294
1295
1296
1296
1296
C'apraria /,.
AlonsoaR.etP.
Angethnia H. B. et K.
ri.
ei.
ei.
1277
1277
1277
L,aurdce<e.
ciii.
1296
2583
Lophospermum Don
Rhodochlton Zuce.
ci.
ci.
1277
1277
Laurus Plin.
ciii.
1296
2583
Nycterinia D. Doit
ri.
1277
Sweet Bay Tree.
LabidcecE.
ci.
1278
Sassafras Trie.
Cinnamomum Unit.
civ.
1305
X'ltlirtju L. -
Th^mus L.
ei.
ri.
1278
1178 258S
Proteacese. -
civ.
1306
2584
HjMoput L.
Teucrii/m Schreb. -
cii.
1278
1279
BUnksin R. Br.
GrevJllea Cun.
civ.
civ.
1306
1306
2384
/nifomis ;..
«-ii.
1279
Hakeu R. Br.
civ.
1306
IV
CONTENTS OF VOL. III.
I.
in.
IV.
I.
in.
ir.
Thymeldcea. -
civ.
1306
2584
Flcus Tourn.
Fig Tree.
cviii.
1356
2586
.Daphne L.
civ.
1307
2584
Borya W -
cviii.
1370
2586
Mezcreon.
Spurge Laurel.
Ulmdcece.
cviii.
1371
2586
Dirca L.
cv.
1314
U'lmus L. -
cviii.
1373
2586
Leather-wood.
Elm.
Gnfdia L.
Paxserlna L.
CT.
«i.
1315
1315
Planera Gmel.
ex.
1409
Pimelta Lab.
ev.
1315
Zelkoua Tree.
Santalaceae. -
CV.
1315
Celtis Tourn.
Nettle Tree.
ex.
1413
Nyssa L. -
CV.
1315
Lote Tree.
Tupelo Tree.
Osyris L. -
Poet's Cassia.
cvi.
132O
ZuglandacecB. -
Juglans
ex.
ex.
1420
1421
2587
2587
Walnut Tree.
fLlceagndcece. -
cvi.
1320
2584
Carya Nutt. -
Hickory Tree.^
cxi.
1441
2587
.Elaeagnus Tourn.
cvi.
1321
2584
Pterocarya Kunth -
cxi.
1451
2587
Oleaster.
Wild Olive.
Salicacecz.
cxi.
1453
2587
JSTippophae L.
Sea Buckthorn.
cvi.
1324
2584
Salix L.
cxi.
1453
2587
Sallow Thorn.
Willow.
Shepherdta Nutt. -
cvi.
1327
Populus Tourn.
Poplar.
cxxi.
1636
2588
A ristolochiacece.
cvi.
1328
2585
Retuldcea. -
cxxiii.
1677
2589
y^ristolochia L.
cvi.
1328
^4'lnus Tourn.
cxxiii.
1677
2589
Birthwort.
Alder.
l&uphorbiaceae.
cvii.
1830
2585
Petula Tourn.
Birch.
cxxiii.
1690
2590
.Euphorbia
cvii.
1331
2585
Qoryldcece, or
Spurge.
Stillingia Garden -
cvii.
1332
Cupultferce.
cxxiv.
1715
2590
JSuxus Tourn.
cvii.
13S2
2585
Quercus L.
cxxiv.
1717
2590
Box Tree.
Oak.
PlcUtianthus Forst.
cvii.
1541
2585
Fagus L.
cxxix.
1949
2593
riuVtiij Hot. Mag.
cvii.
1341
Beech.
Urticdcece.
cvii.
1342
2586
Castanea Tourn.
Chestnut.
cxxx.
1983
2595
3/orus Tourn.
cvii.
1343
2586
Carpinus L. -
cxxx.
2004
2595
Mulberry.
Hornbeam.
Broussonetia Vent.
cviii.
1361
2586
O'strya W. -
cxxxi.
2015
2595
Paper Mulberry.
Madura Nutt.
cviii.
1362
Hop Hornbeam.
Corvlus L. -
cxxxi.
2016
2595
Osage Orange.
Haxel.
ALPHABETICAL INDEX TO VOL. ill,
ALPHABETICAL INDEX TO VOL. III.
Ill
IV.
I.
in.
IV.
Abele Tree
cxxi.
1638
C'onvdlvulus
CWiacwe
c.
c.
1264
1265
A'cynos Lk.
Alder
yf Inus Tourn.
Alonsto R. et P. -
cii.
cxxiii.
cxxiii.
ci.
1282
1677
1677
1277
2589
2589
Cork Tree -
Coryldcece
Corylus L.
- cxxviii.
cxxiv.
cxxxi.
1911
1715
2016
2590
2595
Alofsiu Or.
American Oaks
Anabasis L
cii.
cxxvi.
ciii.
1286
1863
1291
2583
Cupulifercs
Z)aphne L.
cxxiv.
civ.
1715
1307
2590
2584
Angeltmia H. B. et K.
ci.
1277
Diotis Schreb.
ciii.
1290
Anthoce>cis ft. Br. -
y4ristolochia L.
AristolochidcecB
ci.
cvi.
cvi.
1277
1328
1328
2585
Dirca L.
DracoccJphalum Com.
Duranta Hort, r
cv.
cii.
cii.
1314
12S3
1286
Asclepiadacess
xcix.
1257
2581
Eccremocirpus Thunb.
£*chium L.
c.
c.
1263
1265
Aspen
Atraphaxis L.
^4'triplex L.
AudiWrtia Benth.
cxxii.
ciii.
ciii.
cii.
1645
1294
1289
1283
2583
Ehr6»'a
Elceagnclcece -
Elxagnus Tourn.
Elm
1 cvi.'
CVI.
cviii.
1265
1320
1321
1373
2584
2584
2586
Balsam Poplar
cxxiii.
1673
Euphorbia
cvii.
1331
2585
Banksta R. Br.
Bay Tree -
Beech
Benzoin Laurel
Bttula Tourn.
Betuldcece
civ.
ciii.
cxxix.
civ.
cxxiii.
cxxiii.
1306
1296
1949
1303
1690
1677
2584
2583
2593
2590
2589
E uphorbiacese
jpagus L. -
Ficus Tourn.
Fig Tree
Filbert
Gardoqula Hook. -
cvii.
cxxix.
cviii.
cviii.
cxxxi.
cii.
1330
1949
1365
1365
2017
1282
2585
2593
2586
2586
Bignoma Tourn.
c.
1258
2581
Globularia L.
Qlobulariaceoi
cii.
cii.
1287
1287
Hignoniacese
Birch
xcix.
cxxiii.
1258
1690
2581
2590
Gnfdia L.
Goat Wheat
cv.
ciii.
1315
1292
2583
Birthwort
Ivi.
1328
Goosefoot -
cii.
1288
Black Italian Poplar
Black Poplar
cxxii.
cxxii.
1657
1652
Grabowskia Schl.
Grevfllea Cunn.
Hakea R. Br.
ci.
civ.
civ.
1273
1306
1306
BoragitiActec
12G4
Halleria L.
ci.
1277
Borya W. -
cviii.
1370
2586
Hazel
cxxxi.
2016
2595
B6sea L.
ciii.
1291
Heliotr&pium L.
c.
1265
Box Thorn -
ci.
1269
2582
Hickory
cxi.
1441
2587
Box Tree -
cvii.
1332
2585
.ffippophae L.
cvi.
1324
2584
Broussonetia Vent.
cviii.
1361
2586
Hop Hornbeam
cxxxL
2015
2595
Brugmansia R. et P.
ci.
1274
Hornbeam -
cxxx.
2004
2595
Brunnichia Gaertn.
ciii.
1296
Buddlea L.
ci.
1276
ifex^ " -
cii.
cxxviL
1278
1899
7?uxus Tourn.
< 'iilampelis D. Don •
cvii.
1332
1263
2585
Juglanddcea
ex.
1420
2587
Calceolkria L.
Calligonum L.
Camphordsma Schk.
Capraria L.
ci'.
ciii.
ciii.
ci.
1277
1295
1291
1277
Juglans
Kochia Schr.
Labiacea:^
Laurdcece
ex.
eiiL
ci.
ciii.
1521
1291
1278
1296
2587
2583
2583
Carolina Poplar
cxxii.
1670
Laurel
ciii.
1296
2583
Carpinus L.
cxxx.
2004
2595
JLaurus Plin.
ciii.
1296
2583
Carya Nutt.
Castknea Tourn.
cxi.
cxxx.
1441
1983
2587
2595
/-avdndula L.
Leather-wood
cii.
CV.
1281
1314
Catalpa Juss.
c.
1261
Leon6tis ft. Br.
C.ithosjH;rmum L.
cii.
c.
12S3
12G4
1 Ylsi,/ Jacq.
C£ltis Tourn.
i Vxtrum L.
Chaste Tree -
cL
cix.
ci.
cii.
1277
1413
1274
1285
2583
Live Oak -
Lombardy Poplar
Lophospermum Don
Lote Tree -
- cxxviii.
cxxii.
ci.
ex.
1918
1660
1277
1414
Chenopodidcece
Chenopodium L. -
cii.
cii.
1287
1288
2583
.£ycium L.
Maclura Nutt.
ci.
cviii.
1269
1362
2582
Chestnut
cxxx.
1983
2595
hlaurandya Jacq.
ci.
1277
Cinnamftmum Strt.
civ.
1305
Mexican Oaks
cxxix.
1941
Clerrxtendron ft. Br
cii
1886
2583
( lujt.a Hot. Mag.
cvii.
1341
Mezereon -
civ.
1307
> .IV.
c.
12IM
Wfmulus W.
ci.
1277
OrtMcHi
t.
1264
1264
A/orus Tourn.
cvii.
1343
'J586
A 3
VI
ALPHABETICAL INDEX TO VOL. III.
Mulberry -
cvii.
in.
1343
IV.
2586
Salix L. -
cxi.
in.
1453
IV.
2587
M.vopiirinie
cii.
1287
Sallow Thorn
cvi.
1324
2584
My<5porum R. Br.
Myrtle of Van Die- 1
men's Land - J
cii.
CXXX.
1287
1982
Silvia L.
Santalacea? -
Sassafras Tree
cii.
CV.
ciii.
1282
1315
1301
Nepal Oaks
cxxviii.
1920
1933
Saturtja L.
ci.
1278
Nettle Tree -
cix.
1413
Scrophularidcece
ci.
1276
2582
NicotMna Grab.
Nightshade
Nycterfnia D. Don
Nyssa
ci.
C.
ci.
CV.
1274
1266
1277
1315
2581
Sea Buckthorn
Shepherdia Nutt. -
Siderltis Ait.
Solanacece
cvi.
cvi.
cii.
C.
1324
1327
1283
1266
2584
2581
Oak
cxxiv.
1717
2590
Solindra L.
ci.
1274
Oleaster
cvi.
1351
2584
Solanum L.
C.
1266
2581
Ontario Poplar
Orache
Osage Orange
cxxiii.
ciii.
cviii.
1676
1289
1362
2583
Sphacele Benth.
Spurge
Spurge Laurel
Stachys L.
cii.
cvii.
civ.
cii.
1283
1331
1309
1281
2585
O'strya W.
Osyris L. -
Paper Mulberry
Passerlna L.
cxxxi.
cvi.
cviii.
cv.
2015
1320
1361
1315
2595
2586
StStice L.
Stillingaa Gard.
Sweet Bay -
Tecoma Juss.
cii.
cvii.
ciii.
c.
1287
1332
1296
1259
2583
2581
Periploca L.
PhI6mis L.
xcix.
cil.
1257
1279
Teucriutn Schreb.
Thymeldcece -
cii.
civ.
1271
1306
2584
Pimelea Lab.
cv.
IMS
Thjmus L.
ci.
1278
2582
}'lagiantlms Font.
Planera Gmel.
PlectrKnthus L.
cvii.
cix.
cii.
1341
1409
1283
8585
Tragopyrum Bieb. -
Tree Purslane
ciii.
ciii.
1292
1289
2583
2583
Ylumbagfnea
cii.
1287
2588
Trumpet Flower
c.
1258
2581
Poet's Cassia
cii.
cvi.
1287
1320
2533
Tupelo Tree
cv.
1315
J?olygondcece
Potygonum R. Br.
ciii.
ciii.
1292
1296
2583
Turkey Oaks
Ulmdcece
cxxv.
cviii.
1846
1371
2586
Poplar
cxxi.
1636
2588
t/'lmus L. -
cviii.
1373
2586
Pbpulus Tourn.
cxxi.
1636
2588
UrticdcecB -
cvii.
1342
2586
Prasium L.
Prostanthera Lab.
cii.
cii.
1283
1283
2583
\erbendcece
cii.
1285
2583
Prote'aceaa
civ.
1306
2584
Vertinica Ait.
'ci.
1277
Pterocarya Kunth -
cxi.
1451
2587
rlteTz, ."
ci.
cii.
1274
1285
2583
Quercus L. -
cxxiv.
1717
2590
Walnut Tree -
ex.
1421
2587
Red Bay -
civ.
1299
Westringio Sm. -
cii.
1282
Rhodochlton Zuce.
ci.
1277
Wild Olive -
cvi.
1321
2584
/iosmarinus L. -
cii.
1279
«umex L.
ciii.
1296
Willow
cxi.
1453
2587
Salicdcecc
cxi.
1453
2587
Zelkoua Tree
cix.
1409
ARBORETUM ET FRUTICETUM
BRITANNICUM.
CHAP. LXXV1II.
OF THE HARDY AND HALF-HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE
ORDER ASCLEPIADA^CEM.
GENUS I.
PERI'PLOCA L. THE PERIPLOCA. Lin. Syst. Pentandria Digynia,
Identification. R. Br. in Mem. Wern. Soc., 1. p. 57. ; Lindl. Nat. Syst. Bot., edit. 2., p. 305. ; Don's
Mill., 4. p. 163.
Synonymes. Periploca Fr. ; Schlinge, Ger.
Derivation. From peripleko, to wrap about ; in allusion to the twining stems.
Gen. Char., $c. Corolla rotate. Throat furnished with 5 awned scales, which
alternate with the segments of the corolla. Filaments distinct. Anthers
cohering, bearded on the back ; pollen masses applied to the dilated tops of
the corpuscles of the stigma, solitary, or composed of 4 confluent ones.
Stigma almost minic. Follicles cylindrical, much divaricate, smooth. Seeds
comose. (Don't J ////., iv. p. 163.) — The hardy species are natives of the
south of Europe, the north-west of Asia, or the north of Africa. Twining
glabrous shrubs. Leaves opposite, shining. Flowers subcorymbose, inter-
petiolar; of easy culture in common soil, and propagated by cuttings of the
root or shoots, or by layers.
-& I. P. GRJE'CA L. The Greek Periploca.
Identification. Lin. Sp., p. 309. ; Don's Mill., 4. p. 163. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
^T't 15. MaCuUlta MamcAi Schmidt Baum., 1. t. 46., DM Ham. Arb., 2. p. 104. t. 21., Hort.
Engravings. Jacq. Misc., 1. p. 11. 1. 1. f 2.; Fl. Grzec., t. 249. ; Bot. Reg., t 803. ; Schkuhr Handb.,
t. 53. ; and our figs. 1087. and 1088.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves varying from ovate to lanceolate. Corymbs on long
peduncles. Flowers hairy inside. Branches brown. Segments of corolla
linear, rounded at the apex, greenish outside,
and brownish inside, and clothed with copious
short hairs. Leaves deciduous, 3 — 4 in. long.
(Don's Mill., iv. p. 163.) A hardy twining
shrub, a native of the south of France, and of
Bithynia, found also about
Bursa, and on Mount
Athos ; flowering in July
and August. It was in-
troduced in 1597, and is
frequent in gardens. The
remarkable colour and &
rich velvety appearance
of the flowers, the elegant
form of the leaves, and
the facility with which the 1088
plant can be made to cover an extensive space, render it useful for arbours,
&c. ; but it is mentioned in the N. Du Hamel that the odour of the flowers
* 4 N 6
1087
1258
ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM.
PART III.
is considered unwholesome, and even dangerous, to those who are long
exposed to it. In the Gard. Mag.y vol. ix. p. 586., Mr. Godsall, nursery-
man, of Hereford, mentions that he has seen the pavement of an arbour
over which a plant of Perfploca gree'ca was trained, and in full flower,
literally covered with dead house-flies, which appeared to have fallen from
the blossoms, apparently killed by some deleterious property contained in
them. The capability of extension of this plant is proved by one in the
Cambridge Botanic Garden having been trained, by means of a jack chain,
as high as the branches of one of the trees of Sophora japonica, mentioned
in p. 565. as being 50 ft. high, and which was clear of branches to a con-
siderable height. When twined round a tree, the periploca forms a deep
identation in the bark. (See Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. vi. p. 331.) Price of
plants, in the London nurseries, Is. 6d. each ; at Bollwyller, 60 cents ; and
at New York, 37^ cents.
-$ 2. P. ANGUSTIFOVLIA Labill. The narrow-leaved Periploca.
Identification. Lab. PI. Syr., dec. 2. p. 13. t 7. ; Don's Mill., 4. p. 163.
Synonymes. P. rfgida Viv. ; P. lasvigata Vahl.
Engravings, Labill. PI. Syr., dec. 2. p. 13. t. 17. ; and our fig. 1089.
Spec. Char., SfC. Leaves veinless, narrow-lanceolate, glabrous, per-
sistent. Cymes trichotomous. Flowers purplish inside, pale yellow
beneath and round the mouth, with a white spot in the middle.
Leaves 1 in. long. (Don's Mill., iv. p. 163.) A twining shrub, a
native of Tunis, on Mount Schibel Jsekel ; and of the Island of
Lampedosa, at the sea side, near Laodicea. An ornamental plant,
which was introduced in 1800, and is quite as hardy as P. grae'ca.
It is rare in British collections.
fl_ P. tievigata Ait. ; P. jmnicaefolia Cav. Icon., 3. t 217. ; is a
twining evergreen shrub, a native of the Canary Islands, which was
introduced in 1779; and, though generally kept in green-houses,
would live through the winter against a south wall, with protection.
The half-hardy species of Periploca, being deciduous, may be pre-
served through the winter with much less care than many other
tender trees and shrubs.
CHAP. LXXIX.
OF THE HARDY AND HALF-HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS BELONGING
TO THE ORDER
THE genera belonging to this order which contain hardy species are,
Bignonia, Tecoma, and Catalpa, which are thus distinguished : —
Tourn. Calyx 5-toothed. Dissepiment of the fruit parallel.
Calyx 5-toothed. Dissepiment of the fruit contrary.
Calyx 2-parted. Dissepiment of the fruit parallel.
GENUS I.
TifcoMA Juss.
CATA'LPA Juss.
0
BIGNOVN/^ Tourn.
THE TRUMPET FLOWER.
Angiospermia.
Lin. Syst. Didynamia
Identification. Tourn. Inst, 72. ; Juss. Gen., 139. ; Ga>rtn. Fruct, t 52. ; H. B. et Kunth Nov. Gen.
Amer., 3. p. 132. ; D. Don in Edin. Phil. Journ. ; Lindl. Nat. Syst. Bot, edit. 2., p. 282. : Don's
Mill. ,4. p. 21fi.
Synonymes. Bignbnza sp. of Lin. and others ; Bignone, Fr. ; Trompetenblume, Ger.
Derivation. So named by Tournefort, in compliment to the Abb* liignon, librarian to Louis XIV.
Gen. Char., SfC. Calyx campanulate, 5-toothed, rarely entire. Corolla with a
short tube, a campanulate throat, and a 5-lobed bilabiate limb. Stamens 4,
didynamous, that is, 2 long and 2 short ; with the rudiment of a fifth. Lobes
of anthers divaricate. Stigma bilamellate. Capsule silique-formed, 2-celled ;
CHAP. LXX1X. BIGNON/^CTyE. TE ' COMA. 1259
having the dissepiment parallel with the valves. Seeds disposed in
2 rows, imbricate, transverse, with membranous wings. (Don's Mill., iv.
p. 216.) — Usually climbing shrubs, furnished with tendrils, rarely erect
trees or shrubs. Leaves opposite, simple, conjugate, trifoliolate, digitate,
or pinnate. Flowers axillary and terminal, usually panicled. Corollas
trumpet-shaped, white, yellow, orange-coloured, purple, violaceous, or rose-
coloured. The only hardy species is a subevergreen climber, a native of
North America ; and, like all the plants of this order, easily propagated by
cuttings of the roots, or shoots.
1 fl- 1. B. CAPREOLANTA L. The tendriled Bignonia, or Trumpet Flower.
Identification. Lin. Sp., 870. ; Hort. Cliff, 317. ; Don's Mill., 4. p. 217.
Engravings. Bot. Mag., t. 864. ; Breyn. Icon., 33. t. 25. ; Du Ham. Arb., 1. p. 104. t. 40. : Bocc. Sic.,
31. t. 15. f. 31. ; Zan. Hist., 74. f. 2. ed. 2. 49. t. 33. ; and our fig. 1090.
Spec. Char., fyc. Climbing. Leaves conjugate; leaflets cordate-oblong; lower
ones simple. Tendrils small, trifid; the lobes bifurcate. Peduncles axillary,
1-flowered, crowded. Calyx entire. Corollas red- ^
dish yellow. Follicles flattened, 1 ft. long. (Don's
Mttl.y iv. p. 217.) A climbing shrub, a native of
North America, in the more southern parts ; flower-
ing in June and July. The follicles are said, as
above, to be a foot long ; but, on an open wall, in
the Horticultural Society's Garden, they do not
exceed 6 in. or 8 in. It was introduced in 1710, and
forms a very ornamental wall climber in British
gardens. This is an excellent plant for covering
dead walls, from its great capability of extension, its
being subevergreen, and the singular shape of its
large and handsome leaflets. It requires a sheltered
situation, and favourable exposure, in order to
flower freely. The plant of this species in the Horticultural Society's
Garden ripens seeds. Price of plants, in the London nurseries, 2s. each ;
at Bollwyller, where it is a green-house plant, 4 francs ; and at New York,
50 cents.
GENUS II.
TE'COMA Juss. THE TECOMA. Lin. Syst. Didynamia Angiospermia.
Identification. Juss. Gen., p. 139. ; R. Br. Prod., 471. ; H. B. et Kunth Nov. Gen. Amer., S.'p. 142. ;
Lindl. Nat. Syst. Bot, 2d edit, p. 282. ; Don's Mill., 4. p. 223.
Synonyme. Bignonto sp. of Lin. and others.
Derivation. From Tecomaxochitl, the Mexican name of one of the species.
Gen. Char., $c. Calyx campanulate, 5-toothed. Corolla with a short tube,
and a campanulate throat; limb 5-lobed, bilabiate. Stamens 4, didynamous;
that is, 2 long and 2 short ; with the rudiment of a fifth sterile filament.
Stigma bilamellate. Capsule silique-formed, 2-celled, having the dissepi-
ment contrary to the valves. Seeds disposed in 2 rows, imbricate, winged,
transverse. (Don's Mill., iv. p. 223.) — The only hardy species yet intro-
duced is a deciduous climbing shrub.
-I 1. T. RADIVCANS Juss. The rooting-brancked Tecoraa, or Trumpet Flower.
Identification. Juss. Gen., p. 139. ; Don's Mill., 4. p. 225.
Synonymes. Bignbnto radlcans Lin. Sp., 871., Hort. Cliff., 317., Ups., 178., Gron. Virg., 73.,
Mill. Icon., t. 65., Du Ham. Arb., 1. p. 103. t. 1., Sab. Hort., 2. t. 84., Du JRoi Harbic., 1. p. 116.,
Wangenh. Amer., 68. t. 26. f. 53., Willd. Arb., 47., Curt. Sot. Mag., t 485., Hit: Mon., p. 101.,
Mor. Hist., 3. p. 612. f. 15. t. 3. f. 1., Corn. Can., 102. t 103. ; Bignftnm radlcans m^jor Hort.,
Gclsemium Clematis Barrel. Icon., 59.; Bignbnia ./raxinifblia Catesb. Car,; Jasmin de Virginia,
Fr. ; Wurzeln Bignonia, Ger. ; Esschenbladige Bignonia, Dutch.
Derivation. Wurzeln is, simply, rooting ; and EsschenblUdige, ash-leaved.
Engravings. Bot. Mag., t. 485. ; and our fig. 1091.
* 4-N 7
1260 ARBORKTUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
Spec. Char., $c. Climbing, glabrous. Branches rough, rooting. Leaflets 9,
ovate, acuminated, coarsely serrated. Racemes terminal, corymbose, on
long peduncles. Tube of corolla 5 times longer
than the calyx. (Don's Mill., iv. p. 225.) A
beautiful hardy climber, which fixes itself to trees
or walls by its roots, like ivy. The flowers are
produced at the ends of the shoots, in large
bunches; and have long swelling tubes, shaped
somewhat like a trumpet. The corolla is large,
scarlet, and orange-coloured. It is a native of
Carolina, Florida, and Virginia, and flowers in
August and September. It was introduced in
1640, and is frequent in British gardens, where it
grows vigorously, producing tufts of leaves and
fine flowers, abundantly at the extremity of the
branches, but being rather apt to become naked
below. One of the finest specimens of this plant
in Europe is that trained against the Palace Pitti
at Florence, which, when we saw it in 1819, was,
if our recollection does not deceive us, upwards of 60 ft. high, and extending
proportionably in width. It is quite hardy in England ; but in the north
of France they cover the trunk with straw during winter, for a few years,
till it has become perfectly ligneous. Price of plants, in the London nurse-
ries, 50s. per hundred; in pots, Is. 6d. each ; seeds, Is. 6d. per ounce: at Boll-
wyller, 50 cents, or 15 francs per hundred: and at New York, 50 cents.
Variety.
.A T. r. 2 major Hort. has the flowers larger and of a paler scarlet ; the
leaves, also, differ considerably, both in size and shape. It is a
climbing shrub, a native of Carolina, which flowers in August, and
was introduced in 1724.
-t 2. T. GRANDIFLO'RA Swt. The great-flowered Tecoma.
Identification. Sweet's Hort Brit., p. 14. ; Don's Mill., 4. p. 225. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Synonym.es. BignbniVi grandifldra Thunb. Ft. Jap., 253., Blum. B'jdr., 778. ; B. chinensis Lam.
Diet., 1. p. 424.; Rjotsjo Kecmpf. Amcen., p. 856., Banks Icon. K&mftf., t 21. ; Incarvillea grandi-
fl&ra Spreng. Syst., 2. p. 836. ; Tung-von-fa, Chinese.
Engravings. Banks Icon. Kaempf, t. 21. ; and out fig. 1092.
Spec. Char., $c. Slightly scandent, glabrous. Leaflets 7 — 9, ovate, acumi-
nated, coarsely serrated, attenuated at the base. Panicles terminal,
pendulous. Calycine segments lanceo-
late, length of the tube of the corolla.
Branches rooting. Young shoots spotted
with dark purple. Leaves 6 — 10 in. long,
Petioles marginate. Flowers pendulous,
forming terminal cross-armed panicles,
large, of a tawny orange colour on the
outside, and of a tolerably bright red-
dish orange colour inside, with brighter
streaks. Nectary a glandular crcnated
ring. Anterior lobe of stigma recurved.
(Don's Mill., iv. p. 225.) A climbing
shrub, a native of China and Japan.
Introduced in 1800, and flowering in July and August. This species,
when first introduced, was thought to be rather tender; but it is now
found to be almost as hardy as Tecoma radicans, which it greatly re-
sembles, but is of a slighter habit, though it has much larger flowers, and
is altogether a very splendid plant. There is a fine specimen at Kew, in
front of one of the stoves ; a large one in the Horticultural Society's Garden,
which has stood against the conservative wall there since 1825; and one
against the wall in the Hackney arboretum. Price of plnnts, in the London
nurseries, 2.?. Gd. each.
CHAP. LXXIX,
CATA'l.PA.
1261
App. I. Half-hardy ligneous Plants belonging to the Order
Bigno?miceae.
Bigndma crucigera Plum. Icon., t. 58., has the leaflets large; the flowers yellow, and whiti»h
beneath ; and the follicles, o-- pous, 1 ft. long. A transverse section of the stem repree
cross; and hence the trivial name. It is a
climbing shrub, a native of Virginia, Mexico,
&c. ; and was introduced in 1759. Perhaps it
might be grafted or inarched on B. capreo-
lata ; and, if so, it might then be tried against
a conservative wall.
Tecoma austriilis R.Br.; Bignon»aPand5r<y
Vent., Bot. Mag., t. 8(55. ; and our fig. 1093. ;
has the flowers a pale red, with a dark purple
bearded throat. It is a climbing shrub, a
native of New Holland, within the tropics,
and of New South Wales. It was introduced
in 1793; and, in green-houses, its flowers
have a very fine appearance. It is tolerably
hardy, and would succeed against a conser-
vative wall in favourable situations.
T. capensis LindL ; Bigndn/Vz capensis
Thunb. Bot. Reg., t. 1117. ; and our fig. 1094. ;
i s a Cape shrub, with orange scarlet flowers,
1098 3 in. long. It is tolerably hardy; and, by
1094
rrafting on T radlcans, might, in all probability, live against a conservative wall. In the warmest
parts of Devonshire, we are informed, it stands out without any protection at all.
GENUS 111.
CATA'LPA Juss. THE CATALPA. Lin. Syst. Diandria Monogynia.
Identification. Juss. Gen., 138., ed. Usteri, p. 155. ; Spreng. Gen., 1 . p. 25. ; Sims Bot. Mag., 1. 1094. ;
Schkuhr Handb., t. 175. ; Lindl. Nat. Syst. Bot.,2d edit., p. 282. ; Don's Mill, 4. p. 2m
Synonymcs. Bigndnm sp. of Lin. and others ; Bignone Catalpa, Fr. ; gemeine Trompetenblume, Ger.
Derivation. The I ndian name of a species of Bignbnirt.
Gen. Char., $c. Calyx 2-parted. Corolla campanulate, with a ventricose
tube, and an unequal 4-lobed limb. Stamens 5, 2 of which are fertile, and
3 of them sterile. Stigma bilameliate. Capsule silique-formed, long, cylin-
drical, 2-valved. Dissepiment opposite the valves. Seeds membranously
margined, and pappose at the base and apex. (Don'* Mill., iv. p. 230. —
Trees, with simple leaves, opposite, or disposed 3 in a whorl. Flowers
terminal, panicled.
% 1. C. SYRINGMFO^IA. Sims. The Lilac-/i£e-leaved Catalpa.
Identification. Sims Bot Mag., t 1094. ; Schkuhr Handb., t. 175. ; Don's Mill, 4. p. 230. ; Lodd.
Cat., ed. 1836.
Synonymes. Bignbnia Catalpa Lin. Sp., 868., Willd. Sp., 3. p. 289. ; Wangenh. Amer., p. 58. t. 20. f. 45. :
Catalpa bignomo'kfes Wait Fl. Car., p. 64. ; C. cordifblia Nut. Gen. Amer., 1. p. 10., Du Ham
Arb., 1. p. 104. t 41., Catesb. Car., 1. p. 49. t 21., Lin. Hort. Cliff., 317. ; Bois Shavanon, Catalpa
de 1'Amerique, Fr. ; Trompeten-baum, Ger. ; Catalpa-boom, Dutch.
Derivation. The French of Upper Louisiana call this tree Bois Shavanon, from its being found in
abundance on the banks of the river Shavanon, now called the Cumberland. Catalpa is supposed
to be a corruption of Catawba, an Indian tribe that formerly occupied a great part of Georgia and
the Carolina*.
Engravings. Schmidt Baum., 1. 1 14. ; Bot. Mag., 1. 1094. ; Schkuhr Handb., 1 175. ; and the plates
in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves cordate, flat, 3 in a whorl, large and deciduous.
Branches strong. Panicles large, branchy, terminal. Corollas white,
speckled with purple and yellow. (Don's Mill., iv. p. 230.) A deciduous
tree, a native of North America. Introduced in 1726, and flowering in July
and August. The seed-pods are remarkably long, narrow, and horny.
The leaves come out very late, and the flowers appear in August. The
tree thrives best near the banks of rivers ; but, in some situations, it is very
liable to die off by large limbs at a time. The branches dye wool a kind
of cinnamon colour. This beautiful tree is a native of North America,
where it is found on the banks of rivers in the upper part of the Carolinas,
Georgia, and the Floridas; though, as Michaux observes, it is remarkable
that it does not exist in the lower part of these provinces. " In these
* 4N 8
1262 ARBORETUM AND FRUTiCKTUM. PART III.
southern regions," says Michaux, " it frequently exceeds 50 ft. in height,
with a diameter of from 18 in. to 24 in. It is easily recognised by its bark,
which is of silver grey, and but slightly furrowed ; by its ample leaves, and
by its wide-spreading head, disproportioned in size to the diameter of its
trunk. It differs from other trees, also, in the fewness of its branches."
("A". Amcr. Sylva, ii. p. 64.) The catalpa is a tree of rapid growth, and
its timber is remarkably light, of very fine texture, and brilliant when po-
lished : its colour is of a greyish white; and, when properly seasoned, it is
very durable. If a portion of the bark of this tree be removed in spring,
" a venomous and offensive odour is exhaled." The bark is said to be
tonic, stimulant, and more powerfully antiseptic than the Peruvian bark ;
and the honey collected from its flowers to be poisonous, and analogous in
its effects to that made from the flowers of Gelsemium nitidum. The
catalpa is generally propagated by seeds, which are imported from America ;
but it will grow readily by cuttings of the root ; and, of course, plants
so raised will flower much sooner than those which are raised from seed.
The tree is of rapid growth till it attains the height of 20 ft., which, in deep
free soil, in the neighbourhood of London, it does in 10 years. Seedling
plants begin to flower, under favourable circumstances, in 12 or 15 years;
and, in soils and situations where the wood is well ripened, they continue
flowering every year, making a splendid appearance, not only from the large
size and lively colour of the flowers, which are white, marked with purple
and yellow spots, but from the fine pale green of its very large leaves, which
are of a different shade of green from those of almost every other tree ; the
nearest approach to it being that of the leaves of Negimdo /raxinifolium.
In fine seasons, the flowers are succeeded by seed-pods, which somewhat
resemble those of the common cabbage, but on a large scale ; being fre-
quently 2 ft. long, and curved upwards so as to resemble horns.
Statistics. Catalpa syringae/oWa in the Environs of London. At Kenwood, 40 years planted, 40 ft.
high ; diameter of trunk 1 ft. 5 in., and that of the head 35 ft. ; head irregular ; in sandy loam on
clay. At Fulham Palace, 150 years planted, and 25 ft. high ; diameter of the trunk 2 ft., and of the
head 20ft. At Syon, the tree figured in our last Volume, 52ft. high ; diameter of the trunk 3 ft.,
and that of the space covered by the branches 50 ft. At Kensington Gravel Pits, in the grounds 01
S. C. Hall, Esq., 30 ft. high ; diameter of the trunk 1 ft., and of the head 40 ft. ; on gravelly soil; and
flowering abundantly every year. At Muswell Hill, 31 ft. high, with a head 30ft. in diameter. In
the Mile End Nursery, 35 ft. high.
Cat&lpa syringse/o/za South of London. In Devonshire, at Luscombe, 19 years planted, and 27 ft.
high; diameter of trunk 11 in., and that of the space covered by the branches 24 ft. ; estimated height,
in 10 years, 15ft. ; in loam on gravel. In Kent, at Cobham Hall, SO years planted, and 30 ft. high,
diameter of trunk 2 ft. 3 in., and that of the head 35 ft. ; at Eastwell Park, 50 ft. high. In Wiltshire,
at Longleat, 65 years planted, and 35 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 5 in., and of the head 37 ft. ;
at Wardour Castle, 50 years planted, and 30 ft high ; at Longford Castle, 25 years planted, and
30ft. high.
Catalpa syringae/ofio North of London. In Bedfordshire, at Ampthill, 38 years planted, and
30 ft. high ; diameter of the trunk 2 ft, and of the head 40 ft. In Berkshire, at White Knights, 25
years planted, and 30ft. high. In Buckinghamshire, at Temple House, 35 years planted, and 27 ft
high. In Cheshire, at Eaton Hall, 13 years planted, 14 ft. high. In Essex, at Hylands, 10 years
planted, 21 ft. high : at Witham, two trees, from 40 to 50 years planted ; one with a trunk free from
branches to the height of 17£ ft, and the other to the height of 19^ ft. ; both have wide-spreading
heads, and flower abundantly every year. In Gloucestershire, at Doddington, 20 years planted,
and 20ft. high. In Hertfordshire. 'at Cheshunt, 10 years planted, 18ft. high. In Lancashire, at
Latham House, 60 years planted, and 33ft. high. In Oxfordshire, at Blenheim, several fine old
trees, upwards of 30 ft. high, with heads from 30 ft. to 50 ft. in diameter. In Pembrokeshire, at
Latham House, 60 years planted, and 33ft. high. In Oxfordshire, at Blenheim, several fine old
trees, upwards of 30 ft. high, with heads from 30 ft. to 50 ft. in diameter. In Pembrokeshire, at
Stackpole Court, 6 years planted, and 6 ft. high. In Suffolk, in the Bury Botanic Garden, 11 years
planted, and 13 ft. high. In Warwickshire, at Combe Abbey, 20 years planted, and 10 ft. high.
In Worcestershire, at Croome, 40 years old, 60 ft. high ; at Hagley, 8 years planted, 8 feet high. In
Yorkshire, in the Hull Botanic Garden, 8 years old, and 6 ft high.
C. syringae/o/j'a in Scotland. At Gosford House, 12 years planted, and 15 ft. high. In the Glasgow
Botanic Garden, almost herbaceous, even under the shelter of a wall ; a proof of the coldness and
moisture of the autumnal months in that part of Scotland, so very different from the climate of the
east coast.
C. syring&fblia in Ireland. In the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, 30 years old, and 16 ft. high,
diameter of the trunk 12 in., and of the top 15 ft. ; at Cypress Grove, 16 ft. high, diameter of trunk
14 in., and of the top 12 ft. ; at Terenure, 8 years planted, and 7 ft high. In Galway, at Cool, 25 ft.
high.
Catalpa syringa/o/io in France. In the Jardin des Plantes, 60 years planted, it is 40 ft high, the
diameter of the trunk 20 in., and that of the head 40 ft. ; at Sceaux, 30 years planted, it is 50 ft. high,
the diameter of the trunk 2 ft, and of the head 30ft. ; in the Botanic Garden at Toulon, 36 years
planted, it is 36 ft. high, with a trunk 1£ ft. in diameter ; at Nantes, in the nursery of M. De Nerriercs,
30 years planted, it is 29 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. ; in the Botanic Garden at
Avranches, 29 years planted, it is 89 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 8 in., and of the head
CalAlpa syringae/o/w in Germany. In Hanover, at Schwobber, it is 30 ft. high ; in the Gottingen
CHAP. LXXIX.
BIGNON/y/ CEM.
1263
Botanic Garden, 10 years planted, it is 16ft. high. In Cassel, at Wilhelmshoe, 40 years planted, it
is only 5 ft. high, with a trunk 8 in. diameter, the shoots being killed back every year by the autumnal
frosts. In Austria, at Vienna, in the University Botanic Garden, 2fi years planted, it is 40 ft. high,
the diameter of the trunk 18 in., and that of the head 24ft. ; at Laxenburg, 20 years planted, it is
18 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk fi in., and of ihe head 10 ft ; at Kopenzel, 25 years planted,
it is 24 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 in., and of the head 8 ft., against a wall ; at Brtick on
the Levtha, 40 years planted, it is 34 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1$ ft., and of the head
24ft. In Prussia, at Sans Souci, 20 years planted, it is 11 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 4 in. ;
in the Pfauen-Insel, 9 years planted, it is 10 ft. high.
Catalpa syring&folia in Russia. At Petersburg and Moscow, it is a green-house plant ; in the
Government Garden at Odessa, in the Crimea, it forms a splendid tree, flowering every year, and
sometimes ripening seeds ; though in the winter of 1835, M. Descemet informs us, it was very much
injured by frost.
Catalpa syringaj/V>/;Yi in Italy. In various parts of Italy and the south of France, and particu-
larly in the neighbourhood of Milan and Montpelier, the Catnlpa is planted as a road-side tree, and
along the avenues to country houses ; where, with A/elia Azedardch and the tulip tree, and in
some places, where the soil is moist, with Magnblm acuminata and other species, it forms a scene
of splendour and beauty worthy of a climate so congenial to vegetation. In Lombardy, at Monza,
29 years planted, it is 24ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk 16 in., and that of the head 24 ft.
Commercial Statistics. Price, in the London nurseries, seedlings 5,?. per 100;
transplanted seedlings, from 2ft. to 4ft., from 25s. to 75s. per 100; single
plants from 1*. to 2s.()d. each, according to their size; and seeds 2s. per oz.
At Bollwyller, plants are from 1 franc to 1^ francs each, and 2 years' seedlings
15 francs per 100. At New York, plants are 50 cents each.
App. I. Of the half-hardy ligneous Plants of the Order
Bignomaces?.
Eccremoc&rpus loneifibrus Humb. et Bonp. PI. JEquin., 1. p. 229. t. 65., and our fig. 1095., is a
climber, a native of Peru, with leaves abruptly tripinnate ; and yellow flowers, which are produced
in July and August. It was introduced in 1825, and is suffruticose rather than ligneous ; but, preserved
in a pit during the winter, and turned out into light rich soil in May, and trained against a wall
with a southern aspect, it grows with extraordinary rapidity, flowers freely, and ripens seeds, from
which, or by cuttings, it is readily propagated.
E. viridis Ruiz et Pav., Don's Mill., 4 p. 231., has green flowers and bipinnate leaves. It is a
native of Peru, in woods ; but has not yet been introduced.
1097
Caldmpclis scubra D. Don; Eccremocarpus scaber Ruiz et Pav., Bot. lice., t. 939. ; and our figs. 109fi.
and 1097. Introduced from Chili in 1824. Leaves bipinnate, with the leaflets alternate, obliquely cor-
date, ovate,, serrated or entire. The calyx is green ; the corolla scarlet, or of a deep orange red ; and the
capsule large and muricated. It requires exactly the same treatment as Eccremocarpus ; and, whore
young plants cannot be preserved through the winter in a pit or green-house, they may be raised
from seeds (which the plant ripens abundantly in the open air, in the neighbourhood of London^,
early in spring, in a hot-bed, and shifted from smaller pots to larger ones, so as to be ready to
be turned out in the open ground about the end of May. In mild seasons, this species, and
also Eccremocarpus longiflorus, live through the winter with very little protection, and shoot up
again in the spring. A plant of Calampelis scabra, in the Horticultural Society's Garden, has stood
out against a wall in this way since 1830. Perhaps it may be objected to our introducing such plants
ri'inodirpus and Calampelis, that they are not truly ligneous ; and that, north of Ixindon, they
require to be treated more as herbaceous summer climbers or conservatory plants, than as hardy
ligneous ones. \Vereadilyadmitthatsuchplantsas these form, as it were, the boundary of the
ligneous kingdom ; but still we think they are more woody than beitoCCOUt, and that the same kind
of garden culture which is applicable to ligneous plants is the best adapted for them. Besides, in the
south of England, the stems of the species of both these genera assume a decidedly more ligneous
character than they do in the climate of London, and the plants endure in the open air, against a wall,
for several years.
4-0
1264
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART 111.
CHAP. LXXX.
OF THE HALF-HARDY LIGNEOUS OR SUFFRUTICOSE PLANTS
BELONGING TO THE ORDER
Coboe^&scandens Cav. Icon. Rar. 1. p. 11. 1. 16., N. Du Ham., 4.
t. 50., and our fig. 1098., is a tendrilcd climber, well known for
the rapidity of its growth, the fine glaucous green of its smooth
leaves and shoots, and the beauty of its large, solitary, axillary,
nodding flowers, with bell-shaped violet or purple corollas, and
its large, oval, pendent fruit. Plants should either be raised in
autumn, and preserved in a pit, and turned out in spring (which
is the general practice about London), or they may be sown in
spring, and brought forward in a hot-bed. In mild winters,
plants, in dry soil, against a conservative wall, maybe preserved
alive by covering them with mats. A plant of Coba?\i scandens
against the veranda at the Castle Inn at Slough, in 1806, is said
to have extended its shoots upwards of 100 ft., on each side of
the root, in one season. Astonishing effects might be produced
by this plant in a single season, if it were thought desirable to
incur a little extra expense. By preparing a large mass of turfy
loam well enriched with leaf mould, or thoroughly decomposed
manure, and by mixing this mass with a quantity of small sand-
stones, as recommended by Mr. M' Nab for theculture of thegenus
.Erica, a large fund of nourishment would be produced. Now,
in order that this nourishment might be rapidly imbibed by the
roots, it would be necessary to supply it with bottom heat early
in the season, and with liquid manure from a surrounding
trench, three parts filled with that material, during the whole
summer. A plant so treated would cover several thousand
square feet of surface, either of wall, roof, or of the open ground,
in one season.
1098
CHAP. LXXXI.
OF THE HARDY AND HALF-HARDY SUFFRUTICOSE PLANTS BELONGING
TO THE ORDER CONVOLVULA'CE^E.
TIIR RE are a few species of Convolvulus which are technically considered shrubby; and, though
or all practical purposes they may be treated as herbaceous p'ants, we shall, for the sake of thoM1
who wish to gather every thing into an arboretum that can be included in it, here notice two or
three species.
-* Convdh'uhts Dorycnium L., Fl. Gra?c., t.
200., and <mrjig. 1100.,' is a native of the Levant,
and is common on the road sides near Corinth,
where it forms a little bush about the height of
H ft-> producing its fine rose-coloured flowers in
J099
June and July. It was introduced in 1806, and
is occasionally met with in collections. It is suit-
able for rockwork.
tt. C. Cnebrurn L., Fl. Grace., t. 200., and our
,fis. 10P9., is a native of Spain, Crete, &c., with a
shrubby-branched stem, and the whole plant covered with soft silvery down. It was introduced in
1640.; grows to the height of 2 ft. or 3 ft. ; and produces its white and pale red flowers from May to
September. It is about as hardy as Cncorum tricnccum (seep. 560.).
CHAP. LXXXIII.
co FID //r
1265
C. scoptirius L., and C.flAridus L., are natives of the Canaries, where they form trailing shrubs
from 1 ft. to 3 ft. in height ; and they might probably be treated as half-hardy.
CHAP. LXXXII.
OF THE HARDY AND HALF-HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS BELONGING
TO THE ORDER 5ORAGINAVCE7E.
tt. iJt/iospi'nnum fnttic.nsitm L. (Garid. Aix., p. 68. t. 15.) is a native of the south of Europe and
north of Africa, where it forms a shrub from 1 ft. to 3ft. high, producing its blue flowers in May
and June. It was introduced in 1683, but is not common in collections.
«. L J'ntth :?:suiH mujus Lehm. ; /,. rosmarinifolium Tenure, Bot. Keg., 1. 1736. ; and our Jig. 1101.
is a native of Naples, and on the mountains of the Grecian Archipelago.
&T L. prostratum Lois. Fl. Gall., 1. p.
10f>. t. 4., is a prostrate suftruticose plant,
a iKitive of France. Introducer? in 1825.
The corolla is of a bluish purple ; and
the whole plant is pilose and cancsct-nt.
It is, in all probability, only a variety of
L. fruticosum.
E"chium L. There are some species of
this genus natives of Teneriffe, the Ca-
nary Islands, and Madeira, on rocks.
They have mostly splendid blue or white
flowers, and some of them, such as E. gi-
ganteum, grow as high as 10ft. On dry
rockwork, in a warm sheltered situation,
we have no doubt they would all prove
half-hardy. E. candicans L., Bot. Keg.,
andt. 44.,our./?£. 1102., is oneofthe most
common species in British green-houses.
It is a native of Madeira, on high rocks ;
was introduced in 1777 ; grows to the
height of from 2ft. to 4ft; and produces
its blue, campanulate flowers in May and
June.
Hettotrdpium peruvinnum L., H. p.
JiCjbrldum Hort. Brit, and H. corym-
bosum Ruiz et Pav., Bot. Mag., 1. 1609.,
are Peruvian under-shrubs, well known
for their fragrant flowers, and on that account introduced into every flower-garden. Plants are raised by
cuttings early in spring ; and, being turned out into a bed of rich light soil, they flower freely all the
summer, till they are destroyed by frost. Two or three stock plants should be kept through the
winter, in the green-house or pit, to be ready to be placed in a hot-bed or stove, in order to furnish
abundance of cuttings in spring. (See the mode of treating /tosa fndica by Mr. EDes, noticed p. 801.)
110]
CHAP. LXXXIII.
OF THE HALF-HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER CORD/A CE/E.
Ehrltia. xerrata Roxb. Cor., 1. 1. 55., and ourfig. 1103., is a
low tree, a native of the East Indies and China. Introduced
in 17!)5, and generally kept in stoves; but a plant has stood,
since 1830, against a wall in the Horticultural Society's Gar-
den ; where it grows rapidly, flowers freely, and appears
quite hardy. A plant, as a standard, in the open garden, at
lessrs. Loddiges's, has the shoots killed down every year to
•ithin 1 ft. of the ground ; but the stool sends out fresh
loots every spring, which generally attain the height of 3 ft.
r 4ft. in the course of the summer, and make a fineappear-
nce, from the large size of their leaves. The circumstance
fa plant like this, a native of the East Indies, and so long
onsidered as a stove plant in England, having lived in the
open garden for several years; and, against a wall, having not
only lived, but flowered freely; ought to be a great encourage- < -
nient to cultivators to try almost every kind of plant, what- s
ever be its native country, in the open air, when they have
an opportunity. We do not recommend the trial of scarce
and valuable stove plants ; and from the palms, prchid&ceae,
and other endogenous orders or tribes, perhaps little is to
be hrpcd for in the way of acclimatisation : but all hcr-
InrcoiK plants that die down annually to the ground, and
all exogenous ligneous plants, deserve a trial, when a plant
ran be spared without injuring the collection to which it
If, after a thousand trials, one spedes only should
have proved sufficiently hardy to endure the open air in our
climate, the recompense to the cultivator will be ample.
Let him not forget, in making experiments of this kind, that
Ancnhn j.iponica was originally treated as a stove plant, and
Krrr/V/ japonica as an inhabitant of the preen- house.
1 O 2
110
1266
ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM.
PART 111.
CHAP. LXXXIV.
OF THE HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER SOLANA^CEJE.
THE few ligneous or suffruticose hardy plants contained in this order are
included in the genera tfolanum, Lycium, and Crabowskirt, which are thus
characterised : —
UM Pliny. Calyx 5-cleft, rarely 4-cleft. Corolla rotate, rarely campanu-
late, usually 5-cleft. Anthers connivent, dehiscing by pores at the apex.
Berry 2-celled, rarely 4-celled. (Don's Mill., iv. p. 398.)
Z/Y'CIUM L. Calyx 5-toothed, or 3 — 5-lobed. Corolla funnel-shaped or tu-
bular. Anthers usually exserted, and not connivent, opening lengthwise.
Berry 2-celled. (Dons Mill., iv. p. 398.)
CRABO'WSKIJ Schlecht. Calyx 5-toothed. Corolla funnel-shaped. Limb
convolute in aestivation, reflexed. Drupe containing two, 2-celled, bony
carpels. Cells 1 -seeded. (Don's Mill.,\v. p. 400.)
GENUS I.
SOLA'NUM Pliny. THE NIGHTSHADE. Lin. Syst. Pentandria Monogyraft.
Identification. Tourn. Inst, p. 149. t. 62. ; Lin. Gen., No. 251. ; Schreb. Gen., No. 337. ; Juss. Gen.,
126., ed. Usteri, p. 141. ; _Mcench Meth;, p. 473. ; R. Br. Prod., 444. ; Dunal Mon. Sol., 115. ;
Lindl. Nat. Syst. Bot., p. 295. ; Don's M
Synonymes. Melongi-na Tourn. Inst., p. 151. t. 65. ; Pseudo-Capsicum Mccnch Mcth., p. 476.
. p. 400.
Nycterium Vent. Jard. Malm., p. 85. ; "Aquartio Jacq. Araer., p."l5. 1. 12. ; Morelle, Fr. ; Nacht-
schatten, Ger.
Derivation, The first use of the word Solanum occurs in the writings of Tragus, who applied it to
Chenopodium hybridum. It is said to be derived from solarf, to console. The Greeks called our
European solanums struchnoi, a name which Linnaeus transferred to the genus of tropical shrubs,
Strychnus, to which the nux vomica belongs. (Bot. Reg., t. 1516.)
Gen. Char., $c. Caly permanent, 5-, rarely 4-, cleft. Corolla rotate, rarely
campanulate, 5-, rarely 4-, cleft. Anthers oblong, connivent, opening by 2
pores at the apex. Berry almost globose, 2 — 3 — 4-celled, but usually
2-celled. (Don's Mill., iv. p. 400.) — Herbs or shrubs, unarmed or prickly,
rarely spiny. Leaves undivided, sinuated, lobed, impari-pinnate, or decom-
pound, usually alternate ; but, in many species, twin, rarely ternary. Pedun-
cles solitary or numerous, simple or multifid, axillary or extra-axillary, 1- or
many-flowered, opposite the leaves, or scattered, or terminal. The pedicels
in S. tuberosum are articulated under the flower. The fruit of S. esculen-
tum is large and 5-celled. In some species, the flowers are sometimes
6_9-cleft.
1 1. S. Dl)LCAMAXRA L.
Identification. Lin. Sp., p. 264. ; Don's Mill
Eng. Fl., 1. p. 317.; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
Synonynies. S. sc&ndens, Neck. Gallo-Bel., 119. ; Dulcamara flex-
uosa Mcench Mcth. ; p. 514. ; S. scandens seu Dulcamara Tourn.
Inst. , p. 149.; Amkra dulcis Gerard Emac., 350. ; Dulcis am&ra
Trag., 816. ; Glycypicroa seu Dulcamara Bauh. Hist., 2. p. 109.
icon. ; la Morelle grimpante, Regnault Bot. Icon.
Engravings. Engl. Bot, t 565. ; Baxt. Brit Fl. PI., vol. 2. 1. 110. ; 4-
Curt Fl. Lond., 1. 1.14. ; Fl. Dan., t.607.; Woodv. Med. Bot, .
97. t 33. ; Stev. et Church. Med. Bot Icon. ; and our fig. 1104.
Spec. Char., $c. Shrubby, scandent, flexuous.
Leaves ovate-cordate ; superior ones hastate.
Corymbs almost opposite the leaves. Shrub
glabrous. Leaves cordate; superior ones has-
tate, all quite entire. Corymbs panicled. Co-
rolla violet-coloured, with reflexed segments,
each segment furnished with 2 green spots at the
base. Berries elliptic, red. (Don's Mill., iv.
The Bitter-sweet, or woody Nightshade.
4. p. 409.; Smith's
1104
CHAP. LXXXIV. SOLANA^E^E. ^OLAXNUM. 1267
p. 409.) A climbing shrub, a native of Europe, Asia, and North America,
in hedges and among bushes ; plentiful in Britain ; flowers in June and July.
Varieties.
J. S. D. 1 violacea Hort. Eyst., p. 385. t. 384. No. 3. — Corollas violet.
1 S. D. 2 alba Lin. Fl. Suec., p. 66. —Corollas white. There are
plants of this variety in the collection of Messrs. Loddiges.
J, S. D. 3 carnea Cels. Ups., 32.— Corollas flesh-coloured.
1 S. D. 4- plena Tourn. Inst., 149., Hort. Eyst., 1. c. — Corollas double.
J. S. D. 5 variegdta Munt., fig. 156., Tourn/Inst., 149., Lodd. Cat., ed.
1836. — Leaves variegated.
1 S. D. 6 hirsuta Don's Mill., iv. p. 409. ; S. littorale Hort. — Plant
hairy or downy. Flowers violet. Found on the sea coast. There
are plants in Messrs. Loddiges's collection.
1 S. D. 7 rupeslris Schmidt Fl. Bot., p. 69. — Stem erect. Leaves ovate,
quite entire. Racemes few-flowered, dichotomous. A native of Bo-
hemia. (Don's Mill., iv.' p. 409.)
Description, Properties, fyc. The stems of this species are roundish,
branched, twisted, and climbing by elongation, among, other shrubs, and in
hedges, to the height of 6 ft. or 8 ft. or upwards. When bruised, broken, or
rubbed, they yield a strong and peculiar odour, not unlike that which proceeds
from rats and mice. The roots smell like potatoes; and both roots and
stalks, upon being chewed, first cause a sensation of bitterness, which is soon
followed by a considerable degree of sweetness, whence the specific name.
The plant has been in repute for its medical virtues since the days of Theo-
phrastus, by whom it was called Fitis sylvestris; by Pliny, it was called
Melortum. Gerard, Boerhaave, Cullen, and others, attribute to the berries,
and also to the leaves and stalks, many virtues ; and the plant is still in great
repute among rustic practitioners. In Wales a salve is made from the leaves,
which is considered infallible in removing bruises. A decoction of the whole
plant, or an infusion of the young twigs, is considered excellent in rheumatic
cases, and also in jaundice and scurvy. The berries are poisonous; and, as
they are common in hedges, they are very frequently eaten by children,
on whom they operate by exciting violent vomiting and purging. To lessen
their deleterious effects, warm water should be administered immediately, and
in large quantities, to dilute the poison, and provoke vomiting. To prevent
vomiting, when an infusion or decoction of the plant is taken medicinally, it is
diluted with milk. (Smith's Eng. FL, i. p. 118.) Trained to a single stem, to
the height of 6 ft. or 8 ft., and supported by a strong iron rod, with a parasol
top, this common hedge weed might form a very handsome gardenesque
pendulous tree. The Acherontia A'tropos Fab., in its larva state (fig. 1081. in
p. 1253.) feeds on the bitter-sweet and the elder, as well as on the common
white jasmine.
« 2. S. SUFFRUTICOVSUM Schousb. The suffruticose Nightshade.
Identification. Schousb. ex Willd. Enum., p. 236. ; Dun. Sol., p. 154. ; Syn., p. 13. ; Don's Mill., 4.
p. 413.
Spec. Char., fyc. Stem unarmed, suflfruticose. Leaves ovate, dentately angular, nearly glabrous,
ciliated. Flowers subpanicled (ex Dun.}. Umbels extra-foliaceous, pedunculate (ex Willd.}.
Branches 2-edged, or quadrangular! y winged from the decurrence of the petioles. Angles toothed.
Leaves large, glaucous, covered above with soft hairs while young. Flowers white. Berries black.
Very like S. nlgrum ; but the stem is shrubby, the leaves larger, and the flowers more numerous,
&c. (Don's Mill., 4. p. 413.) A shrub, a native of Barbary, where it grows to the height of 4 ft., and
flowers from May till September. It was introduced in 1804 ; but we have not seen the plant.
» i- 3. S. CRI'SPUM R. $ S. The curled-leaved Solanum.
Identification. Rura. et Schult. Sp. PI., 4. p. 595. ; Fl. Peruv., 2. £ 1. 1. 158. f. a. ; Dunal Solan., 159. :
Syii. p. 16. No. 78. ; Lindl. Bot. Reg., t. 1516. ; Don's Mill., 4. p. 414.
f-:n-i-ii('i>i>rs. Bot. Keg., t. 1516. ; and our./%. 1105.
. C '//nr., cyr. Stem shrubby. Leaves ovate, subcordate, wavedly curled,
acuminate. Flowers corymbose. (Raem. ct Schult. Sp. PI., iv. p. 95.) Leaves
all simple, undivided, ovate, or cordate, acuminate, petiolate, slightly curled
at the margin ; younger leaves powdery, but full-grown ones green. Cymes
4 o 3
1268
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
many-flowered, terminal, all the parts
powdery. Bracteas none. Calyx short,
5-toothed. Corolla middle-sized, of a
bluish lead-colour. Anthers equal, yel-
low. (LindL] A native of Chiloe, in waste
places and hedges. Introduced by Mr.
Anderson, collector to Mr. Lowe of the
Clapton Nursery, in 1830. It is a hardy
vigorous-growing plant, of a much more
ligneous character than S. Dulcamara,
subevergreen, and covered with flowers
nearly the whole summer. A plant in the
Horticultural Society's Garden attained
the height of 10 ft., against a wall, in 3
vears ; and its stem is between 3 in. and
4 in. in diameter: one in the Clapton
Nursery is still larger. As this species
will grow in any soil, and is readily pro-
pagated by cuttings, it promises to be
of great value as an ornamental climber, for rapidly covering naked
walls. Dr. Lindley observes that, " if tied to a stake, and thus forced
to grow erect, it will throw out a great number of lateral branchlets, at the
end of every one of which is a bunch of flowers. It this state it was ex-
hibited by Mr. Lowe of Clapton, at a meeting of the Horticultural Society,
in April, 1832, and was greatly admired." (Sot. Reg., 1. 1516.) It is readily-
propagated by cuttings, and promises to be a most valuable shrub for
covering naked walls, or varying ruins or rockwork. The smooth shining
green of its leaves, which are seldom eaten by insects, and the profusion of
its flowers, which are bluish, render it highly ornamental.
4. S. BONAPIE'NSE L.
The Buenos Ayres Nightshade.
Dun. Sol., 198., Syn , p. 34. ; Dill .
Identification. Lin. Sp., No. 2fi4., exclusive of the syn. of Plum
Eltli., p. 2fi4. ; Don's Mill., 4. p. 429.
Kiiffruvin^s. Dill Elth., p. 264. t. 272. f. 351. ; and our Jig. 1 106.
Spec. Char., $c. Shrubby, almost un-
armed. Leaves ovate-oblong sinu-
ately repanded, smoothish. Racemes c
corymbose, lateral, or extrafoliaceous. \
Stem green, prickly at the base ; adult
stems unarmed. Leaves sometimes
entire, rarely prickly. Corymbs large.
Calyx 4 — 5-cleft. Segments subu-
late. Corolla large, white, downy
outside. Berry globose, ? yellow,
4-celled, size of a small pea. Root
creeping. (Don's Mil/., iv. p. 429.)
A shrub, a native of Buenos Ayres,
where it grows from 6 ft. to 10 ft. in
height, flowering from June to Sep-
tember. It was introduced in 1727; and a plant in the Chelsea Garden
has stood against the wall for 50 years, and is now 8ft. high.
App. i. Half-hardy ligneous orfruticose Species ofSdldmt-ni.
Soldnum Balbisn Dunal, Sot. Reg., t. 140., is a native of South America, with blue flowers,
which are produced from April to September. It was introduced in ISlii, and, at first, treated as a
green house plant ; but a specimen planted against the wall in the Horticultural Society's Garden,
in 18:3,3, grows vigorously, and flowers freely every year. It belongs to the section Dulcamara, of which
there area number of species or varieties indigenous to-almost every part of the world, which are,
in all probability, half-hardy or hardy. There are several shrubby s-irts, unnamed, from Valparaiso,
which have stood out several years in the Chelsea Botanic Garden ; and a nuiuluT of nan.i* in U.c
enumeration in our Hurtits Kritanmcus seem to indicate that thv plants might be tried in the open
air in favourable situations.
1106
Clf Yl>. I. XXXI V.
»LANACEJB,
1269
1107
rsnstol >ursery are said to be somewhat airier
figured in the Botanical Repository. (Ibid., p. 26!
S. angulatum H. et S., Dun. Sol, 2. 95. t. 1.,
Lima, introduced in 1825. It has large angulated
S. \wtnccum Cav., Hot. Hep., t. 411., is a native of South America, from which country it was in-
troduced into Britain in ]8()o. It forms a splendid shrub, 1011. or 1211. high, and produces egg-shaped
fruit, of a deep crimson colour. The fruit are about the size and shape of magnum bonuin plums,
and liang down in clusters of three or four together. (Gard. Mag., vol. ii. p. 10:1.) A plant of this
spirits in the Cambridge Botanic Garden, in 181o", produced leaves nearly a foot in length, and half a
foot iii breadth ; giving out, when handled, an odour resembling that of the bruised wood of S. Dul-
camara. This >pecics resembles, in its free habit of growth,
Brugm&osta suaveolens; and it is observed by a corresjxMident
of the Gantener*! Magazine, that it is likely to thrive and flower
under the same treatment as that plant. The same writer adds,
" did the plants of S. 6ctaccum, when planted out, produce only
a copious clothing of such leaves, they would, in themselves, be
striking, and impart an additional tropical feature to the British
flower-garden." (Ibid., p. 1.55.) The plants of this species in the
Bristol Nursery are said to be somewhat different from that
i. 269. )
a native of
It has large angulated prickly leaves,
with purple veins and petioles. Preserved through the winter
in a stove, and turned out in the spring, it makes a splendid
appearance in the flower border.
S. marginutu/u \V., Bot. Mag., t. 1928., is a native of Africa,
and forms an evergreen shrub, 4ft. or 5ft. high., striking from
the mealy whiteness of its leaves.
S. Psehdo-Ctiusicum L., Capsicum /fmbmum Pli'nit Gerard,
is a native of Madeira, an old inhabitant of our green-houses.
It grows 4 ft. or 5 ft. high, and produces red, or yellowish fruit,
about the size of cherries. Gerard says, " it is a rare and pleasant
plane, kept in pots and tubs in green-houses during the extremity
of winter, and set abroad in March and April."
S. sodomeum L., the apple of Sodom, is a native of different
parts of Africa, and also of Sicily, and the south of Italy. It is
a shrub, with numerous short and thick branches, armed with
many spines. The leaves are above 4 in. long, and 2 in. broad.
The flowers are blue, and the berries yellow, as large as walnuts.
It abounds, along with Spartium iniestum Presl, on the coast
of Calabria, and at the foot of Mount Etna. (Comp. Bot. Mag.,
1. p. 95.)
S. \igustrinum Lodd. Bot. Cab., t 1963., and pur fig. 1107., is
a native of Chili, introduced by Mr. Gumming in 1831, and
flowering in a sheltered border from May to September. It is a
free-growing shrub, readily propagated by cuttings ; and judging
from the plant in the Chelsea Botanic Garden, from which our
figure was taken, we should think it tolerably hardy,
GENUS II.
LY'CIUM L. THE Box THORN. Lin. Syst. Pentandria Monogynia.
Identification. Lin. Gen., 1262.; Lam. 111., t. 112. ; H. B. et Kunth Nov. Gen. Amer, 3 p 50 •
Lindl. Nat. Syst. Bot., «d edit., p. 295. ; Don's Mill., 4. p. 457.
SynoHipncs. Jasm'moldes Kiss, in Act. Gall., 1711, Mich. Gen., 224. t. 105. ; Matrimony Vine,
Atiiir. ; Lycien, Fr. ; Bocksdorn, Ger. One species, L. barbarum, is commonly called the Duke
of Argyll's tea tree, from the circumstance of a tea plant (Thla viridis) having been sent to the
Duke of Argyll at the same time as this plant, and the labels having been accidentally changed.
Derivation. Derived from Lycia, in Asia Minor ; hence the lukion of Dioscorides ; a name given by
him to a thorny shrub, which was supposed by Dr. Sibthorp to have been the flhamnusinfectbrius,
but which Mr. lloyle, with greater probability, regards as identical with a species of Berbcris,
which he has denominated Berberis Lycium.
Description, Sf-c. Thorny rambling shrubs, in general producing long slender
shoots, and assuming the character of climbers. Natives of Europe, Asia,
Africa, and America. Hedges may be formed of the first nine sorts.
1 1. L. EUROPIUM L. The European Box Thorn.
IJt'iitffication. Lin. Syst., 228. ; Mant, p. 47. ; WilW. Enum., 1. p. 246. ; Sibth. ct Smith Fl. Cirajc. ,
t. 'J-id. ; Don's Mill., 4. p. 458. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 18.36.
L. .valici folium Mill. Diet., No. 3., Mich. Gen., p. 224. t. 105. f. 1., Mill. Icon., t. 171.
f. 2. : Jasminoldes aculeatum Mich.
KuRravings. Mich. Gen., t. 105. f. 1. ; Mill. Icon., 1. 171. f. 2. ; and our fig. 1108.
S])cc. Char., $r. Branches erect, loose. Buds spinescent. Leaves fascicled,
obovate-lanceolate, obtuse, or spathulate, bent obliquely. Flowers twin or
solitary. Corolla funnel-shaped. Stamens exserted, but shorter than the
limb. Calyx 5-cleft, ruptured at the side. Corollas pale violet, reticulated
with red veins ; tube greenish. (Dons Mi//., iv. p. 458.) A rambling
4- o 4
1270
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III,
shrub, with long slender shoots, and prone to throw
up innumerable suckers; a native of the south of
Europe, where it grows to the height of from 10 ft.
to 12ft.; flowering from May till August. It was
introduced in 1730, and is common in British gardens ;
where it >s valuable for covering naked walls, as it
grows with extreme rapidity, and flowers and fruits
freely, in almost any soil or situation. Established
plants, in good soil, will make shoots 10 ft. or 12 ft.
in length in one season ; and the plant, when trained
against a house or high wall, will reach the height of
30 it. or 40ft., as may be seen in some courts in
Paris. Trained to a strong iron rod, to the height
of 20 ft. or 30 ft., and then allowed to spread over an
umbrella head, it would make a splendid bower. Its
shoots would hang down to the ground, and form a
complete screen on every side, ornamented from top
to bottom with ripe fruit, which is large, and bright
scarlet or yellow ; with unripe fruit, which is of a
lurid purple; or with blossoms, which are purple
and white. Some idea of the quantity of ripe and
unripe fruit, and of blossoms, which may be found on
a shoot at one time, may be formed from fig. 1 108.,
which is only a portion of a shoot, the upper part of
which (not exhibited in the figure) contained two or
three dozen of fruit, all ripe at once. If it were re-
quired to open the sides of a bower covered with
this plant, the shoots could be tied together so as
to form columns, at regular distances all round : but
they must be untied in an hour or two afterwards,
to prevent the shoots in the interior of the column
from being heated so as to cause them to drop their
leaves and fruit. Price of plants, in the London nur-
series, from 6d. to 1*. each ; at Bollwyller, 30 cents ;
and at New York. 37^ cents.
Varieties. There is a variety with yellow fruit, and
another with the fruit roundish ; and, in our opinion,
L. barbarum, chinense, ruthenicum, Shawz, and Tre-
vridnum, all which we have seen in Loddiges's arbo-
retum ; and, probably, other sorts which we have not
seen, are nothing more than variations of the same
form.
1 2. L. (E.) BA'RBARUM L. The
Barbary Box Thorn.
Identification. Lin. Sp., 277. ; Willd. Sp., 4.
p. 1059., exclusive of the synonymes of Shaw
and Lam. ; Don's Mill., 4. p. 458. ; Lodd.
Cat, ed. 1836.
Synonymes. L. Aalimifblium Mill. Diet., No.
6. ; L. barbarum « vulgare Ait. Hort. Kew.,
1. p. 257. Schkuhr Handb., 1. p. 147. t. 46.,
Hayne Term. Bot., t. 10. f. 5., Du Ham.
Arb., 1. p. 306. t. 121. f. 4., Mich. Gen., t.
105. f. L; the Duke of Argyll's Tea Tree.
Engravings. Wats. Dend. Brit, t 9. : and
OUT fig. 1109.
Spec. Char.y #e. Branches depend- 1 1Q9
ent. Buds spiny. Leaves lan-
ceolate, flat, glabrous, acute.
Flowers twin, extra-axillary, pe-
dicellate. Corolla funnel-shaped. Stamens exserted,
about equal in length to the limb. Branches angular.
CHAP. LXXXIV.
SOLAN ACEJE.
1271
Buds often without spines. Calyx 2— 3-lobed. Corolla with a purple
limb, and yellowish base. Stigma 2-lobed. Berry ovate, yellow. Stamens
bearded near the base. There is a variety of this, having livid or pale
corollas, and reddish yellow berries. (Don's Mill., iv. p. 458.) A climb-
ing shrub, a native of the north of Asia, Africa, and south of Europe ;
where it flowers from May till August. It was introduced in 1696f; and
what has been said respecting L. europae'um is equally applicable to this
sort, which, we think, may, without any hesitation, be pronounced only
a variety of it.
•* 1 3. L. (E.) CHINE'NSE Mill. The Chinese Box Thorn.
Identification. Mill. Diet., No. 5. ; Bunge in Mem. Acad. Petersb., 2. p. 123. ; Don's Mill., 4. p. 458.
Synonymet. L. barbarum 0 chinense Ait. Hurt. Kew., 1. p. 257. ; L. barbarum Lour. Coch., 1.
L. ovatum N. Du Ham., 1. p. 107.
rh
1110
" p. 165. ? : L. ovatum N. Du Ham., \. p. 107.
Engravings. Lam. 111., 1. 112. f. 2. ; Wats. Dend. Brit., t. 8. ; and our
fig. 1110. from the N. Du Ham., and fig. 1111. from, we think, a spe-
cimen in the Horticultural Society's Garden.
Spec. Char., $c. Branches pendulous, prostrate, stri-
ated. Buds spinescent. Leaves by threes, ovate,
acute, attenuated at the base. Peduncles much
longer than the calyx, which is entire. Stamens
exserted. Said by Bunge
to be nearly allied to L.
ruthenicum; but differs in
the leaves being broad-
ovate. Corollas purple. Ber-
ries orange-coloured. Shoots 81
very long (ex Mill.). We
know not whether the plants
described by Miller and by
Bunge are the same: the
plant here meant is that of
Bunge. (Don's Mill., iv. p.
458.) A climbing shrub, a
native of China, about Pekin
and Canton; and of Cochin-
China; where it flowers from
May till August. It is un-
certain when it was introduced; but there are plants
in the Horticultural Society's Garden, and in the
arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges ; and the chief dif-
ference between it and L. europaevum is, that it is a
smaller, weaker plant.
_I 4. L. (E.) TREVUA^NUM G. Don. Trew's Box Thorn.
Identification. Don's Mill., 4. p. 458. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Synonyme. L. barbarum Lam. Diet., 3. p. 509., ex Pair. Suppl., 3. p. 427., Treva Ehret., t. 68., ex-
clusive of the synonymes'; L. chinense N. Du Ham., 1. p. 116., Pers. Ench., 1. p. 231. No. 9.
Engraving. N. Du Ham., t. 30.
Spec. Char., $c. Branches diffuse, angular. Buds spinose. Leaves petiolate,
lanceolate, acute. Peduncles 1-flowered, solitary, or twin, extra-axillary.
Calyx 2 — 3-cleft. Corolla funnel-shaped. Stamens exserted. This
species differs from L. chinense Mill, in the spines, and from L. barbarum
in the leaves. Branches rufescent. Spines few. Corolla fine purple, with
a white star in the centre. Filaments pilose at the base. Berry ovate.
(Don's Mill., iv. p. 458.) A shrub, a native of China, where it grows 6ft.
high, flowering from May till August. It was introduced in 1818; and,
judging from the plants in the Hackney arboretum, is scarcely, if at all,
different from L. europaevum.
A 5. L. (E.) RUTHE'NICUM Murr. The Russian Box Thorn.
IdfntificatioH. Murr. Comm. Goett, 1779, p. 2. t 2. ; Bicb. Fl. Taur. Cauc., 1. p. 166. ; Don's Mill., 4.
p. 458.; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
1272
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
L. tatAricum Pall. Fl. Ross., 1. p. 78. t. 4<l. ; Lycien de la Russie, /•>.
l-'.ii^nii'ings. Murr. Coinm. Goett., 1779, p. 2. t. 2. ; and our./tij. 1112.
Spec. C/utr.,$c. Branches dependent. Buds spinescent.
Leaves linear-lanceolate, fleshy, obtuse, attenuated
at the base, solitary, or sub-fasciculate. Peduncles
longer than the calyx. Calyx with 5 unequal teeth.
Stamens exserted, equal to the limb. Calyx usually
irregularly 5-toothed, rarely 2— 3-lobed, as in L.
barbarum. Corolla with a white tube and purplish
limb. Leaves grey, like those of L. afrum. (Don's
JW/l/., iv. p. 458.) A climbing shrub, a native of
Siberia, in nitrous places j on the Wolga, and in
Hyrcania ; flowering from June till August. It was
introduced in 1804; and, judging from the plants
in Messrs. Loddiges's collection, is scarcely, if at
all, different from L. europium.
Variety.
1 L. r. 2 caspicum Pall. Fl. Ross., t. 49. f. A.—
Leaves shorter. Buds more spinose. Flow-
ers smaller. Native about the Caspian Sea.
(Don's Mi/I., iv. p. 458.)
1 6. L. (E.) LANCEOLA'TUM Poir. The lanceolate-leaved Box Thorn.
Identification. Poir. Suppl, 3. p. 429. ; Don's Mill., 4. p. 458.
Synonyme. L. europium 0 Dec. Fl. Fr., No. 2699., Pers. Ench., 1. p. 231. No. 8., N. Du Ham
1. p. 123. t. 32., Loud. Hort. Brit., ed. 1829.
Engraving. N. Du Ham., t. 32.
Spec. Char., fyc. Branches dependent, reflexed. Buds spinescent. Leaves lanceolate, nearly sessile,
acute at both ends. Flowers solitary, extra-axillary, pedicellate. Corolla funnel-shaped. Sta'
incus exserted. Calyx unequally 5-tobthed. Corolla purple, with a white bottom. Berry oblong,
red. (Don's Mill., iv. p. 458.) A climbing shrub, a native of the south of Europe, particularly of
Naples, Greece, &c. ; where it flowers from May till August. When it was introduced is uncer-
tain, and we have never seen the plant.
1 7. L. (? E.) TURB;NAXTUM D,i Ham. The turbinsste-fruited Box Thorn.
Identification. N. Du Ham., 1. p. 119. t. 31. ; Pers. Ench., 1. p. 231., exclusive
of the synonyme of Larn., No. 3. ; Don's Mill. ,4. p. 458.
Synonymes. I,, /jalimifolium Mill. Diet., No. 6. ? ; I,, barbarum j3 Dec. Fl.
Fr., No, 2700.
Engraving*. N. Du Ham., t. 31. ; tad oar Jig. 111J.
Spec. Char., &c. Stems erect, fascicled. Branchlets dependent, terete. Buds
spiny. Leaves sessile, lanceolate, acuminated. Flowers aggregate, pe-
dicellate, extra-axillary. Corolla funnel-shaped. Stamens exserted. Calyx
trifid. Berry red, and turbinate. Corolla violaceous, with a white bottom.
(Don's Mill., iv. p. 458.) It is a climbing shrub, a native of China, where
it flowers from May till August. It was introduced in 1709 ; but we have o A
not seen the plant. 1'hough we consider many of the sorts of this gcnu.-.
which are described as species, as only different varieties, it does not follow
from that circumstance that each sort may not be tolerably distinct.
Wherever plants are raised in great numbers" from seed, it is easy to pick
out from among the seedlings many different varieties, which, if propa-
gated by extension, will remain distinct till the end of time. We must
confess, however, that we know of very few genera of ligneous plants,
indeed, where so many of the different alleged species so very closely
resemble each other, as in 7,£citim. We have no doubt that by taking
a dozen plants of any one of the kinds, from numbers 1 to 9 inclusive, and
placing them in a dozen different climates, soils, and situations, we should
have a dozen sorts, as well entitled to be considered as species, as most
of those which arc here described as such.
1 8. L. (?E.) TETRA'MHUM Thunb. The tetrandrous^owcm/ Box Thorn.
Identification. Thunb. Prod., p. 37- ; Lin. Suppl., 150. ; Thunb. in Lin. Trans., 9. p. 154. t. 15. ; Don's
Mill., 4. p.4fit).
Engraving. Lin. Trans., 9. t. 15.
Spec. Char., &c. Spiny, erect. Branches angular, straight. Leaves fascicled, ovate, obtuse. Flowers
nearly sessile. Corollas quadririd, tetrandrous. Stem twisted, glabrous, angular, grey, stiff.
Branches horizontal, spiny. Leaves a line long. Flowers solitary, rising from the fascicles of
leaves on short pedicels. Very like Z/.&frum, but is distinguished from that species in the leaves
being more fleshy, and in the flowers bring tetramevous and tetrandrous. It is also, perhaps, the
L. capense of Mill. Diet., No. 7., of which the following description is given : — " Leaves oblong.
ovate, thickish, crowded. Spines strong, leafy. Leaves scattered, solitary, or fascicled, thick,
pale green, permanent. ** (Don's Mill., iv. p. 4(10. 1 A shrub, a native of the Cape of (iood Hope,
about Cape Town ; where it grows to the height of fi ft. or 7 ft., flowering in June and July. It
was introduced iri 1810; but we have not seen the plant.
CHAP. LXXX1V. S-OLANA^CE^E. GRABO'WSKI^.
1273
1 9. L. (?E.) SHA'W/ Roem. Shaw's Box Thorn.
Identification. Roem. et Schultes Syst, 4. p. 693. ; Don's Mill., 4. p. 458.
Synonymc. L. europa»um Mill. Diet., No. 4., Shaw Afr., p. 349. f. 349.
Spec. Char., $c. Branches dependent, rather tomentose at the apex. Buds spinescent. Leaves
ovate-lanceolate, thickish. Branches scattered. Prickles strong. Leaves short, thick, scattered.
Flowers lateral, small, white. (Don's Mill., iv. p. 458.) A shrub, a native of Barbary, where it
grows 7 ft. or 8 ft. high ; flowering in June and July. It was introduced in 1700.
a 10. L. A'FRUM L. The African Box Thorn.
1114
1115
Identification. Lin. Sp., 277. ; Don's Mill., 4. p. 459.
Engravings. Mill. Icon., t. 171. f. 1. ; Swt. Fl. Gard., 2d ser. t 324. ; Bot Reg., t 354. ; Lam. 111.,
I 112. f. 1. ; N. Du Ham., 1. p. 107—110. ; Trew Ehret, 4. t. 24. f. 2. ; Plenck Icon., t. 127. ; Mich.
Gen., p. 224. t. 105. f. 2. ; Nis. Act. Par., 1711., p. 420. t 12. ; and our figs. 1114. and 1115.
Spec. Char., fyc. Erect, spiny. Leaves fascicled, linear, canescent, attenuated
at the base, obtuse, fleshy. Flowers almost axillary, solitary, drooping.
Corola tubular, 3 times longer than the calyx. Stamens enclosed. Bark
grey-coloured ; the smaller branches frequently spiny. Leaves
glaucous. Filaments bearded near the base, as in all the true
species. Stigma slightly 2-lobed. Corolla violaceous rich
purple above. Berry globose, violaceous. Calyx
5-toothed. (Don's Mill., iv. p. 459.) It is a shrub,
a native of some parts of Spain, the north of Africa,
Palestine, Syria, Egypt, and Arabia Felix; where
it grows to the height of from 6 ft. to 10 ft., flower-
ing in May and June. It was introduced in 1712,
and is very commonly kept in the green-house ; but
a plant in the Chelsea Botanic Garden has stood
out against a wall since 1825, where it has attained
the height of 12 ft., and flowers profusely every year.
It is readily distinguished from all the other sorts by its
dark blue or black fruit. Belon, in speaking of the plain of
Jericho, and of the banks of the river Jordan, says, the bushes which bear the
lycion grow in this plain ; and we find in the Bible (Genesis, chap. 1. v. 10,
11.), that the Children of Israel, in their journey from the land of Goshen
to Canaan, came to the threshing-floor of Atadad; that is, in Hebrew,
lycium ; the plant being cultivated there for its berries, which were used in
medicine as a purgative, known to the ancients by the name of lucion, and
the mode of preparing which is indicated by Dioscorides. It is, however,
doubtful, whether the berries of .ffhamnus saxatilis, which are known to be
cathartic, are not confounded with those of the Z/ycium in this passage.
Z-ycium afrum is one of the most ornamental species of the genus ; and,
though rather tender, it well deserves a place in every collection, against a
wall. Plants, in the London nurseries, 2*. 6d. each.
L. ovdtum Hort. There are plants bearing this name in the Horticultural
Society's Garden, and at Messrs. Loddiges's.
L. spathuldtum Hort. There is a plant bearing this name in the Horticultural
Society's Garden against the wall.
GENUS III.
GRABO'WSKU Schlecht. THE GRABOWSKIA. Lin. Syst. Pentandria
Monogynia.
Identification. Schlecht. in Linnaea, 7. p. 72. ; Lindl. in Bot. Reg.
Synonymes. Lyc'mm sp. Lin. ; Ehretia sp. VHlrit. ; Crabowskia Don's Mill., 4. p. 480.
Derivation. In honour of Dr. H. Grabowski, one of the editors of Flora Silesiaca.
Description, $c. A shrub, with the habit of the genuine species of Zycium,
much branched, furnished with axillary spines. Leaves scattered, quite
entire. Flowers from fascicles of leaves, or the revolute branchlets ; or sub-
corymbose from the tops of the branchlets : hence, they appear as if they
were panicled at the tops of the branches. (Don's Mill., iv. p. 480.)
*4o 6
1274
ARBORETUM AND FKUT1CETUM.
TART 111.
1116
1 1. G. BOERHAAV/^FO^I,/^ Sclileclit. The Boerhaavia-leaved Grabowskia.
Identification. Schlccht. in Linnara, 7. p. 72. ; Lindl. in Bot. Reg.
Synoni/mcs. Ly^cium boerhaavid/o/m/n Lin. Suppl., p. 150., N. Du Ham., 1. p. 128., Lam. Diet., 3.
p. 510. ; EhrLt/a Aalimifolia L'Herit. Stirp., 1. p. 45. t. 83. ; Lycium heterophy'llum Murr. Comm.
Giitt., 178;>, p. 6. t. '21. ; Jasminoldes spinosum Du Ham. Arb.t 1. p. 306. No. 5. : Crabowskia boer-
\rdSivi<?folium Don's Mill., 4. p. 480. ; Lycium panicule, Fr.
Engravings. L'Herit. Stirp., 1. 1 83.; Bot. Reg.,.t 1985.; and our fig. 1116.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves coriaceous, glaucescent, with a saltish, bitterish
taste. Corolla white, having the throat veined with green. Stamens white.
Stigma green. Nuts the form of those of Coffca
arabica, convex on one side, marked by a slender
furrow in the middle, obtuse at top, and perforated
by two roundish holes at the base : hence it is tri-
dentate, the first tooth from the middle of the back,
the other two from the sides : sometimes, but only
by abortion, 1-celled. Albumen copious, fleshy.
(Don's Mill., iv. p. 480.) A shrub, a native of the
south of Brazil, in woods, where it has been col-
lected by Sello ; but which was introduced from
Peru by Joseph Jussieu into France, whence it was
sent to this country in 1780. It grows to the height
of 6 ft., and flowers in April and May. There are
fine specimens of it in the Horticultural Society's
Garden, against a wall ; and in the Epsom Nursery, as a bush in the open
garden ; from which it appears to be as hardy as Z/ycium europa^um. The
whole plant has a mealy white appearance ; by which, and by the singular
form of its leaves, it may be known at first sight from any species of Z/ycium.
Though it has been introduced into British gardens so many years since,
and was known in France in the time of Du Hamel, it is rarely met with
in collections ; and, though so easily propagated by suckers, it is not to be
found for sale in the nurseries.
App. I. Half-hardy ligneous Plants belonging to the Order
Solandcete.
Nicot\&na. glaiica Grab., Bot Mag., t.
287. ;andour/?fir. 1118. ; is a splendid suftru-
ticose plant, which will grow to 10 ft. or
12ft., or probably to 20ft or upwards,
against a wall, making a fine appearance
in the summer season, with its large glau-
cous leaves, and yellowish green flowers.
A plant in the Horticultural Society's
Garden has stood out since 1832 ; arid,
though its stems are occasionally cut down
by the frost, yet the stool always pushes
out vigorously in the spring. A plant of
this species in the Chelsea Botanic Garden
attained the height of 14ft, in 1835, in
the open border.
1117
iks
. . . . . .,
fig. 1117.; has an arboreous stem, which rises to the height of from 10ft. to 20ft.
.; an
The fl
are produced from the forks of the branches. Corolla funnel-shaped, 7 in. long, green towards
the base1, orango yellow farther along its length. The limb 5-Iobed, of a duop orange scarlet ;
this colour, lessened in intensity, seems to extend down the tube, until it blends with the orange
CHAP, i.xxxiv.
1275
1120
yellow, which, in its turn, blends with
the green below it. This species was
raised in 1833, from imported seeds, at
Hayes' Place, Kent, the seat of Miss
Trail. " One of the plants survived the
winter in the open border ; and this has
happened to be the first to flower, which
it did in October, 1831. The rest of the
plants began to blossom soon after, and
all apparently varying in the degree of
intensity of colour. In a sheltered bor-
der, with a southern aspect, we have no
doubt of its flowering quite as well as if
retained in the conservatory." (Brit. Fl.
Gard.) This very beautiful plant well
deserves trial against a wall, more espe-
cially in the south of England, where it
is almost certain to succeed.
B. suavtolens Willd. Enum., Datiira
arborea Hort., is a well known ornament
of the green-house; and, being decidu-
ous, may be taken up in the autumn,
when the wood is ripe, and the leaves
have dropped, preserved in a cellar or pit
through the winter, and turned out again
in spring. Fig. 1120. will give an idea of
the beauty of this plant ; respecting which
a great variety of information will be
found in the Gardener's Magazine, particularly in vol. xii., at p. 589. An instance is there given of
a plant being turned out into the open border on the 1st of June, with its ball entire ; and, after it
had grown a month, and the roots had been cut all round, close to the old ball, it was surrounded
with a quantity of rotten manure, in consequence of which it grew so ^ ^ ^
vigorously, that, from the middle of May to the end of September, it
expanded 1050 flowers, each of which measured 50 square inches. In Ger-
many it may frequently be seen splendidly in flower in the open border,
the plants being taken up and preserved in dry cellars during winter.
Soldndra. grandiflbra L. is a rambling
Jamaica shrub, with large pale yellow
flowers, which, being deciduous, might
be tried with the same kind of treat-
ment as that recommended for Brug-
m&nsiVz suavdolens. (See Gard. Mag.,
I vol. ii. p. 48., and vol. ix. p. 107.)
Ct 'strum nocturnum L., Dill. Elth.,
p. 153. t 185., and our fig. 1119., is a
shrub, a native of the East Indies,
where it grows to the height of 6 ft or;
7ft., and produces its white flowers in
October and November. Though ge-
nerally kept in the stove, it has been,
found to stand the winter in the Hor-
ticultural Society's Garden, with no other
protection than that of a wall.
C. Parqui L., Bot. Mag., t. 1770., and
our fig. 1122., is a native of Chili, with
Calc yellow flowers, which are produced
i June and July. It stands out in the
Chelsea Botani'c Garden, and flowers
freely every year. The circumstance
of two species of a genus composed
almost entirely of plants from hot cli-
mates succeeding so well in the open air, is an encouragement to try all
stove plants whatever in that way; since many of them, hitherto kept in
stoves, are, doubtless, as hardv as Cestrum. _
Vest\a. \ycioidcs Willd. ; Cantua /igustrifblia Jim., Bot. Reg., t. 299. ; and our fig. 1121. j is a Chili
* 4 o 7
J276
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
shrub, introduced in 1815, growing to the height of 3 ft., and producing its yellow flowers in abun-
dance in June and Jul y. It is almost hardy, having stood in the Kew Garden, against a wall, 6 years,
without any protection whatever ; and in various other gardens about London, where the soil is dry,
as a border shrub.
CHAP. LXXXV.
OF THE HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER
SCROPHULARIANCEjE.
THIS order, which is nearly allied to *Sblanaceae, consists chiefly of herba-
ceous plants, the only hardy ligneous genus being Buddlea.
GENUS I.
1124
BU'DDLEJ L. THE BUDDLEA. Lin. Syst. Tetrandria Monogynia.
identification. Lin. Gen., No. 140.; Reich., 146.; Schreb., 184.; Houst Phil. Trans, et Reliq
Houst., t. 3. ; Ga?rtn., t. 49. ; Jus., 118. ; Lindl. Nat. Syst. Bot., p. 292. ; Don's Mill., 4. p. 596.
Derivation. Named by Dr. Houston, in honour of Adam Buddie, a botanical amateur, who is often
mentioned in Ray's Synopsis, and whose dried collection of British plants is preserved in the
British Museum.
Gen. Char., $c. Calyx 4-cleft, equal. Corolla tubular ; limb 4-cleft, regular.
Stamens 4, equal, enclosed. Stigma capitate or clavate. Capsule 2-celled,
2-valved ; valves bifid. Placenta central, at length free. — Shrubs, with oppo-
site branches, the young shoots quadrangular. Natives of South America,
Asia, and Africa ; but of which only one species, a native of China, is
decidedly hardy in the neighbourhood of London.
st 1. B. GLOBOXSA L. The globe-flowered Buddlea.
Identification. Ait. Hort. Kew., 1. p. 150. ; Hope
in Act. Harlem., vol. 20. pt. 2. p. 417. t. 11. ;
Curt. Bot, Mag., t. 174. ; Don's Mill, 4. p. 597.
Synom/mes. B6ddle« globiflora N. Du Ham., 1.
p. 85. t. 25. ; B. capitata Jacq. Col., 2. p. 332.,
Icon. Rar., t. 3U7. ; PAlquin Feuillee It., 3. p. 51.
t. 38. ; Buddleia globuleux, Fr. ; Kopftragende
Budleje, Ger.
Engravings. Act. Harlem., vol. 20. pt. 2. p. 417.
t 11. ; Curt. Bot. Mag., L 174. j N. Du Ham.,
1. p. 85. ; Feuillee It, 3. t. 38.; and our Jigs.
1123. and 1124.
Spec. Char., $c. Branches tetragonal,
clothed with hoary tomentum, as
well as the under
sides of the leaves.
Leaves lanceolate,
acuminated, cre-
nated, petiolate.
Heads of flowers
globose, peduncu-
late. A shrub, a
native of Chili,
growing to the height of 12 ft. or
15 ft. in the climate of London, and
producing its bright yellow globe-
like heads of flowers, which are fra-
grant, from May to July. It was
introduced in 1774, and is frequent
in collections. North of London, it
1 1 ->:i
CHAP. LXXXV.
SCROPHULARIA'CE^E.
1277
requires a dry sheltered situation, or to be planted against a wall. It will
grow in any common soil, and is readily propagated by cuttings put in in
autumn, and protected from the frost by a hand-glass. Price of plants, in
the London nurseries, l.v. G(L each. A plant at Purser's Cross is 12ft.
high and 15ft. in diameter ; and it has frequently ripened seeds, from which
young plants have been raised.
App. i. Half-hardy Species of Bud d lea.
Bfiddlca. t.alvtfolia Lam. ; Lantana .talvifblia Lin., Jac. Sc., 1. t. 28. ; is a native of the Cape of
Good Hope, bearing some resemblance to the common species, but smaller in all its parts. It has
been known to stand out for two or three years together against a wall, without any protection.
K. paniculata Wall, is a native of Nepal, introduced in 182.3, but not common in collections.
II. saligiia Willd., Jacq. Sc., 1. t. 29., is a native of the (.'ape of Good Hope, with white flowers,
which are produced in August and September.
B. criyia Royle Illust, p. 291., is said to be a highly ornamental shrub, found at moderate elevations
in the Himalayas.
App. I. Half ~hardy ligneous Plants of the Order Scrophularidcea.
Halfi-ria li'cida L , Dot. Mag., 1. 1744., and our fig. 1125., is a shrub, a native of the Cape of Good
Hope, with shining leaves, and scarlet flowers, which are produced from June to August. A plant lias
stood out in front of the stove at Kew since 1826.
1125
Maurdndya. scmpcrfidrcns Jacq., Hot. Mag., t. 460. ; and M. Rtrclay&na Bot. Res., t. 1108. ; are
Mexican climbers, well known for the beauty of their flowers ; and which, in warm situations, grow
and flower freely against a wall in the open air, and may be protected during winter; or seeds, which
they produce in abundance, may be sown early in the season in a hot-bed, and
the plants brought forward in pots, and in clue time turned out.
Bfcmtffttt glvtinbtus Willd., Hot. Mag., t. a>4., is an evergreen shrub, a native
of California, with rich orange-coloured flowers, which would, in all probability,
thrive against a conservative wall with very little protection.
Anthoccrcia viscbsa R. Br., Bot. Reg., 1. 1624., is a native of New Holland, in-
troduced in 1822. It is a handsome evergreen shrub, with
dark green leaves.and rather numerous, large, white flowers,
which are produced in May and June. It is easily propa-
gated by cuttings, on which account it well deserves a place
in a warm sheltered borderj during the summer season, or
against a conservative wall.
Calceolaria fyUegrffiUia L., Bot. Reg., t. 744. ; C. ruebsa
Fl. Per., Hook. Ex. Fl., 2.9. ; and C. scss'lis Hort., see our figs.
1127,1128.; and many other suffruticose hybrids; stand
through the winter, as border shrubs, in many of the warmer
parts of Devonshire and Cornwall ; and with due care, in the
neighbourhood of London, they may be kept alive on aeon-
servative wall.
i i 97
1128
Veronica decuss&ta Ait., Bot. Mag., t. 242., and our figs. 1129, 1130., is an ever-
green shrub, a native of the Falkland Islands, which grows to the height of 1 ft
or 2 ft, and produces its white or bluish white flowers from June to August. It is very easily protected,
either at the foot of a wall or on rockwork,'and stands out without any protection in the Isl
land, where it grows to the height of 4 ft. or ."> ft. /
,
Port-
127?
1129
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM,
Celsia laniita Jac., Bot. Reg., t. 438., and our fig.
11 ai., is a suffruticose plant of uncertain origin, but
with showy yellow flowers, which it produces from
July to September. It is commonly kept in a frame,
but would thrive well on conservative rockwork, in a
favourable situation.
Capraria lanceolata L. ; Frcelfnia salicifdlia Bot.
Mug., t. 155R. ; is a native of the Cape of Good Hope,
introduced in 1774. A plant has stood against the wall
in the Chelsea Botanic Garden for several years;
and, though it is generally klled down to the ground
in winter, it has always hitherto sprung up again in
spring, and made a much finer appearance than it
could possibly have done in a pot.
The genera Aionsda, R. ct P., Angelbnia H. B. et
Kunth, I jOplwsptrmum Don, Rhodochlton Zucc., Nyc-
tcrinia D. Don" all contain species which might be tried
wall in the south of England.
PART III.
igainst a conservative wall'in the south of England.
If, after perusing what is stated in this work respecting the half-hardy ligneous
plants of any order or tribe, the reader will turn to the same natural order or tribe
in our Hort. Brit., he will generally find a number of other species, green-house or stove plants, and
tuffruticose or completely ligneous, from which he may increase his selection fortrial in the open air.
CHAP. LXXXVI.
OF THE HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER LABIA'CEJE.
ALMOST the whole of the plants of this order, which are technically ligneous
or suffniticose, may be more properly treated, in gardens, as herbaceous plants
than as shrubs; nevertheless, as
this work would be incomplete
without noticing them, we shall
name some of the principal species,
and refer for the remainder to
our Hortus Britannicus. The best
situation for a collection of lig-
neous Labiaceae, is on dry rock-
1131 "^^s^ \^y * work.
Saturcja montana L., Fl. Graec. t. 543., and ourfg. 1131., is a well-known
culinary herb, a native of the south of Europe, which, on dry calcareous soil,
will form a neat little evergreen bush,
from 1ft. to 2ft. in height. S.
capitate Willd., a native of the Le-
vant, is equally hardy, and, indeed,
appears to be only a variety of the
former. There are, also, some species
or varieties from Sicily, Candia, and
the Ionian Islands, which are con-
sidered as frame plants, and may
be tried on conservative rockwork.
Thymus vulgdris L., and our
Jig. 1132., forms a neat little ever-
green shrub, when kept in dry cal-
careous soil, or on rockwork : and
T. grandiflorus Hort. ; T. Masti-
china L., Black., t. 134.; is a native
of Spain, with hoary, hairy calyxes.
In an arboretum where every single
species or variety is to be exhibited
by itself, such a beautiful and fragrant genus as Thy m us
may have a small cone or hemisphere of rockwork devoted to each species
or variety. There are some half-hardy species, which might also be tried.
They are not only beautiful when in flower, but are highly fragrant, and
attractive to bees.
Hyssopus officinalis L., and our Jig. 1 1 33., forms an undershrub of 2ft. in
CHAP, LXXXVI.
LABIA CEJE.
1279
1134
1136
1138
height, and is very ornamental when
in flower, It should be treated
like Thjmus.
Teucrixaa pngtutifoKvm Schreb. is
an evergreen undershrob, a native
of Spain, which will grow to the
height of 8 ft. or upwards, and is or-
namental when covered with its blue
flowers. T. fritticans (Jigs. 1135,
1136.) is a well-known half-hardy ^\J 113.5
species, which will sometimes stand the open air in the
neighbourhood of London, for several years in succession,
on dry rockwork. T. Mdrum L. (fig.U 34.),
T. Jlavwnt T. Po/ittM, and various others
enumerated in the Jlorlus Britannicus,
being all natives of the south of Europe,
or the north of Africa, are half-hardy;
or, in the south of England, in warm
situations, in dry soil, quite hardy. T.
corymbosum R. Br. is a native of Van
Diemen's Land, which has small leaves
and white flowers. It has been raised in
the Cambridge Botanic Garden, where it
has attained the height of 3 ft.
Phlomixfruticosa L., N. Du Ham, 6. t.40., Bot.Mag., t. 1843.,
and our jfg. 1137.; Jerusalem sage; is a native of Spain,
with yellow flowers, appearing in June and July.
This is a greyish evergreen shrub, growing 4 ft.
or 5 ft. high, and, in
dry soils, enduring 10
or 12 years. The
flowers are produced
in large whorls, and
have a very conspi-
cuous appearance.
The plant well merits
a place in collections,
on account of the
remarkable appear-
ance of its foliage, in-
dependently altoge-
ther of its flowers.
Other ligneous, ever-
green, hardy species, with yellow flowers, will
be found mentioned in our Hortus Britannicits.
P. purpiirca Smith Spic., C. t. 3., vndourjig. 1138., differs from the pre-
ceding sort, in having its flowers of a pale purple colour. Both sorts have a
peculiar soapy smell.
Ttosmarimis officina/is L., Fl.Graec., 1 . 1. 14., and our Jig. 1 139., is a well-known
evergreen shrub, a native of the south of Europe, which has been an in-
habitant of our gardens since 1548. There are plants of it in different gardens
in the neighbourhood of London, which, as bushes in the open border, in 5
or 6 years have attained the height of as many feet, and breadth in proportion ;
thus forming very handsome evergreen bushes. We may refer in proof of
this to the Twickenham Botanic Garden, and to the gardens of many small
suburban villas. In a wild state, the rosemary grows 4ft. or 5ft. high; but
there is a variety with broad leaves, which, when trained against a wall, will
grow to the height of 10ft. or 12ft. As the plant flowers from January to
April, it forms, when so treated, a very desirable garden ornament. There
4r
J137
1280
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
are, also, a variety with the leaves variegated with gold colour,
and ;i silvery-leaved variety; but these are often rather
weaker, and more dwarf, than the species.
The wild rosemary is a native of the south of France,
Spain, Italy, the Levant, Barbary, &c., on rocks and rocky
hills; and, "in some places, it is so abundant, that in spring,
when it is in flower, the air is pertained with its odour to
a considerable distance. On this account, and also from the
powerful attraction which it forms to bees, at a season when
there are few other plants in flower, it has long been partially
cultivated by the inhabitants of those countries of which
it is a native. In Narbonne and Mahon, the rosemary is
so abundant, partly from being indigenous, but principally
from its being frequently used there to form hedges to gar-
dens, that it communicates its flavour to the honey, which
is considered the finest in France. The rosemary is men-
tioned, in many of the old Continental songs of the trouba-
dours, as emblematic of that constancy and devotion to the
fair sex, which was one of the characteristics of the days of
chivalry. Garlands and chaplets were formed of myrtle,
laurel, and rosemary, and put on the heads of the principal
persons >in fetes. It was formerly held in high esteem as a jsjflrtj
comforter of the brain, and a strengthener to the memory ; f.S3^>'f_ #
and, on the latter account, is considered as the emblem of -
fidelity in lovers. Formerly, it was worn at weddings, and also at funerals ;
and it is still grown for that purpose in many parts of the Continent. Many
allusions have been made to both customs by poets, and also to its being
the symbol of remembrance. Shakspeare makes Ophelia say, "There's
rosemary for you: that's for remembrance;" and in the notes to Stevens's
edition of Shakspeare are many references to passages referring to this
plant in the works of the old poets. It is said to be found wild in the Great
Desert; and Moore, in allusion to this, and its use for funerals, says, —
i " The humble rosemary,
Whose sweets so thanklessly are shed
To scent the desert and the dead."
The points of the shoots area most powerful bitter, and they are aromatic;
they, also, when distilled with water, yield a thin, light, pale, essential oil, at
the rate of 8 oz. of oil to 100 Ib. of the herb in a green state. The oil of the
flowers (which ought always to be gathered with their calyxes) is somewhat
more volatile than that of the leaves, and is readily extracted with spirits of
wine. This oil contains a considerable quantity of camphor. The oil of
rosemary was in great use among the Greeks and Romans, and still forms an
article of the materia medica. Hungary water (so called from being first used
by the Queen of Hungary) is made with rosemary, and is considered excellent
for keeping the hair in curl. If constantly used, however, the hair will lose
its colour, and become wiry. The smell of the plant is fragrant and aromatic ;
and the taste pungent and bitter. Its properties are effectually extracted by
rectified spirit, and partly, also, by water. In France, besides its use by the
apothecaries and perfumers, a conserve, a honey, and a liqueur, are made from
it by the confectioners. Though the rosemary is indigenous to the south
of France, it will scarcely live through the winter, in the open air, in the
neighbourhood of Paris ; and the varieties, except the broad leaved one, are
kept there in the conservatory. In some parts of Germany, especially in the
Catholic countries (at Nuremburg, for example), rosemary is cultivated in
quantities, in pots, by the commercial gardeners, for the purpose of selling sprigs
of it when they come into flower, in winter and early in spring, for religious
purposes. (See Enyc. of Gard., edit. 1835, § 545.) Like almost all the plants
of this chapter, it is easily propagated by cuttings, and it also ripens seeds in
abundance in fine seasons. It is said always to thrive best near the sea ;
CHAP. LXXXVI.
1281
1140
as i>, indicated by the name, which is compounded of two Latin words, mv,
warinHs, signifying sea-dew.
S/r/Y//f/.¥ ' frHficutuxa Bieb. is a low evergreen shrub, from Caucasus, which
seldom grows above 1 ft. in height; but which maybe planted where it is
desired to include as many species as possible in the arboretum. 8. stcna-
phj/Ila Spr., from Spain, and S. palcxfina L., from Syria, grow about the same
height. Stac/n/s lavandukefotia is a native of the Levant, and produces its pur-
ple flowers in May and August.
Larumlata Spica L., N. ^Du Ham., 3. t. 42., and
our Jig. 1140., the common lavender, is a well-known
fragrant shrub, which, like the rosemary, has been
long an inhabitant of British gardens. In deep, dry,
calcareous soils, it will grow to the height of 3ft , and
form a compact hemispherical bush, flowering abun-
dantly every year. The flowers are generally purple,
but there is a variety with white flowers ; and L. lali-
fo/ia Ehrh., which is not uncommon in gardens, and
which has lilac flowers, though treated by some as a
species, is probably nothing more than another variety.
The common lavender is a native of the south of
Europe, the north of Africa, and the west of Asia, in
warm, rocky, and barren places. It is particularly
abundant in Provence ; where, as the rosemary, the
thyme, and the heath do in other districts, it gives a
peculiar flavour to the honey, which is known as the miel de Provence,
and which, after that of Narbonne, a kind that, as already mentioned, takes
the flavour of rosemary, is considered the best in France. The lavender
was held in high estimation by the Greeks and Romans, for its fragrance
and aromatic properties; and it has been esteemed, on the same account,
in Britain, and cultivated in gardens for its medicinal virtues from time
immemorial. Medicinally, in the form of tincture, spirit, or essential oil,
it is considered a powerful stimulant to the nervous system, and is, conse-
quently, generally had recourse to in headachs and hysterical affections.
The odour resides entirely in the essential oil, which is contained in every
part of the plant, but principally in its spikes of flowers and flower-stalks,
from which the oil is obtained by distillation. This oil, rectified, and again
distilled, and mixed with spirits of wine, forms the well-known lavender
water of the perfumers. The flowers, on account of their powerful aromatic
odour, are frequently put into wardrobes among clothes, as an antidote to moths,
particularly in the case of woollen stuffs. A few drops of the oil will serve
the same purpose. So powerful are the effects of this oil, that, if a single drop
of it be put in a box along with a living insect, the latter almost instantly dies.
The lavender is cultivated in various parts of France ; and it is so much
hardier than the rosemary, that it is grown in quantities for perfumers, even
in the neighbourhood of Paris. The driest soil, in the warmest situation,
produces most oil ; and, as the odour of this plant and the rosemary, as,
indeed, of all the Labiaceae, depends on the disengagement of their oil, of
course it is most felt in hot days and during sunshine. The lavender has been
long cultivated in the neighbourhood of London, and in other parts of
England. Park Place, near Henley on Thames, is celebrated for its lavender
plantations, which occupy between 40 and 50 acres. " The plants are raised
from cuttings, which are slipped off and prepared by women in the autumn, and
bedded in, in rows, in any spare piece of garden ground, where they remain
for two years. The ground into which they are to be transplanted, being
prepared by shallow trenchings or double ploughing, the plants are placed in
rows 4 ft. apart, and at 2 ft. distance in the rows. For three or four years, a
row of turnips or potatoes is grown between the rows of lavender ; after which
period, or about, the time that the lavender plants in the rows touch each
other, half of them are removed, leaving the field covered with plants 4ft.
I i' •>
1282
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III,
1141
apart every way. All the culture which is required afterwards is, keeping the
soil free from weeds. In a few years the plants will have grown sufficiently to
touch each other ; and in this state they will remain from fifteen to twenty
years, according to the nature of the soil : they are then taken up, and the
ground cropped for two or three years with turnips and other field crops ;
after which the lavender plantation is renewed. The flowers are obliged to
be either sold to a regularly licensed distiller, or
distilled on the premises, on account of the excise
laws. The oil from the plantation here is said to
be of the best quality ; doubtless from the cal-
careous nature of the soil." (Gard. Mag., ix.
p. 661.) Miss Kent, in her Flora Domestica,
mentions that the stalks of lavender, when
stripped of their flowers, form an agreeable sub-
stitute for pastiles. and burn very well in the
little vessels made for burning pastiles in. (p. 219.)
The poets have not quite neglected the lavender.
Shenstone, in his Schoolmistress, says, —
" And lavender, whose spikes of azure bloom
Shall be erewnile in arid bundles bound,
To lurk amidst her labours of the loom,
And crown her kerchiefs clean with mickle rare perfume."
«. A.'cynos graveolens Link, and A. rotundifoliu
Pers., the former a native of the Crimea, and the
latter of Spain, are small thyme-like shrubs, seldom exceeding 1 ft. in height*
which might be placed on rock work.
Gardoquta Hookcn Benth., Swt. Brit. Fl. Gard., 2. s. t. 271., is a small
upright-branched shrub, with obovate pointed leaves; a native of South
Carolina, where it was discovered by Mr.
Alexander Gordon, a collector sent out
by Mr. Charlwood, and was introduced in
1831. It is a delicate, but showy, little
shrub, with brilliant scarlet flowers, and in
all probability is half-hardy.
Westringia vosmariniformis Sm., Bot. Rep.,
t. 214-., is a native of New South Wales;
introduced in 1791, and producing its pale
blue flowers from May till August. It is a
very eligible shrub for a conservative wall,
from the rosemary-like character of its ever-
green foliage. In the conservatory of the
Cambridge Botanic Garden, it is 9 ft. high
in a pot, and will doubtless grow much higher
when trained against a wall.
«. Salvia qfficindlis L., N.Du Ham., 6. t. 25.,
and our^g.l 141., is a well-known suffruticose
plant, which, though seldom seen above 2 ft.
in height, yet, in deep sandy soil, will grow to
the height of 5 ft. or 6 ft., and produce a
stem as thick as a man's leg. We have seen
plants of this size in Donald's Nursery, at
Goldsworth, in Surrey; and we have seen
hedges of sage on chalky soils, between 3 ft.
and 4ft. high. It is a native of the south of Europe, and has been known
in British gardens from time immemorial, and when grown in masses, and
abounding in racemes of flowers, it is very ornamental. The virtues of sage
have been celebrated from time immemorial. The Latin name of the plant,Salvia,
is derived from salvere, to heal; and one of the Latin poets asks, "Why should
a man die who has sage in his garden ?" According to Gerard, " No man needs
1142
CHAP. LXXXVI.
1283
1144
to doubt of thewholesomeness of sage ale, being brewed as
it should be with sage, scabious, betony, spiknard, squinanth,
and fennel seeds." (Herbal, p. 766.)
There are several varieties ; one of which has the leaves
variegated ; another has the whole plant of a reddish hue ; and
one (Jig. 1142.), common in the neighbourhood of Paris, and
of which there are plants in the Horticultural Society's Gar- U43
den, has leaves larger than those of the species.
j* S. Hablitziiina Wiltd., Sot. Mag.y t. 1429., and our
Jig. 1143., is a native of Siberia, and appears tolerably dis-
tinct.
«. S. pomifera L. ; S. cretica frutescens pomifera Toitrn.,
Fl. Grcec., 1. t. 15.; and our^g. 1144.; is a native of Candia; introduced in
1699. This sort of sage is described as growing 4ft. or 5 ft. high, and
having pale blue flowers, like S. officinalis. The
branches are liable to be punctured by insects ; in
consequence of which protuberances are produced
as big as apples, in the same manner as galls are
produced upon the oak, and mossy excrescences
upon the rose tree. Tournefort says the spikes of
flowers of this kind of sage are 1 ft. in length, and
that the odour of the plant partakes of the common
sage and lavender. In the Isle of Crete, the com-
mon sage is said to produce the same excrescences
as those of S. pomifera ; and the inhabitants carry
them to market thqre under the name of sage apples.
This circumstance, and some
others, induce us to doubt
whether pomifera, and several
other of the alleged species,
natives of the south of Europe,
the Levant, and the north of
Africa, enumerated in our
Hortus Britannicus, are any
thing more than varieties of S.
officinalis. There are various
half-hardy species, some of which will be noticed in
. the Appendix to this chapter.
Aiidibertiaincdna Benth., Bot. Reg., t. 1469., and our
fig. 1146., is a curious little evergreen shrub, sent from
Colombia, in 1827, by Douglas. It grows to the
height of 1 ft. or 2 ft., and produces its pale blue
flowers from July to September. There are plants in the Horticultural
Society's Garden.
A pp. I. Half-hardy ligneous or siiffruticose Species of Labiacece.
1146
Lavdndula Stce^cfias L,., Bar. Ic., 301., N. Du Ham., 3. t.
43., and our jig. 1149., is an elegant little evergreen shrub,
with conspicuous lilac-coloured flowers. It is a native of the
south of Europe, and has been known in gardens since the
days of Gerard. It is commonly kept in green-houses'; but
it will pass the winter on dry rockwork, with little or no
protection.
L. dentafa'L., Bot. Mag., t. 401., and our fig. 1146., is a
native of Spain ; and L. pinn&ta Bot. Mag., t.400., and our
fie. 1147., is a native of Madeira. Both sorts are curious in
their leaves, and well deserve a place in collections. L. vi-
ridis L'Herit., Fl. Port, 1. 1. 4., is a native of Madeira, with
purple flowers, which are produced from May to July.
Plectrdnthus fruticdsus L'Ht'-rit. Sert, 85. t. 41., and our
Jig. 1148., is a native of the forests near the Cape of Good
Hope, an old inhabitant of our green-houses, and one of the
few green-house plants that were found in old conservatories
in France before the Revolution. In that country, among the
old orange trees, pomegranates, olives, and oleanders, which
1H7
are occasionally found lingering about the few old chAteaux that still exit.t, Plectranthus fruticosus
4 P 3
1284
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART 111.
may be found sometimes
f> ft. or 7 ft. high. In an j 14,9
area of a house in Berke-
ley Street, there were, in
1836, two plants, about
6 ft. high, and of propor-
portionate bulk. Mr.
Bowie, in a very interest-
ing communication to
the Card. Mag. on raising
Australian and Cape
shrubs from seeds, and
acclimatising them to
Europe, proposes to place
the Plectranthus fruti-
cosus in green-houses,
as the most susceptible
of cold ; which, if pro-
perly placed, will prove
a warning thermometer
to guard against direct
injury to others, as it is
always the h'rst to suffer,
and consequently will
show the increasing
harm. (Gard. Mag., vol.
viii. p. 7.)
Siderltis cdndicans
Ait., Com. Hort, 2. t.
99., is a native of Madei.
ra, an old inhabitant of
green-houses inEngland,
and of orangeries in
France, where we have
seen it growing about
the same" height as the
Plectranthus fruticbsus.
There ^re several other sorts, from the Canaries, Spain, the Levant, &c., which will be found enume-
rated in the Hortus Britannicus, all of which would probably live on rockwork, with very little pro-
tection during winter.
Leonbtfs Leonitrus R. Br. ; Phlbmis Leonurus L., Sot. Mag., t. 478. ; is a Cape shrub, which has
been in the country since 1712. It grows to the height of 3 ft. or 4 ft., and is tolerably hardy. It
bears showy scarlet flowers, but does not flower freely in Britain.
Sphucele campanulata Benth., Bot. Reg., t. 1382, and our fig. 1151., is a
shrub, from Chili, which grows to the height of 2 ft. or 3 ft., and produces its %v
pale blue flowers in July and August. There is a plant in the Horticultural
Society's Garden,,which has stood out at the foot of a wall since 1832. S.
Lindltyi Benth., Bot. Reg., t. 1226., is another species which was introduced
from Valparaiso in 1825.
Dracocdphalum canaritnse Com. Hort., 2. t. 41., is
an old favourite, much esteemed for its fragrance.
Trained against a wall, and protected during winter,
it will, in two years, cover a space 4 ft. or 5 ft. high,
and 5 ft. or 6 ft. broad ; producing its pale purplish
flowers in abundance from July to September. It
may be raised from seeds early in spring, and turned
out in the borders, like a tender annual.
Srt/wa splcndens Ker, Bot. Reg., t. 687. ; &formusa
Willd., Bot Mag., 375. ; S. fulgcns Cav., Bot Reg.,
1356. ; and S.Gruhann Benth., Bot. Reg., t. 1370., and
ourjig.1151. • arc all splendid suft'ruticose plants, na-
tives of South America, which will live through the
winter against a wall, and flower beautifully during
summer j but, though technically shrubs, in prac-
tice they are best treated as herbaceous plants, kept
in pots and pits, or green-houses, through the winter,
1151
«m
uoruer, uirougn me severe winter 01 IBOJK>O, wnnoui
any protection whatever. S. Ghatrufdryoldet Cav. 5s
a dwarf species, the flowers of which are of a pecu-
and turned out into the open borders in spring.
S. Graham/ has stood in our garden, in the open
border, through the severe winter of 1835-36, without
protection whatever. S. Ghatrufdryoldet Cav. i
arf species, the flowers of which are of a pecu
liarly intense and brilliant blue. It is frequently grown in England for planting out in beds in regular
flower-gardens, where its flowers form a mass of beautiful blue. There are some Cape species, winch
are truly ligneous, that might be tried against a wall. Of these, S. aiirea is one of the most splendid.
Prasmm mdjtis L., Fl. Grace., t. 584., is a native of Spain, which has been in the country since the
time of Gerard. It grows 3 ft. high, and produces its white-spotted flowers, some of which are fol-
lowed by pulp-covered seeds, from June to August.
Prostanthlra lasidnthos Lab., Bot. Reg., 1. 143., is a native of New South Wales, which has stood
in the Horticultural Society's Garden, at the foot of a wall, since 1831 ; but it was killed in the spring
of 1836.
Other half-hardy Species belonging to this order may be found in considerable numbers by looking
over the lists in our Horlus Britannicus ; but, with the exception of the salvias, the phlomises, and
the lavandulas, we can hardly recommend any of them for culture, except in the warmer situations
of the south of England, where they will grow with little or no protection. Where much labour
and expense are required to protect tender plants during winter, only those that are truly ligneous
ought to be made choice of ; but where the climate is such as to render protection easy, a greater
latitude may be allowed.
( 1IA1'. I. XXXVII. FBRBENACEJE. ri'lEX. 128.0
CHAP. LXXXVIJ.
01 THE HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER
Tins order, which is closely allied to Labiaceae, consists chiefly of plants
natives of tropical countries; and, among these, the most remarkable is the
'l\cluna grandis />., or teak tree, the oak of India. This tree, Mr. Royle informs
us, has been planted as far north as Saharunpore, lat. 29° 57' N., or about
the parallel of the Canary Islands; from which we should think it might be
grown in the south of England against a wall.
GENUS I.
IT TEX L. THE CHASTE TREE. Lin. Syst. Didyuamia Angiospermia.
1,1,-nttfcation. Lin. Gen., No. 790. ; Reich , No. 853. ; Schreb., No. lOf.0. ; Toum., t. 373. ; Juss., 107. ,
Ga-rtn., t. 56. ; Mill. Icon., L 275. ; N. Du Ham., 6. p. 115. ; Lindl. Nat Syst. Bot., p. 278. ; Don's
Xtimmymcs. Gatilier, Fr. ; Kenschbaum, Ger.
Derivation From vico, to bind, as with .an osier; in reference to the flexibility of the shoots.
(i en. Char., $c. Calyx short, 5-toothed. Corolla bilabiate; upper lip bifid,
lower one trifid ; middle segment of the lower lip the largest. Stamens 4.
didynamous, ascending. Stigma bifid. Drupe containing a 4-celled nut.
Cells 1 -seeded. (Don's Jl////.,iv.) — Deciduous shrubs and trees, natives of
the south of Europe, India, China, and North America. The only hardy
species is a native of Sicily.
a 1. V. A'GVUS CA'STUS L. The officinal, or true, Chaste Tree.
Identification. Lin. Sp., 890. ; Lam. Diet., 2. p. 611. ; Don's Mill., 4.
Syiumymcs. /Meagmun Theophrast/ Lob. Icon., 2. 138. ; A' gnus castus Blackw. j Arbre au Poivn-,
Poivre sauvage, Fr.
KngraviHgs. Blackw. Herb., t. 129. ; N. Du Ham., 6. t. 35. ; and our Jig. 1152.
SJH-C. Cliar.y $c. Leaves opposite, digitate, 7 — 5-lobed : leaflets lanceolate,
mostly quite entire, hoary beneath. Racemes terminal, panicled. Flowers
verticillate. (Don's Mill., iv.) A shrub, of the height of 5ft. or 6ft., which
produces its white, bluish white, and sometimes red-
dish white, flowers in September. It is a native of
Sicily, Naples, the north of Africa, and Egypt, and
has been in cultivation since 1570. In favourable
situations, in the neighbourhood of London, it
grows to the height of 8ft. or 10ft. The flowers
are produced in spikes at the extremities of the
branches, from 7 in. to loin, in length. In fine
seasons, they appear in September, but in bad
autumns not till October; and then they never ex-
pand freely. Its flowers have an agreeable odour;
but the leaves have an unpleasant smell, although
aromatic. No seeds are produced in England.
The plant received the name of chaste from the
Greeks; because, according to Pliny, the Athenian
matrons, during the festival in honour of Ceres, called
Thesmophoria, when they were dressed in white
robes, and enjoined to preserve the strictest chastity,
strewed their beds with it. The seeds Bergius states to be carminative ;
and those of Fitex trifolia L., a native of India and China, are much used!
on this account, by Indian practitioners. The plant grows freely in any soil
that is tolerably dry ; and it is readily propagated by cuttings, put in in
autumn, and protected with a hand-glass. Price of plants, in the London
nurseries, h. (k/.; at Bollwyller, 1 franc 50 cents; and at New York, 50 cents.
t i> 4
1286
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
Variety.
* V. A. 2 latifolia Mill. (.V. Du Ham.,\\. p. 116.) has the leaflets broader
and shorter than those of the species. The spikes of flowers
are shorter, and the flowers are always blue. It is a native of the
south of France and Italy, and was known to Lobel and Bauhin.
There are plants of it in the Cambridge Botanic Garden.
App. i. Half-hardy Species of \ltex.
V. i«cUrt Lam., Mill. Ic., t. 275. figs. 1. and 2. ; V. Negtinda Bot. Mag., t. 364. j is a native of
China, where it grows to the height of 4 ft., and flowers from July to September. It was introduced
in 1758, but is not common in green-houses.
App. I. Half-hardy Plants of the Order ^erlenacccc.
Clci'odcndrum inertne R. Br.; Volkamerio
inlrmis L. , Jacq. SuppL, 117. 4. f. 1. ;
and our fig. 1153. This shrub grows, with
the greatest vigour, against the wall in the
Horticultural Society's Garden, where it
has stood since 1829 5 uninjured by any of
the winters that have occurred during that
period.
Clcrodendntm spcciosissimum Paxton's
Mag of Bot, 3. p. 217, A branching shrub,
growing to the height of 4 ft., with an erect
stem, and cordate pointed leaves, and flowers
produced in large spreading terminal pani-
cles, of a vivid scarlet colour, and each
„_ averaging 2 in. in length, tubular below,
1 I o3 with a 5-parted spreading limb. The native
country of this plant is not stated ; but it is probably Japan. Messrs. Lucomb
and Pince of the Exeter Nursery received the plant from Belgium in 1835,
and it flowered profusely in their nursery in August and September, 1836,
and at Chatsworth in October of the same year. Mr. Paxton describes it as
one of the finest plants which he has had the good fortune to figure; and as
far superior in beauty to any of the family to which it belongs. Messrs. Lucomb
" Pince have a very fine plant in the open border.
y
considered as a hothouse plant; but a plant has stood against the wall
And Pince have a ve'ry fine plant in the open border.
cydnea Hort. is a native of South America, and is general!
in the Horticultural Society's Garden since 1833; and, though the shoots
are killed back during the winter season, it always grows vigorously during
summer, attaining nearly the height of the wall. \ J54,
Aloysi'A, citriodora Or.; Ferbena triphylla//'//mY. ; Lfppirt citriodora Kunth,
Hot. Mag., t. 367.; and our fig. 1154.; is a native of Chili, and has been in
the country since 1784. In dry soils, in the neighbourhood of London, it
will live in the open border for many years, without any protection, except
a little litter thrown about the roots ; for, though frequently killed down to
the ground, it seldom fails to spring up with vigour the following spring,
and continue flowering the greater part of the summer. In the Chelsea Bo-
tanic Garden, there is a plant against the wall, which in six years has attained
the height of 10ft., growing vigorously, and flowering freely. The leaves are
gratefully fragrant when slightly bruised ; and on this account, and also on that
of its small elegant whitish flowers, it well deserves a place in collections. Of
all those shrubs, Dr. Macculloch observes, " which require the protection of a
green-house in England, the Ferbena triphylla (Alojsia citriodora) is that of
which the luxuriance is in Guernsey the most remarkable. Its miserable
stinted growth, and bare woody stem, are well known to us. In Guernsey it
thrives in exposed situations, and becomes a tree of 12 ft. or 18 ft. in height,
spreading in a circle of equal diameter, and its long branches reaching clown
to the ground on all sides. Its growth is indeed so luxuriant, that it is
necessary to keep it from becoming troublesome by perpetual cutting : fresh
shoots, J4 ft. in length, resembling those of the osier willow, being annually
produced." (Quaykrt Jersey and Guernsey, Appendix, p. 341.) It is also com-
monly said that this shrub attains a large size in the Isle of Jersey j but a
writer in the Gardener's Magazine, vol. xii. p. 551., says that he expected to
see it generally cultivated, but that the only plant he saw in the island was
one in the garden of a nurseryman, and that not of extraordinary size. The
nurseryman, however, told him there were trees in the island with steins as
us his wrist, and proportionably high.
CHAP. LXXXIX.
GLOBULARIA CEJE.
1287
CHAP. LXXXVIII.
OF THE HALF-HARDY PLANTS OF THE ORDER
My6porum parvifMiitm R. Br., Bot Mag., t. 1691., is a native of New Holland, with trailing stems
and small white flowers, which are produced in great profusion nearly all the year. A plant
against our .conservative wall at Bayswater lived four years, producing shoots of 5 ft. or 6 ft. in
length in one season, which were most beautifully covered with flowers. The plant grows
so rapidly, that we have no doubt it would cover many square yards of wall in a very short period.
There are other species of the genus having the same habit of growth, more particularly M.
oppositifulium R. Br., M. diffusum R. Br., and .V. adscendens R. Br.
CHAP. LXXXIX.
OF THE HALF-HARDY PLANTS BELONGING TO THE ORDER
GLOBULARIAVCE^E.
Globuldria longifblia L. ; G. salicina Lam., Sot. Reg.,
t. 659. ; and our fig. 1 155. ; is a native of Madeira, with
long, dark green, shining leaves, and white flowers,
which are produced in July and August. It was in-
troduced in 1775; and grows to the height of 3ft. or
4ft. in pots, and, doubtless, twice that height, or more,
against a conservative wall.
G. Alypum L., Gar. Aix, fig. 42., the alypo globularia,
is a native of the south of Europe, which has been in
cultivation in British gardens since 1640. It is a pretty
little evergreen shrub, growing to the height of 2ft.,
about Aix and Montpelier ; and producing its pale
bluish flowers in August and September. Like all the
plants from that part of Europe, it is easily protected
in British gardens in a cold frame, surrounded by turf
walls or litter, and covered with mats during severe
frosts. It might, therefore, be readily protected on dry
rockwork in a warm situation, or at the base of a con-
servative wall. There is a variety, G. A. intcgrifbliitw,
a native of the same climate, which is distinguished
from the species by having entire leaves.
CHAP. XC.
OF THE HALF-HARDY PLANTS OF THE ORDER PLUMBAGINA^CEJE.
Stdtice monopetala L., Boc. Sic., 1. 16., is a native of Sicily, where it grows to the height of 3 ft., and
produces its fine bluish purple flowers in July and August. S. siijfruticdsa L. is a native of Siberia,
which seldom exceeds 1 It. in height. Both these species are very suitable for conservative rockwork.
Plumbago capt'nsis Tlumb., Bot. Reg., t.417-, is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, with light
blue flowers, which it produces in great profusion throughout the summer; and, though it is seldom
seen above 5ft. in height in green. houses, yet we have seen it reach the top of a wall 10ft. or 12ft.
high, at Bishopstoke Vicarage, in Hampshire. (See Card. Mag., vol. x. p. 130.)
CHAP. XCI.
OF THE HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER CHENOPODIA^CEjE.
THE hardy ligneous species of this order have whitish or glaucous foliage,
and small flowers of nearly the same colour : the latter have not a corolla,
and are not showy. They are included in three genera; the names and cha-
racteristics of which are as follows: —
1288 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 111.
( iit;.\opovDiUM L. Flowers bisexual. Calyx inferior, with 5 sepals, perma-
nent. Stamens 5, hypogynous ; opposite to, and of about the length of,
the sepals. Anthers with round lobes. Ovary orbicular, depressed. Ovule,
according to the character of the order, 1, and erect. Styles 2, short.
Stigmas obtuse. Fruit a utricle, invested by the calyx. Seed lens-shaped.
Leaves alternate, generally lobed, bearing a friable, unctuous scurf. Flow-
ers numerous, small, green, in groups that are disposed in leafy spikes or
naked panicles; or the flowers solitary, or 2 — 3 together, in the axils of leaves.
(Smith Eng. Fl. ; Lindley Nat. Syst. of Bot.; and observation.)
.^'TRIPLEX L. Flowers some bisexual, some female; those of both kinds
upon one plant. — Bisexual flower. Calyx inferior, with 5 sepals, perma-
nent. Stamens 5, hypogynous; opposite to, and about as long as, the
sepals. Anthers with round lobes. Pistil and fruit much as in the female
flower ; but, in Britain, in the native species, seeds are scarcely produced
from the bisexual flowers. — Female flower. Calyx inferior, deeply divided
into two large, flat, equal, or nearly equal, lobes, and so compressed that the
lobes have their inner faces approximate ; permanent. Ovary compressed.
Ovule, according to the character of the order, 1, and erect. Fruit a
utricle, invested by the calyx, which is now enlarged. Seed compressed,
orbicular. — Leaves alternate or opposite, undivided or jagged, bearing a
meal-like scurf. Flowers numerous, small, greenish, in groups that are
axillary or disposed in spikes. (Smith. Eng. Fl. ; Lindlcy Nat. Syst. of Bot. ;
and observation.)
DIOVTIS Sc/ireb. Flowers unisexual, those of both sexes upon one plant.
— Male flower. Calyx inferior, with 4* sepals, permanent. Stamens 4, in-
serted at the bottom of the calyx; opposite to, and prominent beyond, the
sepals. — Female flower. Calyx inferior, of one piece deeply divided, and
ending in 2 horns, permanent, and, possibly, adnate to the ovary. Ovule,
according to the character of the order, 1, and erect. Fruit a utricle, vil-
lous at the base, partly invested by the calyx. — Leaves alternate, lanceolate,
entire, bearing hoary pubescence. Male flowers in axillary groups that are
disposed in leafy spikes. Female flowers about 2 together, axillary.
(Encycl.of Plants; NuttaUGen.; Lindley Nat. Syst. of Bot.; and observation.)
GENUS I.
CHENOPOTOUM L. THE GOOSEFOOT. Lin. Syst. Pentandria JHgynia.
Identification. Lin. Gen., 121., but with some modification since.
Synonymcs. Salsbla, Sp. ; Anserine, Fr. ; Gause Fuss, d'cr.
Derivation. From the Greek words chcn, a goose, and pans podos, foot ; many of the species having
large angular leaves extremely like the webbed foot of a waterfowl.
Description, fyc. A genus of which there are only three ligneous species
in British gardens : two of these formerly belonged to the genus Salsola, or
saltwort; and, like the other plants of that genus, they contain a large pro-
portion of soda, more especially in their native habitats, near the sea. The
plants are of the easiest culture in any dry soil ; and they are readily pro-
pagated by cuttings.
» 1. C. FRUTICO^SUM Schrad. The shrubby Goosefoot, or Stone crop Tree.
Identification. Schrader, according to G. Don in Hort. Brit.
Salsbla fruticbsa Lin. Sp. /Y.. 324., Willd. Sp. PI., 1. p. 1316., Eng. Bot., t 635., Fl.
/non. . . .. ., . p. ., . . ., . ., ., .
Grcec., t255., Eng. Flora, 2. p. 18., AT. Du Ham., 6. p. 263. ; the shrubby Glasswort; Soudc in
Arbre, Fr. ; strauchartiges Salzkraut, Ger.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., t. 635. ; Flor. Gra?c., t 255. ; N. Du Ham., 6. t. 79. ; and our figs, llflfi, 11.07.
Spue. ('//ftr.y Sfc. Shrubby, upright, evergreen. Leaves semk-ylindrical, bhuit-
isli, imbricate. (Smith Eng. /«'/., and Willd. Sp. 7V.) This species is a low
shrub, seldom exceeding 3 ft. or 4 ft. in height, with numerous cylindrical
upright branches ; and sessile, linear, fleshy, and alternate leaves, which an-
( HENOPODIA CE.£. ^TRIPLEX.
1289
iilabrous, and flat on their upper surface,
of a very glaucous green, and placed very
near each other. The flowers are small,
greenish, and axillary; usually solitary.
The stamens are generally longer than the
divisions of the calyx; and the styles,
which are 2 — 3 in number, are reddish.
It is found wild on the shores of the Me-
diterranean, both in Europe and Africa;
and on the sea coasts in England. It is
perfectly hardy; and, even when killed
down to the ground by severe frost in
winter, it is sure to throw up fresh shoots
in spring. It is not very ornamental, but
is useful, in some situations, as a glaucous
evergreen bush. It may be propagated by
seeds, layers, cuttings, or suckers. It
should be planted in a sheltered situation, as it is an evergreen, and tin-
leaves, from their succulency are easily affected by the frost, which turns
them black. The branches are very brittle, and apt to break off: they
should not, however, be tied up closely, as the leaves will rot if they arc-
not allowed abundance of light and air.
a. 2. C. PARVIFO^LIUM R. ct S, The small-leaved Goosefoot.
Identification. Ro>m. et Schult. Syst. Veg., 6. p. 266.
Si/nonijmcs. C. fruticosum Bicb. in Fl. Taur.-Cauc., 1. p. 181., exclusively of all the synonymes; C
' microphfllum Bicb. in Suppl. to Fl. Taur.-Cauc., 1. p. 275. ; Salsbla fruticbsa Bieb. Casp., p. 149.
App. No. 22., Pall. It., 3. p. 524.; Suaeda microphylla Pall. Illust., 3. t. 44,
Engraving. Pall. III., 3. t. 44.
Description, 8$c. Imperfectly evergreen, frutescent, much branched, spreading, glabrous, about 2 ft.
high. Leaves taper, oblong, obtuse, glaucescent, fleshy ; the lower half an inch long, the floral ones
shorter. Flowers of the shape of those of C. marftimum, three together, attached to the petiole above
its base, not bracteated. The sepals that attend the fruit are equal and convex at the back. (Bicb.}
Frequent in the plains of Eastern Caucasus, towards the Caspian Sea, and near the salt river Gorkaja,
where it is believed to be deleterious to horses. (R. et S. Syst. Veg.') It was introduced into Eng-
land in 1825, but is very seldom found in collections.
«. 3. C. HORTE'NSE R. et S. The Garden Goosefoot.
Identification. Ro>m. et Schult. Syst. Veg., 6. p. 268.
Si/nom/mes. Suaeda hortlnsis Forsh. JEgypt. Arab., p. 71. ; Delile Dt-scr. de I'Egypte., No. 297. ;
' Salsbla divergent Pair. Enc. Meth., 7. p. 299.
Description, fyc. Subevergreen. A shrub, about 2ft. high, very diffUse. Stem, branches, and leaves
spotted with white, having upon their surface a mealy matter that may be rubbed off. Leaves flat
above, linear, fleshy. Flowers axillary, sessile, in groups. Stigmas 3, united at the base. Calyx, as
it attends the fruit, fleshy, diverging. It is very similar to, if not identical with, Salsula trigyna
I'aii. (Ii. et S. Syst. Vcg.} A low uninteresting shrub, a native of Asia, and the south of Europe,
supposed to be in British gardens ; but we arc not certain that we have seen the plant.
GENUS II.
yTTRIPLEX L. THE ORACHE. Lin. Syst. Polygamia MonoeVia.
Irlcnl/fictitivn. Lin. Gen., 745. ; Eng. Flor., 4. p. 255.
I), /-ii'itHon. From ater, black ; according to some by antiphrasis, in reference to the whitish, or
mealy, hue of the plants.
Description, $c. Shrubs, with imperfectly woody branches, and succulent
leaves, white or glaucous from being covered with a mealy powder. Natives
of Britain or the south of Europe, of easy culture and propagation in any
common garden soil.
* 1. A. //A'LIMUS L. The Halimus Orache, or Tree Purslane.
Idenlilicntmn. Lin. Hort. Cliff , 469. ; Gron. Virg., 195.; Roy. Lugdb., 218. ; Mill. Diet., No. 2,
Pall. It., 1. ; Append. It., 2. p. 477. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
Halimns latifMlus sivr friiticosiis //«»,//. /'/;/., 120., Gcr. F.mac., p. 522. ; 7/alimus
'
Clta. Hint , 1 |». :,,,'. ; the broad le.i\cd Sea I'ur.-lane Tu v ; Arroehc, Fr.; strauchartige Melde,(7<r
Etayrmrfetf*. Park. Theatr, 7'JJ. t. 2. ; Grr. Emac.,p. 522 f. 1. ; and our jig. 1158.
1290
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
Spec. Char.y $c. Stem shrubby. Leaves alternate or
opposite, their figure partaking of an oblong and a
rhomb, entire. (Willd.) It inhabits hedges on the
coast of Spain, Portugal, Virginia, and Siberia ; and
was introduced in 1640. An evergreen shrub, which
grows about 5 ft. or 6 ft. high, and forms a large broad
head. The young branches are covered with a smooth
white bark, which becomes grey, and peels off length-
wise, as the tree gets old. The branches are very
brittle, and have but little pith. The leaves are soft,
white, and silvery, and, in shape, resemble the Greek
A. The shrub seldom flowers in Britain; but, from
its not being quite deciduous, and from the silvery hue
of its foliage, it is a valuable plant for shrubberies and
other ornamental plantations. It may be propagated
by cuttings made in the usual manner, but carefully
protected from sparrows, which are so fond of the
leaves of this shrub, that " when they once find them
out, they will never leave or forsake them, until they have entirely stri,, __
the plants ; and though the shrub will shoot out afresh, yet they will as
constantly repair to their repast j and will thus continue to prey upon
them, until they have entirely destroyed them." (See Marshall on Planting
and Rural Ornament, vol. ii. p. 29.) It requires a sheltered situation,
being liable to injury from frost. Price of plants, in the London nurseries,
1*. 6d. each.
1158
*- 2. A. PORTULACoVDES L
The Purslane-like, or shrubby, Orache, or Sea
Purslane.
Identification. Lin. Fl. Suec., 828. 919. ; Mill. Diet , No. 3. : Willd So
PL, 4. p. 957. ; Smith Eng. Flor., 4. p. 256.
Synonymes. //alimus secundus Clus. Hist., 54. f. ; H. vulgaris Ger.
Emac. , 523. f. ; //alimus sen Portulaca marina Bauh. Pin., 120.-
^'triplex ir.aritima, //alimus et Portulaca marina dicta, angustifolia^
Raii Syn.t J53. ; the narrow-leaved Sea Purslane Tree.
Engravingt. Eng. Bot., t 231. ; and our fig. 1159.
Spec. Char.t Sfc. Stem shrubby, spreading. Leaves
opposite, obovate-lanceolate, entire. Flowers gene-
rally unisexual ; those of both sexes upon one plant.
(Smith Eng. Flor.) It inhabits the northern shores
of Europe ; and, in Britain and Ireland, is occasion-
ally found in muddy places by the sea side. It is a
low shrub, or trailer, with less silvery leaves than
those of the preceding species ; the whole plant, also,
is much smaller. It may be grown in the open gar-
den, or in pots among alpines. The name of
mus, given to this and the preceding species by Clu-
sius, has probably been the source of the epitliet ha-
limifolia, applied to several other plants; so that
^accharis Aalimifolia,&c., means that the leaves are glaucous, and resembling
those of certain kinds of .^'triplex.
GENUS III.
DIOVTIS Schreb. THE DIOTIS. Lin. Syst. Moncevcia Tetrandria.
Identification. Lin. Gen. PL, ed. Schreber, No. 1423. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 3<i8. ; Nutt. Gen. and fat.
N. Amer. PL, 2. p. 207. It is not the Dibtis of Desf. Fl. All. ; Dec. Fl. Fr. ; Smith Eng. Flor 3
p. 4()2. ; which is the Otanthus of Link Enum., and the Santollna maritima L.
Syitonymes. Ceratftldes Tourn. ; A'xyris Lin ; Ceratospermum Pers.
CHAP. XCI.
CHENOPODIA^CE^E. DIO^TIS.
1291
Derivation. From dis, twice, and ous, otos, an ear. The calyx of the female flower ends in two seg-
ments, which fancy ma'y compart1 to cars, although they more resemble horns : and this second
idea is doubtless that referred to in Tournefort's generic name Ceratoldes, from kcras, a horn, gen.
keratos, and eidos, likeness.
a* 1. D. CERATOLDES W. The /wo-horned-c«/^m/ Diotis.
Llcntification. Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 368.
S. Pi., 1389. ; Jac. I
Gmel. Sib., 3. p. 17. No. 10. t. 2. f. 1. ;
Synunymes. A'xyris Ceratoldes Lin. Sp. Pi., 1389. ; Jacq. Icon. Rar., 1. t. 189. ; Ceratospe"rmutn
posum Pers. ; A'xyris fruticosa, floribus fcemineis lanatis, Gmel. Sib., 3. p.
/Vi Guildenst. Act. Petrop.,16. p. 548. 1. 17. ;
papp
1160
. ,
Achyrimthcspappbsa Forsk. Descr.,48.-, Krascheninnikuv/
f'rtlca fbliis lanceoh\tis, foeminlnis hirsutus, Hoy. l.ttgdb., 210.; Ceratoldes orientalis fruticbsa
£lteagni fblio Toum. Cor., f>2. ; Orientalist-lies Doppclohr, Ger.
Engravings. Jacq. Ic. Rar., 1. t. 189. ; Gmel. Sib., 3. p. 17. No. 10. t. 2. f. 1. ; Act. Petrop., 16. t 17. ;
and our Jig. 1160.
Description, $c. A shrub, a native of Siberia and Tartary. Introduced
in 1780, and producing its obscure apetalous flowers in March and April. It
grows 2 ft. or more high, much more across,
and abounds in slender spreading branches. Its
leaves are lanceolate, narrow, and alternate. The
whole plant is hoary. The male flowers are very
abundant, and disposed mostly in approximate
axillary groups about the terminal part of the
branches. The female flowers are less numerous,
and mostly upon a lower part of the branch,
axillary, and generally two in an axil. Both male
and female flowers are sessile, or nearly so. The
female flowers are not obvious. The male flowers
are not showy; though their number, grouped
character, and the yellow anthers prominent from
them, render the flowering of the shrub obvious.
They have a slight scent of a honey-like sweet-
ness. The stocky part of this plant is persistently
ligneous. D. Ceratoides thrives in a light soil,
and is easily propagated by layers, or by cuttings
inserted in the soil and kept covered with a hand-glass. Plants in the
Cambridge Botanic Garden, in August, 1836, growing, some in calcareous
soil, and one or more in heath mould, were about 2 ft. high, and with widely
spreading recumbent branches. This shrub, therefore, appears particularly
well adapted for rockwork ; and, if gardens were laid out with a view to the
geographical or topographical distribution of plants, the D. Ceratoides, with
the different species of Nitraria, Calligonum, &c., would form suitable species
for the rockwork of Siberia.
tt. D. lanata Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept, 2. p. 602., Nutt.Gen. N. Amer., 2. p. 207., resembles D. Ceratoldes,
but is easily distinguished, at first sight, by the long, woolly, white tomentum which pervades all its
parts. The stem is zigzag. The groups of flowers are so crowded as to produce the resemblance of
spikes.
App. I. Half-liardy Species of Chenopodiacece.
Anabasis tamariscifolia L., Cav. Ic., 3. 293., is a curious little salsola-like plant, a native of Spain,
where it grows 2ft. high. It was introduced in 1752; but, being of little interest, except to the
botanist, it is rarely to be met with even in botanic gardens. A. aphylla L., Salsbla articulata Forst.,
is another plant of the same genus, a native of Asia Minor.
Kdc/iia. prostrata Schr., Jacq. Au., 3. 2<J4. ; Salsbla prostr&ta L.; is a native of the south of Europe,
growing to the height of 5 ft, with the general habit of a salsola. It is almost sufficiently hardy to
stand in the open air without protection. A plant in the Cambridge Botanic Garden, in a partly-
open border, is a freely growing shrub, about 5 ft. high, with its lower branches prostrate, and its
upper ones drooping. It is clothed with abundance of narrow, pointed, pubescent leaves, which are a
little canescent.
Bosea Yervamora L.,Walt. Hort., 24. t. 10., Encyc. of Plants, f. 34.53., is a native of the Canaries,
where it grows to the height of 8 ft or 10ft. A plant in the Horticultural Society's Garden has
stood out since 1834, against a wall. It is generally killed to the ground during winter, but grows up
again vigorously during summer, and usually reaches from 5 ft. to 6 ft. high.
Campnordsma monspeliaca Schk. Hand., 1. t 26., is a low heath-like shrub, a native of the south of
Europe, common in various places in France ; for instance, at Avignon, on the ruins of the old castle.
It is of a decumbent habit, with red bark to its young shoots, and with hairy narrow-pointed leaves,
in groups along the branches. It is a most desirable plant for conservative rockwork ; and if trained
against a wall, we have no doubt it would cover several square yards of wall in a very short time.
Other Genera belonging to Chenopodincea; contain species which may be reckoned half-hardy ; but
as they may be readily found by turning to the enumeration in our Hortus Britannicus, we do not
give them here.
ARBORKTt'M AND FItUTICETUM. PAHTI1?.
CHAP. XCII.
OF THE HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER POLYGONAVCEJE.
DISTINCTIVE Characteristics. Leaves alternate. A filmy cylindrical
sheath, called an ochrea (which signifies a boot), arises from the base of even-
leaf, except in three genera, and surrounds the stem or branch for more or lorss
of the interval between that leaf and the next above it. Generally speaking,
this is sufficient to distinguish the Polygonacesc from all other plants. Addi-
tionally, they have an erect ovule, with a superior radicle, and, in most, fari-
naceous albumen. (Lindley Nat. Syst. of Bot.) The hardy ligneous species
are included in the three genera, Tragopyrum Bieb., yltraphaxis L., and Cal-
Hgonum L. ; which have the following characters.
TRAGOPY^RUBI Bieb. Calyx inferior, with 5 sepals, that arc imbricate in
aestivation, permanent ; the 2 exterior smaller, the 3 interior investing the
fruit, which is an achenium that is 3-cornered in a transverse section of it.
Stamens 8. Styles 3. Undershrubs, with the habit of ^traphaxis, but
decumbent or trailing ; and the leaves of one of the species, at least (T.
&uxifolium Bieb.), are deciduous. In the stamens and pistil they resemble
Polygonum, and in the calyx /2iimex. (Bleb. Fl. Taur-Cauc.9\\\. p. 284.;
Lindley Nat. Syst. of Bot.; and observation.) Pedicels jointed in T. lancco-
latum Bieb. and T. polygamum Spr, (Vent?)
JTRAPHA'XIS L. Calyx inferior, of 4 leaves, in an outer smaller pair and an
interior pair, the latter resembling petals; or 4-parted, with the lobes equal.
Stamens 6. Stigmas 2, in one species ; style bifid, in the other. Fruit
compressed, in one species; roundish, in the other. Seed 1. — Species 2.
Small shrubs, with leaves more or less ovate. ( Wiltd. Sp. P/., 2. p. 248,
249., and obs.)
CALLI'GONUM L. Calyx inferior, persistent, turbinate in the lower part,
ending upwards in a 5-parted spreading border ; the 2 outer lobes rather
the smaller. Stamens about 16; the filaments slightly united at the base,
and then diverging. Anthers peltate. Germ en 4-sided, acuminate. Styles
4 or 3, united at the base for a little way, slender, spreading. Stigmas
capitate. Fruit an achenium that has 4 sides and 4 wings; and the wings
are either membranous, longitudinally 2-parted, toothed, and curled, or
rough with branched bristles. C. Pallasw, the best-known species, is an
erect shrub 3 ft. or 4 ft. high, with rush-like shoots, without obvious leaves,
with the flowers in groups, and their calyxes partly white. (L'Herilier in
///?/. Sac. Trans. yi. p. 177. ; and Reds Cyclop.}
GENUS I.
•y
TRAGOPYXRUM Bicb. THE GOAT WHEAT. I.in. Syst. Octamlria
Trigynia.
Identification. Bieb. Flor. Taurico-Caur as., 3. p. 284.
Synonyme. Folfgonum Lin. Horf. {'}>*., !U, Willd. Sp., 2. p. 440., Bot. Mag., t. 105/5., Pot. Reg
t. 255.
Derivation. Tragox, a goat, and puros, wheat. The 3-cornered fruits of such of the Polygonacoa1
as have them are comparable, with some allowance, to wheat; and goats may feed upon those of
the Tragopyrum, or upon the shrubs themselves ; or it may be that the name has been tarented
as one readily distinctive from the name Fagop^rum, now the name of a genus that includes the
different kinds of buck-wheat
JU -* 1. T. LANCEOLA^TUM Bieb. The lanceolate-feaw/ Goat Wheat.
Identification. Bieb. Fl. Taurico-Caucae.
Synonynies. Pol^gonum frutescens Willd. Sp. Pl.t 2. p. 440., Willd. liainin., p. ?sil., /?«/ /-'. r
t. 254. : strauchartiger Knoterig, Ger.
Engravings. Gmel. Sib , 3. t. 12. f. 2. ; Bot Reg., t. 254. ; and our fig. llfil.
(If A P. XCI1.
POLYGON A'
THA(JOPYXRUM.
1161
iY«\ Stem spreading widely.
Leaves lanceolate, tapered to both ends,
flat. Ochrea lanceolate, shorter than the
internode. The 2 exterior sepals reflexed,
the 3 interior ones obcordate. Flowers
octandrous, trigynous. A native of Sibe-
ria and Dahuria. (WUld.) A shrub, a
native of Siberia, growing from 1 ft. to
more than 2 ft. high, branchy, even to the
base. Introduced in 1770, but rare in
collections. Branches twiggy. Leaf with
a frosty hue, spathulate-lanceolate, nearly
I in. long, several times longer than broad ;
its edge obscurely indented. The petiole
short. The ochrea ends in 2 acuminate
points. The flowers are borne on terminal
twigs, are pediceled, erect, axillary, 1 — 3
in an axil, often 3, and are so disposed as
to constitute leafy racemes. The calyxes are whitish, variegated with
rose colour, and persistent ; and of the 5 sepals to each flower, the 3 that
invest the ovary after the flowering become more entirely rosy. The pedicels,
erect while bearing the flower, after the flowering become deflexed,and render
the fruit pendulous. (Bot. Reg.) There is a plant in the Horticultural
Society's Garden, in an unfavourable situation, being much shaded by
trees, which is upward of 1 ft. in height; and there is one in the arboretum
of Messrs. Loddiges, which forms a hemispherical bush 2^ ft. high; which,
during great part of July and August, 1836, was covered with its beautiful
white flowers, tinged with pink ; and formed a truly admirable object. It
thrives best in peat soil, and is worthy of a prominent place in the most
select collections.
•* 2. T. /?UXIFOVLIUM Bieb. The Box-leaved Goat Wheat.
Identification. Bicb. Fl. Taurico-Caucas.
Svnonymet. .Pol^gonum crispulum var. «. Sims Bat. Mag., t. 1065. j P. caucfesicum Hoffmannsegg.
Engravings. Bot. Mag., t. 1065.; and our fig. 1162.
Spec. Char. y $c. Leaf obovate, obtuse, tipped with a short ' 'C2
mucro; the lateral margins undulated and reflexed,
glabrous. Ochreas with 2 awns. (Sims in Bot. Mag, t.
J065.) A shrub, a native of Siberia. Introduced in
1800, and flowering in July. Its decumbent branches
will extend 2 ft. and upwards on every side of the root ;
their bark is ash-coloured. The leaves are of a light
green colour, rather rounded in outline, about 1 in. in
diameter, and deciduous. The flowers are produced in
long racemes, are nodding, and white. The fruit is
enclosed by the 3 inner sepals, which become, as the
fruit ripens, of a rosy colour. This, and the preceding
species, are extremely interesting and beautiful little shrubs, and it is much
to be regretted that they are so very seldom seen in collections. Though
they require heath soil, and some little time to be firmly established, yet
when once they are so, from their compact neat habit of growth, very little
care will be necessary afterwards. They never can require much pruning,
are quite hardy ; and, provided the soil be not allowed to get too dry in the
heat of summer, they are always certain of flowering freely. We hope in
tine time to see our provincial horticultural societies encouraging the growth
of plants of this kind, by offering premiums for well grown specimens; and
for those who collect the greatest number of sorts.
j* 3. T. POLY'GAMUM Spr. The polygamous-.se.ra/ Goat Wheat.
atgravfitgt.
Sprcng. Sy8t. Veg., 2. p. 251.
olyg '
yolygonum pol^'gamum J'cnt. Cels, t. 65. ; P. parvifblium Nutt. Grn.t 1. p. 256.
Vent. Cels., t. iw. ; and our fig. 1163.
1294.
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART 111.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves spathulate-linear. Ochreas lanceolate, shorter than the internodes. Flowers
in branched racemes, whose rachises are thread-shaped. Styles distinct. A native of dry sandv
wastes in Carolina. Introduced in 1810, and flowers in July and
August. (Spreng.) T. polygamum Spr. differs from T. lanceolktum
Bieb., especially in the following points: stem very much branched;
leaf spathulate ; sexes polygamous; sepals expanded during the
flowering ; and ochreas entire at the top. The polygamous condition
of the sexes consists in the flowers of the same plant being some bi-
sexual, some female. (Vent.) It is a shrub less than 1 ft. high. Its
stem is upright, of the thickness of a raven's quill, cylindrical, and
bears in its upper part numerous slender ramified branches, that
are disposed so as to form a bushy head. The stem, branches, and
branchlets are of a brown colour, and all bear ochreas of this colour,
and that are striated, membranous at the tip, truncate on one side,
and end lanceolately on the other. The leaves are spathulate, reflexed,
glabrous, less than half an inch long, a fourth of their length broau, and
of a delicate green colour. The flowers are small, of a greenish white
colour, disposed in racemes that are axillary and terminal ; and they
together give the appearance of a globose panicle. The rachis of the
raceme bears ochreas. The pedicels have each a joint (I'ent. Ce/s.)
\Ve have not seen the plant. In fig. 1163. a is a stamen, b the pistil,
and c the bisexual flower.
T. pungens Bieb., T. gfducum Spr, T. grandifldrum Bieb., are de-
scribed by botanists, but not yet introduced.
GENUS III.
1163
^TRAPHA'XIS L. THE ATRAPHAXIS. Lin. Syst. Hexandria Digynia,
Identification. Schreb. Lin. Gen., No. 612. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 2. p. 248.
Derivation. According to some from a privative, and trcpho, to nourish ; in allusion to the fruit,
which, though in form like that of the buck wheat, is unfit for food ; according to others, para to
athroos auxein, from its coming up quickly from seed, viz. on the eighth day.
-** 1. A. SPINO^SA L. The spine-branched Atraphaxis.
Identification. Lin. Hort. Cliff., 138. ; Mill. Diet., No. 1. ; L'H^rit. Stirp. Nov., 1. p. 27. 1. 14. j Wllld.
Sp. PI., 2. p. 248. ; Wats. Dend. Brit., 1. 119.
Svnonymc. ^'triplex orientalis, frutex aculeatus, fibre pulchro, Tourn. Cor., 83.
Engravings. L'Herit. Stirp. Nov., 1. t. 14. ; Buxb. Cent., 1. t. 30. ; Dill. Kith., t 40. f. 47. ; Wats.
Dend. Brit, t. 119.; and our fig. 1164.
Spec. Char., $c. Some of its branches resemble spines, and this character
distinguishes it from the other species, A. undulata, and is implied in the
epithet spinosa. In the following description, most of its characters are
noted: — A shrub, of about 2ft. high, upright, with ' i
most of the branches directed upwards, but with some
horizontal, and some a little deflexed. The horizontal
and deflexed ones are the shorter, and, when leafless,
have the appearance of spines. Watson has attributed
(Dend. BritS) this to their tips being dead: and the
case seems to be so. The bark of the year is whitish ;
that of older parts is brown. The foliage is glaucous.
The flowers are white. The leaves are about half an
inch long, many less. The disk ovate-acute; the pe-
tiole short. The flowers are borne a few together
about the tips of shoots of the year ; each is situate
upon a slender pedicel, that has a joint about or below <
the middle, and arises from the axil of a bractea. The
calyx is of 4 leaves that are imbricate in aestivation.
The 2 exterior are smaller, opposite, and become re-
flexed. The 2 interior are opposite, petal-like, hori-
zontal during the flowering, afterwards approximate to the ovary, which
is flat, and has one of the approximate sepals against each of its flat
sides. Stigmas 2, capitate. Stamens connate at the base, into a short
is rare in collections. There is a fine plant in the arboretum of Messrs.
CHAP. XCFI.
POLYGON ANCE;E. CALLl'GONUM.
1295
Loddiges, upwards of 2 ft. high, which was profusely covered with white
flowers, tinged with pink, in August, 1836. It frequently ripens seeds
there ; but no plants have hitherto been raised from them. There is also a
plant in the Chelsea Botanic Garden. It thrives best in sandy peat, and is
propagated by layers. So elegant and rare a plant deserves a place in every
choice collection.
»*- 2. A. UNDULAVTA L. The waved-leaved Atraphaxis.
Identification. Lin. Hort. Cliff, 137. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 2. p. 249.
Engraving. Dill. Elth., t. 32. f. 36.
Spec. Char., 8fC. It is less rigid than the A. spinbsa, and has not a spiny character. Its leaves are
ovate, waved at the edges, and of a greener hue. The calyx is 4-parted, and has the lobes equal,
ovate, and concave. Stamens lanceolate. Style bifid. Fruit roundish. (Observation, and Willd.
Sp. PI.) A native of the Cape of Good Hope, whence it was introduced in 1732, but is rare in
collections. In British green-houses, it flowers in June and July ; and, when planted out in the
open garden, it will produce shoots from subterraneous stolones. We have not seen the plant.
GENUS IV.
UfcJ
CALLFGONUM L. THE CALLIGONUM. Lin. Syst. Dodecandria Tetra-
gynia.
Identification. Lin. Gen., 680. ; L'Heritier in Lin. Soc. Trans., 1. p. 177. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 2. p. 926.
Synonymes. Pallasm L., Pteroc6ccus Pall.
Derivation. Kallos, beauty, gonu, a knee ; in description of the neat and jointed character of the
branches.
* 1. C. PALLA'SL* L'Herit. Pallas's Calligonum.
Identification. L'Herit. Stirp., 2. p. 37., and in Lin. Soc. Trans., 1. p. 177. ; Ait. Hort. Kew., 2.
p. 242. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 2. p. 927.
Synonymes. Pteroc6ccus aphyUlus Pall. Voy., 2. p. 738. t 8. ; Callfgonum polygonoldes Pall. Itin.,
3. p. 536. ; Pallasw caspica Lin. fil. SuppL, 252., Savigny in Encycl. ; Pallasja Pteroc6ccus Pall.
FL Ross., 2. p. 70. t. 77, 78. ; Caspischer Hackenknopf, Ger.
Engravings. Lam. 111., 410. ; Pall. Itin., 2. t. 81. ; Pall. Fl. Ross., 2. t. 77, 78. ; and ouifigs. 1165, 1166.
Spec. Char., fyc. Fruit winged : wings membranous, curled, and toothed. (L'Herit. in Lin. Soc.
Trans.) A shrub, 3 ft. or 4 ft. high. Introduced in 1780, but rare in collections. In its native
state, on the banks of the Caspian Sea, its root is thick, woody, 1| in. in diameter, striking deep into
the sand, with a tuberose head. Stems numerous, about the thickness of a
finger, erect, branched, spreading, dichotomous, brittle, with a grey striated
bark. Branches alternate, round, zigzag, pointed, a little knotty; without
,i ,,(. leaves; putting out every spring, at each
10£ w/ W , o,, joint, from 6 to 10 close-set, herbaceous, \
rush-like shoots, sometimes simple, some-
times branched, of a fine green and nearly
glaucous colour ; a few of which survive
the winter, and harden into branches;
the rest perish and leave a knotty scar.
Stipule membranous, obscurely trifid,
shriveling, surrounding the joint, as in
the polygonums. Leaves alternate, sessile,
solitary, at each joint of the herbaceous
shoots; round, awl-shaped, fleshy, resembling the shoots; half an inch long.
Palla* says there are no leaves ; but L'Heritier affirms they were actually
present in plants cultivated by himself, which were bearing flowers and fruit.
Flowers numerous, in clusters, 3—5 in a cluster, lateral, or axillary within
the stipules, on the young or woody branches, as well as on the herbaceous shoots; white, with
a greenish tinge in the middle. Stamens 16, the length of the calyx, and withering with it
as the fruit increases, without falling off. Filaments bristle-shaped, thickest at the base, downy.
Anthers nearly globular, 2-celled. Ovary conical, 4-sided, rarely 3-sided, the bifid angles prolonged
so as to form the wings of the fruit. Wings somewhat oval, of a crimson colour, striated, and split
on the edges, spreading on each side so as to conceal the nut. Pallas describes this plant as a singu-
lar shrub, growing plentifully in the Desert of Naryn, and in the sandy tracts between the rivers
Rhymnus and Wolga, lying towards the Caspian Sea, where it frequently covers whole hills; the
branches attaining the height of a man, and the roots often descending upwards of 6ft. into the
sand. It abounds on gravelly hills near the Wolga, at Astracan, and near the mouth.s of the Cama,
in the deserts of Tartary. The thick part of the root being cut across in the winter season, a gum
exudes, having the appearance of tragacanth. Infused in water, it swells, and is changed into a
sweetish mucilage, which does not soon grow dry; and, if exposed to heat, ferments in a few days,
and acquires a vinous flavour. The wandering tribes form tobacco-pipes and spoons from the knots
found upon the trunk. The smoke of the wood is said to be good for sore eyes. The fruit is succu-
lent, acid, and excellent for quenching thirst. The flowers are produced in May, and the fruit
ripens in July. The nuts germinate freely when sown deeply in sand, and the two seed-leaves break
forth, and suddenly spring up, in one night, 1 in. in length, and thread-like and decumbent ; but
they become speedily erect.
* 4- Q
1166
1296
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART 111
C. comtoum L'llerit. in Lin. Trans.. 1. p. 180., Willd. Sp. PI., 2. p. !K27. ; and C. /M»d«-i L'HMt . j
«re described by Iwtanists and registered in Svucct's Hortus Britamucus as introduced ; but we are
not aware of their being in the country.
App. I. Half-hardy Species of Polygondcefi.
Brunnich\a. cirrhlsa Gairtn. Fruct., 1. t 45. f. 2., is a tendriled climber, a
native of Carolina, with alternate, cordate, acuminate leaves, and flowers
in panicled racemes. It was introduced in 1787, and is occasionally met with
in old collections ; for example, in the Cambridge Botanic Garden.
Hiiviex Lumria L., Pluk. Aim , 252, 253., is a native of the Canaries, with
roundish glaucous leaves, which has been occasionally found in green-houses,
since the days of Parkinson. It grows to the height of 5ft. or tift. in the
Cambridge Botanic Garden ; and produces its greenish flowers in June and
July There are two other African suft'ruticose species recorded in our llor-
tiis'Britannicus ; and there is a plant in the Horticultural Society's Garden,
from Moldavia, which has twining stems, and of which a portion is repre-
sented in y/e 11(57. It grows against a wall with an east aspect, and, though
frequently killed down during winter, never fails to spring up vigorously the
following spring.
Yulygunnm adprexsum R. Br., Bot. Mag., t 3145., the Macquarrie Harbour
vine, is a native of Van Diemen's Land, principally on the sea shore, about
Macquarrie Harlxnir. It is an evergreen climber or trailer, growing to
the height of 60ft. ; flowering from May to August ; and ripening its fruit
in December and January. The flowers are axillary, and are succeeded by
racemes of fruit, which, at first sight, resemble grapes. " The seed of all
the polygonums, which is a small hard nut, is known to be wholesome,
(buck-wheat, for example) ; but in P. adpressum the seed is invested with
the enlarged and fleshy segments of the calyx, which gives to each fruit the
appearance of a berry : some acidity in this fruit renders it available for
tarts." (Bit. Afa^-, April, 1832; see also Gard. Mag., vol. viii. p. 347., and
vol. xi. p. 341.) This plant was introduced in 1822; and, though considered
as requiring the green-house, yet we have little doubt it would live against
a conservative wall, or as a trailer on dry rockwork, in peat soil, in a warm
situation. The extraordinary rapidity of its growth might perhaps recom-
mend it for the same purposes as the coboaa, and other rapid-growing
climbers.
CHAP. XCIII.
OF THE HARDY AND HALF-HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER
LAURA'
THIS order is distinguished from all others by the following short charac-
teristics : — Anthers opening by valves which curve upwards ; carpels solitary
and superior; and ovules pendulous. (Lvndl. Nat. Sytt. of Bot.) The only
other order treated of in our work, in which there is 'an analogous mode of
opening in the anthers, is Herbert! rcte. The species are chiefly trees, some of
them shrubs, natives of Asia and North America, and one of them of the
south of Europe.
GENUS I.
LAU'RUS Plin.
THE LAUREL, or RAY, TREE. Lin. Syst. Enneandria
Monogynia.
Identification. Pliny, on the authority of C. G. Necs von Esenlwck in Lindl. Nat. Syst. of Bot,
p. 202. ; Lin. Gen., No. MM., in part ; and so of most other botanical au
Si/tumymes. Sa&nfroi and Benzoin, C. G. Von Esenbeck ; Daphne, Gr
-
uthors.
Greek.
l)<-rii>(itir>n From la us, praise; in reference to the ancient custom of crowning the Roman con-
querors with laurel in their triumphal processions. There appears some doubt of the /.aiirus
nobilis being the Laurus of the Romans, and the Daphne of the Greeks. (See /Jdphne.l As, however,
nothing certain is known of the subject, we have followed the popular belief ; and, in the history
given below of the 7,aiirus n6bilis, we have treated it as if identical with the Daphne of the Greeks.
C. Sexes polygamous, or dioecious. Calyx \i\\\\ 6 sepals.
6 exterior, 3 interior, and each of them having a pair of gland-like bodies
CHAP. xcin. /.AURANCE;E. /,AU'KUS. 1297
attached to its base. These last have been deemed imperfect stamens.
Anthers adnate ; of 2 cells in most of the species, of 4 unequal ones in the
others : each cell is closed by a vertical valve that opens clastic ally, and
often carries up the pollen in a mass. Fruit a carpel that i.s pulpy ex-
ternally and includes one seed. Cotyledons eccentrically peltate, or, in
other words, attached to the remainder of the embryo a little above their
base line; as, according to Brown, is the case in all Z/auraceae. — Species
about 9. Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, deciduous, or persistent in
4 species, entire, orlobed. Flowers, of the kinds having deciduous leaves,
appearing before the leaves, in small conglomerate umbels; or, in L. Sassa-
fras L. and L. albida Xntt., in conglomerate bracteate racemes. (Nnttall
chiefly.) L. carolinensis Catesby is an evergreen species of the United
States. L. nobilis W. is an evergreen species of Italy. The latter has
fragrant leaves. Most of the American kinds have fragrant bark, and their
groups of flowers attended by the scales of the buds that had included
them. (Shns in Bot. Mag.) The genus Z/aurus L. has been divided, and
several genera formed out of it ; but all the hardy species are here retained
under the generic name of JLaurus. There are only three perfectly hardy
species, Z/aurus nobilis, L. Sassafras, and L. Benzoin, but there are several
that will live in the open air in mild climates, or with a little protection.
A. Plants evergreen ; hardy.
* $ 1. L. XO'BILIS L. The noble Laurel, or Sweet Bay.
Itlcnlfficatfon. Lin. Sp.,529. ; Hort. Cliff., 155. ; Mill. Diet., No. 1. ; Martyn's Mill., No. 9. ; Willd.
Sp. PI., 2. pi 479. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
Synonutxe*. Laurus Camer., Tourn., Dodon., Kay; L vulgnris Rauh. Pta.,460. ; Lauricr coinmun,
Laurier franc, Laurk-r d'Apollon, Lauricr £ sauce, /<>. ; gemeinc Lorbcer, Ger.
Engravings. Blackw. Herb., t. 17i. ; Flor. Gricc., t. 365.; and the plate in our last Volume.
SJH-C. Char., dye. Evergreen. Flowers 4-cleft. Sexes dioecious. Leaves
lanceolate, veiny. A native of Italy and Greece. (Willd. Sp. PL, ii. p. 480.)
Varietiet.
* L. n. 2 nndnldta Mill, is a low shrub, seldom growing higher than
4 ft. or 6 ft., with leaves waved on the edges, which is stated in the
Nouveau Uu Hamel to be hardier than the species.
» L. n. 3 salicifolia Swt., L. n. angustifolia Lodd. Cat.,\s a shrub, rather
higher than the preceding variety, with long narrow leaves, not so
thick as those of the species, and of a lighter green.
* L. n. 4 varicgdta Swt., L. n. fol. var. Lodd. Cat. — Leaves variegated.
* L. 72. 5 latifolia Mill, has the leaves much broader and smoother than
those of the species. This is the broad-leaved bay of Asia, Spain,
and Italy, and it is generally considered as too tender for the open
air in England.
* L. n. 6 crispa Lodd. Cat. has the leaves somewhat curled.
« L. n. 1 fibre plena N. Du Ham. has double flowers.
There are also occasionally variations, such as the stamens varying in
number, and the stamens being sometimes expanded flat.
Description, $c. An evergreen tree, or rather enormous shrub, sometimes
growing to the height of 60 ft., but always displaying a tendency to throw up
suckers; and rarely, if ever, assuming a tree-like character. The leaves are
evergreen, and of a firm texture ; they have an agreeable smell, and an aromatic,
subacrid, slightly bitterish taste. The flowers are dioecious, or the male and
female on different trees, and are disposed in racemes shorter than the leaves.
The male tree is the most showy, from the greater proportion of yellow in the
flowers. The berry is ovate, fleshy, and of a very dark purple, approaching
to black. The sweet bay tree is a native of the south of Europe, and the
north of Africa, where its general height is about 30 ft. St. Pierre observes
that the wild bay trees on the banks of the river Peneus in Thessaly are remark-
ably fine, which might probably give rise to the fable of Daphne (supposing the
(mvk daphnr to be this tree) being a nymph, the daughter of that river,
4<J 2
1298 ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART 111.
Pallas mentions having found it in Tauria. The exact date of its introduc-
tion into Britain is unknown, but it must have been previous to 1562, as it is
mentioned in Turner's Herbal, published in that year; and we find that, in
the rei<m of Elizabeth, the floors of the houses of distinguished persons were
strewed with bay leaves. It was formerly considered medicinal, both leaves
and berries being highly aromatic and stomachic j they are also astringent
and carminative. An infusion of them was not only considered beneficial,
when taken internally, but it was used for fomentations, &c. At present, the
principal use of the tree is as an ornamental plant, though the leaves are still
employed for flavouring custards, blancmange, &c. In mythology this tree is
celebrated as having once been Daphne, the daughter of Peneus, who, flying
from the embraces of Apollo, and reaching the banks of her parent stream, called
on the river god for aid, and was changed into a laurel. In the age of
Roman greatness, this tree was considered as the emblem of victory, and also
of clemency. The victorious generals were crowned with it in their triumphal
processions ; every common soldier carried a sprig of it in his hand ; and
even the dispatches announcing a victory were wrapped up in, and ornamented
with, leaves of bay. The aromatic odour of these trees was supposed by the
ancient Romans to have the power of dispelling contagion, and during a pes-
tilence the Emperor Claudius removed his court to Laurentine, so celebrated
for its bay trees. Theophrastus tells us that superstitious Greeks would
keep a bay leaf in their mouths all day, to preserve themselves from misfor-
tunes. The Greeks had also diviners who were called Daphnephagi, be-
cause they chewed bay leaves, which they pretended inspired them with the
spirit of prophecy. The bay was dedicated to Apollo, and the first temple
raised to that god at Delphi was formed of the branches of the tree. It
was the favourite tree of the poets : and we are told that Maia, the mother of
Virgil, dreamt that she was delivered of a bay tree ; and that one of these
trees sprang from Virgil's ashes, and is still growing over his tomb. In later
times it was supposed to be a safeguard against lightning ; and Madame De
Genlis mentions the device of the Count De Dunois, which was a bay tree,
with the motto " I defend the earth that bears me." It was a custom in the
middle ages, to place wreaths of laurel, with the berries on, on the heads of
those poets who had particularly distinguished themselves; hence our ex-
pression, poet laureate. " Students who have taken their degrees at the
universities are called bachelors, from the French bachelier, which is derived
from the Latin baccalaureus, a laurel berry. These students were not allowed
to marry, lest the duties of husband and father should take them from their
literary pursuits ; and, in time, all single men were called bachelors." (Sylva
Flor.t i. p. 115.) This tree is mentioned by Chaucer as the crown of the
Knights of the Round Table.
Soily Propagation, fyc. The Z/aurus nobilis requires a good free soil, and
k will not thrive in the open air, in a climate much colder than that of the
environs of London. It is generally propagated by layers ; but as the berries
are ripened in the south of England, and can be had in abundance from
France, the species is very generally increased from seeds, and the varieties
only raised from layers or cuttings. As an evergreen shrub, not only beau-
tiful in itself, but connected with many classical and interesting associations,
it ought to have a place in every collection. As it forms a dense conical
bush, when not trained to a single stem, it is well adapted for garden hedges.
This tree is very tenacious of life, and the root or stump of an apparently
dead tree will often send up suckers two years after it has appeared to
be dead.
Statistics. "Latirus ndbilis in the Environs of London. There are plants upward of 20 ft. high, at
various places, the largest of which, that we have seen, is a plant at Syon 28ft. high, forming an
immense conical bush, 18 ft. in diameter at the base. The rate of growth in the neighbourhood of
London, as deduced from the dimensions of several young plants sent us, is about 15 ft. in height, in
iM&rus ndbilis South of London. The largest tree of this species in England is at Margram in
Glamorganshire, the seat of C.P.Talbot, Esq., M.P., about 12 miles from Swansea. It is fil ft. 6 in. high,
ajul forms a magnificent bell-shaped bush, about GO ft. in diameter at the base. In Devonshire,
HAP. XCIII. LAURA^CE^E. LAU'RUS 1299
at Killerton, 90 years planted, it is 26ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. In Somersetshire, at
NVttlecombe, 70 years planted, it is 22 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 20 in., and of the head 39 ft.
In Surrey, at Claremont, 25 ft. high, as a bush, the branches covering a space 15ft. in diameter. In
Sussex, at Arundel Castle, it is 25 ft. high.
Latirus nAbilis \orth of London. In Bedfordshire, at Southhill, 22 years planted, it is 10 ft. high.
In Berkshire, at White Knights, 30 years planted, it is 13Jft. high. In Cheshire, at Kinmel Park, 20
years planted, it is 18ft high ; at Eaton Hall, 14 years planted, it is 9 ft. high, and the diameter of the
space covered by the branches 10 ft In Shropshire, at Willey Park, 10 years planted, it is 12 ft. high.
In Suffolk, at Finborough Hall, 60 years planted, it is 20 ft. high ; at Great Livermere, 12 years planted,
it is 18ft. high. In Warwickshire, at Combe Abbey, 40; years? planted, it is 14ft. high, against a
wall. In Yorkshire, at Hackress, 16 years planted, it is 8ft. high ; at Grimston, 13 years planted,
it is 14 ft. high.
iMdrus nubilis in Scotland. At Gosford House, 36 years planted, it is 15 ft. high, the diameter of
the space covered by the branches 12 ft. ; at Dalhousie Castle, 14 years planted, it is 15 ft. high,
against a wall In Berwickshire, at the Hirsel, 35 years planted, it is 14ft. nigh, against a wall. In
Haddingtonshire, at Tynningham, it is 10 ft. high. In Aberdeenshire, at Thainston, it grows 8 in.
in a year, and stands the winter well in sheltered situations. In the Isle of Bute, at Mount Stewart,
it is 27 ft. high, and the diameter of the space covered by the branches 26ft. In Ross-shire, at Brahan
Castle, it is 11 ft. high. In Stirlingshire, at Airthrey Castle, 45 years planted, it is 14ft high.
Lauras ttitittt in Ireland. At Cypress Grove, Dublin.it is 50 ft high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft.
2 in., and of the head 25ft. In the Cullen's Wood Nursery, 35 years planted, it is 25 ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk 2j ft, and of the head 24 ft In Wicklow, at Shelton Abbey, 16 years planted,
it is 34 ft. high. In Fermanagh, at Florence Court, 30 years planted, it is 10 ft high.
L<nin« ndbilis in Fweign Countries. In France, in the Botanic Garden, Toulon, 14 years planted,
it is 19 ft high, the diameter of the trunk 6 in. ; at Vaucluse, among the scattered houses not far
from the fountain, it was 15ft. high, in 1819. Throughout Germany it is a green-house plant. In
Russia, in the Crimea, it requires protection during winter. In Italy and Spain it attains a larger
size than any where else in Europe, forming immense bushes, from 50ft. to 70ft. in height
Commercial Statistics. Plants of the species in the London nurseries are 1*.
each, and the varieties from Is. 6d. to 2s. Gd.; at Bollwyller it is a greenhouse
plant ; at New York, plants are 1 dollar each.
B. Plants evergreen ; half-hardy.
1 2. L. CAROLINE'NSIS Catesb. The Carolina Laurel, or Red Bay.
Identification. Catesb. Car., 1. p. 63. ; Michx. Fl. Amer., 1. p. 245. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept, 1. p. 276. ;
Spreng. Syst, 2. p. 665.
Synonymcs. L. Borbbnm Lin. Sp., 529., Syst., 383., Martyn's Mill., No. 13., N. Du Ham., 2. p. 163.,
Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836; L. axillaris Lam.; Borbonw sp. Plum. Gen., 4. ic. 60., P^rsea Borbdnia
Spreng. ; the broad-leaved Carolina Bay ; Laurier rouge, Laurier Bourbon, Laurier de Caroline,
Fr. ; Carolinischer Lorbeer, Rother Lorbeer, Ger.
Engravings. Catesb. Car., t. 63. ; Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 2. t.82.; N. Du Ham., 2. t.33. ; and our
fig. 1168. after Michaux, and fig. 1169. after Du Hamel.
Spec. Char., $c. Evergreen. Leaves oval, lanceolate, slightly glaucous be-
neath. Flowers in peduncled axillary groups. {Spreng. Syst., ii. p. 265.)
An evergreen tree, a native of North America, from Virginia to Louisiana ;
introduced in 1739, and flowering in May; but seldom found in collections.
Varieties.
1 L. c. 2 glubra Pursh has the leaves slightly glabrous.
L. c. 3 pubescens Pursh has the leaves slightly pubescent.
t L. c. 4 obtusa Pursh has the leaves ovate-obtuse.
All these varieties were introduced in 1806 ; and they all flower from
May to July. In ourHortus Britannicus, and other modern catalogues, L.
Borbonia and L. carolinensis are made distinct
species ; the former being said to be tender,
and introduced in 1739, and the latter to be
hardy, and introduced in 1806. Both, however,
are said to be the American red bay ; and in
Pursh's Fl. Amer. Sept., and in the N.Du Ham.,
they are considered identical. It appears pro-
bable that this is the case ; and, as it appears
from Michaux (N. Amer. Sylva, ii. p. 150.), that
the tree differs exceedingly according to the lati-
tude in which it grows, L. Eorbonia (Jig. 1 168.)
may be the form it assumes in the southern
states, and L. carolinensis (fig. 11 69.) its ap-
pearance in the more northern ones.
1 1 6H
Description, $c. The red bay, though it sometimes, in the south of Georgia
and the Floridas, attains the height of 60 ft. or 70 ft., with a trunk from 15 in.
4Q 3
1300
ARBORETUM AND FUUTICETUM,
PART III.
to 20 in. in diameter, yet rarely exhi- ]\QQ
bits a regular form : its trunk is gene-
rally crooked, and divided into several
thick limbs at 8 ft., 10ft., or 12ft. from
the ground. In America, Michaux tells
us, " upon old trunks the bark is thick,
and deeply furrowed ; that of the young
branches, on the contrary, is smooth,
and of a beautiful green colour. The
leaves are about Gin. long, alternate,
oval-acuminate, glaucous on the lower
surface, and evergreen. When bruised
they diffuse a strong odour, resembling
that of the sweet bay (Laurus nobilis),
and may, like those of that species, be employed in cookery." (Michx. North
A>»cr. Syl., ii. p. 151.) The male flowers come out in long bunches from the
axils of the leaves ; and the female flowers in loose bunches on pretty long
red peduncles. The berries are of a dark rich blue, in red cups, and they
grow two, and sometimes three, together. The red bay is found in the lower
part of Virginia, and it continues in abundance throughout the maritime dis-
tricts of the Carolinas, Georgia, the two Floridas, and Lower Louisiana.
Mixed with the sweet bay (JLaurus nobilis), tupelo (Nyssa biflora), red
maple ( A^cer rubrum), and water oak (Quercus aquaticaX it fills the broad
swamps which intersect the pine barrens. A cool and humid soil appears
essential to its growth ; and it is remarked, that the farther south it grows,
the more vigorous and beautiful is its vegetation. It was discovered by
Catesby, and described and figured by him in his work on Carolina; Miller
cultivated it in 1739. In France, Plumier constituted it a genus, to which
he gave the name of Borbdnza in honour of Gaston de Bourbon, son of
Henry IV., and uncle of Louis XIV. In America, the wood of the red
bay is used for cabinet-making, as it is very strong, and of a beautiful rose-
colour, has a fine compact grain, and is susceptible of a brilliant polish,
having the appearance, as Catesby tells us, of watered satin. Before mahogany
became the reigning fashion in cabinet-making, Michaux observes, the wood
of the red bay was commonly employed in the southern states of North
America by the cabinet-makers, who produced from it articles of furniture of
the highest degree of beauty ; but trees of the red bay are now no longer to
be found in North America of sufficient diameter for this purpose, and re-
course is had to mahogany, which is imported from St. Domingo at a moderate
price. It might also be employed in ship-building, and for other purposes of
construction, as it unites the properties of strength and durability ; but its
trunks are rarely found of sufficient dimensions to render it available for
these purposes. In England it is solely considered as an ornamental tree ;
and as it is more tender than the common sweet bay, it is only suitable for
warm or sheltered situations, or for being placed against a wall.
* 3. L. CATESBij4r2v^4 Michx. Catesby's Laurel, or Red Bay.
Identification. Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 1. p. 244. : Spreng. Syst., 2. p. 265. ; Pursh Fl. Amer., Sept. 1.,
p. 275.
Engraving. Catcsb. Car., t. 28.
Spec. Char., S(c. Evergreen. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, glossy. Plovers in a terminal panicle. Fruit
ovate. (SprenfT. Syst., 2. p. 265.) An evergreen shrub, a native of the sea-coast of Georgia and Ca-
rolina, introduced in 18'J(), and flowering in May. The flowers are white, and the berries black,
based by red calyxes, on thick red peduncles. We have not seen the plant.
* 4. L. AGGREGANTA Sims. The groupcd-flowcrcd Laurel, or Bay.
Identification. Sims Bot. Ma?., t. 2497.
Engravings. Bot, Mag., t. '2497. ; and our fig. 1170.
.S>r. Char., S(c. Evergreen. Leaves ovate-acuminate, 3-ncrved, glaucous beneath. Flowers
ii|>on distinct pedicels, disused in axillary groups, that are attended at the base with scaly,
ovate, concave bracteas. (Sims in Dot. Mag., t. 24"J7.) An evergreen shrub, a native of China,
CHAP. XCIII. LAUR^CEIE. LAU'RUS. 1301
introduced in 1821. The leaves are alternate, petiolated, of a yel-
lowish or apple green on the upper side, and very glaucous on the
under, with the three nerves uniting a little above the insertion of the
petiole, and terminating short of the point of the leaf. The young shoots
are axillary, and come out from among the flowers, and are furnished
with several membranaceous slightly coloured scales, or a sort of sti-
pules, which are very deciduous. It is rather tender ; but, from the lo-
cality, where it is indigenous, it would probably succeed with very little
protection against a conservative wall.
l^fcc^tcns Ait, L. madeirensis Lam., PeYsea fce"tens Sprcng., is a native
of Madeira, and the Canary Islands, introduced in 1760, and producing its
greenish yellow flowers from March to October. In its native country it
forms a small tree 20ft. high ; but in British gardens it is commonly kept
in a green-house, or in a cold-pit. The plant, however, in the Horticultural
Society's Garden, has stood out as a bush since 1831, and is now upwards of
4ft. high. There can be little doubt that this, and the other species enu-
merated as half-hardy, would stand against a wall with very little protection.
L. Myrrfta Lour, is a native of China, which has stood against a wall in the
Horticultural Society's Garden since 1832. It is generally injured more or
less when the winters are severe ; but it always springs up again, and grows
vigorously during summer.
L. indi'ca L. is an evergreen tree, with noble foliage, which lives and
attains a considerable size in our conservatories and green-houses ; and
there can be little doubt that in the south of England it would live against a conservative wall, at
least as well as the orange and the lemon.
C. Leaves deciduous.
¥ 5. L. SA'SSAFRAS L. The Sassafras Laurel, or Sassafras Tree.
Identification. Lin. Hort. Cliff., 151. , Gron. Virg., 46. ; Kalm It., 2. p. 270. 434. ; Mill. Diet., No. 7. ;
Trew Ehret, t. 59, 60. ; Willd. So. PI., 2. p. 485. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Stftionymes. Cornus mas odorata, folio trifido, margine piano, Sassafras dicta, Pluk. Aim,, 120, t. 222
'f. 6., Catesb. Car., l.p. 55. t. 55.. Seligm. Av. Ic., 2. t. 10. ; Sassafras arbor, ex Florida, ficulneo
folio, Kauh. Pin., 4,31. ; SdtmfrattQ, C. G. Nees Von Esenbeck ; Pt-rsea SAssafras Spreng. ; Laurier
Sassafras, Fr. ; Sassafras Lorbeer, Gcr.
Engravings. Trew Ehret, t.59, 60. ; Blackw. Herb., t. 267. ; Giesecke Ic., fasc. 1. No. 9. ; Pluk.
Aim., t. 222. f. 6. ; Catesb Car., 1. t. 55. ; Seligm. Av. Ic., 2. t. 10. ; and plates in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., fyc. Sexes dioecious. Habit arborescent. Both leaves and
flowers are produced from the same buds. Buds, younger branches, and
the under surface of the leaves, pubescent. Leaves entire, or with 2 — 3
lobes. Veins prominent on the under side. Flowers in corymbose con-
glomerate racemes. Anthers with 4 unequal cells. In the female flower,
additionally to the pistil, are 6 gland-like bodies, like those in the male
flowers. (Nutt. Gen., i. p. 259.) A deciduous tree, from 40ft. to 50ft.
high. A native of North America. Introduced in 1633, and flowering in
April and May.
Varieties. Nuttall states (Gen. $ Cat. N. A. P.) that the inhabitants of North
and South Carolina distinguished two kinds of sassafras, the red and the
white, calling the latter, also, the smooth. The red he identifies with the
jL.,subgenus Euosmus Nutt., Sassafras L.; and the white or smooth he con-
siders a species belonging to the same subgenus, which he calls L. E. albida
Nutt., and of which he has adduced the following characteristics. Its buds
and younger branches are smooth and glaucous ; its leaves are every where
glabrous and thin, and the veins are obsolete on the under surface; the
petiole is longer. He had not seen it in flower. The root is much more
strongly camphorated than the root of the red sort (L. Sassafras), and is
nearly white. This kind is better calculated to answer as a substitute for
ochra (7/ibiscus esculentus) than the L. Sassafras, from its buds and young
branches being much more mucilaginous. It is abundant in North and
South Carolina, from the Catawba Mountains to the east bank of the
Santee, growing with L. Sassafras, which, in North Carolina, is less abun-
dant. (Nut. Gen., i. p. 259, 260.)
Description, #c. The sassafras tree often grows, even in England, to the
height of 40 ft. or 50 ft. (See plate of the tree at Syon, in our last Volume.)
The leaves, which vary very much in size and shape, are covered, when they
first appear, with a soft woolly down ; they are generally deeply lobed, on
long footstalks, and of a pale green; they fall off early in autumn. The
flowers are of a greenish yellow, and but slightly odoriferous ; the berries
are oval, of a bright but deep blue, and contained in small dark red cups,
4o. 4
J302 ARBORETUM AND FKUTICETUM. PART 111.
supported by long red peduncles. These berries are greedily devoured by
birds, and consequently do not remain long on the tree. The bark of the
young branches is smooth, and beautifully green ; but, when old, it becomes
of " a greyish colour, and is chapped into deep cracks. On cutting into it,
it exhibits a dark dull red, a good deal resembling the colour of Peruvian
bark." (Michx. N. Amer. Syl., ii. p. 146.) In the United States the sassa-
fras is found as far north as lat. 43° ; but it there appears only as a tall shrub,
rarely exceeding 15 ft. or 20 ft. in height. In the neighbourhood of New
York and Philadelphia, however, it grows to the height of 40ft. or 50ft.,
and attains a still greater size in the southern states. It is abundant from
" Boston to the banks of the Mississippi, and from the shores of the ocean
in Virginia to the remotest wilds of Upper Louisiana beyond the Missouri,
comprising an extent in each direction of more than 1800 miles." (Michx.)
" The sassafras, on account of its medicinal properties, was one of the first
American trees which became known to Europeans. Monardez, in 1549, and
after him Clusius," treat of its uses. Gerard calls it the ague tree, and says,
that a decoction of its bark will cure agues, and many other diseases. The
bark is still employed in medicine, that of the roots being preferred ; and it is
said to be an excellent sudorific. A decoction of the chips is well known as
a remedy for scorbutic affections. In different parts of the United States, a
tea is made of the flowers, which is considered very efficacious in purifying
the blood. In Louisiana the leaves are used to thicken pottage; and in
Virginia a beer is made of the young shoots. The sassafras chips which are
sold in the English druggists' shops are formed of the wood of this tree ; but
what are called the sassafras nuts are the fruit of the Z/aurus Pucheri of the
Flora Peruviana. (See Lindl. Nat.Syst.ofBot.) Bigelow says that this tree is
produced in almost every part of the United States. " It not only inhabits
every latitude from New England to Florida, but we are told it is also found
in the forests of Mexico, and even in those of Brazil. Its peculiar foliage,
and the spicy qualities of its bark, render it a prominent object of notice, and
it seems to have been one of the earliest trees of the North American con-
tinent to attract the attention of Europeans. Its character, as an article of
medicine, was at one time so high, that it commanded an extravagant price,
and treatises were written to celebrate its virtues. It still retains a place in
the best European pharmacopoeias." (Bigclow's American Botany ,vol.ii. f %141.)
He adds that " the bark has an agreeable smell, and a fragrant spicy taste.
The flavour of the root is more powerful than that of the branches ; and both
flavour and odour reside in a volatile oil, which is readily obtained from the
bark by distillation. The bark and pith of the young twigs abound with a
pure and delicate mucilage ; and in this mucilage and the volatile oil all the
medicinal virtues of the tree are contained. The bark and wood were for-
merly much celebrated in the cure of various complaints, particularly in
rheumatism and dropsy ; but they are now only recognised as forming a warm
stimulant and diaphoretic." (Ibid.) The sassafras is of little value as a
timber tree. In America, the wood, which is white or reddish, is sometimes
used for making bedsteads and other articles of furniture, which are not liable
to be attacked by insects, and have a most agreeable odour, which they re-
tain as long as they are sheltered from the sun and rain. The wood is of
very little esteem for fuel ; and the " bark contains a great deal of air, and
snaps while burning like that of the chestnut." (Michx.) The most inter-
esting historical recollection connected with this tree is, that it may be said to
have led to the discovery of America; as it was its strong fragrance, smelt by
Columbus, that encouraged him to persevere when his crew mutinied, and
enabled him to convince them that land was near at hand.
Soil, Propagation, $c. Any free soil, rather moist than dry, will suit this
species, which is generally propagated from imported seeds, which should be
sown or put in a rot-heap, as soon as received, as they remain a year, and
sometimes two or three years, in the ground, before they come up. The sas-
safras may also be propagated by cuttings of the roots, or by suckers, which
CHA1>. XCIII.
LAUKA'CE^E. Z-AU'RUS.
1303
the roots of old trees (at Syon, for example,) throw up in great abundance.
The situation where the tree is finally planted should be sheltered ; and, in the
north of England and in Scotland, to insure fine foliage, it should be planted
against a wall.
Statistics. Laurus Sassafras in England. In the environs of London, the largest tree is at Syon,
where it is 40 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft 8 in., and of the head 29 ft. At Kew, it is 40 ft.
high. In the Fulham Nursery, it is 30ft. high. In the Mile End Nursery, it is 21 ft. high. South
of London, in the Isle of Jersey, in Saunders's Nursery, 14 years planted, it is 12 ft. high, the diameter
of the trunk 9 in., and of the head 9ft. In Kent, at Cobham Hall, 30 years planted, it is 50 ft. high,
and the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 6 in. In Surrey, at St. Ann's Hill, 30 years planted, it is 22 ft. high,
the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 2 in., and of the head 12 ft. North of London, in Worcestershire, at
Croome, 40 years planted, it is 25 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 9 in., and of the head 12 ft.
L. Sassafras in Scotland. In the Isle of Bute, at Mount Stewart, it is 10 ft. high, the diameter of
the trunk 3 in., and of the head 5 ft.
L. Sassafras in Ireland. In the environs of Dublin, at Castletown, it is 28 ft. high, the di-
ameter of the trunk 1 ft. 6 in. North of Dublin, in Galway, at Coole, it is 19 ft. high, the diameter
of the trunk 12 in., and of the head 22 ft. In Louth, at Oriel Temple, 12 years planted, it is 9 ft. high,
the diameter of head 5 ft.
L. Sassafras" in Foreign Countries. In France, at Sceaux, 10 years planted, it is 15 ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk.8 in., and of the head 6 ft. In the neighbourhood of Nantes, 24 years planted,
it is 30 ft. high, with a trunk 2ft. in diameter. In the Botanical Garden at Avranches, 29 years
planted, it is 20 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 8 in., and of the head 12 ft. In Italy, in Lombardy,
at Monza, 12 years planted, it is 10ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 8 in., and of the head 5 ft.
Commercial Statistics. Plants in the London nurseries, are 5s. each; and
seeds 6s. a quart; at Boll wy Her, plants are 2 francs and 30 cents each; and at
New York, 25 cents.
a 6. L. BENZO^IN L. The Benzoin Laurel, or Benjamin Tree.
Identification. Lin. Hort. Cliff., 154. ; Gron. Virg., 46. ; Mill. Diet., No. 6. ; Willd. Arb., 165 :
Willd. Sp. PI, 2. p. 485. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
Synonymes. Arbor virginiana citreze vel limonii folio, Benzoinum fundens, Comm. Hort., 1. p. 189.
t. 97. ; /.aiirus aestivalis Wang/t. Atner., 87. ; L. Pseudo- Benzoin Mich. Fl. Amer., 1. p. 243. ; L.
Eiu'ismus Benzoin Nutt. Gen., 1. p. 259. ; Benzoin, sp. C. G. Nees. Von Esenbeck ; Spice Bush, Spice
Wood, or wild Allspice, Anier., according to Nuttall ; Laurier faux Benzoin, Fr.; Benzoin Lorbeer,
Ger.
Engravings. Comm. Hort, 1. t. 97. ; Pluk. Aim., t 139. f. 34 ; and our fig. 1171.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves cuneate-obovate, entire, the under side whitish and
partly pubescent, deciduous. Sexes polygamous. Flowers in umbels.
Buds and pedicels of the umbels glabrous. (Nutt. Gen.,\. p. 259.) Leaves
without nerves, ovate, acute at both ends.
(Willd. Sp. PL, ii. p. 485.) A deciduous
shrub, a native of Virginia, where it grows
to the height of 10 ft. or 12 ft. It was in-
troduced in 1688, and is not unfrequent in
collections. In British gardens, it forms a
rather tender peat-earth shrub, handsome
from its large leaves, but seldom thriving,
except where the soil is kept moist and the
situation sheltered. The bark of L. Benzoin
is highly aromatic, stimulant, and tonic,
and is extensively used in North America
in intermittent fevers. The oil of the fruit
is said to be stimulant. (Lindl. Nat. Syst.
of Hot., on the information of Barton.) The
true Benjamin tree, or gum benzoin, is
not, as Ray supposed, this Z/aurus Benzoin,
but a species of Styrax ; as was first shown
by the late Mr. Dryander, in the Philoso-
phical Transactions for 1787, p. 307, t. 12. (Rees's Cyclop.) Z/aurus Benzoin
is propagated from imported seeds, which require to be treated like those
of Z/aurus Sassafras.
Statistics. The largest plant, in the neighbourhood of London, is at Ham House, where it is 15 ft
high ; at Syon, it is 14 ft. high ; at Kew, 6 ft high ; in the Horticultural Society's Garden, 8 ft. high
In Sussex, at Westdean, 14 years planted, it is 12 ft. high. In Warwickshire, at Newnham Paddocks,
10 years planted, it is 5 ft. high. In Worcestershire, at Croome, 15 years planted, it is 15 ft high : at
Hagley, 12 years planted, it is 6 ft. high. In Ireland, at Oriel Temple, 12 years planted, it is 6ft.
high. In Germany, near Vienna, at Briick on the Leytha, 25 years planted, it is 15ft. high. At
Hrrlin, in the Botanic Garden, 14 years planted, it is 10ft. high. In Italy, at Monza. 24 vears
planted, it is 14ft. high.
1304- ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART III.
Commerced Statistics. Price of plants, in the London nurseries, Is. 6d.
each, and seeds 0*. a quart ; at Bollwyller, 2 francs ; and at New York,
25 cents.
at 7. L. (J5.) -DiospYvnus Pers. The Diospyrus-Afre Laurel, or itoj/.
Identification. Pers. Syn., 1. p. 450. ; Bot. Mag., 1. 1470. ; where Dr. Sims states that Persoon's epi-
thet 7Jiospyrus, is an abbreviation of Michaux's one of diospyroldes.
Svnonumes. L. Euosmus Diospyrus Nutt. Gen., 1. p. 259. ; L. rfiospyruldes Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer.,
1. p 243. ; ? L. melissffifblia Walt. Fl. Car., 134. Dr. Sims (Bot. Mag., 1. 1470.) states that he has
not much doubt that the L. melissa?f<Mia Walter is identical with this species ; and he adds that
Mr. Fraser, who was the friend of Walter, and editor of his work, always considered it as such,
and has remarked that " the leaves are not at all like those of the balm ; but it was, probably, the
scent, not the form, that suggested the appellation."
Engravings. Bot Mag., 1. 1470. ; and our Jig. 1172.
Spec. Char., fyc. Habit low, surculose, twiggy. Leaves oblong-oval and
entire, the under side veiny and pubescent, deciduous. Flower buds and
pedicels villous. Sexes dioecious. Fruit large. (Nutt. Gen., i. p. 259.) A
running twiggy shrub, 2 ft. or 3 ft. high, in its
native swamps, in Virginia and Carolina; intro-
duced in 1810. Leaves opaque, oblong-oval, at-
tenuated towards the base, entire, the under side
veiny and pubescent, deciduous. Scales of the
buds purple, villous. Younger branches villous.
Sexes dioecious. Flower buds and pedicels villous.
Flowers disposed in sessile umbeled groups, 3 — 5
in a group. Perfect stamens 9. Gland-like bodies
large, orange yellow. Fruit larger than that of
L. Benzoin, oblong-ovate, scarlet, upon thick and
distinct pedicels Cotyledons large, thick, oily,
attached by near their base to the remainder of the
embryo. (Xutt. Gen., i. p. 259.) It is what may be C^fV'^^^ 1172
deemed the male sex that is represented in Sot.
Mag., t. 1470., and our^g. 1 172. ; and in the text of the Bot. Mag. is the
following interesting information by Dr. Sims, on the structure of its
flowers. There were 9 perfect stamens, and an imperfect ovary ; and 6
glands on short pedicels, resembling so many little yellow mushrooms, with
a warty pileus : the anthers had 2 cells each. {Bot. Mag.) L. Pseudo-Ben-
zoin Michx. is supposed by Dr. Sims (Bot. Mag., t. 1471.) to be either
identical with, or a slight variation from, this species. The only plant
which we have seen bearing the name of L. i)iospyrus is at White Knights,
where it so closely resembles L. Benzoin, as to leave no doubt in our
mind that Dr. Sims's conjecture was right.
& 8. L. (B.) ^ESTIVAVLIS L. The summer Laurel, or Willow-leaved Bay.
Identification. Lin. Sp., 529. ; Syst, 384. ; Mart. Mill, No. 24. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 2. p. 485.
Synonymes. L. enervia Mill. Diet., No. 8. ; L. Euosmus astivMis Nutt. Gen., 1. p. 259. ; Pond bush,
Amer. ; Sommcr Lorbeer, Ger.
Engraving. Catesb. Car., 2. t. 28.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves oblong-acuminate, entire, glabrous, veiny, deci-
duous. Flowers in umbels. Sexes polygamous. (Nutt. Gen.,\. p. 259.)
Dr. Sims has noted, incidentally, in the Bot. Mag., t. 1470., that there
are two different specimens of the L. aestivalis in the Banksian herbarium ;
that one of them, the flowering specimen from Jacquin's herbarium, is
evidently a specimen of the L.geniculata Bot. Mag., t. 1471.; and that the
other, in the leaves, is similar to the L. Z)iospyrus Bot. Mag., t. 1470.
Farther, Dr. Sims has noted, t. 1471., that it is not easy to say to which
species L. aestivalis really belongs, and that if Linnaeus had meant the cha-
racter of supra-axillary branches to describe that the buds are produced
below the branches, and not in the axils of them, it is as applicable to the
allied L. Z)iospyrus and L. geniculata. (Bot. Mag., t. 1470.) A shrub,
about 6ft. or 8ft. high, a native of Virginia, in the swamps which inter-
sect the pine barrens. Introduced in 1775. There was a plant in the
Horticultural Society's Garden, some years ago, which is since dead.
CHAP. XCIII.
LAURAVCE,E. LAU nus.
1305
a* 9. L. GENICULAVTA Michx. The knee-fiexed-&ro*dtaJ Laurel, or Hay.
Identification. Michx. Fl. Hor. Ainer., 1. p. 244. ; Pers. Synops., 1. p. 450. ; Walt. Fl. Car., p. 133. ;
I'ursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 1. p. i'Tii. ; Hot. Mag., t. 1471.
. ., . . . . ., . .
L. Eu.ismus geniculata Nutt. Gen.t 1. p. 259. ; L. testivalis HY//rf. Sp. PI., 2. p. 484.,
according to I'ursh.
Engravings. Hot. Mag., 1. 1471. ; and our Jig. 1173.
Spec. Char., tie. Branches divaricate and flexuous. Leaves cuneate-oblong,
mostly obtuse, about 1^ in. long, in many instances less than half an inch
wide, entire, glabrous, except upon the under side near the base. Flowers
in terminal small umbels, that are upon con-
spicuous footstalks and smooth. Anthers
unequally 4-celled. Sexes polygamous.
(Xntt.Gcn.,i. p. 259.) Nuttall adds that
this kind grows from 8ft. to 12ft. high,
and that the branches are flexuous, grey,
smooth, and so remarkably divaricated as
to give a characteristic appearance to the
pods which they border j and that its native
localities are, invariably, sandy swamps, and
the margins of lagoons, from Virginia to
Florida. Dr. Sims has noted that the
zigzag direction and deep colour of the branches distinguish the L. geniculata
at first sight ; and that he could not perceive in its bark any of the aromatic-
scent so remarkable in most of the genus, and which is so clearly percep-
tible in L. Benzoin. Pursh states that the flowers are yellow, and the
berries globose and scarlet. We received a plant of this species from Bar-
tram's Botanic Garden, in 1831: it appeared very distinct; but, owing
to the crowded state of our garden, and the want of moisture, it died in the
summer of 183-i. Price of plants, at New York, 1 dollar.
A pp. I. Half-liar dy Species ofl^aurdcece.
CinnawdmviH Camphora Swt. TLai.rus Cumphora L., the Camphor tree, (N. Dit Ham , 2
Hot. Mag., t. 2658.:; and our Jig.l 174.) is a native of Japan, and other parts of Eastern India,
it grows to the height of the European lime tree, and makes a fine appearance, from its
. t. 35. ;
where
_ appearance, from its glossy
shining leaves. The wood is white, with reddish waxy
leaves, and the odour of camphor is exhaled from it, and
from every other part of the plant. Camphor, and camphor
oil, are well known medicines, which are obtained from
this .tree. Camphor is considered one of the principal
diaphoretics, and is of a particularly subtile and penetrating
1174-
1175
nature, quickly diffusing itself through the whole human frame. It is used in a great variety of
medical preparations. Camphor is obtained from the tree by splitting the wood into small pieces,
and distilling it with water in an iron retort, covered with an earthen or wooden pot, in the hollow
of which hay or straw is placed, to which the camphor adheres as it rises with the steam of the water.
It is at first of a brownish white, and in very small particles, but, after being redistilled, it is com-
pressed into the lumps which we see in the shops. The camphor used in Europe is chiefly imported
from Japan. Camphor oil is obtained by making an incision in the trunk of the tree, and inserting
a small tube of rcctl, through which the sap exudes, from which the oil is obtained by skimming.
In Hritish gardens the camphor tree is commonly kept in grccn-huuses or cold-pits; and we have no
doubt whatever, that, with a moderate degree of protection, it would live against a conservative wall.
•im Swt. ; £aurus Cinnumumuvn /,. ; L. Cassia Hot. U<t«., 1H36. ; and OUT Jig. 1175. ; the
1306
ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM.
PART III.
cinnamon tree, is a native of the Island of Ceylon, and other parts of the East ; and it has been in.
troduced into South America, and the Isle of France, where it is cultivated for the bark. It is com-
monly considered as a stove plant, but it has ripened seeds in the conservatory of M Boursault, at
Paris, from which young plants have been raised, in 1827/1828, and 1829, and these plants have stood
the winter in the open air there for several years, with very little protection. It well deserves a trial,
therefore, against a conservative wall, in British gardens.
C. Ciissia D. Don ; iaurus Cassia L. • L. Cinnambmum Dot. Rep. ; P£rsea Cassia Spr. ; the
Wild Cinnamon, Bot. Rep.,t. 596., which is a native of Ceylon, where it grows to the height of 50ft. or
60 ft, with large spreading branches, is thought to be nothing more than C. verum in a wild state.
Other ligneous plants belonging to this order, natives of Japan, Mexico, the Cape of Good Hope,
and of New South Wales, and usually kept in green-houses, will be found enumerated in our Hortus
Britannicus. Most of them, we have no doubt, could make a much better appearance against a flued
conservative wall, than ever they can do in a house.
CHAP. XCIV.
OF THE HALF-HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS BELONGING TO THE
ORDER PROTEA'CEJE.
ALL the plants of this order are ligneous ; and, with very few exceptions, are natives of Australia,
and the Cape of Good Hope. Many species have been introduced, belonging to upwards of 30
1176
^ 1177
genera ; and, doubtless, there are a great number of these, particularly the natives of New Holland,
which would stand the winters of the climate of London against a conservative wall.
Bdnks\& littorulis R. Br. is a native of New Holland, where it forms
a bush 8 ft high, A plant stood against a wall in the Horticultural
Society's Garden, from 1832 till it was killed by the severe spring of
1836.
B. oblongifblia Cav., Bot Cab., 241., stood out with_us at Bayswater
for four years, but was killed in the spring of 1836.
Grevillea. rosmarintfblia Cun. (fig. 1176.) is a very elegant plant, a
native of New South Wales, where it grows t? the height of 4 ft. or
5 ft. A plant has stood out in front of the stove at Kew, since 1826,
flowering freely every year.
G. acuminata R. Br. (figs. 1177, 1178.) is also a native of New South
Wales, and is considered equally hardy with G. rosmarinifdlia.
HMea aciculftris R. Br, Vent. Malm., 3. ; H. suavlolens R. Br. ;
and H. pugionifdrmis R. Br., Bot. Cab., 353., and our fig.1113. j have
stood out in the Horticultural Society's Garden since 1832.
It is probable that most of the species belonging to this order are
equally nardy with those above enumerated ; and we should have
no hesitation in asserting that, against a flued wall, with straw hur-
dles to be set against it during severe weather, and taken off for an
hour or more every fine day, all the Protedce<£ might be exhibited in
the climate of London in greater vigour and beauty than they are in
their native countiy. This may be thought a bold assertion ; but, as
it holds good in the case of .Erica and Pelargdnium, we see no reason
why, if the same care were applied, the same should not follow in the
case of all the plants of this very interesting order.
1179
CHAP. XCV.
OF THE HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER THYMELA^CE,ffi.
THESE belong to two genera, Daphne L. and Dirca L.t which have the
following characters : —
CHAP. XCV.
THYMELA CEJE. DAPHNE.
1307
/)A'PHNE L. Calyx inferior, somewhat salver-shaped ; in most, of some other
colour than that of the leaves, and, from its shape and colour, resembling
a corolla : segments of its limb 4, deep, ovate, or oblong, imbricate in aesti-
vation. Stamens 8, in two rows ; the filaments with but a short part distinct
from the tube of the calyx ; the anthers not prominent beyond it. Ovary
solitary. Ovule solitary, pendulous. Style very short. Stigma capitate.
Fruit an ovate carpel, pulpy externally. Seed 1, pendulous. Shrubs.
Inner bark silky. Most of the kinds evergreen. Leaves entire, in most
alternate ; if not alternate, opposite. Flowers terminal or axillary, mostly
in groups, highly fragrant. The whole plant, in most, perhaps in all, intensely
acrid and dangerous. (Smith Eng. Flora ; Lindl. Nat. Syst. ; Brown Prod.,
and observation.)
DI'RCA L. Calyx inferior, funnel-shaped, ending in 4 (Du Hamel has stated
in the " essential character" 5) unequal teeth : it is of a pale yellow colour,
and hence, and from its figure, resembles a corolla. Stamens 8, arising
from the middle of the calyx, and prominent beyond its tip, unequal.
Ovary solitary. Style thread-shaped, extending a little beyond the sta-
mens. Stigma a simple point. Fruit a dry carpel. Seed 1, pendulous.
D. palustris L. is the only species described ; and is a low shrub, that has
upright branches, a very tough bark, and flowers 3 together. (Du Ham.,
Bot. Reg., Lindl. N. S., and observation.)
GENUS I.
ZJA'PHNE L. THE DAPHNE. Lin. Syst. Octandria Monogynia.
ttfcation. Lin. Gen., 192. ; Juss. Gen. PI., 77. ; Lam. 111., t. 290. ; Smith Eng. Flora, 2. p. 228.
•nyme. rhymelaeva Tattrn. Inst., t. 366., Gtzrtn., t 39.
erivation. Daphne is asserted by Lindley, and some other botanists, to have been the Greek name
of the fluscus racemosus, or Alexandrian laurel, into which it is fabled that Daphne was changed.
" Why the name has been applied to the shrubs now called Daphne, it is not easy to say." (Lindl. Botf
Reg.yi. 1177.) It is stated in Rees's Cyclopcedia, under Z,aurus, that L. n6bilis "is certainly
the Daphne of Dioscorides, and, consequently, the classical laurel. It is still called by the same
name among the modern Greeks;" this is also the popular belief (See St. Pierre's E'tudes de la
Mature, Lempriere's Class. Diet., &c. &c.) Supposing the Daphne to have been the iaurus no-
bilis, or bay tree, it is easy to account for its being applied to this genus, the D. Mezereum
being formerly called the dwarf bay in England ; and nearly all the species retaining the names of
laureole and laureola in France and Italy.
Description, $c. Undershrubs, evergreen and deciduous, natives chiefly of
Europe, but partly also of the cooler parts of Asia, including Japan and
China. The odour of some of the species is very agreeable ; and the bark of
all of them is acrid. They are all beautiful, and rather difficult to propagate,
except by seeds. The price of plants, in the London nurseries, is from 1$.
to 2s. 6d. for all the sorts, except D. Mezereum, and D. Laureola, which
are 6d. each.
A. Leaves deciduous.
a 1. D. MEZE^REUM L. The Mezereon Daphne, or common Mezereon.
Identification. Lin. Sp PI., p. 509. ; Willd. Sp. PI, 2. p. 415.; Mill. Diet, n. 2.; Smith Ene
Flora, 2. p. 228. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
rge, Parkinson ; Dwarf Bay, Gerard •
Kellerbalzl
Synonymes.' Spurge Olive, Spurge Flax ; Flowering
Laureole femelle, Bois gentil, Mezereon, Bois joli, Fr. ; gerneiner Seidelbast, or
Ger. ; Peperachtige Daphne, Dutch ; Laureola femina, Biondella, Camelia, Ital. ; Laureola hem-
bra, Span.
Derivation. Mezereum and Mezereon are said to be derived from madzaryon, the Persian name for
this shrub.
Engravings. Eng. Bot, t. 1381. ; CEd. Fl. Dan., t 268. ; and our fig. 1180.
A/wr. Char., fyc. Leaves lanceolate, deciduous. Flowers distributed over
the branches in threes mostly, and in pairs and fours, expanded before the
leaves are protruded. A native of the woods of northern Europe. ( Willd. ,
and obs.) Found in woods, but rare, in the south and west of
1 808
ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM.
PART III.
England; growing to the height of 4ft., and flowering in February, March,
or April.
}' a rirtics.
tt D. M. 2 Jlorc albo has white flowers and yellow fruit.
a D. M. 3 autumnale. — This is a remarkably distinct variety, not fas-
tigiate in its mode of growth, but spreading; also with larger leaves
than the species, and producing its flowers in autumn. These are
very seldom succeeded by fruit, as might be expected from the season
at which they are produced. It is a most desirable shrub, being
commonly covered with its gay pinkish blossoms from November to
March. It is rare in the nurseries about London ; and is principally
propagated by the Messrs. Backhouse of York.
Description, fyc. The mezereon is a well-known shrub, much valued in
our gardens and shrubberies for the beauty both of its flowers and fruit. It
produces its agreeably fragrant flowers in February or March, before the
leaves; when, as Cowper has beautifully expressed it, its branches are
" Though leafless, well attired, and thick beset
With blushing wreaths, investing every spray." Task, book v.
The whole shrub is poisonous to human beings,
though the berries are a favourite food for finches,
and other birds, more especially the robin. The
bark is powerfully acrid : it is used in France for
forming setons or slight blisters, and is very effica-
cious in cases where it is thought desirable to pro-
duce a slight serous discharge, without raising a
large blister. When either the bark or berries are
chewed, they produce violent and long-continued
heat and irritation in the mouth and throat. The
mezereon is sometimes used in medicine ; but it
requires to be administered by a skilful hand.
When the berries have been eaten by children or
others, accidentally, the best remedies are oil, fresh
butter, linseed tea, milk, or some other kind ofj
emollient, to allay the violence of the inflammation.
The branches of this plant afford a yellow dye. The
mezereon is of very easy culture. It is generally
propagated by seeds; which, if suffered to get dry
before they are sown, will remain two years in the soil ; but which, if sown in
autumn immediately after gathering them, generally come up the following
spring. The best time for transplanting this shrub is in October, as it begins
to vegetate very soon after Christmas. It thrives most in a loamy soil, and
in an open situation ; and, when it is properly treated, and has room, it will
in 8 or 10 years form a bush 5 ft. or 6 ft. high, and 7 ft. or 8 ft. in diameter.
There is a plant in the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges, 6 ft. high. Price of
plants, in the London nurseries, 50.?. a hundred; and of the autumn-flowering
variety, 1*. Qd. a plant : at Bollwyller, 50 cents a plant : and at New York,
20 cents, and of the white-flowered variety, 50 cents.
** 2. D. ALTAVICA Pall. The Altaic Daphne.
Identification. Pall. Fl. Ross., 1. p. 53. t. 35. : Willd. Sp. PI., 2. p. 422. ; Sims in Bot Mag., t. 1875. ;
Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
St/nonymcs. Daphne altaique, Laureole de Tartarie, Fr. ; Sibirischer Seidelbast, Ger.
Engravings. Pall. Fl. Ross., 1. t. 35. ; Bot. Mag., t. 1875. ; Bot Cab., t. 399. ; and our fig. 1181.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves obovate-lanceolate, glabrous. Flowers sessile, in
terminal umbels, about 5 in an umbel. (Sims in Bot. Mag., t. 1875.) Bark
reddish brown in colour. Leaves oblong, broader towards the upper
extremity, and narrowed downwards, of a somewhat glaucous and
yellowish green, the latter colour prevailing most while they are young.
Flowers white, and scentless ; produced in May and June. Lobes of
CHAP. XCV,
THYMELA^CE^.
'r'll N K.
1309
1181
the calyx revolute. A native of the Al-
taic Alps, in Siberia. (Ib'ul.) In the Xunvcan
Du Hanicl, it is stated that this plant bears a
striking resemblance, in its general appearance,
to the mezereon, with the exception of the
flowers, which are disposed in terminal umbels,
and are white and scentless. It is at present
not very common in British collections, though
it well deserves a place there, from its neat
compact habit of growth ; and from its flowers,
which come in in succession to those of the
common mezereon. Plants, in the London
nurseries, are 2s. Gd. each.
j* 3. D. ALPI^NA L. The Alpine Daphne.
Identification. Lin. Sp., 510., Syst, 371. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 2. p. 418. ; Mill.
Diet, n. 5. ; Gouan Illustr., 27. ; Willd. Arb., 99. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 183o.
Si/nonymes. The Alpine Chamelea Marsh. Plant., 2. p. 112. ; Daphne
' des Alpes Fr. ; Alpen Siedelbast, Ger.
Engravings. Lodd. Bot. Cab., t fif>. ; and our fig. 1182.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves lanceolate, a little obtuse, to-
mentose beneath, deciduous. Flowers sessile, aggre-
gate. (Willd. Sp. PI., ii. p. 418., and observation.) A
native of the Alps of Switzerland, Geneva, Italy, and
Austria; where it grows to the height of 2ft., flower-
ing from May to July. It wa£ introduced in 1759, and
is frequent in collections.
Description, #c. A low branchy shrub, with white-
flowers, silky on the outside, which come out in clusters
from the sides of the branches, and are very fragrant.
They appear in March, and are succeeded by roundish
red berries, that ripen in September. It is quite hardy,
and is very suitable for rockwork ; as the roots fix
themselves deeply into the crevices of the rocks.
B. Erect. Leaves persistent. Flowers lateral.
m 4. D. LAURE\>LA L. The Laureola Daphne, or Spurge Laurel.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 510. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 2. p. 418. ; Smith Eng. Flora, 2. p. 229. ; Hook. Fl.
Scot, 119. ; Jacq. Austr., t. 183. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
Synonymes. Daphniiides veTum, vel Laureola, Gesn., fasc. 1. 7. t 6. f. 9. ; Laureola Ran Syn., 465.,
Ger. Em., 1404. ; rhymela^a Laurdola, Scop. Cam., 2. n. 463. ; the Evergreen Daphne; 'Laurtole
male, Laureole des Anglais, Fr. ; Immergriiner Seidelbast, Ger.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., t. 119. ; Jacq. Austr., 1. 183. ; and our Jig. 1183.
Spec. Char.yfyc. Evergreen. Leaves obovate-lanceolate, smooth. Flowers
in axillary, simple, drooping clusters, that are shorter than the leaves :
flowers in each about 5. Calyx obtuse.
(Smith Eng. Flora., ii. p. 229.) An ever-
green shrub; a native of Britain, and most
other parts of Europe, in woods ; growing to
the height of 3 ft. or 4 ft., and producing its
yellowish green flowers, which are disposed in
clusters of 5 each, soon after Christmas, if
the weather be not very severe, and continuing
flowering till March. Though not showy in
its flowers, it is a valuable plant for a shrub-
bery, from its being evergreen, and from its
thick, glossy, shining leaves being disposed in
tufts at the ends of the branches, so as to give it a full bushy appear-
ance ; which has a good effect in plantations, where it is desirable to pro-
duce masses of dark green. It thrives best in the shade, and will flourish
in situations under the drip of trees, where few other plants would grow.
1183
1310 AllHOKETUM AND FKUTICETUM. I'AKTIIl
If exposed to the sun, the leaves turn back with a kind of twist ; and, instead
of their natural pure deep urreen, they assume a brownish tinge. The ber-
ries are oval, ureen at first, but black when ripe; and they are a favourite
food of >ingini: birds : though, as De Candolle observes in the Flore Frnn-
raisr, thev are poisonous to all other animals. The spurge laurel is propa-
gated b\ seeds, like the me/.ereon ; but, as they will remain two years in the
ground' before they vegetate, they are generally treated like haws, and kept
tor some time in the rotting-heap. It may also be propagated by cuttings ;
but not readilv. It is much used in nurseries, as a stock on which to graft
the more tender species of the genus; but as, like all the other daphnes, it
has few roots, it requires to be transplanted with care.
• 5. 1). PO'NTIC' A L. The Politic Daphne, or twin-lowered Spurge Laurel,
Li.-ntificatiim. Lin. Sp. PL, -III.; Pall. Fl. Ross., 1. p. .r,k ; Willd. Sp. PI., i.'. p. 41!'. ; Lodd. Cat.,
ru-s. rhymehiAi pontica, citrei foliis, Tourn. Ithi., .>. p. ISO. t. ISO.; Laureole du Levant,
Pnntix-her Siedelbast, d'tv.
Engravings. Tourn. Itin., ,j. t. ISO.; Hot. Mag., t. li?S2. ; and m\r fig. 1184.
S/itc. Char., be. Evergreen. Leaves obovatc-lanceolate, glabrous. Flowers
hractless, glabrous, in many-flowered upright clusters, each of the long
partial stalks of which bears two flowers. Lobes of the calyx lanceolate,
long. (Sjireng.) A native of Asia Minor, where it forms a shrub, growing
to the height of 4- ft. or 5ft., and producing its greenish yellow flowers in
April and May. It was introduced in 1759, and is frequent in collections.
Varieties.
* D. p. 2 i-uhra Hort. has red flowers, and is supposed to be a hybrid. It
is rather more tender than the species.
» D. p. '.l/ulUx variegutift Lodd. Cat., 1 830, has variegated leaves.
l)t trrijition, ty/-. The whole plant, in general
appearance, strongly resembles the common
spume laurel ; but the leaves are more oval, and
shorter; ami the flowers, which are disposed in
twos instead of fives, are yellower, and of a
sweeter scent. The leaves somewhat resemble
those of the lemon tree, especially in colour;
whence,- Tournefort's trivial name. When bruised,
they smell like those of the elder. This fine plant
\\as first discovered bv TourncJort, on the coast of
the Black Sea, on lulls and in woods; and Pallas
says that it is also found in Siberia, in thick woods,
and in the \alle\s uhich occur between the ridges
of lofty mountains. It is, generally speaking, sufficiently hardy to bear the win-
ters of the (limateof London without protection ; but, being disposed to put forth
its young shoots very early, they are often injured in exposed situations, by the
-priiiL: frosts; ''an inconvenience which probably might be avoided bv planting
it in thickets, and under the shelter of trees." (Uol. J\I(tg., t. 1282.) It thrives
best iu soil similar to that usually prepared for American plants, on the shad}
side of a \\all, or in some other sheltered situation, where it will form a very
handsome bush, 1 ft . or 5 ft. high, and (i ft. or 8 ft. in diameter. It may be propa-
gated by -eeds or cuttings. Plants, in tin- London nurseries, are l.v. (*/. each.
• (). I). 7'in MI:I. ,I;'A L. The Thymela-a, or Milkirort-Iike, Daphne.
///. nti/'i titi'.n. Vahl Syinli, 1. p. ','H , Willd. Sp. PI., J. p. Ho'.
S//MOWI////, t. /'hyincl.T'.i loln> polypi! e ^'lahri- Hunk. I'm , Kl.'i. ; '/'. alpina f-lahr.i, flosculiK sublnteis
.-id li.lKirinn ortum -e--ihl>n*, /'//</,. Aim., .Jlili. t. M1,'!». f. V. ; Sanainunda viridis vel ^labra //«/»//.
rr.»l., \>*}.- SanaiMiinda ^lalira Haul,, ///s/., 1 j.. :,<.>2. ; Passerlna yiiynu-la-'a Dec. ; the Wild
Olive; La ThyJnelie, //., astlo.tcr Seidelbast, (Vcr,
I),-ti"fitiu,i 7'ii\ni< la- a is probably derived troni llii/»nis, puison, and ,-/difi, or </<m, the olive tree,
in releren.e to the i oi-onoii- ijuahtie-; ol the plant/and its .sliKht resemblance to the olive.
/•:nnrti>-i'if!*- r'<-T. Prov , t IV I -' , Pink. Aim., t. 'A'!'. ('. °. ; and onry//,'. 11H.V
Sfxc. C//ru-., \<\ Evergreen. Stem much branched. Branches simple, \\arted.
Leaves lanceolate, broader towards the tip, crowded. Mowers axillary.
CHAP. xcv. THYMELAXCE;E. DA'PIINE. l:Jll
sessile. (Vahl Si/nib., 1. p. 28.) A native of Spain, and of the
neighbourhood of Montpelier, where it forms a shrub 3ft. high,
flowering from February to April. Introduced in 1815; but
rare in collections. The leaves are of a glaucous hue ; and the
flowers, which are produced in clusters on the sides of the
branches, are of a yellowish green ; they are inconspicuous, and
they are succeeded by small berries, which are yellowish when
ripe. The plant requires to be kept warm and dry ; and to be
grown in sandy peat, kept in an equable degree of moisture. For
this reason, this and other species of Daphne form very suitable
plants for being grown together in a daphnetum, in the same man-
ner as the heaths in an ericetum.
• 7. D. T^RTON-RAl'RA L. The Tarton-raira, or silvery-leaved, Daphne.
Identification, Lin. So., 510. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 2. p. 417. ; Lodd. Cat, JW 1186
ed. 1836.
Synonymes. TTiymelae'a foliis candicantibus et serici instar mollibus
Bauh. Pin., 463. ; Tarton-Raire Gallo-provinciae Monspeliensium
Lob. Ic., 371. ; Sanamundaargentata latifblia Barr. Ic., 221. ; Pas-
serlna Idrton-ratra Schrad. ; the oval-leaved Daphne; Laureole
blanche, Fr. ; Silberblattriger Seidelbast Ger.
Engravings. Lob. Ic., 371. ; Barr. Ic., 221. ; FL Greca, t 354. ; and
ourjig.1186.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves persistent, obovate, nerved,
silky, hoary. Flowers sessile, lateral, aggregate,
imbricated with scales at the base. ( Vahl Symb.)
A native of the south of France, where it grows
to the height of 3 ft., flowering from May to July.
Cultivated by Miller in 1739, and now frequent in
collections. This species is remarkable for the
smallness and silkiness of its leaves, and the white
appearance of the whole plant. The flowers are
small, yellowish, sessile, and come out in thick
clusters. The plant is very suitable for rockwork,
as its branches are weak, irregular, and scarcely
ligneous ; it requires a warm dry situation, exposed
to the sun. Plants, in the London nurseries, are 1*. Gd. each.
• 8. D. (? T.) PUBE'SCENS L. The pubescent Daphne.
Identification. Lin. Mant, 66. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 2. p. 417.
Synonymes. 7Tiymela;va italica, Tarton-raire Gallo-provincias similis, sed per omnia major Michdi,
cited in Tilli Cat. Hort. Pisani ; behaartcr Seidelbast Ger.
Engraving. Tilli Cat. Hort. Pisani, t. 49. f. 2.
Spec. Char., #c. Stems pubescent, simple. Leaves linear- lanceolate, almost mucronate, alternate.
Flowers axillary; 5, or fewer, in an axil ; sessile, narrow, shorter than the leaf: the tube thread-
shaped and downy. It seems different from D. rhymelseX and was found in Austria by Jacquin
(Willd.) It is stated to have its leaves nearly deciduous. Introduced in 1810.
» 9. D. (? T.) TOMENTO'SA Lam. The tomentose Daphne.
Identification. Lam. Diet. ; N. Du Ham., 1. p. 26.
Synonymes. Passerlna villosa Lin. ; Laureole cotonneuse Lam. Encyc., 10.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Flowers sessile, axillary. Leaves oblong-obtuse, covered with tomentum on both
sides. (Lam.) A low shrub, very nearly allied to D. Tdrton-raira, but larger in all its parts, and
with more obtuse leaves, which are covered with tomentum, instead of a silky down. It is a native
of Asia Minor and the Levant, and produces its white flowers in May. It was introduced in 1800
but is now probably lost.
C. Erect. Leaves persistent. Flowers terminal.
• 10. D. COLLIVNA Smith. The h\\\-inhabiting Daphne, or Neapolitan
Mezereon.
Identification. Smith in Fl. Graeca, t. 359. ; Smith Spicil., t 18. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 2. p. 423. : Bot
Mag , t 428. ; N. Du Ham., t. 2. ; Wikstrom Diss. de Daphn<?, p. 32. ; Enum., p. 9. ; Lodd. Cat.,
ccL 183H.
Synonymes. D. colllna « Bot. Reg., L 822., ? D. Auxif Mia Vahl Symb., 1. p. 29. : Daphn£ des Collines.
Laureole S Feuilles de Sant<5, Fr. ; Stumpf blattriger Seidelbast, Ger.
Engraving. Fl. Grzeca, t. 359. ; Smith Spicil., t. 18. ; Bot Mag., t. 428. ; N. Du Ham., t. 2. : Bot
Cab., t. 1.W; and ourjfc. 1187.
4 R
1312
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
Spec. Char., <$c. Leaves obovate, glabrous and glossy
above, and hirsutely villous beneath. Flowers in
terminal groups. Calyx externally silkily villous;
its lobes ovate, obtuse. (/n/r.v/nVw, quoted in Bot.
Reg., t. 822.) A low shrub, with pretty pinkish
blossoms. Found abundantly on low hills, andon
the banks of rivers, in the south of Italy, where it
grows to the height of 3 ft., and flowers from Janu-
ary to June. It was first discovered by Tournefort in
the Isle of Candia (the ancient Crete) ; and after-
wards by Sir J. E. Smith in the kingdom of Naples, in
1787. "it was introduced in 1752, and is frequent in
collections. It well deserves a place in every daph-
netum. Grafted plants, grown in a border sheltered
from the north by a wall, thrive well ; and form thick
bushes, with nearly level heads, covered with flowers.
The branches always take an upright direction, and
are tipped with groups of pale pink blossoms, which
are extremely fragrant, and expand very early in the
spring. Price of plants, in the London nurseries,
1*. Qd. each.
*11. D. (c.) NEAPOLITAN A Lodd. The Neapolitan Daphne.
Identification. Lodd. Bot. Cab., t. 719. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
Synonyme. D. collina /3 neapolitana Lindl. in Bot. Reg., t. 822.
Engravings. Lodd. Bot. Cab., t 719. ; Bot Reg., t. 822. ; and our fig. 1188.
Spec. Char.y $c. " This pretty plant is surely a mere variety of D. collina,
from which it differs, as far as we can observe, after comparing the living
plants, chiefly in the want of pubescence on the under sur-
face of the leaves. Like many other plants with which the
catalogues and floras of the present day are augmented, it is
a sport of nature, which the ingenious acuteness of mo-
dern botanists have brought into notice; but which, if
unmolested upon its native hills, would quickly have passed
away into the type from which it sprang." (Lindley in Sot.
Reg., t. 822.) In cultivation in British gardens since 1822.
2s. 6d. each.
1188
Price of plants
* 12. D. (c.) OLEoYDES L. The Olive-like Daphne.
Identification. Lin. Mant, 66. ; Schreb. Dec., 13. t. 7.; Willd. Sp. PI., 2. p. 423.;
Reich., 2. p. 194. ; Sims in Bot. Mag., t. 1917. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
Synonymes. Chamaedaphnoldes cretica Alpin. Exot., 44. t. 43. ; Thymelas'a
cretica oleae folio utriusque glabro Tourn. Cor., 41. ; Daphne jalicifblia Lam.
Encycl., 3. p. 423. ; Laureole a Feuilles d'Olivier, Fr. ; Oelbaumblattriger
Seidelbast, Ger.
Engravings. Alpin. Exot, t. 43. ; Schreb. Dec., 13. t 7. ; Bot. Mag., t. 1917. ;
Bot Cab., t 299. ; and our fig. 1189.
Spec. Char.y fyc. Leaves obovate-lanceolate, terminated with
a minute mucro, glabrous upon both sides. Flowers ter-
minal, sessile, a few together, and surrounded by leaves,
that in some measure involucrate them. (Bot. Mag.> t.
1917.) A native of Crete, where it grows to the height of
2 ft., and produces its flowers during the greater part of
the year. It is less showy in its flowers than D. collina, but
is deserving of cultivation from its nearly glossy and pointed
leaves, and neat habit of growth. It was introduced in 1815.
Price of plants, in the London nurseries, Is. Gd. each.
1189
* 13. D. (c.) SERI'CEA Vahl. The silky-leaved Daphne.
Identification. Vahl Symb., 1. p. 28. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 2. p. 423.
Kymmymes. TTiymela^a erotica oleae folio subtus villoso Tourn
Encycl., 3. p. 424. ; Seidenartiger Seidelbast, Ger.
Cor., 41. ; Daphne oleaefblia Lam.
CHAP. XCV.
THYAIELAXCE/E. DA'PHNE.
1313
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves lanceolate, bluntish, glabrous above, villous beneath. Flowers terminal,
aggregate, villous, sessile. Lobes of the calyx obtuse. It differs from D. (c) oleo'Jdes in its leaves
being villous hc-nt-atli, in the number of its flowers, and in the lobes of the calyx being oblong.
:</.) A native of Camlia and Naples, introduced in 1820; but we have not seen the plant
/) scricea Don, noticed in p. 175., is a native of the Himalayas, and is quite a different plant from
that just described.
* 14*. D. STRIAVTA Trat. The striated-calyxed Daphne.
Identification. Tratt. ; Spreng. Syst.; 2. p. 237.
.S/vr. Char., $c. Leaves subspathulate-linear, sessile, tipped with a small mucro, glabrous. Flowers
terminal, aggregate, sessile, glabrous, striated. Lobes of the calyx acute. A native of Switzerland
and Hungary. (S/m-ng. Syst., ii. p. 237.) This plant is said to have been introduced in 1819,
and to have purplish flowers ; but we have never seen it
D. Erect. Leaves persistent. Flowers in Racemes.
* 15. D. GXI'DIUM L. The Gnidium, or Flax-leaved, Daphne.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 311.; Mill. Diet, n. 7.; Willd. Sp. PL, 2. p. 420. ; Lodd. Cat, ed.
1836.
Sjpumumet. Thymel£e'a foliis lini Bauh. Pin., 463.; Spurge Flax, Mountain Widow Wayle; Daphnt5
Gnidiura, Laureole a Panicule, /•>. ; Rispenbliittriger Seidelbast, Ger.
Engravings. Lodd. Bot. Cab., t. 150. ; and OUT Jig. 1190.
Spec. Char., $c. Evergreen. Leaves linear-lanceolate, with a cuspidate tip.
Flowers in terminal, panicled racemes. (Willd.) A native of Spain, Italy,
and Narbonne, where it grows to the height of
2 ft., and flowers from June to August. It
was introduced in 1797, and is frequent in
collections. An elegant little shrub, with ter-
minal panicles of sweet-smelling pink flowers,
which are succeeded by small, globular, red
berries. The same deleterious properties are
attributed to this shrub, as to the common
mezereon. It is rather tender, but would be
suitable for conservative rockwork. Dr.
Lindley observes of this plant, that both it
and Passerina tinctdria are used in the south
of Europe to dye wool yellow. (N. S. of 1190
Bot.) The price of plants, in the London nurseries, is 2s. 6d. each.
E. Prostrate. Leaves persistent. Flowers terminal, aggregate.
*~ 16. D. CNEO'RUM L. The Garland-flower, or trailing, Daphne.
Identfficotio*. Lin. Sp., 511., Syst, 371. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 2. p. 422. ; Bot Mag., t 313. ; Lodd. Cat.
ed. 1836.
Synimymes. Cnebrum Matth. Hist., 46., Clus. Hist., 89. ; wohlriechender Seidelbast, Ger.
Engravings. Jacq. Aust, 5. t, 426. ; Bot. Mag., t. 313. ; Bot Cab., t 1800. ; and our fig. 1191.
Spec. Char., $c. Evergreen. Stems trailing. Leaves lanceolate, glabrous,
mucronate. It flowers twice a year. The flowers are terminal, aggregate,
sessile, red upon the upper side, and the groups of them are surrounded by
leaves. (Willd.) It is wild in Switzerland, Hungary, the Pyrenees, Mount
Baldo, Germany, and France, where it grows a foot high, and flowers in
April and September.
Vane tics.
*~ D. C. 2 foliis variegdtis. — The leaves have a narrow portion of yellow
at the edges.
*~ D. C. 3 fibre dlbo. — Clusius, in his Hist., has
stated that the species varies with white
flowers. (Willd. Sp. PI.)
Description, $c. This plant is seldom more than
a foot high, but it is ornamented by numerous pink-
ish flowers, which are disposed in terminal umbels,
and are remarkably fragrant. The berries are white,
small, and globose, but they are seldom produced
England. The plant is valuable for rockwork,
and growing in pots, on account of its dwarf habit,
4R 2
1191
13H
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
TART III.
1912
and the beauty and delightful fragrance of its flowers. It is commonly propa-
gated by layers, and it thrives best in peat soil, kept rather moist.
App. i. Half-hardy Species of Daphne.
m D. odbra Thunb. FL Jap., 159», Banks Ic. Kaempf, 1. 16., Ait. Hort. Kew., ii.p. 26., N. Du Ham.,
1. p. 28., Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; D, sinensis Lam.Dict. ; the sweet-scented Daphne, Laureole de Chine,
Daphn£ odorant, Fr. ; wohlriechender Seidelbast, Ger.; has the leaves lanceolate, thin, and glabrous ;
and the flowers terminal and sessile. (Lois, in N. Du Ham.y \. p. 28.) It is a native of China and Japan,
which was introduced into Britain in 1771, and forms an erect shrub, greatly resembling D. pontica
in general appearance. The branches are glabrous, and the flowers, which are disposed in terminal
umbels, are remarkably sweet. The flower buds are pink in their exterior,
and the petals of the flowers, after expansion, are pink on the outside, though
they are white within. D. oddra was first brought to England by Benjamin
Torrens, Esq., and being confounded with the D. indica of Linnaeus, from
which it differs in having sessile flowers and alternate leaves, it was at first
kept in the stove. By degrees it was tried in a green-house, and is now found
to stand in the open air in sheltered situations. Du Hamel classes it with the
myrtle and the orange as to hardiness. There is a plant in the Horticultural
Society's Garden, which has stood out since 1832.
Varieties.
m D. o. 2 variegdfa Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836, has variegated leaves, and quite
white flowers,
41 D. o. 3 rubra D. Don, Brit. Fl. Card., 2d ser., t.320., and our fig. 1192.,
has lanceolate leaves, and flowers of a rich deep pink colour. The flowers
are produced at the extremities of the shoots ; " they are of a dark red
in the bud state, but become paler and glossy after expansion, and they
are then highly fragrant." There are plants in the nursery of Mr. G.
Smith, at Islington, which appear very nearly hardy, having borne a
considerable degree of frost without protection. (See Gard. Mag., xii.
p. 75.)
m D. hybrida Swt. Brit. Fl. Gard., 1st ser. t. 200., Bot Reg. t. 1177., and
our^g. 1193.; the D. delphinia of the French gardeners ; and the D. dau-
phinii, or dauphin's daphne, of the English gardeners ; has the
branches pubescent when young, but afterwards becoming
glabrous. Leaves alternate, oblong-elliptic, glossy above, and
pubescent beneath. Flowers in terminal groups, nearly ses-
sile, and covered on the outside with silky hairs. (Swt. Brit.
Fl. Gard.} This is a highly esteemed kind, and one that is
much propagated in the London nurseries. It grows freely,
has large handsome glossy leaves, and produces its purplish
flowers, which have a most delightful fragrance, in great
abundance. It is supposed to be a hybrid between D. col-
lina and D. odora ; but it is not known when, or by whom,
it was originated. It is generally kept in the green-house,
but would succeed perfectly in the open air, if planted in light
sandy soil, against a south wall where it could be protected
in very severe weather. It flowers under glass in February,
but would probably be a month or six weeks later in the
open ground. (Sweet and Lindl.)
* D. indica L., the Indian or Chinese daphne, is a small shrub, with acute
entire leaves, and terminal sessile flowers. Introduced in 1800, but much 1193
more tender than either of the preceding species.
• D. papyracea Wai., D. cannabina Wai., is a Nepal species, from the inner bark of which a soft
kind of paper has been made in India. It was introduced in 1824.
GENUS II.
1
DI'RCA L. THE DiRCA,or LEATHER-WOOD. Lin. Syst. Octandria
Monogynia.
Identification. Lin. Arncen. Acad., 3. p. 12. ; N. Du Ham., vol. iii. p. 193. ; Bot. Reg., t. 292.
Synonymc. TTiymelae'a Gron. Virg., 155.
Derivation. From dirke, a fountain ; from the plant growing in watery places.
* 1. D. PALU'STRIS L. The Marsh Dirca, or Leather-wood.
Identification. Lin. Amoen. Acad., 3. p. 12. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 2. p. 424. ; Bot. Reg., t. 292. ; N. Du
Ham., iii. p. 193, ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Synonymes Moorwood ; Bois de Cuir, Bois de Plomb, Fr. ; Sump. Lederholz Ger.
Engravings. Lin. Amoen. Acad., 3. t. L f. 7. ; Du Ham. Arb., 1. t. 212. ; Bot. Reg., t. 292. ; and
our fig. 1194.
CHAP. XCVI.
SANTALA CEJE.
J315
Desaiption, Sfc. A low deciduous shrub with the habit of a miniature tree,
a native of Virginia, where it grows about 5 ft. or 6 ft. high, producing its
yellow flowers in March and April. It was in-
troduced in 1750, and is common in collection
of peat-earth shrubs. It has a branchy and
fastigiate habit, and has a tumidity at the base
of each branch on the under side. The bark is
brown and glabrous. Linnaeus has remarked
that the wood and bark are so tough, that it is
scarcely possible to divide the substance of either
without a knife, and this quality has obtained
for the plant the English name of leather-wood.
The leaves are lanceolate, oblong, alternate, of
a pale green, villous beneath, and deciduous.
The flowers are produced while the plant is
leafless, and, in England, they are seldom, if ever,
followed by seeds. The bud of the shoot of the
same year is enclosed in the bud of the inflo-
rescence. The young plants are very liable to
be eaten by snails. (Sot. Reg.) Though quite
a tree in its habit of growth, it is rarely seen in
England above 3 ft. high. In Canada, the twigs
are used for rods, and the bark for ropes, baskets,
&c., for which it is very suitable, being equal in
strength and toughness to the bark of the lime
tree. In British gardens, D. palustris is propa-
gated by layers, which require two years to root properly. The soil in which
the plant grows best is peat kept moist. Price of plants, in the London
nurseries, 5s. each ; at Bollwyller, 3 francs ; and at New York, 25 cents.
App. I. Half-hardy ligneous Plants belonging to the Order
Thymeldcea.
Gnidia imbricuta L. ; G. denudata Sot. Reg., t. 757. ; has grey villous leaves, and pale yellow
flowers. There were plants of this species in Knight's Exotic Nursery, King's Road, Chelsea, in
1830, one of which was upwards of 4 ft high.
Passerine filifdrmis L. is a plant well known in old collections. It is a native of the Cape of Good
Hope, which was introduced in 1752; and in a conservatory it will grow to the height of 8 ft.
It has slender, twiggy, spreading branches, which have the leaves imbricated along their terminal
parts in 4 rows. It bears its white flowers plentifully on the terminal parts of the branches. Nearly
all the species of Passerina are low shrubs, natives of the Cape of Good Hope, which might probably
stand out against a conservative wall.
Pimclea drupacea Lab., Hot. Cab., t 540., the cherry-fruited pimelea, is tolerably hardy. It is
an evergreen shrub, about 2 ft. high, a native of New Holland, which was introduced in 1817.
Its flowers, which are white, are produced in May, and they are succeeded by a berry-like sessile
fruit, which is quite black when ripe, and has ii striking appearance on the plant when produced
abundantly.
1191
CHAP. XCVI.
OF THE HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER SANTALA^CEX.
THE only hardy genus is Nyssa L., to which the following character be-
longs : —
NY'SS^ L. Flowers bisexual and male : the two kinds upon distinct plants,
and without petals. — Bisexual flower. Calyx connate, with the ovary in its
lower part; it has a free 5-parted limb. Stamens 5. Ovary ovate, containing
1 pendulous ovule (2 in some instances, Nuttal/). Style simple, revolute
(curved inwards, Rees's Cyclop.). Stigma acute. Fruit a roundish drupe :
nut elliptical, acute, angular, somewhat irregular, grooved length wise, contain-
4R 3
1316 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART II*
ing 1 seed which is albuminous, and has an embryo that has large leafy coty-
ledons and a superior radicle. — Male flower. Calyx 5-parted, spreading.
Stamens 5, 8, 10, and 12; surrounding a shield-shaped gland ( ? an unformed
pistil). — Trees. Leaves alternate, entire. Inflorescence axillary, peduncled,
of 1 flower, or several aggregate flowers. ? The male flowers in a corymb.
Fruit red or blackish purple, suffused with a frosty appearance. (Nutt.
Gen., Lindl. N. S. of Bot., Rees's Cycl., other sources, and observation.)
OSY'RIS L. Flowers apetalous, unisexual, at least in effect; those of the 2
sexes upon distinct plants. — Male. Flowers borne in lateral racemes, about
3 — 5 in a raceme, and disposed in 1 — 2 pairs, with a terminal odd one.
Calyx spreadingly bell-shaped, 3-parted ; its aestivation valvate. Nectary
disk-like, 3-cornered. Stamens 3, arising from the nectary, alternate to its
angles, and opposite to the lobes of the calyx ; anthers of 2 separate lobes
that open inwards. (T. Nees ab E.) Scopoli (Fl. Cam.) has seen the
rudiments of an ovary, and of styles, in the male flower. (Wil/d. Sp. PI.)
— Female. Flowers solitary. Calyx urceolate ; its tube connate with the
ovary ; its limb free, 3-cleft. Style single. Stigmas 3. There are not
any rudiments of stamens. (T7. Nees ab Esenb.) Rather the flower is
bisexual, but it does not bear seed unless a male plant is contiguous.
(Wil/d. Sp. PL) Fruit globose, fleshy exteriorly, crowned by the limb of
the calyx, and the remains of the style. Carpel with crustaceous, brittle
walls. Seed affixed by its base. Embryo incurved, in the centre of fleshy
albumen. — O. alba L.y the only known undisputed species, is a shrub with
twiggy branches, alternate, linear-lanceolate, small leaves, white flowers, and
red fruit. (T. Nees ab Esenbeck Gen. PI, Flora: Germanicce.)
GENUS I.
NY'SSJ L. THE NYSSA, or TUPELO TREE. Lin. Syst. Polygamia Dice'cia;
or rather, according to Smith in Rees's Cyclopaedia, Decandria Monog/nia.
Identification. Lin. Gen., 551. ; Lin. Gen., ed. Schreb., No. 1599. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 1112. • Mill
Diet v. 3. ; Rees's Cyclop.
Derivation. From Nyssa, a water nymph so called; a name given to this plant by Linnaus,
because " it grows in the waters." (Hort. Cliff.) Tupelo appears to be an aboriginal name.
Description, fyc. Deciduous trees, natives of North America, and, though
several sorts have been described by botanists, probably all referable to two,
or at most three, species : viz. N. bifldra, N. candicans, and N. tomentosa, the
last two being very nearly allied. In the case of Nyssa, as in those of .Fraxinus
and Quercus, there are seeds of several alleged species procured from America ;
and though plants from these may come up tolerably distinct, we do not con-
sider that circumstance sufficient to constitute each sort a species. The trees
of this genus are of little use for their timber; but the fruit of N. candicans,
N. tomentosa, and N. denticulata, gathered a little before maturity, and pre-
served with sugar, forms an agreeable conserve, tasting somewhat like cran-
berries. (Nuttall Gen. ). In British gardens, two or three of the sorts occa-
sionally occur ; but they are not common in collections. The largest nyssa
that we know of in England is at Richmond, where, in 1836, it was 45 ft.
high. The trees which have flowered in England have, as far as we are
aware, only produced male blossoms ; but, to compensate for the want of
fruit, the foliage of all the species of the genus dies off of an intensely deep
scarlet. The different sorts are almost always raised from seeds ; and seeds
with the names of N. denticulata, N. tomentosa, N. aquatica (N. biflora), N.
candicans, and N. sylvatica, according to Charlwood's Catalogue for 1H3(>,
are sold at Is. a packet. Plants, in the London nurseries, are 2s. Gd. each;
at Bollwyller 2 francs ; and at New York, from 25 cents to 1 dollar.
CHAP. XCVI. SANTALACEM. NY'SS^. 1317
i 1. N. BIFLOXRA Michx. The twin-flowered Nyssa, or Tupelo Tree.
Identification. Michx. Fl. Bor. Amcr., 2. p. 2;>}». ; Will.l. Sp. I'l., 4. i>. 111.5-
Synonymes. N. aquatica Li». Sp. I'L, 1-ill.. //or/. ('/<//:, -Hi','., 7;« 7f«/ 7/arM-., 1. p. 414., 3//cAx. A'.
Amer. Sy/., iii. p. 3fi. ; N. carolini&na L. ; N. integritTilia Ait. llort. Kcn>, 3. p. 44ti., SmAA in Reft1!
Cyclop. ; N. pedunculis unifluris Gron.Virg., 121. ; Mountain Tupelo, J/«rf. Aft//. ; Gum Tree, Sour
Gum Tree, Peperidge, Amcr.
Engravings. Catesb. Car., 1. L 41. ; Pluk. Aim., t 172. f. 6. ; and our Jigs. 1H'5, 1196.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves ovate-oblong, entire, acute at both ends, glabrous.
Female flowers two upon a peduncle. (U'illd. Sp. PI., iv. p. 1113.) The
drupe is short and obovate, and the nut striated. (Jtuc&mr.) A decidu-
1195 ous tree, a native of Virginia and Ca-
rolina, in watery places, where it
grows to the height of 40 ft. or 45 ft. ;
flowering in April and May. It was
introduced in 1739, and is one of the
most common sorts in British collec-
tions. The tupelo tree is most abun-
dant in the southern parts of New
York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania,
where it grows only in wet ground ;
having a clear stem, of a uniform size,
from the base to the height of 5 ft. or
6 ft., where it throws out horizontal branches. On old trees the bark is
" thick, deeply furrowed, and, unlike that of every other tree, divided into
hexagons, which are sometimes nearly regular." (Michx. N. Amer. Syl., iii.
p. 37). The leaves are smooth, slightly glabrous below, and often united
in bunches at the extremity of the young lateral shoots. The flowers are
small, and scarcely apparent ; but the fruit, which is always abundant, and
attached in pairs, is of a deep blue colour, and is ornamental, remaining on
the tree after the falling of the leaf, and affording food for birds. " The
tupelo holds a middle place between trees with hard and those with soft
wood. When perfectly seasoned, the sap-wood is of a light reddish tint,
and the heart-wood of a deep brown. Of trees exceeding loin, or 18iri.
in diameter, more than half the trunk is hollow." (Jdfc&r.) The timber
of the tupelo is of little value, but, from its peculiar organisation (the fibres
being united in bundles, and interwoven like a braided cord), it is extremely
difficult to split. It is on this account much esteemed in America for
wooden bowls. As fuel, it burns slowly, and diffuses a great heat. "At
Philadelphia, many persons, when making their provision of wood for the
winter, select a certain proportion of the tupelo, which is sold separately,
for logs." (Michx.}. In British gardens it does not appear that much
pains have ever been taken to encourage the growth of this or any other
species of Nyss# ; for though there are abundance of plants to be procured
in the nurseries, yet there are very few of a tree-like size to be seen in
pleasure-grounds. The largest tupelo tree that we know of in England is
at the Countess of Shaftesbury's villa at Richmond, where it is 45 ft. high,
and has a trunk 1 ft. 4 in. in diameter. There are, also, a tree in Lee's Nursery
20 ft. high ; one in the grounds of the villa of the late Mr. Vere, at Kensing-
ton Gore, about 15 ft. high ; one at the Duke of Wellington's, at Strathfield-
saye, 30 ft. high ; and some at White Knights; from all of which, except that
at Lady Shaftesbury's, we have received specimens when in flower, and all
these were male blossoms. At Schwobber, in Hanover (see p. 148.), there is
a nyssa 40 ft. high. To insure the prosperity of the tree, it ought always to be
planted in moist peat, or near water. The trees at Strathfieldsaye and at
•Schwobber are in moist meadows, on a level with the water of adjoining rivers.
t 2. N. (B.) VILLO^SA Michx. The hairy-leaved Nyssa, or Tupelo Tree.
Identification. Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 2. p. 258. ; Willd. Sp. PI.. 4. p. 1112.: Pursh Fl. Amer Sent
1. p. 177.
Synonynu's. N. sylvAtica Mich. N. Amcr. Syl., 3. p. 33., Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; N. multifldra Wan
gcnh. Amer., 4G. t.16. f. 39. ; N. mont&na llort. ; N. pedunculis multifloris Gron. Virg.t 121. • Sour
<-um Tree, Hlark Gum, Yellow Gum, Amcr.; haarigcr Tul|x-lobuum, (/,/-.
Engravings. Wangenh. Amer., 1. 16. f. oL>. ; Michx. N. Amcr. Syl., 3. t. 110. ; and outfics. 1197 1198
4 R 4-
1318 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 111.
Spec. (Jliar., $c. Leaves oblong, entire, acute at both ends; with the
petiole, midrib, and edge villous. Female flowers, about three upon a
peduncle. (Willd. Sp. PL, iv. p. 1113.) Peduncle of female flowers long,
11!) 1 ^ ^1 and for the most part two-flowered. Nut
small, ovate, obtuse, striated. (Michx.) A
deciduous tree, a native of
North America, where it
grows from 60ft. to 70ft.
high,and flowers in April and
May. It was introduced in
1824, and is occasionally to
be met with in collections.
N. sylvatica Michx. y which we have made
synonymous with N. villosa, on the authority
of Pursh (see Fl. Amer. Sept. Addenda, ii. p. 175.), is said by Michaux to
exhibit a remarkable singularity in its vegetation. " In Maryland, Virginia,
and the western states," he observes, " where it grows on high and level
ground with the oaks and the walnuts, it is distinguished by no peculiarity
of form : but in the lower part of the Carolinas and of Georgia, where it is
found only in wet places, with the small magnolia or white bay (Magnolia
glauca), the red bay (.Laurus carolinensis), the lobloll}7 bay (Gordons Lasi-
anthus), and the water oak (Quercus aquatica), it has a pyramidal base,
resembling a sugar loaf; a trunk 18ft. or 20 ft. high, and 7 in. or 8 in. in dia-
meter, at the surface of the ground ; which, a foot higher, is only 2 in. or
3 in. thick ; the proportions, however, varying in different individuals." (2V.
Amcr. Syl., iii. p. 34.) This tree appears to differ very little from N. biflora,
except in the greater height attained by the tree, and in the downiness of the
petioles of the leaves. The fruit is of the same size and colour, generally
produced in pairs on similar peduncles, and the wood is of the same descrip-
tion, fine-grained, but tough. " The alburnum of the trunks of trees growing
upon dry and elevated lands is yellow ; and this colour, being considered
by wheelwrights as a proof of the superior quality of the wood, has probably
given rise to the name of yellow gum, which is sometimes applied to this
species." (Ibid.) The wood is used for all purposes, for which timber is
required of moderate dimensions, which is not liable to split. The only
plant which we have seen of this kind is in the arboretum of Messrs.
Loddiges, where, in 1835, it was 10 ft. high, and had produced male
blossoms ; but it died in the spring of 1836, apparently from the soil being
too dry.
¥ 3. N. CA'NDICANS Michx. The whitish-leaved Nyssa, or Ogechee
Lime Tree.
Identification. Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 2. p. 259. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 1113.
Synonymes. N. capitata Walt., Ait. Hort. Kew, Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 3. p. 43. ; N. coccinea Bar
tram ; Sour Tupelo Tree, Ogechee Lime Tree, Wild Lime ; weisslicher Tulpelobaum, Ger.
Engravings. Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 3. 1. 113. ; and our fig. 1199.
Spec. CAar.y fyc. Leaf with the petiole very
short, and the disk oblong, wedge-shaped at
the base, nearly entire, whitish on the under
surface. Female flowers one upon a pe-
duncle. ( Willd. Sp. PL, iv. p. 1 113.) It varies,
with its leaves obovate, entire, or rarely sub-
dentate. The male flowers are grouped into
little heads. The bracteas attending the
female flowers are short ; the calyx of these
flowers is tomentose; its lobes are short.
The drupe is oblong. (Michaux .) A deci-
duous tree, a native of Carolina, on the
banks of rivers, particularly the Ogechee. It is the smallest tree of the
genus, rarely exceeding 30 ft. in height. It was introduced in 1806.
CHAP. XCVI.
SANTALCEM.
1319
The leaves are 5 in. or Gin. long, oval, rarely denticulated, of a light green
above, and glaucous beneath. The flowers are similar to those of the large
tupelo (N. grandidentata), but the sexes are borne by separate trees; and
Michaux remarks, " as a peculiarity witnessed in no other tree of North
America, that the male and female trees are easily distinguished by their
general appearance when the leaves have fallen. The branches of the male
are more compressed about the trunk, and rise in a direction more nearly
perpendicular; those of the female diffuse themselves horizontally, and
form a larger and rounder summit. The fruit is supported by long peduncles,
and is about l^in. in length, of a light red colour, and of an oval shape.
It is thick-skinned, intensely acid, and contains, like that of the large
to be described by Mr. Humphry Marshall, from Bartram's catalogue, " as
a tree of great singularity and beauty, rising to the height of 30ft.; the
fruit of which is of a deep scarlet colour, and of the size of a damascene
plum. It has an agreeable acid taste, whence it is called the lime tree."
Professor Martyn adds that Bartram calls it Nyssa coccinea, and observes
that there is no tree which exhibits a more desirable appearance than this,
in the autumn, when the fruit is ripe, and the tree is partly divested of its
leaves; for then "the remainder looks as red as scarlet, and the fruit is of that
colour also." It is the shape of the olive, but larger, and contains an agreeable
acid juice. " The most northern habitation of this tree yet known," he adds,
" is on the great Ogechee, where it is called the Ogechee lime, from its acid
fruit being about the size of limes, and being sometimes used in their
stead." There is a plant, bearing the name of N. capitata, in the arbo-
retum of Messrs. Loddiges, 6 ft. or 7 ft. high ; which, from its foliage, we
have no doubt, is indentical with Michaux's figure.
¥ 4. N. GRANDIDENTA^TA Miclix. The deeply-toothed-/e>rtm/ Nyssa, or
Large Tupelo Tree
Identification. Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 3. p. 40.
Si/mmi/nics. N. tomentbsa, and N. anguttzans, Michx. Fl. Bar. Amer., 2. p. 259. : N. denticulata Ait
' Hort. K,-w, 3. p. 446., Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 1114. ; N. angulosa Pair. ; N. unifldra Wansenh. Amer '
ill.
Michx. N. Amer. Svlva, 3. 1. 112 •
U. OJ>. I I., **. y. 1111*. , i
Virginian Water Tupelo, 'Mart. Mill.
Engravings. Wangehh. Amer., t 27. f. 57.'; Catesb. Car., 1. 1. 60.
. .
p. 83. ; Wild Olive, Amer.
and our figs. 1200, 1201.
Spec. Char., 8(C. Leaf with a long petiole, and a disk that is oblong, acuminate, distantly serrate.
Female flowers one upon a peduncle. (Willd. Sp. PL, iv. p. 1114.) The leaves ^re invariably toothed
The bracteas are rather longer than the ovary. The lobes of "the" calyx
are wedge-shaped. The drupe is oblong. (Michaux.} A deciduous
Micf
with large pointed teeth.
tree, a native of North America; which ""Michaux calls ...
markable species. of its genus for height and diameter; and which
was introduced into Britain in 1735. It grows chiefly
in the southern parts of the United States; and
Michaux observes that it is always found in company
with the long-leaved pine (Pinus palustris) and the
cypress (Taxodium distichum). In South Carolina and
Georgia these trees are constantly found growing with
the over-cup oak (guercus lyrata), the water locust
(Gleditschia monosperma), the cotton wood (P6-
pulus canadi5nsis), the Carolinian poplar (Pdpulus
angulata), and the water bitter-nut hickory (Ca-
rya aquatica) ; intermixed with which they compose
the dark impenetrable forests which cover the miry
swamps on the borders of the rivers, to the distance
of 100 to 200 miles from the ocean. The pre?ence of
these trees is considered an infallible proof of the depth
and fertility of the soil, and, consequently, of its fitness
for the culture of vine. " The rivers, at their annual overflowing, sometimes cover these marshes
to the height of 5ft. or 6ft., as is shown by the marks left upon the trees by the retiring
waters. Vegetation seems only to acquire new energy from these inundations, and the large
tupelo sometimes attains the height of 70ft. or 80 ft., with a diameter of 15 in. or 20 in. imme-
diately above its conical base, and 6 ft. or 7 ft. from the ground. This size continues uniform to
the height of 25 ft. or 30 ft. At the surface the trunk is 8 ft. or 9 ft. thick. (Michx. N. Amer.
Syl., iii. p. 41.) The leaves of the large tupelo are commonly 5 in. or 6 in. long, a<"d 2 in. or 3 in.
broad; but on young and thriving plants they are of twice these dimensions. They are of an oval
shape, and are garnished with two or three large teeth, which are irregularly placed, and generally
only on one si, If of the leaf. When the leaves unfold in spring, they are downy ; but they become
smooth on both sides as they expand. The flowers are numerous though single, and are succeeded
by fruit of considerable size, and of a deep blue colour, ol which the stone is depressed, and very
1201
1320
ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM.
PART III.
distinctly striated. The wood is extremely light and soft ; and as, in the arrangement of Its fibres, it
resembles other species of the same genus, it is employed for making bowls and trays. The roots,
also, are tender and light, and they are used by fishermen to buoy up their nets with, instead of
cork. (Ibid.} This species is described in Martyn's Miller as the Virginian water tupelo tree,
rising, with a strong upright trunk, to the height of 80 ft. or 100 ft., and dividing into many
branches towards the top. The drupes, Professor Martyn adds, " are nearly the size and shape of
small olives, and are preserved as that fruit is, by the French inhabitants of the Mississippi, where
this species of Nyssw greatly abounds, and is called the olive tree. The timber is white and soft
when unseasoned, but light and compact when dry ; which renders it very proper for bowls, £c."
It sometimes varies, in having the leaves quite glabrous, and less deeply toothed.
GENUS II. '
I & i
OSYXRIS L. THE OSYRIS, or POET'S CASIA, Lin. Syst. DiceVia Triandria.
Identification. Lin. Gen. PI. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 715.
Synonyme. C&sia Camer., Lob., Alpin., Gesn.
Derivation. The Osuris of Pliny and Dioscorides is so named from ozos, a branch ; from the length
and pliability of the branches.
« 1. O. A'LBA L. The \v\\ite-flowered Osyris, or Poefs Casia.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1450. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 715. ; Roy. Lugdb., 202. ;
Sauv. Monsp., 56. ; Gouan Monsp., 502. j Gron. Orient, 308. ; Mill. Diet, No.
1. ; Scop. Cam., No. 1215.
Synonymes. 0. fdliis linearibus acutis Lccfl. It., 169. ; 0. frutescens baccffera
Bauh. Pin., 212. : Casia poetica Monspeliensium Cam. Epit., 26., Lob. Ic.,
432. ; Casia Latinorum Alp. Exot.t 41. ; Casia Monspelii dicta Gesn. Epit., 50. ;
weisse Osyris, Ger
Engravings. Lam. 111., t. 802. ; T. Nees ab Esenbeck Gen. Plant. Fl. Ger. Ic. et
des Illust, 1 20. ; and our Jig. 1202.
Spec. Char., Sfc. A shrub 3—4 ft. high. Stem roundish, striated. Leaves alter-
nate, linear-lanceolate, 1 in. long, entire, glabrous. Flowers upon the branch-
lets, peduncled. Drupe red, of the size of a pea. (Willd.} A native of Italy,
Spain, Montpelier, Libanus, and Carniola. Introduced in 1793, and cultivated
by Miller ; but we have not seen the plant The long supple branches of this
tree were formerly used for brushes, and they are still used in making crates,
or packing-cases in the south of Europe. It .is celebrated by Keats for the
whiteness of its flowers : —
" A dimpled hand,
Fair as some wonder out of Fairy-land,
Hung from his shoulder: like the drooping flowers
Of whitest casia, fresh from summenshowers." Poems, p. 24.
CHAP. XCVII.
OF THE HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER £L^EAGNAvCEjE.
THEY are included in three genera, JElaeagnus Tourn., //ippophae L., and
Shepherdza Nutt. ; and these have the following characters : —
Tourn. Flowers, some bisexual; some, in result, male only;
both kinds upon one plant. — Bisexual flower. Calyx resembling, internally,
a corolla; tubular below, bell-shaped above, with a slightly spreading, lobed,
deciduous limb ; the lobes mostly 4 ; the tubular part includes, but is not
connate with, the ovary and part of the style, and bears at its mouth a
conical crown, through which the style passes. Style long. Stigma clavate
or coiled. Stamens arising from the bottom of the bell-shaped part,
shorter than it, alternate with its lobes, the filaments adnate to it, except at
their tip. Ovary oblong. Ovule 1. Fruit consisting of an achenium, and
of the tubular part of the calyx rendered fleshy, and including the achenium.
Seed erect. Embryo erect. — Male flower. Calyx resembling, internally,
a corolla, bell-shaped ; it has a limb of 4? — 6 — 8 lobes. Stamens of the
number of the lobes; otherwise as in the bisexual flower. A conical crown
CHAP. XCVII. JSL^EAGNA'CE^E. JSJUEA'GNUS. 1321
surrounds the style of an abortive pistil. — Species several ; arborescent
or shrubby ; inhabitants of Ceylon, Nepal, Japan, south of Europe, and
North America. The fleshy part of the fruit is, in some, eatable. Leaves
alternate, entire, bearing, as does the bark of growing shoots, scales, or stars
of hairs. Flowers axillary, pediceled. (Chiefly T. Nces ab Esenbeck, Gen.
PL Fl. Crerw.,whose elucidation relates to E. angustifblia L.; Lindlcy; and
Ach.Rich.)
.HIPPO'PHAE L. Flowers unisexual, those of the two sexes upon distinct
plants. — Male flower. Calyx arched, seeming as if constituted of 2 leaves
connate at the tip. Stamens 4>, not extended out of the calyx. — Female
flower. Calyx tubular, cloven at the top, including the ovary, and becom-
ing eventually succulent. Ovary of 1 cell. Ovule 1. Style short. Stigma
long, with a longitudinal furrow. Fruit consisting of a polished achenium,
that has a slight furrow on one side, and of the calyx, now enlarged, and
succulent with an acid juice. Seed erect. Embryo erect. — Two species
are known, one wild in Europe, the other in Nepal. The European one is
partially spiny. Both have leaves narrow, entire, scaly, and silvery, es-
pecially beneath. The succulent part of the fruit is eatable. (T. Nees ab
Esenbeck, Gen. PI. FL Germ. ; Smith, Eng. Flora ; and obs.)
SHEPHE'RD/^ Nutt. Flowers unisexual ; those of the two sexes upon distinct
plants. — Male flower. Calyx 4-cleft. Stamens 8, included, as to length,
within the calyx; alternate with 8 glands. — Female flower. Calyx bell-
shaped, its limb 4-parted, flat, the portions equal; its tube ? adnate to the
ovary. Ovule 1. Style 1. Stigma oblique. Fruit as in //ippophae. — Two
species are known, both natives of North America, and having the aspect of
jElaeagnus ; one a small tree, the other a shrub. Their leaves are entire, and
bear scales. Male flowers ? laterally aggregate, in groups that resemble
a catkin. Female flowers smaller than the male ones, shortly pedunculate
(Xutt. Gen.): racemose at the ends of the branches (Lindlcy'm Encyc. of
PL; NuttalL).
GENUS I.
JSL^EA'GNUS Tourn. THE EL.EAGNUS, OLEASTER, or WILD OLIVE
TREE. Lin. Syst. Tetrandria Monogynia.
Identification. Tourn. Cor., 51. ; Ach. Rich. Monogr., p. 26. : T. Nees ab Esenbeck. Gen. PI Fl
Germanics ; N. Du Ham., 2. p. 87.
Synonymes. Chalef, Fr. ; Wilde Oelbaum, Ger.
Derivation. " The elaiagnos of Theophrastus was a plant with hoary leaves, growing in marshy
places in Arcadia, and was probably a species of SiUix, although certainly not S. babylonica, as
Sprengel has stated it to be. It was named from its resemblance to the claia, or olive, from which
it differed in not bearing fruit. Dioscor ides writes el&agros, which means the wild olive; and
some botanists have adopted this reading, which is most likely the true one. The plants to which
t. 1156, adapted.) Oleaster is a Latin word, which is interpreted a wild olive tree; and perhaps
it is derived from olea, an olive tree, and ins tar, likeness.
Description, $c. Deciduous shrubs, or low trees ; natives of the south of
Europe, the Levant, the Himalayas, and North America. In British gardens,
there are two or three species which grow freely in any soil tolerably dry, and
are readily propagated by seeds, layers, or cuttings.
% I. E. HORTE'NSIS Sieb. The Garden Elaeagnus, Oleaster, or Wild
Olive Tree.
Identification. Bieb. Fl. Taur. Cauc., p. 113.
Synonymes. E. angustifolia L., H'HM. So. PI, 1. p. 688., Rcem. ct Schult. Si/st. Vee., 3. p. 478
Pall. FL Ross,]). 10. t. 4., N. Du Ham.,*, p. 87., Sot. Keg., t 1156. ; E. im'rmis Mill. Diet., No. 2/j
/•:. argt'nteus Mtcnch Mct/i., p. (US. ; E. orientalis Drlislt' ; ? E. argentea ll'uts. Demi. Brit., t. 161 :
Jerusalem Willow ; •Olivier de Bohfeme, Chalel a Feuille* Stroites, Fr. ; schmalblaUriger Oleaster j
1322 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 111.
Engravings. Pall. Ross., 1, t. 4. ; N. Du Ham., 1. t. 89. ; Bot. Reg., t 115ft ; our Jig. 1203., and the
plate in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., $c. A tree, growing to the height of from 15 ft. to 20 ft. Leaves
lanceolate, hoary all over, as are the shoots of the current year, with stars
of hairs of a hoary colour. Branches brown and smooth, more or less spiny.
Leaves 2 — 3 in. long ; upon the upper surface whitish
green, and upon the under one very hoary. Flowers
2 or 3 together, axillary, upon short peduncles, fragrant ;
bisexual flower 4-cleft, interior of a pale yellow; male
ones 5 or more cleft, interior of a golden yellow. Both
are furnished on the exterior with stars of hairs, like the
under surface of the leaves. Fruit of a red-brown colour,
something like a small date. A native of the south of
Europe, in Bohemia, France, Spain, the Levant, Tar-
tary, and various parts of Asiatic Russia ; flowering in
May, and ripening its fruit in August. It was introduced
in 1633, and is frequent in collections. The silvery
whiteness of the foliage of this tree renders it a most _ .^,
conspicuous object in plantations; and hence, in any ;^
view where it is wished to attract the eye to a par-
ticular point, it may be usefully employed. For ex-
ample, suppose a villa surrounded by grounds perfectly flat, with a boundary
strip of plantation, or shrubbery, in the middle distance, a monotonous
third distance, in which there is no object of interest but the spire of a
church, and that scarcely perceptible over the tops of the trees of the
plantation : plant one or two trees of elseagnus in that part of the
plantation over which the eye sees the spire, and they will, by the light
colour of their foliage, attract the eye in that direction. This tree, which
is called by the Portuguese the tree of Paradise, is also remarkable
for the fragrance of its blossoms, which are produced in great abundance
in May, and perfume the air for a considerable distance around. For
this reason it is a most desirable tree for a lawn or shrubbery. There
are good specimens in the Horticultural Society's Garden ; but the finest
trees that we have seen, were, in 1815, in the grounds of Malmaison, near
Paris, where they were nearly 30 ft. high, and with heads nearly as much in
diameter. In the Levant, the fruit of the cultivated varieties, E. h. orientalis
and dactyliformis, is made into preserves, and also dried like pistachia nuts.
The plant requires a sheltered situation, and, to attain any size, must be
planted in a good soil. Price of plants in the London nurseries, 2s. 6d.
each ; at Bollwyller 1 franc 50 cents ; and at New York, 1 dollar.
Varieties. Bieberstein, in his Fl. Taur. Cauc., i. p. 112, 113., as quoted in Kocm.
et Schult. Syst. and Bot. Reg., has comprehended under one species several
forms, some of which are treated of as specifically distinct by Linnaeus and
other botanists. He gives E. hortensis as the name of the species, which
he considers to exist under the four following forms : —
¥ E. h. 1 angtt-stifolia Bieb., E. angtistifolia L. — Leaves lanceolate,
shining. Fruit insipid. This is the most common sort in British
gardens. There is a tree of it in the Horticultural Society's Garden,
20ft. high ; and one at Kew, 8 ft. high.
*t E. h. 2 dactyliformis. — Leaves lanceolate, shining. Fruit date-shaped,
eatable.
¥ E. h. 3 orientalis, E. orientalis L., Pall. Fl. Ross., i. t. 5., Gmel. It.
III., t. 4. — Branches not spiny. Fruit date-shaped, eatable; almost
as large as that of a jujube, and used in the dessert in Persia, where
it is called zinzeyd. The flowers are more fragrant than those of
E. h. angustifolia. (Lindl. in Hot. If eg., t. 1156., and in Nat. Syst.
Bot., p. 194.) There are plants of this variety in the Horti-
cultural Society's Garden, and there is one in the Chelsea Botanic
Garden.
CHAP. XCVII.
1323
¥ E. h. 4 sjrimma ; E. spinosa L. — Branches spiny. Leaves lanceolate.
Fruit insipid.
* 2. E. ARGE'NTEA Ph. The silvery-/tm'cd Elaeagnus, or Wild Olive Tree.
Identification. Pursh FL Amcr. Sept., 1. p. 114. ; Nutt. Gen. Amer., 1. p. 97. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Synonynic. Missouri Silver Tree, U. S. of N. Amcr.
Engraving. OUT Jig. 1204.
»fy<r. Char., $c. A shrub, from 8ft. to 12ft. high, not spiny. Leaves
waved, oval-oblong, rather acute, glabrous on both surfaces, and covered
with silvery scales. Flowers aggregate, nodding. Sexes apparently
dioecious. Fruit roundish-ovate, of about the size of a small cherry, car-
tilaginous, covered with silvery scales, having 8 grooves ; the flesh dry,
farinaceous, eatable ; the nucule subcylindric, its exterior part consisting of
a tenacious woolly integument. A native of Hudson's Bay, and found on the
1204
argillaceous broken banks of the Missouri, near Fort Mandan ; flowering in
Julyand August. (Nutt.) It was introduced in 1813. There are plants in the
Horticultural Society's Garden, and in the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges.
According to Pursh, Shepherdi« arg£ntea Nutt. resembles the 2£laeagnus
argentea Pursh so much, without the fruit, that, in this state, one might
easily be mistaken for the other. In the Garden of the London Horticultural
Society, the shrub or low tree bearing this name is very distinct from any
species of .Elaeagnus ; but it differs from the species of that genus, in having
opposite leaves and branches. Whether it is the plant meant to be described
by Pursh, we are unable to determine ; it is certainly not the E. argentea
figured in Watson's Dendrologia, which appears to be JE".orientalis,the flowers
being produced on the current year's wood. The plant which is in the
Horticultural Society's Garden, and which may be considered provisionally
as E. argentea, is one of very great neatness and beauty ; and well deserving
1324
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
a place in every collection, especially when trained as in our figure, so as to
resemble a small tree. The plant appears nearly allied to Shepherd ia cana-
densis, and we have no doubt it will ultimately be referred to that genus.
Possibly, indeed, it may be only a modification of S. canadensis ; for it is
not more different from it than the woolly-leaved varieties of the common
pear in a wild state, such as Pyrus communis salicifolia, are from the green-
leaved varieties, such, for example, as those which are found indigenous in
most parts of England, or are grown for stocks in British nurseries.
App. i. Half-hardy Species of J&l&dgnus.
flfc E. conferta Roxburgh, Burm. Zeyl., t. 39. f. 1., according to
Don's Prod. Fl. Nep., the grouped- flowered elaeagnus, is a large,
branched shrub, and, according to Roxburgh, a climbing one.
Leaves oval-oblong, acuminate, 3—4 in. long, If— 2 in. broad, sil-
very beneath. Fruit oblong, succulent, eatable. A native of Nepal,
where it flowers in November, and where the fruit is eaten by the j
inhabitants. (Don's Prod. Fl. Nep. ; Lindl. Nat. Syst. of Sot.)
This species is stated to have been introduced in 1825 ; but we
have not seen it.
¥ E. arbbrea Roxb., Don Prod. Fl. Nep., p. 67., is a large tree,
with spiny branchlets, and oval-oblong leaves, a native of Nepal,
at Nahrinhetty, where it flowers in November, and produces an
edible fruit It was introduced in 1819.
* E. latifolia L.,Bur. Zey., 39. t.2., is a native of the East In-
dies, where it forms an evergreen shrub, 4 ft or 5 ft. high. There
are plants at Messrs. Loddiges, which are preserved through the
winter in cold-pits ; whence we infer that, like the preceding
sorts, it would stand against a conservative wall.
St E. salicifblia? D.Don, (Jig. 1205) is a species apparently very
distinct, and tolerably hardy, of which we have only seen one
plant about 3ft. high, in the arboretum at Kew. It promises to
be a most valuable addition to our nearly hardy shrubs. It
bears in foliage a close resemblance to Sliepherdj'a canadensis.
GENUS II.
mPPO'PHAE L. THE HIPPOPHAE, SEA BUCKTHORN, or SALLOWTHORN.
Lin. Syst. Dioe'cia Tetrandria.
n>> 517'' ln Part: the H' canadgnsis L- is now included in the genus Shep-
e8 T°Ur*' Cor-53-' Arg°ussier> &• i Haffdorn, or Sanddorn, Ger. ; Espino
Derivation. Hippophacs, or Hippophues, was the name of a shrub mentioned by Theoohrastus
and Dioscondes ; and which is supposed to be the same as the hippophyes of Pliny The deriva
tion is supposed to be from hippos, a horse, and phao, to brighten ; and, as according to the
Nouveau Du Hamel the plant was employed by the Greeks as a medicine for horses it may have
been given to them to make their coats sleek and shining, and have thus procured its name
Description, tyc.^ Large shrubs or trees; natives of Europe and Asia;
ornamental in British gardens, on account of their grey silky foliage and of
their berries.
* A 1. H. RHAMNOVDES L. The Buckthorn-like Hippophae, Sea Buckthorn,
or Sallowthorn.
Identification. Un. Sp. PL, 1452. ; Smith Engl. Flora, 4. p. 238. ; Eng. Bot, t. 425.
Synonymcs. Rhamnoldes florifera salicis folio Town. Cor., 53. ; Rhamniildes
?2U6
t 265' ; Nt Du Ham-> 6- l- 80- J Pal1-
1. 1 68.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Branches each ending in a spine. Leaves linear-lanceolate
mostly bluntish, dark green, and minutely dotted, not scaly on the upper
side ; silvery as well as scaly on the under one. (Smith.) A low tree, or
large shrub; a native of many parts of Europe, on sandy sea coasts. Found
in England, in various places on the east and south-east coast, but not in
Scotland ; flowering in May, and producing bright orange-coloured berries
CHAP. XCVII.
E LIE AGNA^CE /E. tflPPO'PHAE.
1325
which are ripe in September, and remain on the tree as long as the leaves,
and frequently till the following spring.
Statistics. In the environs of London, the largest trees are those at Syon, one of which is 33 ft.
high, with a trunk 11 in. in diameter, and a fine round head 17 ft. in diameter. At Kew, a male
plant, near the palace, is 25 ft. high. In Oxfordshire, at Oxford, in the Botanic Garden, 10 years
planted, it is 15ft. high. In Rutlandshire, at Belvoir Castle, 18 years planted, it is 15ft. high. In
Suffolk, at Ampton Hall, 12 years planted, it is 12 ft. high. In Yorkshire, in the Hull Botanic
Garden, 10 years planted, it is 12ft. high. In Scotland, in Banffshire, at Huntley Lodge, 12 years
planted, it is 20ft high. In Argyllshire, at Toward Castle, 13 years planted, it is 14ft high. In
Sutherlandshire, at Dunrobin Castle, 13 years planted, it is 5 ft. high. In Ireland, in the Glasnevin
Bot;mic Garden, Dublin, 30 years planted, it is 12 ft. high ; at Cypress Grove, Dublin, it is IS ft. high.
In the King's County, at Charleville Forest, 10 years planted, it is 15ft. high. In Galway, at Coole,
it is 28 ft. high. In Louth, at Oriel Temple, 25 years planted, it is 19 ft. high. In Sligo, at Makree
Castle, 10 years planted, it is 5 ft. high. In France, near Paris, at Sceaux, 10 years planted, it is 15 ft.
high; in the Botanic Garden at Avranches, 10 years planted, it is 16ft. high. In Germany, in
Hanover, at Harbke, 6 years planted, it is 5ft. high. In Saxony, at Worlitz, 46 years planted, it is
20ft. high. In Bavaria, at Munich, in the Botanic Garden, 24 years planted, it is 18 ft. high.
In Austria, near Vienna, at Briick on the Leytha, 40 years planted, it is 16ft. high. In Prussia,
near Berlin, at Sans Souci, 20 years planted, it is 16 ft high. In Sweden, at Stockholm, in the Govern-
ment Garden, 15 years planted, it is 7 ft. high. In Russia, in the Crimea, where, according to
Descemet, it is employed, as in some parts of France, to fix drifting sands, and protect the seeds of
Plnus Pinaster, which are sown on them, it grows with great vigour. In Italy, at Monza, near
Milan, 21 years planted, it is 12ft. high.
Varieties.
34 H. R. 2 angmtifolia Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; see the plate of this tree
in our last Volume, which is a portrait of a tree, of the female sex, in
Messrs. Loddiges's arboretum, taken in October, 1834. Its leaves
are obviously more narrow than those of the species ; the young
branches are pendulous ; and the tree is highly ornamental. There
are plants, both of the male and of the female of this variety, in
the Horticultural Society's Garden, and in the collection of Messrs.
Loddiges.
* H. R. 3 sibirica, H. sibirica Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836, appears to differ
very little, if at all, from the species ; but, the plant not being in a
healthy state, it may be more distinct than we suppose it to be. A
male plant of H. Rhamnoides in the London Horticultural Society's
arboretum, which flowered in 1835, had its flower buds smaller and
earlier in blossom than those of the other; and this, perhaps, may
be H. R. sibirica; the plants of species which are common to
Siberia, and the west of Europe, always flowering earlier in this
country than plants of the same species which are indigenous to it,
or to Central Europe generally.
Description, $c. In its wild state, the sea buckthorn, sallowthorn, or wil-
lowthorn, rises, with ligneous stems, to the height of 8 ft. or 10 ft. ; but, in a
state of culture, and when trained to a single stem, it grows twice or thrice that
height. Its branches are numerous, irregular,
and covered with a brown bark. The flowers are
small, solitary, and appear before the leaves, or
coeval with them. The berries are produced on
the female plant in great abundance, when the
male plant stands near it, but not otherwise.
There is said to be a variety with red berries
which Miller saw on the sand-banks in Holland ;
but we have not heard of its being in cultivation.
The species is found wild in England, upon cliffs
above the level of the sea, from Kent to York-
shire ; and is plentiful between Yarmouth and
Cromer, on the flat sandy coast. In Russia, it
is found in low, wet, and sandy situations, more
particularly in the subalpine districts about
Caucasus; and it is abundant throughout great
part of Tartary. " //ippophae Rhamnoides
grows in profusion all along the course of the
Arve ; and Deile'phila (Sphinx) hipp6phaes is now so plentiful, in consequence
of the numbers of it collected and bred by the peasants, that a specimen costs
1326
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
but 3 francs ; specimens were formerly sold at 60 francs each, and one of those
first discovered was sold for 200 francs." (Spence in Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. iv.,
for J830, p. 14-8.) A shrub so common throughout Europe and Asia could
not escape being known to the Greeks and Romans ; but to what use they
applied it is uncertain. In modern times, its leaves form the food of sheep, in
poor maritime pastures, where the sheep sometimes also eat the berries. In
Dauphiny, a decoction is made of these berries, which is used for the same pur-
pose as that made from the berries of the Solanum Dulcamara, in Wales ;
viz., to remove cutaneous eruptions. According to Pallas, the berries of
the sea buckthorn are gratefully acid, and are much eaten by the Tartars,
who make a jelly or preserve of them, and serve them up with milk or
cheese, as great dainties. The fishermen of the Gulf of Bothnia prepare a
rob, or jam, from them, which imparts a grateful flavour to fresh fish ; and a
kind of sauce is also made from them in the south of France. In some
parts of France and Switzerland they are considered poisonous. J. J. Rous-
seau, in his Reverie du Promeneur Solitaire, vii. Promenade, relates a curious
story respecting his having made a botanical excursion in the neighbourhood
of Grenoble, with a local botanist, who, though he saw him eating the
fruit, which he knew, or believed to be, poisonous, was so polite, or regarded
Rousseau with so much respect, that he durst not presume to warn him of
his danger. In Britain, and on the Continent, the sea buckthorn is some-
times planted as hedges ; and, as it endures the sea breeze, and throws up suck-
ers freely from the roots, it is a useful plant for fixing drift sands, along with the
grasses Psamma, .E'lymus, Carex, &c., and also for producing woody scenery
in marine situations, where few other trees or shrubs will grow. In pleasure-
grounds, when trained to a single stem, it forms a small, durable, and very
interesting tree, from the dull pewter-like tinge of its foliage in summer, and the
fine effect of its berries in autumn; but it must be recollected that the berries
will not be produced unless both sexes are planted contiguously. As the
flowers, especially those of the male plants, come out very early in the season,
their buds, which are in spikes, have a conspicuous appearance during winter,
and contrast finely with the fruit on the female plants, which remains on
through the winter, after the leaves drop off, unless it is eaten by birds.
In British nurseries, plants are com-
monly increased by suckers, which
are produced in abundance; and a
deep sandy soil is suitable for grow-
ing the plant to a large size. It may
be planted in elevated and exposed
situations and on the sea coast, where
few other trees will grow.
* * 2. H. SALICIFO'LIA D. Don.
The Willow-leaved Hippophae,
Sea Buckthorn, or Sallowthorn.
Identification. Don Prod. Fl. Nep., p. 68. ; Lodd
Cat, ed. 1836.
Synonyme. H. contfrta Wall, in MSS. of the
Catalogue of the Linncean Society's Indian
Herbarium, RoyUs Illust., p. 323.
Engraving. Our fig. 1207.
Spec. Char., Spc. Without thorns, up-
right, branched. Leaves lanceolate,
obtuse, whitely tomentose, as are
the branchlets. A native of Siri-
nagur, in Nepal, whence it was
introduced in 1822. Judging from
the plants in the Horticultural So-
ciety's Garden, and in the arbo-
retum of Messrs. Loddiges, it
appears to
a much more robust
species than H. Rhamnoides, though probably more liable to be injured by
tll\l>. XCVII.
frost. The shoots produced in one season, from a plant cut down, are 5 ft.
or 6 ft. in length, and the leaves about twice the length of those of the
common species, much less silvery, and so closely resembling those of »Salix
viminalis, as to make the shoots from a plant that has been cut down liable
to be mistaken for shoots of that species at a short distance. The plant in
the London Horticultural Society's Garden is of the female sex, and
flowered in 1835, when it was about 15 ft. high.
Statistics. In the environs of London, the largest plants are in the Horticultural Society's Garden,
where they are 20 ft. high. In Surrey, at Deepdene, 9 years planted, it is 22 ft. high. In Wor-
cestershire, at Croome, 10 years planted, it is 10 ft. high. In Scotland, in Edinburghshire, at Gosford
House, 13 years planted, it is 15 ft. high. In France, in the neighbourhood of Paris, it is upwards
of 30 ft. high.
GENUS III.
SHEPHE'RD/J Nutt.
THE SHEPHERDIA. Lin. Syst. Dicercia
Octandria.
1208
Identification. Nutt. Gen. Amer., 2. p. 240.
Synonyme. //ippophae L., as to the species S. canad^nsis Nutt.
Derivation. Named by Nuttall, in honour of the late Mr. John Shepherd, curator of the Botanic Gar-
den of Liverpool, a scientific horticulturist, to whose exertions, and the patronage of the celebrated
Roscoe, that institution owes its present eminence.
Description, eye. Small spinescent trees, with the aspect of .Elaeagnus.
Leaves entire, covered with silvery scales. Flowers small, laterally aggregate.
Berries diaphanous, scarlet, acid. (Nutt.) Culture, in British gardens, as in
//ippophae.
» *£ 1. S. ARGE'NTEA Nutt. The sil very-team/ Shepherdia.
Identification. Nutt. Gen. Amer., 2. p. 240.
Synonymes. //ippophae argentea Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 1. p. 115. ; Missouri Silver Leaf, and
Buffalo Berry Tree, Amer. ; Rabbit Berry, and Beef Suet Tree, Amer. Indians ; Graise de Buffle,
or Buffalo Fat, French Traders.
Engravings. Our Jig. 1208.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves oblong-ovate, obtuse ; on both
surfaces glabrous, and covered with silvery peltate
scales. (Pursh and Nutt.') A small tree, from 12ft.
to 18ft. high; a native of North America, on the
banks of the Missouri, and its tributary streams, and
of other places ; flowering in April and May. It was
introduced in 1818, and is not uncommon in collections.
The plant in the Horticultural Society's Garden, in
1835, was 7ft. high, though crowded among other
shrubs. It forms a very elegant small tree, particularly
well adapted for suburban gardens. In the Brighton
Nursery, near Boston, in North America, there is a
standard tree which, in 1831, was 14ft. high, though
only 8 years old, from the seed. The tree is per-
fectly hardy in every part of America, where it is one
of the earliest-flowering trees, producing its blossoms
in March. " Its fruit is about the size of the red Antwerp currant, much
richer to the taste, and forms one continued cluster on every branch and
twig." (Gard. Mag., vii. p. 571.) The largest plant in the neighbourhood
of London is in the Twickenham Botanic Garden, where it is called J£laeagnus
argentea, and in 1836 it was 5 ft. high. It flowers freely every year. Price
of plants, in the London nurseries, 2s. 6d. each.
a 2. S. CANADE'NSIS Nutt. The Canadian Shepherdia.
litcntijication. Nutt. Gen. Amer., 2. p. 241.
Synoiujme. //ippophae canadensis Lin. Sp. PI., 1453., MM. Diet., No. 2., Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p 744
Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 1. p. 11«).
Engravings. Knc-yc. of Plants, No. 13878. ; and our fig. 1209.
. Char.yfyc. Leaves ovate, or cordate-ovate, opposite ; green, and nearly
4- s
1328
ARBORETUM AND I RUTICETUM.
PART Hi.
1209
glabrous upon the upper surface ; upon the under one stellately pilose,
silvery, and scaly; the scales rusty, deciduous. Branches opposite.
Flowers disposed in upright racemes between the first
leaves, and of half the length of these. (Xutt., Willd.,
and obs.) A deciduous shrub, a native of North Ame-
rica, on the borders of lakes, in the western parts of
the state of New York, in Canada, and along the St.
Lawrence to its source, where it grows to the height
of 6 ft. or 8 ft. It has been in cultivation, in British
gardens, since 1759, but is not frequent in collections.
The fruit is sweetish, but scarcely eatable. A plant of
this species, in the Cambridge Botanic Garden, is a
thinly branched shrub, about 5 ft. high, and not striking
in its general aspect ; the plant in the Hackney arbo-
retum is about the same height ; one in the arboretum
at Kew is only 3 ft. high. One in the Twickenham
Botanic Garden is 4 ft. high.
CHAP. XCVIII.
OF THE HARDY AND HALF-HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE
ORDER ^RISTOLOCHIA'CE^E.
THOSE of which we shall treat are included in the genus Jristolochia //.,
which has the following characters : —
^RISTOLO^CHIA L. Calyx of some other colour than green, and in colour and
texture resembling a corolla ; in its lowest part connate with the ovary ;
inflated above this part, then tubular, and ending in an expanded border,
which has 3 segments, and these are valvate in aestivation. Stamens 6, ad-
hering to the style and stigmas. Style 1. Stigmas 6, radiating. Capsule
with 6 cells and numerous seeds. Embryo very minute, placed in the base
of fleshy albumen. Habit of growth, in most, twining. Wood without
concentric zones. Leaves alternate, undivided in most. Calyx, which is
the obvious part of the flower, yellow, brown, dark brown, and, in some,
spotted on a yellow ground. (Lindley, Nat. Syst. of Bot. ; Willd. Sp. PI. ;
and observation.) Twining shrubs. The hardy species natives of North
America, and the half-hardy of Africa and the Levant. " The most re-
markable species of the genus .dristolochia are those which, in many of the
tropical parts of America, excite the wonder of travellers, by the gigantic
size or grotesque appearance of the flowers ; such as A. cymbifera, the border
of the calyx of which resembles one of the lappets of a Norman woman's
cap, and measures 7 in. or 8 in. in length ;" (see Bot. Reg., vol. xviii.
t. 1543.) and A. cordiflora and A. gigantea, the flowers of which are from
15 in. to 16 in. across, and are large enough to form bonnets for the India*1
children." {Penny Cyc.> vol. ii. p. 328.)
GENUS II.
^RISTOLONCHIA L. THE BIRTHWORT.
Hexandria.
Lin. Syst. Gynandria
Identification. Schreb. Lin. Gen., No. 1383. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 151.
Si/nnnymes. Aristolochc, Fr. ; Osterluzey, Ger.
Derivation. Aristolochia was the name of a plant mentioned by Dioscorides, and considered as of
sovereign use in the disorders incident to childbirth : it is derived from ariston, best, andlochia,
parturition.
HAP. xcvui,
if RISTOLOCH1A CKJE.
C1JIA.
1329
Idcntijication.
V- Kil. ; Wilhl. Sp. PI., 4. p. !•}•>. ; Lodd. Cat, ed.
nonymes, A. maecophfln L/I/M. Encyc/., 1. p.
Osterluzi-y, (Ser. ; Pipe Vine, or Birthwort, Amcr.
Engravings. L'Hcrit. Stirp. Nov., t. 7. ; N. Du Ham., 4. t. 10. ; Bot Mag., t 534. : and our
_i 1. A. sfPHo Vllcrit. The Siphon-//^, or tube-flowered, Birthwort.
Ait. Hort. Kew., 3. p. 311. ; I/Hi'-rit. Stirp. Nov., 13. t. 7. ; Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 2.
Sp. PI., 4. p. 15;'). ; Lodd. Cat., ed. IS.ki.
Synonyines. A. macropb^Da Lam. Encyc/., 1. p. 252.; Aristoloche Syphon, Fr. ; grossblattrigc
O sterluzi
J»grt9i*gt
fig. 1210.
Sjx'c. (7/(ir.y #r. Stem twining. Leaves cordate, acute. Bractea of the
peduncle ovate. Corolla ascending; its limb in 3 equal portions, not ex-
panding flat, brown. (Willd.) A deciduous twining shrub; a native of
North America, on the Alleghany
Mountains, from Pennsylvania to
Carolina; producing its yellowish
brown flowers in May and June. It
was introduced in 1763, and is fre-
quent in gardens, where it forms a
tall twining shrub, flowering abun-
dantly. In favourable situations it
reaches to a considerable height : a
plant in the Cambridge Botanic Gar-
den, after reaching the top of the
wall it was planted against, ascended
a tree in the next garden ; in all 20ft.
The appearance of the magnificent
leaves of this species is striking. In
its native country, it climbs and
twines to the summits of the very
highest trees; flowering early in sum-
mer, and ripening its seeds in autumn,
though but sparingly. This species
is remarkable for the form of its ^=^ 1210
flower, which is bent like a siphon ; for the trifid border of its corolla ; for
the very large bractea placed on the middle of the peduncle ; and for the
disposition of the seeds, and the aril common to all the seeds of each cell.
The roots are woody, and have the smell of camphor. The stems, branches,
and twigs are also strongly scented, as are the flowers. In British gardens,
this species, to grow freely, requires a deep free soil, dry rather than moist,
and a warm situation. It is propagated by division of the root, by suckers,
or by seeds, which are sometimes received from North America. Price
of plants, in the London nurseries, 1*. Gd. each ; at Bollwyller, 2 francs ;
and at New York, 50 cents.
-i 2. A. TOMENTOVSA Sims. The tomentose Birthwort.
Identification. Sims in Bot. Mag., t. 1369. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Engravings. Bot Mag., t. 1369. ; Bot Cab., t 641. ; and our fig.lZll.
Spec. Char.y $c. Stem twining. Leaves cordate, downy
beneath. Peduncle solitary, without a bractea. Corolla
with its tube twisted back, and much more deeply divided
than in A. sipho, expanding flat, and yellow, with the
mouth of the tube of a deep purple. (Encyc. of PI.)
A native of North America; introduced in 1799,
There is a plant in the Chelsea Botanic Garden,
which is 12 ft. high ; but we are not without consider-
able doubts as to its being any thing more than a
variety of A. sipho. Being tolerably distinct, however,
it merits a place in collections.
App. i. Half-hardy Species of Kristolbchia.
A. .<n-»i;vn'irens L, Bot. Mag., t. 1116., Bot. Cab., t. 231., is a native of Candia; introduced in
1727, and produces its flowers in May and June. In green-houses, it is seldom seen more than 4ft
IT .) it. in height ; but, against a conservative wall, it would probably grow much higher
4- S 2
1330 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
A. glauca Desf., Bot. Mag., 1. 1115., Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836, is a native of Barbary ; introduced in
1785. It is evergreen, like the preceding sort.
A. altissima Desf., A. cauddta Desf., and A. trilobata Willd., are described in the Nouv. Du Hamel
as growing in French gardens, with protection during winter. A. trilobata Bot. Reg., t. 1399., is a
native of South America, where it grows to the height of 6 ft. or 7 ft. There is a species of ^risto-
16chia a native of China, against a wall in the Horticultural Society's Garden, which is not yet
named. It has stood there four years, and appears quite hardy.
CHAP. XCIX.
OF THE HARDY AND HALF-HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE
ORDER E
THE hardy species belonging to this order are included in 3 genera, namely
.Euphorbza L., Stillfngia Garden, and .Suxus Tourn. ; and these have the fol-
lowing characters : —
JBuPHo'RB/^ L. What seem flowers, and were formerly deemed flowers,
are now regarded as each an inflorescence. This consists of an involucre,
within which flowers of both sexes are associated, many male flowers around
a solitary central female one. Involucre of one leaf, bell-shaped or top-
shaped, with a limb in 8 — 10 segments, the outer coloured and resembling
petals. — Male flower. This consists of a stamen, articulated upon a
supporting column that is attended, (?) at its base, by, mostly minute, chaffy
scales. — Female flower. Pistil solitary, central, upon a long pedicel, and
becoming protruded. Ovary roundish, of 3 cells, each containing 1 ovule,
affixed to the angle next the centre of the ovary. Styles 3, connate at
the base, each ending in a bifid stigma. Fruit a regma. (Lind/ey's Tntr.
to Bot.} Valves 3, with a partition from the centre of each, by which they
form 3 cells. Seeds 1 in a cell ; cells bursting elastically. — Sap, in all, milky,
resinous ; and, in most, acrid. Leaves, in most, alternate. Inflorescences
disposed in umbels or panicles. (T. Nces ab Esenbeck, Gen. PI. Fl. Germ.;
Smithy Eng. Fl. ; and observation.)
STILLI'NG/^ Garden. Flowers unisexual. Males in a spike ; females at the
base of the same spike : (?) the two kinds, in S. /igustrina, upon distinct
plants. — Male. Seven flowers together, within an entire involucre ; or, in
S. /igustrina, with the flowers not involucrated, but solitary in the axil of a
bractea. Calyx like a corolla, of 1 piece, funnel-shaped, its margin jagged ; in
S. /igustrina the calyx is 3-cleft, and rather flat. Stamens 2-3; in S. /igustrina,
prominent, the filaments very slightly connected at the base. — Female.
Involucre 1-flowered ; otherwise as in the male. Calyx superior, shaped as
in the male. Ovary roundish. Style thread-shaped. Stigmas 3. Fruit a
regma (Lindley's Intr. to Hot.), surrounded at the base by the involucre a
little enlarged, somewhat turbinate, bluntly triangular, 3-lobed, 3-celled,
1-seed in each cell. — Sap milky. Leaves alternate, stipuled, entire. Spikes
of flowers solitary or dichotomous, terminal or lateral. (Smith in Rees's
Cyclop.; and Nutt. in his Gen. Amer.)
Bu'xus Tourn. Flowers in axillary groups; unisexual in effect, but the male
flowers have a rudiment of a pistil; those of both sexes borne on one
plant. — Male. Calyx of 4 minute leaves. Stamens 4, inserted under the
rudiment of a pistil. — Female. Flowers singly, at the tip of groups of
male ones. Calyx as in the male. Ovary sessile, roundish, of 3 cells, and 2
ovules in each cell. Styles 3. Stigmas 3. Fruit a regma, leathery, beaked
with the styles ; consisting of 3 incomplete cells that open down the centre
and divide the style, and of 3 valves that bear the incomplete dissepiments in
their centres. Seeds 2 in a cell, pendulous, both enclosed in the endocarpial
lining of the cell; and this endocarpial lining, after the seed is ripe, disparts
elastically, to admit of, and conduce to, their dispersion. (T. Xees ab Escn-
beck's Gen. PI. Fl. Ger.) — Evergreen shrubs, or small trees, with rigid,
CHAP. XCIX.
EUPHORBIA CEJE. £UPHO'RB7V/.
1331
smooth, stalked, opposite, entire leaves. Flowers aggregate, from axillary
buds, whitish. Fruit green. (Smith Eng. Fl., i\. p. 132.)
GENUS I.
.EUPHO'RB/J L. THE EUPHORBIA, or SPURGE. Lin. Syst. Monoe^cia
Monandria.
Identification. Lin. Gen., 243. ; Lam. 111., t. 411. ; Smith Eng. FL, 4. p. 58.
Synonytnes. nth^malus Tourn. Inst.,t. 18., G<ertn. Fruct., t. 107. ; Euphorbe, Fr. ; Wolfsmilch, Ger.
Derivation. From Euphorbus, physician to Juba, king of Mauritania, who is said first to have used
some of the plants of this genus in medicine.
Description, $c. This genus consists of milky plants, most of which are herb-
aceous, but two or three of which are rather woody. The flowers of the hardy
kinds are generally of a greenish colour, which renders them inconspicuous ;
and they have all an extremely acrid juice, which has the appearance of milk.
This juice was formerly considered medicinal, and is still used occasionally to
destroy warts, or for raising slight blisters. The plants are propagated by
division. The only two worth cultivating, as shrubby, appear
to us to be the E. (7haracias L. and E. spinosa L.
«. E. Charddas L., Mart. Mill., No. 95., Smith Eng. Fl.,
iv. p. 68., Eng. Bot., t. 442. ; E. aleppica of some gardens ;
and ourjfig. 1212. — An upright, bushy, leafy plant, green in
its foliage, and purplish brown in the bark of its shoots,
which are mostly unbranched. The flowers are in stalked
panicles a few in each panicle, and the panicles are disposed
racemosely along the upper portions of the shoots. The
more obviously coloured part of the inflorescence is of a dark
purple. The scent of the flowers is powerfully fetid and
disagreeable. The plant, in a sheltered nook, under a wall,
will attain to the height of 3 ft. or more (in Martyn's Miller,
5 ft. or 6 ft.) ; and is interesting, even when not in flower,
from its being evergreen, and from the character of its fo-
liage ; the leaves being lanceolate, acute, entire, downy, dark
green, and spreading every way. (Smith Eng. Fl.t and obser-
vation.) It is indigenous in France, Spain, and Italy, accord-
ing to Willd. Sp. PI. ; and, according to Mr. Whately, as
quoted in Eng. Fl., it is very plentiful in the Forest of
Needwood, Staffordshire, and undoubtedly wild there. A plant which we
have had in our garden, at Bays water, since 1828, was found wild by us, in
the July of that year, in a wood belonging to John Perry, Esq.,
at Stroud House, near Hazlemere. It forms a dense evergreen
bush, admirably adapted for rockwork ; its fine, dark, bluish
green, shining leaves, with which the shoots are densely clothed,
render it highly ornamental at every season of the year; and its
flowers, which appear in February, continue on the plant through
the spring and part of the following summer.
E. spinosa L.,Wats. Dend. Brit., t. 45, and our fig. 1209. — A
leafy, shrubby plant; a native of the south of Europe; generally
kept in green-houses in Britain, where it assumes the character
of an erect shrub, about 2 ft. high, with a decidedly ligneous
stem. The tips of the branches become dry with age, and as,
though withered, they continue on the plant, they have the ap-
pearance of spines. It was cultivated by Miller, in 1752, but is
rare in British collections. In the open air, in the Botanic
Garden at Cambridge, it is a recumbent shrub. It is not easily
propagated by cuttings made in the common way, but is said to
grow readily from cuttings of the roots.
4s 3
1332
ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM.
PART III.
App. i. Half-hardy Species o
E. dendroides L. is a native of Italy, Crete, and of the Island of
Hieres, near Toulon, where it forms a small branched shrub, about
4 ft. high. E. Characias and E. dendroides, according to Dr. Philippi,
grow in the streams of decayed lava on Etna. E. dendroides, he adds,
" is one of the finest shrubs in Sicily, and rises to a height of about
6ft, the stem forking soon above the ground, and each branch di-
vided again, so that the form of the whole is perfectly semiglobular.
In summer it is quite bare of foliage, when the numerous, smooth,
verticillate branches give the plant a most singular appearance ; but
with the rains of autumn the numerous linear leaves begin to sprout
forth at the end of the boughs, and a corymb of yellow flowers tips
the extremity of each in February." (Comp. to the Bot. Mag., i. 51.)
E. mellifera Ait., Bot. Mag., t. 1305., and our^g.1214., is a handsome
free-growing shrub, a native of Madeira. A plant stood out in the
Trinity College Botanic Garden, at Dublin, from 1821 to 1831, form-
ing a bush about 4J ft. high, and 5 ft. in diameter, flowering all the
winter. It was cut down by the severe frost of the spring of 1831,
but sprang up again ; and it is now (Sept. 1836), Mr. Mackay informs
us, nearly 5ft. in height, and 5ft. in diameter. E. Chaiacias, in the
same garden, rarely exceeds 2| ft in height.
Other species, natives of the Levant, the Canaries, Portugal, and
North and South America, may possibly be found as hardy as E. mel-
lifera. In the Vucs Phytostatiqucs of Webb and Bcrtholet's Histoire
Nalurelle des lies Canaries, the E. canariensis and E. piscatbria are
represented in pi 2. as the prevailing species ; the latter forming
handsome trees, fromlOft to 15ft. high, with straight, erect stems
GENUS II.
1214
LjJ
The only hardy species is a deciduous shrub; a native of
STILLI'NGL* Garden. THE STILLINGIA. Lin. Syst. Monoe'cia
Monaddlphia.
Identification. " Stillingia was sent under that name to Linnaeus by the celebrated Dr. Alexander
Garden." (Smith in Rees's Cyclop.) Lin. Mant, 19.; Schreb. Lin. Gen., 658. ; Smith in Rces's
Cyclop. ; Mart. Mill. Diet.
Derivation. Named by Dr. Alexander Garden in honour of Mr. Benjamin Stillingfleet, author of
a work entitled Miscellaneous Tracts relating to Natural History, &'c., partly translated from tin-
writings of Linnaeus.
Description, fyc.
North America.
* 1. S. LIGU'STRINA Willd. The Privet-leaved Stillingia.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 588. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept, 2. p. 608.
Spec. Char., $c. Shrubby. Leaf consisting of a petiole and a disk that is
oval-lanceolate, pointed at both ends, and entire. Male flowers upon very
short pedicels. (Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., ii. p. 213.) Nuttall has questioned
whether the sexes are not dioecious, and has noted the female flowers as
" not seen," but the male ones as being disposed in spikes, part lateral, part
terminal, and as having a 3-cleft, rather flat, calyx, and 3 stamens that have
kidney-shaped anthers; and the bracteas as 1-2-glanded and 1-flowered.
(Nutt. Gen. Amer.) A deciduous shrub, growing about 4ft. high; a native
of North America, in shady woods, in Carolina and Georgia ; flowering in
June and July. It was introduced in 1812, and plants were in the collection
of Messrs. Loddiges in 1830. From these gentlemen we received a plant
in that year, but it is since dead ; as is also a plant of this species in the
Hackney arboretum ; we are not aware that the species is now in exist-
ence, in a living state, in England.
GENUS III.
PU'XUS Town. THE Box TREE. Lin. Syst. Monce'cia Tetramlria.
Identification. Tourn. Inst, t. 345. ; Lin. Gen., 486. ; Smith Eng. Flora. 4. p. 13','. ; Theodor Noes
ab Esenbcck Gen. Plant. Floras Germanicse, fasc. 3. t. 1(5.
Si/»onymcn. Buis, /'V. ; Buxbaum, Buchsb.utm, Gcr.
CHAP. XCIX.
nu'xus.
1333
Derivation. From puknot, dense ; in reference to the hardness and closeness of the wood ; or, perhaps,
to the lit-nseiipss of the foliage. The Greeks called the boxes made of this wood, which were highly
I'stci-ined for their durability, pyxides; and hence, probably, arose the word pyx, which is used tor
the chest containing the Host in the Koinan Catholic church.
Description, $c. Low evergreen trees or shrubs, with shining coriaceous
leaves, and greenish yellow flowers ; natives of Europe, and the temperate
parts of Asia ; of easy culture in any soil that is tolerably dry ; and propagated
freely by cuttings, or by seeds.
1 * 1. B. SEMPERVI^RENS L. The evergreen, or common, Box Tree.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 1394. ; Smith Eng, Flora, 4. p. 133. ; Baxt. Brit. Flow. PL, 2. t. 142.
Si/noiiyiHcs. 7?uxus Rait Syn., 445., Go: Emac., 1410. f., and other authors ; Buis coinmun, Bois
beni, Ft: ; Buchsbaum, Ger. ; Busso, Bossolo, Mortel, Ital.
Engraving. Eng. Bot, t. 1341.
Spec. Char., $c. Disk of leaf ovate, convex ; footstalk slightly downy at the
edges. Anthers ovate-arrow-shaped. (Smith's Eng. Fl.t iv. p. 133.) A
low evergreen tree, a native of many parts of Europe, and, according to
some, including Britain ; growing to the height of from 15 ft. to 30 ft. ; and
flowering in April and May.
Varieties and Subvarieties.
t B. s. 1 arborescens Mill. Diet., No. 1. ; Buis arborescent, Fr. ; hoch-
staninge Buchsbaum, Ger. — Arborescent. Leaves ovate. (Willd.
Sp. PL) This is the most common form of the species.
j B. s. a. argentea Hort. — Arborescent. Leaves ovate, varie-
gated with a silvery colour.
1 B. s. a. aurea Hort. — Arborescent. Leaves ovate, variegated
with a golden colour,
t B. s. a. margindta Hort. — Arborescent. Leaf ovate, with a
margin of a golden colour.
f B. s. 2 fii/gustifolia Mill. Diet., No. 2. — Arborescent. Leaves lan-
ceolate, (wm. sp. PI.)
t B. s.a.varicgdta Hort. — Arborescent,
variegated.
«- B. s. 3 snffruticosa Mill. Diet., No. 3. ; B. humilis
Dod. Pempt., 782. ; B. s. nana N. Du Ham., i.
p. 83. ; and our Jig. 1215. ; Buis nain, Buis a
Bordures, Buis d'Artois, Buis de Hollande,
petit Buis, Fr. ; zwerch Buchsbaum, Ger. —
Dwarf. Leaves small, obovate. (Lam. Encyc.
mild. Sp. PI.) This is the kind usually culti-
vated for edging beds in gardens.
* B. s. 4- myrtifolia Lam. Encyc. — Dwarf. Leaves
small, oblong, narrowish. (Lam. Encyc., i. p.
505.; mild. Sp. PI.) A pretty little plant;
generally quite low, but, under favourable cir-
cumstances, growing to a considerable size.
Description, $c. The box is a well-known hardy evergreen tree or shrub,
niiK-h esteemed in Europe, both for ornamental and useful purposes. In a
wild state, it seldom exceeds the height of 12ft. or 15ft. in Britain; but, in
Turkey and Asia Minor, trees of it have been found as high as 25 ft. The thick-
ness of the trunk is very considerable in proportion to its height, and, in full-
grown trees, varies from 6 in. to 8 in. in diameter. The bark is yellowish on
the young wood, but rough and greyish on the trunk of old trees. The leaves
are opposite, oval, and almost sessile : they are persistent, of a coriaceous
texture, and a shining yellowish green, when they grow in a situation fu
Leaves lanceolate,
1215
K.
exposed to the light f but of a fine deep glossy green when shaded by other
trees. The flowers are of a greenish yellow, and are disposed in little ttifts in
the axils of the leaves. The tree will bear the knife patiently, and is there-
fore, and from the closeness of its habit of growth, well adapted for clipped^^* *^
hedges, and all kinds of verdant architecture and statuary. " The box," says
4s 4 /Wr .A n > K>
13.31- ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART Ml.
a French writer, " has the advantage of taking any form that may be wished,
under the hands of the gardener. Here it displays a niche cut in an ap-
parently solid green bank ; there, an arbour impenetrable to the rays of the
sun. On one side it covers a wall with a tapestry of continual verdure, and
on the other it clothes a palisade : now it divides the walks of a garden,
and now it marks out the figure of a parterre. In all cases, it presents a most
agreeable verdure to the eyes, and preserves the idea of cheerfulness even in
winter, when almost every other^tree appears mourning for the absence of the
sun." (Nouv. Cotirs. d'Agri., torn. iii. p. 276.) It grows slowly, rarely making
shoots of more than 6 in. or 8 in. annually. But the tree is of great longevity ;
and so extremely hardy, that it is the only evergreen that will stand in the
open air, without protection, in the gardens of Paris, Berlin, and Vienna.
Geography. The box is found wild throughout Europe and Asia, between
37° and 52° of N. lat., on mountains, and spreading as undergrowth among other
trees, but never forming forests entirely by itself. The largest collections of
wild box trees in Europe are in the Forest of Ligny in France, and in that of St.
Claude on Mount Jura ; but in both cases the box trees are mixed with trees
of other species. Box trees are also found in forests of other trees, in several
parts of France ; particularly in Franche Compte, Dauphine, Haute Provence,
the chain of mountains stretching across Languedoc, and the Pyrenees. The
box tree is produced abundantly in Turkey, and on the shores of the Black
Sea; but a great proportion of the boxwood of commerce, sold in the
European markets as Turkey box, is grown in Circassia and Georgia, whence it
is brought to Odessa, and shipped for Europe. It is found in various parts
of Persia, China, Cochin-China, and, according to some, in Japan. In Britain,
the box is a disputed native. (See p. 25.) It grows plentifully upon Box Hill,
near Dorking, in Surrey : not among deciduous trees, and shaded by them, as
it does in its native habitats in France, and in other parts of the Continent ;
but only mixed with a few juniper bushes, that do not rise so high as itself.
Ray mentions three other habitats ; viz. Boxwell, in Gloucestershire; Boxley,
in Kent ; and the chalk hills near Dunstable : but the box tree does not appear
to be now found growing in uncultivated ground any where in Britain, but on
Box Hill. In Baxter's British Flowering Plants, vol. ii. p. 145., it is stated,
on the authority of the Rev. Archdeacon Pierson, to be found in the hedges
about Kilburne, near Coxwold, in Yorkshire ; which, however, is no proof of
its being indigenous.
History. The box tree appears to have been first mentioned by Theophrastus,
who ranks the wood with that of ebony, on account of the closeness of its
grain. Pliny describes it as being as hard to burn as iron, as producing no flame,
and as being totally unfit for charcoal. He distinguishes three kinds, which
he calls the larger, the smaller, and the Italian box ; and speaks of the use
of the tree for topiary work, and of the wood for musical instruments. Vitru-
vius also recommends the box for topiary work ; and it appears to have been
much employed in verdant sculpture, and close-clipped hedges, in the gardens
of Roman villas in the Augustan age. Pliny describes his Tusculan villa as
having a lawn adorned with figures of animals cut out in box trees, answering
alternately to one another. This lawn was again surrounded by a walk
enclosed with evergreen shrubs, sheared into a variety of forms. Beyond
this was a place of exercise, of a circular form, ornamented in the middle
with box trees, sheared, as before, into numerous different figures ; and the
whole fenced in by a sloping bank, covered with box, rising in steps to the top.
In another part of the grounds of the same villa, the box is mentioned as
being cut into a variety of shapes and letters ; some expressing the name
of the master, and others that of the artificer, &c. (Plin. Epist., book v.
letter vi.) The same practice is followed in several Roman gardens at the
present day; and, in that of the Vatican, the name of the pope, the date of his
election, &c., may be read from the windows of the palace in letters of box.
Virgil calls it
" Smooth-grain'd, and proper for the turner's trade,
"Which curious hands may carve, and steel with ease invade."
DRVDF.N'S J'irgfl.
CHAP. XCIX. .EUPHORB/^VJL'E. fll/XUS. 1.335
Both Virgil and Ovid allude to the use of this wood for musical instruments, and
employ the word box as if synonymous with that of fiute. In more modern
times, in Britain, it is mentioned by Turner, Gerard, Parkinson, and other
writers on gardening and rural affairs ; and, previously to the eighteenth cen-
tury, was in great repute for gardens in the geometric style, from the facility with
which it could be made to assume whatever form the gardener wished : it was
also highly valuable when there were but few evergreens grown in England,
from its hardy habit, and the liveliness of its hue. The wood of the tree has
been in use for turnery from the earliest ages, and for wood engraving since
the fifteenth century.
Properties and Uses. The wood of the box is remarkably heavy; weighing,
when newly cut, 80 Ib. 7 oz. per cubic foot, and, when perfectly dry, 68 Ib.
12 oz. and 7 gr. It is the only European wood that will sink in water : it is
yellow, very hard, and susceptible of a fine polish. The wood was formerly
much used in England in cabinet-making and inlaying, as it still is in France ;
and, also, in both countries, for musical and mathematical instruments, combs,
and various articles of turnery. The principal use of the boxwood, however,
at present, is for wood engraving ; and for this purpose it is an important
article of commerce.
For Turnery, the boxwood used by the cabinet-makers and turners in
France is chiefly that of the root. The town of St. Claude, near which is
one of the largest natural box woods in Europe, is almost entirely inhabited
by turners, who make snuff-boxes, rosary beads, forks, spoons, buttons, and
numerous other articles. The wood of some roots is more beautifully mar-
bled, or veined, than that of others ; and the articles manufactured vary in
price accordingly. The wood of the trunk is rarely found of sufficient size
for blocks in France ; and when it is, it is so dear, that the entire trunk of a
tree is seldom sold at once, but a few feet are disposed of at a time, which
are cut off the living tree as they are wanted. There are in the Forest
of Ligny, generally, many stumps which have been treated in this manner.
Boxes, &c., formed of the trunk, are easily distinguished from those made
of the root, by the wood of the trunk always displaying a beautiful and very
regular star, which is never the case with that of the root. Boxwood
is very apt to split in drying; and, to prevent this, the French turners
put the wood designed for their finest works into a dark cellar as soon as it
is cut, where they keep it from three to five years, according to circumstances.
At the expiration of the given time, they strike off the sap-wood with a hatchet,
and place the heart-wood again in the cellar till it is wanted for the lathe.
For the most delicate articles, the wood is soaked for 24 hours in fresh very
clear water, and then boiled for some time. When taken out of the boiling
water, it is wiped perfectly dry, and buried, till wanted for use, in sand or
bran, so as to be completely excluded from the light, and air. Articles made
of wood thus prepared, resemble, in appearance, what is called Tunbridge ware.
The spray of the box, though it burns very slowly, is much esteemed in France,
as fuel for lime-kilns, brick-kilns, ovens, &c., where a great and lasting heat
is required. (Nouv. Cours., &c.)
Wood Engraving. The wood used for this purpose is chiefly imported
from Turkey or Odessa; and sells, in London, for from 11. to 14/. a ton,
duty included; the average annual consumption in Britain being about
582 tons. In the year 1832, M'Culloch tells us (in his Dictionary of Com-
merce}, the duty on imported boxwood was 1867/. 17*. 4rf. In France,
the native trees are seldom of sufficient size for wood engraving ; and wood
to the amount of 10,000 francs is annually imported from Spain. The box
trees which were cut down on Box Hill in 1815 produced upwards of 10,000/.
The art of cutting on wood was invented before the art of printing; and it is
supposed to have been first practised between the years 1400 and 1430. The
first objects to which it was applied were very different in their character ;
viz. books of devotion and playing cards. The mere outlines of the figures
were rudely cut in the wood with knives in the direction of the grain, and the
1336 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
impressions were taken off by friction, without the aid of a press. The earliest
specimen of wood engraving now extant in England is in the collection
of Earl Spencer, and represents St. Christopher carrying the infant Saviour :
the date is 1423. A very curious work was published between 1430 and
1450, entitled B'lblia Paitperum, the Bible of the Poor. This work consisted
of about 40 plates, illustrated by texts of scripture, all cut in wood (see
Penny Magazine, vol. ii. p. 419.) ; and it is supposed to have given the first
idea of the art of printing with movable types, which was invented soon after
by Guttemburg. Wohlgemuth, a wood-engraver at Nuremberg in 1480, was
the first who attempted to introduce shade into wood engravings ; and his
pupil, Albert Durer, carried the art to a very high degree of perfection ;
in his time the wood-cutters, or formschneiders, of Germany became so nume-
rous as to be incorporated into a body distinct from that of the briefmahlers,
letter-painters or writers. Holbein succeeded Albert Durer ; but soon after-
wards the art of engraving on copper having been discovered, wood engraving
was comparatively neglected; and it fell into disuse till the time of Bewick,
who displayed in it such extraordinary force, and delicacy of execution,
as to revive a taste for the art. The first engravers on wood, and up to the
time of Bewick, or nearly so, were accustomed to have the trunks of the trees
on which they were to engrave sawn up into planks, and to cut out the en-
graving with a knife, or other tools, on the side of the grain ; but, about
Bewick's time, or before, the practice of cutting the trunk across into sections
about 1 in. in thickness was adopted ; and the engravings were cut on the
wood, across the grain, with tools which will be hereafter described. The
advantages of this mode are, that much finer lines can be produced ; that the
engraved block will give a much greater number of impressions ; and that it
will be far more durable. The followers of Bewick produced some beautiful
engravings ; but, from the mode of printing them, though they were mixed
\vith the type, they were almost as expensive as if they had been worked, like
the metal engravings, from separate plates. By the modern practice, however,
woodcuts are printed from with the same ease as the movable types. The
mode in which the operation of cutting on wood is still performed differs but
little, according to the Penny Magazine, from that described and illustrated
by a plate in a work called the Book of Trades, published at. Frankfort in
1654. In this plate, the formschneider, or wood-cutter, is represented sitting
" at a table, holding the block in his left hand, upon which he is cutting with
a small graver in his right. Another graver, and a sort of a gouge, or chisel,
lie upon the table. If we enter the work-room of a wood-engraver of the
present day, we shall find the instruments by which he is surrounded nearly
as few and as simple. His block rests upon a flat circular leather cushion
filled with sand : and this so completely answers the purpose of holding the
block firmly, and yet allowing it to be moved in every direction, that it is
expressively called the wood-cutter's third hand. His cutting instruments
are of three sorts : the first, which is called a graver, is a tool with a lozenge-
shaped point, used for outlines and fine tints ; the second, called a scauper,
presents a triangular point and edges, and is used for deeper and bolder
work ; and the third, which is a flat tool, or chisel, is employed in cutting
away those parts of the block that are-to be left entirely light." (Penny Ma-
gazine.) The design is previously drawn upon the block with a black-lead
pencil ; the block, which is always cut directly across the grain, and polished
so as to present a perfectly smooth surface, being previously prepared with
powdered white lead mixed with a little water, to make it receive the pencil.
The drawing is generally made by one artist, and the engraving executed by
another. It is the business of the wood-cutter " to leave all the lines which
the draughtsman has traced with his pencil ; and to do this, he, of course, cuts
away all the parts which form the spaces between the various lines of the
drawing. The lines thus stand up, as it is called, in relief; and, when ink is
applied to them by the printer, in the same way as he applies it to his metal
types, they transfer the ink to the paper placed over them upon being subjected
AP. XCIX.
1337
to an adequate pressure." (Ibid.) Formerly, a great deal of care was required,
in printing woodcuts, in " the adjustment of a number of small pieces of paper
between the stretched parchment anil blanket that covered the block, during
the impression from the common hand-press, in order to give a greater force
to the bearing upon shadows, while the lights were, of course, equally relieved
from the presure ;" but a mode is now discovered of lowering the lights by
the wood-engraver ; and the blocks are now introduced with the type, and
printed from with the same facility, by the revolving cylinder of a printing-
machine.
In the geometrical and architectural Style of Gardening, the box was extensively
employed, both as a tree and as a shrub, throughout Europe, from the earliest
times. As a tree, it formed, when clipped into shape, hedges, arcades, arbours,
and, above all, figures of men and animals. As a shrub, it was used to border
beds and walks, and to execute numerous curious devices ; such as letters, coats
of arms, &c., on the ground ; but of all the uses of the dwarf box, the most im-
portant, in the ancient style of gardening, was that of forming parterres of em-
broidery ; it being the only evergreen shrub susceptible of forming the delicate
lines which that style of parterre required, and of being kept within the narrow
limits of these lines for a number of years. In those days, when the flowers used
in ornamenting gardens were few, the great art of the gardener was to distin-
guish his parterres by beautiful and curious artificial forms of evergreen
plants. These forms may be described generally as belonging to that style
of ornament known as the taste of Louis Quatorze. Fig. 1216. is a small
1216
portion of the ground plan of a parterre laid out in this manner ; all the
lines and dark parts of the figure being formed of box, in no part allowed
to grow higher than 3 in. from the ground, and the finer lines being about 2 in.
wide. The space between the lines, in the more common designs, was co-
vered with sand all of one colour ; but in the more choice parterres, different
coloured sands, earths, shells, powdered glass or potsherds, and other articles,
were used, so as to produce red, white, and black grounds, on which the green
of the box appeared to advantage at all seasons. This variety of colours gave
occasion to Lord Bacon's remark : " As for the making of knots and figures
with divers coloured earths, they be but toys : you may see as good sights
many times in tarts." The beauty of these parterres was most conspicuous,
when they were seen as a whole from the windows of the house, or from
a surrounding terrace-walk. Sometimes, however, they were placed on a
sloping bank, to be seen from below ; an instance of which may be found in
the view of the Palazzo del N. H. Venier, on the Brenta, as given in Volka-
nicr's Continuation der N'urembergischen Hesperidum, published in 1714, a
portion of which is represented in perspective in jig. 1217. In a view of
1338
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
« le Chasteau de Richelieu 1217
en Poictou," given in Ma-
rot's RccueU des Plans, tyc.,
des plusieurs de Chastcau.vy
Grottes, &c., published in
1 661, of which our fig. 1218.
is a copy, a very rich parterre
of embroidery may be ob-
served in the fore-ground
with a fountain in the centre;
and, in the back-ground, a
large semi circular space ap-
pears to be covered with the
same description of orna-
ment. It may also be ob-
served, that there is not a
single tree or shrub shown in
a natural state within several hundred feet of the house, on every side. The
embroidered style of parterre is still occasionally to be met with adjoin-
1218
ing very old residences in France and Italy, and even in a few places in
England; and, as affording variety, it is at least as worthy of revival as the
architectural style of the age in which it most extensively prevailed. The
best designs in this style are to be found in the edition of Boyceau's Jardinagc,
&c., which was published in 17 14-, in folio. Topiary work, or the art of cut-
ting the box and other trees into artificial forms, was carried to such an
extent among the Romans, that both Pliny and Vitruvius use the word
topiarius to express the art of the gardener ; a proof that, as far as ornament
was concerned, the art of clipping was considered the highest accomplishment
that could be possessed by a gardener, among the ancient Romans. This
CHAP. xcix. EVPHonviJcErf:. z?u'xus. 13S9
appears to have been equally the case in Europe in modern times ; gardeners,
even so late as the time of the Commonwealth, being called by Commenius
pleachers (See Janua Trilingnis, Oxford edit.) About the middle of the
seventeenth century, the taste for verdant sculpture was at its height in
England ; and, about the beginning of the eighteenth, it afforded a subject of
raillery for the wits of the day, soon afterwards beginning to decline. There
are some humorous papers on the subject in the Guardian, and other contem-
porary works. The following lines will give a good idea of a topiary garden : —
" There likewise mote be seen on every side
The shapely box, of all its branching pride
Ungently shorne, and, with preposterous skill,
To various beasts, and birds of sundry quill,
Transform'd, and human shapes of monstrous size.
Also other wonders of the sportive shears,
Fair Nature mis-adorning, there were found :
Globes, spiral columns, pyramids, and piers
"With spouting urns and budding statues crown'd ;
And horizontal dials on the ground,
In living box, by cunning artists traced ;
And galleys trim, on no long voyage bound,
But by their roots there ever anchor'd fast."
G. WEST.
In modern Gardening, the tree box forms one of our most valuable evergreen
shrubs or low trees. It is more particularly eligible as an undergrowth in
ornamental plantations; where, partially shaded by other trees, its leaves
take a deeper green, and shine more conspicuously. Next to the holly, it
has the most beautiful appearance in winter ; more especially when the
ground is covered with snow. The variegated sorts are admissible as objects
of curiosity ; but, as they are apt to lose their variegation when planted in the
shade, and as, in the full light, their green is frequently of a sickly yellowish
hue, we do not think that they can be recommended as ornamental. The
myrtle-leaved forms a very handsome small bush on a lawn. The use of the
dwarf box for edgings is familiar to every one.
The other Uses of the box, in former times, were various; but most of them
are now almost forgotten. The bark and leaves are bitter, and have a dis-
agreeable smell; and a decoction of them, when taken in a large dose, is said
to be purgative; and, in a small dose, sudorific. An empyreumatic oil is
extracted from them, which is said to cure the toothach and some other dis-
orders. A tincture was made from them, which was once a celebrated specific
in Germany for intermittent fevers; but, the secret having been purchased and
made public by Joseph I., the medicine fell into disuse. Olivier de Serres
( Theat. d'Agri.~) recommends the branches and leaves of the box, as by far the
best manure for the grape ; not only because it is very common in the south
of France, but because there is no plant that by its decomposition affords a
greater quantity of vegetable mould. The box is said to enter into the com-
position of various medicated oils for strengthening and increasing the growth
of the hair; and Parkinson says that "the leaves and sawdust, boiled in lie,
will change the hair to an auburn colour." Box is sometimes substituted
for holly in the churches at Christmas; and, in a note to Wordsworth's poems,
we are informed that, "in several parts of the north of England, when a
funeral takes place, a basinful of sprigs of box is placed at the door of the
house from which the coffin is taken up ; and each person who attends the
funeral takes one of these sprigs, and throws it into the grave of the deceased."
(ll'ords. Poems, vol.i. p. 163.) The box is the badge of the Highland clan
M'Intosh ; and the variegated kind, of the clan M'Pherson. (Baxt. Brit. Fl. PI.,
ii. t. 142.) Pliny affirms that no animal will eat the seed of the box ; and it is
said that its leaves are particularly poisonous to camels. It is also asserted by
many authors that box trees are never cropped by cattle ; and that the Corsican
honey is rendered poisonous from the bees feeding on the flowers of the box.
Propagation and Culture. The box is propagated by seeds, cuttings, and
la\ers. It seeds freely where it is allowed to grow freely; but, where it is
1310
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART II
closely clipped in, the seeds are seldom permitted to ripen. When the seeds
are to be sown, they should be gathered the moment the capsules appear ready
to open, and sown immediately in light rich earth, consisting chiefly of vege-
table mould, which is well drained, so that the water may never lie on the seeds.
Cuttings of from 4 in. to G in. in length should be put in, in autumn, in a
sandy soil, and a shaded situation, and in a year they will be fit to transplant
into nursery lines. Layers may be made either in the spring or autumn, and
either of the young or old wood. The dwarf box used for edgings is propa-
gated by being taken up, divided, and replanted. The roots of the box, being
numerous and small, though by no means hair-like, like those of the -Erica-
ceae, retain the earth about them ; so that plants of box always come up with
a ball ; and hence the tree may be transplanted at almost any season, provided,
if in summer, that the weather be moist at the time. Box edgings are best
planted early in spring, because the frost in winter is apt to destroy those
leaves which have been cut in trimming the plants. Box edgings and hedges
may be clipped at almost any season, except midwinter. Some garden-
ers prefer trimming box edgings in June, just when the plants have nearly com-
pleted their year's shoots ; because they will afterwards make shoots of
A in or 1 in. in length, or, at all events, protrude a few leaves, and thus, in a
week or two, will conceal all appearance of the use of the shears. When this
practice is followed, it is necessary to go over the edgings or hedges in July,
in order to cut neatly off with the knife any shoots that may have been pro-
truded too far ; taking care not to cut the leaves. The more common prac-
tice is to clip the box in autumn ; but in that case, as many of the leaves are
injured by the shears, their marks remain till the middle of the following May.
The edging or hedge looks well for a fortnight at that season; but afterwards it
has rather a neglected appearance, till the next trimming season, which is in the
beginning of September. The superiority of the June clipping must be obvious,
whether applied to edgings, hedges, or mural or sculpturesque ornaments.
Box edgings, when kept low, if they are wanted to endure many years, require
occasionally to be cut in almost to the ground ; and this operation should only
be performed on one side of the edging in one year, and not on the other side
till the second year following. When treated in this way, both edgings and
hedges will, on good loamy soil, last an extraordinary length of time ; whereas,
if they are continually clipped on the surface only, a network of shoots is
formed there, which, by excluding the air from the stem within, occasions the
decay of the weakest ; and the edging or hedge becomes naked below, and
unsightly. Sometimes this evil may be remedied by cutting down ; but, in
general, the best mode is to replant. The form of the section of a box edging
or hedge should always be that of a truncated triangle ; the broadest end
being that next to the ground. In the case of edgings to walks, or to flower-
beds, their breadth at the ground may be 3 in., the height 4in.,and the breadth
at top 2 in. ; or half these dimensions may be adopted. In every case, both of
edgings and hedges, the base ought always to be broader than the summit, in
order that the rain may fall on the sides, and the light of the sun strike on
them with more force. In clipping box trees into artificial forms, it is usual
to enclose the tree in a slight frame of wirework of the form proposed : the
wire should be copper, and painted green, for the sake of durability, and to
render it inconspicuous. The same kind of skeleton wirework, or trellis-work,
is put up for mural and architectural topiary work.
Insects and Diseases. The box is very rarely attacked by insects, and has
very few diseases. There is a proliferous
growth of leaves at the points of the
shoots, which appears in some seasons,
and isjprobably occasioned by the punc-
ture of an insect, but of what species
we are not aware. The fungus Puccfnia
2?uxi Grev. £/?g.!219.) is found occasion-
ally on the leaves. 1219
CHAP. XC1X.
1341
Statistics. The largest box trees In the neighbourhood of London are at Syoti, where there arc
various trees from 13ft. to 16ft. in height. There is also one at Kew, 15ft. high. In the Oxford
Botanic Garden, there arc two old box trees, one of which, in 1835, was 21 ft. high, the diameter of
the trunk 7^ in., and of the head 18ft. The largest box hedge in England is at IVtworth, where
it is more than K> ft. broad at the bottom, 15 ft. high, and 40 yards long : it is rappowd to be upwards
of two centuries old. The oldest sculpturesque topiary works in England are in tiie garden at Leven's
Grove, in Westmoreland, laid out in the time of James II. In Scotland, at West Plean, near
Stirling, there is a box tree, 10 years planted, that is (i ft. high. In France, in the Jardin dcs Plantcs,
a box tree, upwards of 100 years planted, has attained the height of 30ft.
Commercial Statistics. Plants of the tree box, in the London nurseries, are
from 6d. to 1*. Gd. each, according to the size of the variety : at Bollwyller
plants of the species are 50 cents each ; and of the varieties, from 1 franc to
1 \ francs each : at New York, plants, or the tree kind are 25 cents each ; and
of its varieties, 37£ cents. The dwarf box is sold, in English nurseries, at QcL
per yard ; at New York, at 50 cents per yard.
1 2. B. BALEA'RICA Willd. The Balearic Box.
Identification. Willd. Arb., 50., Sp. PI. 4., p. 337. ; ?Lam. Encyc., 1. p. 505. 1220
Syiionywcs. B. s. var. gigantoa N. Du Ham., 1. p. 82. ; Minorca Box;
Bub de Minorque, Buis de Mahon, Fr. ; Balearischer Buchsbaum, Ger.
Engravings. N. Du Ham., pi. 23. f. 1. ; and mirfigs. 1220. and 1221.
Spec. C/tar.,$c. Disk of leaf oblong ; footstalk glabrous.
Anthers arrow-shaped, linear. (Willd. Sp P/.t iv. p.
338.) A native of Minorca, Sardinia, and Corsica ;
and growing there, according to the Nonvcau Du Ha-
met, to the height of 80 ft. It is also found in great
abundance on all the rocky surfaces both of European
and Asiatic Turkey. It was first brought to France
about 1770; whence it was introduced into England
in 1780. In both countries, it was at first treated as a
green-house plant ; but it was afterwards found quite
hardy. In Paris, according to the Nouveau Du Haniel,-
it was found to resist the severe frosts of 1794 and
1799. The Balearic box is a very handsome species, with leaves three
times as large as those of B. sempervirens, and a straight smooth trunk.
The leaves, when the plant is fully exposed
to the air, are of a much paler green than
those of the common box ; but, when they
are in the shade, they are of an intensely
deep green. The wood is said to be of a
brighter yellow than that of the common
box. It is sent to England in large quantities
from Constantinople, for the use of the wood-
engravers ; but, being of a coarser grain, it
is inferior to that of the B. sempervirens. It is propagated by cuttings,
which, if placed in sandy soil under glass, or in heat, generally strike
root in about two months after being taken off. Cuttings will also succeed,
if treated like those of the common box.
Statistics. The largest plant within 10 miles of London is at Kew, where it is 13 ft high. At
Walton on Thames, at Lady Tankerville's, it is 10 ft. high. In Sussex, at Arundel Castle, it is 17 ft.
bigh. Price of plants, in the London nurseries, Is. 6d. each ; at New York, where it requires protec-
tion during winter, 37J cents.
A pp. i. Half-hardy Species of Tttixus.
B. chinensis Lk. is a native of China, introduced in 1802, and growing about 3ft. high; nnd
B. tiustn'i/is Cun. is a native of New Holland, growing about 6ft. high. Both require protection
during winter, but would probably succeed against a conservative wall.
A true species of /?uxus, Mr. Royle observes, is common in the Himalayas, found chiefly in valleys,
as at Mugra, Kamaon, &c. It grows to a considerable size and thickness, and the wood appears as
compact and good as that of the common box.
App. I. Half-hardy Species belonging to the
On looking over the genera belonging to this order in the Hortvs Britannicus, several ligneous
-ptrii-s will be observed indicated as requiring the green-house ; but, as very few of them are oi
much beauty, we consider it unnecessary to go into many detail* respecting them.
1342
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
Plagianthus divurlchtus Forst, t. 43., is a native of New Zealand, and was introduced in 1822.
having lived with us at Bayswater, with very little protection, since
Mag., t. 3696., is a twiggy shrub, from 2ft. to 3ft high, probably also
It is tolerably hardy ; a plant having lived with us at Bayswater, with very little protection, since
1829. P. sidmdes Hook. Bot. Mag., t. 3696., is a tw
as hardy as the other. Both species flower in April.
Ciuytia. aJatcrno}des Bot. Mag., t. 1321., has been an inhabitant of our green-houses since 1692. It
is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, and would probably stand against a conservative wall.
CHAP. C.
OF THE HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER Z7RTICAXCE^.
THESE are included in five genera, which have their names and characters
below.
MO^RUS Tourn. Flowers unisexual ; those of the 2 sexes, in most species,
upon the same plant ; in M. nigra Poir., and, according to Gronovius ( Virg.t
146.), in M. rubra L., upon distinct plants : according to Kalm ( Act. Suec.,
1776), the sexes of M. rubra L. are polygamous. — Male flowers disposed
in a drooping, peduncled, axillary spike. Calyx of 4 equal sepals, imbri-
cate in aestivation, expanded in flowering. Stamens 4. A rudiment of a
pistil is present. — Female flowers in ovate erect spikes. Calyx of 4
leaves, in opposite pairs, the outer pair the larger, all upright and persistent,
becoming pulpy and juicy. Ovary of 2 cells, one including one pendulous
ovule, the other devoid of any. Stigmas 2, long. In the state of ripeness,
each ovary is a fleshy and juicy utricle, and is covered by the fleshy
and juicy calyx : the aggregate of the ovaries and the calyxes from a
spike of flowers constitutes what is termed a mulberry. Seed pendulous
— Species several ; natives of Asia, south of Europe, and North America.
Trees. Sap white. Leaves alternate, large, mostly lobed, and rough ; the
favourite food of the silk-moth (l?6mbyx mori F.) in its caterpillar state.
(Chiefly from T. Nees ab Esenbeck, Gen. PI. Fl. Germ.)
BROUSSONE'T/^ L'Herit. Flowers unisexual ; those of the two sexes upon
distinct plants. — Male flowers in pendulous cylindrical catkins ; each
flower in the axil of a bractea. Calyx shortly tubular, then 4-parted. Sta-
mens 4, elastic. — Female flowers in peduncled, axillary, upright globular
heads. Calyx tubular, its tip with 3 — 4 teeth. Ovary within an integument
that arises from the bottom of the calyx. Style lateral, prominent. Stigma
taper. Fruit club-shaped, proceeding from the bottom of the calyx, and
extended much beyond its tip; and consisting of the integument in which
the ovary was enclosed, and now become very juicy ; and of a 1-seeded
oval utricle with a crustaceous integument, and enclosed within the juicy,
integument. — Species 1, native to Japan and the isles of the Pacific Ocean.
A tree, with leaves large, lobed or not, and hairy. (Du Hamcl, Trade des
Arbres, ed. nouv. ; and the Penny Cyclopaedia.)
MACLUNR^ Nuttall. Flowers unisexual; in M. aurantiaca Nutt.t and M.
tinctoria D. 2}on, those of the two sexes upon distinct plants ; if not so in
the rest, then upon the same plant. What follows relates to M. aurantiaca
Nutt. — Male flowers in a very short almost sessile racemose panicle of 12
or more flowers. Calyx 4-parted. Stamens 4, in some instances 3. —
Female flowers closely aggregate upon an axis, and forming a globular head
that is borne upon a short axillary peduncle. Calyx oblong, urceolar,
apparently with 4 lobes at the tip : it includes the ovary, which is situated
above its base, and is terminated by a style that is thread-shaped, downy,
and protruded beyond the calyx to the length of nearly 1 in. The ovary
becomes an achenium about £ in. long, half as much broad, compressed,
oval, with the tip blunt and unsymmetrical from an indentation on one side
in which the style had been attached. — A tree, native of North America.
Spiny : spines axillary. Sap white. Leaves alternate, ovate. Stipules
minute, deciduous. (Nuttall; Gard. Mag., vol. xi. p. 312 — 316., and vol.
xii. p. 210.; and observation.)
CHAP. C.
1343
Fi^cvs Tonrn. Flowers inserted upon the interior surface of a hollow glo-
bular or pear-shaped fleshy receptacle, in whose tip is an orifice closed with
small scales ; minute, many within a receptacle ; those in the upper part
male, the rest female ; or the flowers of each sex occupy distinct receptacles
upon distinct plants. — Male flower. Calyx 3-parted. Stamens 3. — Fe-
male flower. Calyx 5-cleft, having a tube that invests a threadshaped
stalk that bears the pistil. Stalk adnate to the ovary on one side, and
extending to the base of the style : the style is inserted rather laterally.
Ovary with 1 cell and 1 ovule. Stigmas 2. Fruit a utricle. Seed pen-
dulous. Embryo falcate, in the centre of fleshy albumen. — Species nume-
rous. Trees or shrubs, occurrent in the warmer regions of both hemi-
spheres. F. Carica inhabits the south of Europe. Sap white. Leaves
alternate, stipulate. Stipules large, convolute, deciduous. (T. Nees ab
Etenbecky Gen. PI. Fl. Germ. Most of the characters are taken from F.
Carica L.)
BovRYyi Willd. Flowers unisexual : those of the two sexes upon distinct
plants. — Male flower. Calyx minute, in 4 deep segments. Stamens 2 — 3.
— Female flower. Calyx inferior, in 4 deep segments, that are deciduous ;
two opposite ones very minute, and in some instances not present. Ovary
roundish-ovate : it has 2 cells. Style short. Stigma capitate, depressed,
obscurely cloven. Fruit pulpy, oval-oblong, with 1 cell. Seed mostly soli-
tary; its skin membranous, its embryo straight, its albumen horny. — Species
5 ; 4 native of North America, 1 of the West Indies : all shrubs, with their
leaves opposite, or nearly so, mostly smooth and entire; and their flowers
minute, axillary, fascicled and bracteated. (Smith, under Bigelovza in Rces's
Cycl. ; Nuttall in Gen. ; and observation.)
GENUS I.
Tourn. THE MULBERRY TREE. Lin. Syst. Moncexcia Tetrandria.
Identification. Tourn., quoted by T. Nees ab Esenbeck, in his Gen. PI. Fl. Germ. ; Schreb. Lin.
Gen. PI., No. 1424. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 368. ; T. Nees ab Esenbeck Gen. PI. Fl. Germ., fasc. 3.
No. 5.
Synonymes. MCirier, Fr. ; Maulbeere, Ger.
Derivation. Several derivations have been given for the word A/6rus : some suppose it to be taken
from the Greek word morea, or moron, signifying a mulberry or blackberry ; others derive it from
mauros, dark ; and Sir J. E. Smith suggests that it may have been taken by antiphrasis from moros,
foolish, the mulberry tree, from its slowness in putting out its leaves, being anciently considered
the emblem of wisdom. The Morca, in the Levant, is said to be so called from the resemblance
of the shape of that peninsula to the leaf of a mulberry.
Description, $c. Deciduous trees, natives of Europe, Asia, and America,
remarkable for their large leaves, which are mostly lobed, and which, in a state
of cultivation, are liable to great variation in point of magnitude, form, and
texture. They are easily propagated by seeds, layers, cuttings, and trun-
cheons ; every part of the mulberry, like the olive, taking root easily, and
forming a tree. All the species will serve to nourish the silkworm ; but M.
alba, and its varieties, are considered much the best for this purpose. In
warm climates, such as Persia, the leaves of M. nigra are sufficiently succulent
for feeding the silkworm ; but in colder countries they do not answer equally
well.
1. M. NIVGRA Poir.
The b\ack-fruited, or common, Mulberry.
; Hort Cliff., 441. ; Mart Mill., No.2. ;
Identification. Poir. Ency. Meth., 4. p. 377. ; Lin. Sp. PI.,
Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 369.
Synonymes. Morus Dod. Penipt., 810. ; M. fn'ictu nlgro Bauh. Pin., 459.
Engravings. Lmiw. Ectypa Veg., t. 114. ; Blackw., t. 126. ; Wats. Dend. Brit, t 159. ; N. Du Ham.,
4. t. 22. ; and the plate in our last Volume.
Spec. Char.ySfc. Sexes monoecious, sometimes dioecious. Leaves heart-shaped,
bluntish, or slightly lobed with about 5 lobes; toothed with unequal teeth,
4 T
1344- ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PAKT III.
rough. (Wllld. Sj)., iv. p. 369.) A deciduous tree, a native of Persia, but
found also on the sea coast of Italy ; growing to the height of 20 ft. or 30 ft.
Introduced in 1548. Sir J. E. Smith remarks that this species is " sometimes
perfectly dioecious, and very frequently partially so; the stamens being in
greater perfection in most flowers of one tree, and the pistils in those of
another." (Recs's CycL, art. Moms.)
M. n. 2 Iftdniata Mill. Diet., No. 2., has the leaves jagged rather than
cut. This alleged variety of the species may be considered as more
properly a variation of the individual ; since leaves jagged and lobed
in a great variety of ways are frequently found on plants in one
season, and only heart-shaped comparatively entire leaves the next !
Description. The common mulberry is generally a low, much-branched
tree, with a thick rough bark, and broad heart-shaped leaves, which are un-
equally serrated, and very rough. The fruit is large, of a dark purple, very
wholesome, and agreeable to the palate. The mulberry tree is remarkable for
the slowness of its growth ; and also for being one of the last trees to deve-
lope its leaves, though it is one of the first to ripen its fruit. In Britain, the
tree always assumes something of a dwarf or stunted character, spreading in to
very thick arms, or branches, near the ground, and forming an extremely large
head. It is a tree of very great durability ; the trees at Syon being said to be
300 years old, and some at Oxford and other places being supposed to be of
nearly equal antiquity. It is also wonderfully tenacious of life; the roots
of a black mulberry, which had lain dormant in the ground for twenty-four
years, being said, after the expiration of that time, to have sent up shoots.
(Ann. des Scien. Nat., torn. ix. p. 338., as quoted in Brande's Journ. for Oct.
1827.)
Geography. The common, or black, mulberry is generally supposed to be
a native of Persia, where there are still masses of it found in a wild state ;
though the date of its introduction into Europe is unknown ; and though it is
occasionally found apparently wild in Italy. It is, however, so frequently
confounded by the earlier writers with the white mulberry, as to render it
difficult to ascertain the countries of which it is really a native.
History. The black mulberry has been known from the earliest records of
antiquity. It is twice mentioned in the Bible ; viz. in the Second Book of
Samuel, and in the Psalms. The same difficulty, however, exists in tracing
its history distinctly from that of the white mulberry, as in its geography ; and
it is only when spoken of as a fruit tree, or when its colour is decidedly
mentioned, that we can be sure which species is meant. Ovid, however,
evidently points out the black mulberry as the one introduced in the story of
Pyramus and Thisbe; and Pliny seems also to allude to it, as he observes
that there is no other tree that has been so neglected by the wit of man,
either in grafting or giving it names ; an observation which holds good to the
present day respecting the black mulberry, as it has only one trifling variety,
or rather variation, and no synonyme; whereas there are numerous varieties
of M. alba. Pliny adds, " Of all the cultivated trees, the mulberry is the
last that buds, which it never does until the cold weather is past ; and it is
therefore called the wisest of trees. But, when it begins to put forth buds,
it despatches the business in one night,and that with so much force, that their
breaking forth may be evidently heard." (Book xvi. c. 25.) The black
mulberry was first brought to England in 1548; when some trees were planted
at Syon, one, at least, of which (fig. 1222.) is still in existence. Others say
that the first mulberry tree planted in England was in the garden at Lam-
beth Palace, by Cardinal Pole, about 1555. The tree is mentioned by Tusser,
and also by Gerard, who describes both the black and the white mulberry
as being cultivated in his time. The royal edict of James I., about 1605,
recommending the cultivation of silkworms, and offering packets of mulberry
seeds to all who would sow them, no doubt rendered the tree fashionable, as
(HAP. C.
KM 5
there is scarcely an old garden or gentleman's seat, throughout the country,
which can be traced back to the seventeenth century, in which a mulberry tree
is not to be found. It is remarkable, however, that, though these trees were
expressly intended for the nourishment of silkworms, they nearly all belong to
Morus nigra, as very few instances exist of old trees of Morus alba in Eng-
land. (See Bradley1 1 Treat, on Husb. and Gard., ed. 1726, vol. i. p. 349.)
Shakspeare's mulberry is referable to this period, as it was planted in 1609
in his garden at New Place, Stratford ; and it was a black mulberry, as Mr.
Drake mentions a native of Stratford, who, in his youth, remembered fre-
quently to have eaten of the fruit of this tree, some of its branches hanging
over the wall which divided that garden from his father's. (Drake's Shak-
speare, vol. ii. p. 584.)
Properties and Uses. The black mulberry is cultivated, Du Hamel tells us,
" for its fruit, which is very wholesome and palatable ; and not for its leaves,
which are but little esteemed for silkworms;" and which, at the beginning of
autumn, often become covered with red spots. The fruit, he adds, is eaten
raw, or " made into syrups, which are considered excellent for sore throats."
(Nouv. Du Ham., iv. p. 91.) The wood is considered of but little value in
France, except for fire-wood: it is less compact than even that of the white
mulberry ; and weighs only 40 Ib. 7 oz. the cubic foot. Cattle eat the leaves,
and all kinds of poultry are very fond of the fruit.
In England, the fruit is generally eaten at the dessert ; and it is considered
of a cooling aperient nature when ripe. It forms an agreeable sweetmeat,
though it is not generally used for that purpose; and Evelyn says that, mixed
with the juice of cider apples, it makes a very strong and agreeable wine.
Dr. Clarke mentions that he saw some Greeks in the Crimea employed in dis-
tilling brandy from mulberries; which he describes as "a weak but palatable
spirit, as clear as water." (Travels, vol. i. p. 529.) A wine is also made from
it in France ; but it requires to be drunk immediately, as it very soon becomes
acid. The root has an acrid bitter taste, and is considered excellent as a ver-
mifuge, in doses of half a drachm in powder. (Smith in Rees's Cycl.} The
tree in every part contains a portion of milky juice, which, being coagulated,
is found to form a kind of coarse Indian rubber. In some parts of Spain, on
Mount jEtna, and in Persia, the leaves of this species are said to be preferred
to those of the white mulberry for silkworms. (Hook. Hot. Comp., vol. i. p. 59.)
Poetical and mythological Allusions. The mulberry was dedicated by the
< * reeks to Minerva, probably because it was considered as the wisest of trees;
and Jupiter the Protector was called Morea. Ovid has celebrated the black
that its
the
I r •>
v* «' 1 1 1/* 1,^1 cuv, I i VSltxlslUI W CiO 1««U1WI A'iVAl U-Ct* -vr » *v» iiitu w v-*v,i~f« i* t,v-u vnx
mulberry tree in the story of Pyramus and Tliisbe ; whore he tells us t
fruit was originally snow-white ; but that when Pyramus, in despair
134-6 ARBORETUM AND FHUTICETUM. PART III.
supposed death of his mistress, killed himself with his own sword, he fell
under one of these trees ; and when Thisbe, returning and finding him dead,
stabbed herself also, their blood flowing over the roots of the tree, was
absorbed by them, and gave its colour to the fruit.
' Dark in the rising tide the berries grew,
And, white no longer, took a sable hue ;
But brighter crimson, springing from the root,
Shot through the black, and purpled o'er the fruit."
Cowley describes the black mulberry as being used, in his time, both for its
fruit and leaves : —
" But cautiously the mulberry did move,
And first the temper of the skies would prove,
What sign the sun was in, and if she might
Give credit yet to Winter's seeming flight :
She dares not venture on his first retreat,
Nor trusts her fruit and leaves to doubtful heat ;
Her ready sap within her bark confines,
Till she of settled warmth has certain signs ;
Then, making rich amends tor the delay,
With sudden haste, she dons her green array :
In two short months, her purple fruit appears,
And of two lovers slain the tincture wears.
Her fruit is rich, but she doth leaves produce
Of far-surpassing worth and noble use."
COWLEY on Plants, book v.
The destruction of Shakspeare's mulberry tree in 1756, by its then pro-
prietor, Mr. Gastrell, gave rise to several songs, and other pieces of poetry ;
but they rather relate to the individual tree than to the species.
Soil, Situation, Propagation, and Culture. The black mulberry will grow in
almost any soil or situation that is tolerably dry, and in any climate not much
colder than that of London. In Britain, north of York, it requires a wall,
except in very favourable situations. It is very easily propagated by trun-
cheons or pieces of branches, 8 ft. or 9 ft. in length, and of any thickness, being
planted half their depth in tolerably good soil ; when they will bear fruit the'fol-
lowing year. (See Gard. Mag., vol. iii. p. 217., and vol. v. p. 63.) Every part
of the root, trunk, boughs, and branches may be turned into plants by separa-
tion ; the small shoots, or spray, and the small roots, being made into
cuttings, the larger shoots into stakes, the arms into truncheons, and the
trunk, stool, and roots being cut into fragments, leaving a portion of the bark
on each. (Ibid., vol. iv. p. 152.) It is very seldom, if ever, now propagated by
seeds, which rarely ripen in Britain. The mulberry, from its slowness in
putting out its leaves, being rarely injured by spring frosts, and its leaves being
never devoured by any insect, except the silkworm, and never attacked by
mildew, very seldom fails to bear a good crop of fruit. This fruit, however,
though excellent and extremely wholesome, does not keep, and is so far trou-
blesome, that it is only good when it is just quite ripe, and is best when it is
suffered to fall from the tree itself. For this reason, mulberry trees are gene-
rally planted on a lawn or grass-plot, to prevent the fruit that falls from being
injured by the dirt or gravel. In a paper by J. Williams, Esq., of Pitmastoii,
published in the Horticultural Transactions for 1813, this practice is, however,
censured. " The standard mulberry," says Mr. Williams, "receives great in-
jury by being planted on grass-plots with the view of preserving the fruit when
it falls spontaneously. No tree, perhaps, receives more benefit from the spade
and the dunghill than the mulberry ; it ought therefore to be frequently dug
about the roots, and occasionally assisted with manure. The ground under the
tree should be kept free from weeds throughout the summer, particularly when
the fruit is ripening, as the reflected light and heat from the bare surface of the
soil is thus increased ; more especially if the end branches are kept pruned,
so as not to bow over too near to, and shade, the ground. The fruit is also
very fine if the tree is trained as an espalier, within the reflection of a south
wall, or other building. If a wooden trellis were constructed, with the same
inclination as the roof of a forcing-house, fronting the south, and raised about
CI1AL*. C. f/RTlcVcETE. J/O^RUS. 1347
6 ft. from the ground, leaving the soil with the same inclination as the trellis,
a tree trained on it would receive the solar influence to great advantage,
and would probably ripen its fruit much better than a standard." (Hort.
Trans., &c.) When the mulberry is trained against a wall, and required to
produce very large and fine fruit, the following mode of pruning is recom-
mended by Mr. Williams: — "All the annual shoots, except the foreright,
are neatly trained to the wall ; but these last must be left to grow till towards
midsummer, and then be shortened about one third of their growth, to admit
light to the leaves beneath. By the end of August, the foreright shoots will
have advanced again, so as to obstruct the light, and they must then be short-
ened nearer to the wall than before. In the month of March or beginning of
April, the ends of the terminal shoots should be pruned away down to the first
strong bud that does not stand foreright; and the front shoots, which were
pruned in August, must also be shortened down to two or three eyes. If
trained after this method, the tree will afford fruit the third year. The fore-
right shoots should then be shortened at the end of the month of June, or
beginning of July, so as to leave one leaf only beyond the fruit ; the terminal
shoots being nailed to the wall as before, and left without any summer
pruning; the foreright shoots, thus nailed, will not advance any farther, as
their nutriment will go into the fruit ; which, when quite ripe, will become
perfectly black, very largL;, and highly saccharine." (Ibid.) As a standard tree,
whether for ornament, or the production of moderately sized fruit, the mul-
berry requires very little pruning, or attention of any kind, provided the soil
be tolerably good.
Statistics. Mt»-?<s tugra in the Environs of London. The oldest tree (supposed to be planted in
the 16th century, by the botanist Turner,) is at Syon, where it is 22 ft. high. (See fig. 1222 in p. 1345.)
There is another tree 28 ft. high, diameter of trunk 3 ft. 3 in., and of the head 57 ft. At Hamp&tead,
at Kenwood, 38 years planted, it is 25 ft high, diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 1 in., and of the head 25 ft. ;
and at Mount Grove, Middlesex, 12 years planted, it is 9 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 2J in. At
Battersea, on the estate of Earl Spenser, one, 300 years old, is from 30 ft to 40 ft high, the diameter
of the head 70 ft. by 50 ft. ; with 14 trunks, averaging about 1 ft. in girt at 1 ft. from the ground.
M. n'>jTra South of London. In Devonshire, at Bystock Park, 22 years planted, it is 17ft. high,
diameter of the trunk 7 in. In Kent, at Canterbury, in a garden which belongs to the ruins of the
Abbey of St. Augustine, is a mulberry tree of great antiquity. It had once been a tree of consider-
able height ; but is supposed to have been blown down about the end of the 17th, or beginning of the
18th, century. The trunk lies horizontally along the ground ; and is in length 21 J ft, and about 2 ft.
in diameter, at 4 ft from the root. Two large branches have risen perpendicularly from this trunk,
and now form trees with trunks, the one 8 ft. high, and about 14 in. in diameter, where it proceeds
from the main trunk ; and theother still higher and thicker. This tree was inspected by the depu-
tation of the Caledonian Horticultural Society, when on their way to France, in August, 1317. " On
examination " they " perceived that a continuous portion of the bark was fresh all the way from the
original root ; and by removing a little of the earth" they " likewise ascertained that many new
roots, though of small size, had been sent off from the base of the two branches which had formed
themselves into stems and heads." " The fruit of this aged tree," the deputation add, " is excel-
lent ; indeed it is commonly said that the fruit of the oldest mulberry trees is the best In 1815, the
berries, sold at 2s. a pottle, fielded no less than 6 guineas." (Journal of a Hort. Tour, Sec., p. 14.)
We are in form ed by Mr. Masters of Canterbury, that this tree has increased considerably in size
since 1817; the two trees being now, the one 19 ft. high, with a head 25 it in diameter; and the
other 16 ft. high, with a head 20ft. in diameter. In Somersetshire, at Hinton House, 18 years
planted it is 14 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 6 in., and of the head 13ft. ; at Nettlecombe, 45 years
planted, it is 24ft high, "diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 4 in., and of the head 26ft. In Surrey, near Kipley,
at Sutton Place, is a very old mulberry tree, which must have been blown down early in the 18th
century, as the branches from the prostrate trunk have all the appearance of old trees. The house
at Sutton Place was built by the brewer of Henry VII I., about the end of that king's reign. In
Sussex, at Cowdray, it is 25 ft. high, with a trunk 1 ft 8 in. in diameter. In Wiltshire, at Wardour
Castle, 100 years old, it is 40 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 6 in., and of the head 26ft.
M. n)fr>-u \orth of London. In Bedfordshire, at Ampthill, 85 years planted, it is 25 ft high,
diameter of the trunk 25 in., and of the head 30ft In Cambridgeshire, in the grounds of Christ
Church College, at Cambridge, is one planted by Milton when a student of the college, 20ft. high,
diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 2 in., and of the head 30 ft. In Cheshire, at Kinmel Park, it is 20 ft high,
diameter of the trunk 16 in., and of the head 20ft In Cumberland, at Ponsonby Hall, 45 years
planted, it is 24ft. high, diameter of the trunk 1ft. 2in., and of the head 18ft. In Gloucestershire,
at Doddington, 50 years planted, it is 25 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 1 J ft., and of the head 90 ft.
In Leicestershire, at Whatton House, 26 years planted, it is 13ft. high, against a wall, circumference
of the trunk 1 ft. 4 in., and of the head 70ft In Oxfordshire, in the Common Room Garden, at Pem.
broke College, are two mulberry trees, which are said to have been planted before the college waa
founded, which was in 1624. One of these is only about 25 ft. high, but it has a trunk 2 ft 2 in. in
diameter at 4 ft. from the ground ; a little higher it divides into two large arms, one of which girts
5 It., and the other 3 ft. 1 in. The other tree appears to have been much larger, but is now decayed. In
Pembrokeshire, at Golden Grove, 60 years planted, it is 25 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 2 ft, and
of the head 14 ft. In Radnorshire, at Maeslaugh Castle, 26ft. high, diameter of trunk 1 ft., and of
the head 30 ft. In Rutlandshire, at Belvoir Castle, 10 years planted, it is 15ft. high, diameter of the
trunk t in., and ot the head 8 ft. In Suffolk, at Finborough Hall,70years planted, it is 40ft. high,
diameter of the trunk 2ft., and of the head 42ft. ; at Ampton Hall, 12 years planted, it is 10ft. high,
diameter of the trunk Gin., and of the head Kill. In Worcestershire, at Croome, 40 years planted it
4 T 3
1348 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETL'M. PART III.
is 90 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 15 in., and of the head 25 ft. At Hagley, 20 years old, it is
10ft high, diameter of trunk 18 in., and of the head 11 ft.
M. nlgra in Scotland. The following specimens are all against walls. In Mid-Lothian, at Gosford
House, 15 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 3 in., and of the space covered by the branches 21 ft.
In Haddingtonshire, at Tynniugbam. 14 it. high, diameter of the trunk 1ft. 8 in., and of the head
30ft. In Renfrewshire, at Erskine House, 15ft. high, diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 2 in., and of the
head 17ft. In Banftshire, at Gordon Castle, 12ft high, against a wall. In Perthshire, at Kinfauns
Castle, 8 years planted, and 4ft. high. In Ross-shire, at Brahan Castle, 6 years old, and 10ft. high,
extent of "the branches 18ft.
M. nigra in Ireland. Near Dublin, in the grounds at Terenure, there is a remarkable specimen,
the trunk of which divides, close by the grouml, into five limbs, nearly of equal bulk, the largest
exceeding 10 in. in diameter, height 25 ft., circumference of the head 130ft. At Castletown, 30ft.
high, diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 6 in., and of the head 30ft. In Galway, at Coole, 14ft. high,
diameter of the trunk 8 in., and of the head 14 ft. In Sligo, at Makree Castle, 8 years old, it is 8 ft.
high, diameter of the trunk 5 in., and of the head 7 ft.
M. nigra in Foreign Countries. In France, at Nantes, in the nursery of M. De Nerrieres, 60 years
planted, it is 19 ft. high, with a trunk 2| ft. in circumference. In the Botanic Garden, at A vranches,
40 years planted, it is 40 ft high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft, and of the head 20 ft. In Saxony,
at Wdrlitz, 30 years old, it is 19 ft. high; the diameter of the trunk Gin. In Cassel, at \Vil-
helmsho'he, 7 years planted, it is 6 ft. high. In Bavaria, at Munich, in the Botanic Garden, 18 years
planted, it is 20 ft. high. In Austria, near Vienna, at Briick on the Leytha, 42 years old, it is 33 ft.
high, the diameter of the trunk 9 in., and of the head 15 ft. In Prussia, near Berlin, at Sans Souci,
70 years old, it is 30 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 14 in., and of the head 11 ft In the Pfaucn
Insel, 40 years old, it is 30 ft. high, the diameter of tho trunk 13 in., and of the head 44ft.
^ 2. M. A'LBA L. The white-fruited Mulberry Tree.
Identification. Lin. Hort. Cliff, 441. ; Mill. Diet., No. 3. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 368. ; N. Du Ham., 4.
p. 87.
Synonymes.- M. Candida Dod. Pcmpt., 810. ; M. frhctu Slbo Bauh. Pin., 459.} M. alba fructu
minori albo insulso Du Ham. Arb., 2. p. 24.
Engravings. Schkuhr Handb., 3. 29.). ; T. Nees ab Esenbeck Gen. PI. Fl. Germ., fasc. 3. No. 5.
f. 1—6., the male; and our plate in Vol. III.
Spec. Char.y $c. Leaves with a deep scallop at the base, and either heart-
shaped or ovate, undivided or lobed, serrated with unequal teeth, glossy, or,
at least, smoothish ; the projecting portions on the two sides of the basal sinus
unequal. (Willd. Sp. PI.) A deciduous tree, growing to the height of 30 ft.
A native of China. Introduced in 1596 ; flowering in May, and ripening its
fruit in September.
Varieties. — These are extremely numerous ; and the same kinds are even dis-
tinguished in different countries by different names. The following are
some of those most generally cultivated for their leaves, as affording food for
the silkworm : —
¥ a M. a. 2 multicaulis Perrottet in Ann. de'la Soc. Lin. de Paris, Mai, 1 824-,
p. 129.,Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; M. tatarica JDesf., but not of Lin. or
Pall. ; M. bullata Balbis ; M. cucul-
lata Hort. ; Chinese black Mulberry, v __^ J 1223
Amer. ; Perrottet Mulberry, many-
stalked Mulberry; Murier Perrottet,
Fr. ; Murier a Tiges nombreuses,
Murier des Philippines, Ann. des Sci.y
i. p. 336. pi. 3.; and our/g. 1223.;
Moro delle Filippine, Ital. — This
variety was introduced into France,
in 1821, by M. Perrottet, "agricul-
tural botanist and traveller of the
marine and colonies of France," from
Manilla, the capital of the Philippine
Islands ; into which country it had
been brought as an ornamental tree, some years previously, from
China. It is considered, both in Italy and France, as by far the
best variety for cultivation as food for the silkworm. It is a tree,
or, rather, a gigantic shrub, as the name implies, of rapid growth,
with vigorous shoots, and large pendulous leaves, which, even
in poor dry soils, are 6 in. long, and 8 in. or 9 in. broad ; but which, in
rich humid soils, are often 1 ft. in breadth, and 15 in. or 16 in. in
length. They are convex on the upper surface, of a beautiful glossy
green, and of a succulent texture. The fruit of this variety was un-
known in Europe till 1830. It is long, black, and of a flavour some-
CHAP. C-
J/KTICA'CETE. A/OVRUS.
J349
what resembling that of the common black mulberry. This variety
of mulberry differs from all the others, in throwing up suckers freely
from the roots. It also strikes more readily by cuttings, either of the
voung or old wood, than any other variety. It is extensively propa-
gated in the French and Italian nurseries ; and it has also become a
favourite variety in North America. In the Gardener's Magazine,
vol. xii., the numerous good qualities of this variety will be found
pointed out in detail, by Signer Manetti of Monza. See, also,
Kenrick's American Orchardist, and the American Gardener's Ma-
gazine, vol. i. p. 310. and 336., and vol. ii. p. 33. From the colour
and excellence of the fruit, we think it highly probable that this sort
of mulberry belongs rather to M. tatarica Pall., than M. alba.
M. a. 3 Morettilwa Hort., Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; Dandolo's Mulberry;
has black fruit, and very large, perfectly flat, deep green, shining
leaves, which are thin, and perfectly smooth on both surfaces. Its
leaves rank next to those ofM. a. multicaulis as food for silkworms;
and the silk made by worms fed on them is of a beautiful gloss, and
of a finer quality than any other. It is, however, neither so productive
nor so hardy as M. a. multicaulis. It was first brought into notice
in 1815, by M. Moretti, professor in the university of Pavia; whence
its name of Morettiawar. Its name of Dandolo Mulberry was given
in honour of Count Dandolo, who has not only devoted much time
to the improvement of the culture of the silkworm, but has written
an excellent work on the subject.
M. a. 4- macrojihyUa Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; M. a. latifolia Hort. ; M.
hispanica Hort.; Miirier d'Espagne, Feuille d'Espagne, Fr. — This
variety produces strong and vigorous shoots, and large leaves, some-
times measuring 8 in. long, and 6 in. broad, resembling in form those
of M. nigra, but smooth, glossy, and succulent. The fruit is white.
If grown in rich soils, this sort, it is stated in the Nouveau Cours
d' 'Agriculture, is apt to produce leaves which are so exceedingly
succulent and nourishing, that they occasion the worms fed on them
to burst. It is a most valuable variety for poor soils, particularly in
rocky calcareous situations.
M. a, 5 romdna Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; M. a. ovalifolia; Murier remain,
Fr. ; bears so close a resemblance to the above sort, as not to require
any more particular description.
M. a. 6 nervosa Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; M. nervosa Bon Jard., 1836 ;
M. subalba nervosa Hort. ; has the leaves strongly marked with
thick white nerves on the under side. There is a subvariety (M.
n. 2 longifolia) mentioned in the Son Jardinicr, which has longer
leaves.
M. a. 1 itahca Hort. ; M. italica Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; has a lobed
leaf. In 1825, and for a few years before and after, while attempts
wrere making to introduce the culture of silk into England and Ire-
land, this variety was principally planted. The plants were im-
ported from the Continent, chiefly by Messrs. Loddiges. M. a. i.
ru/rra, the M. rubra of Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836, is a subvariety of this
sort.
,17". a. 8 rosea Hort., Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; the small white Mulberry;
Miirier rose, Feuille rose, Fr. ; is one of the kinds called, in France,
a wild variety. The fruit is small, white, and insipid ; and the leaves
resemble the leaflets of a rose tree, but are larger. This kind is
said to produce remarkably strong silk.
M. a. 9 columbassa Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; Columba, Fr.; has small ddi-
cate leaves, and flexible branches. It is considered the most tender
of all the kinds.
M. a. 10 membrandcea Lodd. Cat., i-d. ls3G; Miirier a Feuillesde Par-
chemin, Fr.\ has large, thin, dry leaves.
1350 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 111.
t M. a. 1 1 siiicnsis Hort. ; M. sinensis Hort. ; M. chinensis Lodd. Cat.,
ed. 1836; the Chinese white Mulberry, Amcr.; is a large-leaved
variety.
* M. a. 12 pumila Nois., ? M. a. nana Hort. Brit , is a shrub, seldom
exceeding 10ft. high. There are plants bearing this name in the
arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges, which have leaves nearly as large
as those of M. a. macrophylla.
Other Varieties. All the above sorts are in the arboretum of Messrs.
Loddiges ; but in the catalogues of foreign nurserymen there are several
other names. In the Humbeque Nursery, near Brussels, a number of va-
rieties are cultivated for the American market, where the white mulberry
is now much in demand ; and a list of their names will be found in Gardener's
Magazine, vol. xi. p. 539. Castelet, in his Traite sur les Muriers blancs,
which is generally considered the best work on the subject extant in
France, divides the varieties of M. alba, now cultivated in Provence for
their leaves, into two classes, the wild and the grafted ; the latter being
propagated by grafting, and the former by cuttings, layers, or seeds.
Wild Mulberries.
La Feuille rose.— This is the same as M. a. 8?dsea, mentioned above.
La Feuille dorte, M. a. lucida Hort., M. lucida Hort., which has large, heart-shaped,
shining leaves, and small purplish fruit.
La Heine batarde has the leaves twice as large as those of the Feuille rose, and
deeply toothed. This is probably the Foglia zaxola of the Italians.
La Femelle.—Trce spiny, and sending forth its fruit before its Icaves.which are trilobate.
Grafted Mulberries.
La Reine, which has shining leaves, much larger than any of the wild varieties ; and
ash.coloured fruit.
La grosse Reine. — This is a subvariety of M. a. macrophjlla, which has the leaves of a
very deep green, and the fruit black, instead of white.
La Feuille d'Espngne. — This variety is the same as M. a. 4 macrophylla, mentioned above.
La Feuille de floes has the leaves of a very deep green, and growing in tufts at the ex-
trenrities of the branches. The fruit is produced in abundance, but never arrives
at maturity. This is probably the Foglt'a doppia, or double-leaved variety, of the
Italian gardeners.
Besides these, there are many garden varieties in the French, German,
and Italian nurseries.
Description, $c. The white mulberry is readily distinguished from the
black, even in winter, by its more numerous, slender, upright-growing, and
white-barked shoots. It is a tree of much more rapid growth than M. nigra,
and its leaves are not only less rough and more succulent, but they contain
more of the glutinous milky substance resembling caoutchouc, which gives
tenacity to the silk produced by the worms fed on them. They are generally
cordate and entire, but sometimes lobed, and always deeply serrated. The
fruit of M. alba and its wild varieties is seldom good for human food, but it
is found excellent for poultry ; and, for this purpose, a tree of the species was
formerly generally planted in the basse cour of the old French chateaux.
(Bosc.} The fruit of M. a. multicaulis, and some other of the highly cultivated
varieties, is not only eatable, but agreeable. The rate of growth of young
plants is much more rapid than that of Af. nigra; plants cut down producing
shoots 4 ft. or 5 ft. long in one season ; the tree attaining the height of 20 ft.
in five or six years ; and, when full grown, reaching to 30 ft. or 40 ft. Its
duration is not so great as that of M. nigra.
Geography. The white mulberry is only found truly wild in China, in the
province of Seres, or Serica; it is, however, apparently naturalised in many
parts of Asia Minor and Europe ; and nearly all its varieties are of European
origin. It does not embrace so extensive a range of country as M. nigra,
being unable to resist either great cold or great heat. 'In a cultivated
state, it is found, as a road-side pollard tree, in many parts of France, Spain,
Italy, and Germany as far north as Frankfort on the Oder. In England,
it is not very common; and it is scarcely to be found in Scotland, even
against a wall.
History, fyc. The Chinese appear to have been the first to cultivate the
mulberry for feeding silkworms; and they are supposed to have discovered the
art of making silk 2700 years B. c., in the reign of the Emperor Hong, whose
empress, Si-iing-chi, is said to have first observed the labours of the silk-
CHAP. C. Ull'nCA^CEJE. Jl/CMiUS. 1351
worms on wild mulberry trees, and applied their silk to use. From China, the
art passed into Persia, India, Arabia, and the whole of Asia. The caravans
of Seres, or Serica (the part of China where the silk was most abundantly
produced), "performed long journeys, of 243 days, from the 'far coasts' of
China to those of Syria. The expedition of Alexander into Persia and India
first introduced the knowledge of silk to the Grecians, 350 years before Christ;
and, with the increase of wealth and luxury in the Grecian court, the de-
mand for silks prodigiously augmented. The Persians engrossed, for a time,
the trade of Greece, and became rich from the commerce of silk, which they
procured from China. The ancient Phoenicians also engaged in the traffic of
silk, and carried it to the east of Europe ; but, for a long time, even those who
brought it to Europe knew not what it was, and neither how it was pro-
duced, nor where was situated the country of Serica, from which it originally
came." (Kenric/c's Amer. Silk-Grower's Guide, p. 11.; N. Du Ham., 4. ; Nouv.
Cours d Agric., &c.) From Greece it passed into Rome ; and, though the
exact year of its introduction is unknown, it was probably about the time of
Pompey and Julius Caesar ; the latter, we find, having used it in his festivals.
In the reign of Tiberius, an edict was passed prohibiting the use of silk as
effeminate. Heliogabalus, about 220, is said to have been the first emperor
who wore a robe made entirely of silk ; which then, and for some time after-
wards, sold for its weight in gold. Aurelian, in 280, is said to have denied
his empress, Severa, a robe of silk, because it was too dear. About the be-
ginning of the sixth century, after the seat of the Roman empire had been
transferred to Constantinople, two monks arrived at the court of the Emperor
Justinian, from a missionary expedition into China : they had brought with
them the seeds of the mulberry, and communicated to him the discovery of
the mode of rearing silkworms. Although the exportation of the insects from
China was prohibited on pain of death, yet, by the liberal promises and the
persuasions of Justinian, they were induced to undertake to import some from
that country ; and they returned from their expedition through Bucharia
and Persia to Constantinople in 555, with the eggs of the precious insects,
which they had obtained in the " far country," concealed in the hollow of
their canes, or pilgrim's staves. Until this time, the extensive manufactures
of Tyre and Berytes had received the whole of their supply of raw silk from
China through Persia. ( See M^CullocKs Diet, of Com,, Nouv. Cours, and Amer.
Silk-Growers Guide.) " The eggs thus obtained were hatched in a hot-bed,
and, being afterwards carefully fed and attended to, the experiment proved
successful, and the silk worm became very generally cultivated throughout
Greece."(£z/. Mag. vol. iii. p. 2.) The silkworm and the black mulberry were
introduced simultaneously into Spain and Portugal by the Arabs, or Saracens,
on their conquest of Spain in 7 1 1. When the silkworm was first introduced into
the north of Europe, there appears little doubt but that it was fed on the leaves
of the black mulberry. The white mulberry is more tender ; and, putting forth
its leaves much earlier than the black mulberry, it is more likely to be injured
by spring frosts. It was, consequently, long confined to Greece ; but, when
Roger, king of Sicily, in 1130, ravaged the Peloponnesus, he compelled the
principal artificers in silk, and breeders of silkworms, to remove with him to
Palermo, and determined to try the white mulberry in that country. The
white mulberry was accordingly transplanted into Sicily; and, flourishing in
its fine climate, that island became the great mart of nearly all the raw silk
required for the manufactures of Europe. On Mount ./Etna, the Aforus
nigra is grown at an elevation of 2500 ft., for the silkworm, to the exclusion
of M. alba, probably on account of the tenderness of the latter tree in that
elevated region. (See Dr. R. A. Philippi on the vegetation of Mount ^Etna, in
the Limited, as quoted in Hook. Comp. Bot. Mag., vol. i. p. 50.) In 1440,
the white mulberry was introduced into Upper Italy; and, under the reign of
( 'hades VII., the first white mulberry tree was planted in France, as it is said,
by the Seigneur d' Allan ; and it is added that this tree still exists at the gates
of Montelimart. Silk manufactures were first established in France in 1480,
at Tours. This was in the reign of Louis XI. ; that monarch having invited
1352 ARBORETUM AND FRUTJCKTUM. PART 111.
workmen from Italy to settle in France. The manufactures, thus established,
were, however, at first entirely supplied with their raw silk from Piedmont and
Sicily. In 1494, several of the great landed proprietors who had followed
Charles VIII. in his Italian wars, brought with them, on their return from
Naples and Sicily, some plants of the white mulberry, which they planted in
Provence, in the vicinity of Montelimart. In 1520, Francis I., having taken
possession of Milan, prevailed on some artisans of the city to establish them-
selves at Lyons ; and, to encourage them to remain there, he granted them
especial privileges and immunities. Henry II. and Charles IX. appear to
have been the next sovereigns who endeavoured to promote the culture of the
mulberry and the silkworm in France; and in the reign of the latter monarch,
in 1564, Francois Traucat, a gardener of Nismes, formed a large nursery,
expressly for raising white mulberry plants, from which he supplied all the
south of France. Henry IV. was no sooner established on the throne, than he
exerted himself to promote the culture of the silkworm throughout his domi-
nions ; and by his desire, Olivier de Serres, seigneur de Pradel, in 1601, formed
a plantation of white mulberry trees in the garden of the Tuileries, where
a large building for the silkworms was erected. (Ann. d'Hort., vol. xviii.
p. 130.) In 1603, an edict was passed for encouraging the planting of mulberry
trees throughout France; promising to reward such manufacturers as had
supported and pursued the trade for twelve years with patents of nobility. ( See
M'Culloch's Diet, of Commerce, p. 1029.) Under Louis XIII. the silk manu-
factures of France were neglected ; but they were again brought under the
attention of the government in the reign of Louis XIV.; whose minister, Col-
bert, seeing the advantages that might be drawn from the culture of mulberry
trees, resolved to enforce it by every means in his power. He reestablished
the royal nurseries ; gave plants to all who desired them ; and even planted
by force the lands of those proprietors who were not willing to cultivate the
trees voluntarily. This arbitrary measure disgusted the proprietors, and the
mulberry plantations were soon suffered to decay. Colbert now tried more
gentle measures ; and he offered a premium of 24 sous for every mulberry
that had stood in a plantation three years. This plan succeeded ; and, in
the course of a few years, mulberry plantations were general throughout
France. (See Nouv.Cours (CAgricnlt., art. Murier.) At present the silk manu-
factures of France constitute a very important part of her commerce ; and
some idea may be formed of the silk goods annually sent to England from that
country, from the fact, that the quantity on which duty was paid, from 1688 to
1741, averaged 500,000/. a year. (M'Culloch.) It is, however, remarkable, that,
notwithstanding the great quantity of silk now raised in France, the manufac-
turers of that country still import to the annual value of 30,000 francs of raw
silk from Piedmont and Italy. The culture of silk was first introduced into
Germany by Frederick II., who had mulberry trees planted extensively in dif-
ferent parts of his dominions ; and the example was soon afterwards followed
in Saxony, Austria, and in some of the smaller states. In Bavaria, the silk
culture was commenced under the auspices of government, and of the Munich
Agricultural Society, about 1820, at the recommendation of a highly patriotic
individual, M. Hazzi. A great many mulberry plants have since been raised
in the government nurseries, and distributed throughout the provinces (see
Gard. Mag., vol. v. p. 424.); but, on the whole, neither in this part of Ger-
many, nor in any other, have the silk manufactories ever been considerable.
In many of the southern states, pollarded mulberry trees may be seen border-
ing the highways ; and in some of the cities silk goods are made from
German silk ; but the only establishments of this kind worth mentioning are
at Vienna, at Roveredo in the Tyrol, at Creveldt, at Cologne, and at Berlin.
The culture of silk has been introduced into Belgium (Ann. d'Hort. de Paris,
vi. p. 368.), with every prospect of success ; and the tree has also been planted
in the southern states of Denmark. In Sweden, an attempt has been made
to introduce silk culture in the southern provinces ; but, as far as we have
been able to learn, with very little success. In Russia, silk culture has been
CHAP. C.
tfRTICA*CEJE« MO RUS.
1353
commenced in the Crimea, by the planting of all the best varieties of M. alba
in the government garden at Odessa; where, according to M. Descemet {Tab.
H'ml., &c., p. 55.), they succeed perfectly. In Spain, the culture of silk \\as
introduced, as we have already seen, by the Arabs ; and it is universally
allowed to have been in a highly flourishing state in the fifteenth century ; but it
has declined ever since ; and at the present day, as Capt. S. E. Cook informs
us, it is one of the most neglected branches of agriculture in Spain ; being
almost confined " to Valencia, Catalonia, Murcia, and a part of Grenada."
(Sketches in Spain, &c., vol. ii. p. 38.) In Egypt, the culture of silk was
introduced some years since, by the Pacha Ibrahim, and it is in a prosperous
state. M. a. multicaulis is also mentioned among the trees that have been
planted in the government gardens at Algiers. (Seep. 178.)
The first record of silk in Britain is of a present sent by Charlemagne to
Offa, king of Mercia, in 780, consisting of a belt and two silken vests. Silk is
mentioned in a chronicle of the date of 1286, in which we are told that some
ladies wore silk mantles at a festival at Kenilworth about that period ; and,
by other records, we find that silk was worn by the English clergy in 1534.
Henry VIII. had the first pair of silk stockings that were ever seen in
England sent to him from Spain ; and Edward VI. had " a pair of long
silk hose," from the same country, presented to him by Sir Thomas Gresham
(who built the Royal Exchange) ; " a present which was thought much
of." (HowcWs Hist, of the World, iii. p. 222.) These stockings were cut
out of a piece of silk, and sewed together, like the cloth hose that were
worn previously ; the first knit silk stockings were worn in England by
Queen Elizabeth. Silk manufactures were introduced into England in the
fifteenth century; but they do not appear to have made much progress " till the
age of Elizabeth; the tranquillity of whose long reign, and the influx of the
Flemings, occasioned by the disturbances in the Low Countries, gave a powerful
stimulus to the manufacturers of England." (M'Culloch.) In 1609, James I.,
probably in imitation of Henry IV., passed his famous edict for introducing
the culture of the silkworm into Britain (see p. 1344.) ; and from the
Issues of the Exchequer, Sec., of his reign, lately published, it appears that he
planted largely himself. One of the entries in this curious work is an order,
dated Dec. 5. 1608, directing the payment to " Master William Stallenge "
of the " sum of 935/., for the charge of four acres of land, taken in for His
Majesty's use, near to his palace of Westminster, for the planting of mulberry
trees ; together with the charge of walling, levelling, and planting thereof
with mulberry trees," &c. By another entry, we find that the attempt to rear
silkworms was not hastily abandoned ; as it. contains an order, dated January
23. 1618, nine years after the preceding one, for 50/. to be paid the keeper
of His Majesty's house and gardens at Theobald's, " for timber-board, glass,
and other materials, together with workmanship, for making a place for His
Majesty's silkworms, and for making provision of mulberry leaves for them»"
Hartlib, in his Legacy, &c., printed in 1652, quotes some passages from
JBoneil on Mulberries, a work, printed in 1609 ; and among others a letter from
King James to his lords lieutenants, recommending the planting^of mulberry
trees, and offering them at 2 farthings each. (See Legacy, &c., ed. 2., p. 59.)
Though this attempt to rear silkworms in England proved unsuccessful, the
manufacture of the raw material, supplied by other countries, was extraordinarily
flourishing. The silk-throwsters (twisters) of the metropolis were united
into a fellowship in 1562; and were incorporated in 1629. Though retarded
by the civil wars in the time of Charles I. and the commonwealth, the manu-
facture continued gradually to advance; and so flourishing had it become,
that it is stated in a preamble to a statute passed in 1666 (13 & 14 Chas. 2.
c. 15.), that there were at that time no fewer than 40,000 individuals engaged
in the trade. (Jl'dt/loc//.) A considerable stimulus was given to the Eng-
lish silk manufacture by the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685; when
above 50,000 French artisans took refuge in England. At this period, the
consumption of silk goods was so great in England, that, besides the quantity
1354- ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
manufactured in the country, from 600,0007. to 700,000/. worth were im-
ported annually. In 1719, the first silk mill was erected at Derby. After
the failure of James I.'s attempts to establish the silkworms and the
mulberry, no effort of any importance seems to have been made for many
years ; though several individuals had, at different times, reared the worms,
and produced silk. In 1825, however, a company was established, under the
name of " The British, Irish, and Colonial Silk Company," with a large capital,
and under the direction of the celebrated Count Dandolo, whose treatise on
the management of the silkworm, &c., is considered the best work extant on
the subject in Italy. This company formed extensive plantations in England and
Ireland, particularly near Slough, and near Cork; and Mr. John Heathcoat of
Tiverton, Devonshire, one of its most influential members, invented a method of
reeling which was attended with the most complete success. The company
also formed plantations in Devonshire : but, after numerous trials, it was found
that the climate of the British Isles was too humid for the production of useful
silk ; and the company was finally broken up, and its plantations destroyed,
in 1829. For further details respecting this company, and its operations,
see Encyc, ofAgric., 2d edit., p. 1105. The cause of the entire failure of
this spirited undertaking, as well as that of James I., will, we think, be found
in the following very judicious observations from the Journal dy Agriculture
desPays-Bas ; which will show the impracticability of any future attempt to rear
silkworms as an article of commerce in Britain, or in any similar climate : —
" The mulberry tree is found in different climates ; but the juice of the leaves
grown in the north is much less suitable for the production of good silk, than
that of the leaves of the south. In this respect, mulberry leaves and silk differ
as much as wines, according to the climate and soil in which they are pro-
duced. In general, every climate and soil that will grow good wheat will
produce large succulent mulberry leaves ; but these leaves will, in many cases,
be too nutritive ; that is, they will have too much sap, and too much substance
and succulency. The wild mulberry, with small leaves, answers better, for such
a soil, than the grafted mulberry, with large leaves. A general rule, and one
to be depended on, is, that the mulberry, to produce the best silk, requires the
same soil and exposure that the vine does to produce the best wine. Expe-
rience has proved that silkworms nourished by leaves gathered from a dry
soil succeed much better, produce more cocoons, and are less subject to those
diseases which destroy them, than those which have been nourished by leaves
produced by an extremely rich soil." (See Gard. Mag., vol. iv. p. 52.) The
silkworm was introduced into America by James I. ; who, at the same time
that he published his edict for the planting of the mulberry tree in England,
sent over mulberry trees and silkworms to Virginia, accompanied by a book of
instructions for their culture, and exhortations to the inhabitants to pursue it
instead of that of tobacco. The worms thus introduced were partially culti-
vated ; but, not being so lucrative as tobacco, rice, and indigo, they made but
small progress till the time of Dr. Franklin. That truly great man established
a silk manufactory at Philadelphia, which was put a stop to by the war of
independence. Silk has still continued to be raised in some remote parts of
the country; but it is only since about 1825 that any establishments have
been formed on a large scale. It is now produced extensively through all the
southern provinces of the United States; and it seems probable, from the heat
and dryness of the American summers, that it will equal the silk of Italy.
Since the introduction of M. a. multicaulis into America, which took place in
1831, an attempt has been made to obtain two crops in one year, which, it is
said, is attended with every prospect of success. The same may be observed
of the culture of silk in South America, in which it has been commenced at
llio Janeiro, the Caraccas, Buenos Ayres, and other places.
In India, the culture of the mulberry and the silkworm continues to be
practised ; but how far it will be promoted or retarded by the progress of this
culture in Europe and America remains to be proved. It appears probable,
however, from the superior climate of Eastern Asia, that, when general com-
CHAP. C. *7IITICAVCE,E. A/CMIUS. 1355
merce is once free, it will far exceed its former extent. In Australia, the
culture of silk has been commenced, and it appears likely to succeed in that
fine climate ; but very little, as yet, can be said on the subject with certainty,
One great object that we have had in view, in giving this article at such length,
is, the promotion of silk culture in that interesting part of the world.
Properties and Uses. The bark, and more especially the leaves, of the white
mulberry abound in a milky juice, which is found to have more or less of the
properties of caoutchouc, according to the climate in which the tree is grown.
It is thought by many to be owing to this property in the leaves of the mul-
berry that the cocoons of the silkworm have so much more tenacity of fibre
than those of any other insect that feeds on the leaves of trees. Hence, also,
the silk, like the tobacco and the wine, of warm climates, and of poor
dry soils, is always superior to that produced in colder climates, and from
rich and moist soils. The fruit of some of the varieties, particularly of M.
a. multicaulis, is used for making robs and syrups ; and is said to be remark-
ably good to eat ; for which reason this variety, in warm climates, might be
introduced into orchards. The bark, according to Rosier, may be converted
into linen of the fineness of silk. " For this purpose, the young wood is ga-
thered in August, during the ascent of the second sap, and immersed for three
or four days in still water. It is then taken out, at sunset, spread on the
grass, and returned to the water at sunrise. This is daily repeated ; and,
finally, it is prepared, and spun like flax." (Amer. Silk-Grow. Guide, p. 24.)
The bark is also used, like that of the lime tree, for making bast for mats.
The wood weighs only 44 Ib. per cubic foot : that of the branches is used for
vine props, posts and rails, and fire-wood ; and that of the trunk for making
wine casks, for which it is highly valued, as it is said to impart an agreeable
violet-like flavour to white wines. (Diet, des Eaux et Forcts, &c.) By far
the most important use of the white mulberry, however, is as food for the
silk-moth; and this subject we shall here notice under two heads; viz. that
of the management of the trees and leaves, and the management of the
insects.
Mulberry Plantations. In India and China, these are made much in the
same manner as those of the sugar-cane, and other agricultural plants. A
field is laid out into squares of 5 ft. or 6 ft. on the sides ; and in the centre
of each square a hollow is formed ; the soil stirred and manured ; and five or
six mulberry cuttings inserted in a group in the centre. These plants are
never allowed to grow higher than 3 ft. or 4 ft. ; being cut down to the ground
every year, in the same manner as a raspberry plantation. In the south
of Europe, the white mulberry is grown in plantations by itself, like willows
and fruit trees ; also in hedgerows, and as hedges ; but in all cases the plants
are kept low, for the convenience of gathering the leaves without injuring the
trees ; the greatest height they are suffered to attain being that of a pollard of
6 ft., which is annually lopped. In Guernsey, and the north of France, and also
in some parts of Italy, the mulberry is chiefly grown as a hedgerow pollard, or
as a pollard by the road side, in the same manner as fruit trees. (See p. 886.)
The leaves of the mulberry should be gathered for feeding the silkworms, when
perfectly dry, after the dew has disappeared in the morning. The person
employed to gather them strips them off upwards, and deposits them in a
bag kept open with a hoop, and provided with a loop and strap to pass over
his shoulder. When the leaves are gathered, the trees must be stripped en-
tirely of every leaf; as this is found not to injure the tree half so much as if
only part of the leaves were taken off. In America, the operation of stripping
off the leaves is often repeated a second time the same year ; but, in France
and Italy, the tree is very rarely subjected to so severe a trial. When labour
is sufficiently cheap, the leaves are best cut off with a pair of scissors. After
the first stripping, the white mulberry and all its varieties are very soon again
covered with leaves ; and, if all the leaves were removed at once, the tree does
not appear to have been at all injured by the operation ; but, if any leaves were
left on, the tree will be found to have received a severe shock. According
1356
ARBORETUM AMD FKUTICETl'M.
PART III.
to Count Damlolo, a hundred trees, great and small, will furnish 7,000 Ib. of
. and these will be sufficient for 200,000 silkworms.
t of the Silkwoi-m. The silkworm is the popular name for the larva, or caterpillar, of
the inotii known'to entomologists as the/fombyx mori Fab. ; a native of China, which was introduced
into Kurope, as we have before seen, in 5:10. Fig. 12-2-1. represents this insect, in its various stages,
1224.
of the natural size: a, the eggs, which, when good, arc of a pale slate or dark lilac colour; b
is the larva, or caterpillar, when full grown ; c is the insect in its chrysalis state, after the silk has
been removed ; d is the male imago, or perfect insect; and e, the female. When full grown, the
larva is nearly Sin. long, of a yellowish grey colour, with a horn-like process on the last joint of the
body. The eggs, in Britain, may be purchased in Covent Garden Market, at 105. per oz. ; and can-
should be taken that they are of the proper colour; because those that are of a pale yellow
colour are imperfect. They are preserved in a cool place, that is, in a temperature of from 10° to 12°
Reaumur (55° to 59° Fahr.), till wanted for use, and will retain their vitality upwards of a year.
To hatch them, a temperature of 86° Fahr. is required ; for which purpose, in most parts of
Europe where the silkworm is cultivated, the rooms used for that purpose are heated by stoves;
though in the East Indies, in the Islands of France and Bourbon, £c., and in the southern
parts of the United States, the natural temperature of the air is found sufficient. The houses in
which the insects are kept are built with numerous windows, for the admission of air; and fur-
nished with tables or shelves, on which the insects are kept. These shelves have movable ledges,
of 1 in. or more in height, on each side, to confine the insects ; and several stages of them may bo
formed one above the other, if care be taken that they are not attached to the wall, in order to admit
a free circulation of air on every side. When the mulberry begins to unfold its leaves, it is time to
commence the hatching of the eggs. These should be placed on the shelves in the temperature
mentioned ; and when they begin to turn white, which will be in about ten days, they should IK-
covered with sheets of writing paper, turned up at the edges, and pierced full of holes with a large
knitting needle. On the upper side of the paper should be laid some young twigs of mulberry,
which the insects will smell ; and, crawling through the holes in the paper, will begin to eat as soo'n
as they are hatched. As fast as these twigs become covered with insects, they are carefully taken
up and removed to another shelf, where they are placed on whity-brpwn or any absorbent paper,
about one to every square inch. The silkworm changes its skin four times before it spins its cocoon.
Its life is thus divided into five ages ; during t lie first of which it is fed with chopped or young
leaves, fresh ones being given as soon as it has eaten what it had before. At this time it frequently
appears to sleep, when it should on no account be disturbed. When the silkworm is in its second
age, it may be fed with young leaves entire, or old ones chopped small ; a great part of this age also
is passed in sleep. During the third age the silkworms become more lively and vigorous, and they will
devour full-grown leaves without cutting. In the fourth age the silkworm changes to a flesh colour,
and eats greedily. In the fifth age the silkworm will eat the coarsest leaves, and it should be fed
abundantly night and day, and have plenty of air and warmth. Each change is preceded by a day or
two's apparent sickness and want of appetite in the insect, which becomes torpid before the change
of its skin takes place. During the whole period of the silkworm's life, the litter made by the waste
leaves, &c., must be frequently removed, the insects being attracted toonecorner of their shelves with
some fresh leaves, while the other parts are cleaned. When the caterpillars cease to eat, and run to and
fro, frequently looking up, it is an indication that they are preparing to make their cocoons. They
will now have become transparent, of a clear pearly colour, and the green circles round their bodies
will have assumed a golden hue. Twigs of oak, tufts of dandelion, rolled up shavings from the
cabinet-maker, cornets of paper, or sprigs of alaternus, phillyrea, heath, or broom, as may be most
convenient, are then placed on the tables or shelves, to serve as a support for the insects ; the tables
or shelves having been previously cleared of all litter, and the branches, or other materials, having
been so arranged as to give the insects a feeling of security. They then immediately begin to make
their cocoons, which are exuded in threads from the mouth, and which are generally completed in
from four to seven days. When the insects have done working, the cocoons are taken from the
twigs, and sorted : those that are double, or in any way imperfect, are thrown aside ; a certain num.
bcr are selected to breed from, and the rest are set apart for reeling the silk. The first operation
with these last is to kill the insects enclosed. This is performed, in Italy, by exposing the cocoons to
the heat of the sun for three days, from 10 o'clock A. M. to 5 o' clock p. M., when the thermometer
stands at 88° Fahr. In France they are put into bags or baskets, and enclosed for half an hour in
ovens heated to 88° ; but in America they are generally placed in sieves or boxes, having perforated
bottoms; these are covered very closely with a woollen cloth, and then placed over the steam
either of boiling water, or boiling whiskey or rum. (See New York Fnrm.t vol. vi. p. ITi. ) The in.
sects being killed, and the cocoons cleared of the external floss (which is manufactured under the
name of floss, or spun, silk), they are thrown by handfuls into basins of pure soft water, placed over
small furnaces of charcoal fires. When the water is almost at the boiling point, the cocoons are sunk
with a whisk of broom or peeled birch under water for two or three minutes, to soften the gum and
loosen the fibre. This, however, is unnecessary when they have been killed by the steam of boiling
(ii.u>. c. nrncAVK/K. .vo'itus. l:>.57
spirits, the gum having been dissolved by the spirit. The whUk is then moved lightly about till
the- filaments adliere to it, and are drawn off. As soon as a Bllfficient number are collected, the
reeling lupins. .Sec .Imer. Silk-Grower's Guiite, Murray on the Silkworm ; Nouv. Cutirs d ' .If^ric., &c.)
If well fed, in a proper temperature, the caterpillars will have fuiishe.i their labours in L'J. days from
the period of being hatehed ; and the quantity of silk produced will, other circumstances being
equal, be in projxjrtion to the quantity of food devoured: its quality will depend on the climate and
.soil in which the leaves have been grown. An ounce of eggs will produce about 40,000 caterpillars,
which will consume 1073 Ib. of leaves, and produce 80 Ib. of cocoons, or about 8 IK of raw silk. The
worms are subject to numerous diseases, the most fatal of which is vulgarly called the tripes ; and
is brought on by wet or improper foot!. When any insects appear sick, they should be immediately
removed from the rest, as all their diseases appear to be contagious \Vet leaves should never be
given to silkworms, as they occasion disease ; and it is better to let the insects fast for 24 hours,
or even longer, than to give them leaves that are not perfectly dry. In wet weather, the brandies
of the tree should be gathered, and hung up in a dry place; or the leaves should be gathered, and
spread out to dry. (Nouv. Cours d'Agric., vol. xvi. p. 103. )
Sulntit utcs for Mulberry Leaves in feeding the Silkworm. It is probable that the leaves of all the
plants that contain a milky juice will, if they arc eligible in point of texture, afford suitable food
for the silkworm, from the common property of milky juice, that of containing caoutchouc.
Accordingly, trials have been made with the tender leaves of the fig, with the leaves of the maclura,
and of /Tcer /riatanoides and A. tatftricum, among trees ; and of lettuce, endive, beet, spinach, nettle,
£c., among herbaceous plants. None of these substitutes, however, are of any real use, unless we
except the maclura and the lettuce. The former, according to the American Gardener's Magazine,
is thought likely to answer to a certain extent ; as the lettuce and endive have done formerly, more
especially when the plants have been allowed to send up their flower stalks before their leaves were
gathered. In 1792, a Miss Croft of York sent a specimen of silk of her own rais ng to. the Society
of Arts, the worms producing which had been fed entirely on lettuce leaves.
Soil, Situation^ Propagation, and Culture. The white mulberry is more
tender than Moms nigra, and requires more care in choosing a situation for
it. Calcareous soil is said to produce the best silk ; and humid situations, or
where the roots of the tree can have access to water, the worst. A gravelly
or sandy loam is very suitable ; and trees grown on hilly surfaces, and poor
soils, always produce superior silk to those grown in valleys, and in rich
soils. The tree is propagated by seeds, cuttings, layers, and grafting. To
obtain seeds, the berries must be collected from trees which have been
known to produce male catkins the preceding spring. The berries are
either gathered when quite ripe, and left to become dry before the seed
is separated from them ; or they are put into water as soon as gathered,
and rubbed so as to separate the seeds, which are cleansed from the pulp
in the water, and then rubbed dry on a linen cloth, and either sown im-
mediately, or mixed with sand, and kept till wanted for use. In the south
of France, the seeds are sown as soon as the fruit is gathered, and the plants
come up the same autumn ; but, in colder climates, they are kept till sprinjj,
when they generally come up in three or four weeks, and require some pro-
tection, at first, during cold nights. In Germany, and in the north of the
United States, the young plants are covered, during the first winter, with dry
leaves or straw ; and this covering, or mulching, is continued on the ground
for three or four years, till the plants are thoroughly established, to protect
their roots from the cold. The young plants are generally taken up and
replanted the second spring, care being taken to place them in rows 4 ft.
asunder, for the convenience of gathering the leaves. M. a. multicaulis is always
propagated by layers or cuttings ; the layers being made in spring or at mid-
summer, and separated from the mother plant in autumn ; or by cuttings of
branches, or truncheons, which will root readily, and produce leaves for the
worms the following year. Count Dandolo recommends grafting the species
with the large-leaved varieties, near the ground, the third spring ; but most
writers on the silkworm appear to prefer seedling plants, or plants raised
from layers or cuttings, to grafted ones. In pruning, cutting in, or heading
down, the trees, the great object is to preserve the equilibrium of the heads,
so that the sap may be equally distributed through the branches on eyery
side. On this depends the production of a crop of leaves of equal quality on
every part of the tree, which is alike important both for the first crop, which
is given to the worms, and for the second crop, which is required for the
nourishment of the tree.
Insects and Diseases. The leaves of the white mulberry are eaten by no
insect but the silkworm : it is, however, attacked by numerous diseases, partly,
no doubt, occasioned by the unnatural manner in which it is treated, by hcin^
stripped of its loaves. One of these diseases is brought on by any sudden
1358 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
check given to the transpiration of the leaves, which turn yellow, and fall off,
the tree dying in a few days. Another is the death of the roots, from the
formation on them of a parasitic fungus. In both cases, nothing is to be
done, but to remove the tree, and replant. The leaves are also apt to be
attacked with honey-dew, mildew, rust, and other diseases, which render them
unfit for the food of the silkworm. The leaves covered with honey-dew may
be washed, and, when thoroughly dry,' given to the insects without injury ; but
the other diseased leaves should be thrown away. If leaves covered with
honey-dew are given to silkworms without washing, they cause dysentery and
death.
Statistics. The largest white mulberry trees in England are at Syon, where there is one 45 ft. high ;
diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 10 in., and of the head 59 ft. ; and which is covered with fruit every year.
At Kenwood is one, 38 years planted, which is 33 ft. high ; diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 1 in., and of the
head 28 ft In Hertfordshire, at Cheshunt, 7 years planted, it is 10 ft. high ; diameter of the trunk
2 in., and of the head 6 ft. In Oxfordshire, in the Oxford Botanic Garden, 20 years planted, it is ['20 ft.
high ; diameter of the trunk 9 in., and of the head 20 ft. In Suffolk, at Ampton Hall, y years planted, it
is 9 ft. high ; diameter of the trunk 2 in., and of the head 5 ft. In Worcestershire, at Croome, 35 years
planted, it is 40 ft high ; diameter of the trunk 12 in., and of the head 40 ft. In Scotland, in Forfar.
shire, at Airlie Castle, 8 years planted, it is 8 ft. high ; in Perthshire, at Kinfauns Castle, 8 years
planted, it is 5 ft. high ; in Ross-shire, at Brahan Castle, 25 years planted, it is 10 ft. high. In Ireland,
at Terenure, near Dublin, 8 years planted, it is 6 ft. high. In France, in the Jardin des Plantes, 35 years
planted, it is 32 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft., and of the head 36 ft. ; in the Botanic Gar-
den, Toulon, 30'years old, it has a trunk 2 ft. 7 in. in circumference. In Saxony, at Worlitz, 50 years
old, it is 40 ft high, with a trunk 2£ ft. in diameter. In Austria, at Vienna, in the University Botanic
Garden, 30 years planted, it is 45 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft., and of the head 24 ft ; in
Rosenthal's Nursery, 18 years old, it is 30 ft high, the diameter of the trunk 4 in. , and of the head
25 ft ; at Hadersdorf, 30 years old, it is 18 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 10 in., and of the head 2 ft. ;
at Briick on the Leytha, 27 years planted, it is 30 ft. high ; the diameter 01 the trunk 8 in., and 'of the
head 12ft In Prussia, at Berlin, at Sans Souci, 25 years old, it is 9ft. high ; the diameter of the
trunk 3 in. In Denmark, at Rosenberg, near Copenhagen, 10 years planted, it is 10ft. high. In
Sweden, at Lund, in the Botanic Garden, it is 18 ft high, with a trunk 5£ in. in diameter. In Italy,
at Monza, 200 years old, it is 40 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk is 3 ft., and of the head 50 ft.
Commercial Statistics. Price of plants, in the London nurseries, from I*. 6d.
to2s. Gd.each : at Bollwyller, plants three years old, and transplanted, are 10,v.
per thousand ; two years old, 5s. per thousand : at New York, single plants
are 37^ cents ; and M. a. multicaulis is from 25 to 30 dollars per hundred,
according to the size of the plants.
The best ivorks on the culture of the white mulberry and the silkworm are,
Dandolo's DelFArte di governare i Bacchi da Seta, Milan ; Castelet's Trait 6
sur le Murier blanc, Paris : Grognier's Recherches Historiques et Statisqucs
sur le Murier, le Ver a Soie, et la Fabrication de la, Soierie, &c., Lyons ;
Bonafous's Memoire sur une Education de Vers a Soie, &c., Paris ; Kenrick's
American Slue-Grower's Guide, Boston ; Cobb's Manual of the Mulberry Tree,
&c., Massachusetts ; Dr. Pascalis's Treatise on the Mulberry, &c., New York ;
and Murray's Observations on the Silkworm, London.
¥ 3. A/.(A.)CONSTANTINOPOLITAVNA Poir. The Constantinople Mulberry Tree.
Identification. Poir. Encyc., 4. p. 381. j Spreng. Syst. Veg., 1. p. 492.
Synonyme. M. byzantlna Sieb.
Engraving. N. Du Ham., 4. t 2*.
Spec. Char., S(C. Leaves broadly ovate, heart-shaped at the base, undivided, serrate, 3-nerved ;
glabrous on both surfaces, except at the axils of the veins on the under one, where they are
villous. Male flowers in fascicles. (Spreng. Syst. Kg., i. p. 492.) This is a low branching tree,
seldom exceeding the height of 10 ft. or 15 ft ; a native of Turkey, Greece, and Crete ; which has
been long cultivated in the Jardin des Plantes, but which was not introduced into England till
1818. The fruit is short, thick, and, according to Du Hamel, of a deep red, and insipid taste. The
leaves are very good for silkworms. This alleged species is considered as only a variety of M. alba
by Bosc (Nouv. Cows d'Agric., ix.) ; who says that it is easily recognised by its rough, furro\vc>d,
stunted trunk ; its thick and short branches ; its leaves, which are always entire; and its solitary
very white fruit It is, he adds, a real monster (un veritable monstre, mais qui se propage toujours
le memeV We have little doubt of its being only a variety of M. alba. Du Hamel's description and
that of Bosc agree in every particular, except the colour of the fruit. According to M. Madiot, in
the Journal de la Soci<!t<! d1 Agriculture Pratique, M. a. pumila (p. 1350.1 was obtained from seeds of
M. (a.) constantinopolitana. Plants of M. constantinopolit^na, in the Bollwyller Nursery, are 3
francs each ; at New York, 50 cents.
2 4. M. (A.) TATA'RICA Pal. The Tartarian Mulberry Tree.
Identification. Pall. FL Ross , 2. p. 9. 1 52.; Lin. Sp. PL, 1399, ; Mill. Diet., No. 7. ; Willd. Sp. PL,
4. p. 369.
Engravings. Pall. Fl. Ross., 2. t. 52. ; and our fig. 1225. ; both sprigs taken from one tree.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves with a shallow scallop at the base, and either
heart-shaped, ovate, or lobed; serrated with equal teeth, smooth; the pro-
CHAP. C.
CTRTICACEJE. A/OMIL'S.
1359
1225
jecting portions beside the
sinus equal. Very closely
akin to M. alba L., and, per-
haps, originally produced from
that species. It inhabits places
inundated by the waters of
the rivers Wolga and Ta-
nais, or Don. (\Villd. Spec.
PI., iv. p. 369.) A deciduous
tree, growing to the height
of 20 ft. ; and introduced in
1784. In the American Silk-
Grower^ s Guide, it is stated
that the fruit is black, and
resembles that of M. nigra.
Gerbcr, also, says that it is
black. " Pallas speaks of it
as reddish or pale, of no good
flavour, though it is eaten raw in Tartary, as well as dried, or made into '*
sweetmeat. A wine is also prepared from it, and a very well-flavoured spirit.
This species is reported to be most esteemed for silkworms in China."
(Smith in R ecu's Cyclopaedia.) In America, M. tatarica is considered to make
the finest silk. According to a writer in the Annalcs dc Fromont, the M.
tatarica is, as we have already observed (p. 1349.), nearly related to M. a.
multicaulis. From the trees, or rather large shrubs, hearing this name
in the Kew Garden, we confess our inability to fix on any permanent
distinction between them and M. alba, as far as the leaves are concerned :
the fruit we have never seen. Plants, in the London nurseries, are 2s. 6d.
each ; at Bollwyller, 1 franc 50 cents ; at New York, 75 cents.
X 5. M. RU^BRA L. The red-fruited Mulberry Tree.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 1399.; Mill. Diet., No. 4. ; Willd. Arb.,197. ; Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 2.
p. 179. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 639. ; Wangenh. Amer., p. 37. t. 15. f. 35.; Nutt. Gen. N. Amer.
PI. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 369. ; N. Du Ham., 4. p. 91.
SyHoni/mt's. M. virgfnica Pluk. Aim., p. 253., Du Ham. Arb., 2. p. 24. ; M. pennsylv&nica Nois. Arb.
Fruit., l.odd. Cat., edit. 1836.
Engravings. Wangenh. Amer., t. 15. f. 35. ; Pluk. Aim., t. 246. f. 4. ; and the plate in our last Volume.
Sf>cc. Char., $c. Sexes polygamous. (Kalm Act. Succ., 1776.) Sexes dioeci-
ous. (Gronov. Virg., 146.) Spikes of female flowers cylindrical. Catkins
[? of male flowers] of the length of those of the common birch (Jfetula
alba Z/.). Leaves heart-shaped, ovate, acuminate, 3-lobed, or palmate ;
serrated with equal teeth, rough, somewhat villous ; under surface very
tomentose, and, in consequence, soft. ( Willd. Sp. PL) A tree, a native of
North America, from Canada to Florida; varying in height from 40 ft. to 70 ft.
"Cultivated here, according to Parkinson's Paradims, p. 596., early in the
seventeenth century. He says, it grows quickly with us to a large tree, and
that the fruit is long, red, and pleasantly tasted." (Smith in Rees's Cyclo-
Ihcd'ut.) It flowers in July. This tree is named j\l. pennsylvanica in the
Horticultural Society's Garden, and in Loddiges's arboretum. It appears
very distinct from any of the preceding sorts, in the spreading umbelliferous
appearance of the branches, the flat, heart-shaped, very rough-surfaced
leaves, which are almost always entire, but which, nevertheless, are occasion-
ally found as much lobed and cut as those of any other of the genus.
This we witnessed in September, 1836, in the specimen tree in the Hack-
ney arboretum.
Description, $c. M. rubra attains by far a greater si/e, as a tree, than any
other species of Morns. It is seldom found, in a wild state, less than 40 ft.
in height; and, in some parts of Pennsylvania and Virginia, it is often 60ft.
or 70ft. high, or more, and with a trunk ^ ft. and upwards in diameter. The
" leaves are lame, sometimes entire, and sometimes divided into 2 or 3
4 u
1360 ARBORETUM AND FUUTICETUM. PAKT III.
lobes; rounded, cordiform, and denticulated; of a dark green colour, a thick
texture, and a rough uneven surface." (Michx. Syl. Amer., iii. p. 51.) They
are the worst of all the kinds of mulberry leaves for feeding silkworms. The
fruit is of a deep red colour, an oblong form, and an agreeable, acidulous,
sugary taste. The trunk of the red mulberry is covered with a greenish
bark, more furrowed than that of the oaks and hickories. The perfect wood
(which is fine-grained and compact, though light,) is of a yellowish hue,
approaching to lemon colour. " It possesses strength and solidity ; and,
when perfectly seasoned, it is almost as durable as that of the locust, to which,
by many persons, it is esteemed equal." (Michx.) It, however, grows more
slowly, and requires a richer soil, it being generally found in valleys, at
a distance from the sea. It is a common opinion among shipwrights and
carpenters, that the wood of the male mulberry is more durable, and of a
better quality, than that of the female; but Michaux does not appear to
credit this supposition ; which, indeed, evidently cannot be depended on, as
the male and female flowers are very often found on the same tree. The red
mulberry is well deserving of cultivation as an ornamental tree, from its
thick and shady foliage ; and as a fruit tree, from the agreeable flavour of its
fruit. Miller mentions a plant of this species in the garden of Fulham
Palace, which, in 1731, had been there for several years without producing any
fruit ; but which, at some seasons, produced a great number of catkins, much
like those of the hazel nut ; which occasioned Ray to give it the name
of CYtrylus. (Diet., ed. 1.) On enquiring for this tree in 1834, we found
nothing known about it. It is generally said that no insect feeds on the mul-
berry but the silkworm. In Smith and Abbott's work on the insects of
Georgia, however, a specimen is given of the red mulberry, with the small
ermine moth (Phalaevna punctatfssima) feeding on it. (See Insects of Georgia,
vol.ii. t. 70.)
V Variety.
% M. canadensis'Lam. Diet., iv. p. 380., seems to be a variety of M. rubra.
(Smith in liees^s Cyclopcedia.)
Statistics. In the environs of London, almost the only plants that we know are those mentioned
as in the Horticultural Society's Garden, and in the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges ; the latter being 8ft.
or 10ft high, and the former 16ft. high. In Durham, at Southend, ;30 years planted, it is 20ft. high,
against a wall ; diameter of trunk 12 in., and of the head 21 ft. not trained. In Oxfordshire, in the
Oxford Botanii- Garden, 40 years old, it is 12 ft. high against a wall ; diameter of the trunk 10 in., and
of the head 30 ft. In France, in the Jardin des J'lantes, 50 years planted, it is 45 ft. high ; the diameter
of the trunk li ft., and that of the head 38 ft, In Italy, at Monza, 60 years old, it is 26 ft. high ; the
diameter of the trunk 2 ft, and of the head 30 ft.
Commercial Statistics. Price of plants, in London, 2s. each; at Bollwylier,
francs; at New York, 37£ cents.
*t 6. M. (R.) SCAVBRA Willd. The rough-fea-ww/ Mulberry Tree.
Identification Willd.; Spreng. Syst. Veget, 1. p. 492. : Nutt. Gen. N. Amer. PL : Lodd. Cat.ed.
1836.
Kynonyme. M. canadcnsis Pair.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves rough on both surfaces, heart-shaped, 5-cleft ; the
lobes acuminated to the tip, tapered to the; base, and serrated with equal
teeth. A native, of North America. (Spreng. Syst. lr<-'K-) A tree, growing
to the height of 20 ft. Introduced in 18 1 7 ; and, from the appearance of the
plant bearing this name in the Horticultural Society's Garden (which, in
1836, was 8ft. high), doubtless only a variety of, or possibly identical
with, M. rubra.
A pp. i. Half -hardy Species of Elbrus.
M. ind'tca L. is near M. alba; but its leaves are not heart-shaped at the base. (Willdenotc Sp. TV.)
This name occurs in Mr. Royle's list (see p. 175.). " Rumphius says that the fruit is delicately fla-
voured, and black when ripe ; and that the Chinese feed their silkworms with the leaves. Loureiro
mentions the same practice of the inhabitants of Cochin-China,who replant the tree every year, that
the foliage may be tender." (Smith in fiees's Cyclopedia.)
M. maurUiitna Jacq. has the leaves oblong, entire, tapered to both ends, and rough. The leaves of
young plants are fiddle-shaped. ( WUldenow Sp. Pi.} " A large and strong tree. Fruit green, sweet,
with some acidity ; 1£ in. or Sin. long. The French call this tree la rape, or the rasp tree of Ma-
CHAP. C. UliTlCA^CEJE. BROUSSONE'T/^. 1361
dagascar. The leaves seem calculated to serve as a fine file or rasp, like those of some of the fig kind.
It is a most distinct s|>ecies, and ought to have been named M. /aunfdlia or M. citrifblia." (Smith in
Recs's Cyclop.) This name is also in the list derived from Mr. lloyle.
M. laiifdlia \Villd.Jis ajnative of the Isle of Bourbon. Its leaves are ovate, heart-shaped at the base,
serrate; the disk 4 in. long, 3 in. broad, scabrous, reticulately veined; the petiole 1 in. long. (Willde-
now Sp. PI.}
M. austrulis Willd. is a native of the Isle of Bourbon. It has ovate, serrated, rough leaves ; and the
styles bearded, even when persistent in the fruit. (Willd.)
*M. celtitiifttlia Thunb. is a native of Quito. Its leaves are ovate-oblong, acuminate, undivided,
sharply serrated, 3 nerved ; roughish above, glabrous beneath. (Sprcne. Syst. t^g., i. p. 492.)
M. corylifolia Thunb. is a native of Quito. Its leaves are roundish ovate, acuminate, sharply
serrate, 3-nerved, glabrous. (Spreng., 1. c.)
M. calcar-eulli Cum. is a native of New South Wales, where it is called the yellow wood vine.
This " is a shrub which extends itself to a great length, and may eventually prove to belong to the
genus Macirira."
M. utro-purpiirea ,• M. parvi/dlia ; M. serrata, syn. M. heterophylla ; M. lavig&ta viridis ; and M.
scandcns „• are Nepal kinds, of which very little is known. (See p. 174.)
GENUS II.
BROUSSONEVT/^ Vent. THE BROUSSONETIA. Lin. Syst. Dioe'cia
Tetrandria.
Identification. Vent.Tabl. du Regne Veget, 3. p. 5*7. ; Willd. Sp. Pi., 4,. p. 743. ; Lindl. Nat. Syst
of Bot, p. 178.
Synonymes. Mbrus S&ba Ksempf , Lin. ; Papyrus Encyc. Bot., 5. p. 5., Lam. III. Gen., t.762.
Derivation. Named in honour of P. N. V. Broussonet, a French naturalist, who wrote numerous
works on natural history.
* 1. B. PAPYRI'FERA Vent. The paper-bearing Broussonetia, or Paper
Mulberry.
Identification, Vent TabL du Regne Veget, S. p. 547. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 743.
Synouymes. Mbrus papyrifera Lin. Sp. Pi., 1399., Mill. Diet., No. 6., Du lloi Harbk., l.p.433.,
Thunh. Fl. Jap., 72.
The Sexes. Both the male and female plants are in the Horticultural Society's Garden, and in the
arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges.
Engravings. Kaempf. Amoen., t. 472. j Hist, du Japon, t 40. f. 1. ; Seba Thesaur., 1. t. 28. ; Lam. 111.
Gen., t. 762. ; N. Du Ham., 2. t 7. ; and the plate in our last Volume.
Variety.
at B.p.2 cucullata ; B. cucullata BonJard., 1833, p. 919.; B. spatulata
Hart, Brit.', B. navicularis Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836. — A sport, found on a
male plant by M. Camuset, foreman of the nursery, in the Jardin des
Plantes ; which has its leaves curved upwards, like the hood of a
Capuchin, or the sides of a boat. It is propagated by grafting, and
may be had in most of the Paris and London nurseries.
Description, $c. A deciduous low tree or large shrub, a native of China
and Japan, and of the South Sea Islands ; which so closely resembles the
mulberry, that it was long considered to belong to that genus, and still retains
its English name of the paper mulberry. It was introduced in J 751, and
flowers in April, ripening its fruit in the climate of London, in autumn. Its
leaves are large, hairy, and canescent; and either heart-shaped, or cut into
clerj> irregular lobes. The fruit is oblong, of a dark scarlet colour when ripe,
and of a sweetish, but rather insipid, taste. The tree is perfectly hardy ; but,
from the extreme brittleness of its wood, it is very liable to be broken by high
winds. The wood is soft, spongy, and of no value, except for fire-wood. The
leaves are too rough and coarse in their texture for silkworms ; but they are
found excellent for cattle ; and, as the tree will grow rapidly in almost any
soil, and throws out numerous tufts of leaves, it might be valuable in some
situations and climates, as fodder. The principal use, however, to which the
broussonetia appears capable of being applied is for the paper that may be made
from its bark. The following is an abridgment of Kaempfer's account of the
mode of preparing this paper in Japan, as quoted in the Penny Cyclopaedia,
vol. v. p. 472. : — " The branches of the current year, being cut into pieces
about a yard long, are boiled till the bark shrinks from the wood, which is
taken out and thrown away ; and the bark, being dried, is preserved till wanted.
4u 2
1362 ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART 111.
In order to make paper, it is soaked for three or four hours in water; after which
the external skin, and the green internal coat, are scraped off, and the strong-
est and firmest pieces are selected ; the produce of the younger shoots being
of an inferior quality. If any very old portions present themselves, they are,
on the other hand, rejected as too coarse. All knotty parts, and every thing
which might impair the beauty of the paper, are also removed. The chosen
bark is boiled in a lixivium till its downy fibres can be separated by a touch of
the finger. The pulp so produced is then agitated in water till it resembles
tufts of tow. If not sufficiently boiled, the paper will be coarse, though strong ;
if too much, it will be white, indeed, but deficient in strength and solidity.
Upon the various degrees and modes of washing the pulp, much also depends
as to the quality and beauty of the paper. Mucilage obtained from boiling
rice, or from a root called oreni (Kcempf.,4:74:), one of the mallow tribe, is
afterwards added to the pulp. The paper is finished much after the European
mode, except that stalks of rushes are used instead of brass wires." (Pen. Cyc.,
art. Broil ssonetj'a) The India or Chinese paper used for taking proofs of en-
gravings is thus made. In Otaheite, the bark of this tree is made into dresses.
Plants are readily propagated by layers, suckers, or cuttings of the root.
Statistics. In the environs of I/ondon, the largest plant we know of is in the botanic Garden at
Kew, where it is 20 ft. high. In Berkshire, at White Knights, 25 years planted, it is 23 ft. high ; the
diameter of the trunk 9J in., and of the head 20 ft. by 13 ft. In Cheshire, at Eaton Hall, 10 years
planted, it is 8ft. high ; diameter of the trunk Sin., and of the head 7 ft. In Oxfordshire, in the
Oxford Botanic Garden, 14 years planted, it is 25 ft. high ; diameter of the trunk 4 in., and of the
head 15 ft. In Worcestershire, at Croome, 40 years old, it is 'JO ft. high ; diameter of the -trunk 12in.
In Scotland, in Perthshire, at Kinfauns Castle, 8 years planted, it is 5ft. high. In France, at
Villers le Bade, 10 years planted, it is 25ft. high. In" the Botanic Garden, Toulon, 20 years planted,
it is 25 ft. high; and the diameter of the trunk is 1 ft. 2 in.; at ; Nantes, in the nursery of M. De
N'err'u Tfs, ,'j!) years planted, it is 25ft. high : in the Botanic Garden at Avranches, 40 years planted,
it is 40ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 7| in., and of the head 30 ft. In Austria, at Vienna,
in the University Botanic Garden, 20 years planted, it is 2-2 ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk !) in.,
and of the head 10ft. : at Laxcnburg, 20 years planted, it is 14 ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk
4 in., and of the head (i ft. : at Hadersdorf, f> years planted, it is 14 ft. high. In Italy, at Monza, 24
years planted, it is 40 ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk 1 ft, and of the head 20 ft.
Commercial Statistics. Plants, in the London nurseries, are from Is 6d. to
2s. 6d. each ; at Bollwyller, 1 franc each ; and at New York, the male plant
50 cents each, and the female plant 75 cents.
GENUS III.
MACLIPR^ Nutt. THE MACLURA. Lin. Syst. Dice'cia Tetrandria.
Identification. Nutt. Gen. N. Amer. Plants, 2. p. 233. ; Lindl. Nat. Syst. of Bot, p. 178.
St/nuni/ >/tt>. Toxylon Rajinesque in 1817, Gard. Max., vol. viii.p. 247.
Derivation. Named, by Nuttall, in honour of William Mitclun; Esq., of the United States ; an emi-
nent natural philosopher.
f 1. M. AURANTI\\CA Nutt. The orange-like-//^'/^/ Madura, or Oxagc
Orange.
Identification. Nutt. Gen, N. Amer. PI., 2. p. 234.
Synonymes. Bow-wood, Yellow Wood, N. Amer.
The Sexes. Both male and female plants arc in the Horticultural Society's Garden, and in the
Hackney arboretum.
Engraving*- Appendix to Lambert's Monog. on the Genus Films, 2. p. 32. ; and oury/V. 1226., in
which a is the female flower, and b the male.
Description, $c. The maclura is a deciduous widely spreading tree, with
spiny branches, growing to the height of about 30 ft., on the banks of the
lied River ; or, according to Nuttall, of 60 ft., in the Arkansas. The leaves are
ovate acuminate, of a bright shining green, broad, with a cuspidate point,
3 in. or 3| in. long, and about 2 in. broad. The petiole is often 1 in. long. The
.spines are simple, rather strong, about 1 in. in length, and produced in tin-
axils of the leaves. The flowers are inconspicuous, and nearly green, with a
,li;j,ht tinge of yellow. The fruit, which in si/e and general appearance, at a
distance, resembles a large Seville orange, consists of radiating, somewhat
(HAP. C.
CTRTICA TK. r..
1363
woody fibres, terminating in a tnbercnlatcd surface,
and contains numerous seeds (or nuts, as they are
hotanicallv ternu-d), and a considerable quantity o
sweetish milky fluid, which, when exposed to t In-
action of the air, coagulates like milk. The sap of
the young wood and leaves is also milky, and soon
dries on exposure to the air. It is insoluble in
water, and contains a large proportion of caout-
chouc. This tree is found on the banks of the
Red River, and in deep and fertile soil in the adja-
cent valley. The Arkansa appears to form its
northern boundary. It was first introduced into
the gardens of St. Louis, on the Mississippi, from
a village of the Osage Indians ; whence it obtained
its popular name of the Osage orange. It was
afterwards planted in the nursery of Mr. M'Mahon
at Philadelphia, whose widow now carries on the
business, and still possesses the original tree. About 1 226
1818, seeds were sent to England by M. Correa
de Serra (See Gard. Mag., i. p. 356.) ; and, subsequently, plants of both sexes
were imported by the London nurserymen.
Properties and Uses. The fruit, when ripe, is of a golden colour, and on
the tree has a splendid appearance j but, though eatable, it does not appear to
be an}' where used for human food. M. Le Roy, nurseryman at Angers, in-
formed us, in June, 1836, that he had tasted some of the fruit which had ripened
at Lyons ; and that it was scarcely so good as that of the vl'rbutus L^nedo.
Fruit has also been ripened at Clairvaux, near Chatellerault (Recucil Induxt.,
2d ser., torn. ii. 1836, p. 50.) ; and at Montpelier. (See Algemeinc Gartcn-
Zcitung, Nos. 36. and 37., for September, 1836.) An Osage orange sent
to us by Dr. Mease of Philadelphia, from Mrs. M'Mahon's Nursery, in Jan.
1830, (of which/g. 1227. isa vie w,and/£. 1228. a section; both of the natural
1227
¥
size ;) measured 9 in. round one way, and 9iin. the other. It weighed 15oz.
when gathered. The colour was of a greenish yellow, and the taste insipid,
4 u 3
1364
ARBORETUM AND PRUTICETUM.
1228
PART III,
but slightly acid. It did not appear half ripe when we received it ; and it
decayed without coming to maturity. We have since, at different times, re-
ceived two other fruits, also from Dr. Mease ; but perceived no difference
between them and the one figured above. The seeds in the fruit last re-
ceived appearing full, we distributed them ; and young plants have been raised
from them by M. Vilmorin of Paris ; Mr. Gordon of the London Horticul-
tural Society's arboretum ; Mr. Campbell of the Botanic Garden, Manches-
ter; and others. Mr. R. Buist, in the American Gardener's Magazine, vol. ii.
p. 77., states that there are four trees in Mrs. M'Mahon's Nursery, Phila-
delphia, which were among the first introduced into that part of America. They
are planted two and two, each pair being about 400 ft. apart. In 1831, it was dis-
covered that one of these trees produced larger fruit than the others, and that
this fruit contained perfect seeds. Two of the other trees produced smaller fruit,
but the seeds they contained were abortive; while one of the trees was entirely
barren. The next year, it was discovered that the barren tree was the male plant;
and that the tree which produced perfect seeds was the fertile plant, which
stood by its side. The wood is of a bright yellow colour, uncommonly fine-
grained, and elastic; and, on account of the latter property, it is used by all the
southern tribes of American Indians for bows. It is said to be extremely
durable, and capable of receiving the finest polish. It resembles the wood of
the Maclura tinctoria, or fustick tree (a stove plant, a native of the West In-
dies), in affording a yellow dye. The tree is said by the Americans to be very
ornamental, not only from its general form, its shining foliage, and its golden
orange-like fruit, but on account of its retaining its leaves longer than any
other deciduous tree. The branches being thorny, it has been proposed by
some to employ it as a hedge plant, and by others as a stock to the mulberry;
and it has been suggested that it might prove a valuable substitute for, or
auxiliary to, the M. a. multicauiis, as food for the silkworm. A memorial to
the latter effect, it is said, has lately been presented to the French Institute.
(See Amer. Gard. Mag.y vol. i. p. 400.) M. Bonafous, visiting the Botanic
Garden at Montpelier, in 1835, and observing the luxuriance with which the
maclura grew there, had a number of the leaves gathered, and tried to feed
silkworms with them, in the same way as is done with those of the mulberry.
He gave the leaves of the maclura to 18 silkworms, as their only food, and
they produced very beautiful cocoons ; but it is not stated how these cocoons
turned out when they were reeled. A second experiment was made in 1836,
by M. Raffeneau De Lile, director of the Montpelier Garden, by giving 50
silkworms the leaves of the maclura only during the latter part of their ex-
istence. The worms were not fed on the maclura till the 19th of May, when
they cast their second skins. These worms never seemed to eat the leaves
greedily ; but they increased in size as much as those that were fed on the
CHAP. C. URTICA^CEJE. FrCUS. 13t>5
leaves of the mulberry. In the course of feeding, 15 silkworms wandered
away or died; and, during the time of spinning, 20 more died, the latter be-
coming black, rotten, and reduced to a liquid. The cocoons were not ready
till some days after those of the worms fed on mulberry leaves : only 5 of
them were quite perfect, but several others were tolerably so ; and from all
these the silk was reeled easily, and was of excellent quality. Other experi-
ments have been tried in Italy, but with still less favourable results. (O/A/.v
(rnrtcn Zd/ung, vol. iii. p. 292.) The tree is perfectly hardy about Philadel-
phia, and also in the climate of London ; where, when cut down after having
been two or three years established, it throws up shoots 6 ft. or 8 ft. in
length, and nearly £in. in diameter, with fine, broad, shining, succulent leaves.
Hitherto it has had no proper trial as a standard in England, having been
originally considered tender; and planted against a wall ; but we have no doubt
it will, in time, become a valuable timber tree of the second rank. It is
propagated with the greatest ease by cuttings of the roots, or by layers ; and
it will grow in any common soil.
Statistics. In the environs of London, the largest plant, as a standard, is a female tree in the Ham-
mersmith Nursery, which is nearly 16ft. high. In our garden at Bayswater, a female plant, against a
wall, is about the same height. At Kew, one against a wall is h? ft. hi.uh. In Staffordshire, at
Blithelield, in 1834, it was 6 ft. high against a wall. In France, in the Jardin des Plante>, 10 years
planted, it is 18ft. high ; in the nur.-ery of M. Sidy, at Lyons, where it has fruited, it is 25ft High ;
at Villers la Bade, 8 years planted, it is 15ft. high ; in the Botanic Garden at Toulon, 5 years planted,
it is 12ft. high. In Austria, at Briick on the Leytha, 10 years planted, it is b' ft. high. In Italy, at
Monza, the female tree, 6 years planted, was, in 1835, 16 ft. high, and fruited for the first time. In
North America, at Philadelphia, the four largest trees are those mentioned at in Mrs. M'.Mahon's
Nursery ; and there are also large trees in Landreth's Nursery, which, in 1831, " were full of fruit."
In Virginia, at Beaverdam, a female tree, with a globular head, yielded, in Ib35, 150 fruit, many of
which weighed 18 oz. or 19 oz. each. (Amer. Card. Mag., 2. p. 9.)
Commercial Statistics. Plants, in the London nurseries, are 2s. each; at New
York, female plants are 1 dollar, and male plants 2 dollars, each.
GENUS IV.
FPCUS Town. THE FIG TREE. Lin. St/st. Polygamia Dice'cia.
Identification. Tourn. ; T. Nees ab Esenbeck Gen. PL Fl. Germ., fasc. 3. No. 6. ; Willd, Sp. PI., 4.
p. 1131. ; Lindl. Nat. Syst. of Bot.,p. 178.
Synonymcs. Figuier, Fr. ; Feigenbaum, Ger.
Derivation. Some derive F"icus from fcecundus, on account of its abundant bearing ; and others from
stikos (Greek), or fag (Hebrew), the names for the fig tree in those languages. The fig tree has
nearly the same name in all the European languages.
Description, fyc. The species are all trees, natives of warm climates, and
remarkable, in a popular point of view, for having their flowers concealed by
the fleshy receptacle known as the fruit. The sycamore of Scripture (jFicus
Sycomorus L.) is a species of fig, a native of Egypt, where it is a timber tree
exceeding the middle size, and bearing edible fruit. A large tree of this
species is figured in the Picture Bible, vol. ii. p. 181. The only species which
will endure the open air in Britain is the F. Carica, or common garden fig.
These two species are the only ones which produce eatable fruit. It is men-
tioned in the Nouveau Du Hamel, that the receptacle which forms the fruit of
the fig is not always entire and connivent ; but that there are some few sorts
in which the fruit constantly opens when it approaches maturity ; dividing
ordinarily into four parts, which expand like the petals of a flower, to such
an extent, that each division becomes perpendicular to the peduncle. The
varieties which exhibit this singularity are called the Barmssotes and the
Verdales. (N. Du Ham., torn. iv. p. 198., note.)
1 1. F. CA'RICA L. The common Fig Tree.
Identification. Lin. Sp., 1513. : Willd. Sp., 4. p. 1131. : Lam. Diet, 2. : Mill Ic., t. 73. p. 489. : N. D
Ham., 4. p. 198.
Synonymes. F. communi* Bau/i. Pin., 457. ; F. hiimilis and F. sylv^strii Tourn. Insf., fi63. ; Figuier
rominun, Fr. ; Gemeine Feigenbaum, Ger.
4u 4
1366 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICKITM. PART III.
Engravings. Mill. Io., t. 73. ; Lam. 111., t. 8d!. ; N. Du Ham., t. 53 ; and the plate of this tree in our
last Volume.
Spec. Char., $r. Leaves palmate and subtrilobate ; rough above, pubescent
beneath. ( JIV/A/.) A low deciduous tree, a native of the East, cultivated in
Britain from time immemorial ; and ripening its fruit against walls, in the
climate of London, in the month of September.
Varieties. Botanically, the common fig may be considered as existing in three
different states : — 1. Wild, in which the leaves are comparatively small, and
not much cut ; and the fruit small, and sometimes blue and sometimes white.
2. Cultivated, with very large leaves, very deeply cut, such as the blue
Ischia and the Brunswick fig, and other sorts ; the fruit of some of which is
white, and of others dark. 3. Cultivated, with very large leaves, not much cut,
as the white Marseilles fig, and others with fruit of different colours. Those
who are disposed to go farther may form three subvarieties under each of
these heads, according as the fruit is blue or black, red or purple, or
yellow, white, or green.
Garden Varieties. These are very numerous. In the Nouveau I)n ]l«m< •/, a
selection of 36 choice sorts is given, and several of them figured. In the
Horticultural Society's Fruit Catalogue for 1831,89 sorts are enumerated,
independently of synonymes. In the Encyc. of Gard., ed. 1835, a selection
of 22 sorts is given for a large garden ; and also selections for smaller gardens.
For an arboretum in the climate of London, and to be treated as standards, we
would recommend the wild fig (which has the leaves generally entire, and
of which there is a standard tree in the Twickenham Botanic Garden), the
white Marseilles, the Brunswick, and the small brown Ischia. The latter
will, in very fine seasons, and in warm situations in the climate of London,
ripen a few fruit on a standard in the open air.
Description, $c. The common fig is a low, deciduous tree, rarely exceeding
20 ft. in height as a standard, even in the south of Europe ; with large deeply
lobed leaves, rough on the upper surface, and pubescent beneath. The
branches are clothed with short hairs, and the bark of the trunk is greenish.
The fig is a native of the west of Asia and the shores of the Mediterranean,
both in Europe and Africa. In no country is it found in elevated situa-
tions, or at a distance from the sea. Hence its abundance in the islands of
the Archipelago, and on the shores of the adjoining continents. It has been
cultivated from time immemorial ; and, indeed, the fig was said to have been
the first fruit eaten by man. In the Bible, we read frequently of the fig tree,
both in the Old and New Testament. Among the Greeks, we find, by the
laws of Lycurgus, that figs formed a part of the ordinary food of the Spartans.
The Athenians were so choice of their figs, that they did not allow them to be
exported; and the informers against those who broke this law, being called
sukophantai, from two Greek words, signifying the discoverers of figs, gave
rise to our modern word sycophant. The fig tree under which Romulus and
Remus were suckled, and the basket of figs in which the asp was conveyed
to Cleopatra, are examples familiar to every one of the frequency of the allu-
sions to this tree in ancient history. At Rome, the fig was carried next to
the vine in the processions of Bacchus, who was supposed to have derived his
corpulency and vigour from this fruit, and not from the grape. Pliny, also,
recommends figs as being nutritive and restorative ; and it appears from him,
and other ancient writers, that they were given to professed champions and
wrestlers, to refresh and strengthen them. Pliny mentions six different kinds
of fig, enumerating the peculiar qualities of each.
The first fig trees planted in England are said to have been brought from
Italy in 1548, in the reign of Henry VIII., by Cardinal Pole, and placed by
him against the walls of the archiepiscopai palace at Lambeth. In Miller's
time, these two trees covered a surface of 50 ft. in height, and 40 ft. in breadth ;
and the diameter of the trunk of one tree was 9^ in., and of the other 7± in.
These trees were much injured by the severe winter of 1813-14; but the
main stems being cut down, they recovered, so as in 1817 to be in tolerable
CHAP. C. Z7RTICAVCK^E. FMTS. 1367
vigour, when Dr. Neill, and the other members of the deputation of the
Caledonian Horticultural Society, inspected the aivl.iepiscopal gardens.
On our visiting the grounds, however, in September, 1H36, we found that the
trees had been destroyed some years before, when the palace was undergoing
repair; and that the only traces left of them were some young plants raised
from cuttings, which are now growing in the archbishop's kitchen-garden.
At Mitcham, in the garden of the Manor House, formerly the private estate of
Archbishop Cranmer, there was, in Miller's time, the remains of a white fig
tree, confidently asserted to have been planted by Cranmer himself; but it was
destroyed in 1790. Its stem, some years before, was 10 in. in diameter ; but
its branches were very low and weak. In the Dean's garden at Winchester,
there existed, in 1757, a fig tree protected by a wooden frame, supposed to be
of very great age. On the stone wall to which it was trained there were se-
veral inscriptions, one of which bore testimony that, in 1623, James I. " tasted
of the fruit of this tree with great pleasure." Miller says that it was suffered
to perish for want of necessary repairs to the framework. A fig tree
brought from Aleppo by Dr. Pococke, and which was planted by him, in 1648,
in the garden of the regius professor of Hebrew in Christ-Church, Oxford,
seems to be the only ancient fig tree on record still existing in Britain. Some
of the figs produced by this tree were exhibited at a meeting of the London
Horticultural Society, in August, 1819; and others gained a prize, as the best
white figs, at a meeting of the Oxford and Oxfordshire Horticultural Society,
in August, 1833. An account of this tree, by Mr. Baxter, curator of the
Oxford Botanic Garden, will be found in the London Horticultural Society's
Transactions, vol. iii. p. 433. ; from which it appears that, in 1806, Dr. White,
then professor of Hebrew in Christ-Church, caused an engraving to be
made of the tree. It was at that time 21 ft. high, and the trunk mea-
sured 3 ft. 6 in. in circumference at its upper part. The tree, when we saw
it in 1833, contained but very slight remains of the old trunk; but it had
thrown out a number of branches, perhaps at that time of 20 or 30 years'
growth, and some of which were upwards of 25ft. in length. (See Gard.
Mag., vol. x. p. 105.) The fig tree, though introduced so early, appears for
a long time not to have been extensively cultivated in England. Professor
Burnet thinks that this was owing to a popular prejudice, the fig having been
once a common vehicle for poison : a singular contrast to the ideas expressed
in the Bible respecting this fruit ; the best blessing of heaven being typified
by every man sitting under his own fig tree. In France, the culture of the fig
tree was not carried to any degree of perfection till the time of Olivier De Serres ;
but it is now general throughout the whole country. In the south of
France, figs are grown for drying as an article of commerce, but in the northern
provinces they are only used for the table. In the East, as well as in Italy
and Spain, figs form a principal article of sustenance for the population, and
a considerable article of commerce. According to M'Culloch, the import-
ation into Britain is about 20,000 cwt., notwithstanding that every cwt.
pays a duty of 21,?., which exceeds 100 per cent upon the price of the figs in
bond. If this duty were reduced, he says, to 8*. or 10-v. the cwt., it may MTV
fairly be concluded that the quantity imported would very soon be trebled,
or more.
In Britain, the fig is in general cultivation in first-rate gardens ; usually
against walls; but in some parts of the southern counties, as along the coast
of Sussex, and in Devonshire, &c., as standards. In Scotland, it is never seen
as a standard ; but it ripens its fruit against a south wall, without the aid of
fire heat, in some parts of East Lothian, and in Wigtonshire ; and against
a flued wall, even in the neighbourhood of Glasgow. The largest fig tree
against a wall which we have seen in England is at Farnham Castle, where, in
25 years, it has reached the height of 40 ft. against the walls of the castle.
The largest standard fig trees that we have seen are at Arundel Castle, where
they arc upwards of 25 ft. high, with trunks 1 ft. in diameter. At Tarring,
and at one or two other places near Brighton, fig trees are grown as standards,
1368 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
and produce abundant crops ; though the fruit is inferior in flavour to that
ripened against walls, except in very fine seasons.
Properties and Uses. The fig is cultivated almost entirely for its fruit.
Its wood, which is extremely light and tender, is used, in France, for making
whetstones, from its facility in receiving and retaining the emery and the
oil that are employed to sharpen smiths' tools. The soft wood is white, and
the heart-wood yellow. It loses a great deal in weight by drying; but it
acquires by that process so much strength and elasticity, that the screws of
wine-presses are made of it. When used as fuel, it does not give a very
intense heat ; but its charcoal has the valuable property of consuming very
slowly. The fruit is esteemed demulcent and laxative ; and it has been long
used in domestic medicine as a poultice. King Hezekiah's boil was cured by
a lump or poultice of figs, applied according to the directions of Isaiah, and
which, Professor Burnet observes, is the first poultice that we read of in history.
In the Canaries, in Portugal, and in the Greek Archipelago, a kind of brandy
is distilled from fermented figs. The leaves and bark of the fig tree abound in
a milky acrid juice, which may be used as rennet, for raising blisters, and for
destroying warts. This milky juice containing caoutchouc, Indian rubber might
consequently be made from the common fig tree in England, if it were thought
desirable ; and, on account of the same property, the very tenderest of the
young leaves might be given to the larva of the silkmoth. All the species
of the genus l^icus, and also of the allied genus Carica, are said to have the
singular property of rendering raw meat tender when hung beneath their shade.
On what chemical principle this is to be accounted for, we are ignorant,
but the fact seems undoubted. As a fruit tree, the fig is valuable for thriving
and ripening fruit in situations not favourable in regard to light, air, or soil ;
such as against walls in court-yards, against the walls of houses in crowded
cities, on the back-walls of green-houses and forcing- houses, comparatively in
the shade, &c. It also bears better than any other fruit tree whatever, in
pots; and, with abundance of liquid manure and heat, will produce, in a stove,
three, and sometimes even four, crops in the course of a year.
Culture and Management of the Fig in Countries where it is grown as an Article
of Commerce. In France, more particularly about Marseilles, when a fig
plantation is to be formed, an open situation is made choice of near the sea, and
exposed to the south and the east. The ground is trenched 2 ft. or 3 ft. deep,
and richly manured; and the trees are planted in squares, or in quincunx, at
from 12ft. to 15 ft. distance from each other. The plants are watered fre-
quently during the first summer, and left without any pruning whatever; but
in the winter of the second year they are cut down to the ground. The third
year, they throw up vigorous shoots, five or six of which are retained to form
a bush ; and in the following, or fourth, year the tree is suffered to ripen fruit.
In some cases, the trees are trained to single steins ; and this is generally the
case in Italy and Greece, where the climate is milder, and the tree attains a
larger size than in France. In the future management of the trees, they
require very little pruning, except when they get too much crowded with
branches. They seldom suffer from insects ; but always more or less, during
very hot summers, from the want of water, which they require in abundance,
on account of the excessive transpiration which takes place from their large
leaves and very porous bark, which has bat a very slight epidermis. Hence, in
seasons of very great drought, the branches are sometimes completely burnt
up. Severe frost has the same effect on the branches in winter, even at Mar-
seilles, as extreme drought has in summer. In the south of France, and in all
countries which may properly be called fig climates, two crops are produced
in a year : the first is from the old wood, and corresponds with our crops in
England; and the second from the wood of the current year, the figs pro-
duced by which, in this country, are never ripened except in hot-houses. In
Greece and Egypt a third crop is sometimes produced. The first crop is
ripened, in the south of France and in Italy, in May ; and the second crop in
September. Those which are to be dried are left on the tree till they are
CHAP. c. ITRTICA%CEA:. JFVCUS. 1369
dead ripe, which is known by a drop of sweet liquid which appears hanging
from the eye. The figs, being gathered, are placed on wicker hurdles, in a dry
airy shed ; and, when the dew is off, every morning they are exposed to the sun
during the hottest part of the day. To facilitate the progress of drying, the
figs are occasionally flattened with the hand ; and, in moist dull weather, they
are placed in rooms warmed by stoves. When thoroughly dried, they are
packed in rush baskets, or in boxes, in layers, alternately with long straw and
laurel leaves, and in this state they are sold to the merchants. In some parts
of the south of France, figs are prepared by dipping them in hot lye made from
the ashes of the fig tree, and then dried ; the use of lye being to harden their
skins. The white figs are preferred for the market, the violet kind being
retained in the country for the use of the inhabitants ; and forming in Greece,
with barley bread, their principal food for a great part of the year. Fowls
are remarkably fond of figs ; and, where they are abundant, as in the depart-
ment of the Var in France, and in the islands of the Archipelago, they are
given to horses, mules, and oxen, with a view to strengthen and bring them
into good condition, or to fatten them.
Culture and J\Innagcinent of the Fig in the North of France. Except in the
gardens of private persons, where the fig is generally trained against walls, as
in England, there are only two or three places where it is grown for its fruit
as a standard ; and the principal of these is at Argenteuil,in the neighbourhood
of Paris. We visited the fig gardens there in 1828 ; and an account of them,
at length, will be found in the Gardener's Magazine, vol. vii. p. 262. The fig
trees are kept as low bushes, and the shoots are never allowed to attain more
than three or four years' growth; because it is necessary to bend them down to
the ground, and retain them there, by means of stakes, or stones, or a mass of
soil, to protect them from the drying effects of the frost. It is observed in the
Nouveau Court d' Agriculture, that the figs at Argenteuil are never brought to
such a degree of perfection as to please the palates of those who have been
accustomed to the figs of Marseilles. They are, says the writer, always either
insipid or half rotten ; and, even to bring them to this state, it is necessary
to pinch off the points of the shoots, in the same way as is done with the vine
when early grapes are wanted ; or with the pea, to accelerate the maturity of
the pods. An additional process is requisite in cold seasons, and at. the latter
end of every season ; and that is, the inserting of a small drop of oil, by means
of a straw, into the eye of the fruit ; which has the effect of destroying the
vital principle, and causing the fig to part readily from the shoot, like ripe
fruit ; after which it soon begins to decay.
Caprijication. This process, which we shall hereafter describe, and which
has been in use for an unknown length of time in the Levant, was first men-
tioned by Tournefort; and, though it is laughed at by many of the French phy-
siologists of the present day, we cannot help thinking that it must be of some
important use. It is alleged by Bosc that it has no other object than that of
hastening the maturity of the crop; but others are of opinion that,!)} insuring
the fecundation of the stigma, it tends to increase the size of the fruit, and, by fill-
ing it with mature seeds, to render it more nourishing. Olivier, the botanical
traveller, asserts that, after a long residence in the islands of the Archipelago, he
is convinced of the inutility of the practice; and Bosc, though he allows that it
may hasten the maturity of the figs, as the larva of the pyrale pommonelle hastens
the maturity of the apple inFrance,yet believes that it has no effect in improving
either the size or the flavour of the fruit. M. Bernard, the author of a
Memoire sur le Figuier, and of the article on that tree in the Nouveau Du
Hamel, goes farther, and asserts that the figs which have undergone the process
of caprification are inferior to others in size, flavour, and the property of keep-
ing. In Egypt, where the sycamore fig is the prevailing species, an operation
is performed on the fruit, which is said to answer the purpose of caprification,
as far as respects early ripening. When the fruit is a third part of its size, a
slice is cut off the end of it, of a sufficient depth to remove all the stamens,
which have not by this time matured their fertilising dust. The wound is
1370 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
immediately covered with sap, which thickens,and forms a mass that excludes
the air from the interior of the fruit ; and the consequence is, that it ripens,
or becomes ready to drop off, in half the time usually taken by nature, without
losing any of its size or of its flavour. This process, Bosc observes, deserves
a trial in France.
The Process of Capnftcation is described by Tournefort ; and his description
differs very little from that given by Pliny. It consists in inducing a certain
species of insect of the gnat kind, which abounds on the wild fig, to enter
the fruit of the cultivated fig, for the purpose of fecundating the fertile flowers
in the interior of the fruit by the farina of the barren ones near its orifice. The
details will be found given at length in Rees's C'ljcfajxcdia ; under the word
Caprification in Marty n's Miller- and in the Encyclopaedia of (leographij.
Propagation nnd Culture. The fig is easily propagated by cuttings of the
shoots or roots, not one of which will fail ; and also by suckers, layers, and
seeds. In British nurseries, it is generally propagated by layers ; though
these do not ripen their wood, the first season, so well as cuttings. When the
fig is to be planted as a standard tree, constant attention must be paid to
remove all suckers from its collar, and all side shoots from its stem. When
trained against a wall in a cold climate, the branches should proceed from a
single stem, and not from the collar, as is generally the case ; because the
plant, when so treated, produces shoots which are less vigorous, and, con-
sequently, more likely to ripen their wood.
Insects, Accidents, and Diseases. The fig, in hot countries, and in dry seasons,
especially when at a distance from the sea, is apt to have its leaves and fruit
scorched and shriveled up by the sun. It is scarcely subject to any diseases;
but it is liable to the attacks of the cochineal, the kermes, and psylla. In
British gardens, it is very seldom injured by insects in the open air ; but it is
very liable to the attacks of the red spider, the coccus, and the honey-dew,
under glass. Abundance of water, and a moist atmosphere, like that of its
indigenous habitat, the sea shore, are perhaps the best preventives.
Statistics. The largest standard fig trees that we know of in the neighbourhood of London are at
Syon, Chiswick, and in the Mile End Nursery, where they are about la ft. high. In Sussex, at
Arundel Castle, there are several standard trees in thejold garden, 25;ft. high ; at Tarring, near
Worthing, in the largest fig garden, there are 70 standard "trees, from 12 ft. to 15 ft. high. At Black -
down House, near Haslemere, there are some fine old standard fig trees, which ripen fruit every year
In France, in the neighbourhood of Nantes, the tree, as a standard, seldom exceeds 18 ft. in height : at
Avignon it attains the height of 20 ft. or 25ft. ; and, in 1819, we observed some very fine specimens in
the garden of the Military Hospital there. In Italy, at Monza, a tree, 60 years old, is 30ft. high ; the
diameter of the trunk 1£ ft., and of the head 60 ft. Plants, in the London nurseries, are from l.v. fo/.
to 5.S-. each, according to the variety : at Bollwyller, 2 francs each ; and at New York, from 50 cents to
1 dollar.
GENUS V.
BONRY^ W. THE BORYA. Lin. Syst. Dice cia Di-Triandria.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 711. ; Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 2., vol. 5. ; Lindl. Nat. Syst. of Bot,
p. 178.
Synonyme*. AdMia Michx. Fl. Bor. Amcr., 2. p. '223. ; Bige)owY< Smith in Kecs'.s Cyclop., Addenda.
Derivation. Named in honour of liory dc St. Vincent who visited the Mauritius and the Isle of
Bourbon, to examine their botany. Smith, in Rees's Cyclopaedia, objects to the name of Borya
being applied to this genus, because La Billardiere had previously given the same name to another
genus ; and he suggests the substitution of the name of Bigelbvw/, in commemoration of Dr. Bigclow
of Boston, author of the Ffornla Itostoniensis, and of the American Medical Ihitaiiy. The genus
B6ryd~Lab., and the genus Borya Willd., are both cited in Lindl. Natural System of Botany, and it
is most probable that another name will be instituted for one of them.
Desertion, $c. Deciduous shrubs, growing to the height of from 6 ft. to
12ft. in common garden soil, with a dark brown or purple bark, and small,
deep green, opposite leaves. Propagated by cuttings, and quite hardy.
¥ 1. B. L/GU'STRINA Willd. The Privet-like Borya.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 711. ; Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 2., vol. 5.
Synonifmes. Adelia /igustrina Michx. Fl. lior. Amcr., "2. p. 224. ; Bigelbwi /igustrina Smith in
//, r.v'.v Cyclop. Addenda, Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
The Sexes.' The plants bearing this name in Loddiges's arboretum have not yet flowered.
CHA1'. U.
Z7LMA
1371
SiH-r. Char., ifr. Inhabit and leaves, somewhat resembling the common privet
(/Jiiustrum vulgare //.). Leaves with very short petioles, and disks that are
lanceolate-oblong, entire, somewhat membranous. Fruit rather shortly
ovate. (Michx. Ft. Itor. Atner.) A native of North America, in thickets
about rivers, in the countries of the Illinois, Tennessee, &c. ; flowering in
July and August. (Smith.) Introduced into England in 181 -2, by Lyon ;
and there are plants in the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges, where it grows
freely in common garden soil, forming a shrub, apparently a fit associate
for Z/igtistruni, Fontanesiaf, and Z'rinos.
sis '>. B. (?£.) ACUMINAVTA Willd. The acuminate-/tY/m/ Borya.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 711.; Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 2., vol. 5.
Si/noni/mt's. Adfilia acuminata Michx. Fl. ffm: Atncr.,2. p. 22.0. t.4S.;
' BigelbvwJ acuminata Smith in Rces's Cyclop. Addenda, Ludd. Cat.,
ed. 1836.
The Sexes. Uncertain which is in England.
Engravings. Michx. Fl. 13or. Amer., 2. t. 28. ; and our Jig. 1229.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves membranous, lanceolate in
almost a rhombic manner ; but most tapered to the
outward end ; l-£ in. long, serrulate. — Male flowers
several together in small sessile tufts, encompassed
with several ovate bracteas. — Female flowers
stalked, very small. Fruit pendulous, elliptic-ob-
long, nearly 1 in. long before it is ripe, tapered to
the tip in a beak-like manner. — It appears that the
taper lateral branches form something like thorns.
(Michx. and Smith.) Indigenous to the banks of
rivers in Carolina and Georgia. Introduced into
England in 1812; but the plants in the arboretum
of Messrs. Loddiges have not yet flowered. The
only difference which we can observe between
B. acuminata and B. /igustrina is, that the former
has the leaves of a paler green.
a* 3. B. (L.) I>ORULOVSA Willd. The pore-like-dotted-leaved Borya.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 711. ; Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 2., vol. 5.
Synonijines. Adclia porulosa Michx. Ft. Bar. Amcr., 2. p. 224. ; BigeRwVi poruldsa Smith
in Kccs's
Cyclop., Addenda ; ? B. ov&ta Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
The Seres. Uncertain which is in England.
pec Char , <$c Leaves coriaceous, sessile, lanceolately ovate, bnt with a
blunt point, entire; the lateral edges revolute; under surface rather rusty,
and punctured with little holes. (Michx. Fl. Bor. Ainer.) It is indigenous
to the coasts of Georgia and Florida. Introduced into England in 1806.
The plants in the collection of Messrs. Loddiges differ from B. /igustrina,
chiefly in the leaves being shorter.
* 4. B. DISTICHOPHY'LLA Nutt. The two-rowed-leaved Borya.
Identification. Nutt. Gen. N. Amer. PL, 2. p. 232.
S/H-C. Char., $c. A shrub, 12 ft. to 16ft. high. Leaves in two rows, subsessile, lanceolate, acute, cntiro
rough at the edge, membranous. HranchU-ts very slender. Scales of the bud pungently acute,
f ?J " confluent in the leaves." Indigenous to the banks of French Broad River, East Tennessee.
(\ntt<il/, who had seen it alive.) Mr. George Don thinks that this plant has been introduced; but
we have never seen it
CHAP. CI.
OL- THE HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER £7LMAVCE,E.
THEY are included in three genera, which have the following names and
* liaracters : —
r'mrs /,. Flowers, in most specie?., protruded earlier than the shoots
and leaves; of the } ear; disposed in groups, each group lateral, and proceeding
1372 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III,
from a bud peculiar to it ; the flowers of the group situated each upon a
peduncle, or each upon a pedicel, and disposed a few together upon short
peduncles, or situated in both modes. Flowers bisexual, or a few of them
male : both kinds upon one plant. Calyx reddish, distinct from the ovary,
top-shaped, or bell-shaped, of one piece, but having 5 or 4 — 8 segments, which
are imbricate in asstivation; remaining until the fruit falls. Stamens as
many as the segments ; inserted into the lower part of the calyx, oppositely
to the segments, and prominent beyond them : anthers opening lengthwise,
outwardly (Smith), inwardly (T. Nees ab Esenbeck). Ovary elliptic-
oblong, compressed, cloven at the summit, having two cells and a pendulous
ovule'in each. Style very short, or there is not one. Stigmas 2, acuminate,
villous on the inner face. — Fruit a samara, and this compressed, more or
less round or oval, and having the wing-like part membranous, broad, and
present all round, except in a notch, whose base is the place of the attach-
ment of the stigmas. Seed : 1 in a samara, pendulous : in many instances,
it is not perfected. Embryo not attended by albumen, straight, its radicle
uppermost. — Species several : wild in Europe, North America, and India;
one or more in Asia, one in China. Trees : some of the species attaining
great size and age. Bark rugged. Wood hard. Branches twiggy. Flowers
small. Leaves alternate, in 2 ranks, feather-veined ; in most, unequal at
the base, annual, serrate, and harsh to the touch. Stipules oblong,
deciduous. Leaves within the bud folded lengthwise, in 2 portions,
upright, with scales between leaf and leaf. (T. Nees ab Esenbeck, Gen.
PI. Fl. Germ. ; Smith, Engl. Flor. ; Duby et Decand. Bot. Gallic. ; and
observations.)
PLA'NEIU Gmelin. Sexes polygamous, or each in a distinct flower ; in each
case, upon the same plant. — Female and bisexual flowers. Calyx bell-shaped,
distinct from the ovary, membranous, green, of one piece, but having 5ciliate
lobes. Stamens, in the bisexual flower, 4 — 5 less developed than those in the
male flower. Ovary top-shaped, villous. Stigmas 2, sessile, diverging, white,
pimpled. Fruit roundish, gibbous, pointed, dry, 2-celled, each cell contain-
ing 1 seed. — Male flower. Calyx as in the female and bisexual flowers.
Stamens 4 — 5, inserted near the centre of the bottom of the calyx, and
oppositely to its lobes. Anthers reaching a little beyond the lobes of the
calyx, borne outwardly to the filament, of 2 lobes that seem as 4, and 2 cells
that open sidewise and lengthwise. — In P. Gmelin/ the fruits are in heads;
and in P. Richard/ nearly solitary.— Species 2 — ? 3. Trees: natives of
Asia and North America. Leaves alternate and more or less ovate and
toothed ; feather-veined and annual ; and the flowers small, and not showy.
P. Richard/ has stipules : which are straight, pointed, villous, and soon fall
off. This species has united by ingrafting with the elm. (Turpin and
Michaux. )
C'E'LTIS Tourn. Flowers borne upon the shoots of the year, axillary; either
solitary, or 2 — 3 together, each, in any case, upon a peduncle ; or from 2 to
many, in a raceme or panicle : in the kinds hardy in Britain, the flowers
are protruded just previously to the leaves to which they, or the fruits, are
afterwards axillary : bisexual, or, less commonly, by the imperfection of
the pistil, only male in effect ; both kinds upon one plant, and when they
occur in the same raceme, the latter are the lower. Calyx bell-shaped,
distinct from the ovary, 5 — 6-parted, the segments imbricate in aestivation.
Stamens 5 — 6, inserted into the base of the calyx, oppositely to its lobes,
and they are shorter than the lobes. Filaments at first incurved. Anthers
cordate-acuminate; the cells 2, opening at the sides. Ovary ovate, 1 -celled.
Stigmas 2, sessile, acuminate, long, spreading or recurved, downy or
glanded, simple or 2-parted. Fruit a drupe, subglobose. Ovule and seed,
each l,and pendulous. Embryo sickle-shaped, its radicle uppermost: traces
of subgelatinous albumen are between the cotyledons. — Species 19 or more ;
1 wild in Europe, the north of Africa, and Iberia; in the Levant ; and 2 in
China; 4 in North America; some in the West Indies and South America;
CHAP. C'l.
r/'uvns. 1373
several in India. Some of them grow in moist soil. Most of them are trees
with spreading heads and .slender branchlets. In some, the bark of the
brunrhlets and branches has white oblong spots scattered here and there.
Leaves alternate, in 2 ranks, ovate and pointed, unequal at the base, serrate;
rough on the upper surface, apparently from the callous bases and remains
of bristles ; annual in the kinds hardy in Britain, and these have the primary
veins forming but a small angle with the midrib, and extending through a
considerable portion of the length of the disk of the leaf. Stipules lanceolate,
soon falling off. Leaves in the bud not folded, but plaited, with scales present
between leaf and leaf. Fleshy part of the fruit eatable, but small in quantity.
(T.Nces ab Escnbeck, Gen. PI. Fl. Germ.; Spreng. Syst. ; Wats. Dend.
Brit.; Smith in Rees'sCycl.; Duby et Dec. Bot. Gallic.; and observations.)
GENUS I.
t7'LMUS L. THE ELM. Lin. Sysl. Pentandria Digynia.
Identification Lin. Gen.,l£'3. ; Lain. 111., t. 185. ; T. Nees ab Esenbeck Gen. PI. Fl. Germ., fasc. 3
t. 3. ; Sm. Engl. FL, 2. p. 1, 2. and 19. ; Lindl. Nat. Syst. of Bot., p. 179.
Synonymes. Orme, Fr. ; Ulm, or Raster, Ger. ; Olmo, Ital.
Derivation. Lvlmus is supposed to be derived from the Saxon word elm, or ulm; a name winch i»
applied, with very slight alterations, to this tree, in all the dialects of the Celtic tongue. Ulm is
still one of the German names for the elm ; and the city of Ulm is said to derive its name from
the great number of elm trees that are growing near it. There are above forty places in England,
mentioned in the Doomsday-Bonk, which take their names from that of the elm ; such as Barn
Elms, Nine El-.ns, &C.
Description, $c. The elms are long-lived trees, with hard wood ; rugged, and
sometimes corky, bark; and zigzag, somewhat slender, branches. The leaves
are alternate, stalked, deciduous, in general serrated and harsh ; unequal at the
base, and bearing tufts of hairs at the axils of the primary veins. The flowers
are earlier than the leaves, tufted, copious, and dark red ; the capsules are pale,
chaffy, and light, serving as a wing to the seed, which is often imperfect. (See
Smith's Engl. Flora, ii. p. 19.) The roots of young plants, in some of the
species, are of leathery toughness, very strong, of considerable length and
suppleness. The commoner, and perhaps all, the kinds increase rapidly in
the number and the size of their roots and branches. U. campestris emits
suckers from the older roots, which are extended under the surface of the
soil; but this is not the case with U. montana. All have strong upright-
growing trunks ; but these vary, in the several kinds, in their diameters and
length. The disposition of the branches relatively to the trunk, and to the
head which they constitute, also varies exceedingly ; and considerable dif-
ference of character prevails in the spray. For example, the tufted twigs
of U. campestris bear very little resemblance to the prominent wand-like
shoots which stand out thinly over the surface of the heads of young
trees of U. montana, and all its varieties, or allied species; though in old
trees the branches spread horizontally, and become drooping at their extre-
mities. The tufted shoots of U. campestris assume occasionally the character
of knots of entangled cord; and those tufts are called witch knots in some
places. The character of the foliage is nearly the same in all the kinds of
elm. That of U. campestris is very striking, from the smallness of the leaves,
their number, the depth of their green, and their somewhat rounded figure :
they remain on, also, till very late in the year. In U. montana, U. m. glabra,
U. americana, and in some other kinds, the leaves are large, long, and some-
times pointed, with the marginal teeth more obvious, though, perhaps, only
from the size of the disk ; their green is lighter ; and, in general, they fall
off much earlier, than those of U. campestris. The different kinds vary, also,
considerably in their time of leafing. The leaves of all the sorts have the base
unequal, the margins doubly dentated, and are feather-nerved. The flowers
are always protruded before the leaves, and are disposed in small groups,
1:>71 ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM. I'AKT 111.
which give a knotted character to the leafless branches, before they are fully
developed ; but \vhich afterwards, from their colour, and their being supported
on peduncles, look like little tufts of red fringe. The seeds of the elm, also,
differ in the different kinds. "The inner bark of the elm is slightly bitter
and astringent; but it does not appear to possess any important quality. The
substance which exudes spontaneously from it is called ulmine." (Lind/cy's JSV//.
,V//.s7. of Hot., p. 1 79.) Small bladders which possess considerable vulnerary pro-
perties are found on the leaves of elms, particularly in warm countries. The
elm is a native of Europe and North America, and part of Asia and Africa,
extentling as far south as the coast of Barbary, and as far north as Russia.
The elm has been a well known tree since the time of the Romans; and,
of all the European trees, it is that which is the most generally cultivated,
and most commonly applied to agricultural purposes. The reasons for
this preference, no doubt, are, that its culture is extremely easy ; its growth
rapid; and that it will thrive in almost any soil or situation/ It may also
be transplanted, with comparative safety, at almost any age ; and the timber
will remain uninjured for a greater length of time than any other, when
exposed to moisture. To counterbalance these advantages, the timber is
very apt to shrink and warp, unless it be constantly moist, or the wood be
kept for several years, after it is cut, before it is used. The tree, while in a
living state, is also very often attacked by insects; and the timber is liable to
become worm-eaten. Trees grown on a dry soil, and singly, make the best
timber ; but they are neither so large nor so long-lived as those grown in a
moister soil, which form what is called in France le bois gras. Notwith-
standing this, the elm will not thrive in very moist soil, as it is by no means
an aquatic tree, like the alder. The wood of elms that have been frequently
pruned becomes knotted; and this wood, when polished, is very ornamental.
To obtain it, the trees in France are sometimes kept lopped, and headed down
every three or four years. The variety called the twisted elm (orme tor-
tillard) is also much esteemed for its wood; as are the monstrosities, or knobs,
found occasionally on all the species of elm; and which, when cut into thin
slices, and polished, are kept by cabinet-makers for the purpose of veneering.
The elm is remarkable for the aptitude of the different species to vary from
seed ; so much so that it is extremely difficult to say in this genus which are
species and which are varieties; or even to what species the varieties belong.
To us it appears, that there are only two sorts which are truly distinct ;
viz. U. campestris and U. montana. U. americana, we are assured by Mr.
Masters of Canterbury, who has paid great attention to the genus, and raised
many sorts, both from American and European seeds, is identical, or apparently
so, with what is called the Huntingdon elm ; a variety raised at Huntingdon,
between 80 and 90 years ago, from seeds gathered from trees in that neigh-
bourhood. U. glabra and U. major seem intermediate between U. campes-
tris and U. montana. U. effusa appears very distinct ; but is probably only
a variety of U. campestris. Of all the numerous varieties which may be
procured in British nurseries, the best kinds for cultivation for their timber
appear to be, the Huntingdon elm ( U. in. glabra vegcta), and the wych elm
( U. montana) ; and for ornament, the weeping elm (U. montana pendula),
the subevergreen elm ( U. campestris virens), and the twiggy elm ( U. cam-
pestris viminalis). The sucker-bearing elms are chiefly the varieties of U.
campestris, and these seldom produce seeds; but U. montana, and U. m.
glabra, and their varieties, which never throw up suckers, produce seeds in the
greatest abundance every year. U. campestris does indeed produce seeds
occasionally, though rarely, in England ; and the U. c. viminalis is a British
seedling. In France, U. campestris ripens seeds much more freely, and these
have given rise to many varieties.
* 1. U. CAMPE'STRIS L. The English, field, or common . smal/-/cfivc<l, Elm.
.MH. I.in. Sp. I'l., ;i27. , Willd. Sp. PI., p. \.',2\. ; HoM Fl. Auslr., 1. p. ,'iX). ; SHI. Eiigl.
Fl., 2. p. 20. ; Lindl. Syno|>8., p. 22<>. ; Hook. I?r. Fl.f cd. '2., p. HI. ; Mackay Fl. Hibcrnica, pt. 1. p. 240.
CHAP. Cl. ULMA^CEM. II'LMUS. 1375
Synonymcs. L' '\m\\s /ftinia Pliny \al. Hist., lib. 16. cap 17., and lib. 17. cap. 11., Cam. JKpit.. 70.,
U., No. 1586. a, Hall. //IA/., ','. 269. ; U. minor, folio angusto scabro, 6V/-. £wac., 1480. f.,
/fa»i %M., 469.
Knxriirings. Engl. Bot., t 1886. ; N. Du Ham., 2. t. 42. ; Dod. Pempt., 837. f. ; Ger. Emac., 1480. ;
liaync, t. 27. j Michx. North Amer. Sylva, iii. t. 129. f. 1. ; and the plates in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves doubly serrated, rough. Flowers nearly sessile, 4-
cleft. Samara oblong, deeply cloven, glabrous. (Smith Eng.' Flora.) A
tree from 60 ft. to 80 ft. in height ; flowering in March and April, and
ripening its seeds in Ma}'.
Varieties. These are very numerous, both in Britain and on the Continent ; and
most of them have been selected by nurserymen from their seed-beds. Any
one, Baudrillart remarks, who has ever observed a bed of seedling elms, must
have noticed that some have large leaves, and some small ones ; some are
early, and some late; some have smooth bark, and some rough bark; and
some soft leaves, and others very rough ones. Some varieties are higher than
others; the branches take now a vertical, and again a horizontal, direction.
In short, while botanists describe, and cultivators sow, they will find that na-
ture sports with their labours, and seems to delight in setting at fault alike the
science of the one, and the hopes of the other. This is always the case with
plants that have been long submitted to the cultivation of man. The cares
that are bestowed upon them, the different situations in which they are placed,
and the different kinds of treatment which they receive, appear to change
their native habits. (See Diet, des Eaux et Forets, ii. p. 460.) The quan-
tity of the timber of the several varieties differs as much as the size of the
leaves and the habit of growth. In some varieties, such as U. c. vimi-
nalis, it is of no value, from the slenderness of the trunk; in others, the tree
is subject to decay at the joints of the branches, the bark to split into long
thin strips, and the interior of the trunk to rot. The most valuable varieties
for cultivation as timber trees are, U. c. stricta, U. c. acutifcMia, U. c. alba, and
U. c. latifolia. We shall first give the names of the principal varieties of the
common English elm which are to be found in British nurseries; and,
next, the names of those which are said to be cultivated in France. We might
have doubled the number of these varieties; and we should have felt justi-
fied in including among them U. suberosa, and perhaps some other kinds
which we have treated as species; for there is, in truth, no certainty as
to what are species and what varieties in elms.
A. Timber Trees.
¥ U. c. 1 vulgar is, U. campestris Hort. Dur. — Very twiggy; pale smooth bark ;
of irregular growth in some plants, with almost horizontal branches,
where no others are near to force the shoots upwards. In some
soils, it is very subject to decay at the joints. The bark is leaden-
coloured while young, splitting into long thin strips with age. A
bad variety to cultivate for timber.
t U. c. 2 latifolia Hort. has broader leaves than the species, and ex-
pands them very early in spring. There is a tree of this variety in
the London Horticultural Society's Garden, which, in 1824, after
being 10 years planted, was 17 ft. high.
t U. c. 3 alba Masters. — Of upright growth. The old bark cracks in
irregular long pieces, and becomes very pale with age. Shoots with
the bark tinged with red, and the footstalks of the leaves quite red.
Leaves shining, and doubly and deeply serrated, bearing a very near
resemblance to those of U. effusa. A valuable timber tree.
t U.'c. 4 acufifolia Masters. — Growth, during its early stages, very like the
last, but stronger. The leaves, in old specimens, more tapering, and
the branches more pendulous. The young leaves do not justify its
name. Bark like the last. This appears very common in some
parts of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk. Also a good timber tree.
¥ U. c. 5 stricta Hort. Dur. Red English Elm. — One of the most valu-
able timber trees of the small-leaved kinds. Growth very rigid.
4-x
1376 ARBORKTUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART III.
The timber is excellent ; and the tree forms poles of equal diameter
throughout. There are fine specimens of this tree in Minster,
Thanet, and at Ickham, near Canterbury. In Mr. May's park, at
Herne, where there are several kinds of elms, all of which thrive
remarkably well, one recently cut down showed this day (Nov.
14. 183G) indications of upwards of JOO years' growth. A portion
of the trunk girts 15 ft. for 16 ft. in length. The remaining part of
the tree has been appropriated. There is a tree in the Horticultural
Society's Garden, marked U. c. rubra, which, judging from the spe-
cimens sent to us by Mr. Masters, appears to be identical with this
variety. It is a splendid tree, and, in 1834, had attained the height
of 32 ft., with a trunk 7 in. in diameter, after being 10 years planted.
t U c. 6 vlrens Hort. Dur., or Kidbrook Elm, is almost evergreen in a
mild winter; and, as such, is the most ornamental tree of the genus.
It must not, however, be depended upon as a timber tree, because,
in some autumns, the frost kills the shoots. The bark is red, and the
tree of spreading habit. This, like the last-mentioned kind, grows
well upon chalk. Notwithstanding its name of Kidbrook elm, a
place in Sussex, it is a Cornish variety. There is a fine tree in the
Horticultural Society's Garden, named there U. montana nodosa,
which fully answers to the above description of Mr. Masters.
¥ U. c, 7 cornubiensis Hort, ; U. stricta Lindl. Synop.,p. 227., Lodd. Cat.,
ed. 1836; the Cornish Elm ; is an upright-branched tree, with small,
strongly veined, coriaceous leaves. " Branches bright brown, smooth,
rigid, erect, and very compact." {Lindl.) This variety, in the climate
of London, is a week or fortnight later in coming into leaf than the
common elm. It attains a very great height, and has a somewhat
narrower head than the species. There are very large specimens
of it at Bagshot Park, 70 years planted, which are 70 ft. high ; the
diameter of the trunk 3ft., and of the head 40 ft. In Worcestershire,
at Croome, the tree, 50 years planted, is 70 ft. high ; the diameter of
the trunk 2ft., and of the head 15 ft. There are young trees in the
Horticultural Society's Garden, one of which, in 1834, after being
10 years planted, was 15 ft. high ; and several at Messrs. Loddiges's.
Dr. Lindley mentions a subvariety of this sort, with much smaller
leaves ; which he has named U. s. 2 parvifolia, and which is the U.
s. 2 jnicrophylla of Lodd. Cat., 1836. There are two other sub-
varieties mentioned in Lodd. Cat., under the names of U. s. aspera,
and U. s. crispa.
¥ U. c. Ssarniemis ; U. sarniensis Lodd. Cat., 1836; the Jersey Elm', is a
free-growing variety, differing very little from the species. There are
trees of this kind 20 ft. high in the Horticultural Society's Garden.
*t U. c. 9 tortuosa; U. tortuosa Lodd. Cat., 1836; ? Orme tortillard, Fr.
The twisted Elm. — For an account of the uses of this tree, see the
list of French varieties, p. 1379. There is a plant in the London
Horticultural Society's Garden, 6 ft. high.
B. Ornamental, or curious. Trees.
t U. c. \0fo/iis vftriegdtis Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836. — This variety, which may
be called the silver-leaved elm, has the leaves striped with white,
and, in spring, is very ornamental.
* U. c. 1 1 betutefolia, U. ietulasfolia Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836, has leaves
somewhat resembling those of the common birch.
* U. c. 12 viminalis; U. viminalis Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; and the plate in our
last Volume ; has small leaves, and numerous slender twig-like
branches. It is a very distinct and elegant variety ; and easily recog-
nised, either in summer or winter. In some stages of its foliage, this
sort is frequently mistaken for a variety of birch. It is quite useless
for timber, but makes an ornamental tree, with a character of its
CHAP. Cl.
f/LMUS.
own. It was raised in 1817, by Mr. Masters. The steins are
erect ; and it does not appear likely to exceed 30 ft. in height. It
produces an abundance ot twigs, and these are in great part pendu-
lous, whence its name. There is a fine tree of this variety in the
Horticultural Society's Garden, which, in 1834, when we had a
drawing taken of it, was 30 ft. high.
U. c. I3parvifolia ; U. parvifolia Jac. PI. Rar. Hort. Schcenbr., iii. p. 261.
t. 262., Poir. Encycl. Suppl., iv.p. 189., Ru-m. et Sc/nt/f. Syst. Veg.,
vi. p. 302., Willd. Emtm. Hort. Bcrol., i. p 295., Willd. Baumz.,\.p.
521.; U. microphylla Pers.; U. pumila var. j8 (transbaicalensis) Pall.
Ross.,\. p. 76. t. 48. ; U. pumila Willd. Sp. PL, i. p. 1326., Ait. Horl.
Kew., Gmel. Sib., iii. p. 105. No. 82., Poiret Encyc.Mcth., iv. p. 612.
Rcem. et Schult. Syst. Veg., vi. p. 202. ; U. p. ^t\ \ ^
foliis parvis, &c., Pluk Aim., p. 293. ; U.
humilis Enum. Stirp. Ruth., p. 180. No. 260. ;
and our fig. 1230. — A tree, according to
Pallas, who mentions several varieties of it,
very common in all the woods of the south
of Russia, and varying in height from that
of a middle-sized tree to that of a diminu-
tive shrub, according to the soil and climate
in which it grows. It is very plentiful about
Caucasus ; through Siberia, it gradually be-
comes more scarce ; but it occurs again about
the Lake Baikal, where the inhabitants use
the leaves as a substitute for tea. It has
been treated by most botanists as a species ;
but it is not nearly so distinct from U. cam-
pestris as U. c. viminalis, which we know
to have been raised, by Mr. Masters, from 1230
seeds of the common English elm. The wood of this variety, ac-
cording to Pallas, when it assumes a tree-like form, is very hard and
tough ; and it is veined with transverse lines. The root is also
beautifully variegated, and used by the turner and cabinet-maker.
One of the subvarieties mentioned by Pallas has the bark somewhat
fungous or corky ; another has the branches slender, wand-like, and
of a whitish grey. In mountain rocks, the branches are short and
thick ; but, in sandy soils, the trees are small, and the shoots slender.
U. c. \.±planifolia, U. planifblia Hort., and the plate of this tree in our last
Volume, is a handsome small tree, closely resembling the preceding
variety.
U. c. ] 5 chinensis ; U. chinensis Pers.,\. p, 291. No. 9., Rcem.et Sclmli.
Syst. Veg.,\\. p. 303.; The de 1'Abbe Gallois, Orme nain, Fr.; and
our jig. 1231.; is a low bush, introduced from China,
but when is uncertain. Notwithstanding the circum-
stance of its being kept in green-houses in some cases,
and retaining its leaves there through the winter, we
cannot consider it as anything else than a variety of
U. campestris. We are confirmed in this opinion by
Mr. Main, who brought home some plants of this sort
from China, and found them stand the rigour of our
winters in the garden of his friend, the Rev. Mr.
Norris of Grove Street, Hackney. (See Gard. Mag.,
vol. ii. p. 139.) We believe it to be the same sort
which is sometimes imported from China, in the form
of a miniature old tree, planted in a China vase.
While retained in these vases, and sparingly supplied
with nourishment, it maintains its stunted figure ; but,
planted out in the free soil, in a favourable situation, in a year or two
4x 2
1231
1378 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 111.
it will make shoots 5 ft. or 6 ft. long, as may be seen in the garden of
the London Horticultural Society. The manner in which the Chinese
procure these miniature trees is, by ringing the extremities of the
branches of old trees, and then applying a ball of loam, kept moist
by water and moss, till roots are thrown out from the callosity
formed at the ring ; when the small branch is cut off, and planted
in a porcelain pot, either, says Mr. Main, "round, or, most commonly,
an elongated square, 12 in. or 14 in. long, Sin. wide, and about 5 in.
in depth. Along with the tree they place pieces of stone, to re-
present rocks, among which moss and lichens are introduced. The
tree, thus planted, is not allowed to rise higher than about 1 ft. or
15 in.; no greater supply of water is given than is just sufficient to
keep it alive ; and, as the pot soon acts as a prison, its growth is
necessarily impeded : at the same time, every means are used to check
its enlargement. The points of the shoots, and the half of every
new leaf, are constantly and carefully cut off; the stem and branches,
which are allowed to extend only a certain length, are bound and
fantastically distorted, by means of wire; the bark is lacerated to
produce protuberances, asperities, and cracks ; one branch is partly
broken through, and allowed to hang down, as if by accident ; another
is mutilated to represent a dead stump : in short, every exertion of
the plant is checked by some studied violence or other. This treat-
ment produces, in course of time, a perfect forest tree in miniature.
Stunted and deformed by the above means, it certainly becomes a
curious object, bearing all the marks of extreme old age. Its
writhed and knotty stem, weather-stained and scabrous bark ; its
distorted and partly dead branches; its diminutive shoots and
leaves ; all give it the aspect of antiquity. Various kinds of trees
are chosen for this purpose ; but the two most commonly met with
are thet/'lmus (campestris)parvifoliasinensis,and a species of .Ficus,
very much like F. indica." (Gard. Mag., vol. ii. p. 139.) Grafted
standard high on the common English elm, the Chinese elm would
form a very handsome small tree. The French name, The de V Abbe
Gal/ois, arises from that gentleman, in the reign of Louis XV., having
imported this plant from China, supposing it to be the real tea tree.
For a very full account of .the Chinese mode of dwarfing trees,
see Hort Trans., iv. p. 231.
3£ U. c. 16 cuculldta Hort. has the leaves curiously curved, something like
a hood. There is a tree in the Horticultural Society's Garden.
¥ U. c. 17 concaveefolia Hort. resembles the preceding kind. There is a
tree in the Horticultural Society's Garden.
¥ U. c. ISfiliis aureis Hort. has the leaves variegated with yellow.
Other Varieties. In Messrs. Loddiges's Catalogue, ed. 1836, U. c. nana,
U. c.foliis maculdtis,\J. di<bia,U. viscdsa, and some others, which are indicated
as belonging to this species, are mentioned ; but, with the exception of U.
viscosa, of which there is a tree in the Horticultural Society's Garden,
which, in 1834, after being 10 years planted, was 20 ft. high, we can say very
little of them, on account of the small size of the plants.
French Varieties. The following sorts are enumerated in the Nouveau Cours <r Agriculture, and
in the Dictionnairc des Eaux et Forcts ,• and, though we have not been able to identify all of them
with the English kinds, and think it very probable that some of them do not belong to U. cam-
pestris, yet we have thought it right to place the names before our readers ; in order that collectors
of these interesting trees may endeavour to procure them, with a view to adding to the varieties
now in cultivation.
L'Orme a Feuilles larges et rudes, the rough broad-leaved Elm.
VOrme Tell>l*Ormc\ Ttileul, VOrme de Hollande ; the British, or Lime Tree, Elm.— The
leaves are not so rough as those of some of the other varieties.
L'Ormille, VOrme nain, the dwarf Elm, with small, narrow, rough leaves.
L'Orme. « Feuilles lisses et glabres, the shining smooth-leaved Kim, has the leaves of a
blackish green, leathery, and unequally divided by the midrib.
Le petit Orme a Feutlles pnnachf.es de blanc.
L'Ormf n Feuillex /mr.s panachAes de /ilnnr, tho shining silvery-leaved Elm.
Le petit Orme a Fcuillcs panachecs dc jaunt', the dwarf golden-leaved Elm.
< n u». ci. TLMA'CK^. J/'LMI -s. 1379
l.'Onne a jtctiles I-'cuilles, FOrmc intilc, I'Urmc pyramidal, the imall-leaved Elm, which
always grows erect, with the branches close to the trunk.
ISOrnie a h\s-iir<intlcs l-'citillcs, I'Orinc Ji-»icltf, rOrmc dc Trhmon, the large-leaved Elm,
the branches of which spread horizontally. This elm, says Du Hamel, branches much,
and furnishes kneed timber, which is very useful to the wheelwright. Its wood, how-
ever, is not so strong as that of the twisted elm.
L'Ornte fit- Hollande d. grandes Feuiiles panachf.es, the variegated Dutch Elm, has broad
variogated leaves.
L'Orme tortillard, ? U. torttibsa Lodd. Cat. (see p. 1376.), the twisted Elm.— This is a very dis-
tinct variety ; and it is one which very frequently comes true from seed. Its leaves
are of a very deep green, and about the middle size ; its trunk is marked with alternate
knots and hollows ; and the fibres of its wood are all twisted and interlaced together.
This kind of elm presents a very singular appearance when it becomes old, as a number
of knots, or bosses, appear to surround its trunk. It produces but few seeds, and some
years none at all. Its seeds are, also, much smaller than those of the common elm. It is
the best of all the varieties for the use of wheelwrights ; and particularly for the spokes
of wheels. This elm is very much cultivated in France, at Varennes, in the nurseries
near Meaux, and at Amiens. On the road from Meaux to Paris, there is a great
number of these trees. Michaux mentions the twisted elm in his North American
Sylva, 3. p 96., and strongly recommends it to both English and American planters.
Description, $c. The common English elm is, perhaps, more frequently to
be found in the parks and pleasure-grounds of the English nobility and gentry,
than any other tree, except the oak. It is of a tall upright habit of growth,
with a straight trunk, 4ft. or 5ft. in diameter when fully grown, and attaining
the height of 60 ft. or 70 ft. or upwards. It has rather slender branches,
which are densely clothed with small deep green leaves, somewhat shining on
the upper surface, though rough to the touch. These leaves are broad in the
middle, and contracted towards each end ; being, like those of all the other
species of elms, unequal at the base, and doubly dentated ; and having a
strongly marked midrib, with other equally prominent lateral ribs proceeding
from it on each side. The colour of the flowers, which appear before the
leaves, varies from a dark red to a dull purple. According to Evelyn, the
common elm will produce a load of timber in about 40 years : it does not,
however, cease growing, if planted in a favourable situation, neither too dry
nor too moist, till it is 100 or 150 years old ; and it will live several centuries.
Young trees, in the climate of London, will attain the height of 25 ft. or
30 ft. in ten years, of which there are living proofs in the London Horti-
cultural Society's Garden. According to Dr. Walker (Nat. Hist., p. 72.), the
English elm, when planted beside the Scotch elm, grows much faster, and
produces a greater quantity of timber in the same space of time ; though that
timber is inferior in colour, hardness, and durability.
Geography. The small-leaved elm is a native of the middle and south of
Europe, the west of Asia, and Barbary. In France and Spain, it is found in
great abundance ; and many botanists consider it a native of England. If not
truly indigenous, it appears to have been introduced at a very early period,
probably by the Romans, and to have been propagated by art ; for, as Pliny
observes, it seldom bears seeds to any considerable extent. According to
Sir J. E. Smith, it is found wild in woods and hedges in the southern parts
of England, particularly in the New Forest, Hampshire, and in Sussex and
Norfolk. (See Eng. Fl., ii. p. 20.)
History. The common field elm was known to the ancient Greeks, as it
appears evident from Pliny mentioning that the Greeks had two distinct kinds,
one inhabiting the mountains, and the other the plains. The Romans, Pliny
adds, had four kinds ; the mountain, or tall, elm ( t/'lmus Atinin, our U.
campestris) ; the Gaulic elm ; the elm of Italy, which had its leaves in tufts ; and
the wild elm. The elm was scarcely known, as an ornamental tree, in France,
till the time of Francis I. ; and it appears to have been first planted there to
adorn public walks, about 1540. ( See Diet, des Eaux et Forets, ii. p. 453.) It
was afterwards planted largely, particularly in churchyards, by Sully, in the
reign of Henry IV. ; and, by desire of that king, who, according to Evelyn,
expressed a wish to have all the highways in France planted with it, it soon
became the tree most generally used for promenades and hedgerows. Many
old trees existed at the period of the first French revolution, which were
called Sully or Rosni, and Henri Quatre ; names that had been given to them
apparently to commemorate their illustrious planters. Bosc states that he
4x 3
1380 ARBORETUM AND FF UTK F.TIM. PART 111.
himself had seen some of these elms in Burgundy, with trunks from 4ft. to
5 ft. in diameter, which, though hollow, yet supported heads capable of shel-
tering some thousands of men. In England, the elm has been planted from
time immemorial ; and, probably, from the era of the possession of the island
by the Romans ; though Dr. Walker supposes it to have been brought over at
the time of the Crusades. The oldest trees on record are, perhaps, those of
Mongewell, in Oxfordshire, which were celebrated in the time of Leland, in the
reign of Queen Elizabeth. There may, however, be much older trees ; for the
elm, being a tree of less national importance than the oak, has never possessed
the same attractions for antiquaries. In Scotland, the English elm was hardly
known before the union of the two kingdoms. Dr. Walker mentions it, in
] 780, as being found nowhere in that country of a large size; but, as already
mentioned, promising to afford a much greater quantity of wood than the
Scotch elm in the same space of time. He particularises a tree planted in
1771, which, in 1799, was 35ft. high. In Ireland, the narrow-leaved elm is
said, in Mackay's Flora Hibcrnica to be abundant, but scarcely indigenous ;
and no instances are given of large trees. In the middle and southern states
of Germany, it attains a considerable size, as will be seen by our statistics
of this tree in foreign countries.
Properties and Uses. The wood of the elm loses a great deal in drying :
weighing, when green, nearly 70 Ib. the cubic foot; and, when dry, not more
than 48£ Ib. The wood is of a brownish colour, and is hard and fine-grained.
It possesses greater lateral adhesion, and less longitudinal toughness, than that
of U. montana, and, consequently, does not crack so much as that sort in
drying. In ship-building it is valuable for forming the blocks and dead eyes,
and other wooden furniture of rigging, being particularly suitable for these
purposes, from its hard and adhesive nature, and indisposition to crack
or split when exposed to sun or weather. (See Matthews on Naval Timber,
&c., p. 57.) The great use of the English elm, however, in ship-building, is
for keels. The Norfolk elm is said by Sir J. E. Smith to make the best
timber, and to sell for double the price of any other. It is rather remarkable,
that Marshall seems of a diametrically opposite opinion ; since he says that there
is not a single good elm in that county. Sir J. E. Smith adds that, in Norfolk,
the elm is generally used for the naves of wheels ; and in many parts of
England, and particularly about London, it is also employed for coffins. (See
Eng. Fl.t ii. p. 20.) The knobs which grow upon old trees are divided into thin
plates by cabinet-makers, particularly in France and Germany; and, when
polished, they exhibit very curious and beautiful arrangements of the fibre,
which render this wood extremely ornamental for furniture. A mode is
mentioned in the Museum Rusticum (vols. i. and ii.) of preparing the wood of
the trunk of the elm for cabinet-makers, and giving it the colour of mahogany.
This consists in sawing the wood into thin planks, and then boiling it for an
hour or more, till all the sap is extracted. The planks are afterwards wiped
dry with coarse cloths, and laid in piles, alternately with layers of deal laths,
placed across the boards at regular distances ; about ten or twelve boards are
thus placed one above the other, and a heavy weight put on the last. In this
way, the boards dry without warping, and are afterwards washed with aqua
fortis, when they are ready for the dye. This consists of two drachms of pow-
dered dragon's blood, one drachm of powdered alkanet root, and half a drachm
of aloes. These ingredients are steeped in half a pint of spirits of wine, and the
tincture is applied with a sponge, being repeated two or three times, according
to the depth of colour required. Elm timber is remarkably durable in water ;
and it is particularly adapted for piles, pumps, water-pipes, or any other similar
purposes. It is generally employed for making the keels of large ships ; and,
for this purpose, it often sells for a higher price than is obtained for any
other kind of timber in the place where it grows. It has been used from
time immemorial for water-pipes, or troughs, for conveying the water of the
salt springs to the large boxes, or pans, where the watery particles are eva-
porated by the heat of the sun or by fire, and the salt deposited ; and, as it
I-H.YP. ci. n.MAVr..*:. r'l.MUS. 1381
is well known that our Saxon ancestors calk'il all the places where there
were salt springs wich or wych (such as Droitwich, Nantwich, &c.), hence,
prohably, originated the name of wych elm, which was originally applied to
all the British kinds, as well as to U. montana. (See Hunter's Evelyn, i. p. 1 14.)
As fuel, the wood of the elm is to that of the beech as 1259 to 1540; and, as
charcoal, as 1407 is to 1600. (Hartig.) The ashes of the elm are rich in
alkaline salts; and among the ashes of 73 sorts of trees, the properties of
which have been tried, it occupies the tenth place. ( Werneck}. The leaves
and young shoots were used by the Romans to feed cattle, and they are still
so employed in many parts of France. They have in some places been given
to silkworms ; and, in both France and Norway, they are boiled to serve as
food for pigs. In Russia, the leaves of U. c. parvifolia are used for tea. The
bark, is used, in some places, as an astringent medicine ; and the inner bark, like
that of the lime, for making bast mats and ropes. It is said that both the leaves
and bark contain a considerable proportion of glue. Young deer are very fond
of this bark ; and in Norway they kiln-dry it, and grind it with corn to make
flour for bread. The elm was planted by the Romans for the purpose of
supporting the vine ; and it is still so employed, along with the Lombardy
poplar, in the south of Italy. Columella informs us that vineyards, with elm
trees as props, were named arbusta, the vines themselves being called arbus-
tivae vites, to distinguish them from others raised in more confined situations.
Once in two years, the elms were carefully pruned, to prevent their leaves
from overshadowing the grapes ; and this operation being deemed of great
importance, Corydon is reproached by Virgil, for the double neglect of suf-
frring both his elms and vines to remain unpruned.
" Semiputata tibi frondosa vitis in ulmo est"
Your vine half-pruned upon the leafy elm.
As a picturesque tree, " the elm," Gilpin observes, " has not so distinct a
character as either the oak or the ash. It partakes so much of the oak, that,
when it is rough and old, it may easily, at a little distance, be mistaken for
one; though the oak (I mean such an oak as is strongly marked with its
peculiar character) can revcr be mistaken for the elm. This is certainly a
defect in the elm ; for strong characters are a great source of picturesque
beauty. This defect, however, appears chiefly in the skeleton of the elm :
in full foliage, its character is more marked. No tree is better adapted to
receive grand masses of light. In this respect it is superior both to the oak
and the ash. Nor is its foliage, shadowing as it is, of the heavy kind. Its
leaves are small ; and this gives it a natural lightness : it commonly hangs
loosely, and is, in general, very picturesque. The elm naturally grows upright,
and, when it meets with a soil it loves, rises higher than the generality of trees ;
and, after it has assumed the dignity and hoary roughness of age, few of its
forest brethren (though, properly speaking, it is not a forester) excel it in gran-
deur and beauty. The elm is the first tree that salutes the early spring with its
light and cheerful green; a tint which contrasts agreeably with the oak,
whose early leaf has generally more of the olive cast. We see them some-
times in fine harmony together, about the end of April and the beginning of
May. We often, also, see the elm planted with the Scotch pine. In the spring,
its light green is very discordant with the gloomy hue of its companion ; but,
as the year advances, the elm leaf takes a darker tint, and unites in harmony
with the pine. In autumn, also, the yellow leaf of the elm mixes as kindly with
the orange of the beech, the ochre of the oak, and many of the other fading
hues of the wood." (GUptrCt Forest Scenery, vol. i. p. 43.) " The elm throws
out a beautiful bloom, in the form of a spicated ball, about the bigness of a
nutmeg, of a dark crimson colour. This bloom sometimes appears in such
profusion as to thicken and enrich the spray exceedingly, even to the fulness
almost of foliage." (Ibid., p. ll4.) " The branch of the elm has neither the
strength nor the various abrupt twistkigs of the oak ; nor does it shoot so
much in horizontal directions. Such, also, is the spray, (fig. 1232.) It has a
1 x 4
138C2 ARBORETUM AND F R UTU l.TUM. I'AllT
more regular appearance, not start-
ing off at right angles, but forming
its shoots more acutely with the
parent branch ; neither does the
spray of the elm shoot, like the
ash "(fig. 1046. in p. 1222.), in re-
gular pairs from the same knot,
but in a kind of alternacy. It has
generally, at first, a flat appearance ;
but, as one year's shoot is added to
another, it has not strength to support itself; and, as the tree grows old,
it often becomes pendent also, like the ash: whereas the toughness and
strength of the oak enable it to stretch out its branches horizontally to the
very last twig." (Ibid., p. 113.) As an ornamental tree, it is used, both in
Britain and on the Continent, more especially in France and Holland, for
planting in avenues, particularly in public walks. For this purpose it is well
adapted, from the comparative rapidity of its growth in any soil, the straight-
ness of its trunk, the facility with which it bears lopping, the denseness of
its foliage, its hardiness, and its longevity. It has also the great advantage
of requiring very little pruning, or care of any kind, after it has once been
planted. There are many fine avenues of elms in France, particularly those in
the Champs Ely sees and at Versailles ; and in Holland, at the Hague. In
England, the principal public elm avenues are in St. James's Park, and at
Oxford and Cambridge ; but there are also some very fine ones at gentle-
men's seats, especially at White Knights, Littlecote Hall, and Strathfieldsaye.
Poetical and historical Allusions. The ancient poets frequently mention this
tree, which, in common with many other barren trees, was devoted by them
to the infernal gods. The Greeks and Romans considered all the trees which
produced no fruit fit for human use as funereal trees. Homer alludes to this
when he tells us, in the Iliad, that Achilles raised a monument to the father of
Andromache in the midst of a grove of elms.
" Jove's sylvan daughters bade their elms bestow
A barren shade, and in his honour grow."
Ovid tells us that, when Orpheus returned to earth after his descent into
the infernal regions, his lamentations for the loss of Eurydice were so pathetic,
that the earth opened, and the elm and other trees sprang up to give him
shade. Virgil, in his Gcorgics, mentions that the Roman husbandmen bent the
young elms, while growing, into the proper shape for the bitris, or plough-
tail. (See Georg. i. ver. 170.) The use, however, which the Romans made of
the elm, as a prop to the vine, has given rise to the most numerous allusions
to the tree by poets, not only ancient, but modern. Ovid makes Vertumnus
allude to it, when he is recommending matrimony to Pomona.
" ' If that fair elm,' he cried, ' alone should stand,
No grapes would glow with gold, and tempt the hand ;
Or if that vine without her elm should grow,
'Twould creep, a poor neglected shrub, below.' "
Milton, in describing the occupations of Adam and Eve in Paradise, says, —
" They led the vine
To.wed her elm : she, spoused, about him twines
Her marriageable arms; and with her brings
Her dower, the adopted clusters, to adorn
His barren leaves."
Tasso has also alluded to this custom, in the beautiful lines beginning,
" Comeolmo, a cui la pampinosa pianta," in the 20th canto of La Germalemme
Liberata.
In the early ages of Christianity, the hunters were accustomed to hang the
skins of the wolves they had killed in the chase on the elms in the church-
yards, as a kind of trophy.
Soil and Situation. " Narrow-leaved English elms," says Mitchell, "abhor
CHAP. ci. iTLMA*ciw«. /"LMUS. 1383
clays, and all moist soils. I saw a line of them at Beaulicu Abbcy,in Hampshire,
.')() ft. or 60ft. high, not more than 4ft. or 5ft. in circumference; all hollow,
from the root to the top, as if they had been bored for water pipes. They grew
on a sandy, marly, wet, heathy soil." (Dendrologia, p. 36.) " The propriety
of planting the elm," Marshall observes, " depends entirely upon the soil : it
is the height of folly to plant it upon light sandy soil. There is not, generally
speaking, a good elm in the whole county of Norfolk : by the time they arrive
at the size of a man's v/aist, they begin to decay at the heart; and, if not taken
at the critical time, they presently become useless as timber. This is the case
in all light soils : it is in stiff strong land which the elm delights. It is observ-
able, however, that here it grows comparatively slow. In light land, especially
if it be rich, its growth is very rapid ; but its wood is light, porous, and of little
value, compared with that grown upon strong land, which is of a closer stronger
texture, and at the heart will have the colour, and almost the hardness and
heaviness, of iron. On such soils the elm becomes profitable, and is one of
the four cardinal trees, which ought, above all others, to engage the planter's
attention ; it will bear a very wet situation." (Planting and Rural Ornament ', ii.
p. 431.)
Propagation and Culture. The common elm produces abundance of suckers
from the roots, both near and at a great distance from the stem ; and through-
out Europe these afford the most ready mode of propagation, and that which
appears to have been most generally adopted till the establishment of regu-
lar commercial nurseries ; the suckers being procured from the roots of grown
up trees, in hedgerows, parks, or plantations. In Britain, the present mode
of propagation is by layers from stools, or by grafting on the U. montana.
The layers are made in autumn, or in the course of the winter, and are rooted,
or fit to be taken off, in a year. Grafting is generally performed in the whip
or splice manner, close to the root, in the spring ; and the plants make shoots
of 3 ft. or 4 ft. in length the same year. Budding is sometimes performed, but
less frequently. On the Continent, plants are very often procured from
stools, simply by heaping up earth about the shoots which proceed from them.
These shoots root into the earth; and, after growing three or four years, during
which time they attain the height of 10 ft. or 15 ft., they are slipped off; and
either planted where they are finally to remain, or in nursery lines. When
they are transplanted to their final situation, the side shoots are cut off; and
the main stem is headed down to the height of 8 ft. or 10 ft.; so that newly
planted trees appear nothing more than naked truncheons. The first year, a
great many shoots are produced from the upper extremity of each truncheon;
and in the autumn of that year, or in the second spring, these shoots are all
cut off but one, which soon forms an erect stem, and as regular a headed tree
as if no decapitation had previously taken place. (See Gard. Mag., vol. ii.
p. 226. and p. 461. ; and Annales dc la Soc. d'Hort. de Paris, t. xviii. p. 360.)
This corresponds with Evelyn's recommendation to plant trees about the
" scantling of your leg, and to trim off their heads at 5 ft. or 6 ft. in height. "
Cato recommends 5 or 6 fingers in thickness ; adding that you can hardly plant
an elm too big, provided you trim the roots, and cut off the head. All the
avenues and rows of elm trees in Europe were planted in this manner pre-
viously to about the middle of the eighteenth century ; and, according to
Poiteau (Ann., 1. c.), the same practice is still the most general in France.
The late Professor Thouin, in his Cours de Culture (torn. ii. p. 231.), argued
against it, and had some avenues planted in the Jardin des Plantes, without
cutting off the heads of the trees; but, besides being found much more expen-
sive, from the necessity of taking up the plants with a greater quantity of roots,
transporting them to where they were to be planted with greater care, and
preparing a wider pit to receive them, it was found that they grew much slower
for the first 3 or 4 years than those that had been decapitated. The only
advantage proposed to be gained by planting trees with their heads nearly
entire is, that of preserving the centre of their stems from being rotted, in
consequence of the water entering at the end made by the decapitation; but
138t AKHOHKTCM A\I> FK UTK'ETr.M . PA UT III.
this, it is proved by the practice in Belgium, is only an imaginary evil, pro-
vided the superfluous snoots are removed from the upper extremity of the
decapitated tree the second year, and the head formed with common care
by future primings. (See the very instructive article by Poiteau, already re-
ferred to, in the Annalcs, and also the account of the Belgian practice, in
the Gardener's Magazine, vol. x. p. 8.) In Britain, young elm trees, having been
two or three times transplanted in the nurseries, are placed in their final
situations without heading down ; and in our moist climate thev grow vi-
gorously the first year, and require very little pruning. On the Continent,
owing to the greater warmth of the summers, and the consequent increased
evaporation from the leaves, plants are liable to be killed when trans-
planted with all their branches on ; and, hence, the mode of denuding the
plants just described is that generally practised. In France and Belgium, the
narrow-leaved elm is the most common tree planted by road sides, and along
the boulevards and streets of towns and cities ; and, in such cases, a large pit
is previously dug, 4 ft. or 5 ft. in diameter, and from 2 ft. to 3 ft. in depth ; and a
considerable portion of rich fine mould is placed in immediate contact with
the roots of the trees, and the pit filled up with the best part of the soil which
had been previously dug out of it. During the first summer, water is regularly
supplied; and the trees, or rather stumps, grow freely; very little attention is
required afterwards, except to encourage the leading shoot, and to shorten
in the lateral branches, so as to encourage the plant to assume a tree-like
form. In the neighbourhood of Paris, and in the south of France, U. cam-
pestris, and several of its varieties, occasionally bear seeds ; and these are
sometimes sown by the nurserymen, in order to procure new sorts ; and by
the managers of the national forests, in order to obtain numerous plants at a
cheap rate. The common English elm very rarely produces seeds in England ;
nevertheless it has done so in a few places, and one of these is Lea Park,
near Littlebourne, about four miles from Canterbury. Mr. Masters of Can-
terbury has only known seeds twice ripened in this park ; and one of the
times they did not germinate. From those which did he obtained U. c.
viminalis, and nearly a score other very distinct varieties, which, however,
from the number of varieties already existing, and the little demand for them,
he did not consider worth keeping separate,, and giving names to. U. c.
strfcta, and some other varieties of the common elm, as well as the species,
flower very profusely every year, but scarcely ever ripen seeds.
It is observed by Bosc, that the more remarkable varieties, such as the
twisted elm, the broad-leaved elm, the lime-tree-leaved elm, &c., come
tolerably true from seed, speaking of the mass of young plants; but that among
these are constantly produced numerous subvarieties. The seeds fall from
the trees as soon as they are ripe; and, being swept up, are sown immediately
in beds of light rich soil ; the seeds being placed about 1 in. apart every way,
and covered to the depth of about an eighth of an inch. The plants come
up the same season, and are fit for transplanting into nursery lines in the au-
tumn. Of all the European timber trees, not belonging to the coniferous family,
except the Lombardy poplars, the narrow-leaved elm requires the least care or
pruning after it is planted ; and, at the same time, no tree will bear better
than it does the knife or the shears. All the branches may be cut from the
stem, except a small tuft at the top ; and still the tree will grow vigorously,
affording, where that mode of feeding cattle is considered profitable, an ample
crop of branches every three or four years. When headed down to the height
of 10ft. or 12ft., it is very prolific of branches, as a pollard, and will live
and be productive, in this state, for a great number of years. When
grown exclusively for the timber of its trunk, however, it requires to be
allowed a considerable amplitude of head; perhaps not less than one third of
its whole height. The timber, in this case, is found to be far more compact
and durable, though not so curiously veined and variously coloured, as it is
when the tree is allowed to produce branches from the ground upwards. The
timber of the elm, not being remarkable for its durability, is, in old trees, very
i. n,M.\\ I..K. ri.Mis. 1.S85
commonly found decayed at the heart ; and this is very generally the case,
even when the exterior circumference of the trunk is in a healthy and
vigorous state, and prolific of branches. The most profitable age for felling
the elm is between 70 and 80 years ; and, if the trunk is disbarked a year
before it is cut down, the wood will be more thoroughly seasoned.
Accidents, Diseases, and Insects. The elm is not a brittle tree ; and, from the
strai<ihtness and strength of its trunk in proportion to its head, it is not liable to
be injured by high winds. It is, however, subject to many diseases ; and is
very liable to be attacked by insects. The principal disease with which it is
assailed is, a species of ulceration, " which appears on the body of the tree, at
the height of 3 ft. or 4 ft. from the ground, and which discharges a great quantity
of sap. The disease penetrates gradually into the interior of the tree, and
corrupts its substance. Many attempts have been made to cure it in the be-
ginning, or to arrest its progress, but hitherto without success. The best
treatment is to pierce the tree to the depth of 2 in. or 3. in. with an auger, in
the very heart of the malady, which is declared by the flowing of the sap."
(Michx.} The matter discharged by this ulcer has been analysed by M.
Vauquelin, and found to contain 0'340 parts of carbonate and sulphate of
potash ; O'Ool of carbonate of lime ; and 1*004- parts of carbonate of magnesia.
(Mem. de I'lnatitut, torn, ii.) The mode of treatment recommended in the Nou-
rcau Cours d1 Agriculture is, to pierce the ulcer, as above advised by Michaux,
and then to dress the wound with powdered charcoal, or a mixture of cow-dung
and clay. Elms, when in a soil which does not suit them (viz. when it is either
excessively wet, or excessively dry), are very subject to a disease called carci-
noma. " An unusual deposit of cambium takes place between the wood and
the bark : no new wood is formed, but, instead of it, the cambium becomes
putrid, and oozes out through the bark, which thus separates from the albumen."
(Lindl. In f rod. to Sot., p. 298.) This disease shows itself by the extravasated
cambium forming long black streaks down the bark, and by its sweetness
attracting numerous insects, of several tribes, to prey upon it. Mr. Spence
thinks that this disease is very probably caused by the scolyti. " I have
seen," he says, " many elms pierced by these insects, where the extravasated
cambium partly oozed out in white masses like gum or manna, and partly
formed long black streaks down. the bark (as described above), and numerous
insects were attracted to feed on it."
Many kinds of insects attack the elm. One of these, a species of Haltica
(vulgarly called the elm flea, from its habit of leaping), devours the leaves,
but is said not to do any serious injury to the tree. (See Ent. Mag., i. p. 427.)
It is a beautiful little insect, covered with a brilliant cuirass of green and
gold, and having the thighs of its hinder legs so large as to appear almost
round. These insects are so lively, and so quick in their movements, that,
though a branch may appear covered with them one moment, the next they
have all vanished. The larvae are small and slender, and devour the leaves
equally with the perfect insect. (See Diet. Classiquc d'Hist. A7//., art.
Altise ; and Nouv. Cours d'Agric., torn. i. p. 256.) In the Dictionnaire des
Eaux et Forets, and in the Nouveatt Du Hamel, it is mentioned that galls,
or small bladders, are produced on the leaves of the elm, by the puncture of
some kind of insect (probably some species of Cynips), which are first green>
but afterwards turn black. These galls each contain some drops of a liquid,
which is called, according to Du Hamel, elm balm, and was formerly em-
ployed for the cure of recent wounds. In the Nouveau Cours d* Agriculture,
four insects that feed on the elm are mentioned. The first is the common
caterpillar i?6mbyx chrysorrhceraJFa£., which destroys the leaf buds and leaves
entirely, so as to give the tree, in spring, the appearance of winter. The second
is the galeruque de 1'orme (Galeruca ulmariensis Fab.), a coleopterous insect,
the larvae of which, in some seasons, entirely destroy the leaves of the elm trees
in the public promenades both in England and on the Continent. Mr. Spence
mentions that, visiting the boulevards at Rouen, in the summer of 1836, he
found the larvae of this insect had so completely destroyed the leaves of the
1386
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUAI.
PART III.
elms planted there, by eating the parenchyma, and leaving the skeleton of the
leaves dry and brown, that, at first sight, he supposed they had all been
blighted by some neighbouring manufactory of acid. These larvae are blackish,
and exhale, when crushed, a most disagreeable smell. They coil up the
moment they are touched, and let themselves fall to the ground. The perfect
insect is extremely sluggish in its movements, counterfeiting death, in cases of
danger, rather than unfolding its wings to fly away. (See Diet. Classique
d'Hist. AW., art. Galeruque.) It conceals itself in the interstices of the bark,
under stones, and between the bricks of walls ; and will produce, sometimes,
three generations in the course of one summer. The third is a species of Cos-
sus (C'ossus Ligniperda Fab.), or Goat Moth (fig. 1^33.), which has destroyed
innumerable trees, particularly in the neighbourhood of Paris. The larva
(Jig. 1233. a) is about 3 in. long, with its body sprinkled with slender hairs ;
it is of a reddish brown on the back, becoming yellow beneath, with eight
breathing-holes on the sides, and a black head. It exhales a most disagreeable
odour, which is produced by an oily and very acrid liquor, which it discharges
from its mouth ; and the use of which is supposed to be to soften the wood be-
fore it devours it. This liquor has a strong scent,like that of a goat, whence the
English name of the insect is derived. The pupa (c) is brown, the abdominal
CHAP. CI.
t/'LMUS.
1387
123*
segments bearing two rows of spines directed backwards. Before the larva
becomes a pupa, it spins a strong web, intermixed with particles of wood,
which constitutes its cocoon (6); in some instances the larva changes to a pupa
under ground. In^g. 1233., e, /, g, h, and i are representations magnified
of the spines upon certain of the abdominal segments : e represents the 4th
abdominal segment seen laterally ;/, three of the basal row of spines ; g, three
of the hinder row of spines ; and //, three of the basal
row of spines of the 9th abdominal segment. 7^.
1234. represents the jaws, or mandibles, of the larva,
with which it cuts its way through the wood : in this
figure, a is the mandible ; b is the labrum, or upper
lip ; and c shows the clypeus. These mandibles are
formidable-looking instruments, each having the ap-
pearance of a sort of chisel, with a toothed edge. The perfect insect (d in j£g.
1233.) has dark grey wings, clouded with dark brown, and streaked with black.
The imago belongs to the class of insects that fly by night, and it appears about
the end of June. The female lays but one course of eggs, but these generally
amount to 1000 in number, and are always deposited at the base of the trees ;
whence the caterpillars penetrate the bark, wherever they can find the easiest
entrance. The eggs are small, in proportion to the size of the imago; and the
caterpillar, which grows to a large size, is said to remain in the larva state three
years. The large size of the larva, Samouelle observes, compared with the small-
ness of the egg, strengthens this idea, and prepares us to expect that it would be
likely to consume a great quantity of wood in the progress of its growth. The
smell of the larva is so strong, as to be easily perceived by persons passing near
trees infested with it. (Samouelle.} The green woodpecker preys upon these
caterpillars, and its stomach, on dissection, has an intolerable stench. The prin-
cipal kinds of tree which the cossus feeds on are, the elm, the alder, the oak, the
ash, the walnut, the beech, the lime, and some kinds of willow and poplar.
The larvae devour the liber, or inner bark, making long galleries in the
wood, like the insects that attack the pear tree (see p. 886.), and finally
destroying the tree. Many remedies have been proposed ; but that of Latreille
uppears to be most approved of in France. This consists in surrounding the
base of the tree, where it has been observed that the females always deposit
their eggs, with a thick coating of a mixture of clay and cow-dung, which the
insects cannot penetrate. For further inform-
ation respecting this insect, see Gard. Mag.,
vol. xii. p. 464. The fourth enemy of the elm
tree is the scolytus. The S. destructor Oliv.
is generally considered by far the most inju-
rious ; but it is assisted in its ravages by
another species, the S. armatus.
Scolytus destructor. The female insect
(Jig. 1235., in which a is the natural size,
and d the insert magnified), about July, bores
through the bark, until she has reached the
point between the soft wood and the inner
bark; she then forms in the latter a vertical
channel, usually upwards, of about 2 in. in
length, on each side of which she deposits her
eggs as she advances, to the number of from 20
to 50 in all. It appears probable that, after do-
ing this, she dies, without making her way out
again, as she may be often found dead at the
end of the channel. About September, the
larvae are hatched ; and they commence feed-
ing upon the matter of the inner bark (c), at
the edge of the channel (h), and, in a very
slight degree, on that of the soft wood opposite ; advancing, as they feed, in a
1388
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
'ART III
course at about right angles from the 1236
primary channel, on each side of it. jffffi'
( See fig. 1236.) The true food of the
insect is the inner bark; and the
erosion of the soft wood is so slight,
as to be, perhaps, nearly accidental.
The course of each individual larva,
on each side of the primary channel, is
about parallel to that of the larva next
to it ; and each forms a channel by its
feeding that is enlarged as the larva
increases in size. When each larva has
finished its course of feeding it stops in
its progress, turns to a pupa, and then to
a beetle; after which it gnaws a straight
hole through the bark, and comes out.
The beetles begin to come out in
about the latter end of May of the year
following that in which the eggs were
deposited. The sexes afterwards pair,
and the females, bearing eggs, bore
through the bark, as before detailed; and so on from generation to generation,
and year to year.
The result of the erosions of the female parent, and of the larva, in the inner
bark and soft wood, is that of cutting off the vital connexion between these
two parts ; and, when the erosions effected in a tree have become numerous, of
occasioning its death, by preventing the ascent and descent of the sap. It
has been said that the scolytus never attacks a tree in a perfectly healthy
state; and, also, that trees suffering under carcinoma (see p. 1385.) are par-
ticularly liable to it. In the year 1825, an avenue of elm trees in Camberwell
Grove were attacked by this disease, which was supposed to be brought on
by the gas which escaped from the pipes laid down along the road being
absorbed by the roots ; and which gave rise to a snit in Chancery between the
inhabitants and the proprietors of the gas-works. Various persons, considered
as competent judges, were employed to ascertain the cause of the decay of the
elms ; and their general conclusion was, that the carcinoma had been brought
on by old age, excavations for building in an exceedingly dry soil, and an extraor-
dinarily dry summer, and that the gas had had no influence in producing the decay
of the trees. The trunks of the trees, when examined in 1826, were found
infested with an immense number of larvae feeding on the soft inner bark. An
interesting account of the Camber well elms will be found in the Gardener's Ma-
gazine, vol. i. p. 378. In relation to the capability of the scolytus to effect injury
on elm trees, it is stated that 80,000 have been found in a single tree. It
has also been remarked that the scolyti seldom destroy the trees they attack
the first year that they commence their ravages ; and that they prefer a tree
that they have already begun to devour, to a young and vigorous tree.
(See the observations of Mr. Spence in p. 1^89.) It is easy to ascer-
tain the infested trees, as the bark will be found perforated by small holes,
as if made by shot or a brad-awl, in various parts; and little particles
of a substance like fine sawdust will be found on the rough surface of the
bark, and at the foot of the tree. The scolyti, as Mr. Denson, sen., has
observed, never attack dead trees The Scolytus destructor, as an enemy to
elm trees, appears first to have attracted the attention of entomologists in
England about the year 1824-, by M'Leay's Report to the Treasury upon
the state of the elms in St. James's and Hyde Parks. (See this Report in
Edin. Phil. Journ., No. xxxi. art. 12.; and see Tilloch's Phil. Mag., Oct. 1823,
art. 51.) In the year 1828, a controversy was carried on in a Cambridge
newspaper, between Mr. John Denson, sen., the author of A Peasant's Voice
to Landowners, &c., and Mr. J. Deck of Cambridge, respecting the cause of
CHAP. CI.
CK.K. r'LMl'S.
1237
the death of certain elms in the public
walks in that city. Mr. Deck's opinion
was, that the trees were destroyed In
the insects ; and Mr. Denson's, that the
trees were only attacked by the insects
after they had become injured or dis-
eased. To prove this, Mr. Denson
selected in his own garden, in the spring
of 1828, a healthy young elm, about
18 ft. high, and 1 ft. in diameter at the
surface of the ground. At about 30 in.
up the stem, that is, at 6,^.1237, he
says, " I cut out completely round the
stem a band, or ring, of bark, about
4 in. broad, expecting by this act to
intercept the passage of the sap to c d,
and thence to have c d in a duly diseased
and paralysed state, to be perforated by
the scolytus in June or July ; while, by
retaining a alive, and in a growing state,
I should be able to witness whether
the insect would attack the live part
also, or not. Quite contrary to my ex-
pectation, c d (the tree had been de-
prived of its head when I adopted it for
my experiment) emitted side shoots,
and grew as freely through the season
of growth, both of 1828 and 1829, as «
itself; evincing, indeed, no difference, either from «, or other elms standing near
it, except that the leaves turned yellow somewhat earlier, and fell somewhat
sooner. Too impatient to wait longer, early in 1830, from c d I cut off*/, a
piece about 9 ft. long, and placed it near the remainder of the tree ; and, to my
great gratification, in June, d was visited by scolyti, perforated in many places,
and, from the eggs then deposited, now (Sept. 9. 1830) teems with larvae;
while a b c did not receive a single perforation, and now does not contain a
single larva. This result satisfies my mind that the Scolytus destructor is
altogether guiltless of causing the death of healthy growing trees."
In this controversy, we are informed by William Spence, Esq., F.R.S.,who
has recently attended to this subject, that both parties, like the knights who
quarrelled about the shield with one side of gold and the other of silver, are
both right and both wrong. It is quite true, as Mr. Denson maintains, that the
female scolyti never deposit their eggs in trees perfectly healthy ; but it is
equally true, that both they and the males pierce young and healthy trees
for the sake of eating the inner bark, which constitutes their food ; and that
the numerous holes which they thus cause, partly from the loss of sap which
exudes from them, and partly from the effect of the rain which lodges in them,
in a few years bring the trees in which they occur into that incipient state of
ill health in which the female selects them for laying her eggs, just as in trees
beginning to decay naturally; and thus healthy trees are effectually destroyed
by the combined operations, first and last, of the scolyti of both sexes, though
not in consequence of the sole deposition of the eggs of the female. That
this explanation of the subject, so happily reconciling former apparently
contradictory facts, for which those who are interested in the preservation of
the elm are indebted to the distinguished naturalist, M. Audouin, professor
of entomology at the Museum d'Histoire Naturelle at Paris, who has
recently closely studied the habits of these insects, is correct, Mr. Spence,
to whom he communicated it this spring, informs us he has had numerous
opportunities of proving in the most satisfactory manner; having, both at
1390 ARBORETUM AND FKUTICETUJVI. PAKTJI1.
Brussels (where, in consequence of his suggestions to the local authorities, it
was found necessary to cut down from 20 to 30 large trees attacked by
Scolytus destructor in the Park, and from 50 to 60 younger ones in the
boulevards), and also during a tour in the north of France this summer
(where he found the promenades of elms equally ravaged by the scolyti at
Dunkirk, Calais, Boulogne sur Mer, Montreuil, Rouen, Havre de Grace, Caen,
St. Lo, Granville, £c.), seen hundreds of young trees in that incipient
state of decay indicated by M. Audouin as arising from the attacks of the
scolyti simply for food; and great numbers of these in which the females,
having found them sufficiently debilitated, had deposited their eggs, and given
birth to numerous broods of larvae, which had caused them to be either dead
or fast dying.
It is scarcely possible to overvalue, in an economical point of view, the
importance of M. Audouin's discovery, which, if it had been formerly known
and acted upon, might have saved the greater part of the fine elms in the
promenades in many of the principal cities in the north of Europe, which have
fallen victims to the ravages of Scolytus destructor, as well as 50,000 young
oaks in the Boisde Vincennes, near Paris, which it has been recently necessary
to cut down in consequence of the attacks of another insect of the same tribe,
S. pygmaevus. The practical directions to which it leads, in all cases where
there is reason to suspect the presence of scolyti, are very simple, and may
be briefly expressed as follows : —
1. The first thing to be done is, to pare away the exterior rough bark with
a cooper's spokeshave, or other convenient tool : this admits of a distinct
inspection of the actual state of the trees, which, if there is no trace in the
inner bark either of small holes in old trees, or of those superficial furrows
which the scolyti make for food in young trees (and which may be distin-
guished from the natural crevices in the bark by their dark-coloured and dead
margins), may be pronounced to be in a sound and healthy state, and requiring
no further attention.
2. If the inner bark exhibits either of the appearances just mentioned, the
next thing to be ascertained is, whether the female has already deposited her
eggs in it, and if it contain the larva? of the scolyti : to know which, it is
necessary to cut away portions here and there of the bark down to the actual
wood, and examine them; and, if the existence of larvae be proved, the
trees should be cut down, and their bark peeled off, and every fragment of it
carefully burnt.
3. Those trees which, though pierced with exterior superficial holes or
furrows, have no larvae in them, are such as have been attacked by the scolyti
for food only ; and, if they be carefully brushed over with coal tar, the smell of
which is highly offensive to the perfect scolyti, there is every probability that
they will be secure from the future attacks of the females ; and that the
repetition of the same process in the spring, for a year or two, would enable
them to resume their vigour, and to become healthy trees ; for the future fate
of which,if, at the same time, the entire removal of all the trees actually diseased
has been attended to, there would be no need for apprehension. It is in this
way, as we are informed by Mr. Spence, that a great number of the young elm
trees in the boulevards at Brussels, brought into an incipient stage of debility
by the attacks of the scolyti for food, but not yet attacked by the females,
were treated in the spring of 1836 with every prospect of a successful result;
though, of course, some years must elapse before any absolute deductions can
be drawn from the experiment. The above most important information was
communicated to us by Mr. Spence in December, 1836.
Recorded Elms. Evelyn, to prove that the elm attains " a prodigious growth
in less than a person's age," mentions a tree which he had seen, " planted by
the hand of a countess, living not long since, which was near 12 ft. in compass,
and of a height proportionable." He mentions elms, "now standing in good
numbers which will bear almost 3ft. square for more than 40ft. in height."
CHAP. ci. ri.M \\ -EJE. r/'i.Mrs. 1391
" Mine own hands," he adds, " measured a table more than once, of about 5 It.
in breadth, 9| ft. in length, and 6 in. thick, all entire and clear. This, cut out
of a tree felled by my father's order, was made a pastry board. . . . The incom-
parable walks at the royal palaces in the neighbourhood of Madrid were planted,"
he continues, "with this majestic tree." These are said to have been the first
elms that were planted in Spain ; and Baron Dillon tells us that, when he saw
them, about the end of the last century, they were 6 ft. in diameter, and in a
healthy state. The plants were taken from England by Philip II., who had
married Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII., and Queen of England.
Henry IV. of France planted an elm in the gardens of the Luxembourg, in Paris,
which stood till it was destroyed during the first French revolution. An elm in
Switzerland, near Merges, at the time it was blown down, had a trunk 17 ft.
7 in. in diameter, and was estimated to be 335 years old. Queen Elizabeth is
said to have planted an elm at Chelsea, which was cut down in 1745, and
sold for a guinea by the lord of the manor, Sir Hans Sloane. It was supposed
to have become a nuisance to the public road, close to which it stood, from
its great size and age. It was 13 ft. in circumference at the ground, and half as
much at the height of 44 ft. Before the hard frost in 1739-40 had injured its
top, it was 110 ft. high. The Crawley Elm, which has been figured by Strutt,
stands on the high road from London to Brighton. It is 70 ft. high, and the
trunk is 61 ft. in circumference at the ground. Its trunk is perforated to the
very top ; and it measures 35 ft. round the inside at 2 ft. from the base. There
is a regular door to the cavity in this tree, the key of which is kept by the lord
of the manor; but it is opened on particular occasions,when the neighbours meet
to regale themselves within the cavity, which is capable of containing a party
of more than a dozen. The floor is paved with bricks. Madame de Genlis
says a poor woman gave birth to an infant in the hollow of this tree, where
she afterwards resided for a long time A hollow elm stood formerly at
Hampstead, but in what spot is uncertain. It was engraved by the cele-
brated Hollar, in 1653 ; and fig. 1238. is a copy of it from Parke's 'Hampstead,
reduced to the scale of 1 in. to 12ft. " The Great Hollow Elm Tree of
Hampstead," as it is called in the engraving, was upwards of 42 ft. high. It
was hollow from the ground to the summit, from which the trunk appears to
have been abruptly broken off ; and in the hollow a wooden stair, or ladder, was
formed, which conducted to a turret on the top, containing seats on which six
persons might sit. The following quaint description is given on the margin of
the engraving: — " 1. The bottom above ground, in compass, is 28 foote.
2. The breadth of the doore is 2 foote. 3. The compass of the turret on
the top is 34 foote. 4. The doore in height to goe in is 6 foote 2 inches. 8.
The height of the turret is 33 foote. 11. The lights into the tree is 16.
18. The stepps to goe up is 42. 19. The seat above the stepps six may sitt on,
and round about roome for foureteene moore. All the way you goe up within
the hollow tree." (Parke's Hampstead, p. 34.) About the time that the
engraving was published, a number of rhymes were printed on the subject of
this tree, some of them by Robert Codrington ; and others were printed by
E. Cotes, and were " to be given or sold in the Hollow Tree at Hampstead."
Hollar's engraving appears also to have been sold at the tree. Nine elm trees,
standing on Hampstead Heath in 1805, were celebrated in a poem by Edward
Coxe, Esq., published in that year. (Ibid., p. 40.) In a manuscript lent to
Professor Martyn by Craven Ord, Esq., of Purser's Cross, and probably
written by Oldys (the translator of Camden's Britannia, who died in 1761),
mention is made of several remarkable elms. One at Charlton, in Kent,
about which it is said Horn Fair was kept, spread 8 yards on every side ; the
height was about 10 yards, but the trunk not above 1 ft. in diameter. One of
Sir Francis Bacon's elms, in Gray's Inn walks, planted in 1600, was felled,
upon a suspected decay, in 1720 or 1726, and was 12ft. round; its head
contained 45 ft. of timber. In 1750, not above eight trees of his planting »vere
left. They were planted in 1600. At Fulham are, or were, some elms planted
in tho time of King Edward VI. ; and one at Richmond, said to be planted by
4 Y
1392
ARBORETUM AND FKUTICETUM.
PART III,
1238
v
a courtier of King Henry VII., whilst that king kept his court there, and yet
(in Oldys's time) in its prime. The row of elms on that side of the Mall in
St. James's Park next to the palace are some of them about 1GO years of age.
One, which stood at the upper end, turning to the Green Park, being blown
down, was found to be above 60 ft. in height, and near 12 ft. in circumference
near the root. They are now (in 1805) considerably more than 200 years
old ; but very few are remaining [in 1836, none], and those very much de-
cayed. Two elms, at St. John's College, Oxford, were sizeable trees in the
reign of Queen Mary. Stately rows of elms, at Hillhall, in Essex, are said
to 'have been planted by Sir Thomas Smith. (Mart. Mill.) On the 29th
of November, 1836, some of the largest elms in St. James's Park, and
also in Kensington Gardens, were blown down during a tremendous hur-
ricane, which made dreadful havock among large trees in most parts of
England. Mr. Coxe, in his account of Monmouthshire, mentions an ancient
elm at Ragland Castle, which was 28 ft. 5 in. in circumference near the root
(Ibid.) Mr. Boutcher informs us that he sold a line of English elms, about
60 in number, at a guinea a tree, at 24 years' growth : they were about
18 in. in diameter at 1ft. above ground, and 40 ft. high. It is probably the
tree mentioned in the above quotation from Martyn's Miller, as having been
planted by a courtier of Henry VII., that Mr. Jesse alludes to in the 2d series
of his Gleanings. He says, "At the north-west angle of Richmond Green may
now be seen the trunk of an ancient elm, called the Queen's Elm, from
having, it is said, been a favourite tree of Queen Elizabeth's. Some kind hand,
with equal good taste and feeling, has planted ivy round its naked trunk ; and
the inhabitants of Richmond, much to their credit, have protected it from
injury by surrounding it with a paled fence. The ivy has thriven, and the
lately naked trunk is now richly covered with a verdant mantle." (p. 268.)
Mr. Jesse also mentions an elm tree in Hampton Court Park, called King
Charles's Swing, which, he says, " is curious from its size and shape. At 8ft.
from the ground, it measures 38 ft. in circumference It is, perhaps, not
CHAP. ci. £/LMAXCE;E. £/'LMUS. 1393
generally known, that one of the elm trees standing near the entrance of the
passage leading to Spring Gardens was planted by the Duke of Gloucester,
brother to Charles I. As that unfortunate monarch was walking with his
guards from St. James's to Whitehall, on the morning of his execution, he
turned to one of his attendants, and mentioned the circumstance, at the same
time pointing out the tree." (Jesse's Glean., 2d series, p. 273.)
Piffe's Elm, in the Vale of Gloucester, between Cheltenham and Tewkesbury,
was, in 1783, the finest tree of the species in the county. It was then mea-
sured by Marshall, and found to girt 16ft. at the smallest part of the trunk.
It was between 70 ft. and 80 ft. high, and its head proportionably wide.
The Chipstead Elm, in Kent, figured by Strutt, was 60 ft. high, and contained
268ft. of timber. Its trunk was covered with ivy, and the tree appeared very
luxuriant when Mr. Strutt made his drawing ; but, in the spring of 1836, as
we were informed by J. Polhill, Esq., the tree did not put forth its leaves, and
it stood throughout the following summer a leafless trunk. The elms at
Mongewell, in Oxfordshire, a place celebrated by Leland for its " faire woodes,"
are also engraved by Strutt. The largest is 79 ft. high, 14 ft. in circumference
at 3 ft. from the ground, the diameter of the head 65 ft., and it contains 250 ft.
of solid timber. About the centre of a group of these elms stands an urn,
inscribed to the memory of two highly valued friends of the possessor in 1830,
who was the Bishop of Durham ; and whom, Mr. Strutt observes, " it was de-
lightful to contemplate wandering, in his 90th year, amidst shades with which
he was almost coeval, and which in freshness and tranquillity afforded most
suitable emblems of his own green and venerable old age." In Ireland, the
dimensions of several elms are recorded by Hayes, which, though the species
is not named, we think belong to U. campestris. Near Arklow, at Shelton,
an elm had a trunk 5 ft. 4 in. in diameter at the surface of the ground. At
Luttrelstown, an elm by the road side girted 18ft. 10 in. at the ground, and
had a straight trunk 40ft. high. In the county of Kildare stood an elm, which,
till the year 1762, was, perhaps, the finest tree of the species in the world.
The diameter of the head, taken from the extremities of the lower branches,
exceeded 34 yards ; but in the end of that year the two principal arms fell from
the trunk in one night, apparently from their own weight, as the weather was
perfectly calm. The timber contained in these branches alone sold for 5 guineas.
In this situation the tree continued till the winter of 1776, when a violent storm
tore up the whole by the roots, with a great mass of soil and rock adhering to
them. Some time previous to this the trunk had been carefully measured,
and was found to be 38 ft. 6 in. in circumference. It had been hollow for
some years ; and the value of its timber by no means answered what might
have been expected from the sale of its two branches in 1762. We have
nothing certain as to its age ; but tradition supposes it to have been planted
by the monks of St. Wolstan, some time before the dissolution of that mo-
nastery, which happened in the year 1538. An elm at Carton, the seat of the
Duke of Leinster, is 14ft. Sin. round near the bottom, diminishing like the
shaft of a Doric column, and being 13ft. in circumference at 16ft. from the
ground, and containing J 69 cubic feet of timber.
Statistics. Existing Trees. U'lmus campestris in the Environs of London. At Ham House, Essex,
it is 88 ft high, diameter of the trunk 6 ft., and of the head 73 ft In the Fulham Nursery, 70 years
planted, it is 60 It. high. At York House, Twickenham, 120 years planted, it is 90 ft. high, diameter
of the trunk 3$ ft, and of the head (50 ft.
U'lmus oampittri* South of London. In Devonshire, at Killerton, 200 years planted, it is 100 ft.
high, diameter of the trunk 7ft 3 in., and of the head 62 ft. ; at Muswell Hill, it is 77 ft. high, with
a trunk 1 ft. in diameter. In Dorsetshire, at Melbury Park, 200 years old, it is 125 ft high, diameter
of the trunk t> ft. 9 in., and of the head 80ft. In Hampshire, at Alresford, 81 years planted, it is
73ft high, diameter of the trunk 4ft. 4 in., and of the head 48ft. ; at Strath fieldsaye, 130ft high, the
diameter of the trunk 5|ft, and of the head 72ft. In the Isle of Wight, in Wilkins's Nursery, ,T,
years old, it is 50 ft. high. In Somersetshire, at Leigh Court, it is 90 ft. high, diameter, of the trunk
5J ft., and of the head 60 ft. ; another, 14 years planted, is 50 ft. high : at Nettlecomhe, 210 years old,
it is KK) ft high, diameter of the trunk 5 ft 8 in., and of the head 57 ft In Surrey, at Farnham Castle,
it is !Hifi. high, diameter of the trunk 7ft. <>in., and of the head S5 It. ; at St. Anne's Hill, it is 82 ft!
high, diameter of the trunk 1 ft. Sin., and of the In ad til ft. ; at Claremont, it is 100ft high, diameter
of the trunk fill., and of the head S5 ft. In Sussex, at Cowdry, it is 45ft. high, diameter of tde
trunk 4 ft 10 in. ; and at I'arham Park, there arc some tine s]>ecimens. In Wiltshire, at Wardour
Castle, 50 years planted, it is 70 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 5 ft., and of the head JJ It.
U. MMfMtfrb Xortfi of London. 1 n Hedfordshire, at Flitwick House, it is 60 ft. high, with a trunk
! V 2
1394
ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM.
PART III.
5ft. 10 in. in diameter. In Berkshire, at Bearwood, 16 years planted, it is 40ft. high, diameter
of the trunk 8 in., and of the head 1 8 ft. In Buckinghamshire, at Temple House, 40 years planted,
it is 50ft. high; diameterof the trunk 2ft., and of the head 40ft In Denbighshire, at Llanbede
Hall, 70 years planted, it is 54ft. high, dia-
1239
meter of the trunk 3* ft, and of the head
48ft. In Flintshire, at Gredington, it is 72 ft
high, and the diameter of the trunk 3 ft. 9 in.
In Gloucestershire, at Doddington Park, it
is 90 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 7 ft, and
of the head 249 ft. In Herefordshire, at Croft
Castle, it is 95 ft. high, diameterof the trunk
6 ft., and of the head 60 ft. ; at Eastnor
Castle, 18 years planted, it is 55ft. high ; at
Ilotherwas, the old tree represented in fig.
1239. to a scale of 1 in. to 50ft., from a draw-
ing kindly sent to us by Mr. Hay Brown,
gardener at Stoke Edith Park, near Ledbury.
In Hertfordshire, at Hatfield, is one 48 ft. in
girt, containing 49 > cubic feet of timber. In
Leicestershire, at Donnington, 100 years old,
it is 92 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 7| ft.,
and of the head 94 ft. In Oxfordshire, at
Tew, 16 years planted, it is 52 ft. high. The
plantations here have been made with great
care by the proprietor, Matthew Bolton,
Esq. ; and the success has been most extra-
ordinary, as may be seen by the returns of
the different species. In Pembrokeshire, at
Stoakpole Court, 70 years old, it is 85 ft. high.
In Radnorshire, at Maeslaugh Castle, 50
years planted, it is 70ft. high, diameter of
the trunk 3 ft. 8 in., and of the head 60ft.
In Shropshire, at Hardwicke Grange, 11
years planted, it is 36 ft. high ; at Willey
Park, 15 years planted, it is 43 ft. high. In
Warwickshire, at Coombe Abbey, 200 years
old, it is 150ft. high, diameter of the trunk
9 ft. 6in., and of the head 74ft. ; at Whitley Abbey, 7 years planted, it is 16 ft. high. In Worcester-
shire, at Hadzor House, 10 years planted, it is SSft. high ; at Croome, 100 years old, it is 115 ft. high,
diameter of the trunk 7 ft., and of the head 10 ft ; at Hagley, 12 years planted, it is 32 ft. high. In
Yorkshire, at Studley Park, it is 108ft high ; at Hornby Castle, it is 84ft. high, with a trunk 3ft.
in diameter ; at Castle Harwood, nine elm trees in Roy wood average nearly 100 cubic feet of timber
each (see Gard. Mag., vol. xi. p. 17.) ; at Sprotborougii Hall, there is an elm 80ft. high, diameter
of the trunk 5J ft, and of the head 115 ft, which is said to be the finest in England.
U. camptstris in the Environs of Edinburgh. At Newbattle Abbey, it is 75 ft. high, diameterof
the trunk 6ft. 4 in., and of the head 74ft; at C'ramond House, it is 70ft. high, diameter of the
trunk 4 ft, and of the head 54ft.; at Dalmeny Park, it is 80ft. high, the diameter of the trunk
4ft., and of the head 66ft. ; at Barnton House, it is <«) ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 3ft. 3 in.,
and of the head 80 ft. ; another is 100 ft. high, with a trunk 4| ft. in diameter ; at Gogar House, it i*
80 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 4 ft, and of the head 60 ft.
U. camptstris South qf Edinburgh. In Ayrshire, at Kilkerran, 75 years planted, it is 90ft. high,
diameter of the trunk 3 ft, and of the head 42 ft. In Kircudbright, at St. Mary's Isle, it is 80 ft. high,
diameter of the trunk 4ft., and of the head 84ft. In Haddingtonshire, at Y ester, 100 years planted,
it is 98 ft high, diameter of the trunk 3 ft. 9 in.-, and of the head 63 ft. ; at Tynningham, it is 46 ft.
high, diameter of the trunk 3ft 5 in., and of the head 48ft. In Renfrewshire, at Erskine House,
it is 60ft. high, diameter of the trunk 4ft. 5 in., and of the head 60ft. ; at Both well Castle, it is
86 ft high, diameter of the trunkt5ft., and of the head 98 ft.
U. camptstris North of Edinburgh. In Banffshire, at Gordon Castle, it is 86ft. high, diameter of
the trunk 3 ft. 4 in., and of the head 75 ft. ; at Cullen House, it is 89 ft. high, diameter of the trunk
3ft, and of the head 90ft. In Fifeshire, at Dysart House, is one 70ft high, with a trunk 2 ft. in
diameter, and that of the head 36 ft. ; at Wemyss Castle, it is 90 ft. high, diameter of the trunk <) ft.
Sin., and of the head 51ft In Forfarshire, at Cortachy Castle, 102 years old, it is 70ft. high,
diameter of the trunk 21 ft., and of the head 45ft. In Perthshire, at Taymouth, 20 years planted, it
is 36 ft. high ; another is 100 years old, and 40ft. high, diameter of the trunk 6 ft., and of the head
75ft In Ross-shire, at Brahan Castle, it is 75ft. high, diameterof the trunk 4ft, and of the head
60ft.
U. camptstris in Ireland. In the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, 30 years planted, it is 50ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk lift, and of the head 20ft. ; at Terenure, it is 50ft. high, diameter of the
trunk 2| ft., and of the head 4 > ft. In Kilkenny, at Mount Juliet, it is 102 ft. high, diameter of the
trunk 4 ft. 2 in., and of the head 32ft. In King's County, at Charleville Forest, 45 years planted, it is
85 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 4 ft. 8 in., and of the head 65 ft. In the county of Down, at Mount
Stewart, 50 years planted, it is 56 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 4 in., and of the head 38 ft. ; at
Ballyleady, 100 years old, it is 40ft. high. In Fermanagh, at Florence Court, 60 years planted, it is
70ft. high. In Galway, at Coole, it is 60ft. high, diameter of the trunk 2ft, and of the head 45ft.
In Sligo, at Makree Castle, it is 90ft high, diameter of the trunk Sift., and of the head 40ft,
U. camptstris in France. At Nantes, in the nursery of M. l)e Nerrierea, 80 years old, it is 70 ft.
high, the diameter of the trunk 6 ft. ; in the Botanic Garden at Avranches, 40 years old, it is 40 ft.
high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft., and of the head 20ft
U. camptstris in Germany. In Saxony, at Worlitz,.60 years old, it is|50 ft. high, with a trunk 3 ft.
in diameter. In Bavaria, in the Botanic Garden, Munich, 84 years old, it is 50 ft high, with a trunk
1 ft. in diameter. In Austria, at Vienna, in the Laxenburg Garden, 100 years old, it is 40ft high,
the diameter of the trunk Ijft., and of the head 20ft. ; at Kopenzel, 40 years old, it is 36 ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk 1 ft., and of the head 18 ft. ; at Hadersdorf, in the garden of Baron Loudon, 40
years old, it is 30ft. high, with a trunk 14 in. in diameter, and the diameter of the head 18 ft. In
Prussia, at Berlin, in the Botanic Garden, 50 years old, it is 40 ft high, the diameter of the trunk
28 in., and of the head 24ft. ; in the Pfauen Insel, 43 years old, it is 42ft. high, the diameter of the
., .
trunk 14 in., and of the head 30 ft.
U. camptstris in Italy. In Lombardy, at Monza, 2f> years planted, it is 75ft. high ; the diameter
of the trunk I ft. «) in., and of the head 45 ft.
CHAP. (I. ffLUA^CRM. tf'LMUS. 1395
Commercial Statistics. Plants, in the London nurseries, from 3ft. to 4ft.
high are 20s. per hundred, from 5 ft. to 6 ft. high 36$. ; the striped-leaved
variety 50.?. per hundred. At Bollwyller, large plants are 1 franc each ; and
at New York, 37 A cents.
¥ 2. U. (c.) SUBEROVSA Mcench. The cork-barked Elm.
Identification. Ehr. Arb., 142. ; Willd. Sp. PL, p. 1324. ; Baumz., 391. ; Host Fl. Austr., 1. p. 328. ;
Eng. Bot., t. 2161. ; Engl. FL, 2. p. 21. ; Hook. Br. Fl., p. HI.; Lindl. Synop., p. 226. ; Mackay Fl.
Hibern., pt. 1. p. 241. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Synonymes. U. campestris Woodv. Med. Bot., 1. 197. ; U. campestris and Theophrast* Du Ham.
Arb., 2. p. 367. 1. 108. ; U. vulgatissima fblio lato scabra Ger. Emac.,1480. f, Rait Syn., 468. ; U.
montana Cam. Epit., t. 70., upper fig. ; common Elm Tree, Hunt. Evcl. Syl., p. 119 ; 1'Orme Liege,
I'Orme fungeux, Fr.
Engxtvines. Eng. Bot., t. 2161. ; Hayne, t. 28. ; Wood. Med. Bot, 1. 197 ; Du Ham. Arb., 2. 1 108. ;
Math. Valgr.,1. p. 130. f. ; our Jig. 1240. ; and the plate in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves pointed, rough, doubly and sharply serrated. Flowers
stalked, 4 — 5-cleft. Samara almost orbicular, deeply cloven, glabrous.
Branches spreading; their bark corky. (Smith Eng. Fl.) Taller and
more spreading than the common English elm. Bark,
when a year old, covered with very fine dense cork,
in deep fissures ; whence the specific name, suberosa, '
first given by Mcench, and adopted by Ehrhart.
Leaves rough on both sides, more rounded, and twice
or thrice as large as in U. campestris; very unequal
at the base, strongly, sharply, and doubly serrated,
hairy beneath, with dense broad tufts at the origin of
the transverse ribs. Flowers much earlier than the
foliage, stalked, reddish, with 4 or 5 rounded segments,
and as many stamens, with dull purple anthers. Sa-
mara nearly orbicular, with a deep sinus reaching to
the place of the seed. (Sm. Engl. Fl.) A very marked
kind of elm, but evidently a variety of U. campestris ;
and we should have included it among the varieties of that species, had there
not been some very distinct subvarieties of it, which, we think, may be more
conveniently kept by themselves ; and because we should, for *the same
reason, have been obliged to include U. major, also, under U. campestris,
it being, in our opinion, as much a variety of that species as U. suberosa.
It varies exceedingly in the character of its corky bark ; sometimes being
deeply furrowed, and sometimes much less so. It also varies much in the
character of its head ; being sometimes low, loose, and spreading, as re-
presented in the plate in our last Volume ; and sometimes being tall and
narrow. It is propagated by grafting on U. montana, or by layers or suckers.
Varieties,
2 U. (c.) s. \ vulgam, U. suberosa Hort. Dur. The Dutch cork-barked
Elm. — This, except the American elm and the Canterbury seedling
(U. montana major glabra), is the quickest-growing of any that
Mr. Masters cultivates. It is, moreover, valuable, on account of its
growing well upon the Kentish chalks ; and it keeps its leaf till
late in the autumn. It is a tree of large growth : many of the elms
at Windsor are of this kind.
5 U. (c.) s. 2 /;///.? varicgatis Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; U. suberosa variegata
Hort. Dur. ; is precisely like the last, except in its variegation. Mr.
Masters has seen a few of very large dimensions; and there is one in the
grounds of G. May, Esq., Strood House, Herne, remarkable for its
size and beauty.
¥ U. (c.) s. 3 dlbat U. suberosa alba Masters. — A lower tree, of more
compact growth, than the two preceding varieties ; and often growing
into an oval, or rather cone-shaped, head. Young shoots pubescent.
Foliage thickly set. Bark much wrinkled, and becoming white
with age. Fine specimens of this are growing in Lee Park, near
Canterbury.
1 v .S
1396 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
¥ U. (c.) s. 4 erecta Lodd. Cat., ed. 183 has a tall narrow head, re-
sembling that of the Cornish elm ; but differing from that tree in
having much broader leaves, and a corky bark.
^ U. (c.) s. 5 var. The broad-leaved Hertfordshire Elm, Wood, nursery-
man at Huntingdon. — The shoots show some tendency to become
corky, which, in our opinion, determines this variety to belong to
U. (c.) suberosa, rather than to U. montana or U. (m.) glabra.
i U. (c.) s. 6 var. The narrow-leaved Hertfordshire Elm, Wood. —
Leaves and shoots differing very little from those of U. campe'stris.
Statistics. The largest trees of U. (c.) suberbsa, in the environs of London, are at Hampstead, in
different small gardens, and in Kensington Gardens. In Dorsetshire, at Melbury Park, trees, 30 years
planted, are 50 ft. high. In Pembrokeshire, at Stackpole Court, a tree, 50 years planted, is 4011.
high. In Shropshire, at Kinlet, there is a tree 102ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk is 56 in., and
of the head 55 ft. In Scotland, in Clackmannanshire, in the garden of the Dollar Institution, a tree,
12 years planted, is 30ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk 12 in., and of the head 12 ft. In Cromarty,
at Coul, it is 28 ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk 1* ft., and of the head 20 ft. In Forfarshire, at
Monboddo, 70 years planted, it is 45 ft. high. In Ireland, near Dublin, in the Glasnevin Botanic
Garden, 35 years planted, it is 40ft. high. In Hanover, at Gottingen, inj the Botanic Garden, 30
years planted, it is 60ft. high. In Bavaria, in the Munich Botanic Garden, 24 years planted, it is
50ft. high, with a trunk 15 in. in diameter. In Austria, near Vienna, at Kopenzel, 24 years planted,
it is 18 ft. high. In Prussia, at Berlin, in the Botanic Garden, 14 years planted, it is 36 ft. high ; the
diameter of the trunk 15 in., and of the head 9ft. In Italy, at Monza, £9 years planted, it is 70 ft.
high ; the diameter of the trunk 1| ft., and of the head 40 ft.
Commercial Statistics. Price of plants, in the London nurseries, transplanted,
3 ft. high, 50*. per thousand ; at Bollwyller, 1 franc each, and the variegated
variety 2 francs ; at New York, 75 cents.
3f 3. U. (c.) MA\FOR Smith. The greater, or Dutch cork-barked. Elm.
Identification. Sm. Engl. Bot., t.2542. ; Sm. Engl. Fl., 2. p. 21. ; Hook. Br. Fl., p. 142. ; Lindl.
Synops., p. 226. ; Host Fl. Austr., l.-p. 328. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Synonymes. U. hollandica Mill. Diet., ed. 8. No. 5. ; U. major hollandica, &c., Pluk. Aim., 393. ; U.
major, ampliore fblio, &c., Du Ham. Arb., 2. p. 368. ; Tilia m&s Matth. f'algr.,1.158.f., Cam.
Epit., 92. f. ; U. latifolia Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 3. t. 129. f.2.
Engravings. Engl. Bot., t. 2542. : Cam. Epit., 92. f. : N. Amer. Syl., 3. 1. 129. f. 2. ; our Jig. 1241. ;
and the plate of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves rough, unequally and rather bluntly serrated.
Flowers nearly sessile, 4-cleft. Samara obovate, slightly cloven, glabrous.
Branches drooping, their bark corky. (Smith.) The branches spread widely,
in a drooping manner, and their bark is rugged, and
much more corky than even the foregoing. Leaves on
short thick stalks, larger and more bluntly serrated than
the last ; rough on both sides, especially beneath ; but
the hairy tufts at the origin of each transverse rib are
very small. Segments of the calyx short and rounded.
Stamens 4. Samara obovate, with a very small rounded
sinus, not reaching half so far as the seed. (Id.) This
appears to be the kind brought over by William III.
from Holland ; which, from its quick growth, was, at
first, much used for hedges, and formal rows of clipped
trees ; but, when the Dutch taste in gardening declined,
the tree was no longer cultivated ; as its wood was
found very inferior to that of most other kinds of elm.
The elm trees in the old part of Kensington Gardens,
near the palace, are of this kind : many of them are upwards of 70 ft. in
height ; and a number, which have been blown down in different winters
since 1816, were constantly found rotten at the heart. The Dutch elm is
propagated by layers, and grafting on the U. montana. Price as of the
preceding kind.
t 4. U. CARPINIFO'LIA Lindl. The Hornbeam-leaved Elm.
Identification. Lindl. Synop., p. 226. ; Hook. Brit FL, p. 142.
Spec. Char., S$c. Leaves ovate-acuminate, coriaceous, strongly veined, simply crenate, serrated,
slightly oblique and cordate at the base; shining, but rather scabrous above; smooth beneath.
Branches bright] brown, and nearly smooth. Samara — f A tree. (Lindl.} The locality which
Lindley has quoted for this is :— " Four miles from Stratford on Avon, on the road to Alcester."
We have not seen a plant of this sort.
CHAP (i. n.MA'cEA-:. U'LMUS.
U 5. U. KFKI vs.\ ii'illd. The ipreaduig-dfvifcdfaJ Elm.
1,1,-ntiflcation. Willd. Arb., 891 ; Sp. I'l., 1. p. 1325. ; Hprcng. Syst. VoK., 1. p. »30 . ; Roem ct Schult.
M'*t VI-K ti. p ;»H). ; Uees's Cyi'lo., N'o. (i. ; Fl. Franc., j. p. 3U5. ; Duby et Dec. Bot. Gall., 1. p. 42*.
St/ni>ny»ics U. rili-ata A'A;-//. .•/>/;., ?!-'., ••"«. A'".^- /•'/., i.'. p. ~>, incidentally ; i'. pedunculata Lam.
Dirt , No. 2., Suttpl., 4. p. 187. ; U. octandra Schk. Bot. Handb., 178. t. 67. ; V. folio latfssimo, &c.,
AWA Hal., ;U(). : r. ki^vis Pal. Host;., vol. 1. p. 75. ; I'Orm
St/ni>ny
n., . . .
a., ;. : . ivs a. ., . . . . e pedonculg. Jr.
t'inns. Schk. Haudb., t. 57. ; Hayne, t. 29. ; our fig. lii42. ; and the plates of this tree in our
last Volume.
. Char., $c. Leaves mostly resembling those of the U. montana, but
quite smooth on the upper side; unequal at the base, doubly serrated.
Flowers on drooping stalks. Stamens in a flower 6 — 8. Samara elliptic,
deeply cloven, strongly fringed with coarse dense hairs. (Smith in Reds
Ctjcl.y and in Eng. Fl.) A native of Europe, chiefly in the south of France,
and in the Caucasus ; flowering in April and May. When it was intro-
duced is uncertain.
Description, $c. This species is very distinct, even when the tree is bare
of leaves, as will be seen by comparing the winter tree of it, in our last Volume,
with that of U. montana major depicted at the same season. In spring and
summer, it is equally marked by the long droop-
ing peduncles of its flowers, and its hairy sa-
maras. It expands its leaves, according to M.
De Foucault, at least three weeks sooner than
any other kind of elm, and a month sooner
than some of the varieties. Its leaves are
large, and of a beautiful light shining green.
The trunk resembles that of U. montana more
than that of U. campestris ; forming numerous
branches, and a spreading head. The buds are
long, sharply pointed, and greenish ; while in
the U. campestris they are short, obtuse, and
covered with greyish hairs. (Annalcs Fores-
ticrcs for 1811.) It is a native of Russia, where
it becomes a large tree ; and has a much wider ^^ 1242
geographical range than, U. campestris, being, it would appear, one of the
hardiest of European elms ; and it has been found in the forests near Soissons,
and in some other parts of France. The first botanist who mentioned this
tree was Pallas ; and, about the same time, it was described, at length, by M.
Fougeroux de Bondaroy, in the Mcmoires de F Academic dcs Sciences for 1784.
Pallas states that the wood is very hard and durable, and that it is used in
Russia for all the purposes that the common elm is employed for in Europe.
Bondaroy says that this sort of elm is very common by the road side, between
Villars Cotterets and Paris; and also between that city and Cressy. It
comes into leaf 15 or 20 days before the common elm, and it grows much
faster. The head is more spreading than that of the common elm ; and its
bark, instead of being furrowed, is smooth. On the whole, he says, the trees
are so different in their general appearance, that they may be readily distin-
guished from each other, even without their leaves. The colour of the young
wood, the buds, and the size, colour, and scrrature of the leaves, are re-
markably like those of the Huntingdon elm ; from which circumstance this
species is probably more nearly allied to U. montana than to U. campestris.
As a tree of ornament, it is well worth cultivating for the beauty of its
leaves, for the distinct character of its spray in winter, and, indeed, for its
general appearance at all seasons. In British nurseries, it is propagated by
graft ing on U. montana. There are handsome young trees of it in the
London Horticultural Society's Garden; and there is a tree of it at White
Knights, in front of the mansion, which is 63 ft. high, the diameter of the
trunk "^ in., and of the head 70ft. This tree, we are informed by the gar-
dener, Mr. Ward, flowers, but does not ripen seeds, on which account it
\\onld appear to be allied to U. campestris; but, though its roots run very
near the surface, it never throws up a single sucker, and hence it would seem
to belong rather to U. montana. There are plants at Messrs. Loddiges's.
4 v 4.
1398 ARBORETUM AND FKUT1CETUM. PART 111.
£ 6. U. MONTA\NA Bank. The mountain, Scotch, or Wych, Elm.
Identification Bauh Pin., 427. ; With. Bot.,279. ; Sm. Engl.Bot., t. 1827. ; Engl. Fl., 2. p. 22.; Hook.
Brit. Fl., p. 142.; Lindl. Synop., p. 227. ; Mackay's Fl. Hibern. PL, 1. p. 241.; Lodd. Cat, ed.
Sunoninna U glabra Huds., ed. 1., 95. ; U. eff Cisa Sibth., 87., Abbot, 55. ; U. scabra Mill. Diet., No. 2. ;
U. nMaEhrh. ; U. camp^stre Willd. Sp. PI., p. 1324., Fl. Dan., t. 632., Huds., 109., Lig/itfoot,
1094 • WychtHazel of old authors.
Engravings. Engl. Bot., t. 1887. ; Fl. Dan., t. 632. ; and the plates of some of the varieties in our
last Vofuine.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves pointed, rough, broad, and doubly serrated. Flowers
on longish peduncles loosely tufted, 5 — 6-cleft. Samara somewhat orbicular,
slightly cloven, naked. Branches drooping at their extremities ; their bark
sm&ooth and even. (Smith, adapted.) A tree, a native of Britain, and of
various parts of Europe ; flowering in April and May, and ripening its seeds
in June.
Varieties. The varieties of the Scotch elm are extremely distinct, and very
handsome trees, some well worth cultivating in a useful, and others in an
ornamental, point of view.
A. Timber Trees.
¥ U. m. 1 vulgaris. — Tree spreading ; seldom exceeding 40 ft. or 50 ft. in
height, except when drawn up by other trees.
¥ U. m. 2 rugosa Masters, U. rugosa Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836. — Bark reddish
brown, cracking into short regular pieces, very like that of A^cer
campestre. Tree of spreading growth, and moderate size. A tree
with this name attached to it, in the London Horticultural Society's
Garden, has much smaller and rougher leaves than the species, and
they are of a deeper green. The tree is of upright growth, and is,
probably, not identical with the U. in. rugosa of Mr. Masters.
1 U. m. 3 major Masters. — The tree is of upright and rapid growth, with
few branches ; and, in some stages, approaching the habit of the
common Scotch elm, but of a more tapering form. The leaves fall
almost a month sooner than those of the following sort. There is a
very handsome tree of this variety in the Horticultural Society's
Garden, which we have figured in our last Volume, and which we
have no doubt is identical with the kind described by Mr. Masters.
It loses its leaves, in the Horticultural Society's Garden, before
any other species or variety.
If U. in. 4 minor Masters, as compared with U. m. major, is of a more
branching and spreading habit, of lower growth, with more twiggy
shoots ; and these are more densely clothed with leaves, which are
retained long in the autumn.
3f U. m. 5 cebennensis Hort. The Cevennes Elm. — There is a tree of this
variety in the Horticultural Society's Garden, which, in 1834, was
12 ft. high, after being 10 years planted. Its habit is spreading, like
that of U. m. vulgaris ; but it appears of much less vigorous growth.
t U. m. 6 ntgra, U. nigra Lodd. Cat., the black Irish Elm, is a spreading
tree, with the habit of U. montana vulgaris, but with much smaller
leaves. It is by some considered as a variety of U. campestris ; but,
as it ripens seeds in Ireland, we are inclined _to think it belongs to
what may be called the seed-bearing section of the genus, and, con-
sequently, to U. montana.
t U. m. 7 austrdlis Hort. — The tree of this variety in the Horticultural
Society's Garden has rather smaller leaves, and a more pendulous
habit of growth, than the species ; but it does not appear to be dif-
ferent in any other respect.
B. Ornamental or curious Varieties.
i U. m. 8 pendula ; U. pendula Lodd. Cat., ed. 1 836 ; U. glabra decum-
bens Hort. Dur. j U. horizontalis Hort. ; U. riibra in the Horticultural
Society's Garden; and the plate of this tree in our last Volume. —
CHAP. CI. ri.MA*CE/E. Z/'LMUS.
This is a beautiful highly characteristic tree, generally growing to
one side, spreading its branches in a fan-like manner, and stretching
them out sometimes horizontally, and at other times almost per-
pendicularly downwards, so that the head of the tree exhibits great
variety of shape. By some, this variety is considered to belong to
an American species of elm ; but from its large rough leaves, its
vigorous young wood and large buds, and, above all, from its flower-
ing at the same time as U. montana, and, like it, ripening abundance
of seeds, which no American elm whatever does in Europe, we have
not a doubt that it is a variety of U. montana. For particular
situations in artificial scenery it is admirably adapted : for example,
for attracting the eye, and fixing it, in order to draw it away from
some object which cannot be concealed, but which it is not de-
sirable should attract notice. There is a handsome tree of this
variety in the Hammersmith Nursery, where, after being 12 years
planted, it is 30 ft. high. One in the Horticultural Society's Garden
was, in 1 834, after being 10 years planted, 26 ft. high.
=¥ U. m. 9 fastigiata Hort., J7.glabra replicata Hort.Dur., U. Fordi'z Hort.,
U. exoniensis Hort., and the plate in our last Volume. The Exeter
Elm, Ford's Elm. — A very remarkable variety ,with peculiarly twisted
leaves, and a very fastigiate habit of growth. The leaves, which are
very harsh, feather-nerved, and retain their deep green till they fall
off, enfold one side of the shoots. The whole habit of growth of
of U. m. fastigiata is remarkable; and it forms a singular cup-
shaped tree, that cannot be mistaken for any other. Its foliage is
darker than that of any other elm, save that of U. c. virens. (See
p. 1376.) This variety was raised at Exeter, by Mr. Ford, nur-
seryman there, about 1826. It is of less vigorous growth than
the preceding varieties ; but, being of a very marked character, it
well deserves a place in collections. There is a handsome tree of
this variety, 16ft. high, in the Horticultural Society's Garden, and
plants in most English nurseries.
¥ U. m. 10 crisp f/, ? U. crispa Willd. The curled-leaved Elm. — The tree
of this variety in the Horticultural Society's Garden is 8 ft. or 10 ft.
high, and rather of a slender and stunted habit of growth.
Other Varieties. Several might be taken from catalogues, both timber
trees and curious plants ; but the former, such as U. montana vegeta Lindl.,
we think may be best classed under U. m. glabra, and the latter are of so
little merit, that we hardly think them worth recording in this work. (See
Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.)
Description, $c. The Scotch elm has not so upright a trunk as the English
elm ; and it soon divides into long, widely spreading, somewhat drooping
branches, forming a large spreading tree. It is " of quicker growth than U.
eampestris ; and the wood is, consequently, far inferior in hardness and
compactness, and more liable to split. The branches are, in some individuals,
quite pendulous, like the weeping willow. Their bark is even ; downy in a
young state. Leaves larger than any of the foregoing ; broadly elliptical,
with a longer copiously serrated point ; rough on the upper surface, with
minute, callous, bristly tubercles, but less harsh than most of the preceding;
the under surface downy and paler, with straight, parallel, transverse ribs,
copiously hairy at their origins and subdivisions. Flowers rather larger and
paler, in looser tufts than most of the species ; each in 5, 6, or 7 oblong-acute
segments, and as many broad, rather heart-shaped, dark purple anthers. Cap-
sule broadly obovate or elliptical, and almost orbicular, with a shallow notch
at the end, not extending half way to the seed." A native of the northern
and temperate parts of Europe. ( Watson.) It is found in numerous places in
Britain ; and is the most common elm in Scotland and Ireland. From the leaves
somewhat resembling those of the hazel, Gerard tells us that, in Hampshire, "it
is commonly called the witch hasell. Old men affirm," he adds, " that, when
14-00 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
long bows were in use, there were very many made of the wood of this tree;
for which purpose, it is mentioned in the English statutes by this name of
witch hasell." ( Gcr. Ernac., p. 1480.)
It is only within the present century that this tree has been much planted
in England, though in Scotland and Ireland its timber has long been consi-
dered as next in value to that of the oak; and it has, accordingly, been exten-
sively introduced into artificial plantations. It is very remarkable that this
species seems to be altogether unknown in France and Germany ; neither
being mentioned in the Nouveau Du Hamelt\.\\v Nouveau Cours d1 Agriculture y the
Dictionnaire des Emu et Forets, the Florc Franpaise, nor even in Willdenow's
Baumzucht, as far as we have seen in the Continental nurserymen's cata-
logues, and with the exception of that of Booth of Hamburgh ; though, by the
American catalogues, it appears to have been introduced into that country.
It may possibly, however, be known on the Continent as a variety of U.
campestris, that species being given as synonymous with it in Smith's English
Flora, on the authority of several authors. Indeed some botanists are of
opinion that the U. campestris of Linnaeus is the U. montana of modern
botanists. Among the trees of France JJ'lmus montana Bauh. is included,
but this, Mirbel, in his Nouveau Dit Hamel, makes synonymous with the Dutch
elm (U. major), and with £7. effusa Willd. Sir J. E. Smith, however, con-
siders Bauhin's figure as representing U. montana, and as the U. montana
cebennensis is a native of the south of France, we may safely assume the
species as being indigenous throughout Europe generally, though not under
our name of U. montana.
Properties and Uses. The wych elm, according to Gerard, was applied to
various uses in ancient times. It was not only made into bows, but its bark,
which is so tough that it will strip or peel off from the wood from one end of
a bough to the other without breaking, was made into ropes. The wood was
not considered so good for naves as the wood of the common elm, which then, as
now, was esteemed superior in toughness and strength, though the wood of the
wych elm cleaved better. In Scotland, where the tree abounds, both naturally
and in artificial plantations, it weighs less than the wood of the English elm,
and is more coarse-grained. Nevertheless, Sang observes, " it is always prized
next to the wood of the oak." "It is used," he adds, "by the ship-builder,
the boat-builder, the block and pump maker, the cartwright, the cabinet-
maker, and the coachmaker." The timber, Matthews observes, has much
sap-wood, and great longitudinal toughness; but, from the great quantity of
sap-wood, and want of lateral adhesion, it splits considerably when dry. The
tree has a peculiar fan-like spread of the branches, often tending to one side,
and most perceptible in young trees. Hence the tree, when grown up, " has
generally a slight bending in the stem, which renders it very fitting for floor-
timbers of vessels ; the only part of a ship, except the bottom plank, to
which it is applicable, as it soon decays above water. Its great toughness and
strength, however, render it fit for floors." ( On Naval Timber, &c., p. 52.)
" The tree," Matthews continues, " when come to some size, on the primary
branches being lopped off', like the common elm and the oak, often throws out
a brush of twigs from the stem ; and these twigs impeding the transit of the
sap, the brush increases, and the stem thickens considerably, in consequence of
a warty-like deposit of wood forming at the root of the twigs. This
excrescence, when of size, after being seasoned in some cool moist place,
such as the north reentering angle of a building exposed to the dripping
from the roof, forms a richer veneer for cabinet-work than any other timber."
(Ibid., p. 53.) But, even without this process, the wood has often a curious
laced appearance, which renders it fit for beautiful cabinet-work. A writer in
the Gardener's Magazine (Mr. Ashworth of Prestwich, near Manchester,)
states the timber of the Scotch elm to be nearly equal in value to that of
the ash. " It is good," he says, " for the naves, poles, and shafts of gigs and
other carriages ; and, froru its not splintering, as the oak and the ash do, in
time of battle, for swingle-trees of great gun carriages. It is also used for
CHAP. CI. ULMfCcEJE. f/'LMUS.
dyers' and printers' rollers ; the wood, by constant use, wearing smooth. Cart-
wrights employ it for shafts, naves, beds, rails, and standards for wheel-
barrows; anil the handles of spades, forks, and other agricultural implements."
The price of the wood of U. campestris is from 1,5. to l.v. 4<Y. per cubic foot, and
that off/, montaua is from \s. 8r/. to 2s. Young plants of the former, 6ft.
high, are Gd. each ; but of the latter, only 12*. per hundred. (Vol. xii. p. 409.)
As an ornamental tree, Sang observes, " the Scotch elm cannot be termed
beautiful ; but, certainly, an aged elm, when standing singly, is a very capital
object. In the form of its branches, and its general outline, it much resembles
the oak. Hence, in many of the recently improved places in Scotland
(where this tree chiefly abounds), it has been reserved as an ornamental tree,
and, in this particular, is an excellent substitute for the oak. Even where the
oak and the chestnut abound (as at Alva),the Scotch elm maintains its place,
with excellent effect, as a park tree." (Song's PL CaL, p. 86.) Gilpin says
of the" wych elm, that it " is, perhaps, generally more picturesque than the com-
mon sort, as it hangs more negligently, though, at the same time, with this
negligence, it loses in a good degree that happy surface for catching masses of
light which we admire in the common elm. We observe, also, when we see
this tree in company with the common elm, that its bark is somewhat of a
lighter hue. The wych elm is a native of Scotland, where it is found, not
only in the plains and valleys of the Lowlands, but is hardy enough to climb
the steeps, and flourish in the remotest Highlands ; though it does not attain,
in those climates, the size which it attains in England. Naturalists suppose
the wych elm to be the only species of this tree which is indigenous to our
island." (GUpin'i Forest Scenery, vol. i. p. 44.) On this passage, Sir Thomas
Dick Lauder observes, " We are disposed to think that Mr. Gilpin hardly
does justice to this elm. For our parts, we consider the wych, or Scottish,
elm as one of the most beautiful trees in our British sylva. The trunk is
so bold and picturesque in form, covered, as it frequently is, with huge ex-
crescences ; the limbs and branches are so free and graceful in their growth ; and
the foliage is so rich, without being leafy or clumpy as a whole ; and the head
is, generally, so finely massed, and yet so well broken, as to render it one of
the noblest of park trees ; and, when it grows wildly amid the rocky scenery
of its native Scotland, there is no tree which assumes so great or so
pleasing a variety of character." (Lander's Gilpin, i. p. 91.) One of the
most common uses of this tree, in British nurseries, is as a stock for the dif-
ferent sorts of English and American elms.
Popular Superstitions. In many parts of the country, the wych elm, or
witch hazel, as it is still occasionally called, is considered a preservative against
witches; probably from the coincidence between the words wych and witch.
In some of the midland counties, even to the present day, a little cavity is
made in the churn, to receive a small portion of witch hazel, without which
the dairy-maids imagine that they would not be able to get the butter to
come.
Soil and Situation. " The Scotch elm," Sang observes, " accommodates
itself, both in a natural state and when planted, to many different soils and
situations. The soil in which it most luxuriates is a deep rich loam j but that in
which it becomes most valuable, is a sandy loam, lying on rubble stone, or on dry
rock. It is frequently found flourishing by the sides of rivers or streams,
which sometimes wash part of its roots ; yet it will not endure stagnant
moisture. In wet tilly clays, as at Panmure in Forfarshire, it soon sickens.
On bleak hills, among rocks, and where soil is hardly perceptible, its roots
will often find nourishment, and the tree will arrive at a considerable size.
In a mixture of loam and clay schistus, incumbent on whinstone rock, as at
Alva, it arrives at a large size within a century." (Plant. Cat., p. 56.)
Propagation and Culture. The Scotch elm does not produce suckers like
the English elm ; but, according to Boutcher, it roots more readily from layers
than that species. The most ready mode of propagating it, however, is by
seeds, which are produced in great abundance, and are ripe about the middle
14-02 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
of June. They ought to be gathered with the hand before they drop, as from
their lightness and winged appendages, they are very apt to be blown away by
the wind. The seeds may either be sown as soon as gathered, in which case,
many plants will come up the same season ; or they may be thinly spread out
to dry in the shade, and afterwards put up into bags or boxes, and kept in a
dry place till the following March or April. Sang directs the seeds to be
chosen from the tallest and most erect and healthy trees ; on the sound
principle, that plants, like animals, convey to their progeny their appearance
and habits, whether good or bad. Trees, therefore, though having abundance
of seeds, if they be either visibly diseased, or ill formed, should be passed over
by the collector. Elm seeds should be gathered the moment they are ripe, which
is readily known by their beginning to fall. If the gathering is delayed for a
single day, the seed is liable to be blown off, and scattered by the slightest gale.
(Plant. Cal.y p. 412.) The seeds, whether sown immediately when gathered,
or in the following spring, ought to be deposited in light or friable rich soil, and
very thinly, in order that the plants that rise from them may be strong and vigo-
rous. If they rise too thickly the first year, they are for several years after sensi-
bly affected, continuing weak, although carefully thinned out. The best form in
which the seed can be deposited is in beds ; and the covering of soil should
not be more than \ in. thick. (/rf.,p. 283.) The plants may be transplanted
into nursery lines, either at the age of one or two years ; and they may be
grafted the following spring. If not intended to be grafted, they may go
through a regular course of nursery culture, till they have attained the desired
height ; and they will transplant readily at 20 ft. or 25 ft., though not nearly
so well at that size as the U. campestris. Few plants succeed more readily
by grafting than the elm ; so much so, that when the graft is made close to
the surface of the soil, and the scion tied on with matting, the mere earthing
up of the plants from the soil in the intervals between the rows will serve as
a substitute for claying. The graft, in our opinion, should always be made 6 in.
or Sin. above the collar, in order to lessen the risk of the scion, when it
becomes a tree, throwing out roots ; which, in the case of all the varieties of
U. campestris, would become troublesome by their suckers.
Statistics. Recorded Trees. Cook (Forest Trees, prof. p. xiv.) mentions a wych elm, which was
felled in Sir Walter Bagel's Park, in Staffordshire, which was 120ft. high, with a trunk 17ft. in di-
ameter at the surface of the ground. It required two men five days to fell it; after which it lay 40 yards
in length, and was at the stool 17ft. in diameter. It broke, in thefall,14 loads of wood ; and had 48 loads
in the head. It yielded 8 pairs of naves ; 8660 ft. of boards _•»**. <s^
and planks; and the whole was esteemed to weigh 97 ions.
The Tutbury wych elm is mentioned, in Shaw's Stafford-
shire, as forming a magnificent feature, both in the near
and distant prospect. Strutt, who has given an engraving
of this tree, of which fig. 1243. is a reduced copy, to the ^S
scale of 1 in. to 50ft. describes it as having a trunk 12ft. r~^
long, and 16ft. 9in. in circumference at the height of /-
from the ground. The trunk divides, at the height of 12 ft, **
into 8 noble branches, which are nearly 50 ft. high, and
extend between 50 ft. and 60 ft. from the centre of the tree, ^
which contained 689 cubic feet of timber. This tree exists
still, and the dimensions and contents given by Strutt
have been confirmed to us by Thomas Turner, Esq., Sud-
bury. The wych elm at Bagot's Mill is also figured by
Strutt (p. 68.), who says that it is a tree more remark-
able for its beauty than its size. The largest elms which are known certainly to belong to the
species U. montana are supposed to be in Scotland. The following dimensions are taken from
Sang's Planter's Calendar ; and the reader may rely on their being of trees of the true U. montana. On
the estate of Castle Huntly, there are several fine Scotch elms, which girt, at 3 ft. from the ground,
about lift. At Lord Morton's, Aberdour, Fife, there is a Scotch elm, which measured, March 10.
1812, 40ft. length of bole, and in girt;il ft. 6 in. Two elms, at Yair, in Selkirkshire, girt each, at the
surface of the ground, 13ft. An elm tree, in the parish of Roxburgh, in Teviotdale, called the
Trysting Tree, was measured in 1796 ; and its girt, at 4 ft. from the surface of the ground, was .>() ft.
An elm, on the lawn at Taymouth Castle, girted, in September, 1814, 15 ft. 9 in. (Sang's Nicol's
I'lnnt. Cal., p. 549.) In Ireland, the wych, or native Irish elm, appears to grow with great vigour.
Hayes mentions six trees, produced from layers from the stole of a tree felled for that purpose, which
in 26 years girted from 3ft. 11 in. to 4ft. 9 in. at 5ft. from the ground. Three out of these six
trees would thus, at 26 years' growth, cut into 12 in. planks. (Pntcl. Hints on, Plant., p. 162.) A Scotch
elm, remarkable for its fantastic boughs, is figured in Montcith's Forester's Guide, pi. 12., and said
to stand on the estate of Touch, Stirlingshire. " My reason for giving a figure of this tree," says
Monteith, " is, that it proves to demonstration the different crooks and shapes that, by a timely
attention to the growth of trees/they could be brought to grow to. The crooked branch of this tree
had evidently once been the main stem ; but was kept down, I am told, by children swinging upon
it when young. Hence it has, as will be seen by looking at the dimensions, been brought to form
CHAP. CI.
1403
crooks nearly equal in largeness to the bole of the tree. This tree affords a very great natural
curiosity to the eve of a lover of trees. (Fur. Ut/idc, p. 392.)
NtHtistfcs of eristin" Trees In England. At Muswell Hill, it is 85 ft. high, the diameter of the
trunk,] ft and of the head 4511. In Hampshire, at Alresford, 81 years planted, it is 72 ft. high,
diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 5 in., and of the head 36 ft. In the Isle of Wight, in Wilkins's Nursery,
it is '25ft. high. In Somersetshire, at Nettlecombe, 40 years planted, it is (if) ft. high, the diameter
of the trunk 1 ft. 11 in , and of the head 26ft In Surrey, at Farnham Castle, it is 80 ft. high, diameter
of the trunk '.'ft. 4 in., and of the head 86ft. ; at St. Anne's Hill, it is 70 ft. high, diameter of trunk 4 ft.,
and of the head 9!> ft In Bedfordshire, at Woburn Abbey, is one with a trunk 6| ft., and the diameter
of the head 1)2 ft. In Monmouthsliire.at Dowhiis House," 20 yearsold, it is 30 ft. high. In Oxfordshire,
in the Oxford Botanic Garden, it is 100 tl. high, diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 10 in., and(of the head 120ft.
In Worcestershire, at Croome, 70 years planted, it is "0 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 4ft., and of the
head 28ft.; at Hagley, 10 years "planted, it is 14ft. high. In Yorkshire, at Grimstone, 12. years
planted, it is 24 ft. high.
U. montuna in Scotland. In the Horticultural Garden, Inverleith, ?9 years planted, it is 18ft.
high ; at Hopetoun House, 100 years planted, it is 60 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 4 ft., and of thi.
head 51 ft. In Clackmannanshire, in the garden of the Dollar I nsti- .oJ3teflLifl5»
tution, 12 years planted, it is 30ft. high, diameter of the trunk 1 ft.,
and of the" head 24ft. In Lanarkshire, at Pollock, are some very
large wych elms, one of which figured by Strutt in 1812 was then
86ft. high, but in October, 1839, it was again measured for this work,
and was found 90ft. high, the diameter of the trunk nearly 4ft.,
at 5 ft. from the ground. There are three other elms at Pollock nearly
as large; and one which is reported to have been planted by Sir
Thomas Maxwell, lord advocate of William III., and one of the
commissioners of the union, and which must consequently be up-
wards of 180 years old. In Perthshire, at Kinfauns Castle, it is
70ft high, diameter of the trunk 6J ft, and of the head 60ft A
sketch of this tree was sent us by Mr. Robertson, gardener at Kin-
fauns Castle, of which fig. 1244. is an engraving, reduced to the
scale of 1 in. to 50 ft. In Stirlingshire, at Airthrey Castle, it is 63ft.
high, diameter of the trunk 4 ft, and of the head 48 ft. ; at Callender
Park, it is 46 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 5 ft, and of the
head 66 ft.
U. mant.ana in Ireland. In Cork, at Castle Freke, it is 50 ft. high,
diameter of the trunk 1 ft. Sin., and of the head 32ft. In Louth, near
1 244
Mansfieldstown, at Bawn,
,
a tree planted to commemorate the birth of the grandfather of the present proprietor, and which is
considered to be of about 120 years' growth, is 70 ft high ; the diameter of the trunk at the base 9 ft.
8in., at 6 It. from theground 5 ft. 4 in., and the diameter of the head 90 ft.
Commercial Statistics. Plants, in the London nurseries, are, seedlings 5,s\
per thousand ; transplanted seedlings, from 1 ft. to 2 ft. high, 15s. per thou-
sand ; from 2 ft. to 3 ft. high, 25s. per thousand ; from 4 ft. to 6 ft. high, 5().v.
per thousand. At Bollwyller, large plants are 1 franc each ; and at New
York, they are 5 cents each.
¥ 7. U. (M.) GLA'BRA Mill. The smoot\\-/eaved, or Wycli, Elm.
Identification. Mill. Diet., ed. 8., No. 4. ; Cullum, 97. ; Engl. Bot t 2«48 • Sm Engl Fl ,2 p. 23. ;
Hook. Br. FL, p. 142. ; Lindl. Synop., p. 226. ; Mackay Fl. Hibern., pt. 1. p. 241.
Synonymei. U. montana/S Fl. Br., 282. ; Hull., ed. 2.," 75., U. fblio glabro Ger. Emac., 1481. f.,
Raii Syn., 469. ; U. campestris var. 3. With. 279. ; the feathered Elm.
Engravings. EngL Bot., t. 2248. ; Ger. Emac., 1481. f. ; and our fig. 1245.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves elliptic-oblong, doubly serrated, smooth. Flowers
nearly sessile, 5-cleft. Samara obovate, naked, deeply cloven. (Smith.'}
A tall elegant tree, with spreading, rather drooping, smooth, blackish
branches, scarcely downy in their earliest stage of growth.
Leaves smaller than any of the preceding (except U. cam-
pe"stris), as well as more oblong ; strongly serrated, very
unequal at the base, not elongated at the extremity ; their
substance firm, or rather rigid ; the surface of both sides
very smooth to the touch, and without any hairs beneath,
except the axillary pubescence of the ribs, which often
forms a narrow downy line along the midrib. Flowers ^
nearly sessile, with 5 short, bluntish, fringed segments,
and as many longish stamens ; the anthers of which are
roundish heart-shaped. Samara smaller than most other
species, obovate, cloven down to the seed, smooth, often
reddish. A native of Britain, chiefly in England, in
woods and hedges ; and forming the most common elm
in some parts of Essex. It bears seeds in nearly as great abundance as I '.
montana, and it does not throw up suckers ; which convinces us that it is
only a variety of that species. The propagation, culture, &c., of U. glabra
and its varieties are the same as in the preceding sort; but, to preserve the
latter distinct, they ought to be grafted.
1245
1404- ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
Varieties. In consequence of U. glabra ripening seeds in different parts of
England, many varieties have been raised from it, most of which are distin-
guished by great rapidity of growth. From the specimens that have been
sent to us from the Canterbury, Huntingdon, and other nurseries, and also
from the trees in the Horticultural Society's Garden, it is difficult to de-
termine, in every case, whether the varieties of U. (m.) glabra are not nearer
to U. mo.itana or U. americana, than to that sub-species ; and, in some in-
stances, they appear to partake of the character of U. campestris and U.
(c.) suberosa. T. A. Knight, Esq., informs us that from seeds of one variety
of U. (m.) glabra, viz. the Downton elm, which were ripened in the cold
climate of that part of Shropshire, he " raised plants which are so perfectly
similar to the U. suberosa, and which approximate so nearly to the character
of the U. glabra, that " he does " not doubt but that the U. campestris, U.
suberosa, U. glabra, and three or four other varieties which " he has " seen
in different parts of England, are all varieties only of the same species."
A. Timber Trees.
t U. (m.} g. 1 vuJgaris. The common smooth-leaved Elm.
¥ U. 0«.)g. 2 vegeta; U. montana vegeta in the Horticultural Society's
Garden; U. americana Masters. The Huntingdon Elm, the Chichester
Elm, the American Elm in some places, and, perhaps, the Scampston
Elm. — This is by far the most vigorous-growing kind of elrn propa-
gated in British nurseries, often making snoots from 6ft. to 10ft. in
length in one season ; and the tree attaining the height of upwards of
30 ft. in 10 years from the graft. Having written to Huntingdon, Chi-
chester, York, Newcastle, and various other places, respecting this
elm, we have received the following information from Mr. John
Wood, nurseryman, near Huntingdon, dated November, 1836. — " The
Huntingdon elm," he says, " was raised here about 80 or 90 years
ago, by an uncle of mine, from seed collected in this neighbourhood.
I have sent many plants of it all over the country ; and it has been
given out from Norwich, Bristol, and other places, under the name
of the Chichester elm ; but you may rely on my word that the Chi-
chester elm and the Huntingdon elm are one and the same thing.
The tree is the fastest grower, and produces the best timber, of all
the elms. I have lately cut down some trees planted about 40 years
ago, and have used the planks in various ways in house-building."
The young shoots of this elm sent to us by Mr. Wood were 9 ft.
long; and those sent to us by Mr. Masters, under the name of the
American elm, which he considers as a synonyme to the Hunting-
don elm, were about the same length. We also observed that the
shoots of U. campestris alba Masters, and of U. c. acutifolia Mas-
ters, strongly resemble those of the Huntingdon elm. The tree
marked as the Huntingdon elm in the Horticultural Society's Gar-
den was, in 1834, 35ft. high, after being 10 years planted.
If U. (m.) g. 3 var. The Scampston Elm. — The earliest notice which
we can find of this tree is in the Agricultural Report for the County
of Durham, published in 1810; and in which it is said that the
Scampston elm comes from a place of that name in Yorkshire, but
is supposed to be originally from America. It is said to be a plant
of wonderfully quick growth, having made shoots from grafts, in one
year, of 5 ft. or 6 ft. in length. From the tree bearing this name in
the Horticultural Society's Garden, which, in 1834, was 18ft. high,
after being 8 years planted, it is clearly some variety of U. glabra,
and very little different from the species.
^ U. (m.} g. 4 major, U. glabra major Hort. Dur., the Canterbury Seedling,
is of more vigorous growth than the species, and, indeed, is a rival
to U. americana and the Huntingdon elm, in quickness of growth.
CHAP. CI. C/LM/OCK.i:. £/LMi;s. 1405
It preserves its foliage long after U. (m.)glabra; and its bark is
like that of the Huntingdon elm. This tree is also more spreading
than that sort. Judging from the specimens of this variety sent to
us by Mr. Masters, we should say that it belongs fully as much to
U. montana as to U. (m.) glabra.
¥ U. (w.) £. 5 glandu/nsn Lindl. — Leaves very glandular beneath.
¥ U. (m.) g. 6 lalifWa Lindl. — Leaves oblong, acute, very broad.
¥ U. (?».) g. 7 mlcroplnjlla H. S. — The tree of this variety in the Horti-
cultural Society's Garden is 40 ft. high, and bears a considerable
resemblance to U. campestris ; but is evidently of the U. montana
family. A tree in the Horticultural Society's Garden, marked U.
g. parvifulia (from Germany), seems to us identical with this variety.
B. Ornamental or curious Trees.
¥ U. (???.) g. 8 p endu !a, U. campestris pendula Hort. Dur.,ihe Downton
Elm, was raised in Smith's Nursery, at Worcester, Mr. Smith
states, in 1810, from seeds obtained from a tree in Nottinghamshire.
Mr. Knight of Downton Castle purchased some of these trees;
and one of them turned out to be that weeping variety which
has since obtained the name of the Downton elm. On writing to
Mr. Smith, to endeavour to get some* information respecting the
trees that produced the seed, he informs us in answer, that, after
making every enquiry in Nottinghamshire respecting these trees, he
finds " they were a mixture of wych and English : probably they
were all planted as English; but, being grafted trees, and being planted
by the side of a public road, they might have been broken off at the
graft when young. At any rate, the plants produced from the seeds
were a complete mixture of the English and wych elms, both by
their leaves and their manner of growth. The original trees in Not-
tinghamshire have been long since cut down, and the ground built
upon. The plants which I raised," he adds, " not meeting with a
ready sale, I grafted them with the common English elm, which is
more in demand in this neighbourhood." Mr. Knight observes that
" the Downton elm is more remarkable for the singularity of its
form and growth, than for its value as a timber tree." There is a tree
of this variety in the Horticultural Society's Garden 23 ft. high, the
branches of which are somewhat pendulous.
*£ U. (m.) g. 9 varicgdta H. S. has variegated leaves.
¥ U.(m.)g. 10 ramurosa Booth. — We have not seen this variety lately;
but there were plants of it in the Horticultural Society's Garden
some years ago ; and we suppose it still exists in the Floetbeck
Nurseries.
Statistics. Young trees of Lrlmus glabra in the Horticultural Society's Garden, which, in 1834,
had been 10 years planted, were between 30ft and 40ft. high. In Dorsetshire, at Melbury Park,
40 years planted, it is 66 ft, high ; diameter of the trunk 2 ft, and of the head 44 ft. In Staffordshire,
at Trenthnm, "26 years planted, it is 34 ft. high. In Yorkshire, at Grimstcn, 14 years planted, it is
25 ft. high. In Perthshire, at Taymouth, IfiO years planted, it is 100ft. high ; diameter of the trunk
8ft., and of the head 90 ft. In Germany, in the Botanic Garden, Gottingen, it is 30ft. high, with
a trunk 1 ft. in diameter.
Commercial Statistics. Plants of the Huntingdon elm, in the London nur-
series, from -i ft. to 5 ft. high (that is, one year grafted), are 25s. per hundred ;
from? ft. to 9 ft. high (that is, 2 years from the graft), 50s. per hundred.
± 8. U. A'LBA Kit. The whitish-/«zwrf Elm.
Idtntification. Kitaib., quoted in Ro?m. et Sennit. Syst. Veg., fi. p. 300, ; Willd. Baumz., p. SIS •
Schult. Oestr. Fl., ed. 2., 1. p. 466. ; Rcem. et Schult. Syst. \ eg., li. p. M). ; Spreng. Syst. Veg., 1
p. 930.
Spec. Char., fyc. Bark grey brown ; smooth, not chinky. Leaves with downy petioles; and disks
oblong, acuminate, 2£in. long, unequal at the base, doubly and ver; argutely serrate; almvt ,
deep green ; beneath, downy, and becoming obviously whitish. (Willd. and Sc/iul/. Si/at. )'r^., \\.
p. 300.) A native ot Hungary ; said to have been introduced in 1KS4, but we are not aware 'that
the plant is in British gardens.
14-06 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
Y 9. U. AMERICA\\A L. The American Elm.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 327. ; \Viltd. Sp. PL, 1. p. 1325., exclusive of the var. y •; Willd. Enum.
Hort. Berol., p. 295., ai:d Suppl., p. 14. ; Poiret. Encycl. Mcth., 4. p. 611. ; Michx- Fl. Bor. Amer., 2.
p. 172. ; Rcem. et Schult. Syst, 6. p. 300. ; Pur*h Fl. Amer. Sept., 1. p. 199., exclusive of the var.
£ ; Michx. Arb., 3. p. 269. ; North Amer. Sylva, 3. p. 83. t. 126. ; Ait. Hort. Kew., No. 3., exclusive
of the var. pendula ; Smith in Rees's Cyclop , No. 7. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
Si/nonymcs. The white Elm, Amer. ; the Canadian Elm ; the American white Elm.
Engravings. Michx. North Amer. Sylva, 3. t. 126. ; and our fig. 1246.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaf with the petiole 1 — U in. long, and hairy with short
hairs; and the disk unequal at the base, 4— 5 in. long, inclusive of a long
acuminate point, 2 — 2£ in. broad, serrate, and mostly doubly so ; the axils
of the veins underneath joined by a membrane. Flowers peduncled, effuse ;
peduncles short, glabrous. Stamens 5 and 8. Samara fringed at the edge
with hairs, ovate, acute. {Willd. Enum. and Suppl., Rcem. et Sclnilt. Syst.
J'eg.) This species is readily distinguishable from others hy the membrane
which appears at the axils of the veins. ( Willd. Enum. Suppl.) Young
branches brown> with short, very fine hairs. Leaves deeply green above,
almost glossy, rough ; beneath, pale, downy. Flowers like those of U. effusa.
Wild in North America, in low woods, from New England to Carolina.
A tree, growing, in North America, to the height of 80 ft. or 100 ft. Intro-
duced in 1752 ; but rarely flowering, and never ripening seeds, in England.
Varieties.
t U. a. 1 rubra Ait. Hort. Kew., i. p. 319. — Branches red. Leaves ovate,
rugose, rough. {Rcem. et Schult. Syst. Vcgi)
¥ U. a. 2 alba Ait. Hort. Kew., i. p. 319. ; Marsh., p. 250. — Branches
whitish. Leaves oblong, rough. ? U. mollifolia. {Rcem. et Scludt.
Syst. Veg.)
¥ U. a. 3 pendula Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., i. p. 200., Ait. Hort. Kew.,
1. p. 319., Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836. — Branches pendulous.
¥ U. a. 4 incisa H. S. See the plate in our last Volume. — This variety
differs from the other varieties, in having the leaves somewhat more
deeply serrated, and rather smaller, approaching nearer to those of
U. effusa. There is a tree in the Horticultural Society's Garden,
which, in 1834, was 27ft. high.
Description, $c. The leaves of the white American elm, according to
Michaux, are 4 in. or 5 in. long, borne on short petioles, alternate, unequal at
the base, oval-acuminate, and doubly denticulated : they are generally smaller
than those of the red elm (£7'lmus (a.) fulva). The flowers
appear before the leaves, and are very small ; of a purple
colour, supported by short slender footstalks, and united in
bunches at the extremity of the branches. The seeds are j
contained in flat, oval, fringed capsules, notched at the base.
The trunk is covered with a tender white bark, very deeply
furrowed. In favourable situations, on the banks of rivers,
the tree reaches a great height, and displays extraordinary
magnificence of vegetation. " In clearing the primitive
forests," says Michaux, " a few specimens of the white elm
are sometimes left standing. Insulated in this manner, it
appears in all its majesty, towering to the height of 80 ft. or
100ft., with a trunk 4ft. or 5ft. in diameter; regularly
shaped, naked, and insensibly diminishing to the height of
60ft. or 70ft.; when it divides itself into two or three
primary limbs. The limbs, not widely divergent near the 1246
base, approach and cross each other 8ft. or 10ft. higher; and diffuse on
all sides long, flexible, pendulous branches, bending into regular arches, and
floating lightly in the air. A singularity is observed in this tree, which I
have witnessed in no other: two small limbs, 4ft. or 5ft. long, grow in a
reversed position near the first ramification, and descend along the trunk."
(N. Amer. Syl , iii. p. 85.) In New Hampshire, he adds, " a great number of
young white elms are seen detached in the middle of the pastures : they
( 11 u>. Cl. ULALLCK&. LT'L.MUS. 1407
ramify at the height of b ft., 10ft., or 1-4 ft. ; and their limbs, springing at the
same point, cross each other, and rise with a uniform inclination, so as to
form on the summit a sheaf-like head, of regular proportions and admirable
beauty." (/6/W.) The white elm is a native of North America, from Nova
Scotia to Georgia, a distance of 1200 miles; but it is found in the greatest
perfection in Lower Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, the north-eastern
section of the United States, and Genessee in the state of New York. The
white elm delights in low humid situations ; soils such as, in the northern states,
are called interval lands. In the middle states, it grows in similar situations,
and on the border of swamps. West of the mountains, it abounds in all the fer-
tile bottoms watered by the great rivers that swell the Ohio and the Mississippi,
particularly on the brink of the rivers, where its base is inundated at the rising
of the waters in the spring. The wood is used for the same purposes as the
European elm, but it is decidedly inferior in strength and hardness ; it has also
less compactness, and splits more readily. The bark is said to be easily de-
tached during eight months of the year. Soaked in water, and rendered supple
by pounding, it is separated into shreds, or ribands, which are used, in the
northern states, for weaving into seats for common chairs, as rushes are in
England. (Michou*.) This tree was introduced into England in 1752, by
Mr. James Gordon ; though, as Martyn observes, no notice is taken of it, or
of any other American elm, in the edition of Miller's Dictionary which was
published sixteen years afterwards. The three varieties have doubtless existed
in the arboretum at Kew, and, probably, in the grounds at Syon ; but they are
not now to be found in either of these collections. The only plants which we
have seen are those in the Horticultural Society's Garden ; where there are
several from 15 ft. to 30 ft. in height. They bear a general resemblance to
U. montana, both in their naked and clothed state; but they are readily
distinguished from that species by the roughness of their bark. The leaves,
also, are more pointed, longer in proportion to their breadth, have longer foot-
stalks, and are of a finer green. They so closely resemble other trees, marked,
in the Horticultural Society's Garden, U. hispanica, as scarcely, if at all, to
be distinguishable from them. Michaux sent seeds of this elm to France in
1807, from which several thousand plants were raised ; and of which, according to
the Nouveau Du Hamcl, there are very fine specimens at Trianon, where they
are distinguished from all other ejms by the superior beauty of their leaves.
Cobbett informs us that he imported a quantity of elm seed from the borders
of Lake Ontario, which was gathered from a tree that had a clear straight
stem 70 ft. high, before it began to ramify ; but that these seeds, from having
been put together before they were thoroughly dried, had fermented on the
passage, and not one ever came up. (Woodlands, &c., p. 241. and 242.) In
the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, there is a tree which, in 1828, was 25ft. 6 in.
high, with a trunk 7 in. in diameter. Price of plants, in the London nurseries,
Is. each ; and the weeping variety is 50 cents.
5E 10. U. (A.) FU'LVA Michx. The tawny-budded, or slippery, Elm.
Identification. Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 1. p. 172. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 1. p. 200. ; Sprcng. Syst.
Veg.» 1. p. y31. ; Rees's Cyclop., No. 10. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Xi/tnmt/mes. U. rtlbra Michx. Arb., 3. p. 278., and a fig., North Amer. Syloa, 3. p. 89. t. 128. ; Orme
gras, French of Canada and Upper Louisiana ; red Elm, red-wooded Elm, Moose Elm.
Engravings. Michx. North Amer. Sylva, 3. t. 128. ; and our Jig. 1247.
. Char., $c. Resembles the Dutch elm. Branches rough, whitish.
Leaves ovate-oblong, acuminate, nearly equal at the base, more or less
cordate there ; serrate with unequal teeth, rugose, very rough, hairy on
both surfaces : they are larger, thicker, and rougher than those of U.
americana. Leaf buds tomentose, with a tawny dense tomentum : they are
larger and rounder than those of U. americana. Scales of the buds that
include the flowers downy. Peduncles of flowers short. Samara not fringed,
very like that of U. campestris ; orbicular, or, according to the figure in
Michaux's Xorlk American Syloa, obovate. ( J//V//.r., I'/trx//.) Leaves vari-
able in shape and serratures, but more downy than the other North Ame-
1408
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART HI.
rican elms. Stamens 5 — 7. Stigmas purplish. Samara, when young, downy
on both sides. This tree has been introduced, but when is not stated in
British catalogues.
Description, $c. The red, or slippery, elm, according to Michaux, bears a
strong resemblance to the Dutch elm. It forms a tree from 50ft. to 60ft.
high, and 15 in. or 20 in. in diameter. In the winter, Michaux observes,
" it is distinguished from the white American elm
by its buds, which are larger and rounder; and
which, a fortnight before their developement, are
covered with a russet down." The flowers are
produced in tufts at the extremity of the young
shoots. The scales which surround the bunches
of flowers are downy, like the buds. The calyx is
downy and sessile ; the stamens short, and of a pale
rose colour. The seeds are large, destitute of fringe,
round, and very similar to those of the European
elm; and they ripen very early. The bark is
brown ; and the leaves are oval-acuminate, doubly
denticulated, and larger, thicker, and rougher than
those of U. americana. " Except the maritime
districts of the Carolinas and Georgia, this species of elm is found in all
parts of the United States and of Canada." (Michaux.) " It is less
abundant than the white American elm ; and the two species are rarely found
together, as the red elm requires a substantial soil, free from moisture, and
even delights in elevated and open situations, such as the banks of steep rivers,
particularly the Hudson and the Susquehanna. The heart-wood is coarser-
grained and less compact than that of U. americana, and is of a dull red tinge ;
whence the name of red elm. Even in the branches of 1 in. or 2 in. in diameter,
it consists principally of perfect wood. It is the best wood in the United
States for blocks; and it makes excellent rails, which are of long duration, and
formed with little labour, as the trunk may be easily and regularly split ; and
this is probably the reason that it is never employed for the naves of wheels.
The leaves, and bark of the branches, macerated in water, yield a thick and
abundant mucilage (whence the name of slippery elm), which is used as a
refreshing drink for colds, and for emollient plasters, in the place of the marsh
mallow root, which does not grow in the United States. (Michx.} There
are small plants bearing the name of U. fulva, in Loddiges's arboretum;
but they are scarcely, if at all, distinguishable from U. americana.
X 11. U. ALA'TA Michx. The Wahoo, or co?-£-winged, Elm.
Identification. Michx. FL Bor. Amer., 1. p. 173. ; Arb., 3. p. 275. ; Michx. North Amer. Sylva, 3.
p. 87. t. 127. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 1. p. 200. j Spreng. Syst Veg., 1. p. 931. j Ilees's Cycl.,
No. 11.
Si/nonymes. U. pdmila Walt. Fl. Carol., 111. ; Wahoo, Indians of North America.
Engravings. Michx. North Amer. Sylva, 3. t. 127. ; and our fig. 1248.
Spec. Char., $c. A middle-sized tree, with leaves like those of the hornbeam
(Carpinus J?etulus L.}. Branches bearing two longitudinal corky wings.
Leaves with short petioles, and disks that are oblong-oval, narrowed to an
acute point, almost equal at the base, toothed. Samara downy, bearing a
dense fringe of hairs at the edge : it is smaller than that of U. americana,
by the figure in Michaux's North American Sylva, narrowed to both ends,
and having an open niche at the upper one. (Michx. N. A. S., Pursh FL
A. S.) A tree, 30 ft. high. Introduced in 1820.
Description, fyc. The wahoo elm is a tree seldom exceeding 30 ft. in height,
with a diameter of 9 in. or 10 in. The flowers do not differ materially from those
of the other elms. The seeds are fringed, and much smaller than those of the
white American elm. The leaves are oval, doubly denticulated, and rather small.
The most remarkable part of the tree is, however, a fungous appendage, two
or three lines wide, attached to the branches throughout their whole length ;
from which the name of alata (winged) has been given to the species. The
CHAP. CI.
£7LMAvCEiE. PLA NEIL4.
1248
wahoo elm is found only in the lower part of Virginia, in the
maritime districts of the Carolines and Georgia, in West
Tennessee, and in some parts of Kentucky. It is generally
found on the banks of rivers, and in the great swamps en-
closed in the pine barrens. The wood is fine-grained, more
compact, heavier, and stronger than that of U. americana.
The heart-wood is of a dull chocolate colour, and always
bears a great proportion to the sap-wood. At Charleston,
and some other parts of the southern states, it is used for
the naves of coach wheels ; but Michaux says that it is not
appropriated to any other use. There are small plants in
Messrs. Loddiges's collection, which, from the leaves, might
be taken for those of U. (c.) suberosa ; and the engraving
in Michaux, from which fig. 124-8. is reduced to our usual
scale, closely resembles the young shoots and leaves of that tree of U. (c.)
suberosa in the Horticultural Society's Garden, of which a plate is given in
our last Volume.
App. i. Doubtful Sorts qfU'lmus.
This genus, as observed by Professor Lindley (Synops., p. 227.), is in such a state of confusion, that it
is impossible to determine what plants are meant by various names extant in botanical works. U. pu-
besccns Walt, and U. fruticdsa Willd. are of this description. In p. 174., U. inteerrfulia and U. virgata
are mentioned as Himalayan species, probably hardy or half-hardy. In RoyTe's Illust., p. 339., U.
lancifMia, U. erdsa, which resembles U. effusa, U. l&vigata, and U. virgdta, are mentioned as natives
of the Himalayas and other parts of India, and some of them of China. A plant named U. canade'nsis,
in the Horticultural Society's Garden, has a smooth bark, like U. montana, and appears to be nothing
more than that species. The Wormley Grange, or Byford, elm, and the black elm of Ireland, are
said by Dr. Lindley to be probably other species to add to the British flora. Sir J. E. Smith considers
the Hertfordshire elm as U. montana ; but Dr. Lindley says that it " is probably a variety of U. cam-
p£stris." Notwithstanding the utmost attention that we have been able to give to this subject, and
the communication of specimens from all parts of the country, we have by no means been able to
draw up this article in a manner perfectly satisfactory to ourselves. Specimens, except in cases
where they have been gathered from trees by ourselves, and, therefore, serve to remind us of the ge-
neral appearance and habit of the tree whence they have been taken, we have found in this, as in many
other cases, to be of comparatively little use. The genus, as Dr. Lindley has observed, must be
studied during a period of several years, from living plants. An ulmarium, though it would not
exhibit so much grandeur as a pinetum, so much beauty as an ericetum, nor so much blossom in
early spring as a salictum, would be incomparably more useful ; provided proper space were allowed
10 admit of every tree attaining its natural size and shape, and that, after ten or twelve years," a
specimen of every tree were cut down, and the wood examined.
GENUS II.
PLA'NERJ Gmel. THE PLANERA. Lin. Syst. Polygaraia MonceY-ia; or
Tetr-Pent-andria Digynia.
Identification. Gmel. Syst. Nat, 2. p. ?150. ; Michx. North Amer. Sylva, S. p. 100. ; N. Du Ham., 7.
p. 65. ; Wats. Dend. Brit, t. 106. ; Lindley Nat. Syst of Bot, p. 179.
Syn<m.i/nies. 7?h&mnus Pa!L, Giildcnat. ; U'lmus, various authors, as to the Planera Richard*.
Derivation. Named in honour of Planer, professor of botany at Erfurth, who published, in 1788,
a work entitled Index Plantarum Agri Erfordiensis, in one volume 8vo.
Description. Deciduous trees and shrubs, natives of Western Asia, and
North America ; quite hardy in British gardens, and readily propagated by
grafting on the elm, or by layers, in any common soil.
¥ 1. P. RICHA'RD/ Michx. Richard's Planera, or Zelkoua Tree.
Identification. Michx. FL Bor. Amer., 2. p. 248. ; Bieb. Fl. Taur. Cauc. Suppl., 1. p. 187. ; Roam, et
Schult. Syst. Veg., 6. p. 304. ; Desf. Hist, des Arbres et Arbriss., 2. p. 446.
Synonymes. P. crenata Michx. Mem. sur le Zelkoua ; P. carpinifolia Wats. Dend. Brit., t 106. ;
P. cren3ta Desf. ; TZhamnus carpinifblius Pall. Fl. Ross. ; II. wlmoldes Gilldenst. It., 1. p. 313. and
427. ; U Imus crenata Hort. Par., U. parvifblia Willd. Baum. ; U. campestris Walt. Fl. Carol.,
p. iii. ; U. pol5?gama Richard Act. Paris, 1781 ; U. nemoralis Ait. Hort. Kew.,ed. 2., p. 108. ; U.
foliis crenatis basi asqualibus, fructu ovoideo, non compresso, Poiret Encyc. 3/tf/A., iv. p. 611. ; le
Zelkoua, or Orme de Sib^rie, Fr. ; Richard's Planere, Ger.
Engravings. Pall. Fl. Ross., 1. t 60. ; Wats. Dend. Brit, t. 106. ; our fig. 1249. ; and the plate* of
the tiee in our last Volume.
. Char.y $c.
Flowers solitary in the axils of leaves ; and both flowers and
4 z 2
AKBOKETIJM AND FKUT1CETUM.
leaves home on a shoot that is developed in the same year with themselves.
Petiole of leaf not obvious ; disk of leaf elliptical, unequal at the base,
dentate. Indigenous to the west of Asia, and upon the shores of the Caspian
Sea ; and to Imiretta and Georgia, on the south of Mount Caucasus. ( X. Du
Ham.) Introduced in 1760; flowering in April or May; and growing to
the height of from 50 ft. to 70 ft.
Description, $c. The zelkoua, in its native country, according to Michaux,
is a tree of the largest size, growing to the height of from 75 ft. to 80 it., with
a trunk of the diameter of about 4ft. The trunk is straight and upright, often
attaining the height of 25 ft. or 30 ft. before it
throws out a single branch. The base of the
trunk is not enlarged, like that of most other
trees, its thickness being very little greater at
the surface of the ground than it is at the point
of ramification. Like that of the hornbeam, it
is marked with longitudinal furrows, like open
gutters, ^he head is large, tufted, and very
much branched ; but the branches, though
widely extended, are more slender, and more
vertical in their direction, than is generally the
case with forest trees. The bark of the trunk is
not grey and cracked, like that of the elm or
the oak, but resembles rather that of the horn-
beam or beech. As is the case with those trees,
the surface of the bark of the zelkoua is smooth,
and its texture is firm and compact ; but it has
this remarkable difference, that, when the tree
becomes about 8 in. in diameter, it scales off'
in large thin pieces. The flowers are small, of
a greenish brown, and smell like those of the elder ; and they are disposed in
groups along the shoots of the current year. The fruit is not larger than a
pea; and the seeds, which are contained in little gibbous capsules, having two
cells, are about the size of a grain of hemp-seed. In Imiretta (a pastoral
district lying between Georgia and the shores of the Black Sea), where the
zelkoua is Found in the greatest abundance, the seeds ripen in the month of
October; but in France they always drop off' before they have completed
their maturity. This is the more remarkable, from the tree having been
introduced into France above seventy years ago, and there being at Versailles
a tree above fifty years old, in a most vigorous state of growth, which has
resisted the most severe frosts. The foliage strongly resembles that of the
elm in its general appearance. The leaves are borne on very short petioles,
and are generally from lin. to Sin. long. They are alternate, and equally
dentated, or rather crenulated; differing, in this respect, from those of every
kind of elm known ; the leaves of the elm always having every large indentation
accompanied by a smaller one. The leaves of the zelkoua are, also, of a much
firmer and drier texture than those of the elm ; and, it is said, are not, like those
of the latter tree, liable to the attacks of insects. When the first tree of this
species planted in France was cut down, in 1820, it was found to be 70 ft.
in height, and its trunk to be 7ft. in circumference at 5ft. from the ground.
The bole of the trunk was 20 ft. in length, and of nearly uniform thickness ;
and the proportion of heart-wood to the sap-wood was about three quarters
of its diameter. This tree was about fifty years old, but was still in a growing
state, and in vigorous health. (See Michaux's Mcmuirc sur Ic Zelkoua, Paris,
1831.) Descemet, in his Tableau Historique des Progrcs de la Culture clcs Arhres
a Odessa, &c., describes this species as a "lofty and beautiful tree, a native of
Mingrelia and Caucasus, which is distinguished by its shining green, broadly
crenulated leaves, and its smooth and greenish trunk." (p. 60.) In British
gardens, the rate of growth of this tree is similar to that of the beech or
common hornbeam ; it attaining the height of 20 ft. in 10 years.
(MAP. (I. ri.MAV(T.,i;. 1'LA'NEH^. 1111
(i«>^i'fi/)//i/, I[is/<>n/y $•<•. The zelkoua is a native of the country lying
between the Black and the Caspian Seas, between lat. 35° and 47°, par-
ticularly of finiretta and Mingrelia : of the north of Persia, and of Georgia.
It was first described by Pallas, in his Flora Roxxica (published in 1784), under
the name of /Zhamnus carpinifolius. In 1782, the elder Michaux under-
took " a journey into Persia, under the auspices of Monsieur (afterwards
Louis XVIII.), in order to make botanical researches. Having left Ispahan,
in order to explore the province of Ghilan, he found this tree in the forests
which he traversed before arriving at Ilecht, a town situated on the Caspian
Sea. In this town he had opportunities of remarking the use made of the
wood, and of judging how highly it was appreciated by the inhabitants."
(Michx. surle Zelkoua, p. 3.) The first tree introduced into Europe appears
to have been planted by M. Lemonnier, professor of botany in the Jardin
des Plantes, &c., (see p. 140.) in his garden at Montreuil, near Versailles.
This garden was destroyed in 1820; and the dimensions of the tree, when it
was cut down, will be found in p. 1410. The oldest tree now existing in
France is in the Jardin des Plantes, where, in 1831, it was about 60 ft. high.
It was planted in 1786 (when a sucker of four years old), about the same
time as the lime trees which form the grand avenue called the Alice dc Biiffon.
There is, however, a much larger zelkouaon an estate of M. le Comte de Dyon,
an enthusiastic planter of exotic trees, at Podenas, near Nerac, in the depart-
ment of the Lot et Garonne. This fine tree was planted in 1789; and, on the
20th of January, 1831, it measured nearly 80 ft. high, and the trunk was nearly
3 ft. in diameter at 3 ft. from the ground. A drawing of this tree, made by the
count in the autumn of that year, has been kindly lent to us by M. Michaux ;
from which ^/Sg. 1250. is an engraving, to a scale of 1 in. to 12 ft. There are
several other trees of the zelkoua, at Podenas, nearly as large; and some elms
planted thirty years before the zelkouas, and measured at the same time, were
only a few inches more in size. In England, the zelkoua appears to have been
planted at Kew, and at Syon, probably about the year 1760, when it was first
introduced. A tree in the former garden is upwards of 50 ft. high ; and, in the
latter, the tree of this species figured in our last Volume was, in 1835, when
the drawing was made, upwards of 54ft. high.
Properties and Uses. Both the sap-wood and the heart-wood of the zel-
koua are used as timber. The sap-wood is white, and very elastic, resembling,
in many respects, the wood of the ash. The heart-wood, which comprises at
least two thirds of the whole, is reddish, and sometimes of a russet brown.
This wood, when cut obliquely, resembles that of the robinia, and presents,
like it, numerous interlacements of fibres. It is very heavy, and, when dry,
becomes so extremely hard, that it is difficult to drive nails into it with a
hammer. In the countries where it is abundant, it is employed for the same
purposes as oak ; and it is found to be even superior to that wood for furni-
ture. Its colour is agreeable; it is finely veined; and its texture is so compact,
and its grain so fine, as to render it susceptible of the highest polish. It has,
also, the great advantage of never becoming wormeaten, however old it may
be. It is remarkably durable as posts, to stand either in water or in the
earth. (Michx. Mem. stir le Zelkoua, p. 9. 17.)
Propagation and Culture, $c. The zelkoua is generally propagated by
grafting on the common elm ; but we are told by M. Michaux that M. le
Chevalier Gauba, the French consul at Teflis, who is the proprietor of large
forests in Imiretta, has had a great quantity of seeds collected, and sent to
France, from which young plants have been raised. When grafted, M. Michaux
observes that the operation should be performed as near the collar of the stock
as possible; when, if the stocks are in a deep fresh soil, the grafts will push
shoots of from 6 ft. to 9 ft. long the first season.
Statistics. In the environs of London, the largest tree is at Syon, where, in 1834, it was 54 ft. high,
the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. Sin., and of the head 34 ft ; at Kew, it is upwards of 50 ft. high ; in
the Horticultural Society's Garden, 10 years planted, it is 20ft. high. (See the plate of this tree in
our last Volume.) In Rutlandshire, at Belvoir Castle, 4 years planted, it is 10 ft. high. In France,
in tin- Jardin des IMantes, .V> years planted, it is 58 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 21 in., and of
the head ,5<) ft. ; at Socaux, ,'30 years planted, it is 50ft. high ; in the Botanic Garden at Rouen, it i«,
4 z 3
U12
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
1250
40ft high ; at Podenas (see fig. 1250.), various trees, 50 years planted, are from 70ft. to 80ft high.
In Bavaria, in the English Garden at Munich, Ifi years planted, it is 12 ft. high. In Italy, at Monza,
near Milan, 18 years planted, it is 18 ft high.
CHAP. CI.
UUCACEK. CE'LTIS.
1113
Commercial Statistics. In English nurseries, the plants, being little known,
are sold for 2.v. 6d. each, and upwards; but, if in demand, the price would not
be higher than that of grafted elms, or about 1.9. each. At Bollwyller, plants
are 1 franc 50 cents each.
i 2. P. GAIE^LIN/ Michx. Gmelin's Planera.
Identification. Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 2. p. 248. ; Dcsf. Hist, des Arbres et Arbriss., 2. p. 446.
Sunonymes. P. Mlmifolia Mic.hr. Arh. Amer., 3. p. 2S3. t. 7 , North Amer. Sylva,3. p. 1(X). t. 130., ft.
l)u Ham. Arb.t 7. p. 65. t. 21. ; P. aquatica Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. %7., Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 1.
p. 115. ; Anonymus aquaticus arbor, &c., Walt. Carol., 230.
Engravings. Michx. Arb. Amer., t. 7. ; North Amer. Sylva, 3. t. 130. ; Du Ham. Arb., ed. nov., 7.
t. 21. ; and our fig. 1251.
Spec. Char.t$c. Flowers in heads, opening before the leaves are protruded,
and borne on branches or branchlets developed in some previous year.
Leaf with an obvious petiole, and a disk ovate-acuminate, equal at the base1,
and serrate. A shrub, or low tree, even in
its native country, rarely more than 20 ft.
or 30 ft. high, and with the diameter of the
trunk from 12 in. to 15 in. The flowers
appear before the leaves, at the ends of the
branches, in globose heads, and upon very
short footstalks : they are small, of a green-
ish brown colour, and not at all conspi-
cuous. The fruit becomes brown before the
leaves fall : it is small, oval, inflated, and
rough : the seed is minute. The leaf is
much smaller than that of P. Richard*', and
resembles that of CTlinus campestris, except
in being serrated with equal teeth ; it is of
a lively green on the upper surface, and grey
on the under one. This species is a native
of North America, where it is found in
Kentucky, Tennessee, the banks of the
Mississippi, and throughout the southern
states. It is particularly abundant in the
large swamps on the borders of the river
Savannah in Georgia. The wood of this
tree, according to Michaux, "is hard, strong, and seemingly proper for
various uses." It is, however, not used for any purpose in America; and
the tree is so little esteemed, that it has not received any popular name.
It was introduced into Britain in 1816, but is rare in collections; though
it might be readily multiplied by grafting on the elm. There are plants at
Messrs. Loddiges's. The price, in New York, is 1 dollar per plant.
? P. Abelicea Schultcs (Rcem. et Schnlt. Si/st. Veg., 6. p. 304., the Abeh'cea of Clusius) is supposed
to belong to this genus. It is described by Clusius as being a large upright tree, with a branchy head,
roundish deeply serrated leaves, and greenish black fruit, about the size of a grain of pepper. The
wood is hard, reddish, and possesses somewhat of the fragrance of sandal wood. It is a native of
Crete, on the mountains ; but has not yet been introduced.
GENUS III.
CE'LTIS Town. THE CELTIS, or NETTLE TREE. Lin. Syst. Polygamia
Monoevcia, or Pentandria Digynia.
Identification. Tourn. quoted by T. Nees ab Esenbeck, in his Gen. Fl. Fl. Oerm., fasc. 3. t. 4.
Synonymcs. Lotus of Lobel and other authors ; Micocoulier, Fr. ; Ziingelbaum, Ger.
Derivation. The name of Celtis is said to refer to the tree having been known to the ancient Celts ;
and the appellation of Nettle Tree relates to the similarity of the leaves to those of some kind of
nettle (t/rtlca).
Description. Handsome, much branched, deciduous trees, natives of
Europe and North America, varying in size and foliage, but all bearing fruit,
4 7. 4
1414
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
which is edible, and, though small, is remarkably sweet, and said to be very
wholesome. Some of the species, according to Descemet, are very orna-
mental ; particularly C. crassitolia, the branches of which assume the character
of a fan ; and C. occidentals, the branches of which droop like a parasol.
The wood of C. australis is valuable ; but that of most of the other species is
too weak to be of any use in the arts. The leaves of all the species, like
those of all the species of Z)iospyros, drop off almost simultaneously, and thus
occasion very little trouble to the gardener in sweeping them up. Propa-
gated by layers or seeds. Plants, in the London nurseries, are 1*. 6d. each ;
at Bollwyller, 1 franc ; and at New York, 50 cents.
¥ 1. C. AUSTRAYis L. The southern Celtis, or European Nettle Tree.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 1478. ; Mill. Diet., No. 1. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 993. ; Du Ham. Arb., ed.
nov., 2. p. 34. t. 8. : Lam. 111., t. 884. f. 1. ; Flore Franc;., 3. p. 313. ; Duby et Dec. Bot. Gallic.,
L p. 421. ; Roem. et Schult. Syst. Veg., 6. p. 305. j Wats. Dend. Brit., t. 105.
Synonymes. Z,6tus arbor Lob. Ic., 2. p. 186. ; Lotus sive Celtis Cam. Epit., 155. ; Lote tree; Mico-
coulier austral, Micocoulier de Provence, Fabrecoulier, Fabreguier des Provencaux (see N. Du
Ham.}\ Lotu, Ital.
Engravings. Cam. Epit, ic. ; Lam. 111., t. 884. f. 1. ; Scop. Del. Flor. Insubr., t. 18. ; St. Hilaire
Livr., 27. t. 7. ; Du Ham. Arb., ed. nov., 2. t. 8. ; Wats. Dend. Brit., t. 105. ; and our fig. 1252.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate, or acuminate,
argutely serrated, unequal at the base, rough on the upper surface ; soft,
from down, on the under one. Flowers solitary. Fruit black. Indigenous
to the south of Europe and the north of Africa ( Willd. Sp. PI., and Roem.
et Schult. Syst. Veg.), also to the west of Asia. A tree, growing to the
height of 40ft. Introduced in 1796; flowering in May, and ripening its
fruit in October.
Variety . Brotero, in his Flora Lusitanica, mentions a variety, with variegated
leaves, that was found wild in Portugal.
Description. A tree, from 30ft. to 40ft. high, with a straight trunk and
branched head. The branches are long, slender, and flexible, with a grey
bark, spotted with white, and covered with a slight down at the extremities.
The bark of the trunk is dark brown. The
leaves are of a dark green, marked str ogly
with the nerves on the lower side, and, when
young, covered with a yellowish down.
They are oval-lanceolate, terminating in a
point at the summit, and at the base having
one side prolonged down the petiole. The
flowers are small, greenish, and' inconspi-
cuous ; and are produced at the same time
as the leaves. The fruit, which, when ripe,
is blackish, and resembles a very small
withered wild cherry, is said not to become
edible till the first frost (see JV. Du Ham.,
vol. ii. p. 35.) ; and it hangs on till the fol-
lowing spring. It is remarkably sweet, and
is supposed to have been the Z,6tus of the
ancients, the food of the Lotophagi ; which
Herodotus, Dioscorides, and Theophrastus
describe as sweet, pleasant, and wholesome ;
and which Homer says was so delicious,
as to make those who ate it forget their
country. (See Odyssey, lib. ix. v.93.) The
berries are still eaten in Spain ; . and Dr.
Walsh says that the modern Greeks are very fond of them. According
to Dr. Sibthorpe, they are called, in modern Greek, honey berries. ( See Hogg
on the Classical Plants of Sicily, in the Journ. of Sot., 2d ser., p. 204.) The tree
grows rapidly, more especially when once established, and afterwards cut
down ; sometimes producing shoots, in the climate of London, 6 ft. or 8 ft. in
length. It bears pruning remarkably well, at every age. Its leaves are very
1252
CHAP. CI. ri.MA CE;K. CE I.'I'IS. 111.1
seldom touched by insects, either on the Continent or in England; and the
Tossus Lignipi'rda and Scolytus destructor, which are so injurious to the
timber of many other trees, never touch either that of Celtis, that of Planeiv/
Richard*, or that of Pyrus iS'orbus. C. australis is found on both the shores of
the Mediterranean, throughout the whole of the south of France, Italy, and
Spain. It is particularly abundant in Provence ; and there is a celebrated tree
at Aix, under which it is said that the ancient sovereigns of Provence delivered
their edicts to the people. The European nettle tree is much used in the
north of Italy and the south of France, for planting squares and public walks,
where it is frequently found from 40ft. to 50ft. high, with trunks from l^ft.
to 3 ft. in circumference. The wood of this tree is extremely compact ; ranking
between that of the live oak and that of the box, for hardness and density.
According to Baudrillart, it weighs, when dry, 70 Ib. 3 oz. per cubic foot. The
wood of the branches is elastic, and so extremely supple, that a piece 5ft. or
G ft. long, and 1 in. in diameter, may be made into a circle without breaking.
Its compactness renders it susceptible of a high polish ; and, when it is cut
obliquely across the fibres, it very much resembles satin-wood. It is principally
used for furniture, and, by the sculptors in wood, for carving into the statues of
saints ; but it is also employed for making tubs and cisterns, and the branches
for hay-forks. These divers uses, says M. De Cubieres, " remind one of the
verses of La Fontaine, when he makes his carver in wood exclaim, —
Scra-t-il dieu, table, ou cuvette?"
What shall I make of it ? ay, that 's
A god, a table, or a salt-fish tub ? "
The principal use, however, of the nettle tree, in the south of France, is for
making hay-forks ; for which use the pliability and toughness of its branches
render it particularly suitable. Plantations of the tree, for this purpose, are
common near Lyons, and in several parts of the south of France; and in
the department du Gard there are about seven acres of rocky ground which
would be quite useless for any other purpose, but which are planted with
nettle trees, from which above 5000 dozens of hay-forks are made every
year, producing a yearly revenue of 25,000 francs. The stem of this tree,
when cut over by the ground, throws up thick and vigorous shoots, which
make excellent handles for coach whips, ramrods to muskets, and walking-
sticks, which have almost the flexibility of a supple-jack. When the trees
are intended for this purpose, they are planted in masses very close to one
another, in order that they may be drawn up, and increase in length rather
than in thickness. The inhabitants of Narbonne, and of the department of
Aude, cultivate the nettle tree for these purposes, in the very best soil ; and
the shoots produced form an article of extensive commerce, under the name of
boi.s de Perpignan, furnishing, according to Baudrillart, whip-handles to all the
coachmen in Europe. It is also much used for musical instruments, and for
the shafts and axletrees of carriages, the poles of sedan chairs, and the naves
of wheels. The root is used for dyeing yellow ; the bark for tanning ; and
an oil is expressed from the stones of the fruit.
Statistics. In the environs of London, the largest tree is at Mitcham, in the grounds which for-
merly belonged to Mr. Dubois; where the trunk is 6ft. Sin. in circumference, and the head 50ft. in
diameter. It bears abundance of fruit every year, as noticed, with other particulars, in p. 63. At Kew,
there is a tree 40 ft. high ; and one at Kenwood, which, in 40 years, has attained the height of 40 ft.,
with a trunk 1 ft. in diameter. In Dorsetshire, at Melbury Park, 30 years planted, it is 28 ft. high';
the diameter of the trunk is 2 ft, and of the head 21 ft At Coul, in Cromarty, it is 16 ft. high. Near
Dublin, atTerenure, it is 10 ft. high. In France, in the Jardin des Plantes, in Paris, 60 years planted,
it is 60 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1$ ft. ; in the Botanic Garden at Toulon, 50 years planted,
it is 40 ft. high, and the diameter of the trunk 1£ ft. ; near Montpelier, there is a tree with a trunk
.3 ft. t in. in diameter. In Italy, at Monza, 100 years old, it is 70ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk
.3ft., and of the head 72 ft.
t 2. C. (A.) CAUCA'SICA Willd. The Caucasian Celtis, or Nettle Tree.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 994. ; Poiret in Encycl. Suppl., 3. p. 688. ; Rcem. et Schult Svst
Veg., 6. p. 305.
Spec. Char., %c. This is very closely akin to C. australis ; but it differs in its leaves being more ovate
having the acuminate part shorter, and being glabrous, except in so far as is stated below. The'
leaves of C. oaucasica may be described as follows : — Oblong, acuminate, serrate with large teeth a
1416 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
little narrowed at the base, and almost equal there ; above, deep green ; beneath, pale, yellowish ;
and the veins, when scon under a lens, a little hairy. Indigenous to Caucasus, on the statement
of Adams. (Willd. Sp. PI.} VVilldenow had seen a dried specimen with fruit. In Rwm.et Schult.
Syst., it is quoted from Poiret Enci/cl. Supj)/., that the teeth of the leaves are usually large, and are
unequal; and that the fruit is solitary, axillary, globose, and i eddish, and borne upon a peduncle
of the length of the petiole. It is noted that it is very remarkable that the author of the Flora
Taitricn-Caitcasica (Bieberstein) has not mentioned this species in that work. (See under (7. sinlnsis
Pers., No. 4.)
¥ a 3. C. TOURNEFO'RT// Lam. Tournefort's Celtis, or Nettle Tree.
Identification. Lam. Encycl., 4. p. 132. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4 p. 994. ; Bieb. Fl. Taur. Cauc., 2. p. 449.
Rcem. et Schult Syst. Veg., 6. p. 306. ; N. Du Ham. Arb., 2 p. 38.
Synonymes. C. orientalis minor, foliis minoribus et crassioribus, fructu flavo, Tovrn. Cor., 42.,
' ///«., 2. p. 425. t 41. ; C. orientalis Mill. Diet., No. 3., but, according to the Notivcau Du Hamcl, not
of Lin., which is considered a half-hardy plant in Britain; Micocoulier du Levant, Micocoulier
d'Orient, FT. ; Morgenlandischer Ziingelbaum, Ger.
Engravings. Tourn. Itin., t. 41. ; and the plate of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., Sec. Leaves, when adult, ovate, acute, unequal at the base,
crenately serrate, roughish on the upper surface ; when young, subcordate
at the base. Fruit yellow, becoming brown. (Willd. Sp. PL, and Rcem. et
Schult. Syst. Veg.} A native of Armenia. (Tournefort.} Leaves bluntish,
rough on both surfaces, glossy. (Spreng. Syst. Veg.) Introduced in 1739,
and flowering and fruiting at the same time as C. australis.
Description, $c. A shrub, or low tree, rarely exceeding 25 ft. in height, but
generally forming a bush of only 10ft. or 12ft. high, with round glabrous
branches, covered with a brownish bark. The petiole of the leaf is very short ;
the disk is unequally dentated, somewhat heart-shaped, and glabrous ; it is of a
deep green above, and paler beneath, and is of a thicker texture than that of
Celtis australis. The fruit, which is solitary, and borne on a long peduncle, is
oval, greenish at first, then becoming yellowish, and afterwards nearly black.
From the specimens in the London Horticultural Society's Garden, the fruit
does not appear to ripen so soon as that of C. occidentalis ; as, in October, 1836,
the fruit of C. Tournefortw was quite firm and green, while that of C. occi-
dentalis was shriveled, blackish, and extremely sweet. C. Tournefortiz is a
native of the Levant ; from which country Tournefort brought the seeds to
the Jardin des Plantes, in Paris, about 1717, whence plants have been dis-
tributed all over Europe. It was introduced into England in 1739. It is
rather more tender than C. australis and C. occidentalis. The seeds should
be sown in autumn, as soon as they are ripe ; as, if not sown till spring, they
generally remain a year or more in the ground. They prefer a moist soil, and a
sheltered situation. This species is readily known from all others, in winter,
by its forming a compact upright-branched bush, or low tree ; and, in summer,
by the deep green and dense mass of its rigid-looking foliage. There are
plants of it from 6 ft. to 8 ft. high, in the London Horticultural Society's
Garden, and at Messrs. Loddiges's.
¥ » 4. C. (T.) SINE'NSIS Pers. The China Celtis, or Nettle Tree.
Identification. Pers. Syn., 1. p. 292. ; Roam, et Schult. Syst. Veg., 6. p. 306.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves broad-ovate, obtuse, crenate, largish, glabrous ;
veins prominent. Native in China. Cultivated in Cels's garden. (Per.?.
Syn.) A low tree, growing to the height of from 1 2 ft. to 15 ft. The plant
of this kind in the Horticultural Society's Garden seems to differ very little,
if at all, from C. Tournefortw.
¥ 5. C. WILLDENOV/^V^ Schultes. Willdenow's Celtis, or Nettle Tree.
Identification. Rcem. et Schult. Syst. Veg., 6. p. 306.
Synonyme. C. sincnsis Willd. Enum. Suppl., p. 68., Willd. Baumz., p. 81.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves ovate, oblong, acuminate, narrowed to the base, serrate from the middle
to the tip; above, glabrous; beneath, roughish. Schultes has quoted Willd. Baumz., p. 81., for
this specific character ; and has added, that a young tree in the Berlin Royal Garden has the
disk of its leaf 1 J in. long, and the upper surface, as inspected through a lens, dotted ; and that the
kind is a native of China. In a supplement (published in 1813) to Willdenow's Enumeration nfthc
Plants of the Berlin Royal Garden, is the following short description of C. sinensis Willd., which,
though not essentially different from the above, is not quite the same :— Leaves obovate oblong, ser-
rated at the tip ; glossy on the upper surface, slightly hairy on the under one. Schultes has noted
that the specific character of C. sinensis Pers. clearly shows that kind to be distinct from the C.
sinensis Willd. ; and that, as C. sinensis Pers. was first published, it is necessary to apply some
CHAP. CI. r7LMANCEJE. CE'LTIS. 1417
other name to C. sinensis Willd. Scliultcs has given it that of WilldenoTiawn. There being no
plant bearing the name of C. Willdenov/VJwa in the London gardens, we can say nothing about it.
¥ 6. C. OCCIDENTALS L. The western Celtis, or North American Nettle Tree.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 1478. ; Mill. Diet., No. 2., and Ic., t. 88. ; Michx. Arb., 3. p. 226. t 8.,
North Amer. Sylva, 3. p. 45. t. 114. ; Du Roi Harbk., 1. p. 141. ; Willd. Arb., 57., Willd. Sp. PI.,
4. p. 994. ; Lam. Encycl., 4. p. 137. ; Du Ham. Arb., cd. 1., t. 53. ; N. Du Ham.,2. p. 36 t. 9 ; Pursh
Fl. Amer. Sept., 1. p. 200., Rcem. et Schult. Syst. Veg., 6. p. 306. ; Wats. Dendr. Brit, t. 147. ;
Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
Si/nonymes. C. fructu obscuro purpurascente Tnurn. Inst., 612. ; C. obi 1 qua Mocnch ; Nettle Tree,
' Sugar Berry, Amer. ; Bois inconnu, Illinois ; Micocoulier de Virginie, Fr.
Engravings. Mill. Ic., t 88. ; Du Ham. Arb., ed. ]., 1. 1. 53., ed. nov.,2. t. 9. ; Michx. North Amer.
Sylva, 3. t 114.; Wats. Dendr. Brit, t. 147. ; T. Nees ab Esenbeck Gen. PI. Fl. Germ., fasc. 3.
t 4. ; and the plates of this species in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves ovate-acuminate, unequal at the base, serrate,
rough on the upper surface, hairy on the under one. Fruit dull red.
{Michx. N. A. S.) Fruit dark purple. (Pursh Fl. A. S.) Similar in foliage
and general appearance to C. australis. Flowers solitary. (Michaux.)
Leaves serrate, with equal teeth. Flowers, in the lower part of the branch,
3 in an axil; in the upper part, 1 only in an axil. Fruit obscurely purplish.
(Rcem. et Schult. Syst. Veg.) Very closely akin to C. australis. Leaves,
when young, ovate-lanceolate, a little downy; when adult, broad-ovate,
acuminate ; in the acuminate part, and at the base, entire ; in the interval on
each side, serrate, glabrous, veined with conspicuous veins ; the hinder portion
of the base as narrow again as the other one. (Linn., quoted in Rcem.
et Schult. S. V.) C. occidentalis differs from C. australis, in having its
leaves much broader in proportion to their length, and of an oval-acu-
minate form. (Lam. Encycl., iv. p. 137.) Disk of leaf 3 — 4 in. long. (Rcem.
et Schult. S. V.) Indigenous, in woods and near rivers, from Canada to
Carolina, where it flowers in May. (Pursh.) Introduced in 1656.
Porfe&t,
£ C. o. 2 corddta Willd. Wild. Baumz., p. 82. — Leaves subcordate at
the base, very acuminate ; above, less rough ; beneath, more veiny,
disk 3— 4 in. long. (Willd. W. Baumz., and Rcem. et Schult. Syst.
Veg.)
* C. o. 3 scabriuscula Willd. Sp. PI., iv. p. 995., Lam. Encycl., iii.
p. 137. ; C. australis Willd. Arb., 56. ; C. ?o. /3 tenuifolia Pers. Syn., 1.
p. 292. ; C. aspera Lodd. Cat., ed. 1 836 ; C. orientalis Hort. — Leaves
shorter, more slender, less acuminate ; roughish above, in some
instances glabrous ; but it can scarcely be a distinct species. (Willd.
Sp. PL) Disk of leaf li—2 in. long. (Rcem. et Schult. S. V.) It
is a native of Louisiana, and was cultivated in the Royal Garden at
Paris ; but, as it was killed down to the root every winter by the
frost, Lamarck never saw its flowers or fruit, and, therefore, could not
determine whether it was merely a variety or a distinct species.
(Smith in Rees's Cyclo.)
Description, tyc. This species, Michaux observes, " is similar in its fo-
liage and general appearance to the European nettle tree, the branches of
both are numerous and slender; and the limbs originate at a small distance
from the ground, and take a horizontal or inclined direction." (N. Amer. Syl.,
iii. p. 45.) The leaves are alternate, oval, oblique at the base, very much
acuminated, and somewhat rough. The flowers open early in spring, and are
small, white, single, and axillary ; the fruit also is small, single, of a round
form, and a dull red colour. When ripe, it becomes shriveled, and of a reddish
brown or black, like a very small wild cherry. It is rather fleshy, and very
sweet. Michaux says that he has never seen the wood employed in any part
of the United States ; but, from the analogy between this species and the
European one, he has no doubt but that the wood might be applied to the
same purposes. The tree, in Britain, is very hardy and ornamental ; and it
possesses the property of keeping on all its leaves very late, and then, like
the other species, dropping them all at once, so that they may be swept away
at one time for litter. C. occidentalis is readily known from C. australis
1418
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICKTH M.
PART III.
by its leaves being larger, and of a lighter and more shining green, and its
wood being of a lighter colour in winter. The leaves also die oft' sooner,
and of a brighter vellow, than those of the European species. It is more
hardy, and is readily propagated by layers, or by seeds. The insect most
commonly found on the nettle tree and hackberry, in America, is the tfphf n.r
drupiferarum, or Hackberry Hawk Moth. (Abbott and Smithes Imect* of
', and our Jiff . 1253.) This insect greatly resembles the privet hawk
moth (p. 1201.); but the colour of the moth is a beautiful shaded brown, without
any tinge of redness. The larva is green, beautifully marked with shaded pink
and a brilliant white.
Statistics. Citltis Occident fill's in the Environs of London. At Syon, it is 54ft. high ; diameter of
the trunk 2 ft. 4 in., and of the head 30ft. In the Fulham Nursery, 70 years planted, it is 50 ft
high.
Ce~ltfs occfdentalis South of London. In Devonshire, at Killcrton, 25 years planted, it is 3.3 ft. high,
diameter of the trunk 9 in., and of the head 31ft. In Surrey, at Barn Elms, it is 40ft. high,
diameter of the trunk 2 ft., and of the head 54 ft. In Sussex, at Wcstdean, 14 years planted, it is
19ft. high.
Ccltix occidentulis North of London. In Cambridgeshire, in the Cambridge Botanic Garden, it is
35ft. high, diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 7 in., and of the head 24ft. In Durham, at Southend, fi years
planted, it is 11 ft. high. In Lancashire, in the Manchester Botanic Garden, 5 years planted,' it is
4ft. high. In Oxfordshire, in the Oxford Botanic Garden, it is 30ft. high, diameter of the trunk
1 ft. 4 in., and of the head 30 ft. In Suffolk, in the Bury Botanic Garden, 10 years planted, it is 12 ft.
high; at Ampton Hall, 12 years old, it is lift. high. In Worcestershire, at Crooine, 20 years
planted, it is 20 ft. high ; at Croome (var. scabriuscula), 20 years planted, it is 15 ft. high. In York-
shire, in the Hull Botnnic Garden, 10 years planted, it is 13 ft. high.
Cifltts occidentalism Scot/and. In the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, 14ft. high. At Dalhousie
Castle, 6 years planted, it is 8 ft. high.
Ctltis occfdentftlis in Ireland. Near Dublin, at Terenure, 8 years planted, it is fi ft. high.
Ctltis occidentdlis in Foreign Countries. In France, at Paris, in the Jardin des Plantes, 130 years
old, it is 68 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 8 in., and of the head 40 ft. ; at Nantes, in the nursery
of M. De Nerrieres, 29 years planted, it is 29 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk <2 ft; in the Botanic
Garden at Avranches, 40 years planted, it is 40ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft., and of
the head 28 ft. In Hanover, in the Botanic Garden at Gottingen, 30 years planted, it is 30ft. high,
the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. In Saxony, at Worlitz, 30 years planted, it is 40 ft. high. In A us.
tria, at Vienna, in the University Botanic Garden, 60 years planted, it is 55 ft. high, the diameter
of the trunk 2ft, and of the head 29ft. ; at Briick on the Leytha, 45 years planted, it is (50 ft. high,
the diameter of the trunk 2j ft., and of the head 40ft In Bavaria, at Munich, in the Botanic-
Garden, 24 years planted, it is 15ft high. In Prussia, at Berlin, in the Botanic Garden, 30 y<-ars
planted, it is 15ft. high ; in the Pfauen Insel, 40 years planted, it is 2f>ft. high, with a trunk 8 in.
in diameter.
7. C. CRASSIFOYIA Lam. The thick-leaved Celtis, or Haclcberry.
mer. Sylva, 3.
Pursh FI. Amer. Sept., 1. p. 200. ; N. I)u Ham., 2 p 37 ; Kci-m
Tdentlftcation. Lam. Encycl., 4. p. 132. ; Michx. Arb.. 3. p. 228. t. 9. ; North Amer. Sylva, 3. p. 47.,
t 115. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. W5. ;
et Sf-hult. Syst. Veg., fi. p. 807.
CHAP. Cl. rrl,MA\ -K.E. C'K'LTIS
Siii,<,ni/,>ies. ('. omlih.lia /,'//«•/-,•/. I fort. 1'nr. ; C. cord.lta DcsJ'ont., t. "2. \>. 4-t8., Dum. C<>nrs. Ii,,l.
'Cult., 67389., /.(«M. (ViA, eel. 18k!; Hagbcrry or Hoop-ash, jf»i<r. ; Micocoulier a Fcuillcs CM
t'li-ur, 7-V.
Engravings. Michx. North Amer. Sylva, 3. t. 115. ; N. Du Ham., <-L t. 9. ; and our fig. li^-i.
»S);rr. Char., $c. Leaves with disks ovate-acuminate, Gin. long, 3— 4 in.
broad ; heart-shaped, auricled and unequal at the base ; serrated with un-
equal teeth, rather leathery, rough on both surfaces. Flowers I— 2
upon the peduncle. Fruit black. (Michx., Lam. Encycl., Willd., Pitrsh.)
Indigenous to North America, in woods and near rivers in Virginia,
Kentucky, and Tennessee; in which places it flowers in May. (Purs/i.) Al-
lied to 6'. occidentalis. Young branches downy. Bark red brown. Leaves
5 in. long, and more. Petioles slightly hairy, 3— 6 lines long. Flowers
much like those of C. australis, upon slender peduncles ; the peduncles of
the fruit longer than the petioles. Fruit of the size of the bird cherry.
(Lamarck, as quoted in Ricm. ct Schult. Syst. Veg.y vi. p. 307.)
Description, $c. This, according to Michaux, is a very distinct species ; and
it forms " one of the finest trees which compose the dusky forests of the Ohio."
It sometimes grows to the height of more than 80 ft., but with a trunk of the very
disproportionate diameter of only 18 in. or 20 in. ^ 1254
" The hackberry is distinguished by the form of
its trunk, which is straight, and undivided to a
great height ; and by its bark, which is greyish, un-
broken, and covered with asperities unequally dis-
tributed over its surface. Its leaves are larger than
those of any other species of nettle tree; being
<> in. long, and 3 in. or 4 in. broad. They are oval-
acuminate, denticulated, cordiform at the base, of
a thick substantial texture, and of a rough surface.
The flowers are small, white, and often united in
pairs on a common peduncle. The fruit is round,
about as large as a pea, and black at its maturity."
( Ar. Amer. Syl.y iii. p. 48.) The hackberry is found
in the greatest abundance in the western states of
America, and on the banks of rivers and in valleys,
wherever the soil is fertile, in Kentucky and
Tennessee. The banks of the Delaware above Philadelphia may be con-
sidered as its north-eastern boundary ; and it has never been found in
any of the more southern states. It was introduced into England in
1812. It is principally considered, even in America, as an ornamental tree;
and is well adapted for planting in situations where a screen or shade
is required, from the rapidity and luxuriance of its growth, and the large
sixe and thick texture of its leaves. The wood is of little value, from its
weakness, and its liability to decay when exposed to the weather. It is,
however, " fine-grained and compact^though not heavy ; and, when freshly
exposed, it is quite white. Sawn in a direction parallel or oblique to its
concentric circles, it exhibits the fine undulations that are observed in the
elm and the locust." (N. Amer. Syl., iii. p. 48.) The sap-wood, Michaux
adds, if laid open in spring, will change, in a few minutes, to green, from a pure
white. The only uses to which the wood is applied, in America, is for
shingles, for the bottoms of chairs, and for baskets ; for which it is admirably
adapted, from its lightness, facility to split, and elasticity. The plants of this
kind of C'eltis, in the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges (where it is named C.
cordata), are quite small ; and from their appearance we should judge it to
be only a variety of C. occidentalis, though, according to Michaux's figure
(of which J^?. 1254. is a reduced copy), the two sorts are very distinct.
Sttttisfics. In Cheshire, at Eaton Hall, a tree, 13 years planted, is 15 ft. high. In Durham, at
Smith End, (i years planted, it is lift. high. Near Dublin, at Terenure, 10 years planted, it is
Xft. high. In Austria, at Briick on the Leytha, 1'J years planted, it is !» ft. high. In I.ombardy,
at Mun/a, 24 years planted, it is 35 ft. high ; diameter of the trunk 7 in., and of the head 20 ft.
1420
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART 111.
» 8. C. LJEVIGA'TA Willd. The glabrous-leaved Celtis, or Nettle Tree.
Identification. Willd. Enum. Suppl., p. 68. ; Willd. Baumz., p. 81. ; Rcem. et Schult. Syst. Veg.,
6. p. 306.
Synonyine. Sprengcl has suggested, in the Index to his Syst. Veg., that glabrata is the epithet fitter
for this species than lavig^ta : glabrata signifies rendered, or become, bald ; l&oigata, rendered
perfectly even in surface.
Spec. Char.,£(C. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, subcordate at the base, nearly entire ; glabrous on the
upper surface ; roughish upon the veins on the under one. ( Willd. Enum. Suppl.) In lloem. et
Schult Syst. Veg., a somewhat different specific character is quoted from Willd. Wild. Baumz.,
p. 81., the following : — Leaves ovate, acuminate, subcordate at the base, unequal there, nearly
entire, glabrous on both surfaces. Additionally to the specific character, it is stated as follows : —
It is a large tree. Its leaves have 1 — 2 teeth at the tip. It is a native of Louisiana. To this kind
seems to belong that Ctiltis named C. americana, or Micocoulierde la Louisiana, cultivated in the
Paris Garden, which Poiret, in Encycl. Suppl., 3. p. 668., No. 10., has noticed to have its leave?
membranous, rough on both surfaces, yet nearly glabrous ; with the base with one side shorter
than the other, and narrower, and some leaves almost falcate.
& 9. C. PUXMILA Ph. The dwarf Celtis, or Nettle Tree.
Identification. Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 1. p. 200. ; Roam, et Schult. Syst. Veg., 6. p. 307.
Spec. Char., $c. A small straggling bush. Leaves ovate, acuminate, serrate with equal teeth ;
unequal at the base; downy while young, afterwards nearly glabrous on both surfaces. Flowers
3 upon a peduncle. Fruit solitary, ovate, black. Indigenous to the banks of rivers in Maryland
and Virginia, where it flowers in May. Pursh has seen the kind alive. (Pursh Fl. A. S.) The
plant was introduced by Lyon in 1812; and the name is in Loddiges's Catalogue, ed. 1836; but we
have not seen the plant there or elsewhere.
App. i. Species of Celtis half-hardy^ or not yet introduced.
C. orienthlis Lin., R. Mai , 4. t. 40., and our fig. 1255., is
a native of the Himalayas, introduced in 1820. In foliage it
resembles C. occidentals ; but we have only seen a very
small plant of it, against a wall, in the Horticultural So.
ciety's Garden. In p. 174., five Himalayan species are
enumerated as likely to prove hardy or half-hardy ; but
none of them are yet introduced. In the Hortus Britan-
nicus three species are enumerated as indigenous to Ja-
maica, and as, in Britain, requiring the stove ; but, as C.
orientalis is also designated as a stove tree in catalogues,
it is possible that the Jamaica species may be equally
hardy. In the Himalayas, Royle observes, the genus
C*£ltis occurs at considerable elevations, and as far north
as Cashmere. C. orientalis Wall., which we suppose to
be identical with C. orientalis Lin., "and species allied to
it, occur in the hottest places ; C. tetrandra Roxb. extends
along the foot of the mountains as far as Cashmere." C.
alj/ina Royle was found by Mr. Royle on Urrutka, nearly
at the greatest elevation, and if it were introduced would,
doubtless, be hardy in the climate of London. C. Ingldsii
Royle occurs in Kunawur ; and is, doubtless, equally hardy
with C. alplna As the seeds of Celtis go in little bulk,
and retain their vital energies for at least a year, there
will be little difficulty, we think, in getting these species
introduced into Britain.
CHAP. CII.
Of THE HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER JUGLANDA^EJE.
THE hardy ligneous plants of this order are included in the genera named
and characterised as under: —
«/UVGLANS L. Flowers unisexual ; those of both sexes upon one plant. —
Male. Flowers in cylindrical, drooping, solitary catkins ; many in a catkin :
the catkins developed from buds borne by shoots produced previously to
the year in which the "catkins appear. Calyx of 5 — 6 scales, that are
attached to a bractea at a distance from its base and tip. (Is the flower
stalked, and connate with the bractea?) Stamens 18 — 36. — Female. Flowers
solitary, or a few in a group, terminal upon a shoot developed in the same
year. Calyx ovate, including and adhering to the ovary, except in the
4-toothed tip. Petals 4, small, inserted into the free part of the calyx.
Ovary of one cell, and one erect ovule. Stigmas 2 — 3, fleshy, scaly with
AP. cn. JUC;LANDAVCE^E. JUVGLANS. 1421
glands. Fruit a drupe (a tryma, Watson). Covering of the nut, a fleshy
husk of one piece, that bursts irregularly. Nut woody, of 2 valves. Seed 1,
erect, lobed, wrinkled, eatable in most, perhaps all. — Species 4, 3 native to
North America, 1 to Asia. Large trees. Rate of growth quicker than in
farya. Leaf bud not covered by scales. Leaves alternate, impari-pinnate,
of 5 — 19 leaflets, all but the terminal one in opposite, or nearly opposite,
pairs ; all serrate in most, and all spreading in one plane. Some species
pubigerous ; ? hairs simple, glanded. (T. Nees ab Esenbeck Gen. PI. Fl.
Germ., Lindley Nat. Syst. Bot., Nuttall Gen. N. Amer. PL, Michaux North
Amcr. Sylva, and observation.)
CVavA Nuttall. Flowers unisexual, those of the two sexes upon one plant;
male, female, and leaves, all upon a shoot, developed from one bud in the
year of the flowering; male flowers borne at the base of the shoot below
the leaves, or in the axils of the lower leaves ; the female flowers, a few
together about the tip of the shoot. — Male. Flowers in slender pendulous
catkins, that are disposed 3 upon a peduncle. Calyx a 3-parted minute
leaf. Stamens 4 — 6. — Female. Calyx including, and adhering to, the
ovary: its tip free, and 4-cleft. Stigma sessile upon the ovary, partly
discoid, 2 — 4-lobed. Fruit a drupe (a tryma, Watson). Husk fleshy,
separating into 4 equal valves, or dividing into 4 equal portions in the
upper part. Nut with 4 or more bluntish angles in its transverse outline ;
the surface pretty even. Seed eatable or bitter. — Species about 10, native
to North America. Large trees. Rate of growth slower than in Juglans.
Bark appearing reticulated. — Leaf buds partially covered with scales in
some species, naked in others. Leaves alternate, irnpari-pinnate, of 5 — 15
serrate leaflets ; all, except the terminal one, in opposite, or nearly opposite,
pairs ; and all spreading in one plane. Pubescence stellate. Fruit upon
short stiff stalks. Nuttall has stated (Gen.) that the sexes are poly-
gamous; but he has not described the bisexual flowers, nor the dispo-
sition of them. (Nuttall Gen.y Michaux N. Amer. Sylva, Watson Dend.
Brit.)
PTEROCANRYA Kunth. Flowers unisexual, those of the 2 sexes upon one plant.
— Male. Flowers in spikes. Stamens in a flower many. — Female. Flowers
in long pendulous spikes, and distant, sessile, and ? without bracteas.
Calyx connate with the ovary, except in a terminal portion, which is cleft
into ? 3 — 5 ? unequal lobes. Ovary, and the part of the calyx that is con-
nate with it, taken together, flagon-shaped, bearing 2 wings above the base ;
their direction transverse and oblique : cell 1 ; ovule 1, erect. Style 1,
very short. Stigmas 2, large, spreading, revolute. Fruit subdrupaceous,
angled; having 2 wings, as the ovary; much tapered to the tip, not open-
ing, containing a bony nut, which has 4 cells in its lower part, whose parti-
tions do not extend to the top, so that it is 1 -celled there. Seed 1, its
lower part in 4 deep lobes. Embryo not accompanied by albumen ; its
radicle uppermost. — Species 1, indigenous to the eastern part of Caucasus,
and in moist woods, by the Caspian Sea. A tree. Leaves impari-pinnate
not dotted ; leaflets about 1 7, lanceolate, sessile, unequal at the base, ar-
iziitely serrulate; the veins beneath villous. Fruit small. (Kunth in Ann.
Scicn. Nat., ii. p. 346. ; Willd. Sp. PL ; and Spreng. Syst. Veg.~).
GENUS I.
JIPGLANS L. THE WALNUT TREE. Lin. Syst. Monce'cia Polyandria.
Identification. Schrcb. Lin. Gen., No. 1-M6. ; T. Nees ab Esenbeck Gen. PL FL Germ., fasc. 3. t. 12. ;
Nutt. Gt-n. N. Amer. 1'L, 2. p. 220., Lindl. Nat. Syst. of Hot., p. 180.
Si/iiHnt/tncs. NOVIT, /•>. ; Walmiss, Cu'r.
Derivation. Jftglanfll rontracti-d from Join's, Jove's, ami ^lii/is, a iua>t, or acorn ; and was applied
by the Roman writers to this tree, on account of the excellence of iU fruit aa food, compared with
AUBOHETUM ANU FltUTlCETUM. PART III.
other masts, or acorns ; the only species that was known to the Roman* having been the
Jdglans r&gia, or common walnut tree.
Description. Large trees, with pinnate leaves, coarse-grained wood, and
fruit, in one species at least, much esteemed at the dessert, and valuable for the
oil which it contains.
General Observations. The trees belonging to this order bear, with only
two or three exceptions, so close a resemblance to one another in their
young state (in which state alone most of them are to be seen in Britain),
that we have been unable to satisfy ourselves as to what are species, and what
are only varieties. In pursuance of our idea, that no plant can be truly a
species, that is not readily distinguished from every other, in every stage of
its growth, and at every season of the year, we should say that there were
not more than two species of walnut hitherto discovered, either in Europe or
America; viz. Juglans regia and J. nigra: and three species of 6'arya; viz. C.
amara, C. laciniosa, and C. squamosa. We submit this opinion, however, with
great deference, having formed it chiefly from inspecting the young plants in the
Horticultural Society's Garden, in the collection of Messrs. Loddiges, and from
observing the great variety of foliage distinguishable in a bed of seedlings of any
of the American sorts ; we shall therefore adopt the descriptions and figures
of Michaux, and leave the truth to be discovered by time and future observa-
tion. Previously to describing the species of the three genera, Juglans, C'arya,
and Pterocarya, we shall quote Michaux's introductory observations ; pre-
mising that this author includes both Juglans and Carya under the genus
Juglans; the genus Carya, as we have seen in the generic characters above,
having been separated from Juglans by Nuttall, chiefly on account of a tech-
nical distinction in the fruit. " The walnuts of North America," Michaux ob-
serves, " appear to present characters so distinct, as to require their division
into two sections. These characters consist principally in the form of the bar-
ren aments, or male catkins ; and in the greater or less rapidity of growth in the
trees. The first section is composed of walnuts with single aments, and in-
cludes two American species: the black walnut (./uglans nigra L.y fig. 1260. in
p.1436.), and the butter-nut (.7. cinerea£., fig.1262. in p.1439.); to which is
added the European walnut (.7. regia L., fig. 1257. in p. 1425.). The second
section consists of such as have compound aments, and comprises eight spe-
cies: the pacane-nut hickory (C'arya olivseformis Nutt., fig. 1263. in p. 1442.),
the bitter-nut hickory (C. amara Nutt.,.fig. 1264. in p. 1443.), water bitter-
nut hickory (C. aquatica Nutt.t fig. 1265. in p. 1444.), mocker-nut hickory
(C. tomentosa Nutt., fig. 1267. in p. 1445.), shell-bark hickory (C. alba
Nutt., fig. 1269. in p. 1446.), thick shell-bark hickory (C. sulcata Nntt.y
fig. 1271. in p.1449.), pig-nut hickory (C. porcina Nutt., fig. 1273. in p.1450.),
and nutmeg hickory (C. myristicaeformis Nutt.y fig. 1275. in p. 1451.). The first
three species of the second section bear some relation to those of the first
in their buds, which are not covered with scales. For this reason, I have
placed them immediately next, beginning with the pacane-nut hickory, which,
by its numerous leaflets, most nearly resembles the black walnut and the
butter-nut, the buds of which are also uncovered. Throughout the United
States, the common name of hickory is given to all the species of the second
section. This common appellation is due to certain properties of their
wood ; viz. coarseness of grain, and a reddish colour in the heart-wood,
which, however modified, are possessed by them all, in a greater degree than
by any other tree of Europe or America. These species exhibit, also, a
striking analogy in their forms and in their leaves, though they differ in the
number and size of their leaflets. To these sources of confusion must be
added another in the fruit, which is often so various in its appearance, that it
is easy to mistake the species to which it belongs. It is not, then, on the
most remarkable differences alone that our distinctions must be founded ;
recourse must also be had to an examination of the shoots of the preceding
year, of the buds, and of the aments." (Mic/u: North Anicr. Sylva, vol. i.
p. 139.)
i-HAI'. CII. .7UGLANDANCK#:. ,71/GLANS. 1423
§ i. Simple Aments. (Iroii'lfi rap'ul. 1. Juglans regia L. 2. J. nigra L.
3. J. cathartica Mic/i.r., syn. J. cinerea L. The order of the flowering of
these species in England is, first ,7. regia, then J. cinerea, in a few days
after which the catkins of .7. nigra expand. The order of fruiting is differ-
ent ; for, while the fruit of the common walnut begins to drop in the first or
second week in September, that of the black walnut does not fall till the end
of the same month, and that of the grey walnut, not till the beginning of
October. (Mart. Mill.) To this section may be added Pterocarya, a genus
recently separated from ./liglans.
§ ii. Compound Aments, each Peduncle bearing three. Growth slow. 1. ./li-
glans olivaeformis Michx. (syn. Carya olivaeformis Nutt.) 2. J. aman
formis Nutt.)
t 1. J. RE^GIA L. The royal, or common, Walnut Tree.
Identification. Lin. Hort. Cliff., p. 449. ; Mill. Diet, No. 1. and Ic. ; Du Roi Karbk., p. 323. ;
Wilid. Arb., 153. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 455. ; Michx. N. Amer. Sylva, 1. p. 143.
Synont/mes. Nux Juglans Dod. Pempt., 81b'. ; Nux Juglans, seu regia vulg&ris, liauh. Pin., 417. ;
Noy'er commun, Fr. : Noseguier Provence; gemeine Walnuss, Ger.
Engravings. Mill. Ic. ; Lam. 111., 781.; Ludw. Ect., t. 188.; Blackw., t. 247.; Knorr Del., 1.
t?N. 7. ; T. Nees ab Esenbeck Gen. PI. Fl. Germ., fasc. 3. f. 52. ; Michx. N. Amer. Sylva, t. 29. ;
our fig. 1257. ; and the plates of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaflets in a leaf, 5 — 9 ; oval, glabrous, obscurely serrated.
Fruit oval, situated upon a short inflexible peduncle. Nut rather oval,
rather even. A native of Persia, in the extensive province of Ghilan, on
the Caspian Sea, between 35° and 40° of latitude. In cultivation in
England since 1562, and probably long before; flowering in April and May,
and ripening its fruit in September.
Varieties.
*t J. r. 2 maxima; Nux Juglans fructu maximo Bauh. Pin., 417., N.
Du Ham., iv. p. 173.; Noix de Jauge Bon Jard., ed. 1836, p. 473.r
Nois. Jardin Fruitier, t. 16.; Bannut, Warwickshire. — This variety
has the fruit double the size of that of the species, being sometimes
nearly as large as a turkey's egg ; but, in drying, the kernel shrinks
to one half its size; -and, hence, the fruit of this variety is not good
for keeping, but ought to be eaten directly after being gathered.
The leaves are large, and the tree has a magnificent appearance ;
but its timber is not nearly so durable as that of the common
walnut.
¥ J. r 3 tenera; Nux ./uglans fructu tenero et fragile putamine Bauh.
Pin., 417., N. Du Ham., iv. p. 173.; Noyer a Coque tendre, Noyer
Mesange Bon Jardinier, 1. c., Noyer de Mars in Dauphine. The thin-
shelled, or Titmouse, Walnut. (See Hort. Trans., vol. iv. p. 517. ; and
E. ofGard., ed. 1834, p. 942.)— The latter name is given to this kind
of walnut, because its shell is so tender, that the birds of the titmouse
family (mesange, Fr.) (Parus major L.,fig. 1256. a ; P. caeruleus L.,
fig. 1256. b; and also P. ater and P. palustris L.) pierce it with their
bills, and eat the kernel, leaving the remaining part of the fruit on the
tree. (See Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. vii. p. 147.) This variety has the
most delicate fruit of all the walnuts : it keeps longer, and produces
more oil ; but it is not so good a bearer as the other sorts. M. Trat-
tinik, a German botanist, states, in the Nouveau Du Hamel, that he
has seen a tree of the ./uglans regia which only produced female
catkins, and never male ones ; and that it bore every year a great
quantity of fruit with a tender shell. It is known that the shells
of walnuts are much more tender in some years than in others ; and,
also, that the shells often vary in their degrees of hardness on the
same tree, in the same year ; and, very likely, this may depend on
5 A
AUHOKKTUM AND FK L'TICF.TU Al .
13*6
PART III.
fecundation: if so, the shells of the fruit of any walnut tree may he
rendered tender, by removing all, or the greater part, of the male
catkins, the moment they appear.
*t J. r. 4 serotina Desf.; Nux ./liglans fructu serotino Bauh Pin., 417.,
N. Du Ham., iv. p. 174. ; Noyer tardif, Noyer de la Saint- Jean
Bon. Jard.y ed. 1836, p. 472., Noyer de Mai in Dauphine. The late-
vegetating Walnut. — This is a most valuable variety for those dis-
tricts where the frosts continue late in spring. In France, about
Paris, its leaves do not appear before the end of June ; but the fruit
ripens nearly as early as that of the other varieties. In the London
Horticultural Society's Garden, there is a plant of this variety, 5ft.
or 6ft. high, which, on the 1st of July, 1835, when every other tree in
the garden was in leaf, had not burst a single bud.
*t J. r. 5 lacinidta ; Nux ./uglans foliis laciniatis Reneaulm., N. Du
Ham., iv. p. 174.; Juglans heterophylla Hort.; J. /ilicifolia Lodd.
Cat., ed. 1836 ; the Fern-leaved Walnut Tree, has cut leaves, some-
what like those of l^raxinus exce'lsior salicifolia.
Other Varieties. The above are the most remarkable and valuable of the
varieties of the common walnut ; the first three, on account of their fruit ;
and the last, as a curiosity, on account of its leaves. But in the Bon Jardinier
five others are enumerated ; and in the Horticultural Society's Fruit Cata-
logue for 1832 nine are given, of which the most valuable for cultivation for its
fruit is the highflier ; a variety which was originated at Thetford, in Norfolk,
and which is held in much esteem in that county and in Suffolk. (Hort.
Tram., iv. p. 517.; and E. of Gard., ed. 1835, p. 942.) There is also the
Yorkshire walnut, which is much planted in that county. The varieties
recommended by Mr. Thompson, as having proved the most prolific in the
Horticultural Society's Garden, are, the round early oval; the double large
French, No. 1. above; the tender-shelled, No. 2. ; and the thick-shelled.
A variation, worth notice, was displayed in a nut sent to us by Mr.
Samuel Taylor of Whittington, near Stoke Ferry, Norfolk, which had
nearly three perfect valves, but was devoid of kernel.
Description. The walnut forms a large and lofty tree, with strong spread-
ing branches. The leaves have three or four pairs of leaflets, terminated by an
odd one, which is longer than the rest. The male catkins are pendulous, and
are produced near the points of the shoots. The bark is thick, and deeply
furrowed on the trunk ; but on the upper branches it is grey and smooth.
The leaves, when bruised, exhale a strong aromatic odour; and, in the ex-
treme heat of summer, the exhalations from them are so powerful, as to
produce unpleasant effects upon some persons, if they slumber under the
( II AM. (Ml.
'C i: i •:. i\ <;i. .-\NS.
1257
tree. The fruit is green and oval ;
and, in the wild species, contains a
small hard nut. In the most es-
teemed cultivated varieties, the fruit
is of a roundish oval and is strongly
odoriferous; about \^ in. long, and
from 1£ in. to U in. in diameter.
The nut occupies two thirds of the
volume of the fruit. Towards autumn
the husk softens, and, decaying from
about the nut, allows it to fall out.
The shell is slightly channeled, and.
in most of the cultivated varieties,
so thin as to be easily crushed by the
fingers. The kernel is of an agree-
able taste ; and is covered with a fine
pellicle, and separated by a thin
partition, which may be readily de-
tached both from the shell and
from the kernel. The plant is some-
what tender when young, and apt
to be injured by spring frosts :
nevertheless, it grows vigorously; and, in the climate of London, attains the
height of 20ft. in 10 years, beginning about that time to bear fruit. The
tree attains a great age, as well as size ; and, as it advances in both, increases
. in productiveness. There is, perhaps, no tree that sends down a more
vigorous taproot than the walnut; and this it will do in the clefts of rocks;
and, when it reaches good soil, produce a most ample head, and so thick a
trunk and root, as in time to burst even rocks. Hence, there is no tree less
liable to be torn up by the roots than the walnut ; and, for this reason, and
also because it makes its shoots rapidly, instead of continuing to elongate
them all the summer, like some other trees (such as the larch, the oak> the
poplar, &c.), it forms an erect well-balanced tree, even in exposed situations.
The walnut is generally considered injurious, by its shade, both to man and
plants. Pliny says that even the oak will not thrive near the walnut tree; which,
if it be true, may be owing to the interference of their roots in the subsoil : but
it is certain, that neither grass, nor field nor garden crops, thrive well under
the walnut. The late Mr. Keen, an extensive market-gardener at Isle-
worth, being the owner of the land he cultivated, planted, about the begin-
ning of the present century, a number of rows of walnut trees, at consider-
able distances from each other, across his grounds, in order at once to
produce shelter to his herbaceous crops, and fruit for the market. He was
celebrated for the growth of strawberries ; and Mr. Phillips, the author of
Pomarium Britannicum (published in 1820), says that Mr. Keen informed him
that the walnut trees were so injurious to his strawberry beds, that the plants
seldom bore fruit in their neighbourhood. The injury done to grass, and
other plants on the surface of the ground, must be chiefly owing to the
decaying of the fallen leaves, and the washing into the soil of their astringent
properties; consequently, the evil may be much alleviated by sweeping them
up, and carrying them away as soon as they fall.
Geography and History . The walnut is a native of Persia; and, according
to Loureiro, of the north of China. Pallas found it frequently in the Penin-
sula of Taurida, and on the south of Caucasus, growing spontaneously to a
large size, so as to appear almost indigenous; the fruit ripening about the end
of August. The elder Michaux, who, in the years 1782, 1783, and J 784, visited
the province of Ghilan, was the first in modern times to ascertain, with cer-
tainty, that the walnut belonged to the same country as the peach and the
apricot. It was known to the Greeks, whose names for it were Persicon and
Basilk-on, the Persian and royal nut. According to Pliny's account, the
:> A 2
1426 ARBORETUM AND FUUTICETUM. PART III.
Greeks afterwards called the walnut tree Caryon, on account of the heaviness
of the head produced by its strong smell. When the walnut was introduced
into Europe is altogether uncertain ; but it was cultivated by the Romans
before the death of the Emperor Tiberius, and is supposed to have been
brought from Greece by Vitellius. Strabo informs us that in Rome, at one
time, tables of the wood sold at a higher price than those of citron. Ovid
wrote a little poem, entitled De Nuce, by which it appears that then, as now,
walnuts were knocked down from the trees by boys ; and that, at marriages,
walnuts were thrown by the bride and bridegroom among the children
who surrounded them; a ceremony which was instituted to show that
the bridegroom had left off his boyish amusements ; or, perhaps, to signify
that the bride was no longer a votary of Diana. (See p. 1430.) Hence, pro-
bably, is derived the French word for nuptials, des noces. In France, at the
festival of the Rosiere at Salency, in the department of the Oise (see p. 792.),
in the sixth century, it is directed that an offering be presented to the
young maid who is crowned, composed of walnuts and other fruits of the
country. The walnut tree is now to be met with in every part of Europe,
as far north as Warsaw; but it is nowhere so far naturalised as to produce
itself spontaneously from seeds. In Britain, it has been in cultivation from
the earliest period of botanical history, and, in all probability, since the
time of the Romans. It ripens its fruit in fine seasons, in the neigh-
bourhood of Edinburgh, as a standard; and it lives against a wall as far
north as Dunrobin Castle, in Sutherlandshire. It is much cultivated, in some
parts of Italy, France, Germany, and Switzerland, as a road-side tree.
Michaux says that it is more abundant in those parts of France which lie
between 45° and 48°, than in any other part of Europe ; and that the fruit,
the oil, and the wood may be considered as forming, in that region, some of
the principal branches of commerce. This corresponds with what is stated
by Evelyn. "Burgundy," says that author, "abounds with walnut trees,
where they stand in the 'midst of goodly wheat lands, at sixty and a hundred
feet distance; and so far are they from hurting the crop, that they are looked
upon as great preservers, by keeping the ground warm; nor do the roots
hinder the plough. Whenever they fell a tree, which is only the old and
decayed, they always plant a young one near him ; and, in several places,
betwixt Hanau and Frankfort, in Germany, no young farmer whatsoever is
permitted to marry a wife, till he bring proof that he is a father of such a
stated number of walnut trees ; and the law is inviolably observed to this
day, for the extraordinary benefit which this tree affords the inhabitants."
(Hunter's Evelyn, p. 168.) " The Bergstrass," he adds, " which extends
from Heidelberg to Darmstadt, is all planted with walnuts." (Ibid., vol. i.
p. 168. and p. 170.)
At different periods, there has been a great dearth of the wood of this tree in
France, where, as in England, in time of war, it was much in demand for
gun-stocks. It is a remarkable fact in the history of this tree, that, in the
winter of 1709, the greater part of the walnut trees of Europe, and more
especially of Switzerland, France, and Germany, were killed ; or so far in-
jured, as to render it advisable to fell the trees. The Dutch, at that time,
foreseeing the scarcity of walnut timber that was likely to ensue, bought up
all the trees that they could procure, in every direction, and sold them again,
according to the demand, for many years afterwards, at a greatly advanced
price. In the year 1720, an act was passed, in France, to prevent the ex-
portation of walnut timber, on pain of confiscation, and payment of a fine of
3,000 livres. A great many walnut trees were, at that time, planted in the
royal demesnes. In 1806, the manufacture of muskets required about 12,000
trees yearly. In consequence of this, a great many plantations were made by
individuals; and a prize was given for the cultivation of the tree by the
Society for the Encouragement of Arts, in Paris. We have been informed
by M. Michaux, in a letter dated December, 1834, that in 1818 he formed a
nursery of between five and six acres, for government, in the Bois de
CIIA1*. CII. 71 GLANDAYiwK. ./('ViLANS. 14-27
Boulogne, and raised in it upwards of 30,000 walnut trees, for transplanta-
tion, which, at the time he wrote, were from 20 ft. to 30 ft. high.
In England, formerly, Evelyn informs us, " there were considerable plant-
ations of this tree, particularly on the chalk hills of Surrey." He instances
those of Sir Richard Stidolph, near Leatherhead ; Sir Robert Clayton, at
Morden, near Godstone, once belonging to Sir John Evelyn ; and the country
about Carshalton. During the late war, great numbers of walnut trees,
in different parts of England, were cut down for the purpose of supplying
gun-stocks; till the price of walnut timber rose so high (600/. having been
given for one large tree), as to induce its importation from the Continent,
and the substitution of the wood of the black walnut of America. In
the present day, when mahogany and other tropical woods are substi-
tuted for walnut wood by the cabinet-makers, and when wood for gun-
stocks is imported from the Black Sea, and also from North America, the
profits attending the culture of the common walnut tree are greatly dimi-
nished ; and it is, accordingly much less generally planted as a timber tree.
As a fruit tree, its planting is, perhaps, on the increase; the improved varieties
becoming better known. In North America, the European walnut has been
planted for its fruit; and Michaux recommends it to be budded on the black
walnut ; but, as the wood of the former is considered as being far inferior to
that of the latter, he does not recommend its introduction into the United
States as a forest tree. Walnuts for the table are now annually imported from
France and Spain ; and pay a duty of 2s. per bushel. The quantity imported
in 1831 was 23,578 bushels, of which 160 bushels were exported, and the
remainder retained for home use. In 1832, only about two thirds of the
quantity were imported; but 551 bushels were exported. (M'Culloch's Comm.
IJict., p. 1218.) This variation, in respect to the importation and exportation
of the walnuts, is owing to the variations in the crop on the Continent and in
Britain.
Properties and Uses. The wood of the walnut weighs 58 Ib. 8 oz. in a
green state; and when dried, 46 Ib. 8oz. It is white in young trees, and in
that state is subject to be wormeaten ; but, as the tree grows old, the wood
becomes solid, compact, easy to work, and acquires a brown colour, veined,
and agreeably shaded with light brown and black. In this state, it is considered
the most beautiful wood produced in Europe; and, being neither subject to crack
nor twist ; it was employed in preference to every other for the best kinds of
furniture, before the discovery, in America, of other kinds of wood still more
beautiful. In France and Germany, it is still much sought after by turners,
cabinet-makers, joiners, coachmakers, and millwrights, for screws to presses ;
by the makers of sabots, or wooden shoes, or clogs, musical instrument
makers, and, above all, by the manufacturers of arms. For solidity and beauty,
the wood of those trees is preferred which have grown on hilly and poor soils ;
that grown on plains, and in rich soils, being of a much coarser grain, and
being less beautifully veined, and less durable. The smallest size of trunk
that can be employed in making furniture with advantage, in point of beauty,
is 1^ ft. in diameter. The white, or soft, wood may be rendered fit for use by
immersing it in boiling walnut oil. The most beautiful veinings are in the
roots of the tree ; which are much sought after by cabinet-makers, and, when
they can be found of large size, bear a high price. The younger timber,
Evelyn says, is held to make the better-coloured work ; but the older, and
especially the firm and close timber about the root, is best adapted for " flaked
and cambleted works." Those trees, he says, which have small and thick-
shelled fruit produce better timber than the large-fruited or thin-shelled kinds.
Evelyn strongly recommends walnut timber for household furniture, utensils,
and wainscoting walls, " instead of the more vulgar beech, subject to be weak
and unsightly ; but which, to counterfeit and deceive the umvary, they wash
over with a decoction of the green husks of walnuts, &e." In France, he says,
it may be seen in every room, both of poor and of rich ; but he is in raptures
with the cabinet-works which he has seen made of the walnut wood of
5 A 3
AIIBOKKTUM AND FKUTJCKTUJM. I'AltTJll.
Grenoble, " of all others the most beautiful ami esteemed." To render the
wood better coloured, Evelyn continues, "joiners put the boards into an
oven after the batch is forth, or lay them in a warm stable; and, when they
work it, polish it over with its own oil, very hot, which makes it look black
and sleek; and the older it is, the more estimable: but then it should not be
put in work till thoroughly seasoned ; because it will shrink beyond expect-
ation. It is only not good to confide in it much for beams or joists, because
of its brittleness ; of which, however, it has been observed to give timely
notice, like that of the chestnut, before it breaks." (Hunt. Evel., p. 172.) For
fuel, according to Baudrillart, the wood, when dry, is of nearly the same value
as that of the common sycamore, burning with a mild flame ; but, as charcoal,
it is not productive. In Britain, the chief uses of the timber are for gun-
stocks (it being found lighter in proportion to its strength and elasticity than
any other), and for musical instruments, turnery, and toy-making.
The most valuable part of the walnut is its fruit, which is much in demand,
throughout Europe and other parts of the world, for the table, and for various
other purposes. In a young and green state, it is pickled and preserved ; and,
when mature, it is used as food for the poorer classes in the countries where it
abounds, and at the dessert of the richer classes. In the north of Italy, in Swit-
zerland, and in the south of France, the roads are lined for many miles together
with walnut trees ; and, during August and September, when the fruit is ripe,
or nearly so, and the weather so warm that the shelter of a house is not
required to protect the traveller from cold, he may walk under the shade of
the tree, and eat its fruit during the day, and sleep under it during night. We
have even known the case of a person who travelled by a public conveyance
from Florence to Geneva, eating scarcely anything by the way but walnuts
and heads of maize, which he gathered by the road side. About the end of
June, walnuts are preserved, either with or without their husks : in the latter
state they are most agreeable, but in the former most strengthening to the
stomach. Gerard says, " The green and tender nuts, boyled in sugar, and eaten
as suckarde, are a most pleasant and delectable meate, comfort the stomache,
and expell poyson." A fine stomachic liqueur is made from the young nuts
about. the middle of June; and about this time, also, they are pickled. In
August, before the shells become hard, they are eaten in what the French
call en cerneaiu', that is, with the kernel, while green, scooped out with a short,
broad, brass knife, and seasoned with vinegar, salt, pepper, and shallots. The
nuts, for this purpose, should be taken at least a fortnight before they are ripe;
they should be thrown into water as soon as they are separated from the
husk, and allowed to remain there till the moment when they are wanted to
be seasoned and set upon the table. The seasoning may be that already
mentioned; or the juice of green grapes and salt, without anything else.
Towards the end of September, or beginning of October, walnuts are eaten
raw, and they are good as long as they continue fresh ; that is, as long as it is
easy to detach the skin from them; but when this cannot be removed, the nuts
become indigestible, and their acridity attacks the gums and the palate. In
order to preserve them fresh, they ought to be buried, with their green shells
on, in sand or in dry soil, beyond the reach of frost or surface heat, in which
state they will continue fresh for six months. Of the dried kernels, a constrr<-
ttralce is formed ; which, in France, is called nougat, and is considered very
agreeable. In Spain, Evelyn tells us, they strew the gratings of old and hard
nuts over their tarts and sweetmeats. In London, young walnuts are much
used for pickles, and iu making catchups, or adulterating soy, and other sauces.
The nut of the large-fruited walnut (jauge, Fr. ; the variety No. 1. above)
is, in France, made into cases by jewellers, and furnished with trinkets, for the
amusement of children. In Limerick, it is customary to put a pair of fine
Limerick gloves into a walnut shell, and a dish of walnuts with this kind of
kernel is sometimes presented at table. Thus furnished, they are often sent
as presents to England ; and gloves are sent in the same manner from France.
The most general use of the \valnut on a large scale, in the south of Europe, is
./UGLANDAvCE.t. ,/U GLANS. 14-29
to express an oil from it, which is employed by artists in mixing white, or any
delicate colours; and which serves as a substitute for olive oil in the kitchen
and at table, for oil of almonds in medicine, and for burning in lamps. Half
the people in France, Bosc observes, consume no other oil than that of the
walnut. The marc, or mass of husks which remains after the oil is extracted,
is used to feed swine or sheep, or is formed into cakes, and serves for the
nourishment of poultry ; and the inhabitants of the Mirbalais make a kind of
candles of it, which burn with a very clear flame. In Tartary, Dr. Clarke
informs us, an incision is made in the tree in spring, when the sap is rising,
and a spigot inserted for some time ; after which, on withdrawing it, a clear
sweet liquor flows out, which, when coagulated by evaporation, is used as
sugar. In other parts of Europe and Asia, a wine is made of the sap, or
a spirit distilled from it. The roots of the walnut, before the rising of the sap,
yield, by boiling, a dark brown dye, which becomes fixed, in wood, hair, or
wool, without the aid of alum. This dye is used by gipsies, and also by
theatrical performers, to stain the skin of a deep brown. The husk of the
out produces nearly the same colour as the root, and also the bark of the
young shoots, and even the leaves. For this purpose, the bark should be
taken off when the sap is in movement in spring ; the leaves should be gathered
when the nuts are half formed ; and the husks of the nuts when the fruit is
nearly ripe, or after its maturity, when they begin to scale off. The husk of
the nuts is used by cabinet-makers and joiners, to stain white wood and yellow
wood of a dark brown or black colour, like that of the walnut. When the
fingers are stained with walnut juice, or the skin has been dyed with it, it is
exceedingly difficult to remove; but this may be partially effected by the
application of moistened salt.
To obtain a dark-brown or black Dye from the Walnut, the husks must be left to rot, or to
macerate, in a heap in the shade, taking care to keep them always moist When they are sufficiently
rotted and black, they are then boiled, adding to them fresh water, and supplying them with a
sufficient quantity of it. This gives a most beautiful nut colour to any kind of wood, which may. be
made lighter or darker, as may be wished, by employing a greater or less quantity of husks to the
same quantity of water ; or the wood may veined by applying the colour with a pencil to particular
parts ; after which it is varnished. When it is wished to colour the boarded floor of an apartment,
the husks are boiled, and no more water added than is sufficient to keep the bottom of the vessel
from being injured by the fire. When the whole is reduced to one mass, it is laid on the boards,
and left to dry ; it is then swept off, and the wood rubbed with hard, short-bristled brushes, till it
becomes perfectly bright.
To extract the Oil of Walnuts. When the fruit is gathered, and the nuti are separated from the
husks, they should be kept dry, and occasionally moved till they are used. The most proper time
for the operation is at the close of winter ; as, at this season, the change by which the mucilage of
the fruit is converted into oil has been completely effected ; and by longer delay the kernel grows
rancid, and the oil becomes of a vitiated quality. The nut is cracked by striking it on the end with
a small mallet ; and pains are taken not to bruise the kernel. The slight ligneous partition is
detached, and such kernels as are partially spoiled are picked out and thrown aside. The sound
th "
ligneous partition
wn aside. The sou....
kernels,, thus cleared from every particle of the shell, should be sent immediately to the mill, as
they soon become rancid by exposure to the air. They are crushed by a vertical stone, which turns
in a circular trough, and is moved by a horse, or by water. The paste is next enclosed in bags of
strong linen, and submitted to the press. The oil which flows from this first pressure, without the
application of heat, is of the best quality. It is very clear, and is proper for food; but it sensibly
retains the taste of the nut, which, in general, is not agreeable to persons unaccustomed to it; so
that the consumption is limited to the departments where it is made. To be kept sweet for the
t.ibh.', it should be drawn off several times during the first months, carefully corked, and kept in the
cellar, as it is more easily affected than any other oil by the action of air and heat. After the
firot expression, the oaste is emptied from the sacks, moistened with warm water, and moderately
heated in cop|>ers. It is then replaced in the sacks, and returned to the press. The oil of the
second discharge is highly coloured, and very speedily becomes rancid ; it is therefore employed
only in the preparation of colours. The cakes which remain after the expression is finished are
used, as already stated, for fattening swine, sheep, or fowls, or making candles. The principal use of
this oil is in the preparation of fine colours : it is preferred for this purpose, on accountof the complete
and rapid manner in which it dries, and of the facility with which it is obtained in a perfectly limpid
state, which is done by diffusing it upon water in large shallow vases.
In copperplate printing, walnut oil is considered, in Paris, indispensably necessary for a fine
impression, whether in black or in colours. But there are peculiar modes of preparing it for the
several colours with which it is to be mixed. Thus, for white, blue, light, and the intermediate
shades, it is reduced by boiling to two thirds of its bulk ; but for dark green and black, to one fifth,
which leaves it a thick semifluid substance. To facilitate the process, one tenth part of linseed oil
i.-. added to it : it is then placed, in an iron or.copper vessel over a strong clear fire. When it begins
to boil rapidly, the vessel is removed, and the oil takes fire by contact with the flame, and burns till
it is reduced to the proper consistency. Sometimes it is not allowed to kindle, but, when the ebullition
commences, crusts of bread are thrown into it, which remain till the necessary evaporation is effected,
and are then taken out, charged with mucilaginous particles. The principal advantage of this oil,
in the preparation of white lead for painting the interior of houx's, a^ well as of the colours
employed in] copperplate printing, is the longer and more j>erfect preservation of the tints. The
'••i.-k.of prints done with it, also, docs not turn yellow like others. (Michx. N. Amcr. Sylva, 147, 148,)
/, x I
1430 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
One bushel of nuts will yield 15 lb. of peeled and clear kernels, and these half as many pounds of oil.
The small thick-shelled fruit, other circumstances being the same, always yields moreoil in proportion
to their bulk, than the large, or thin-shelled, fruit. A very interesting account of the mode of prepar-
ing the walnuts for being crushed for oil, and of the various uses to which the fruit is applied in Pied-
mont will be found in Bakewell's Travels in the Tarentaise.
Alkaline Ashes. A full-sized walnut tree, Bosc, in 1822, states, will produce two sacks of nuts,
worth 12 francs ; and, if the leaves which fall, or are knocked down from the tree, are burned, they
will give a third part of their weight in pot-ashes, which are valued at 6 francs ; thus giving a total
increase per annum which, at tS per cent, represents a capital of 300 francs. The tree, the same
author states, is particularly valuable for a cultivator without much floating capital ; for he has known
repeatedly a product in fruit and ashes of 400 francs, procured at a total expense of not more than
36 francs ; and that this sum was expended almost entirely in manual labour, with scarcely anyjiid
from building or machinery.
Medicinally, the use of the walnut is of the greatest antiquity. It is said to
have been one of the antidotes used by Mithridates. Pliny recommends it
" for driving worms out of the stomach ;" and adds that, " eaten after onions,
they keep them from rising." (Book xxiii. c. 18.) An extract of the unripe
fruit is used by rustic practitioners for the destruction of worms : the fruit
itself is stomachic; and the bark, either green, or dried and powdered, is a
powerful emetic. The root is said to be purgative and diuretic; and a de-
coction of the wood, sudorific. The sap of the leaves, mixed with milk, is
considered a remedy for horses having the fistula. Evelyn tells us that the
husks and leaves, being macerated in warm water, and that liquor poured on
grass walks and bowling-greens, infallibly kills the worms, without endangering
the grass. Not, says Dr. Hunter, that there is anything peculiarly noxious
in this decoction, but worms cannot bear the application of anything bitter to
their bodies ; which is the reason that bitters, such as gentian, are the best
destroyers of worms lodged in the bowels of animals. Worms are seldom
observed in the intestines of the human body, except in cases where the
bile is either weak or deficient. (Hunter's Evcl., p. 178. note.) Philips states
that anglers water the ground with a decoction of walnut leaves, to cause the
worms to come to the surface of the ground, when they pick them up for
bait. The leaves, dried and mixed with those of tobacco, are said to have
similar virtues to those of that plant. An extract of the unripe fruit, and
also a rob prepared from its juice, are laxative; and the vinegar in which
walnuts have been pickled is a very useful gargle.
Poetical and legendary Allusions. The walnut tree was dedicated to Diana,
and the festivals of that goddess were held beneath its shade. The Greeks
and Romans, as before observed, strewed walnuts at their weddings.
Horace, Virgil, Catullus, and many of the other Latin poets, allude to this
custom, which probably had reference to the bride's deserting the ranks of
Diana (to whom, as we have seen above, the walnut was dedicated,) for those
of Hymen (see p. 1426.); and there is an allusion to it in Herrick's Epilha-
Uuninm on Sir Thomas Southwell and his lady : —
" Now bar the door — the bridegroom puts
The eager boys to gather nuts."
Spenser mentions walnuts as employed in Christmas games ; and many other
British poets mention it for different qualities. Cowley, however, has
enumerated so many of the properties, which the walnut was believed to
possess in his day, that we give the passage entire : —
" The walnut then approached, more large and t;ilJ,
Her fruit which we a nut, the gods an acorn call :
Jove's acorn, which does no small praise confess,
T ve called it man's ambrosia had been less ;
Nor can this head-like nut, shaped like the brain,
Within be said that form by change to gain,
Or C'aryon called by learned Greeks in vain :
For membranes soft as silk her kernel bind,
Whereof the inmost is of tendered kind,
Like those which on the brain of man we find.
AH which are in a seam-joined shell enclosed,
Which of tiiis brain the skull may be supposed.
This very skuil enveloped is again
In a green coat, her pericranium.
I^astly, that no objection may remain,
To thwart her near alliance- with the brain,
She nourishes the hair, remembering how
Heroflf deform'd, without her leaves does show,
Cil JUGLANDA'ciwE. JUHiLANS. 14-31
On barren scalps she makes fresh honours grow.
Her timber is for various uses good ;
The carver she supplies with useful wood.
She makes the painter's fading colours last;
A table she affords us, and repast ;
E'en while we feast, her oil our lamp supplies ;
The rankest poison by her virtues dies,
The mad dog's foam, and taint of raging skies.
The Pontic king, who lived where poisons grew,
Skilful in antidotes, her virtue knew.
Yet envious fates, that still with merit strive,
And man, ungrateful from the orchard drive
This sovereign plant ; excluded from the field,
Unless some useless nook a station yield,
Defenceless in the common road she stands,
Exposed to restless war of vulgar hands;
By neighbouring clowns, and passing rabble torn,
Batter'd with stones by boys, and left forlorn."
COWLKY'S Plants, book iv.
Collinson, in his History of Somersetshire, speaking of the Glastonbury
thorn, mentions that there grew also, in the Abbey-church yard, on the north
side of St. Joseph's Chapel, a miraculous walnut tree, which never budded
forth before the feast of St. Barnabas (that is the llth of June), and on that
very day shot forth its leaves, and flourished like other trees of the same
species. He adds that this tree was much sought after by the credulous ; and
that " Queen Anne, King James, and many of the nobility of the realm, even
when the times of monkish superstition had ceased, gave large sums of money
for small cuttings from the original." (Hist, of Som.y vol. ii. p. 265.) This
tree was, no doubt, of the late variety called by the French Noyer de la St.
Jean.
Propagation, $c. The species is propagated by the nut ; which, when the
tree is to be grown chiefly for its timber, is best sown where it is finally to
remain, on account of the taproot, which will thus have its full influence on
the vigour and prosperity of the tree. Where the tree is to be grown for fruit
on dry soils, or in rocky situations, it ought also to be sown where it is finally to
remain, for the same reasons. In soils on moist or otherwise unfavourable
subsoils, if sown where it is finally to remain, a tile, slate, or flat stone should
be placed under the nut at the depth of Sin. or 4 in., in order to give the tap-
root a horizontal direction ; or, if this precaution has been neglected, after
the plants have come up, the taproot may be cut through with a spade 6 in.
or 8 in. below the nut, as is sometimes practised in nurseries with young
plants of the horsechestnut, sweet chestnut, walnut, and oak. On the other
hand, when the walnut is planted in soil which has a dry or rocky subsoil,
or among rocks, no precaution of this sort is necessary : on the contrary, it
would be injurious, by preventing the taproot from descending, and deriving
that nourishment from the subsoil which, from the nature of the surface soil,
it could not there obtain. The varieties may be propagated by budding,
grafting, inarching, or layering, and, possibly, by cuttings of the root.
Budding and Grafting the Walnut. Much has been written on this subject
by French authors ; from which it appears that, in the north of France, and in
cold countries generally, the walnut does not bud or graft easily by any mode ;
but that, in the south of France, and north of Italy, it may be budded or
grafted by different modes, with success. At Metz, the Baron de Tschoudy
found the flute method (fig. 1258.) almost the only one
which he could practise with success. By this mode, an
entire ring of bark, containing one or more buds, is put
on the upper extremity of the stock ; either exactly fitted
to it, as at fig. 1258. a ; or made to fit it by slitting up the
ring of bark, if too small for the stock, as at b ; or, if too
large, by slitting it up, and cutting out a small portion, so 1258
as that, when placed on the stock, it may fit it as closely
as in the entire ring a. When this mode of budding
is practised without heading down the stock, as in fig.
1250., it i.s called ring budding, grrffe en anncau. Both flute budding and
ring budding are generally practised in spring, when the bap is in motion ;
ARBORETUM AND FKUTICETUW. PART 111.
but they may be also carried into effect in summer, at
the ordinary season. In Dauphine, young plants in the
nurseries are budded chiefly by the above modes, which
succeed best the closer the operation is performed to the
collar of the plant. It has also become customary, of j
late, in that part of France, to cover the branches of old ^1 |
trees with buds. For this purpose, the branches are
shortened in the month of October, or in May, to within
8ft. or 10ft. of where they proceed from the trunk, in
order that they may throw out a number of young shoots.
The spring afterwards, when the sap is in motion, from
50 to 100 of these shoots are made choice of, and
budded either in the common manner, or in the flute or
ring method. The two latter modes are preferred, as
being more certain of success, and less likely to have the young shoots blown
off by the wind. When the common method is practised, the young shoots
are pinched in once or twice in the course of the season, to prevent them
from elongating to such an extent as to endanger their being blown off.
In England, the walnut is very seldom either budded or grafted; and,
though Boutcher recommends inarching, we believe it has been practised
only on a very limited scale. In Jersey, we are informed by Mr. Saunders,
nurseryman there, the walnut and the sweet chestnut are sometimes, but
very rarely, grafted ; and that, to insure success, the operation must be per-
formed while the stock is young, and the scion must be about the same size as
the stock. The graft should be made close to the ground, and not till late in the
spring, when the sap is in full motion. Mr. Knight succeeded in budding the
walnut by making use of those minute buds which are found at the base of the
annual snoots of the walnut and other trees, "which are almost concealed in
the bark, and which rarely, if ever, vegetate, but in the event of the destruction
of the large prominent buds which occupy the middle and opposite ends of
the annual wood." Mr. Knight inserted in the stock these minute buds, in
the usual manner, in several instances, and found them invariably succeed ;
but it is necessary to state that the operation was performed on yearling
stocks, which grew in pots that had been placed, during the spring and early
part of the summer, in a shady situation under a north wall, in order to retard
them ; and which were removed, late in July, to a forcing-house, and instantly
budded with buds, which, as before observed, had been taken from the base of the
current year's shoots. M. Bosc, noticing this mode of Mr. Knight's, says that
he has long remarked that buds placed immediately on the collars of the roots
always succeed; which he attributes to the shade and the humidity which that
situation affords. It appears to us that Bosc's mode, provided flute or ring
budding were substituted for the common method, and each graft were co-
vered with a hand-glass, is the one most likely to be successfully practised in
the climate of Britain. Layering or inarching might, doubtless, be adopted
with success in the case of the common walnut, as they are found to succeed
with Pterocarya caucasica Kunth (Juglans /raxinifolia Lam.) and the cut-
leaved walnut. Indeed, whip grafting is successfully practised with the cut-
leaved variety, in Sedy's Nursery, at Lyons, and in other gardens in the .south
of France.
Grafting the Walnut. This operation has been successfully performed by
T. A. Knight, Esq. " Young, or last year's, wood is employed both as the
scion and as the stock ; and both scion and stock are allowed to unfold their
buds, and grow for a week or ten days, before the operation of grafting is
performed. Previously to doing this, the young shoots and foliage are
rubbed off. Out of 28 instances, 22 grew well, many producing shoots of
nearly a yard long, and of very great strength. ' The scions were attached to
the young (annual) wood of stocks, which were between 6 ft. and 8 ft. high,
and in all cases they were placed to stand astride the stocks, one division of
the scion being in some instances introduced between the bark and the wood ;
JUGLANDAXC£JC. Ju'dLANS.
and both divisions being, in others, fitted to the wood and bark in the or-
dinary way. Both modes of operating were equally successful. In each of
these methods of grafting, it is advantageous to pare away almost all the
wood of both the divisions of the scions ; and, therefore, the wide dimensions
of the medulla, in the young shoots of the walnut tree, do not present any in-
convenience to the grafter.' (Trans. Hort. Soc., 2d ser., vol. i. p. 216.)"
Culture. The nuts may be sown as soon as gathered, if there is no danger
from vermin ; but, if there is, it is better to defer sowing till February. The
most convenient mode is to deposit the seed in drills, 2 ft. apart from each other,
placing the seeds at from 3 in. to 6 in. apart in the drills. The advantage of
sowing in drills is, that the plants, being all at some distance from one another,
come up with greater vigour, and their taproots may be shortened about
midsummer, by inserting a spade on each side of the drill in a slanting direc-
tion, so as to cut off their points. In France, in some cases, the nuts are
germinated in a heap before sowing ; and the points of the taproots are
pinched off with the finger and thumb, as is done with almonds. (See p. 678.)
Whether the nuts are sown in drills or broad-cast, almost the only attention
required in their culture while in the nursery is, to shorten once a year their
tap, or main, roots, in order to induce them to throw out fibres, for the purpose
of facilitating their transplantation. No tree requires less pruning than the
walnut, either in a young or in a mature state ; though there can be no doubt
that in the case of this tree, as in that of all others, thinning out some of the
shoots will add vigour to the leaves and fruit of those which remain. Evelyn
mentions, that he had been told by an industrious and very experienced
husbandman, that, if walnut trees be transplanted as big as one's middle, it
may be done safer than when younger ; and Bosc, in the Nouveau Cours
cT Agriculture, recommends them not to be removed from the nursery till the
stems have attained the height of 5ft. or 6ft. from the ground, and are 5 in.
or 6 in. in diameter. Pits, he says, ought to be previously dug for the trees,
8 ft. in diameter, and 3 ft. deep, and the soil exposed to the air some months
before the time of transplanting. When the planting is performed in autumn,
all the branches may be left on till spring ; because the severity of the winter
would injure the wounds made by cutting them off. Early in spring, before
the sap begins to rise, the head of the tree is entirely cut off, leaving only a
main stem terminating in the stumps of the principal branches. The wounds
in these stumps are carefully covered with plaster composed of loam and cow-
dung, or grafting clay, secured from the weather by straw and cords, or by a
board nailed over the plaster, and cemented on the edges ; because the wood
of the walnut, especially that of the young trees, is so spongy and porous, that
it is more easily injured by the weather than that of most other trees. The
nails, being driven into the heart-wood, do no kind of injury to the tree, that
wood having lost its vitality. Trees headed down and treated in this manner,
in France, push out shoots of great vigour the first year ; and these being
thinned out, or rubbed off, the remainder soon form a head, the branches of
which so completely obliterate the wounds made by the decapitation which
took place at transplanting, as to render it next to impossible to discover
where they were situated. This, indeed, takes place with all the road-side trees
in France, which are headed down in a similar manner when they are trans-
planted. As the winters in England are less severe than they are in the
greater part of the Continent, or, at least, are attended by a moister atmo-
sphere, large wounds are less liable to become cracked or otherwise injured
by severe frost. Hence, when walnut trees, or any other trees, of very large
dimensions, are transplanted in Britain, they may be headed down immediately
on removal, with oat any fear of the consequences. This will give the trees
the advantage of the winter for the preparation, or swelling, of the buds which
are to form the next year's shoots ; because it must not be forgotten, that in
trees, as in all other plants, the sap is in motion, to a certain extent, during
tlie whole winter.
Soil and Sif tuition. The walnut tree attains the largest size in a deep loanu
AKBOIIETUM AND FRUTJCKTUM. PAHT1II
soil, dry rather than moist; but the fruit has the best flavour, and produces
most oil, when the tree is grown in calcareous soils, or among calcareous
rocks : in a wet-bottomed soil, whatever may be the character of the surface,
it will not thrive. The walnut is not a social tree, and neither produces good
timber nor fruit when planted in masses. Both on the Continent and in
England, it succeeds well as an avenue or road-side tree; and it forms an
excellent shelter for orchards and kitchen-gardens, when planted at such a
distance as not to injure them by its roots or by its shade. In ornamental
grounds, the somewhat light yellowish and shining green foliage of the walnut
forms a fine contrast with that of other trees, throughout the greater part
of the season ; and the symmetrical form of the head accords well with
buildings.
Gathering and keeping the Fruit. The fruit of the walnut, both in France
and in England, is commonly knocked down from the tree by thrashing
the extremities of the branches (on which alone it is produced) with
long poles. By this process, Mr. Rogers observes, "many of the points
of the branches are broken, which causes the production of many spur-
like shoots, that afterwards bear flowers and fruit. Hence the custom
of beating a barren tree to make it bear." (Fruit Cult., p. 380.) Bosc con-
siders that beating down the fruit with poles is injurious to the tree ; but,
in France, he adds, as the trees are not in enclosures, this barbarous practice
is altogether unavoidable. If the trees were enclosed, he continues, or if pro-
perty exposed by the road sides were sufficiently respected, it would be unne-
cessary to beat down the nuts at all, as the wind alone, when the fruit is com-
pletely matured, would be quite sufficient to detach it from the tree. This
has suggested to us the idea of using long rods, with a contrivance at their
extremities for taking fast hold of the branches, so as to admit of shaking
them powerfully, and thus obtaining by art the effect of a violent wind. In
gathering up the fruit which has been either beaten down, or fallen naturally,
those nuts which have separated from the husks are kept by themselves, taken
home, and spread out on a boarded floor in an airy shed or granary, to the
depth of 3 in. Here they are turned over daily, till they become perfectly
dry. Those fruits from which the husks have not separated in falling are
placed in little heaps on the ground, but still under cover; and turned over,
and gently beaten, till the husk separates. In France care is taken to prevent
these heaps from fermenting, or sweating, as it is called ; because that occa-
sions a change in the kernel, and gives a taste to the oil. When the nuts have
been thoroughly dried, those not wanted to crush for oil are laid by, often in
wooden boxes or chests, where they are not subject to the vicissitudes of the
atmosphere ; in which state they will retain all their good qualities for about
twelve months. In Britain, the nuts of the walnut may be preserved fresh and
fit for the table, or for sowing, for a year; either by burying them in dry soil or
sand, so deep as not to be reached by frost, by the heat of the sun, or by rain ; or
by placing them in dry cellars, and covering them with straw. The latter mode is
that most commonly adopted by the growers of this nut for the London market.
Walnuts, Rogers observes, should not be gathered till the outer covering parts
readily from the shell, which is before that covering becomes mealy. There is
a critical time at which the covering leaves the shell without staining it, which
it is apt to do if allowed to remain on till it becomes soft. After being shelled,
the nuts should be well dried in the sun for a day or two, and then stored
away, either on shelves in an airy room, or packed in jars or boxes, among dry
white sand, which improves the colour of the shell, and keeps the kernel more
moist. When the nut is to be preserved through the winter, for the purpose
of planting in the following spring, it should be laid in a rot-heap as soon as
gathered, with the husk on ; and the heap should be turned over frequently in
the course of the winter. We have entered into greater details respecting
the various uses of the timber and fruit of the walnut, partly because they
are less generally known in Britain than those of most other fruit-bearing
CHAP. III. /I '(iLANDAXCEJK. Jl'\iLANS. 14-3.5
timber trees; but chiefly, because we think the tree well adapted for cultiva-
tion in Australia.
Statistics. Jiiglans regia in the Environs of London. At Ham House, Essex, it is 72ft. high,
diameter of the trunk 3 ft. 3 in., and of the head 68ft. ; at Chiswick, it is 65ft. high ; and in various
gardens about Isleworth and Twickenham, from 60 ft. to 80ft.
Jiiglans regia South of London. In Devonshire, at Killerton, it is 55 ft. high, diameter of the trunk
•nd of the head 96ft. ; at Cothelstone, it is 64ft. high, diameter of the trunk 6Jft, and of the
head 97ft. In Dorsetshire, at Melbury Park, 200 years old, it is 66ft. high, diameter of the trunk
3 ft., and of the head 58 ft. In Hampshire, at Testwood, 70 years old, it is 40 ft. high, diameter of the
top 3 ft, and of the head 59 ft. In Kent, at Cobham Hall, is a walnut tree with a fine spreading head
and immensely large limbs, the diameter of the trunk 5ft., and of the head 90ft. In Somersetshire,
at Nettlecombe, 40 years planted, it is 38ft. high ; at Brockley Hall, two trees, 70ft. high, diameter
of the trunk of one 5ft. and of the other 4ft. 7 in. In Sussex, at Cowdray, diameter of the trunk
5 ft., and of the head 40 ft. In Wiltshire, at Wardonr Castle, 100 years old, it is 60 ft. high, diameter
of the trunk 4ft. 8 in., and of the head 49ft. ; at Longford Castle, it is 60ft. high, diameter of the
trunk Sift., and of the head 75ft
Jiiglans regia North of London. In Bedfordshire, at Wobnrn Abbey, it is 40ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk 3 ft., and of the head 80 ft. ; at Ampthill, in Gibbs's Nursery, on deep sandy soil,
it is "Oft. high, diameter of the head 60ft. In Buckinghamshire, at Temple House, 40 years old,
it is 30ft. high. ;ln Cheshire, at Kinmel Park, it is 45ft. high, diameter of ihc trunk 3 ft., and of
the head 35 ft. In Denbighshire, at Llanbede Hall, 50 years planted, it is 55 It. high. In Gloucester-
shire, at Doddington, it is 50 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 2ft. 4 in., and of the head 59 ft. In
Hertfordshire, at Cheshunt, 6 years planted, it is 18| ft. high. In Leicestershire, at Donnington, 100
years old, it is 65ft. high. In Oxfordshire, in the stable-yard of the president of St. John's College,
Oxford, it is 50 ft. high, diameter of the trunk, at 1ft. from the ground, and also at 10ft. or 12ft, in
height, 4 ft. 4 in., and the diameter of the head 90 ft. In'Pembrokeshire, at Stackpole Court, 55 years
planted, it is 40 ft. high. In Radnorshire, at Maeslaugh Castle, it is 60ft. high, diameter of the
trunk 2ft. 8 in., and of the head 71 ft. In Rutlandshire, at Belvoir Castle, 4 years planted, it is
20ft high. In Suffolk, at Finborough Hall, 100 years old, it is 90 ft. high, diameter of the trunk
4ft. 10 in., and of the head 70ft. In Worcestershire, at Hadzor House, 17 years planted, it is 32 ft. high.
In Yorkshire, at Hackness, 40 years old, it is 35ft. high.
Jiiglans rigia in the Environs of Edinburgh. At Hopctoun House, it is 40ft. high, diameter of
the trunk 2 ft., and of the head 42 ft.
Jiiglans regia South of Edinburgh. In Ayrshire, at Rozelle, it is 38 ft. high ; at Fullerton, it is 67 ft.
high, diameter of the trunk 4ft, and of the head 78ft. In Berwickshire, at the Hirsel, 10 years
planted, it is 18 ft. high. In Kirkcudbrightshire, at St. Mary's Isle, it is 48 ft. high, diameter of the
trunk 2| ft, and of the head 36 ft. In Haddingtonshire, at Tynningham, it is 46ft. high, diameter
of the trunk 2ft. 3in., and of the top 33ft. In Renfrewshire, at Bothwell Castle, it is 57ft. high,
diameter of the trunk 4 ft,, and of the head 90 ft.
Juglans regia North of Edinburgh. In Aberdcenshire, at Thainston, 20 years planted, it is 15ft.
high. In Banff'shire, at Gordon Castle, it is 66 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 3 ft. 2 in., and of the
head 77 ft. In Clackmannanshire, in the garden of the Dollar Institution, 9 years planted, it is
16ft high. In Forfarshire, at Monboddo, 24 years planted, it is 15ft high. In Fifeshire, at
Danibristle Park, it is 60 ft. high, diameter of the trunk Sift, and of the head 69ft.; at Largo
House, ;it is 40 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 8 in., and of the head 42 ft. In Forfarshire, at
Courtachy Castle, 120 years old, diameter of the trunk 2ft, and of the head 40ft In Perthshire,
at Taymouth, 30 years planted, it is 70 ft. high. In Ross-shire, at Brahan Castle, 50 years old it is
45 ft. high.
Juglans regia in the. Environs of Dublin. In the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, 33 years old, it is
30 ft high ; at Cypress Grove, it is 70 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 3 ft., and of the head 96 ft. ; at
Terenure, 20 years old, it 25 ft. high.
Jfig/ans rigia South of Dublin. In King's County, at Charleville Forest, 45 years old, it is 50ft.
high, diameter of the trunk 3 ft. 8 in., and of the head 50 ft.
Juglans rtgia North of Dublin. In Fermanagh, at Florence Court, 50 years planted, it is 40ft.
high, [diameter of the trunk 24 ft, and that of the top 36 ft. In Galwar, at Cool, 35 ft high, diameter
of the trunk 2"ft. 4 in., and of the head 50 ft. In Shgo, at Makree Castle, it is 65 ft. high, diameter
of the trunk 2 ft., and of the head 39 ft.
Jfig/ans rZgia in France. Near Paris, in the Jardin des Plantes, 60 years planted, it is 61 ft. high,
the diameter of the trunk 2ft. At Nantes, in the Nursery of M. De Nerrieres, 80 years old, it is
7!) ft.Tiigh, with a trunk 2 ft. in diameter.
Jiiglans re-gia in Germany. In Austria, at Vienna, in the University Botanic Garden, 45 years
planted, it is 36 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 8 in., and of the head 15ft.; at Kopenzel, 30 years
planted, it is 25ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 10 in., and of the head 16ft. ; at Hadersdorf, in
the garden of "Baron Loudon, 40 years planted, it is 30 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk Sin , and
of the head 12~ft.
Jiiglans rdgia in Russia. It is remarkable that this tree is so much injured by the climate of Odessa,
as not to be considered by M. Descemet as acclimatised there; though .7. nigra grows freely, and
matures its fruit.
Ji,glans rigia in Italy. In Lombardy, at Monza, 80 years planted, it is 46 ft. high, the diameter
of the trunk 2ft., and of the head 60ft.
Commercial Statistics. Price of plants, in the London nurseries, seedlings,
;j,v. per hundred ; transplanted plants, from 2 ft. to 5 ft. high, 25.?. per hundred ;
from 6 ft. to 8 ft. high, 1*. each ; from 10 ft. to 20 ft. high, 2.?. 6d. each.
Nuts, 8.9. per bushel. At Bollwyller, plants are 1 franc each; at New York,
40 dollars per hundred, or 50 cents each.
* 2. .7. NIV.RA L. The black-wooded Walnut Tree.
Identification. Lin. Hort. Cliff:, p. 449. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 456. ; Michx. Arb., 1. p. 157. t. 1 ; Michx.
North Amer. Sylva, 1. p. 153. t. 30. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 636. ; Mill. Diet., No. 2. ; Lodd
Cat. ed. is ;*i.
Synonymes. The black Walnut, the black Hickory Nut, N. Amer.; Noyer noir, Fr.
Engravings. Michx. Arb., 1. 1. 1.; Michx. North Amer. Sylva, t. 30.; Jacq. Ic. Rar. 1. 1. 191.; Wangh.
14-36
AKBOHKTUM AND FKUTICETUM.
PART III.
Anier., t R f. 20 ; Catcsb. Car., 1. t 67.
of this tree in our last Volume.
Wats. Demi. Brit., t. ].riS; our Jig. 12fiO., and the plate
Spec. Char., $c. Leaflets, in a leaf, 13 — 17; cordate-acuminate, unequal at
the base, serrated, somewhat downy ; lateral ones upon short petiolules.
Fruit globose, roughish with minute prominent points, situated upon a
short inflexible peduncle. Nut globose, somewhat compressed at the
sides, ridged and furrowed. (Michx. North Amer. Sylva, i.p. 153.) A native
of fertile soil in woods in North America, from New England to Florida.
Introduced in 1656, and growing to the height of from 60ft. to 100ft.;
flowering in April or May, and ripening its fruit in October.
Descrip£ion,fyc. The
black walnut, in the
United States is of-
ten seen from 60 ft.
to 70 ft. in height,
with trunks of from
3 ft. to 4 ft. in diame-
ter; and occasionally
much higher, with
trunks of from 6 ft. to
7 ft. in diameter. Ac-
cording to Michaux,
when it stands insu-
lated, its branches ex-
tend themselves ho-
rizontally to a great
distance, and spread
into a spacious head,
which gives the tree a
very majestic appear-
ance. The lenves are about 18 in. in length, composed of 6, 7, or 8 pairs
of opposite leaflets, with an odd one. They are acuminate, serrated, and
somewhat downy ; and, when bruised, they emit a strong aromatic odour.
The male catkins are simple, pendulous, and cylindrical; unlike those of
the hickories, which are always compound. The fruit is round, odoriferous,
and of rather an uneven surface: it is sometimes 7 in. or 8 in. in circum-
ference when fully grown ; and it always appears at the extremity of the
branches. The husk is thick, and is not, as in the hickories, divided into
sections ; but, when ripe, it softens and gradually decays. The nut is
hard, somewhat compressed at the sides, and furrowed. The kernel is
divided by firm ligneous partitions. According to Michaux, it is of a sweet
and agreeable taste; but Catesby says that it is very oily and rank; and,
when fallen from the tree for some months, or gathered and laid by, is
only eaten by squirrels or Indians. The wood is of a dark colour, approach-
ing to black. In Kentucky, the nut is nearly as large as the European wal-
nut ; but in Genessee, where the climate is colder, it is not above half the size.
Michaux says that the differences in the moulding of the fruit are so various,
as to induce Europeans to consider the variations, in this respect, as indica-
ting distinct species. In England, the tree attains as great a height as in
North America, but the fruit is not quite so large. In the garden at the
palace at Fulham, abundance of fruit is produced every year ; and the nuts are
sent to table, but scarcely considered eatable. The growth of the tree is re-
markably quick, more so than that of the European walnut : the leaves come
out, in Pennsylvania, in the second week of May ; and, in England, about the
beginning of June, before those of the common walnut. At 8 or 10 years of
age, J. nigra begins to bear, and age increases its fertility. No tree will grow
under its shade, and even grass is injured by it. In 40 years it will attain
the height of from 50 ft. to 60 ft.
Geography, This tree is found in all parts of the United States, as far
rii.Ai>. tn. ./UGLANDA'CK/I: ./U\;LANS. 1437
north as lat. 40" 50". It is abundant in the forests about Philadelphia ; and,
with the exception of the lower parts of the southern states, where the soil
is too sandy, or in the swamps, where it is too wet, it is met with from Go-
shen to the banks of the Mississippi, throughout an extent of 2000 miles. It
grows in the forests with Gymnocladus canadensis, Gledftschwz triacan-
thos, Robim'a Pseud-/fcacia, Jlforus rubra, C'arya alba, vTcer saccharinum,
f'lmus rubra, and Celtis crassifolia. It is always found in good deep soil.
History. The black walnut seems to have been one of the first trees that
were introduced from America into Europe; having been cultivated by Trades-
cant, jun., about the middle of the seventeenth century. As it ripens its nuts
in this country and in France, it has been very generally introduced in artificial
plantations ; and it thrives as far north as Sweden, though it will not bear
fruit there. In America, Jacquin informs us, it is much planted near houses
for its shade, and also for its fruit ; being there, as here, considered hardier
than the common walnut.
Properties and Uses. The heart-wood remains sound for a long period,
when exposed to heat and moisture ; but the sap-wood speedily decays.
When properly seasoned, the wood is strong, tough, and not liable to warp
or split. It is never attacked by worms, and has a grain sufficiently fine and
compact to admit of a beautiful polish. It is made into cabinet-work, used
in building houses, and also split into shingles 18 in. long, and from 4 in. to
6 in. wide, which are employed instead of tiles or slates for covering houses.
Its most appropriate use, however, is for furniture, which, when made from
pieces selected from the upper part of the trunk, close below the first ramifi-
cation, is marked by highly beautiful curlings of the grain ; though for cabinet
purposes it is inferior to the wood of the wild cherry. It is employed for the
stocks of military muskets in America, as the wood of the common walnut is
for those of Europe; but for fowling-pieces, the wood of the red maple is
preferred, as being lighter. Posts made of the black walnut have been
known to last in the ground undecayed for from 20 to 25 years. It makes
excellent naves for wheels ; and, in Philadelphia, coffins are universally made
of it. It is well adapted for naval architecture, being more durable, though
more brittle, than the wood of the white oak ; and not liable, like that
wood, to be attacked by sea worms in warm latitudes. On the river Wa-
bash, canoes are made of it, some of them 40 ft. long, and 2 ft. or 3ft. wide,
hollowed out of a single trunk, which are greatly esteemed for their strength and
durability. The wood is frequently exported to Europe, in planks of 2 in. in
thickness, where it is used for cabinet purposes. As compared with the wood
of the European walnut, which it more nearly resembles than it does any
other of the American species, it is heavier, much stronger, susceptible of a
finer polish, and not so liable to be injured by worms. The husk of the fruit
is used, in America, for dyeing woollen stuffs yellow. In Europe, Michaux
thinks that this tree might be advantageously employed along high roads, to
succeed the elm ; for experience has proved, he observes, that, to insure
success in the continued cultivation of either ligneous or herbaceous plants
in the same soil, species of different natural orders must be made to succeed
one another.
Propagation and Culture. In Europe and in America, the tree is uni-
versally raised from the nut, which, after being imported, ought to be sown
immediately, as it seldom retains its vital power more than six months after
it has ripened. Nuts of Juglans regia and .7. nigra have been planted at the
same time, and in the same soil ; and the latter have been observed to grow
more vigorously, and to attain a given height in a shorter time, than the former
Michaux suggests that, by grafting the European upon the American walnut,
at the height of 8 ft. or 10 ft., their respective advantages in quality of wood
and fruit might be united : but we have not heard of this having been done.
In Europe, as we have already observed, the black walnut is almost univer-
sally raised from the nut; and, if the nut is planted where the tree is finally
to remain, it will grow up with greater vigour, and not be retarded by that
1438
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PAUT III.
\l2(il
check which is always
given to taprooted
trees by transplant-
ing. Nuts are best
imported from Ame-
rica packed in moist
loam, or in moist
moss ; and, if they
should germinate be-
fore their arrival,
they will suffer little
injury if planted im-
mediately.
Insects. The prin-
cipal insect that at-
tacks the black wal-
nut in America is the
Phalaevna neogama,
or great yellow un-
derwing moth. (fig.
1261.) The larva is
of a dark brown, so
nearly of the colour
of the bark, against
which it stretches it-
self when it has done
feeding, as hardly to
be distinguished from
it. The perfect in-
sect is very beautiful ;
its wings being of a
bright yellow, and
bright brown. (Abb.
and Smith, t. 88.)
Statistics. Ji<g/ans nlgra in the Environs of London. At Fulham Palace, 150 years old, it is 50 ft.
high; diameter of the trunk 5ft., and of the head 50 ft. (See p. 43.) At Syon, 79ft."high ; diameter of
the trunk 2 ft. 11 in., and of the head 59 ft. The trunk of a walnut tree, grown on the south side of
Lake Erie, in North America, was exhibited in London in 1827. It was 12 ft. in diameter, hollowed
out, and furnished as a sitting room. The tree was said to have been 150ft. high, with branches from
2 ft. to 4 ft. in diameter. The bark was 1 ft. thick.
Jtoglans nlgra South of London. In Hampshire, at Testwood, 70 years old, it is 52ft. high ; di-
ameter of the trunk 2ft, and of the head 150ft. In Wiltshire, at Bowood,35 years planted, it is
48 ft. high ; diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 4 in., and of the head 36 ft.
Jilglans nlgra North of London. In Lancashire, at Latham House, 40 years planted, it is 32 ft.
high; diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 2 in., and of the head 24ft. In Shropshire, at Kinlet, it is 33ft.
high ; diameter of the trunk 13 in., and of the head 29ft.
Jilglans nlgra in Scotland. In Cromarty, at Tulloch Castle, it is 60ft. high; diameter of the
trunk 3 ft., and of the head 42ft. In Fifeshire, at Donibristle Park, 14 years planted, it is 35 ft. high ;
diameter of the trunk 13 in., and of the head 24 ft.
Juglans nlgra in Ireland. Near Dublin, at Terenure, 15 years old, it is 18 ft. high. In Limerick,
at Adare, is a tree with a trunk 2 ft. in diameter.
Juglans nlgra in France. At Toulon, in the Botanic Garden, 50 years old, it is 60ft. high,
diameter of the trunk 1ft Sin; at Colombe, near Metz, 60 years old, it is 20ft. high, diameter of
the trunk 1 ft. 6 in., and of the head 50 ft. ; at Avranches, in the Botanic Garden, 29 years old, it is
29ft. high, diameter of the trunk 1 ft., and of the head 19 ft.
Jitglans nlgra in Germany. AtGottingen, in the Botanic Garden, 40 years planted, it is 70ft.
high, with a trunk 1ft. 6 in. in diameter. In Cassel, at Wilhelmshoe, 60 years old, it is 12ft. high, with
a trunk 1 ft. 6 in. in diameter. In Bavaria, in the Botanic Garden, Munich, 24 years planted, it is 20 ft.
high. In Austria, near Vienna, at Kopenzel, 25 years planted, it is 16 ft. high ; in Rosenthal'»
Nursery, 20 years planted, it is 30 ft. high ; at Hadersdorf, in the garden of Baron Loudon, 40 years
planted, it is 20ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 14 in., and of the head 16ft.; at Briick on the
Leytha, 45 years planted, it is 56 ft. high. At Berlin, in the Botanic Garden, 40 years planted,
it is 60ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 6 in., and of the head 36 ft.
Juglans nlgra in Italy. In Lombardy, at Monza, 24 years planted, it is 40ft. high, the diameter
of the trunk 1 ft., and of the head 16ft. ; at Desio, near Milan, it is 62ft. high, the diameter of the
trunk 2 ft. 3 in., and of the head 40 ft.
Commercial Statistics. Plants, in the London nurseries, are Is. 6(1. each, and
nuts 9d. per quart ; at Bollwyller, 1 franc 50 cents ; and at New York, 37i
cents.
CHAP. CII.
JUVGLANS.
1439
¥ 3. J. CINE^REA L. The grey -branched Walnut Tree, or Bultcr-nut.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 1415. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 456. ; Pureh Fl. Amer. Sept., 3. p. 636. ; Lodd.
Cat., ed. 1836.
Synoni/incs. J. catlidrtica North Amcr. Sylva, 1. p. 160 — 165. t. 31., Mich*. Arb., 1. p 165. ; .7. oblonga
Mill. Diet., No. o.,.,Iict\. Obs.t 1. p. 10. ; Oil-nut, White Walnut, Amer. ; Noyer cendre', Fr. ; grauc
Walnuss, Ger.
Engravings. Michx. Arb., 1. t. 2. ; Michx. North Amer. Sylva, t. 31. ; Jacq. Ic. Rar, 1. t. 192. ;
Wangh. Amer., t. 9. f. 21. ; and our Jig. 1262.
Spec. Char.y $c. Petiole villous. Leaflets, in a leaf, 15 — 17; lanceolate,
rounded at the base, serrate with shallow teeth ; tomentose beneath ; lateral
ones sessile. Fruit oblong-ovate, with a tapered tip, downy, covered with
viscid matter in small transparent " vesicles " [? glanded hairs], pendulous
on a flexible peduncle. Nut oval, with an acuminate tip, very rough with
prominent irregular ridges. (Michx. N. Amer. Syl., andPnrsk.) A native of
North America, near the sea coast, from Canada to Virginia, and on the
Alleghany Mountains; where it flowers in April and May, and ripens its fruit
in October. Introduced in 1656.
Description, fyc. The grey walnut, according to Michaux, is a tall tree, like
Juglans nigra ; of which, notwithstanding the very different form of the fruit,
we cannot help thinking it is only a variety ; because it is not very readily
distinguished from that
species by the wood or
the leaves. We speak,
however, only from
what we have seen in
young trees in the
neighbourhood of Lon-
don : and this seems to
be the case with young
trees in America; for
Michaux observes that
the two species, when
young, resemble each
other in their foliage,
and in the rapidity of
their growth ; but that
they are distinguishable
at first sight, when ar-
rived at maturity. The
buds of the-/uglans cinerea, like those of«7. nigra, are not covered by scales ; and
the leaves unfold a fortnight earlier than those of the genus Carya, or hickories.
The leaves are composed of seven or eight pairs of sessile leaflets, with an
odd one. The leaflets are from 2 in. to 3 in in. length, serrated, and slightly
downy. The male catkins are large, and cylindrical, 4 in. or 5 in. long, and
attached to the shoots of the preceding year; differing, in this respect, from
the male catkins of the ./uglans nigra, which appear at the extremity of the
branches of the current year. The fertile flowers come out on the extremity
of the current year's shoots, and their stigmata are rose-coloured. The fruit
is commonly single, and suspended by a thin pliable peduncle, about 3 in. in
length: its form is oblong-oval, without any appearance of seam. It is often
2|in. in length, and 5 in. in circumference; and is covered with a viscid
adhesive substance, composed of small transparent vesicles, which are not
readily discovered without the aid of a glass. The nuts are hard, oblong,
rounded at the base, and terminated at the summit in an acute point; the
surface is very rough, and deeply and irregularly furrowed. In America, in
the neighbourhood of New York, the nuts are ripe about the middle of Sep-
tember, a fortnight earlier than those of the other species of walnut. The
kernel is thick and oily, and soon becomes rancid ; hence, doubtless, the
names of butter-nut and oil-nut. In America, the tree produces the fruit in
such abundance, {hat in some seasons a person msiv gather several bushels of
1440 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
them in a day. It grows with equal rapidity, when young, as the J. nigra;
but the trunk ramifies at a less height; and, the branches extending more hori-
zontally than those of most other trees, and spreading widely, a large and flat
tufted head is formed, which gives the tree, in America, more especially in
exposed situations, a most remarkable appearance. In Britain, we have
scarcely seen any old trees ; and, never having observed any fruit on the
few of middle size which we have seen bearing this name, we have always
been in doubt as to the specific difference between them and J. nigra.
Geography, ,/uglans cinerea is found in Upper and Lower Canada, and in
the temperate regions of the United States; but not in the lower parts of the
Carolinas, of Georgia, and of East Florida. It grows vigorously in Vermont,
where the winter is so rigorous, that sledges are used during four months of
the year. Michaux has seen no trees of it so large as some in New Jersey,
on the steep and elevated banks of the Hudson, nearly opposite to the city of
New York. There the woods are thin, the soil cold, unproductive, and in-
terspersed with large rocks. In the interstices of the latter, the butter-nut
may be found 50 ft. high, with trunks measuring 10ft. or 12ft. in circum-
ference at 5 ft. from the ground ; the roots extending horizontally, close
under the surface, and with little variation in point of thickness, to the dis-
tance of 40ft. from the tree.
History. J. cinerea appears to have been first sent to Europe in 1G99, at
which period it was cultivated by the Duchess of Beaufort; but whether in
her garden at Chelsea, or in that at Badminton, we are not aware. It is
said to have been grown by Miller; but, from his description of it, as having
only two pairs of leaflets, we think it more likely that the plant he describes
has been some other species under this name. At present, J. cinerea is not
unfrequent in British and French nurseries ; and nuts are annually imported
by the seedsmen ; but we know of very few large trees.
Properties and Uses. The wood of Juglans cinerea is light, of a reddish
colour, and of little strength ; but it possesses, in common with the wood of
all the species of the genera of this order, the great advantage of lasting long,
and of being secure from the annoyance of worms. In America, it is never
used in towns for the construction of houses ; but in the country, in some
districts, it is used for sleepers and sills in the framework of barns and
other farm buildings. As it long resists the effects of heat and moisture, it is
valued for posts and rails, and for watering and feeding-troughs for the use of
cattle. Being lighter, and less liable to split, than the wood of the red maple,
it is preferred to it for corn shovels and wooden dishes. Canoes and small
skiffs are also made of it, and at Windsor, in Veimont, coach panels. The
medicinal properties of the bark have been proved by several eminent Ame-
rican physicians. An extract, or a decoction, sweetened with honey, is a sure
and safe purgative, unattended, even in the most delicate constitutions, with
pain or irritation. The bark is also applied to cure the toothach, and to
dye wool of a dark brown colour; though, for this last purpose, it is inferior
to the bark of J. nigra. If an incision is made in the trunk of the tree, in the
month which precedes the unfolding of the leaves, a copious discharge of
slightly sugary sap takes place, from which, by evaporation, an inferior sugar
is obtained. On the whole, notwithstanding the various properties of this
tree in the United States, Michaux does not think it sufficiently valuable,
either in the arts or for fuel, to recommend its introduction into the forests
of Europe. It should, he says, find a place only in our pleasure-grounds.
Statistics. In the environs of London arc some trees bearing this name, in the Chelsea Botanic
(iarden, and at Syon ami Purser's Cross, which are from 30 ft. to 40 ft high ; and in the Horticul-
tural Society's Garden there is one which, in 1834, after being 10 years planted, was from 2()ft. to
25ft. high. In Loddiges's arboretum, one is 18ft. high. In France, at Toulon, in the Botanic
Garden, 40 years planted, it is GO ft. high; diameter of the trunk 1 ft. (i in., and of the head 25 It. In
Saxony, at \V6'rlitz, 50 years old, it is 40ft. hiith ; the diameter of the trunk 2ft. In Austria, at
Vienna, in the park ofLaxenhurg, 16 years planted, it is 14ft. high. At Briick on the Levtha, 45
years planted, it is 54 ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 9 in., and of the head '28 ft. In Prus.-i.i,
at Berlin, in the Botanic Garden, 40 years planted, it is Iti ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk
8 in. and of the head t> ft.
t 'HAP. CII. JUGLANDA'CL'JE. C'AVKYA.
GENUS II.
C'AUIYA Xutlall. THE CARYA, or HICKORY TREE. Lin. Syst.
Monce'cia Tetr-Hex-andria.
Identification. Nutt. Gen. N. Amer. PI., 2. p. 220. ; Lindley Nat. Syst. of Hot, p. 180.
Synonymcs. Juglans sp. /,/«., IVilUl., Michx.; Hicorius Rafinesque ; Hickory, Artier.
Derivation. " A'«n/a (Carya), the walnut tree : the name which the Greeks applied to Jaglans
regia." (,\u(ta/l, Gen. A. Amcr. PI., ii. p. 2l20.xi The name of C&rya was applied to the common
walnut by the Greeks, in honour of Carya, daughter of Dion, king of Laconia, who was changed
by Bacchus into that tree. (Sec Sir Wm. Chambers's Treatise on Civil Arch., vol. i . p. 55.) Diana had
the surname of Caryata from the town of Carya, in Laconia, where her rites were always celebrated
in the open air, under the shade of a walnut tree. (Pausanias, Lac., c. 10.) Plutarch says the name
of Carya was applied to the walnut tree from the effect of the smell of its leaves on the head.
(Sytn., lib. ii.)
Description, eye. In the general remarks on the walnuts and hickories quoted
from Michaux, it was observed, that, while the hickories bore a great family
resemblance to each other, yet that they differed considerably in the number
and size of their leaflets, and in their fruit : but, notwithstanding this dif-
ference, an extraordinary uniformity of structure pervades the timber of
the whole of the hickories. " So close an analogy exists in the wood of these
trees, that, when stripped of their bark, no difference is discernible in the grain,
which is coarse and open in all ; nor in the colour of the heart-wood, which
is uniformly reddish." (Michx.) The timber of all is of great weight, strength,
and tenacity; but it decays speedily when exposed to heat and moisture, and
is peculiarly liable to injury from worms. It is, consequently, never used in
building houses or ships ; but it is found admirably adapted for the axletrees
of carriages, the handles of axes, and for large screws, particularly those of
bookbinders' presses. It is also used for the backs of chairs, coach-whip
handles, musket-stocks, rake teeth, flails for thrashing grain, the bows of yokes,
anil many similar purposes. The principal use of the hickory in the United
States is, however, for forming hoops for casks; and it is the only American
wood which is found perfectly fit for that purpose. " When it is considered
how large a part of the productions of the United States is packed in barrels,
an estimate may be formed of the necessary consumption of hoops," and, con-
sequently, of the great demand that there must exist for hickory wood. In
consequence of this great demand, hickory wood is becoming scarce; particu-
larly as the shoots do not sprout a second time from the same root, and the
growth of young plants is slow. In sloops and schooners, the wooden rings by
which the sails are hoisted, and confined to the mast, are always of hickory.
Nearly all the hickory timber is very heavy, and will produce an ardent heat
while burning, and leave " a heavy, compact, and long-lived charcoal." It is
consequently greatly esteemed for fuel. When propagated, the nuts should,
if possible, be planted where the trees are intended to remain, as most of the
species have very long taproots, which are nearly destitute of fibres. This
remark, however, does not apply to C. amara, which, like Juglans nigra, has
abundance of fibrous roots. The pig-nut (C. porcina) and the mocker-nut
(C. tomentosa) are considered to afford the best timber; and the pacane-nut
(C. olivaeformis) decidedly the best fruit, though small. Michaux suggests the
probability of improving it in size by grafting it on the common, or black,
walnut. Nuts of most of the kinds may be had in London, at 9d. per quart ;
and plants of some sorts from Is. Gd. to 2s. each.
¥ 1. C. OLIVJEFO'RMIS Nult. The olive-shaped Carya, or Pacanc-nut Hickory.
Identification. Nutt. Gen. N. Amer. PL, p. 221.
Synont/mes. Juglans rubra Oiertn. Sem.t 2. p. 51., t. 89. ; J. cylindrica Istm. Encycl., N. Du Ham.t
4. p.' 17!». ; ./. Pecan Miihlenb. in Nov. Act. Soc. Nat. Scrut Berol.,3. p. 392. ; J. angustifMia Ait.
Unit. AVi/-. ; ./. oliviL'tV.rmis Michr. Fl. Bar. Amcr., p. 102., Hit/if. Sp. PI., 4. p. 457., Mic/u.
\,>rt/i Amer. Xi/ii-n, 1. |>. liiT.. I'tirxh /•'/. Amer. .S< -/j/., 2. p. 63d ; Pecan-nut, Illinois Nut, Amcr. ;
Pccanier, Pacanus, Nt-ycr IVcanior, I'r.
5 B 2
1 4-4-2
ARBORETUM AND FRUTJCETUM.
PART III.
Engravings. Gsertn. Sem., 2. t. 89.; Michx. Arb., 1. t. 3. ; North Amer. Sylva, 1. t. 32. ; and
our Jig. 1263.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaflets, in a leaf, 13— 15; ovate-lanceolate, serrate ; lateral
ones nearly sessile, and somewhat falcate. Fruit oblong, widest above the
middle. Fruit and nut each with four angles in its transverse outline.
Nut in form and ? size, compared with the fruit of the olive, narrowly ellipti-
cal. (Michx. N. A. S.) Native to North America, on the banks of the
Ohio, Mississippi, and other rivers in Upper Louisiana ; where it flowers in
April and May. Introduced in 1766.
Description. In America, this species forms a beautiful tree, with a regular
trunk, reaching to the height of 60 ft. or 70ft. The buds, like those of J. nigra
and J. cinerea, are smooth and uncovered. The leaves are from 12 in. to 18 in.
in length ; the petioles are
somewhat angular ; and the
leaflets are sessile, and com-
posed of 6 or 7 pairs, ter-
minated by a petiolated odd
one, which is somewhat
smaller than the pair imme-
diately preceding it. The
leaflets, on flourishing trees,
are from 2 in. to 3 in. long ;
ovate, serrated, and re-
markable for the circular
form of the upper edge,
while the lower one is less
rounded. The main rib is
not exactly in the middle
of the leaflet. The nuts,
which are usually abundant,
are contained in a husk
from I line to 2 lines thick,
and have 4 slightly promi-
nent angles, which corre-
spond to the divisions of the
kernel. They vary in length
from 1 in. to 1£ in. ; are
pointed at the extremities,
of a cylindrical form, and of a yellowish colour, marked at the period of perfect
maturity, with blackish or purple lines. The shell is smooth and thin, but too
hard to be broken by the fingers. The kernel is full, and, not being divided by
ligneous partitions, is easily extracted, and of an agreeable taste. The wood is
coarse-grained, and, like that of the x>ther hickories, is heavy and compact,
possessing great strength and durability. The nuts, which are very agreeable,
are exported to the West Indies, and to the ports of the United States; and
Michaux considers them to be more delicately flavoured than any of the nuts
of Europe. There are some varieties, he says, the fruit of which is far superior
to that of the European walnut. C. olivaeformis is a native of Upper Louisiana ;
and it abounds on the borders of the rivers Missouri, Illinois, St. Francis,
Arkansas, and Wabash. On the Ohio, it is found for 200 miles from its junc-
tion with the Mississippi; higher than which it becomes rare, and is not srm
beyond Louisville, nor beyond the mouth of the Great Mackakity, in lat. 42°
51". It grows naturally in cold and wet soils. There is a swamp of 800
acres on the right bank of the Ohio, opposite to the river Cumberland, called
by the French La Pacaniere, which is said to be entirely covered with it.
Dumont De Courset, in his Botaniste Cultiratcur (vol. vi. p. 237.), says that
his brother, who had served in the army of Washington in 1782, told him
that "that celebrated general had always his pockets full of these nuts, ami
that he was continually eatinir them." There are trees in France, Michaux
CHAP. CII.
JUGLANDA CEJE. CA RYA.
1443
observes in 1819, which have been planted more than thirty years, hut which do
not yield fruit. He recommends the grafting of this species on the common
walnut. In the neighbourhood of London, there are trees in the Horticultural
Society's Garden, and in the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges, upwards of 20 ft.
high; and accounts have been sent us of some other trees of a greater size ;
but, though we have seen some of them at Purser's Cross and other places,
we are so doubtful of their identity with the kind above described by Michaux,
that we can assert nothing certain respecting them. There is a tree in the
Jardin des Plantes, in Paris, which is 30 years planted, and 30 ft. high ; diame-
ter of the trunk 9 in., and of the head 22 ft.
¥ 2. C. AMA'RA Nutt. The bitter-mil Carya, or Hickory.
Identification. Nutt. Gen. N. Amer. PI., 2. p. £22.
Synonymes. Jiiglans amkra Alic/ix. Arb., 1. p. 170., North Amer. Sylva, \. p. 170., Pursh Fl. Amer.
Sept., 2. p. 638. ; Bitter nut, White Hickory, Swamp Hickory, Amcr.
Engravings. Michx. North Amer. Sylva, 1. t. 33. ; and our Jig. 1264.
Spec. Char., 4V. Leaflets, in a leaf, 7 — 9 ; ovate-oblong, acuminate, serrate
with deep teeth, glabrous ; lateral ones sessile. Sets of catkins in pairs.
Fruit roundish-ovate, bearing, in its upper half, 4- wing-like ridges ; husk
thin and fleshy, softening and decaying, and never becoming ligneous, as in
the other species. Nut subglobose, broader than long, tipped with a mucro.
Seed bitter. (Michx. N. A. S., Pursh Fl. A. S.) A native of North Ame-
rica, in dry woods in fertile soil, from New England to Maryland, on the
mountains; flowering in April. Introduced in 1800.
Description, $c. The bitter-nut hickory grows to a very large size in Ame-
rica ; Michaux having measured trees in that country 70 ft. or 80 ft. high, with
trunks from 3 ft. to 4 ft. in diameter. The leaves, which unfold a fortnight
later than those of any other species, are from 12 in. to 15 in. in length, and
nearly as much in breadth. Each leaf is composed of 3 or 4 pairs of
leaflets, terminated by an odd one, which is larger than the rest. " The leaf-
lets are about 6 in. in length, and J in. in breadth ; sessile, oval-acuminate,
deeply toothed, smooth, and of a pretty dark green. When the tree has shed
its leaves, it may still be distinguished by its yellow and naked buds." (Michr.
N. Amer. Syl.y i. p. 171.) The peduncles of the barren flowers are in pairs,
each supporting three flexible and pendulous catkins, which are attached to
the base of the shoots of the same season ; at the extremities of which are
the female flowers, which are inconspicuous. The fruit is very small, and
produced in great abundance. The husk, which is thin, fleshy, and surmounted
on its upper half by 4 appendages in the form of wings, never becomes
ligneous, like those of the other hickories, but softens and decays. The shell
is smooth, white, and thin enough to be broken with the fingers ; the kernel
is remarkable for the deep inequalities produced on every side by its foldings.
It is so harsh and bitter, that squirrels and other animals will not feed upon it
while any other nut is to be found. (Michx.) The bitter-nut hickory is a
native of New Jersey and the Illinois, where it grows only in spots where the
.5 n 3
1444-
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
soil is excellent, cool, and frequently inundated by creeks and rivers. " It
is probably because it thrives most in such situations, that it is called the
swamp hickory." (Id.) In some parts of Pennsylvania, an oil is made from
the nuts. The wood resembles that of the other species of hickory ; but it is
very inferior to them. There is a tree of this species at Croome, in Worcester-
shire, which has been 30 years planted, and is 40 ft. high.
? 3. C. AQUA'TICA Nutt. The aquatic Carya, or Water Bitter-nut Hickory.
Identification. Nutt. Gen. N. Amer. PI., 2. p. 222.
Synonyms. Juglans aquatica Michx. Arb., 1. p. 182., North Amer, Sylva, 1. p. 174., Pursh Ft.
Amer. Sept., 2. p. 638.
Engravings. Michx. North Amer. Sylva, t. 34. ; and our figs. 1265. and 1266.
Spec. Char., %c. Leaflets, in a leaf, 9 — 11; narrowly lanceolate, serrate.
Very similar to the leaves of the peach tree (Persica vulgaris Mil.); the
lateral ones sessile. Fruit peduncled, ovate, with 4 rather prominent
ridges at the seams of the husk. Nut broadly oval, angular, a little de-
pressed at the sides, roughish, reddish. (Michx. N. A. S.y Pursh PI. Am. S.)
A native of North America, in swamps and rice fields, from South Caro-
lina to Georgia; flowering in April. Introduced in 1800.
Description, $c. The water bitter-nut hickory is a tree of 40 ft. or 50 ft.
high, with rather slender branches. " Its leaves *are 8 in. or 9 in. long, and of
a beautiful green : they are composed of 4 or 5 pairs of sessile leaflets, sur-
12-65
1266
mounted by a petiolated odd one." (MicJix.) The leaflets are serrated, long
in proportion to their breadth, and very similar to the leaves of a peach tree.
The husk is thin ; and the nuts are small, somewhat rough, of a reddish colour,
and very tender. The kernel is in folds, and too bitter to be eatable. This
species is found in the southern states, in swamps, and in the ditches
which surround rice fields; it appearing to require a great deal of warmth and
moisture. The wood is light, weak, and very far inferior to every other kind
of hickory. There are plants in the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges ; and a
tree at Milford, near Godalming, between 40 ft. and 50 ft. high.
¥ 4. C. TOMENTOXSA Nutt. The tomentose Carya, or Mocker-nut Hickory.
Identification. Nutt. Gen. N. Amer. PL, 2. p. 221.
Synonymes. Juglans alba Lin. Sp. PI., 1415., according to Willd. Sp. Pl.,\n Pursh 's Flora, this is
referred to J. alba Michx. Ft. Bor. Amer., C. alba Nutt. ; J. alba Mill. Diet., No. 4., Du Hoi
Harbk., 1. p. 333., Kalm in Act. Holm., 1769, p. 117., Wangh. Amer., 23., Willd. Sp. PL, 4.
p. 457. ; J. tomentosa Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 2. p. 192., Arb., 1. p. 186., North Amer. Sylva, 1.
p. 176., Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 637. ; White-heart Hickory, common Hickory, Amer. ;
Noyer dur, Illinois.
Engravings. Wangh. Amer., 2, 3. t. la f. 22. ; Michx. Arb., 1. 1. 6. ; North Amer. Sylva, 1. t. 35. ;
and our fig. 1267.
Spec. Char., $c. Petiole downy beneath. Leaflets, in a leaf, 7—9; obovate-
lanceolate, serrate with shallow teeth; downy and rough beneath; lateral
ones sessile. Catkin very tomentose. Fruit, on some trees, globose, with
depressions in the husk at the sutures; on other trees, oblong, with angles
CHAP. CII.
JUGLANDA CKvE. CA RYA.
1445
at the sutures. Nut with 4 — 6 angles in its transverse outline, having,
a short capitate beak at the tip. Shell somewhat channeled. (Mich.i-.
\. ./. >'., Pin-sit Fl. A.S.) A native of North America, in forests where the
soil is fertile, from New England to Virginia, and on the Alleghany Moun-
tains. (Purs/i.) Introduced in ? 17G6.
Variety.
¥ C. /. 2 maxima Nutt., Sweet's Hort. Brit., ed. 1830. — Leaflets 7 in a
leaf, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, serrulate; beneath, softly pubcscen t,
and of a paler colour ; terminal leaflet subpetiolate. Fruit partly
globose, of nearly twice the size ordinary in the species ; as large as
an apple. Husk exceedingly thick. Nut quadrangular, very large,
having a thick shell, and a mucro that is prominent, quadrangular,
and truncate at the tip. The kind grows a few miles from Phila-
delphia. (Nutt. Gen. N. Anwr. PL, ii. p. 221.)
Description, Sf-c. The mocker-nut hickory, Michanx informs us, is a tree
about 60 ft. in height, and 18 in. or 20 in' in diameter. The buds of this
species are large, short, of a greyish white, and very hard. In winter, they
afford a character-
istic by which the
tree is easily dis-
tinguishable from
all others of the
same genus. In
the beginning of
May, the buds
swell, the external
scales fall off, and
the inner ones burst
soon after, and dis-
Elay the young
iaf. The leaves
grow so rapidly,
that Michaux has
seen them gain 20
inches in 18 days.
" They are com-
posed of 4* pairs of
sessile leaflets, ter
minated by an odd
one. The leaflets
are large,ovate-acu-
minate, serrate, pretty thick, and hairy underneath, as is the common petiole to
which they are attached. With the first frosts, the leaves change to a beautiful
yellow, and fall off soon after. The barren flowers appear on pendulous, downy ,
axillary catkins, Gin. or Sin. long; the fertile flowers, which are not very con-
spicuous, are of a pale rose colour, and arc situated at the extremity of the
young snoots." (Ar. Amer. SyL, i. p. 178.) The fruit is ripe in November,
and varies very much in size and shape. The shell is very thick, and ex-
tremely hard ; and the kernel, which is sweet, though small, is so difficult to
extract, because of the strong partitions which divide it, as to have given rise to
the name of mocker nut. The trunk of the old trees is covered with a thick,
hard, rugged bark ; and the wood is remarkable for its strength, tenacity, and
durability. The heart-wood of the young trees is white ; and hence the name
of white-heart hickory, by which this tree is known in some parts of America.
This tree is found principally in the forests which remain on the coast of the
middle states; but it is rarely found in the Carolinas or Georgia, or north of
Portsmouth, in New Hampshire. It is the only hickory which springs in the
pine barrens. In these extensive tracts, the mocker- nut hickory and the
5 B 4-
1446
AllBOKETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
1268
black jack oak (Quercus nigra var. ferruginea) are the only
trees to be seen. They survive the conflagrations which
almost every year envelope the prairies; but their vegetation
is checked by the fire, and they rarely exceed the height of
8ft. or 10ft. (^ Amer. Syl.,\. p. 177.) Of all the hickories,
this species is of the slowest growth ; a fact, Michaux adds,
that he has proved, by planting nuts of the several species
together, and comparing the length of their annual shoots.
It is, also, more liable to be attacked by worms than any
other kind of hickory ; especially by the larva of Calif dium
flexuosum (fig. 1268.), which eats into the body of the tree.
^ 5. C. A'LBA Nutt. The white-nutted Carya, or Shell-bark Hickory.
Identification. Nutt. Gen. N. Amer. PL, 2. p. 221.
Synoni/mes. Jiiglans alba Michx. Fl. Bar. Amer., 2. p. 193., Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 458., and
Lin. Sp. PL, 1415., on Pursh's citation ; J. &lba ovata Marsh. Arb., 115. ; J. squamiSsa Michx. Arb.,
1 p 190, A'or/A Amer. Sylva, 1. p. 181.; J. compr£ssa Gcertn. Sem., 2. p. 51., MUhlenb. in Nov.
Act. Soc. Nat. Scrut. Berol., 3. p. 390., Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 458. j Shag-bark Hickory, Scaly-bark
Hickory, Kisky Thomas Nut, Amer. ; Noyer tendre, Illinois.
Engravings Gsertn. Sera. 2. t. 19.; Pluk. Aim., t. 309. f. 2.; Michx. Arb., 1. t. 7.; N. Amer
Sylva, i? t. 36. ; Wats. Dend. Brit, 1. 148. ; our fig. 1269. ; and the plate of this tree in our last Vol.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaflets, in a leaf, 5 — 7 ; oblong-acuminate, argutely serrate ;
villous beneath ; the pair nearest to the base of the petiole rather remote
from it ; terminal leaflet nearly sessile. Catkin glabrous. Fruit depressedly
globose, with 4 longitudinal furrows, in the line of which the husk divides
into 4 valves that become wholly separate. Nut compressed, oblique,
4-angled in its transverse outline, white. Bark exfoliating in long narrow
strips. {Michx. N. A. S., Pursh Fl. A. S.) A native of North America,
in forests where the soil is fertile, from New England to Carolina, and
throughout the Alleghany Mountains ; and flowering, in America, in April
and May. Introduced in 1629.
Description, $c. This species, Michaux observes, is named shell-bark, shag-
bark, or scaly-bark, from the striking appearance of its outer bark, which
peels off in long narrow plates, that curl up at their extremities, and only adhere
in the middle. Of
all the hickories,
this species grows
to the greatest
height, with pro-
portionately the
smallest diame-
ter ; being some-
times seen 80 ft.
or 90 ft. high,
with a trunk clear
of branches, and
not more than
2 ft. in diameter
for three fourths of its length. The buds are formed of scales, closely applied
upon one another; the two external ones adhering, though only half the
length of the bud ; which disposition of the scales is peculiar to C. alba and
C. sulcata, and seems to indicate, according to Michaux, the exfoliating cha-
racter of the epidermis of the bark. When the sap begins to ascend in the
spring, the outer scales fall, and the inner ones swell, and become covered
with a yellow silky down. After a fortnight, the buds attain the length of 2 in.,
and the young leaves are protruded. The growth of the leaves is so rapid,
that in a month they attain their full length, which, in vigorous trees, is some-
times above 20 in. They consist of 2 pairs of leaflets, with a sessile odd one.
The leaflets are very large, oval-acuminate, serrated, and slightly downy under-
neath. The barren flowers, which, in the state of New York, appear from the
15th to the 20th of May, arc disposed on long, glabrous, filiform, pendulous
1269
<:HAP. en.
<VRYA.
14-4-7
catkins, of which three are united on a common petiole, attached at the basis
of the young shoots. The fertile flowers are of a greenish hue, small, and
situated at the extremity of the shoots. The fruit is ripe about the beginning
of October ; and in some years it is so abundant, that several bushels may be
gathered from a single tree. It is round, with four depressed seams, and
averages, in general, 5A in. in circumference. The husk separates entirely from
the nut; and its thickness is so disproportioned to the size of the nut, as to
form a character peculiar to this species and C. sulcata. The nuts are white
(whence the name of C. alba), compressed at the sides, and marked by four dis-
tinct angles, which correspond to the divisions of the husk. The kernel is
fuller and sweeter than that of any other American walnut or hickory, except
that of C. olivaeformis ; but it is inferior to the fruit of the European walnut.
Though the shell is thin, it is hard, and cannot, like that of the European
walnut, be crushed with the lingers. The nuts are in considerable request,
both for consumption in the United States and for exportation. The Indians
lay up a store of these nuts for winter, a part of which they pound in wooden
mortars ; and, boiling the paste in water, they collect the oil which swims upon
the surface, and use it as a seasoning to their food. The tree abounds on the
shores of Lake Erie, about Geneva in Genessee, in the neighbourhood of
Goshen in New Jersey, and on the banks of rivers in Pennsylvania. It does
not extend farther north than Portsmouth and New Hampshire ; nor farther
south than Goose Creek, in South Carolina. It is found in company with the
swamp white oak (Quercus Prinus discolor), the red maple (/Peer rubrum),
the sweet gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua), the button-wood (Platanus occi-
dentalis), and the tupelo (Nyssa bicolor). The wood, like that of C. sulcata,
is strong, elastic, and tenacious, but has the defects common to all the
hickories; viz. those of
soon decaying, and of
being eaten up by worms.
It is seldom used in con-
struction, either in civil
or naval architecture ;
but, because it splits
very easily, and is very
elastic, it is used for
making whip handles
and baskets. The whip
handles are esteemed
for their suppleness, and
considerable quantities
of them are annually ex-
ported to England. In
the neighbourhood of
New York and Phila-
delphia, it is much used
for the back bows of
Windsor chairs. Mi-
chaux recommends the
introduction of the tree
into European forests,
where it should be
planted in cool and
humid places, analogous
to those of its native
habitats. In the north
of Europe, he says, it
could not fail of suc-
jvedmg, as it securely braves the severest cold. He mentions a varie
1 saw upon a farm in Seacocus, near Snake Hill, New Jersey,
14-48 ARBORETUM AND FftUTICETUM. PART III.
nearly twice as large as that of the species ; and having a white shell, with
rounded prominences instead of angles. A century of cultivation, he says,
would perhaps not advance the species generally to an equal degree of perfec-
tion with this accidental variety. Fig. 1270. represents the Sphior juglandis,
or Hickory Hawk Moth, which in Georgia is found on this tree. The cater-
pillar is smaller than that of most of the other species, and generally is of a
shaded red and yellow, though it is sometimes green. The perfect insects are
brown, and resemble the English poplar hawk moth. The caterpillar buries
in the ground, and varies very much as to the time in continues there : one
observed by Abbott having gone into the ground in May, and reappeared in
June ; and another having buried itself in September, and remained in the
ground till the following April. (Abbott and Smith, Insects of Georgia.)
Statistics. Near London, at Mount Grove, Hampstead, 80 years old, it is 58 ft. high, diameter
of the trunk 1ft. 11 in., and of the head 47 ft. ; at Syon, it is 79ft. high, diameter of the trunk
2 ft. 3 in., and of the head 4o ft. ; at Fulham Palace, 40 years planted, it is 40 ft. high, the diameter
of the trunk 1ft 6 in., and of the head 20 ft. ; at Ham House, Essex, 65ft. high, diameter of the trunk
1 ft. 10 in., and of the head S3 ft. In Sussex, at West Dean, 20 years planted, it is 36ft. high. In
Bedfordshire, at South Hill, it is 35ft. high, diameter of the trunk 23 in., and of the head 30ft. In
Cambridgeshire, at Wimpole, 100 years old, with a trunk 3 ft. in diameter. In Durham, at Southend,
15 years planted, it is 30ft. high. In Worcestershire, at Croome, 15 years planted, it is 30 ft. high.
In Hertfordshire, at Cheshunt, 14 years old and 19 ft. high ; diameter of the trunk 6 in., and that of
the space covered by the branches 18 ft. In Nottinghamshire, at Nottingham, in Clumber Park,
52 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 2 ft., and of the top 53 ft. In Scotland, in Berwickshire, at the Ilirsel,
6 years planted, it is 9ft. high. In Messrs. Dickson and Turnbull's Nursery, Perth, 26 years old, it is
25 ft. high. In France, at Toulon, in the Botanic Garden, 50 years old, it is 70ft. high ; the diameter
of the trunk 5 ft. 11 in. In Austria, at Vienna, in the University Botanic Garden, 45 years planted,
it is 35 ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 3 in., and of the head 25 ft.
¥ 6. C. SULCAVTA Nutt. The furrowed-fruitcd Gary a, or Hickory.
Identification. Nutt. Gen. N. Amer. PI., 2. p. 221.
Synonymcs. Jdglans lacinibsa Michx. Arb., 1. p. 199., North Amer. Sylva, 1. p.188. ; J. mucronataA//^*.
Fl. Bor. Amer.t 2. p. 192. ; J. sulcata Willd. Arb., 154., t. 7., Nov. Act. Soc. Nat. Srrut. Jirrol., 3.
p. 391., Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 457. Pursh Ft. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 637. ; thick Shell-baik Hickory,
Springfield Nut, Gloucester Nut, Amer.
Engravings. Willd. Arb., t. 7. ; Michx. Arb., 1. t. 8. ; North Amer. Sylva, t 37. ; and our Jig. 1271.
Spec. Char.y Sfc. Leaflets, in a leaf, 7 — 9 ; obovate-acuminate, argutely
serrate; downy beneath. Fruit roundish, having 4 longitudinal ridges that
extend from the tip to the middle, and 4 intervening depressions, or furrows.
Husk dividing, from one extremity to the other, in the line of the furrows,
into 4 equal valves. Nut subglobose, slightly compressed, having a long
mucro at the tip, and a shorter stouter one at the base ; yellowish. Bark
exfoliating in long narrow strips. (MicJuc. N. A. S., Pursh FL A. S.) A
native of North America, in fertile valleys in the Alleghany Mountains ; and
flowering in April and May. Introduced in 1804.
Description. Michaux says, speaking generally of the scaly-bark hick-
ories, that " they exhibit many striking traits of resemblance which may
warrant the grouping of them into a separate section. Besides their
generic and specific characters, they possess others peculiar to themselves,
by which they are so nearly related, that, were it not for some remarkable
differences, they might be treated as a single species." C. sulcata grows to
the height of 80 ft., with an ample head, and a straight trunk. The bark is
divided into strips, or shreds, from 1ft. to 3ft. long, the pieces of which,
when they are ready to scale off, are warped outwards at each end, and attached
only in the middle. When they fall, they are succeeded by others similarly
exposed. In this species, Michaux observes, the plates of bark are narrower,
more numerous, and of a lighter colour, than those of C. alba ; from which
differences he thought it advisable to give it the specific name of laciuiosa.
The leaves vary in length from Sin. to 20 in., and are composed of from 7 to
9 leaflets ; whereas in C. alba, the shell-bark hickory, the leaflets are invari-
ably 5. The barren catkins are long, glabrous, filiform, and pendulous ; 3
being united on a common petiole, attached to the basis of the young shoots.
The fertile flowers appear, not very conspicuously, at the extremity of the
shoots of the same spring. They are succeeded by a large oval fruit, more
than 2 in. long, and 4 in. or 5 in. in circumference. It has four depressed
CHAP. Cll. ./rm.ANDA'CK/K. C'A'HYA.
U71
1449
seams, which, at complete maturity, open throughout their whole length for
the escape of the nut. The shell is thick, and of a yellowish hue ; while that
of the C. alba is white. The wood is of the same quality as that of C. alba :
it is brought to market in Philadelphia, but only in very small quantities.
The Gloucester hickory, Michaux considers to be a variety of this species ;
and he also mentions another, growing in the gardens of the Petit Trianon,
and to which he thinks the specific name of ambigua might be given ; as he is
doubtful whether it is a variety or a species. In the Horticultural Society's
Garden, and in the collection at Messrs. Loddiges's, and at White Knights,
there are plants marked Carya sulcata, or ,/uglans laciniosa, which are dis-
tinguishable from all the other species of Carya, by their very large leaf-
lets, which, in autumn, die off sooner than those of any of the other sorts.
Nuts of this species are, in London, 1*. Qd. a quart.
¥ 7. C. PORCI'NA Nutt. The Pig-nut Carya, or Hickory.
Identification. Nutt. Gen. N. Amer. PI., 2. p. 222.
Synonywes. JClglans porclna « obcordata Michx. Arb., 1. p. 206., Pursh Ft. Amer. Sept, 2. p. 638.,
Wats. Dcnd. Brit., t. lt>7. ; J. porcina var. with fruit round, and somewhat rough, Michx.North
Amer. Sylva, 1. p. 196. ; J. obcord&ta Miihlcnb. in Nov. Act. Soc. Nat. Scrut. Berol., 3. p. 392.,
WUld. Sp. PI., 4. p. 458. j Pig-nut, Hog-nut, Broom Hickory.
Engravings. Michx. Arb., 1. 1. 9. f. 3, 4. ; North Amer. Sylva, 1. t. 38. f. 3, 4. ; Wats. Dend. Brit ,
t. 167. ; and our figs. 1272, 1273, and 1274.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaflets, o — 7 in a leaf, ovate-acuminate, serrate, glabrous,
dotted beneath with dots of resinous matter ; terminal leaflet sessile. Nut
obcordate. (Wittd. Sp. PI.) Fruit round, somewhat rough. (Midi*.
N. A. S.) See our/g. 1272. a, and Jig. 1274. a.
Variety
¥ 6. C. p. 2 gldbra ; Juglans porcina /3 fici-
formis Mir/u. Arb., i. p. 209., Pursh
F/. Amer. Sept., ii. p. 638. ; J. glabra
Miihl. in Nov. Act. Soc. Nat., &c., iii.
p. 391., WUld. Sp. PI., iv. p. 458.;
and our figs. 1272. b, and 1274. i;
has the husk of the fruit shaped like
a small fig, instead of being round,
like the species. Pursh observes of
this variety, that the inhabitants
from New England to Virginia make
brooms of it, by slitting the very
tough wood into narrow slips, which
127?
14-50
ARBORETUM AND FKUT1CETUM.
PART III.
finally form a very good and durable broom. The nuts, he adds,
are very small, and extremely hard.
Description, $c. The pig-nut hickory is a lofty tree, 70 ft. or 80 ft. high,
with a trunk from 3 ft. to 4 ft. in diameter. In winter, when stripped of its
leaves, it is easily known by the shoots of the preceding summer, which are
brown, less than half the size of those of C. alba and C. tomentosa, and ter-
minated by small oval buds. C. porcina has scaly buds, which are more than
1 in. in length before they unfold. The inner scales, which are large and
reddish, do not fall off till the leaves are 5 in. or 6 in. long. The leaves
generally consist of three pairs
of leaflets, and an odd one.
The leaflets are 4 in. or 5 in.
long, acuminated, serrated,
nearly sessile, and glabrous on
both sides. On vigorous trees \ •> ,- \
which grow in shady exposures
the petiole is of a violet colour.
The catkins are about 2 in.
long, smooth, flexible, and pen-
dulous. The female flowers
are greenish, and situated at
the extremity of the shoots :
the fruit which succeeds them
is frequently produced in pairs.
The husk is thin, of a beautiful
green ; and, when ripe, it opens
through half its length for the
passage of the nut, which is
small, smooth, and very hard,
on account of the thickness
of the shell. The kernel is
sweet, but meagre, and difficult to extract, from the firmness of the partition.
These nuts, in America, are never carried to market, but serve for food for
swine, racoons, and numerous squirrels which people the forests. (Micfi.r.
N. Amer. Syl.,i. p, 169.) This tree is found in the middle, western, and
southern states, on the borders of swamps, and in places which are wet,
without being marshy. It has been observed, that the mocker-nut is always
CHAP. CII.
JUGLANDA CE7E. PTEROCA HYA.
found in company with the pig-nut; " but that the pig-nut does not alwa\h
accompany the mocker-nut, which is satisfied with a much Jess substantial
soil." The wood of this tree is stronger and better than that of any other kind
of hickory ; and, on account of its extreme tenacity, it is preferred to any of the
other American woods for axletreesand axe-handles. For this reason, Michaux
recommends its introduction into the forests of Europe, where its success, he
says, would be certain. There are plants in the Hackney Arboretum.
¥ 8. C. MYRISTIC.EKO'RMIS Nutt. The Nutmeg-like^mferf Carya, or Nutmeg
Hickory.
Identification. Nutt. Gen. Amer. PL, 2. p. '2-22.
Synonymc. Jtoglans myristicreformis Michx. Arb., 1. p. 211., North Amcr. Sylva, 1. p. li'8., Pursh
Ft. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 638.
Engravings. Michx. Arb., 1. t. 10. ; North Amer. Sylva, t. 3P. ; and our fig. 1275.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaflets, in a leaf, 9 ; ovate-acuminate, serrate, glabrous ; the terminal one nearly
sessile. Fruit ovate, roughish. Nut oval, with a small point at each end, even, brown with
longitudinal lines of white; in which it resembles a nutmeg, which is the seed of Myristica mos-
chata ; and hence the epithet myristicaDformis. A
native of South Carolina. (Mic/ix. N. A. S., Pursh
Fl. Am. Sept}
Description, $c. Very little is known of this tree.
Michaux described only from a branch and a handful
of nuts, which were given to him by a gardener at
Charleston. The leaves consist of four or six small
leaflets, and an odd one ; and the nuts, which are very
small, smooth, and brown, streaked with white,
strongly resemble a nutmeg ; whence the name. The
shell is so thick, that it constitutes two thirds of the
nut, which is, in consequence, very hard, and has a
minute kernel, which is inferior even to that of the
pig-nut. Michaux had no means of ascertaining the
value of the wood ; but he found the shoots of the
current year extremely tough and flexible. (Syl., i. p.
199.) This sort is not yet introduced.
¥ 9. C. MICROCA'RPA ATH//. The small-fruited Carya, or Hickory.
Identification. Nutt. Gen. N. Amer. PL, 2. p. 221.
Spec. Char., ^c. Leaflets, in a leaf, about 5; oblong-lanceolate, conspicuously acuminate, argutely
serrulate, glabrous ; glandular beneath ; terminal one subpetiolate. Fruit subglobose. Husk thin.
Nut partly quadrangular, small ; its shell rather thin, its mucro obsolete and truncate. Indigenous
to the banks of the Schuylkill, in the vicinity of Philadelphia. (Nuttall.} A large tree, with even
bark. Fruit much like that of C. tomentdsa, and eatable ; but very small, the nut not exceeding
the size of a nutmeg. Catkins tritid, very long, glabrous, without involucre; scales 3-parted, their
lateral segments ovate, the central one linear. Anthers pilose, mostly 4, sometimes 3, sometimes
5. Female flowers 2 or 3 together; common peduncle bracteolate. Segments of the calyx
very long, and somewhat leafy. Stigma sessile, discoid, 4-lobed, somewhat rhomboidal. (Nuttatl.)
Not yet introduced.
¥ 10. C. INTEGRIFO^LIA Spreng. The entire-leaf (let)cd Carya, or Hickory.
Identification. Spreng. Syst Veg., 3. p. 849. ; Sweet Hort. Brit., ed. 1830.
Synoiiymc. Hicbrius integrifblius Rajinesque.
Spt-c. Char., $c. Branchlets and petioles tomentose. Leaflets, in a leaf, about 11 ; lanceolate,
acuminate, entire. Stamens 6 — 8 in a flower. Nut with 4 angles in its transverse outline.
^Sf»-cngel.) Not yet introduced.
A pp. i. Other Kinds of Carya.
C. ambigua ; Juglans ambiglialfifcfce. 2V. A. %/. , 190. ; is a kind which Michaux found in the
gardens of the Petit Trianon, where it had heen raised from American seeds. Its bark exfoliates in
strips ; its leaves resemble those of C sulcata ; and its fruit that of C. alba, but is smaller. From this
description, it appears to belong to the shell-bark hickories.
C. puMscens Lk. En.. Sweet's Hort. Brit, ed. 1833, is a kind of which we know nothing.
C. rigida, J. rfgida Load. Cat., ed. 1836. The plants bearing this name in the Hackney Arboretum
appear to be varieties of C. alba.
GENUS III.
PTEROCA'RYA Kunth. THE PTKROCARYA. Lin. Syst. Monce'cia
y Polyaudria.
Identification. Kunth in Ann.ilcs dc" S'ICIHCS V.itutvilos, '.' p. .Hti. ; Lindley Nat. Syst. of Bot.,
p. ISO.
]>. I.fn.
14-52 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
Drriuntion. Pteron, a wing ; karua, the common walnut. The fruit has wings; and, except in
these, resembles that of the walnut.
% 1. P. CAUCA'SICA Kunth. The Caucasian Pterocarya.
identification. Kunth in Anna!, des Scien. Nat, 2. p. 346.
St/rw>iymes. Juglans pteroc&rpa Michx. Fl.Bor. Amer ., 2. p. 192., Bicb Fl. Taur. Supp. 33. p. 622.,
' WUld. Sp. PI., 4. 455., Spreng. Syst., 3. p. 865. ; tfhus obscdrum Bicb. Fl. Taur.Cauc., no. tiU6. ;
J./raxinif 61ia Lamond MS., N. Du Ham., 4 p. 182. ; Fraxinus Isevigata Hart Par.
Engravings. Our Jig. 1276. from a seedling plant, and the plate of this tree in our last Volume
Spec. Char., $c. Leaflets, in a leaf, about 19; ovate-oblong, acuminate,
argutely serrate, glabrous ; each with the lower or hinder side of its
base attached to the petiole. (Lamarck MS., and Spreng. Syst. / 'eg., iii.
p. 865.) The following description is translated from that
written by Poiret, published in the Encyclopedic Mctho-
dique : — "A tree, about 40 ft. high, with an ample and tuft-
ed head. Young branches brownish green, very smooth,
glossy. Pith disposed in thin membranes, placed trans-
versely, and at about a line distant from one another : J.
regia has its pith arranged in a similar manner. Leaves
alternate, very large, commonly having 19 leaflets each,
which are oblong, denticulate with blunt teeth ; have their
upper surface very smooth, almost glossy, and of a beau-
tiful rather dark green, their under surface paler; and
are disposed almost alternately. Buds, when bursting, of
a rusty or brownish red colour. One remarkable character, and which
serves to distinguish the species clearly, is, that each of the leaflets has
one side of its base shorter than the other, and one of them attached,
at least while the leaf is young, to the petiole. It occurs, in many in-
stances, that, when the leaf gets old, the attached part of the leaflet
becomes distinct from the petiole; but it is always the case that one side of
the base is longer than the other. The petiole is round and very tumid at
the base, smooth, and of a beautiful clear green." This tree is a native of
moist woods at the foot of Caucasus, where it was discovered by Steven, and
described by him in the Mem. Soc. Nat. Cur. Mos., iii. p. 247, and iv. p. 70.;
as noticed by Bieberstein in the Supplement to his Flora Taur.Cauc, quoted
above. It was introduced into England as J. /raxinifolia, several years
since, and there are specimens under that name in the Horticultural Society's
Garden, and in the collection of Messrs. LpddSges, where they form broad
bushy plants, not yet more than 8 ft. or 10 ft. high. At Croome, in Wor-
cestershire, there is a tree, 15 years planted, which is 25ft. high. This
species appears to have been first brought into notice by the elder Michaux,
who, on his return from Persia in 1782 (seep. 1411.), introduced into
France a plant from the shores of the Caspian Sea; which, ac-
cording to Bosc, was the first that had ever been seen in Europe, and
which still exists at Versailles, flowering there every year. It is described
as growing from 20 ft. to 30 ft. high ; and, though affected by frost, is yet
sufficiently hardy to be classed among ornamental trees of the third rank.
It is readily propagated by layers. For small gardens, and diminutive
arboretums, this tree may serve very well to exemplify the ./uglamlacese.
Care should be taken to train it to a single stem, and not to plant it in
soil so rich and moist as to prevent it from ripening its wood. Perhaps,
also, something might be gained in point of hardiness by grafting it upon
the common walnut, either on the collar of the stock, in order to form
dwarf trees, or bushes; or standard high, in order to form trees that would
from the first have clear straight stems, and as they would ripen their wood
better, in consequence o-f growing slower than low trees or bushes, so they
would perhaps show blossoms and ripen fruit. Some years ago, Messrs.
Booth of the Floetbeck Nurseries reintroduced this species into Britain as
a new tree (see Gard. Mag., vol. xi. p. 207.), under the name of Ptero-
carya caucasica, being not aware of its identity with Juglans yraxinitolia.
Plants, in London, are 2s. 6d. each ; and at Bollwyller, 3 francs.
cii.u». cm.
.9ALICA CE/E. S.VL1X.
14-53
CHAP. CHI.
OF THE HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER SALICA'CE^E.
ALL the plants of this order are ligneous, and included in the genera Aalix
L. and 7'opulus L., which agree in having the flowers unisexual, and those
of the two sexes situated upon distinct plants, disposed in catkins, and indi-
vidually subtended in the catkins by a bractea, termed a scale by many
botanical authors ; in the seeds being contained in a capsule of one cell and
two valves, and each seed bearing a tuft of longish white hairs ; and in the
leaves having stipules. The points of structure in which the genera differ
will be found in the following characters; the essential distinction being in the
number of stamens: —
SANLIX L. Bractea to the flower of each sex entire. Male flower consisting
of 1 — 5 stamens, more in a few species, and of one or more glands inserted
contiguously to the stamens. Female flower consisting of a pistil that is
.stalked or sessile, or nearly sessile ; and one or more glands inserted con-
tiguously to it. Leaves, in most, with the disk more or less lanceolate.
(Smith Engl. F/., and observation.)
PO'PULUS L. Bractea to the flower of each sex laciniated in its terminal
edge. Male flower consisting of a calyx, and 8 stamens at fewest ; in
many instances, many more. Female flower consisting of a calyx and a
pistil. Leaves with the disk more or less oblate ; and the petiole, in most,
compressed in the part adjoining the disk. (71. Nces ab Esenbcck Gen. PL
Fl. Germ. III., and observation.)
Consistently with Dr. Lindley's definition of a catkin, given in his Intro-
duction to Botany, ed. 2., what, in the genus Salix, has been usually termed
the scale or the calyx, and by Borrer, in the Supplement to English Botany, the
calyx scale, is here denominated a bractea ; and what used to be called the
nectary is, agreeably with Dr. Lindley's definition, in his <Synoptu of the
British Flora, here termed a gland.
GENUS I.
SA^LIX L. THE WILLOW. Lin. Syst. DioeVia Diandria.
Identification. Lin. (Jen., 514. ; Juss ,408. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., voL 31. ; FI. Br., 10S9. ; Tourn.,
t. .i'.k ; Lam., t. 80?. ; Gaertn., t. 90.
Sunditumes. Harab, Hebrew ; Itea, dr. ; Salix, Lot. ; Saule, Fr. ; Weide and Felber. Gcr, ; salcio,
Hal. ; Sauze, Span. ; Wide, Swfd. ; Wilge, Ftem. ; Withig, Anglo-Sax. ; Willow, Withy, Sal-
low, Osier, Enfil. ; Saugh, Sro/cti.
Dfriv.ition. From sal, near, and /is, water, Celtic ; in reference to its general habitat. According
to others, from satire, to leap ; on account of the extraordinary rapidity of its growth.
Description, t^c. Trees and shrubs, mostly the latter, varying from 2 in. or
o in., to oO ft., GO ft., and even to 80 ft. or 90 ft. in height. The branches are
round and flexible. Leaves simple, undivided, stalked, generally alternate,
deciduous. Stipules in pairs at the base of the footstalks, very variable in
size, deciduous. The leaves are arranged spirally on the branches ; those on
which 3 complete the spiral have the epithet tripla applied to them; those
which have t, trtrapla, »!vc. In a very few species only are the leaves placed
opposite, and not in a spiral order. In by far the greater number they are dis-
posed in a hexaplous order. ( Walker.) Catkins early, erect or drooping,
14-54 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
either from the same buds as the leaves, or, more commonly, from different
ones. Their florets are almost invariably separated, being all barren on one
plant, and fertile on another of the same species. The growth of the dwarfest
species, such as S. herbacea, is slow, and, in its native habitat, not above
1 in. a year, and often not so much ; that of the larger shrubs, in their native
habitats, varies from 5 in. or 6 in. to as many feet, especially when the plants
are young, or newly cut down. The growth of some of the kinds cultivated
for basket-making or hoops, in good soil, when cut down every year or every
two years, is often from 8 ft. to 12 ft. in a single season. The growth of the
tree kinds, more especially of S. alba and S. RusselhVzuff, is equally rapid
when young ; so that in ten years, in the climate of London, in suitable soil,
and within reach of water, these kinds will attain the height of 50 ft. or 60 ft.
The branches of most of the tree kinds have an upward direction, and have a
flame-like motion in the wind, as in S. alba; but in others they are spreading,
as in S. caprea ; and, in one instance, drooping in a very decided manner, as
in S. babylonica.
Anomalies in the Flowers. The flowers have been observed in various cases
of anomaly, as to the manner in which they are disposed, or as to the con-
stituent parts of themselves. A collection of cases and instances is here
presented. Male flowers and female ones have been observed to occur in the
same catkin in the following instances : — £ Hoppeana vVHld., as noticed in
Willd. Sp. PL, in Koch's Comm., and in Smith's Engl. Fl. ; S. undulata Ehrli.,
or else S. No. 37. of Treviranus's Obs. Bot. ; S. mirabilis Host's Sal. Austr., i.
t. 4-1. ; and S. cinerea, S. aurita, and S. aquatica, as noticed in Engl. Fl. Koch
has noticed (Com^i.) two instances under his S. cinerea, which is more com-
prehensive than that of Engl. Fl.; S. caprea, as noticed by Koch, and taking
the species as he views it ; S. HumboldtzVma, as noticed in Koch Comm. ; S.
tenuiflora, as noticed in Host's Fl. Austr., ii. p. 633. ; and S. Forbydna, as no-
ticed in Engl. Fl. The following cases are similar to the above, but some of
the flowers are in a monstrous state : — S. cinerea, as noticed in Engl. FL ;
S. aquatica, as noticed in Rees's Cyclo., No. 118.; and S. montana Host Sal.
Au.tfr., i. t. 73. The appearance of stamens being changed into pistils has
been observed in the following species : — S. hermaphroditica L., as noticed in
Koch's Comm. ; S. Crowedna, as elucidated in Sal. Wob. ; S. polymorpha of
Host's Sal. Austr., as shown there ; S. oleifolia Sm., as noticed in Engl. Fl. ;
and S. bicolor Elirh., as cited by Borr. i-n Engl. Bot. Suppl, S. Hoppeawa,
besides having the majority of its catkins constituted partly of male flowers
and partly of female ones, has, in some instances, in the tipper flowers of a
catkin, the middle one of the three stamens of a flower changed into a perfect
ovary ; and, hence, the flower seems as if comprising two stamens and an
ovary. (Koch's Comm.) Smith has noticed what may be a distinct case ;
viz. that in S. fragilis the stamens are not unfrequently accompanied by an
imperfect pistil. (Engl. Fl.) The combination of the filaments, in some kinds,
is a relative subject. Mr. Borrer considers the instance observed in S.
Crowedna a monstrosity. (Engl. Bot. Suppl., t. 2655.) He adds that the
stamens " are represented as changing into " ovaries, " as those of S. Mcolor
Ehrh.y and of some of the common sallows, have been observed to do." It is
likely that Mr. Borrer would apply the same remark to every instance of the
filaments occurring in a state of combination. The following is a list of kinds
in which the filaments have been observed in this state ; and the practical cul-
tivator may instruct himself by investigating, relatively to the above remark,
as many of the following species as may come under his notice when in
flower: — S. riibra Huds., noticed in Eng. Fl. ; S. concolor of Host's Sal. Ausrr.
(whether this be the same as the S. riibra Huds., as the synonyme cited
under it indicates, or different) ; S. Croweana in Eng. Fl. ; S. riparia, as
shown in Host's Sal. Austr., i. t. 58.; S. linearis Forbes, as depicted in Sal.
Wob.', S. intermedia of Host's Sal. Austr., i. t. 56., as shown there ; S. parvi-
flora Ibid., i. t. 49. ; S. discolor Ibid., i. t. 60. ; IS montana Ibid., i. t. 73.
f. 4.; S. lanata L., as shown in Eng. Bot. Snppl. ,- and ,V. dadostcmina of
CHAP. cm. s\i IC^CEJE. SA'LIX. 1455
Ifai/nc Dcndr., as cited in Koch Comm. It seems that Koch (Comm.) and
Linclley (Synops. Brit. F/.) view the kinds of the group Purpureae which
have only 1 stamen to a flower, as having that stamen constituted of 2 com-
bined. Besides the kinds of that group treated of in our work, exclusively of
#. rubra, which may be examined as to the testing of this view, S. oppositi-
folia of Host's Sal. Auatr., i. t. 38.; S. austriaca Ibid., i. t. 64.; S. montana
Ibid., i. t. 73. f. 5.; and S. monandra Ibid., i. t. 71., may also be inspected.
The Sexes. Botanists seem to differ in opinion, as to the influence which
the sex has upon the character, or appearance, of the plants. Dr. Walker
says that " the male and female, of the same species, often differ remarkably
from each other in their foliage ;" and he instances the S. alba L., in the female
of which, he says, " the leaves are much larger, greener, and not so white, sil-
very, and pubescent, as those of the male. This makes the difference in their
aspect so great, he says, that, when standing together, they might, at first view,
be presumed to be different species. In general,'* lie adds, " the female of most
plants is of more vigorous growth, of larger size, and less brittle, than the
male; and," therefore, "the female ought always to be preferred when the
species is to be cultivated for economical purposes that require strength; and
the male for those which require delicacy." (Essays, p. 420.) Sir J. E. Smith
is of a very different opinion from Dr. Walker, asserting that between a male
and a female plant of the same species "there is not the slightest possible dif-
ference in the character or appearance of the two individuals, in any other
respect" than in their flowers. (Eng. F/or.y vol. iv. p. 163.) Most other
botanists seem to incline more to the opinion of Dr. Walker, than to that of
Sir J. E. Smith (see Dcsfontaines's Histoire, &c., vol. ii. p. 460. ; JV. Du
Ham., vol. iii. p. 104., &c.) ; and it is only necessary to turn over the figures
of the splendid work of Host, in which engravings, a foot or two in length,
are given of the male and female of every species, to be convinced that the view
taken by Dr. Walker is correct. The importance, then, of knowing to what
sex any species of willow belongs that we intend to cultivate for use is
obvious. It appears, also, from Dr. Host's work, that the colour of the
young wood, in the one sex, often differs from that of the other; for
example, the young shoots of S. alba, female, are not only stronger, and the
leaves broader, than those of the male, but the bark is of a dark red ; while
the young wood of the male is of a whitish green.
Hybrids. The production of hybrids in this genus was observed by Sco-
poli in 1760, and has since been confirmed or admitted by most other bota-
nists. " The great number of hybrids in this genus," Koch observes, "no
one can deny/' (p. 9.) Sir J. E. Smith, however, formed quite a different
opinion. During the thirty years that he studied the willows in Mr. Crowe's
garden, along with that botanist, " seedlings innumerable," he says, "springing
up all over the ground, were never destroyed till their species were de-
termined, and the immutability of each verified by our joint inspection. This
was the more material, to set aside the gratuitous suppositions of the mixture
of species, or the production of new or hybrid ones, of which, no more than
of any change in established species, I have never met with an instance.
Strange alterations in the shapes and sizes of leaves, and their stipules, have,
indeed, been seen on young radical shoots, from a tree or bush that has been
felled; but not more than usually happens in poplars, limes, elms, and
others." (Eng. Fl.,iv. p. 165.) It is much to be wished that some cultivator
of uillows would endeavour to originate, scientifically, some hybrids between
species with opposite characters of foliage, which would set this question
at rest.
(IrtigrapJiy. The willows are chiefly natives of the colder parts of the
temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. They are generally found in
cold moist soil, or by water; the trees on plains, and the creeping or trailing
sM>rts on heaths and mountains. A few species are natives of the arctic circle;
and S. herbacea and S. art tica approach nearer to the pole than any other lig-
neous plants. £. babylonica is a native of Armenia, and also of China and Japan;
5 c
1456 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
and Royle mentions several species as indigenous both to the lowlands and
mountainous regions of Northern India. & pedicellata Desf. and S. baby-
lonica are found wild in the north of Africa; and S. Huniboldtmna and
S. Bonplandwna on the mountains of Peru and Columbia. The species
indigenous to North America are not very numerous ; but Pursli has de-
scribed 37 sorts, as either wild or in a state of cultivation there. The
number of species in different countries, however, cannot at present be deter-
mined with anything like accuracy, since what are considered as species by
some botanists are looked upon as only varieties by others. Thus, Schleicher
finds 119 species within the narrow limits of Switzerland; Host, 60 species
natives of Austria; and Smith, and other British botanists, 71 species in-
digenous to Britain. Koch, however, the latest, and, as it appears to us, the
most judicious, writer on the genus tfalix, considers that all the alleged spe-
cies, natives of Europe, may be reduced to 48. Perhaps, in addition to
these, there may be a dozen natives of North America, which are not natives
of Europe; and half that number natives of Asia. Of 182 species described
by botanists, Koch observes, 17 only are extra-European.
History. Theophrastus and Pliny speak of different sorts of willows ; the
latter describing 8 species, as among the most useful of aquatic trees, not even
excepting the poplar and the alder. The willow, Pliny says, furnishes long
props for supporting vines, and the bark may be employed for tying up the
shoots ; and the young shoots, he adds, are much employed in basket-making.
The kinds which the Romans used for this purpose appear, from Pliny's
descriptions, to have been the S. alba, S. vitellina, S. viminalis, and the S. ame-
rina of Pliny and Dalechamp, which was probably, as Dr. Walker thinks, the
white willow of Theophrastus, and is certainly the S. decipiens L. These
kinds formed the osier holts of the Romans, and are still those principally
cultivated for basket-making, throughout Europe and North America, in the
present day. Among modern botanists, the Bauhins, in 1G50, first began to
distinguish willows by their magnitude, the shape of their leaves, and by the
nature of their flow ers and fruit : and these authors were also the first to
recognise in each species a fertile and an unfertile individual; and, with
Tragus, to assert that willows could be propagated from seed, like other plants;
a fact that had been denied since the days of Aristotle. Scopoli, in his
Flora Carniolica, published in 1760, relates that he had often observed female
willows fecundated by males which are accounted of a different species ; and,
if this observation is correct, it will help to account for the great number of
kinds which compose this genus. The scientific botanical history of the wil-
low may be considered as commencing with Ray's Synopsis, in 1660, in which
he describes 10 species as growing in the neighbourhood of Cambridge. Lin-
naeus, in 1737, described, in the Flora Lapponica, 19 species, chiefly alpine
kinds ; and in the second edition of his Species Plantarum, published in 1753, 31
species. Haller, in 1758, described 21 species as natives of Switzerland ; and
Villars, in 1789, 30 species as natives of Dauphine. Willdenow, in his edition
of Linngeus's Species Plantarum, published in 1797, describes 116 species.
Smith, in Rees's Cyclopedia, published in 1819, describes 141 species; to which
Willdenow and other botanists have since added, according to Koch, 41 species
more, making in all 182; adding to these Schleicher's 119 new species, the
total number is 254 ! In 1785, Hoffmann published the first fasciculus of his
elaborate History of Willows, the last fasciculus of which came out in 1791 ;
but the work was never completed. In so far as it goes, it is a splendid work ;
and one which can scarcely be surpassed either for accuracy or beauty. In
1828, Professor Koch, director of the botanic garden at Erlangen, published
his De Salicibus Europais Commentatio, an admirable work, of which a more
particular account will be given here after ; in which he has reduced all the
European sorts, amounting, as we have just seen, to 237 (17 of the 254 being
extra-European), to 48 species, belonging to 10 groups. Subsequently to the
appearance of Koch's work, Dr. Host, director of the Flora Austriaca Botanic
Garden at Vienna, published his Salix ; of which only the first volume ap-
CHAP. CIII. SALICA^CE^E. SA^LIX. 1457
peared before the author's death. This volume is limited to figuring and describ-
ing the willows of Austria, amounting to CO sorts ; of which engravings are given
of both sexes, on extra-large folio plates : the specimens being of the natural
.size, and mostly from 1 ft. 6 in/to 2 ft. in length; exhibiting both sexes when in
flower, when the leaves are fully expanded, and the female catkins matured.
This is indeed a splendid work, and only equalled by the small portion which
appeared of the Hisioria Salicum of Hoffmann, before mentioned. A great
drawback, however, to the utility of Host's work is, that the author has given
new names to most of his sorts, and has identified but a very few of them
with the kinds described by other botanists.
In 1829, His Grace the Duke of Bedford had printed, for private circulation,
the Salictum Woburncnse, in which 1GO species are figured and described; all
of which, with the exception of a very few, were at that time alive in the
salictum at Woburn. The engravings are small, but good ; the descriptions
are chiefly taken from Smith, but are partly original, by Mr. Forbes, the Duke
of Bedford's gardener. " We have in the Salictum il'obiirncnse" Sir W. J.
Hooker observes, " a standard set of figures of all the British, amongst many
exotic, species ; which, together with those of the English Botany, do, it must be
confessed, give to the British naturalist an advantage over all that Continental
authors have published on the subject ; and to them I refer in every instance,
and with great satisfaction. The arrangement of the species in the Salictum
is due to the botanical skill and knowledge of Mr. Forbes, head gardener at
Woburn, which His Grace has fully acknowledged; and that department does
him great credit." (Br. FL, \. p. 416.)
In 1831, Sir W. J. Hooker, in the second edition of his British Flora, had,
with the aid of Mr. Borrer, arranged the British species in 18 groups, and
enumerated under these 08 species, considered by him and others as indi-
genous ; which, in the third edition of the British Flora, published in 1835,
were increased to 71. In the same year (1835), Dr. Lindley adopted the
system of Koch in his Synopsis of the British Flora, 2d edit., and reduced
the 71 species of Smith and others to 28 species.
The willows of North America were, as far as they were known in 18 14-,
described by Pursh, with the assistance of Mr. G. Anderson, who had in culti-
vation several rare species from that country ; and some species have subse-
quently been added by Nuttall. Since then, Dr. Barratt of Middletown, Con-
necticut, has undertaken to describe all the willows grown in America, whether
indigenous or exotic, amounting to 100, a conspectus of which he has sent to Sir
W. J. Hooker, arranged in 9 groups, chiefly the same as those of Mr. Borrer.
Cuttings of most of these 100 sorts have been received by the Duke of Bed-
ford, and planted in his salictum at Woburn, where many of them are alive.
Some other particulars respecting them will be found in the Companion to the
Botanical ^Magazine, vol. i. p. 17. As Dr. Barratt's descriptions must neces-
sarily, in great part, be taken from dried specimens, it appears to us very
doubtful how far they will be of use to the European botanist; but there can
be no doubt as to the benefit which will result from the introduction of all
these sorts into British gardens, because there they may be compared in a
living state with the kinds we already possess.
Lightfoot, in his Flora Scotica, paid considerable attention to willows ; but,
according to Sir J. E. Smith, " he laboured at the subject with hesitation and
mistrust, from an opinion of the species being confounded by cross-impreg-
nation." Lightfoot, and his contemporary Hudson, therefore, Sir James adds,
have hardly enumerated a fourth part of the native willows of our island.
The cultivation of willows, with a view to the determination of their specific
characters, was, according to Sir J. E. Smith, first taken up with vigour and
effect by James Crowe, Esq., F.L.S., of Lakenham, near Norwich, " a most
excellent British botanist," about the end of the last century; and Sir James
K. Smith, writing in 1828, says that he had laboured full 30 years in the
study of willows in Mr. Crowe's garden, which contained all the sorts that
could then be procured in anv part of Britain. (Reeis Cycf.) Mr. George
5c 2
11-58 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUAf. PART III.
Anderson, F.L.S., had at that time a collection at West Ham, in Essex,
which he was studying for the same purpose ; as had Edward Forster, Esq.,
at Walthamstow, and which has since been removed to Woodfbrd, in Essex ;
and W. Borrer, Esq., at Henfield, in Sussex. At Lewes, in the same county,
Mr. Woollgar had extensive willow grounds, studied the species very assidu-
ously, and communicated several facts to Sir J. E. Smith. Subsequently,
a collection was made by His Grace the Duke of Bedford at Woburn, which
appears to have been the most extensive till then made in England ; and the
next greatest number of sorts is in the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges, at
Hackney. In all these salictums, we are informed by those who have ex-
amined them, the plants were placed too closely together to attain their
characteristic form and size. At Woburn, the plants were, till 1836,
crowded together in a very limited space, which necessarily prevented
their habits from being properly studied ; but they have since been trans-
planted, and allowed more room; though they are not, even now, as it
appears to us, in a situation either sufficiently large, or adequately ex-
posed to the influence of the sun and the air. A few species of willows have
attained the size of trees in the Horticultural Society's Garden ; but, as
far as we are aware, there is no extensive collection of full-grown willows any
where either in Britain or on the Continent. Most of the kinds in the
Woburn salictum are in the arboretum at Flitwick House, at Goldwort! ,
and at Messrs. Loddiges's, Hackney ; and we believe, also, that there are
excellent collections in the principal botanic gardens, more especially in
that of Edinburgh. The Duke of Bedford, indeed, has liberally contributed
cuttings from his collection at Woburn to all who have applied for them ;
so that, if willows are not in future extensively cultivated, and properly
studied, it will not be for want of plants, but from the cultivators not allowing
them sufficient room to attain their natural size and habits. On the Continent,
the best collections are in Germany, and principally, we believe, at Erlangen,
under the direction of Koch. Dr. Host is said to have cultivated upwards
of 300 sorts in the botanic garden under his care at Vienna; and there are
good collections at Gottingen, Bremen, and Berlin.
In an economical point of view, scarcely anything was added to our know-
ledge of the culture and uses of the willow since the time of the Romans ;
till the slight notices of the uses of willows given by Ray, and afterwards by
Evelyn. The first systematic essay on the subject appears to have been
written by Dr. Walker, about the latter end of the last century, though not
published till 1812. It is entitled Salicctum ; or, the Botanical History and
Cultivation of Willows ; and it is contained in his volume of Essays, p. 403 —
469. Here 22 species are described, and an account is given of their uses
and mode of cultivation. All these species, and various others, which are
promised to be described in a future volume, were cultivated by the author in
his garden at Collinton, near Edinburgh.
Salices, &c., by Dr. Wade, was published in 1811, and contains descriptions
of most of the European species at that time known, with directions for their
propagation and culture.
Willows for basket-making and hoops were principally imported from
Holland and France, till towards the commencement of the present century;
when our exclusion from the Continent, in consequence of the continued war,
led to the formation of plantations at home. The Society of Arts, directing
their attention to the subject, have, at various times, offered premiums for the
cultivation of willows; and in their Transactions for 1801, 1804-, and 1805, as
well as in previous and subsequent volumes, will be found accounts of plant-
ations made for which premiums were awarded./ In England, the principal
of these plantations were made by Arthur Borron of Warrington, in Lan-
cashire; Mr. Wade of Suffolk; and Mr. Phillips and Mr. Bull of Ely: and,
in Scotland, by Mr. Shirreflf, at Captainhead, near Haddington.
The principal plantations of willows for basket-making, in every country,
are made along the banks of rivers and streams; and, in England, those on the
CHAP. CIII. SALlCArCE;E. ,9AVLIX. 1459
Thames and the Cam arc the most celebrated. In both these rivers, and in
some others, small islands are frequently planted entirely with willows, and
are called osier holts. There are many such islands in the Thames, between
London and Reading. The most extensive willow plantations in fields are
in the fenny districts of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire ; and, perhaps,
the largest plantation in England is that of Mr. Adnam, near Reading. The
principal market for basket willows is London; but they are in demand, more
or less, in every town in the country. The willow is frequently cultivated as
a pollard, the lop being valuable for fence-wood, poles, hurdles, and fuel.
It is sometimes, also, cultivated as a timber tree ; but, as an ornamental tree
or shrub, it may be considered to be in a great measure neglected.
Properties and Uses. The importance of the willow to man has been re-
cognised from the earliest ages; and ropes and baskets made from willow
twigs were probably among the very first of human manufactures, in countries
where these trees abound. The Romans used the twigs for binding their
vines and tying their reeds in bundles, and made all sorts of baskets of them.
A crop of willows was considered so valuable in the time of Cato, that he
ranks the salictum, or willow field, next in value to the vineyard and the
garden. In modern times, " the many important uses," Sir W. J. Hooker
observes, " rendered to man by the different species of willow and osier, serve to
rank them among the first in our list of economical plants." In a state of nature,
the willow furnishes food by its leaves to the larvae of moths, gnats, and
certain other insects ; and, by its flowers, to the honey-bee. Its wood, also, is
preferred to most others by the beaver. The leaves and young shoots are
wholesome and nourishing to cattle; and in some northern countries they are
collected green, and then dried and stacked for that purpose. In France,
those of S. caprea, whether in a green or dried state, are considered the very
best food for cows and goats ; and horses, in some places, are fed entirely on
them, from the end of August till November. Horses so fed, it is stated, will
travel 20 leagues a day without being fatigued. (Bosc.) In the north of Sweden
and Norway, and in Lapland, the inner bark is kiln-dried and ground for
the purpose of mixing with oatmeal in years of scarcity. In a rude state of
civilisation, the twigs of the willow were used in constructing houses, house-
hold utensils, panniers, the harness of horses and cattle, and for various pur-
poses connected with boats and fishing. The twigs are still very generally
applied, in Russia and Sweden, to all these uses ; and Dr. Walker relates that
he has ridden in the Hebrides with a bridle made of twisted willow twigs, and
lain all night at anchor with a cable made of the same material. The bark of
the trunks of young trees is used generally, throughout the north of Europe,
for the same purposes as that of the lime tree (See p. 368.); and in Tartary,
it is said, it is macerated, and the fibre, when separated, spun into threads,
from which cloth is woven.
The bark of the willow, and also the leaves, are astringent ; and the bark of
most sorts maybe employed in tanning. That ofS. caprea is used both for tanning
and dyeing black, in Sweden, the north of Scotland, and Switzerland. (Walker.)
A substance called salicine has been extracted from the bark of S. Russellw;?tf,
S. /felix, and some other kinds of willow, which Professor Burnet states to
have been " proved to be equally efficient with the Peruvian bark ;" and he
remarks on the wise provision of Providence, in placing the remedy for agues,
and other low fevers, exactly in those moist marshy situations where these
diseases are most prevalent. (See Burners Inaugural Address to the Medico-
Botanical Society, February, 1831, p. 12.) This new principle was first dis-
covered by M. Lerotix; and M. Majendie states that he has known three
doses of 6 grains each stop a fever ; which is nearly the same quantity as
would be required for the same purpose of sulphate of quinine. (Annalcs de
r///////e,tom.xliii. p. 440., as quoted in Brande's Journal for 1831.) Salicine is
in the form of very fine nacreous whitish crystals, perfectly soluble in water
or alcohol. It is very bitter, and partakes something of the colour of willow
The process for obtaining it is rather long; and it requires about 3 Ib.
5 c 3
14:60 ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART III.
of willow bark, when dried and pulverised, to yield 1 oz. of salicine. (Ibid.)
The wood of the willow is soft, smooth, and light : that of the £alix eaprea
is heavier than that of any other species of the genus, weighing;, when dry,
41 Ib. 6 oz. per cubic foot, and losing a twelfth part of its bulk in drying ; that of
iSalix alba weighs 27 Ib. 6 oz. per cubic foot when dry, and loses, in drying, some-
what more than a sixth part of its bulk. In Pliny's time, willow wood was in re-
quest for the fabrication of shields, on account of its lightness; and in the present
day, it is, for the same reason, preferred for making cutting-boards lor the use of
shoemakers and tailors. It is also used for whetting the fine steel instruments of
cork-cutters, and other mechanics. It is in demand for turnery, and for shoes,
shoemakers' lasts, and toys ; for dyeing black, in imitation of ebony, as it takes
a fine polish ; and for a great variety of minor purposes. The wood of the
larger trees, such as S. alba and S. Russelltana, is sawn into boards for floor-
ing, and sometimes for rafters ; in which last situation, when kept dry and
ventilated, it has been known to last upwards of a century. The straight
stems of young trees, when split in two, make excellent styles for field ladders,
on account of their lightness. The boards are well adapted for lining waggons
and carts, particularly such as are intended for coals or stones, or any hard ma-
terial, as willow wood, like other soft woods, is by no means liable to splinter
from the blow of any hard angular material. It is also valued for the boards
of the paddles of steam-vessels, and for the strouds of water-wheels, as it
wears in water better than any other kind of wood. The red-wood willow,
or stag's-head osier (S. fragilis), according to Mathew, produces timber superior
to that of S. alba, or of any other tree willow. It is much used in Scotland
for building small vessels ; and especially for fast-sailing sloops of war, by
reason of its lightness, pliancy, elasticity, and toughness. The wood, when
dry, is easily known from that of all other willows, by its being of a salmon
colour; on which account it is sometimes used in cabinet-making and for
children's toys. " Formerly," says Mathew, " before the introduction of iron
hoops for cart wheels, the external rim, or felloe, was made of this willow; and,
when new, the carter wain was drawn along a road covered with hard smallgravel
(and, in preference, gravel somewhat angular) ; by which means the felloe shod
itself with stone, and thus became capable of enduring the friction of the road
for a long time, the toughness and elasticity of the willow retaining the gravel
till the stone was worn away. Under much exposure to blows and friction,
this willow outlasts every other homa timber. When recently cut, the ma-
tured wood is slightly reddish, and the sap-wood white. When exposed to
the air, and gradually dried, both are of salmon colour, and scarcely dis-
tinguishable from each other." (On Nav. Tirnb., p. 63.) S. Russelliana being
very nearly allied to S. fragilis, its wood has, probably, the same charac-
teristics. The longer shoots and branches of the tree willows are made into
poles for fencing, hop-poles, props for vines, and other purposes ; and, when
forked at one end, into props for supporting lines for clothes. They are also
much used for the handles of hay-rakes, and other light agricultural imple-
ments; and they are split, and made into hurdles, crates, and hampers; and,
when interwoven with the smaller branches, into racks, or cradles, for the hay
and straw given to cattle in the fields, or in feeding-yards. The smaller rods,
with or without the bark on, arc manufactured into various kinds of baskets,
for domestic use ; and, split up into two, four, or more pieces, for making
lighter and ornamental articles, such as work-baskets, ladies' reticules, &c.
It is a remarkable fact, that basket-making was one of the few manufactures
in which the ancient Britons excelled in the times of the Romans. These
baskets, or bascaudae, as they are called by Martial, are said to have been of
very elegant workmanship, and to have borne a high price. (See Encyc. Brit.,
art. Basket-making.) At Caen, in France, hats are manufactured from
strips or shavings of the wood of the S. alba, in the same manner as they are
manufactured in Switzerland from shavings of the wood of 7Japhnc Laureola;
and as they were, some years ago in Essex, from the wood of 7V>pulus fastigiata.
Branches of two or three years' growth are taktn and cut up into thin slices
CHAP. CIII. SAUCA'CE.E. SA^LIX. 1161
with an instrument called a shave, and afterwards divided into ribands by
a steel comb with sharp teeth. Similar willow hats were formerly manufac-
tured in England, and sheets of what is called willow, which is a kind of stuff
woven with fine strips of the wood and afterwards stiffened, are still in common
use for the framework of bonnets ; and, when covered with felt, for light cheap
summer hats. This stuff is chiefly manufactured by the weavers at Spitalfields,
where one set of persons cut the willows into thin strips, and others weave
these strips into sheets.
The downy substance which envelopes the seeds is used by some
kinds of birds to line their nests; and by man, occasionally, as a substitute
for cotton, in stuffing mattresses, chair cushions, and for other similar pur-
poses. In many parts of Germany, it is collected for making wadding for
lining ladies' winter dresses ; and a coarse paper may be formed of it. The
shoots of willows of certain vigorous-growing kinds, when cut down to the
ground, produce, in two years, rods which admit of being split in two for
hoops for barrels ; while others, in one year, produce shoots more or less
robust, and of different degrees of length, which are used, with or without their
bark on, for all the different kinds of basket-making and wickerwork. This
last application, indeed, is by far the most general purpose to which the willow
is applied. In the neighbourhood of London, the market-gardeners use the
smaller shoots of T. decfpiens for tying up broccoli, coleworts, and other vege-
tables sent to market in bundles; and, both in Britain and on the Continent, the
smaller shoots of willows are used for tying the branches of trees to walls or
espaliers, for tying up standard trees and shrubs into shape, for making
skeleton frames on which to train plants in pots, for tying bundles and pack-
ages, and for a thousand other purposes which are familiar to every gardener,
or will readily occur to him in practice. The lop of willows, and all the
branches or old trunks which can be applied to no other useful purpose,
make a most agreeable fuel, producing, when dry, a clear fire with little smoke;
but, when the wood is moist, it is apt to crack. In the time of Evelyn, willow
wood appears to have been that principally used in the manufacture of char-
coal, both for smelting iron, and for gunpowder; but, for the former purpose,
it has long given way to the coke of mineral coal. It is still in request for
gunpowder, on account of its taking fire readily, and is esteemed by painters
for their crayons.
The uses of the entire plant are various. Almost all the species being
aquatics, and of rapid and vigorous growth, they are peculiarly fitted for
planting on the banks of rivers and streams, for restraining their encroach-
ments, and retaining the soil in its place. Various other trees and shrubs,
from being also aquatics, and having numerous roots, are, no doubt, adapted for
this purpose, such as the alder ; but the willow has this great advantage, that
it grows readily by cuttings, and, therefore, does not require the soil to be dis-
turbed by the operation of planting. As coppice-wood, to be cut down every
six or eight years, S. caprea and its numerous varieties are valuable plants ;
few others producing so great a bulk of hoops, poles, and faggot-wood in so
short a time, in a cold, moist, undrained soil. S, alba is also an excellent
species for coppice, where the soil is drier and better ; and forms a good nurse
for plantations of timber trees that are made in moist situations. The shrubby
kinds make hedges, both in dry and in moist soil ; but, in the latter, such
hedges arc of most value on account of the use of their annual shoots in
basket-making. The sorts of willow that can be grown for timber with
most advantage are, S. alba, S. Russcltiana, S. fragilis, S. caprea, and .sonic
others, which we have enumerated under the head of Culture. The trees
which are most ornamental arc, the well-known S. babylonica, S. alba mas, S.
alba foem., S. vitellina, S. pentandra, S. acutifolia, S. prae'cox, S.purpurea, S. //elix ,
S. r/mygdnlina, and some others. S. caprea is remarkable for the profusion of its
flowers ; S. vitellina, for its yellow bark ; S. declpiens, for its white cane-like
shoots; and S. acutifolia, and S. praeYox for their purple shoots, covered, when
i'Dg three or lour years' growth, with a delicate bloom, like that of
5 c 4
1462 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
the plum. All the shrubby species are interesting or beautiful when planted
singly, and allowed to take their natural shapes ; but, unless planted very thinly
and allowed to grow old and round-headed, they do not mass well together.
They are therefore well adapted for the arboretum, and for indicating water,
or moist situations, but not for general use in ornamental plantations. Where-
ever willows are planted for the beauty of their blossoms, the male plant should
be chosen; because the colour and effect are produced chiefly by the anthers.
Willows in general, Gilpin observes, are trees of a straggling ramification, and
but ill adapted for use in artificial landscape ; " except as pollards to charac-
terise a marshy country ; or to mark, in a second distance, the winding banks
of a heavy, low, sunk river ; which could not otherwise be noticed." Some
species, he says, he has admired ; and he particularises the S. alba, as having
a " pleasant, light, sea-green tint, which mixes agreeably with foliage of a
deeper hue." By far the most beautiful willow, when in flower, is S. caprea,
the catkins of which are not only larger than those of every other species,
but produced in greater abundance. Hence the great beauty of this willow
in early spring, and its importance as furnishing food to bees. " It is in
flower," says Dr. Walker, speaking with reference to the climate of Edin-
burgh, "between the 15th of March and the 8th of April. During this
time, whenever the thermometer is at or about 42° in the shade, accompanied
with sunshine, the bees come abroad. This is a temperature which often
occurs ; and, if bees have an opportunity, during that interval, of feeding
three or four days upon this willow, the hive will be preserved, when, without
this, it would probably perish."
As a curious use of the willow, it is mentioned in the Nouveau Du Hornet,
that the roots are more readily changed into branches, and the branches into
roots, than in any other species of a tree. All that is necessary is, to take up
a plant, and bury the whole of the branches in the soil, leaving the whole of
the roots above ground. Poiret, the writer of the article, says he saw this
done, in the neighbourhood of Marseilles, with a great number of plants of S.
alba; that the larger twisted roots became the principal branches, and pre-
served their general forms ; but that the young shoots produced by these took
the forms and appearances common to the species in its natural state.
Poetical and legendary Allusions. The willow does not appear to have been
celebrated by any of the Greek poets, nor by any of the Latins, before the
Augustan age. Herodotus, however, speaks of the willow divining-rods of
the ancient Scythians ; and the use of the willow in basketwork, &c., is men-
tioned by many of the Latin prose writers. Martial alludes to the baskets
(bascaudai) made of willow twigs by the ancient Britons.
" Barbara de pictis vcni hascauda Britannis :
Sed me jam mavult dicere Roma suam."
" From Britain's painted sons I came,
And Basket is my barbarous name :
But now I am so modish grown,
That Rome would claim me for her own."
The druids are said to have formed huge figures of wickerwork, which, on
great occasions, were filled with criminals, and set fire to (see Sat. Mag.,
vol. i. p. 74.) : but these baskets, according to Burnet and others, were
formed of the twigs of the oak, and not the willow. Virgil, Lucan, and
many other of the Latin poets, speak of the boats, shields, and other articles
formed, both by the Britons and Romans, from the twigs and branches of this
tree.
" The bending willow into barks they twine,
Then line the work with spoils of slaughter'd kine."
ROWE'S Lucan, book iv.
Ovid gives a very good description of the situation in which willows generally
grow : —
" A hollow vale, where watery torrents gush,
Sinks in the plain j the osier and the rush,
Tlio marshy sedge and bonding willow, nod
Their trailing folinpe o'er the oozy sod." Met., lib. vii.
CHAP. cm. SALICACEM SAYix. 1463
Among the British poets who have sung this plant, most have alluded to the
willow being considered the emblem of despairing love. Herrick says, —
" A willow garland thou didst send
IVrtumed last day to me ;
\Yhich did but only this portend,
1 was forsook by thee.
Since so it is, I '11 tell thee what,
To-morrow thou shall see
Me wear the willow, after that
To die upon the tree :"
and Spenser calls the tree
" The willow, worn by forlorn paramour."
Shakspeare thus represents Dido lamenting the loss of ^Eneas : —
" In such a night
Stood Dido, with a willow in her hand,
Upon the wild sea banks, and waved her love
To come again to Carthage ;"
and, again, in relating the death of Ophelia, —
" There is a willow grows ascaunt the brook
That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream.
Therewith fantastic garlands did she make,
Of crow-flowers, nettles, daisies and long purples.
There on the pendent boughs her coronet weeds
Clambering to hang, an envious sliver broke ;
When down her weedy trophies and herself
Fell in the weeping brook."
Cowper says, —
We pass a gulf in which the willows dip
Their pendent boughs, stooping as if to drink.'
The allusions to this tree by modern poets are still more numerous ; but, as
they are too many to be all quoted, and as most of them are, besides, very well
known, we shall content ourselves with the following : —
" Odours abroad the winds of morning breathe,
And, fresh with dew, the herbage sprang beneath :
Down from the hills that gently sloped away
To the broad river shining into day
They pass'd ; along the brink the path they kept,
Where high aloof o'erarching willows wept,
\Vhosesilvery foliage glisten'd in the beam,
And floating shadows fringed the chequer'd stream." MONTGOMERY.
The quotation from Lord Byron, given below, refers to the weeping willow,
and to the beautiful passage, hereafter quoted, when speaking of Salix baby-
loniea, from the Psalms of David.
" On the willow thy harp is suspended,
O Salem ! its sound should be free ;
And the hour when thy glories were ended
But left me that token of thee ;
And ne'er shall its soft notes be blended
With the voice of the spoiler by me." Hebrew Melodies.
The legendary origin of the weeping willow, according to the Arabian story-
tellers, is as follows. " They say that, after David had married Bathsheba, he was
one day playing on his harp in his private chamber, when he found two strangers
opposite to him, though he had given strict orders that no one should intrude
upon his privacy. These strangers were angels, who made him convict himself
of his crime, nearly in the same manner as it is related in Holy Writ. David then
recognised in the strangers the angels of the Lord, and was sensible of the
heinousness of his offence. Forthwith he threw himself upon the floor, and
shed tears of bitter repentance. There he lay for forty days and forty nights
upon his face, weeping and trembling before the judgment of the Lord. As
many tears of repentance as the whole human race have shed, and will shed on
account of their sins, from the time of David till the judgment-da}7, so many
did David weqi in those forty days, all the while moaning forth psalms of
penitence. The tears from his eyes formed two streams, which ran from the
1464? ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART I If.
closet into the anteroom, and thence into the garden. Where they sank
into the ground, there sprang up two trees, the weeping willow, and the
frankincense tree : the first weeps and mourns, and the second is incessantly
shedding big tears, in memory of the sincere repentance of David." (Lan-
guage of Flowers y p. 39.) The branches of one of the weeping willows on
the banks of the Euphrates are said to have caught the crown from the head
of Alexander the Great, when he passed under the tree in a boat on that
river ; a circumstance which made the Babylonish diviners predict his early
death.
Soil and Situation. Almost all the willows are found naturally either in a
cold soil and moist climate, or, if in a sandy soil, within reach of water. The
low-growing kinds are sometimes, however, found in dry arid soils ; but in
such soils they are never in a thriving state. Willows are very seldom found
growing on moist peat bogs ; the only species observed in such situations
by Steele being the S. caprea and the & pentandra, and these only sparingly
in peat bog ttyat was dry. (See Steele's History of Peat Moss, p. 4.) This
author tried the S. alba, S. fragilis, S. viminalis, and, in general, all the largest
and best willows, in every possible way, in peat soils ; and states that he is
" satisfied that they will not grow there, even on the sides of moss (peat bog)
ditches." (Steele in Gard. Mag.t vol. iii. p. 256.) It will be recollected that
the moss here spoken of consists entirely of peat, without any admixture of
earthy matter ; and is totally different from the heath mould, which, in the
neighbourhood of London, is often improperly called peat. It is observed by
Desfontaines, that willows, taken from the Alps, and planted in gardens, so
completely change their character and general aspect, as not to be recog-
nisable for the same species. Narrow leaves become broad ; those which are
shaggy and woolly, often smooth and shining ; and plants only 1 ft. or 2 ft. high
attain the height of two or three yards. It has also been observed, that the
wood of willows, whether that of the trunks and branches, or of the young
shoots, is smaller, harder, tougher, and more compact and durable, than that
of willows grown in rich moist soils. In dry soils, also, the growth of the
plant is much slower than in moist ones. From these data, it may reason-
ably be deduced, that, when the object of growing willows is to preserve the
forms which they have in their natural habitats, these habitats should be imi-
tated as much as possible ; and that, on the contrary, when the object is to
ascertain what are species, and what only varieties, the soil and situation
should be uniform for all the sorts, of a richer quality, and of a description
more favourable for rapid growth, than what occurs to the average number of
sorts in a state of nature. Where bulky produce, either in timber, branches,
rods, or twigs, is the object, the soil ought to be good, and the situation and
other circumstances favourable to rapid growth. The best situation, when
the object is free and rapid growth, is on the sides of rivers and brooks which
pass through a level country. In such situations, the timber -producing kinds
attain a larger size than in any other ; and larger hoops and basket-rods are
there also produced : but both kinds of produce may also be obtained in dry
upland soils, that are deep and free ; and the wood from such soils will be of
a finer grain, and the hoops and basket-rods smaller and tougher, than when
the growth has been impelled by an extraordinary supply of water. The best
tree willow for thriving in dry uplands is the S. alba ; and the best basket
•willow is the grey or brindled willow, first recommended by Phillips of Ely,
under that name.
Propagation. All the willows are propagated by cuttings ; though some of
the more rare alpine kinds root with difficulty. Some species propagate very
readily from seeds ; and there can be little doubt that grafting, and other
similar modes of propagation, would be as successful in this genus as in most
others. The cuttings for plants which are to be grown in nurseries previously
to their removal to their final situation may be made of one-year-old wood,
about 1 ft. in length, cut straight across at the lower end, and sloping at
the upper end. Thej may be about 1 ft. in length, 9 in. of which should
CHAP. CIII. SALICA^CEuE. SAXLIX. 14-65
be inserted in the soil ; the cutting being placed perpendicularly, and the
soil pressed firmly to it, more especially at its lower extremity. The reason
why the lower end of the cutting is cut directly across, and not sloping like
the upper end, is, that it may form an equal callosity all round it, and, con-
sequently, throw out an equal number of roots from that callosity on every
side. The reason why the cutting is placed upright is, that the roots may be
principally formed at its lower extremity ; because that makes a handsomer
and more symmetrical plant than when the roots are protruded partly from
the lower end, and partly from the side. It is found from experience, that,
when a cutting is put in in a sloping direction, roots are protruded nearly
equally through all that part that is buried in the ground, unless the soil has
been more closely pressed against one part than another,- in which case
the roots will there be protruded in greater abundance ; and, if the soil has
not been pressed to the lower extremity, it will probably produce no roots
at all there, but rot. The upper extremity of the cutting is cut in a sloping
direction, merely to throw off the rain. When willows are to be planted
where they are finally to remain, cuttings may be made of the two-years-old
wood, about 2 ft. long, and cut in a sloping direction at both ends. The
advantages of choosing the two-years-old wood is, that the plants produced
are more vigorous, which is not always desirable in plants that are to be trans-
planted, on account of their greater bulk, and the consequent expense of
their removal. The cuttings of the two-years-old wood should be inserted
in the ground, either by means of an iron-pointed dibber, or merely by being
pushed in, at least 10 in. in length, and made firm by treading, They should
be inserted in a slanting direction ; in consequence of which, and also of
being made firm during the whole length of the part buried in the soil,
roots are protruded not only at the lower end, but throughout the whole
length of the part which is in the ground. This mode of making cuttings,
and of inserting them, is more particularly necessary when a plantation of
willows is made in a grassy surface on the banks of rivers or streams. Cut-
tings of the smaller kinds of willows, and especially of those kinds which are
somewhat difficult to strike, should be planted in a sandy soil, in a shady
situation, and kept moist. The few that are extremely difficult to strike
should have their cuttings formed of the growing wood with the leaves on ;
and, after being planted in sand, they should be covered with a hand-glass.
The best season for putting in cuttings of the winter's wood is the autumn,
in consequence of which the buds swell during the winter, and are ready to
grow with vigour in the spring ; but in wet soil, and in climates where they
are liable to be loosened by the frost in the winter season, cuttings planted iu
autumn ought to be made firm a second time in the spring.
The principal willow which propagates itself by seeds in Europe is the S.
caprea, and its very numerous allied kinds. The seeds are small and black, and
enveloped in a tuft of cottony matter. They are ripe in May, or early in
June ; and they are speedily dispersed by the wind. If they fall in soil
moist and shaded from the sun, or if a heavy shower of rain happen soon
afterwards, they will spring up in three weeks, and produce plants 3 in. or
4 in. high before the end of the season. In France, Bosc informs us, this
kind of willow is sometimes raised from seed, in the government nurseries,
for transplantation into the national forests ; and all that it requires is, to be
sown on an even surface, well watered, and very slightly covered with loose
litter. We are not aware of the willow having ever been grafted, though we
think very curious and beautiful plants might be formed by grafting the
trailing sorts standard high, or by grafting a number of sorts on one tree.
In some parts of England, seedling willows are collected in the indigenous
woods by the country people, by whom they are sold to the local nurserymen,
who grow them for one or two years, after which they are ready for planting
in coppice-woods.
Culture. The first point to be attended to in the culture of any species
of willow, no matter for what purpose, is, to determine whether the male or the
1466 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
female plant is the more desirable kind for the object of the cultivator. There
can be no doubt that the female of every species is the more vigorous-growing
plant; and, consequently, where timber or coppice-wood, hoops, or rods for
the larger kinds of basketwork, are the produce wanted, the female of the
species to be cultivated ought to be preferred, however difficult it may be,
in the present state of the nursery culture of willows, to procure plants
the sex of which is known. On the other hand, as we have before observed,
when tough, yet delicate, rods are required for basket-making, not only the
finer-growing species, but the males of these species, ought to be selected. It
ought also to be borne in mind, as a general principle, that willows, to be of
any use, either as basket-rods, hoops, poles, or timber trees, must annually
ripen their shoots ; and that, in cold climates, this cannot be done where
they are grown in soil which is abundantly supplied with water late in the
season. Hence the colder the climate, the drier should be the soil; on
account of the necessity of perfectly ripening the wood. In regard to gene-
ral management, few ligneous plants require so little care as the willow, when
cultivated as timber or coppice-wood ; but considerable care is requisite
where it is grown for hoops or rods for wicker work.
Culture of Tree Willows. Willow groves, or plantations of the tree in
masses for the production of timber, are best formed in low moist bottoms,
which, however, must be drained in such a manner as that the soil may
never become saturated with stagnant water. When planted in rows, or as
single trees, the most eligible situation for the willow is along the high
banks of rivers, brooks, or ditches. Some sorts, and especially S. alba and
S. RusselhVzwa, may also be planted in upland soil in masses ; and S. caprea
will succeed in cold, boggy, or marshy soil, if drained ; but neither this nor
any other kind of tree willow will produce timber in peat, gravel, sand, or
chalk. When willows are intended to remain where they are first planted,
and to grow up as trees, all that is necessary, at the end* of the first year's
growth, is to cut off all the shoots but the strongest one, which is left to
become the stem of the future tree. The after-management of thinning,
pruning, &c., differs in nothing from the ordinary routine culture of timber
trees. In felling willow trees when the bark is an object, the trees may
either be barked standing, in the month of May, and cut down in the August
following ; or cut down in May, and disbarked while lying on the ground.
Choice of Species for growing as Timber Trees. S. alba, which will attain the
height of from 60ft. to 80ft. in 20 years. S. Russelliana and S. fragilis,
which are frequently confounded ; and, indeed, in external appearance
differ very slightly from each other, except in size. S. Russelh#7*a grows
as rapidly, and to as great a height, as S. alba ; but S. fragilis, though it grows
with equal rapidity, does not attain so great a height. S caprea, and some
of its allied kinds, grow as rapidly as S. fragilis for three or four years ;
and will attain nearly the same height as that species in the same time ;
that is, on good soil, from 30 ft. to 40 ft. in twenty years. According to Bosc,
S. caprea is the most valuable of all the tree willows grown in France.
Other willows, which attain a timber-like size, or about 30 ft. or 40 ft. in twenty
years, are, S. triandra, S. rotundata, S. liicida, S. Meyen«//r/, S. pracvcox, S.
Pontederana, S. acuminata, S. pentandra, S. vitellina, and S. omygtUtiina.
Many, and perhaps most, of the other species, in good soil, if allowed sufficient
room, and trained to a single stem, would attain the size and character of
trees; but, with a view to timber, the four species first mentioned, viz. S.
alba, S. Russelh'awfl, S. fragilis, and S. caprea, are alone worth cultivating.
Culture of the Willow as Coppice-wood. The best sorts for this purpose
are S. caprea and its allied kinds. Plants may either be raised from
cuttings or from seeds, which are produced in great abundance. In the
plantation, they may be placed at 4 ft. or 5 ft. apart every way ; and afterwards
thinned out as the stools increase in size. No other species of willow will
produce such vigorous shoots in a bad soil ; and in a good soil, after being
cut over, shoots of one year may frequently be found from 10 ft. to 12 ft. in
CHAP. cur. SALIC AVCE;E. SA^LIX. 1467
length, and '2 in. in diameter at the lower end. Such shoots make excellent
hoops, or rods for cratework, hurdles, and different other wickerworks, and also
rods for tying plants, and for fencing. In good soil, a coppice of this
species, will produce the greatest return in poles, hoops, and rods, every five,
six, seven, or eight years ; and in middling soil, where it is grown chiefly for
faggot-wood, it will produce the greatest return every three, four, or five
years. In bad soil (and on such soil only should it be grown for the leaves),
the plants should be cut over every year, or every two years, in the month
of August, and the leaves dried in the same manner as hay, and afterwards
stacked. We are aware that there is a great prejudice in Britain against
feeding cattle with the shoots of any description of ligneous plant, either in a
green or dried state : but let it be recollected that there is one exception in
the case of the furze ; and, if that is found so well worth culture as a herbage
plant, why may not the willow be found equally advantageous for a similar
purpose, under particular circumstances of soil, situation, and climate ?
For the coarser description of basketvvork, the plants in a coppice-wood
may be cut over every year in the beginning of November. To preserve the
vigour of the stools, the shoots should not be cut over when in a green state,
in August, for two years in succession ; but a crop of the twigs with the
leaves on, cut at the end of August, should alternate with a crop of the
twigs without the leaves, cut in the following year in November. (See Bosc
Nouv. Cours. (VAgri., torn xiii. p. 440.) These rules are founded on a prin-
ciple laid down by Varrennes de Fenille, that the poorer the soil is, the oftener
the wood that grows on it ought to be cut over.
The Culture of the Willow for Hoops. The best sorts for this purpose are
S. viminalis and S. caprea. It is observed by Dr. Walker, that the S. vimi-
nalis was cultivated for hoops, in Holland, from the first establishment of the
herring fishery in that country, which, according to M'Culloch, was in 1164 ;
or, rather, from the epoch of the Dutch learning to pickle their herrings, and
pack them in barrels, which they were taught to do by Beukelson, who died in
1397, and to whose memory Charles V. erected a magnificent tomb at Biervlier;
near Sluys. The Dutch boors, Dr. Walker informs us, without knowing any
thing of die sexes of willows, selected those plants of S. viminalis that
appeared to them to be of the most vigorous growth, and thus unintentionally
propagated only the female. As all the plants of S. viminalis grown in
Scotland were originally obtained from Holland, they are, consequently,
almost all females ; and we suppose the same thing is the case in England.
We mention this circumstance here, because it shows the practical use that
may be made of a botanical knowledge of willows ; since, by ordering the
female only of any given species, the planter may be sure of having all strong
and vigorous-growing plants. The soil, for a plantation of hoop willows,
ought to be good and deep, well trenched, and even manured, before planting
the sets. It should be in a situation naturally moist, but so thoroughly
drained as at no time to be stagnated by water. The drains should be at
regular distances, so as to throw the surface between them into beds, or compart-
ments ; and they may be made open, or built up on the sides, and covered
with flagstone. If they can be so arranged as to be filled with water at
pleasure, in the early part of summer, that circumstance will contribute
materially to the rapid growth of the plants. Hoop willows may be grown
along the high banks of rivers or ditches where the extremities of the roots
will reach the water, but where the great body of them are in the soil above
its level, with perfect success ; but it is in vain to plant them upon poor or
dry soil, or upon soil, whether rich or poor, which is continually saturated
with water to within a foot or two of the surface. The cuttings may be
planted in rows 2 ft. apart, and at 18 in. distance in the rows. The shoots pro-
duced should not be cut off till the second year after planting ; as by this time,
as Sang observes, "they will generally have formed one strong shoot, with,
probably, some inferior twigs. At the first cutting, care must be had not to
allow any part of the small twigs or side shoots to be left, but to cut them
1468 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
clean off: were a part of these small shoots allowed to remain, they might
produce a crop of twigs fit for wickerwork, but by no means adapted for
hoops. It is better to have a few good growths for that purpose, than a
profusion of inferior ones. At no period should any one stool be allowed
to bear many shoots, otherwise they will be small and worthless. Every
manager of willows has it in his power to increase or diminish the number oY
shoots on the plants under his care ; for, if he take off the shoots clean by the
stem of the plant, in spring, the number of shoots will be proportionally
diminished in the following season." (Plant. Kal., p. 533.) Rods for hoops
may be cut at the end of the second or third year's growth, according to the
size of the hoops wanted. In poor soil, or in plantations nearly worn out,
the rods will require three years' growth to enable them to attain their proper
size. " The proper season for cutting willow rods intended for hoops is
any time during the month of November, immediately after the leaves have
dropped. The cut should be made to within two or three buds of the place
whence the shoot issued ; and it should be in a sloping direction, at the back
of the uppermost bud left on the bottom of the shoot on the stool. In cut-
ting hoop willows from the stools, the swell at the bottom of the shoot only
should be left. This part is amply furnished with proper buds, to serve as
outlets for the rising sap ; so that it is unnecessary to leave so much at the
bottom of those as is necessary in the case of basket willows, especially as fewer
shoots are required in the present case." (Ibid., p. 534.) We agree with Sang in
being " decidedly hostile to the barbarous" manner in which coopers frequently
cut hoops from the stools. Under the idea of preventing the hoops from being
split, they hack the rods off by cutting downwards with a hand-bill ; " and
thus the under part left upon the stool is split into many pieces, to the
manifest injury of the plant." (Ibid.} The duration of willow plantations
grown for the hoops is considerably longer than when* they are grown for
basket-making; because, in consequence of the stronger shoots, and of their
remaining on the stools two or three years, greater strength is thrown into
the root.
The Culture of Willows for Basket-Pods. Almost all the species of willows
may be grown for this purpose ; but some are greatly preferable to others.
The most vigorous-growing basket willow is, unquestionably, S. viminalis ;
and it is also the sort most generally cultivated for that purpose. It has
no disadvantage that we are aware of, except that in cold wet seasons, and
in a moist soil, it does not always ripen the points of its shoots. S. rubra,
S. Forbydna, S. decipiens, and S. stipularis are excellent species, of less
vigorous growth than S. viminalis, which ripen the points of their shoots
perfectly in most seasons. The best of these is, perhaps, S. Forbydna, S.
triandra is nearly as vigorous as S. viminalis. S. //elix, S. vitellina,
and S. purpurea are very desirable species, where small tough rods are re-
quired. Various other sorts might be mentioned ; but these we consider as by
far the most valuable. The soil for basket willows ought to be deep, well
drained, and thoroughly prepared ; and the situation ought to be low, level,
and naturally moist; and, if there is a command of water for irrigation, so
much the better. " There are few soils," Sang observes, " that will not bear
willows ; yet some situations are very unfit for them. Dry and exposed
grounds, peat moss, and land covered with standing water, or a quagmire, are
not at all suitable. Hollows, the soil of which is composed of rich, soft,
earthy particles, and which can be laid dry, are the most eligible for converting
into osieries ; and, if such can be occasionally soaked with water during the
dry months in summer, the situation may be considered perfect. Completely
draining the site of a basket willow plantation is the first step towards its
formation, and the foundation of its prosperity, and, consequently, of the
profit to be derived from it. Drains, in any soil which is to be occupied
with a permanent crop of trees, should be constructed upon principles of
durability. If the drains be what are called rubble drains, the interstices will
soon be filled up with the fibres of the willow roots, which \\ ill creep down
CHAP. CIII. SAL1CAVCE;E. SA^LIX. 14-69
to imbibe the oozing water. They ought, therefore, either to be open drains,
or drains built on the sides, and covered over with flags, to prevent their
being choked up with the roots. A variety of cases may, however, occur,
where it will be impossible to form covered drains ; or where, perhaps, the
expense mi^ht operate as a prohibition to doing so with the view of planting
willows. In such cases, the ground may be formed into beds of a less or
greater size, according to circumstances, by open cuts, or drains, of a sufficient
width and depth to keep the soil dry. These open drains will require to be
deaned out every autumn and spring ; and the cleanings may be scattered
over the general surface of the beds. In preparing ground for an osier plan-
tation, if the soil be poor, it should be as well dressed with dung as if it were
intended for a crop of wheat or barley. The manure most proper for willows
is stable dung." (Plant. AW., p. 526.) Sang " tried lime as a manure for
willows, but found the twigs much fired, or spotted, with a sort of canker ; and,
in attempting to bend them, they readily broke over at the cankered place.
Indeed, if a plantation of osiers be formed previously to a thorough preparation
of the soil for the reception of the plants, the saving of the first expense will be
found a most severe loss in the end, by the diminution of the crop in the suc-
ceeding seasons. In no case should a plantation of willows be attempted,
but in prepared ground ; except, perhaps, where a few rows may be intro-
duced upon the very brink of a river, or on the top of the banks of ditches,
which form, in many instances, the barrier of the waters, where the soil can
scarcely be dug or otherwise ameliorated. Nothing can be farther from being
good management than planting the truncheons in grass land, and allowing
the sward to remain green under, or among the crop. Having fixed upon
the spot, and having also carefully prepared the ground, the next step is to
procure plants. These should be of the last year's wood, or of shoots of one
year old, taken from the under end of well-ripened shoots of good size,
and cut in a slanting direction, with a sharp knife ; and they should be in
lengths of 1 ft. or 1 ft. 4* in. Every vigorous shoot will afford two or three
plants. The upper end, as far as it appears soft, being unripe, should be dis-
carded ; because such wood will only produce weak plants, and will not
make such good roots the first season, as the firmer parts of the shoots will
do. Pieces of two-years-old shoots of the same length, and cut in the same
manner, may also be used; but these are more expensive, and not better for
the purpose, than the former. The distances at which osiers for baskets or
wickerwork ought to be planted are 18 in. between the rows, and 12 in.
apart in the rows. This distance will not be too thick for at least five or six
years ; but, after that period, every alternate plant should be stubbed up ;
which will leave those remaining at 2ft. apart in the rows." (Ibid., 'p. 529.)
" O.sicr plantations," Sang continues, " must be carefully hoed and cleaned
every year. Nothing contributes more to the raising of a good crop of twigs,
after due preparation of the soil, than keeping it and the plants clean. The
stools should be carefully attended to annually, from the first year of pro-
ducing a crop of twigs, in order to keep them clear of rotten stumps, and not
to allow them to be overcrowded at the bottoms of the shoots. When these
have become too numerous, they should be carefully thinned out, and also cut
down, leaving only an eye or two at the bottom of each, until they be dimi-
nished to such a number as the stool is capable of supporting with vigour
throughout the season. A basket-maker finds more service from one shoot of
Gft. or 8ft. in length, than from four of 3ft. in length ; and one of the first
dimensions will not exhaust the stool or the land so much as four of the
others. The proper season for cleaning and thinning the stocks is from the
1st of March to the middle of April." (Ibid., p. 530.) The rationale of
choosing this season for the operation of cleaning the plants is, that, if it were
performed in the autumn, the germs of the buds existing at the base of the
small shoots cleaned off* would swell in the course of the winter, and be
liable to throw out shoots in the following spring ; whereas, by delaying the
cutting off of these till the sap is in motion, the germs remain dormant, the
14<70 ARBORETUM AND TRUTICETUM. PART III.
whole current of the sap being taken up by the buds already fully formed.
" The cleaning of the plants," Sang continues, "is done with a sharp knife ; and,
if it has been regularly attended to from the establishment of the plantation,
it is neither troublesome nor expensive : indeed, this care is necessary, were
it only for keeping the plants free from destructive insects. The shoots
should not be cut till the second autumn after planting ; for, by being allowed
to remain uncut for such a length of time, the stools become stronger and more
able to produce a good crop, than if cut at an earlier period. Indeed, by the
third autumn after planting, under the above management, the crop will be
of very considerable value." (Ibid., p. 332.)
Cutting. The proper season for cutting basket willows is the autumn,
immediately after the fall of the leaf. The advantage of cutting at this
season is, that the buds which are left to produce the shoots for the succeed-
ing crop immediately begin to swell, and grow in strength during the winter ;
and, consequently, they make much earlier and stronger shoots in the following
spring. Immediately after cutting the rods, they are tied up in bundles, each
generally about 3ft. 9 in. in girt, and if they are not intended to be used green,
that is with the bark on, they are set on their thick ends in standing water,
to the depth of 3 in. or 4* in. Here they remain during winter and spring,
till the shoots begin to sprout, which generally happens, in the neighbourhood
of London, about the end of February, when they are ready to be peeled.
Sometimes it happens that osiers are cut with the leaves on, in which case they
should never be tied up in bundles, on account of the fermentation that would
be produced by binding them closely together in that state; but the rods
should be set up thinly and loosely on end, their tops leaning against a rod
supported on two props.
In Cambridgeshire, when a basket-maker purchases green rods, he measures
the bundles, or bolts, as they are termed, by a band an ell long (l±yard, or
3 ft. 9 in.) ; which band, previously to tying it round the rods, he marks at the
point to which the given length extends : with this he binds the bundle as soon
as it appears large enough to fill the band, and afterwards completes the bundle
by pushing under the band as many rods as he can. For this purpose, the large
rods are laid aside, from their filling up the given space more quickly than the
smaller ones ; and all the rods must be laid parallel to one another in the
bundle. Three bands are bound round each bundle ; viz. one towards each
extremity, and the third in the middle. The one nearest the lower end, which
should be at the distance of 1 ft. Gin. from the bottom, is the measuring band.
In forming their bundles, basket-makers tie up a small armful (which they call a
calf), and place it in the middle of the bottom of the bundle, so that the ends
extend about 1 ft. beyond the bottom, and tie it up in this state. By lifting
up the bundle a few times, and letting it fall on its base to the ground, the
calf is driven up, and, acting as a wedge, tightens the bundle. A machine
called a dumb-boy, made of wood and rope, is used by some purchasers for
compressing the greatest possible number of rods into a bundle. Another
machine, called a cow, which is made of iron, has a still greater power of
compression than the dumb-boy. The usual price for common green osiers,
in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, is 1*. Gd. per bundle. About London, the
bundles are of the same size, and the price varies from 2s. to 3s. per bundle.
The Operation of Peeling is very simple, and is commonly done by infirm or
old men or women, at so much a bundle. The apparatus for peeling consists
of two round rods of iron, nearly iin. thick, 1 ft. 4 in. long, and tapering a
little upwards, welded together, at the one end which is sharpened, so that the
instrument may be easily thrust down into the ground. When the instrument
is inserted in a piece of firm ground, the peeler sits down opposite to it,
takes the willow rod or twig in his right hand by the small end, and puts a
foot or more of the thick end into the instrument, the prongs of which he
presses together with his left hand, while with his right he draws the willow
towards him ; by which operation the bark will at once be separated from the
wood : the small end is then treated in the same manner, and the peeling is
rllAP. CHI. SAUCJCCRM. ,STAVLIX. 14-71
completed. (Sang.) Another mode is, to fix a plank on legs at a convenient
height, so as to form a stool, or small bench, having holes bored in it with an
inch anger : into these is put a stick, the upper end of which is cleft ;
and through this cleft the willow twigs are drawn, to separate them from the
bark, in the same manner as through the iron rods. (Mitch. Dend,, p. 60.)
After being peeled, the rods will keep in good condition for a long time, till a
proper market is found for them. It may be useful here to remark, that
osiers in the peeled state will keep better to wait a market, than if left with
the hark on ; and that they never fail to produce a greater return in the peeled
state, after paying for the labour of peeling, than the^ do when sold immediately
utter they are cut from the stools. (Plant. AW., p. 534.)
Whitened, or peeled, rods are tied up in bundles, the band of which is 3 ft.
6 in. long, and sold, about London, at from 5s. to IF per bolt, or bundle. The
rods which have the best sale in the London market are those of S. triandra.
Green rods are sold by the score bolts, and whitened rods are sold by the
load of 80 bolts. In Covent Garden Market, in and around which there are
several basket-makers, the rods of S. viminalis are by far the largest brought
to market ; and, whether with or without the bark o.:, to them is exclusively
applied the term osiers. All the other kinds of willow rods are exclusively
termed willows ; and those most frequently exposed for sale, with the bark
on, are S. decfpiens and S. triandra. All the larger baskets, and ull the ham-
pers, are made of the rods of S. viminalis. In Germany, and also frequently
in Scotland, the willows, after being cut and tied up in bolts, are stacked, or
kept in an airy shed ; and, when the bark is to be removed, it is effected by
boiling or steaming them. The rods, thus prepared, are considered to be
rather more durable than when the bark is separated in consequence of the
rising of the sap; and they may be used immediately after cutting, instead of
remaining in a useless state for several months.
Basket-making, in the commonest form of the manufacture, is a very simple
operation ; and in most parts of Europe it was formerly understood by every
country labourer, and practised by him for himself or his master, as it still fs
in Russia, Sweden, and other countries of the north. In Britain, and es-
pecially in Scotland, it was the custom, some years ago, for every gardener to
understand basket-making, and it generally formed a part of his occupation in
the winter evenings ; but this is no longer the case : gardening is now be-
come a more intellectual occupation, and the rising generation of gardeners
are obliged to spend their evenings, and every spare moment, in reading.
Still, we think that every gardener, forester, and woodman ought to know
how to make a common garden basket, and more especially those wicker-
work structures which are now in very general use for the protection of half-
hardy trees and shrubs, when young, and planted out in the open garden.
These wicker structures are formed on the familiar principle of wattling a
hurdle or wickerwork fence, and, therefore, we shall not enter into details
respecting them in this place, but refer our readers to the Gard. Mag.y vol. xiii.,
in which they will find a copious article, illustrated by engravings, on the
fabrication of wickerwork for garden purposes. We shall here confine our-
selves to giving a slight outline of garden basket making, as practised in Scot-
land and Germany, by gardeners.
Every basket, according to the Scotch and German mode of construction,
consists of ts\o parts; the main ribs, or principal parts of the framework
of the structure; and the filling in, or wattled part, or web. The principal
ribs, in common baskets of a roundish form, are two : a vertical rib, or hoop,
the upper part of which is destined to form the handle ; and a horizontal
hoop, or rim, which is destined to support all the subordinate ribs, on
which the wands are wattled. The two main ribs are first bent to the re-
quired form, and made fast at their extremities by nails or wire. They
are then joined together in their proper position, the one intersecting the
other ; and they are afterwards nailed together, or tied by wire, at the points
of intersection. The operation of wattling is next commenced, by taking the
5 D
1472 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
small end of a wand, and passing it once or twice round the cross formed by the
points of intersection ; after which one, or perhaps two, secondary ribs are in-
troduced on each side of the vertical main rib. The wattling is then proceeded
with a little farther, when two or more secondary ribs are introduced ; and
this process is continued till a sufficient number of subordinate ribs are put
in to support the wattling of the entire structure. For coarse baskets,
wattled with rods having the bark on, the distance of 3 in. or 4 in. between
the subordinate ribs, at the widest part, will be sufficient ; but for baskets
made of peeled rods, even of the largest size, 4 in. are rather too much.
When the form of the basket is a square or a parallelogram, exactly the same
process is pursued ; but greater care and skill are required in bending both the
main ribs and the subordinate ribs to the required forms. To facilitate this,
the rods which are to form the main ribs, and also those for the secondary
ribs, are split up the middle ; and, to render it easier to bend them, they are
steeped for some hours in cold water. The rods intended for the subordinate
ribs are sometimes split into four parts ; and, in bending both the main and
the subordinate ribs, the pith is always kept inwards, so that the outer side
presents a smooth surface. When the rods are to be split in two, a common
knife is made use of; but when they are to be split into three or more parts,
a piece of hard wood, 7 in. or 8 in. long, and about 1 in. in diameter, and cut
so as to present three or four sharp edges radiating from its centre, called
a cleaver, is made use of. The knife being entered at the thick end of the rod,
so as to split it into three or four parts for the length of 1 in., the split part is
entered on the cleaver, and drawn against it till the whole rod is split from
one end to the other. This process is more simple, rapid, and easy in the
execution, than in the description.
Another Scotch mode of forming baskets and small hampers is, by com-
mencing at the centre of what is to form the bottom, and working from that
outwards, and, after the bottom is completed, upwards. In proceeding
according to this mode, two ribs, or larger wands, are laid on the floor, cross-
ing each other at right angles; and one or two small wands are woven round
them, as a nucleus in which to insert the end of other ribs. These ribs,
it is evident, may be increased in number, and extended in direction, at plea-
sure, so as either to make the bottom of the basket circular, oval, or right-
angled. When the work is completed as far as the sides, the ribs are
turned upwards, and the work continued in a perpendicular direction as high
as required ; when a horizontal rod, or rim, can be introduced, and made
fast to the upright rods by wattling. If a handle is wanted, it can readily
be added.
The English mode of basket-making, which is in many respects easier than
the Scotch and German mode, is effected by means of willow rods of one
year's growth alone; whereas the Scotch mode requires the addition of rods
of two years' growth for the handles, rims, and ribs ; and, in the case of all
baskets intended to be tolerably strong, of rods, for these purposes, of a tough
and more durable kind of wood, such as ash, oak, hazel, &c. By the English
mode, the workman begins on the floor, on which he lays two, three, or more
rods, but commonly three, parallel to and touching each other, and cut to the
length of the diameter of the bottom of the basket. On these three rods are
placed other three, parallel to and touching each other at right angles, cut also
to the length of the diameter of the bottom of the basket. The operator now
puts his foot on the centre of intersection of the six rods, and begins to make
the rods fast there, by interweaving, or wattling, round them, with small rods.
As he proceeds with his interweaving, he frequently turns round the skeleton
bottom, under his foot, spreading out the rods which form the ribs, so that
their extremities, after two or three courses of wands have been woven in,
are at equal distances from each other in the circumference of what is to form
the bottom of the basket, like the spokes of a wheel. The weaving being
carried on to the full extent of the bottom, the latter is now turned upside
down, and, the points of the radiating ribs being cut off, a willow rod is inserted
CHAP. CIII,
.SALICAXCE;E.
14-73
on each side of each rib, and turned upwards ; the whole being kept in an
upright position by being bound slightly together at their upper extremities.
Rods are now interwoven between these upright rods, as high as required for
the depth of the basket ; after which the rods are loosened at the top, and
their ends brought down and plaited into an edge or brim, which, as we have be-
fore observed with regard to splitting the willows, is an operation much more
easily and rapidly performed than described. A small round basket or ham-
per is now produced, like those in which potatoes are exposed for sale in the
London markets, and to this a handle may be added by inserting in the inter-
woven part of the sides two or three rods close together, at opposite points
of the rim, pushing them down to near the bottom, and plaiting their upper
ends together so as to form a handle. A handle is also sometimes made by
forcing down the ends of a thick rod, in the woven work, before the rim is
completed ; and plaiting round it two or more of the ends of the rods which
form the ribs from each side. The durability of the Scotch basket is much
greater than that of the English one ; not only on account of the greater du-
rability of the handle and ribs, but, in the case of peeled rods, by the bark
being loosened by boiling, instead of by the rising of the sap.
Both modes of basket-making will readily be understood from the follow-
ing figures : —
1277
Fig. 1277. shows the handle and rim of the commonest form of Scotch
basket, made fast at the points of intersection.
Fig. 1278. shows the same skeleton, with the ribs of one side added, and
the wattling, or woven work, commenced.
1279
Fig. 1279. shows the commencement of the English mode of basket-making ;
in which a represents the six rods that are to form the bottom of the basket,
5 D 2
1474
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
laid down crossing each other at right angles ; and b the second stage, in
which the rods are made fast by the commencement of the weaving process.
Figs. 1280. and 1281. show the progress of weaving the bottom ; the latter
being what ultimately becomes the under side, and the former the upper
side.
1280
1281
Fig. 1282. shows the bottom complete, the under side of it being uppermost.
Fig. 1283. shows the bottom turned upside down, the points of some of
the radiating ribs cut off; some of the rods
which are to form the side ribs inserted;
and the side weaving commenced, as indi-
cated by the four rods at c.
Fig. 1284. shows thebasket nearly completed,
with part of the rim finished, and the rod on
which the handle is to be placed inserted.
Fig. 1 285. shows the rim completed, and
part of the handle plaited.
These details will be sufficient to enable
every gardener or woodman to form a common
1282
coarse basket, which, we think, is all that, in
the present state of the division of labour, can
be required of him. Those who are desirous
of farther information on this subject may
consult our article already referred to, in the
Gard. Mag., vol. xiii., or the Encyclopaedia
Britannica, ed. 1836; or, if they have an op-
portunity, spend an hour or two in the manu-
factory of an extensive basket-maker.
Baskets made of peeled rods, when com-
pleted, are washed with clean water, and after-
wards put into a close room, and bleached by
the vapour of sulphur. A small iron vessel
is made red-hot, and set in the centre of the
room, which is filled with baskets piled up all
round the sides of the room. A lump of
1283
CHAP. CHI.
51LICACEJE,
14-75
1281
1285
sulphur (l£lb. is sufficient for a room 10ft. on every side, and 10ft. high)
is then dropped into the iron vessel, and the operator instantly leaves the
room, shutting it close, and leaving it for ten or twelve hours, generally
all night. The chemical explanation of the mode in which the sulphureous
gas generated operates has not, we are informed by chemists, been yet sa-
tisfactorily given. Some kinds of osiers whiten much better than others.
One of the best for this purpose is S. amygdalina; next, S. triandra, and
S. decfpiens ; and the worst is S. Forbyawa, the rods of which cannot be
whitened at all.
Profit of a Plantation of Osiers for Wickerwork or Basketwork. — Much has
been said of the great profit to be obtained from a plantation of willows for
hoops or basket-making ; on which, as in all similar cases, it may be observed,
that extraordinary care, in the case of any crop whatever, will be attended
with extraordinary produce ; and that, wherever there is extraordinary profit
without extraordinary care, there must be extraordinary risk. This last is
the case with willow plantations, in common with those of the hop, of rape
for seed, and of various other crops. Mitchell quaintly remarks that, where
a quantity of land is planted with basket willows, " a man will do well to
make a net profit of 107. per acre; for the plants are very subject to the
depredations of insects." In the Transactions of the Society for the Encourage-
ment of Arts, vol. xxiii., for 1805, an account is given of a plantation of seven
acres, made in the fen lands of Ely, from which we extract the following
details : — The land was cast into beds 12ft. wide, and raised 18 in. higher
than the general surface, by the earth taken out of the intervening open drains.
Fourteen thousand sets were planted per acre, and the following is an account
of the result: —
5 D 3
1476
ARBORETUM AND FRUTJCETUM.
PART III,
First Cost per Acre.
Forming the bed
14,000 sets, at II. per 1000
Planting, at 3*. per 1000 -
Weeding twice the first season
s. d.
0 0
0 0
20
16 0
Total cost the first year j£28 18 0
Annual Expense per Acre.
Rent ......
Weeding
Parish rates and fences - -
Cutting the rods, at 3s. per score bun-
dles of 45 in. girt ...
Interest of 28/. 18s., the first cost -
Annual filling up of casualties - -
s. d.
10 0
- 0 16 0
- 0 10 0
4 0
9 0
6 0
Produce.
Annual value of 160 bundles of rods, at is.
Total expense per annum ..
Total expense per annum .£4 15 0
£ s. d
- 10 13 0
- 4 15 0
Net profit 5 18 0
The additional expense of peeling would be about 4</. per acre ; but the rods
peeled would have sold at a much higher price in proportion.
In vol. xxiv. of the same work, an account is given of a willow plantation
in Suffolk, in which the ground was ploughed and harrowed ; the expense of
which, and of planting the sets, was 21. 2s. per acre ; and the number of sets
planted was 12,000 per acre, which cost 10/. The price of cuttings of osiers,
in Cambridgeshire, in 1826, was, for S. viminalis, Ss. per thousand, and for the
less common kinds, \0s. or 12s. per thousand. Sang mentions inferior soils in
Scotland, which have produced from 25/. to 30/. per acre for several years in
succession ; the annual expense of cleaning being from 25s. to 35s. per acre,
exclusive of cutting, rent, interest of prime cost, and other charges.
Culture of the Willow for Hedges. — The best kinds of willows for hedges are
those which belong to S. caprea, because the young shoots of these kinds are
most rigid, and are certain of annually ripening their wood ; while the catkins
are the most valuable of all others for bees; and the clippings, or trimmings,
which should be cut off in August or September, are the most valuable of
willow fodder for horses and cattle. Add, also, that this species of willow is
one of the most durable and woody kinds, and that when the hedge is cut
down it will reproduce itself the same season ; and, with a little assistance
from art, become a fence the season following.
Fences of live Willow are, in some
cases, formed by inserting rods of two
years' growth, such as are used for
making hoops, reduced to the length
of 6 ft. ; and 1 ft. or 1 ft. 6 in. being
inserted in the soil, a fence is at once
produced 4 ft. 6 in. in height. These
rods may either be inserted in a ver-
tical direction parallel to each other,
and 6 in. or 8 in. asunder, as in fig. 1287. «; in a sloping direction parallel to
each other, as in fig. 1287. b; or crossing each other at right angles, as in
fig. 1286. In the latter case, the rods require, in order to make a fence
1287
5ft. 6 in. high, to be cut to the length of 7 ft. or 8 ft. ; but a fence so formed
has this advantage, that the rods may be much farther apart than when they
are placed either vertically or sloping, and parallel to each other. In the two latter
cases, also, a top rod, or rail, is required to unite the ends of the parallel rods:
CHAP. (Mil. .VAl.ICAvCE;E. .VA1.1X. 1477
but this horizontal rod may be dispensed with where the rods are planted
crossing each other ; as, when that is the case, each is kept in its place by a
single tie at any point of intersection near the top of the fence. The advantage
of placing the rods either sloping or intersecting is, that they push equally
throughout ; whereas, when placed perpendicularly, they push chiefly at the
summit. The durability offences of this description depends entirely on their
management ; on suffering no one rod, or plant, to grow more vigorously than
another ; and cutting the hedge regularly every year, either in summer for the
leaves as fodder, or in November for the twigs for basket-making ; and in
keeping the base of the hedge at least twice the width of the top.
Culture of Willows as ornamental Trees or Shrubs. It is almost needless to
repeat what we have before stated on the subject of rendering trees and shrubs
either gardenesque, or picturesque, according to the character of the scene in
which they are to be placed. As gardenesque objects, all the shrubs, as well
as the trees, will have most effect when trained to a single stem, if only to the
height of 2 ft. or 3 ft. This alone gives them the character of art. All the
trailing sorts, such as S. herbacea, S. reticulata, &c., to be truly gardenesque,
ought to be grafted standard high, for the same reason. For picturesque
decoration in artificial scenery, all the upright shrubby and tree willows may
be scattered or grouped along the margin of water ; and all the creeping or
trailing kinds placed on rockwork, and left to take their natural shapes.
Such species of willow as S. pentandra, S. lucida, and one or two others,
from having little of the aspect common to the willow family, and, conse-
quently, their forms not being associated with the idea of moist soil or water,
may be placed near a house, or in a shrubbery or flower-garden, on account
of their fragrance and early blossoms : but this cannot be recommended with
respect to willows in general, which always convey the idea of the vicinity of
water, or of marshy ground.
A Salictum is the only scene in which a complete collection of willows can
be displayed to advantage ; because, as we have already observed, willows are
not trees that will associate well with any other kinds. We would by no
means recommend a salictum to be formed along the margin of water where
the plants can be seen only on one side ; unless, indeed, the object were to form
picturesque scenery. In this case, the plants may be grouped in various ways ;
some on the margin of water, others on the open lawn, and some on rocks,
banks, and stony places. A salictum where the object is to preserve as much
as possible the indigenous characters of the kinds, ought to contain various
surfaces and kinds of soil ; and be wholly aquatic in some places, and rocky,
gravelly, sandy, or arid, in others. Such a salictum is admirably adapted for
hilly countries ; and, as almost all the willows are natives of cold climates,
a salictum of this kind would be a scene particularly suitable for the
north of Scotland. A gardenesque salictum is that which would produce
most effect in a fertile and level country ; and, if water is at command, it may
either be conducted in drains under the surface, for the purpose of irrigation
at pleasure ; or it may appear in a canal, surrounding the salictum, and assum-
ing a gardenesque or artistical form ; or in a geometrical or gardenesque pond
in the centre. In such a salictum, all the plants ought to be placed singly,
with an ample space between them to allow each to attain its natural size and
shape. The creeping and trailing sorts ought also to be planted singly, and
allowed free space to extend themselves on every side; because, here, the
object being more to display botanical character in a gardenesque manner
than to exhibit the curious gardenesque, it would hardly be proper to graft
the creeping and trailing sorts standard high, so as to make trees totally
different from any ever seen in nature.
As all the species of Salix flower in early spring, or from the beginning of
March to the middle of June, and as the flowers are, in the daytime when
the sun shines, covered with bees, the salictum is one of the most cheerful
and inviting of garden scenes after the gloom of winter has passed away.
For this reason, it is desirable that the soil of the salictum should be dry at
3D 4
14-78 AUBOKETU3I AND FKUT1CETUM. PART III.
that season, in order that the walks may be used without the risk of damping
the feet. For the same reason, also, when it can be accomplished, the salictum
should not be at any great distance from the shrubbery or the flower-garden.
Let us suppose a collection of a hundred sorts of willows, planted in good
soil, with sufficient room to assume their natural sizes and shapes ; that the
plants have been ten years planted ; and that they are all in flower, or coming
into flower; and we shall readily imagine that a scene of so much of a particular
kind of beauty and splendour has never yet been presented to the botanist or the
lover of gardening. For such a salictum, two or three acres would be requisite;
but these, we should think, might easily be spared in the parks of wealthy pro-
prietors in England, or in the grounds of gentlemen having residences in the
mountainous districts of Wales and Scotland.
Accidents, Diseases, and Insects. The willow is subject to few accidents or
diseases; but it is liable to be attacked by many insects. £alix fragilis
Mathew states to be subject, in Scotland, to a disease similar to what the
canker is in the apple tree. This disease, he says, is generally concentrated in cer-
tain parts of the bark and alburnum of the trunk; aportion of the branches above
which withers, and the uppermost boughs, after a time, assume the appearance
of a stag's head and horns ; which, from the indestructibility of these dead
branches, the tree retains for many years ; and hence the name of stag's-head
osier, which is applied to this species. This disease, and other causes, espe-
cially in old trees, give rise to rottenness in the trunk ; which, in the willow,
from its being comparatively a short-lived tree, takes place, more especially in
wet soils, much sooner than in most other species. Mr. Sang mentions (Kal.t
p. 527.), that he found lime produce canker in the twigs of basket willows;
so that, when he attempted to bend them, they broke short off at the cankered
place. (Seep. 1469.)
One of the earliest notices of insects injurious to willows is given by Mr. Wil-
liam Curtis,in vol. i. of theLinncean Transactions, published in 1791. This article
we consider so interesting and instructive, that we shall here give it almost entire.
It was read before the Linnaean Society in November, 1788: — " Several species
of willow, particularly three of the most useful and ornamental, the S. alba,
the S. fragilis, and the S. babylonica, are well known to be subject to the
depredations of numerous insects, and of the larvae of the Cossus Ligniperda
(already described as attacking the elm, see p. 1386.) in particular, which feed
on the substance of the wood, and prove uncommonly destructive to the
latter species ; for, as the larva? in each tree are generally numerous, in the
course of a few years they destroy so much of the trunk, that the first
violent gale of wind blows down the tree. So infested are the weeping
willows, in many nurseries, with these insects, that scarcely one in ten can be
selected free from them." The willows are infested, also, in the same way by
the larvae of the ferambyx moschatus; and also by those of a species of the
Curculionidae, which was little suspected of committing similar depredations,
but which, in proportion to its size, is no less destructive than those of the
C'erambyx and Cossus. The larvae of a species of Nitidula [tfilpha />.] are
also found to be injurious in a similar manner to those above named.
In the beginning of June, 1780, Mr. Curtis observed a young tree of the
•Salix viminalis, which had been planted in his garden two years, and which
was about 6 in. in diameter, throwing out from various parts of its trunk
a substance somewhat resembling sawdust, which fell at its base in no incon-
siderable quantity. This substance, on a closer examination, was found to
proceed from holes about the size of a goose-quill, penetrating deeply into the
substance of the wood, obliquely upwards and downwards. On its first
coming out, it appeared of the colour of the wood, and was moist ; and as it
grew dry it became of a browner colour. The whole of the trunk where this
internal operation was going forward emitted a smell somewhat like beer in a
state of fermentation ; and various insects, allured thereby, settled on the tree,
and seemed eagerly to imbibe nourishment from it : among others, the Vanessa
Atalantrt, Cetonia aurata, ^(vpi.s mellifica, rdntharis [Telephorus] livida, with
CHAP. CHI. SAUCAXCEJK. SA\LIX. 1479
various species of A/uscae, were frequent attendants. On the 10th of June,
Mr. Curtis took the C'erambyx moschatus on the trunk, but saw only one.
" These extraordinary appearances," Mr. Curtis continues, " strangely ex-
cited my curiosity ; I therefore often visited the tree, and, on minutely
examining its bark, I discovered several small coleopterous insects in its
crevices, which at first, from their great similitude, I mistook for the Cimex
lectularius : a more close inspection, however, soon convinced me that it was
Sflpha grisea [Nitidula grisea Fab., $c.}. On examining the sawdust-like
substance in its moist and fermenting state, I discovered many small larvae
feeding amongst it, which, when fully grown, were about a barleycorn in
length ; the body somewhat flattened, of a dirty white colour, having 6 fore
feet and 2 hind ones ; the head of a brightish brown colour, furnished with
two jaws ; each joint of the body projecting at the sides, so as to give it a
kind of serrated appearance ; the neck of a blackish brown colour, with two
or more rows of small dots running therefrom down the back to the tail, which
was terminated by four small setae, turning a little upwards, the two lowermost
by much the longest. The larvae were generally found in considerable numbers
together, and, on being disturbed, ran pretty briskly. From their size, and
other concurring circumstances, I had no doubt but they were the larvae of
the jSilpha grisea, feeding on the
spoils of the tree's grand internal ^T^ 1288
enemy, Cossus Ligniperda." Mr.
Curtis, being determined to get
a sight of the N. grisea, with a
hatchet chopped out a piece of
the tree, sufficient for the disco-
very ; when the large maggots re-
presented in fig. 1288. at a, 6, were
found in perpendicularly cylin-
drical cavities, corroding the sub-
stance of the wood : they were
about twice or thrice as large as the maggot of the hazel nut, and very much
resembling it in shape; of a yellowish white colour, gross body, apparently
without any legs, having a shining head of a chestnut colour, armed with
strong jaws.
On the 25th of July, cutting out a piece more of the tree, Mr. Curtis " dis-
covered several Silphae [Nitidulae] as represented in fig. 1289.; and, at the same
time, found on the bark of the tree the Curculio [Cryptorhynchus Illig.]
lapathi (fig- 1288. d, e) ; and, on cutting further into the tree, found the same
species just broken" forth from its pupa (c)." Mr. Curtis "was then satisfied
that all the mischief which had been done to the tree was effected by this spe-
cies of G'urculionidae," viz. C. lapathi (d, e) ; and which he " had some years
before found in great plenty on the leaves of the same species of •S'alix,"
viz. S. viminalis. Having succeeded in discovering the principal circum-
stances of the history of this insect, Mr. Curtis was not a little anxious to
find the Nitidula in its pupa state ; and, after searching for it in vain on, and
under, the bark of the tree, " I found," he says, " plenty of them under the
surface of the ground, among the moist earth and sawdust, and several, also,
of the same insect in its perfect state. I had no opportunity of observing in
what manner the female Curculio lapathi deposited her eggs : most probably
they are laid under the bark at first, or in some crack or crevice of the tree,
arising from an injury ; at least, that is the mode in which the female C6s-
sus Ligniperda deposits its eggs, and to prevent which, we cannot be too much
on our guard ; for, if the larvae have once entered the tree, we shall in vain
seek a remedy. If the tree, therefore, sustain any injury from lopping, or
from any other cause, a piece of canvass, spread over with some adhesive
resinous substance, should be applied to the wound ; or the nurseryman may
find his account in matting over the bodies of his young trees during the
months of June and July, when the moth comes out of its chrysalis ; or,
1480
ARBORETUM AND FRUTJCETUM.
PART
perhaps, brushing them over at that period with some coal tar " may, by its
smell, which is known to be offensive to all insects, deter any from settling on
the trees for some days or weeks. In Jig. 1289.,/shows the Iarva3 of Nitidula
grisea ; g, one of the same larvse magnified ; h, the pupa of the Nitidula grisea ;
i, the pupa magnified ; k, the perfect insects ; and /, the perfect insect magnified.
(Liu. Trans., vol. i. p. 89.)
Cryptorhynchus lapathi is exceedingly abundant in the osier beds near
Barnes and Mortlake. In the perfect state, it is very sluggish, remaining
nearly stationary upon the leaves and slender twigs, to which it attaches
itself very firmly, by means of its broad cushioned tarsi, and probably, also, by
the bent hook at the extremity of the tibiae. Several interesting particulars
are recorded relative to this species in Hewitt's Book of the Seasons. In
the late Mr. Haworth's Revieiu of Entomology, published in the first part
of the old Entomological Society's Transactions, is given an extract from the
Ashmolean Appendix to Hay's Historia Insectorum, relative to the " C'urculio
lapathi of Linnaeus, the ancient spelling of which appears to have been
Gurgulio ; which species was selected for two reasons ; " the one, because it is
a well-known insect; and the other, because, according to this ingenious author,
it possesses, though feebly, the faculty of voice; which is a piece of informa-
tion for which I am altogether indebted to this tract." " Lacessitus vocem
quaerulam dedit." The sound here alluded to is produced by the friction
of the hollowed base of the thorax against the elevated front of the elytra.
This insect, which is the Curculio lapathi of Linnaeus (Syst. Nat.~,i\. 608.
20. ; Rhynchae^nus lapathi of Fabricius, Syst. Eleuth., ii. 466., and Gyllenhall
and the Cryptorhjnchus lapathi of Illiger and Stephens), varies in length from
% in. to £ in. It is of an opaque dirty black colour, with the sides of the thorax,
and the base and apical portion of the elytra clothed with white scales ; the
thorax and elytra being also ornamented with minute tufts of black scales.
It feeds, also, upon the alders and sharp dock (#umex aciitus), according
to Gyllenhall. Kirby and Spence, however, appear to doubt the correctness
of this last habitat, considering the name lapathi to have been given to the
insect by mistake; observing that, as "docks often grow under willows, the
mistake in question might easily have happened." (Introd. to Ent., i. p. 196.
note.)
In thesalictum in the Botanic Garden at Oxford, we are informed by Mr.
CHAP. CHI. SALICANCE;E. .VA^LIX. 1481
Baxter, several of the species are in some seasons almost entirely destroyed
by the Cryptorhynchus lapathi. Mr. Baxter, Jan., informs us that the species of
willow which are least injured by this insect are, the S. pentandra, S. deci-
piens, and S. nigricans. After the wood in the trunk of the tree is partially
destroyed, it is generally found infested by the black ant (Formica fuliginosa
Latr.), which is found, not only in the wood of the willow, but in that of other
decayed trees, even in houses, living on the decayed rafters and wooden
floors. In Kirby and Spence's Entomology, these insects are described as living
in societies, and " making their habitations in the trunks of old oak or willow
trees, gnawing the wood into numberless stories, more or less horizontal, the
ceilings and floors of which are about five or six lines asunder, black, and as
thin as card; sometimes supported by vertical partitions, forming an infinity of
apartments, which communicate in some places by small apertures ; and at
others by light, cylindrical pillars, furnished with a base and capital, which are
arrayed in colonnades, leaving a communication perfectly free throughout the
whole extent of the story." (Kirby and Spence's Introd., &c., i. p. 483.)
By far the most valuable species of willow in English woods, as already
stated, is S. caprea; and on this the Trochilium crabroniforme, or lunar hornet
sphinx, feeds, in its larva state, upon the living wood, by boring into the trunk,
and thus destroying the tree. An account of this insect has been communicated
to the Magazine of Natural History by the Rev. W. T. Bree, of which we give the
following abstract : — " In the Transactions of the Linncean Society, vol.iii. tab.i., a
figure of the Tro-
chilium crabroni- 1290
forme (fig. 1290.),
under the name
ofSphin.rcrabro-
niformis, is given
in its three stages,
Lewin, the writer
of the article,
gives it as his
opinion that ' the
caterpillar does
not enter the
wood till the second year of its own age ; ' and he states as a reason, that,
' among all the numerous larva? he has found from June to November, he
could perceive but a slight difference in size. Possibly, therefore, they may
feed on the tender bark of the sallow root the first year after they are
hatched.' " This, Mr. Bree thinks, is very probably the case ; for he adds that
he has not observed in the wood any perforations of a very small size, or
such as have the appearance of having been made by caterpillars newly
hatched. As the caterpillar eats its way upwards through the solid wood, a
question may arise: How is the sphinx, when it bursts from the chrysalis,
to make its escape out of the wood without injury ? To obviate this diffi-
culty, instinct directs the caterpillar, before it changes to a chrysalis, to turn
its head doivnwards, so as to be opposite to the orifice, which affords a ready
exit for the winged insect. A portion of the plate in the Linncean Transac-
tions above referred to is copied in fig. 1290.; in which a is the male imago,
or perfect insect ; b, the female imago : and in fig. 1291.; in which c is the larva,
or caterpillar, in its proper situation, with its head upwards, in the act of feeding
on the wood ; dy the pupa, with its head downwards, preparatory to its exit ;
and c, the web closing the orifice by which the larva had entered, and by which
the imago must come out. Mr. Bree sent us the butt ends of three young willow
trees, w hich had been perforated by the insect, as shown by a view of their ends
given in fig. 1292. One of these, on being split up, presented the appearance of
fig. 1292. a ; and, as it did not then include the case of the pupa, we conclude
that the insect had escaped. The insect enters the stems, which it perforates
near the root, and eats its way upwards for several inches, sometimes to the length
1482
A RBO li KTU M A N 1) FR UTICKTU M
PART 111.
of 1 ft. or more. Mr. Lewin thinks the
caterpillar generally confines itself to the
pith in the centre of the stem ; but Mr.
Bree finds the pith sometimes untouched,
all the perforations being made in the
solid wood between the pith and the
bark. Being an internal feeder, the cater-
pillar, of course, is only to be found by
cutting into and opening the stems of
the willow in which it is enclosed. When
the periodical falls of underwood take
place, Mr. Bree has observed that scarcely
a single willow wand is cut down that
does not exhibit proofs of the ravages of
this insect ; sometimes three or four, or
even five, separate perforations occurring
in the same stem . Though the Trochilium
crabroniforme is a common species, Mr.
Bree has never met with an example of
the winged insect at large in his neigh-
bourhood (Allesley, near Coventry).
He has bred it from the caterpillar ; a'nd
once he took a single pair in an osier
bed near Dudley, which, at the time,
were considered as great rarities. "The
wood of Salix caprea is, in Warwickshire,
usually either sold to the rake-maker,
for the purpose of being worked up into
rake-teeth, &c. ; or converted into what
are called flakes, i. e. hurdles made of
split stuff nailed together, in contradis-
tinction to the common wicker hurdle,
which is formed of round wood, twisted
and plaited together without the help of
nails. The lower, and consequently the
thicker, portion of each willow rod, to
the length of 5 in. or 6 in., or occasionally 1 ft. or more, is spoiled by the
perforations of the larva, and rendered unavailable to the above purposes."
(Mag. Nat. Hist., new se-
ries, vol. 5. p. 19.) Of the
Trochflium crabroniforme
(or, more properly T. bem-
beciforme) a beautiful figure
is given by Mr. Curtis in the
British Entomology, pi. 372.
fig. sup.; and several addi-
tional particulars relative to
its habits are given by Mr.
Westwood, in an article in
the third part of the Trans-
actions of the Entomological
Society.
The caterpillars of N6-
matus capreae feed on the
leaves of the sallow (S. ca-
prea Z/.), and of several
species of willow and osier,
to which they are said to be sometimes very destructive. A
in the neighbourhood of Penzance, after thoroughly preparing
1291
cultivator
piece of
CHAP. CIII. SALICA^CE/E. 5AVLIX. 14-83
moist ground, highly favourable in itself for the growth of osiers, planted it ;
and, after a lew years, the osiers had disappeared, he hardly knew how.
It was planted a second and even a third time, and the plants always dis-
appeared. " My attention," says the writer, " being now strongly drawn
to the subject, I discovered that which I ought to have perceived half a
century sooner ; namely, that Nematus capreae, favoured by the peculiar lo-
cality, was the cause of all this devastation. The spot is low, moist, shut
in by wood, and very near the southern limit of England. The species of
willow planted was chiefly one of those with broad leaves, woolly underneath
(probably S. ciiprea £.). The warmth of the situation, and the nidus for eggs
afforded by these woolly leaves, were, I presume, the combined cause of the
insect being so remarkably attracted to this spot. Some of the plants were
of a species with smooth narrow leaves (probably S. triandra Z/.) : these es-
caped much longer than the others, but still they did not escape eventually, as
they were also attacked by another caterpillar. I introduced both red and
black ants, and put some of the caterpillars into their nests ; but the ants
disregarded them altogether. Having, although thus slowly, ascertained the
true state of things, the ground was once more cultivated, and was planted
with apple trees. As there happens to be no insect there which much attacks
these, they thrive very well. The distance at which apple trees are planted
is, also, less favourable to the propagation of vermin. I have communicated
all this detail in order to show the importance to individuals of attending to
such seemingly trifling matters. Many a plantation, £c., fails in an apparently
inexplicable manner. A scientific investigation would, in numerous cases,
disclose the truth, and prevent farther loss. Had a person acquainted with
entomology been proprietor of this osier ground 50 years since, he would
speedily have discovered the truth, and might have saved 200/. or more to
himself and his successors." (Mag. Nat. Hist., vii. p. 423.)
The Chrysomela (Phaevdo;z) vulgatissima L. is another species which is
occasionally injurious to one of the narrow-leaved species of willow. This is
a pretty little insect, of a shining blue or green colour, and of an oblong-oval
form, about £ in. in length, which is found, during the winter months, in great
profusion under the loose bark of willows, growing in damp localities. It
deposits its eggs upon the young leaves ; and the larvae, when hatched, form
little associations, feeding together in regular rows, the heads of the second row
touching the tails of the first. In this manner they proceed from the base
to the extremity of the leaf, which they soon strip of its parenchyma. They
then attack the next leaf; and so on, until they are full grown, when they
descend into the earth, and assume the pupa state ; shortly after which they
undergo the change to their last and perfect form.
The leaves of some species of willows are also infested with galls, which
are the production, not of a species of Cynipidae, but of one of the Tenthredi-
nidae (Nematus intercus Panzer Fauna Ins. Germ., 90. fig. 11.; or the
Tenthredo salicis pentandrae Villars\ The larvae of this insect, instead of
feeding externally upon the leaves of the willow, is enclosed in a gall, upon the
substance of which it subsists, and within which it undergoes all its changes.
Mr. Westwood's species Nematus gallicola (described by Mr. Stephens, Illust.
Brit. Ent.y vol. vii. p. 36.), and the Euura Cynips of Newman (Ent. Alag.y
No. 18. p. 260.), also reside in galls; whilst the larvae of Nematus salicis of
Saint Fargeau, and of the N. capreae, are external feeders.
Among the Lepidoptera, the caterpillars of nearly all the species of moths
belonging to the genus Cerura (puss and kitten moths) feed upon different
species of willow ; and also, occasionally, the larva of the buff-tip moth (Pygas'ra
bucephala Sleph.). Brepha Parthenias (the orange underwing) feeds upon
occasionally upon willows ; and the larva of Orthosi« lipsilon Steph. beneath
the bark of old willows and poplars.
ARBORETUM AND PRUTICETUM.
PART III.
The larvae of Saturnia Pavonia minor feed on various species of osier.
Lozotaevnia cruciana, a small but beautiful tortrix, lives on a dwarf mountain
Salix. Liparis (Leucoma Steph.) salicis is, in many years, very abundant on
different willows. Several species of the very showy genus of JVbctuidae, Ca-
tocala, also feed, in the larva state, upon several species of Salix. These
caterpillars exhibit a very interesting instance of deceptive similarity to the
plants on which they feed; their colours being of a pale greyish brown, dot-
ted with black, and the sides of their bodies being furnished with a membrana-
ceous lobe, fringed with short whitish hairs, which are applied close to the sur-
face of the twigs, so that it is very difficult for an unpractised eye to perceive
them, or to distinguish them from bundles of lichens. The colours of the fore
wings of the perfect insects are also equally deceptive, rendering it quite as diffi-
cult to perceive the moths when settled upon the trunks of the trees. The hind
wings of these moths are, however, very beautifully coloured, being either red or
pale blue, with black bands. Catocala fraxini (the great Clifden nonpareil)
feeds, in the larva state, on poplar, ash,&c. ; C. nupta L. upon Salix vitellina ;
and C. elocata Esper (the claim of which to be considered a native species is
questionable) upon willows and elms. Our j%. 1293. represents the last-
named species copied from Curtis's British Entomology, pi. 2 17. ; and the generic
1293
details, a to «, are from C. nupta. a, b, parts of the antenna ; r, spiral tongue ;
</, palpus ', e, palpus denuded ;/, the head ; g, one of the ocelli; />, hind leg;
iy claws.
Amongst Coleoptera, the principal species which feed on the willow are,
Galeruca capreae, Pyrochroa rubens (on the rotten wood, whilst in the larva
state), Melasoma populi and tremula, Balaninus saliclvorus, and Tachyerges
salicis ; and, amongst the Hemiptera, ^xphis salicis L., and Coccus capreae and
C. salicis L.
Some parts of the preceding article have been furnished to us by J. O.
Westwood, Esq., by whom the whole has been revised.
The Study of the Species. The genus Salix has been a stumbling block to
botanists from the time of Linnaeus, who observes that so great are the
changes effected on the kinds by soil, situation, and climate, that it is difficult
to determine whether many of the differences should constitute species, or
varieties only. He recommends rejecting the old names and characters, and
describing anew the several species accurately, as seen in their natural places
of growth. For this purpose, he gives directions for observing the develope-
ment of the buds, the situation of the catkins, the form and other circuni
CHAP. CJJJ. .VALICAVCEjE. S^LIX. 1485
stances of the leaves, the number of stamens, and whether the plants are trees,
shrubs, or creepers. With clue deference to the opinion thus expressed by
the great father of scientific botany, we think that the study of willows, or of
any other species of plant, in its native habitat is by no means a good mode
for determining what are species, and what are varieties ; but rather likely,
on account of the great difference of habitats, to increase the number of both ;
since every difference may be considered specific relatively to the circumstances
which produce that difference. It appears to us that it would be a better
mode to collect plants of the particular genus to be studied from all the dif-
ferent habitats in which they are to be found, and to cultivate and study them
in the same garden, where they would be all subjected to the same exterior
influences. What Sir J. E. Smith says on this subject does not appear to us
much more satisfactory than the advice of Linnaeus. " Willows," he says,
" should be particularly studied at three different seasons: the flowering time;
the early part of summer, when the young shoots, with their stipules and ex-
panding foliage, are to be observed ; and, finally, when the leaves are come to
their full size. No botanist, therefore, can be competent to form an opinion
about them, unless he resides among the wild ones, for several seasons, or
continually observes them in a garden. No hasty traveller over a country,
no collector of dried specimens, or compiler of descriptions, can judge of their
characters or essential differences. One principle, above all, in this depart-
ment of botany, and indeed in every other, cannot be too strictly enforced.
We should study a species before we deckle on its characters, and not lay
down rules of definition beforehand. In many plants, the differences of
simple or compound, entire, serrated, or jagged, leaves ; the presence or absence
of stipules ; though usually so essential and decisive, make no specific dis-
tinction at all. In some tribes or genera, one part affords the best specific
character, in others some different part. The distinctions of willows are fre-
quently so very nice, that the greatest observation and experience only can
stamp them with due authority." (Eng. F/., iv. p. 165.) After thirty years'
study of every kind of willow that could be procured in any part of Britain,
in the garden of Mr. Crowe, where seedlings innumerable sprang up all over
the ground, Sir J. E. Smith was not only confirmed in the immutability of
his species, amounting to 64, as natives of Britain, but also, that new or
hybrid species were not produced by the seeds of species growing together in
the same garden. Both these conclusions are alike at variance with those of
most other botanists. As the result of this eminent botanist's study of the
genus, he has arrayed his 64 species of British willows under three sections,
characterised by the margins and surfaces of the leaves; viz. 1. serrated and
smooth ; 2. entire and smooth ; and, 3. surface shaggy, woolly, or silky. Since
the time of Sir J. E. Smith, the principal British student of willows is Mr.
Borrer ; and, in Sir W. J. Hooker's British F/ora, this able botanist has ar-
ranged the British willows, increased in Sir W. J. Hooker's work to 71
species, under 18 sections. These sections are all natural; and each is
characterised by the name of a typical species. This is obviously a very great
improvement in the arrangement of this genus, whether these kinds are con-
sidered as chiefly species, or chiefly varieties ; and to us it appears the best
adapted for the present state of our knowledge of willows, till all the known
kinds shall have been studied for a number of years in one garden.
Among the Continental botanists, the late Dr. Host of Vienna, and Pro-
fessor Koch of Erlangen, appear to be the principal students of willows.
Dr. Host, in the preface to his Saliv, seems disposed to consider the kinds of
willow that exhibit the same appearances when under the same circumstances
of soil and situation as distinct species ; and he has described no fewer than
60 of these as natives of Austria. He admits the extreme difficulty of de-
termining what are species in many cases, from the different localities in which
the same species is sometimes found. For example, willows which inhabit
low moist situations in valleys flower only in the spring ; while those which
inhabit mountains do not flower till after the melting of the snow, which sel-
14-86 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
dom happens before the beginning of summer. On the other hand, very many
sorts, in intermediate localities, are intermediate also in their time of flowering.
Hence, the same kind, when it inhabits three different regions, cannot be
compared together in the same stage of growth in a living state ; and, conse-
quently, three species may, in this way, be made out of one. Dr. Host farther
observes, that a great impediment to the determining of what are really species,
arises from the sexes of a species often inhabiting localities very distant from
each other, and sometimes even different regions; and the beautiful figures which
illustrate this author's work, on the supposition that they are faithful portraits,
clearly show that the male and female differ very considerably in their foliage
and wood, independently altogether of their catkins.
The great master in the genus tfalix may be considered Professor Koch,
who has done more to advance a knowledge of this genus in his 12mo pam-
phlet of 69 pages, De Salicibus Europceis Commcntatio, published in 1828,
than the most voluminous of ancient or modern authors. The preface to this
pamphlet is so full of instruction as to the mode of studying this family of
plants, that we are confident that our readers will feel obliged to us for pre-
senting to them the following
Abstract of Koch* s Preface to his Commentary on the Genus So/a1. The author,
after noticing the difficulties to be encountered in this genus, and referring to
what has been done by Linnaeus, Wahlenberg, Willdenow, Smith, and others,
notices the 119 species which had been sent to him by Schleicher, as found
by that botanist in Switzerland, and thus, as we have before observed (p. 1456.),
making the total number of species of Salix 254. Of Schleicher's species, he
says that he could not find one that truly deserved the name.. They are, he
adds, mere variations of species long since known ; and, for the most part, dif-
ferent forms of one changeable species, viz., his own S. phylicifolia. All
Schleicher's kinds are enumerated as species in Steudel's Nomcnclator ; but
Koch treats them as spurious, he recognising not more than 50 truly distinct
European species.
The manner in which Koch obtained his knowledge of the genus »Salix is
thus given: — " For a number of years, I observed the willows growing wild
in the Palatinate ; also those I met with during rny travels ; and those which I
have found, during the spa-ce of four years, in the neighbourhood of Erlangen.
All the species, or singular forms, which I found growing wild were trans-
ferred to the garden ; and to these were added kinds sent by my friends
Mertens and Zeiher, an addition of no small importance. From the former I
received genuine English willows in a living state. The whole collection was after-
wards transferred to the Botanic Garden at Erlangen, where, neither care nor
expense being spared, it has since been much increased. From M. Otto
director of the Botanic Garden at Berlin, I also received a number of kinds.
Of dried specimens 1 have received the whole collection of M. Seringe, from
that author himself; and the greater number of the Swedish, French, and
English willows, gathered in their native habitats, from Mertens ; forming in
the whole a greater number of species of this genus than was ever before
available by one individual.
" Every genus of plants has certain peculiar features, with which constant
observation and repeated examination alone can familiarise us ; but there is
no genus in which it is so necessary as in that of Salix, to investigate, not only
its peculiar characters, but also the growth of the plants, both in a wild and a
cultivated state. He who endeavours to characterise a species, either from a
dried specimen or from a cultivated plant, is always liable to be deceived in
its characters. Hence, amongst all the writers on willows from the time of
Linnaeus, Wahlenberg alone has clearly described them. He travelled through
Lapland, Switzerland, the Carpathian Mountains, and Sweden ; examining
the kinds of this genus in their native places of growth ; and, following in his
footsteps, came Seringe, also a most diligent investigator. Taking these
authors for my guide, although, in some instances, I have been compelled to
differ from them, I here offer a synopsis of the European species of willow.
" In arranging this genus, and distributing its species, if we put near together
CHAP. cm. SALICAVCE;E. SA\LIX. 1487
kinds which most resemble each other, not only may the species having a close
natural affinity be recognised at a glance, but even the tyro will be greatly
assisted in tracing and identifying his specimens. If, however, the usual
arrangement of the species be adopted, in which the sections are charac-
terised by having the ovaries naked or pubescent ; the leaves glabrous or
downy, serrated or entire [as in Smith's English Flora, and the Sal. Wob.] ;
then species widely separated by nature and habit must necessarily be
grouped together, not to mention that these characters are in themselves
liable to great changes. Fries (in Syllog. Nov. PI. Soc. Hot. Nat. ; Ratisb.
cdita, t. 2. p. 36.) first distributed the Swedish species of this genus into natural
groups, according to characters taken from various parts of the plant. In
like manner, I have attempted a similar distribution of the European species ;
but, first, I shall offer a few words with respect to the characters according to
which I have divided the genus into sections and species.
" A character taken from the catkins appearing earlier than, at the same
time with, or later than, the leaves is of great importance ; but one taken
from the situation and insertion of the catkins is still more so. The situation
may be in three different modes. 1. In this a catkin is produced at the tip of
a branchlet, with a few others below it, and they are all sessile; the leaves
proceeding from buds at the base of the catkins. I only know of one instance
of this, S. lanata. 2. A bud on the tip of the last year's branchlet puts forth
a catkin, and the peduncle on which it is situated increases in size, and bears
leaves, in the axils of which are the buds of the following year. This peduncle
is, therefore, persistent, and continues the branch. This is the case in S.
reticulata, S. herbacea, S. polaris, S. retusa, and S. IPva-ursi. 3. A terminal
bud, and generally more protruded beneath it, produce leaf-bearing shoots,
and the flower buds are situated beneath these. All the other species which
are known to me, except those enumerated above, belong to this division ;
and they may be subdivided as follows: — 1. Those in which the catkin is
sessile, on a very short peduncle, or as it were incipient, and bears at its base
weak scale-like leaves ; being thus lateral, sessile, and bracteated at the base.
2. Those in which the peduncle grows into a branchlet, and bears floral leaves
not very distant from the catkin, which afterwards become true leaves, but
without buds in their axils : from this branchlet is formed the lateral catkin,
which is peduncled with a leafy peduncle. All the species which protrude
their catkins before their leaves belong to the first of these subdivisions ; and
all those which do not protrude their catkins till after their leaves, with many
of those which protrude their catkins at the same time as their leaves, to the
second. This character seldom changes ; and only a few species (for example,
S. limosa) bear on one plant, or, as a variety, on two plants, catkins which
have short peduncles, and are surrounded at their base with very minute
scale-like leaves ; and also those that are peduncled, and have true leaves on
their peduncles. Even in these varying forms Nature shows her inexhaustible
fertility, and her wonderful skill and power of adaptation in creation : despi-
sing the too great carefulness of learned men, who hasten to build prisons for
their own systems, she delights in disturbing their magic circles, and, playfully
breaking loose from the chains in which they have attempted to bind her, she
far exceeds Proteus himself in versatility.
" The importance of the characters which the pedicel of the capsule offers
has been pointed out by Wahlenberg. Its length relatively to the gland,
which is never wanting, is a very constant character, varying only in a few
species ; but, to be rightly observed, it ought to be seen just at the time when
the ovary attains the size of a capsule, which happens a little after flowering ;
or, in dried specimens, if accuracy is wanted, part of the female catkin must be
softened in boiling water, and afterwards dried in blotting-paper, before ex-
amination. In 'dried specimens, the pedicel is so brittle, that in the analysis
it is seldom preserved entire ; or, from being joined to a gland not less fragile,
it is frequently injured. Besides, it must be remarked, that some catkins
have been found in which the inferior flowers were very remotely situated.
51
1488 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
In these instances, the pedicel is often a little longer, and the capsules more
slender.
" The colour of the young shoots varies greatly, often so much as to cause
the varieties to appear distinct, species. The branchlets of S. alba are either
brown, or, as in the var. vitellina, of a yolk-of-egg or a red brick colour; and
there is a different shade of yolk-of-egg colour in S. repens, and S. rosmarini-
folia (S. laevta Schultz). Many species, when carefully examined, will be found
to vary in colour, though only to a small extent. The branches of S. purpurea
are of a coral colour, rarely of a dark yellow, and sometimes white, covered
with a reddish bloom. S. «mygdalina has the shoots sometimes of a brownish
yellow, and sometimes of a brownish black.
" The form of the leaves in the same species, and even in the same plant, can
never be depended upon. In S. /jhylicifolia, S. w,yrtilloides, S. arbuscula, and
S. repens, they vary from narrow-lanceolate and being attenuated towards
the base, in the three last-named species, to roundish-ovate and being cordate-
emarginate at the base. In some species, the form of the leaves is almost
always the same, as in S. viminalis, S. incana, and S. 7/ippophaefolia. In
other species, the leaves vary ; being serrated or entire, green or hoary on the
under surface, and glabrous or hairy, on the same plant. The same variation is
common on the exterior of the ovaries ; which, in £ jhylicifolia, are some-
times glabrous, and sometimes hairy; some individuals of this species having
half the ovary hairy, and the other half glabrous; while mothers there is only
a hairy or downy line. In certain species, however, these variations are never
found, or very rarely ; although in S. viminalis ovaries partly naked, and
partly downy, occur. The brown tip of the bracteas of the flowers, in some
species, turns paler, and in others red, or even purple ; which is another cause
of uncertainty in specific distinctions. The bracteas are sometimes obovate,
and only half the length of the ovary ; and sometimes, in the same species,
lanceolate, and reaching as far as the style. The style and stigma likewise
vary in length, and are occasionally more or less cleft ; yet both these organs
afford most useful characteristics. The style often appears shorter from being
hidden by the long hairs of the ovary. Stigmas of a rose colour, and of a
yellow colour, have been found in the same species. The stipules vary in size,
but never in form ; hence they afford the very best characteristics for distin-
guishing species. In no species can these be said to be wanting ; and, though
on old plants they are often not seen, such plants, when cut down, send up
young shoots which produce leaves attended by stipules of an extraordinary
size. The buds are always 1-valved; and the valves are often cleft at the tip,
and sometimes as far as the base ; though sometimes, on the same individual,
they are undivided. The folding of the leaves in the bud is, most probably,
constant, although different in the various species : but this I cannot affirm
as certain, not having examined the leaf buds of a sufficient number of species.
"The variation of the different parts is not the only difficulty with which the
botanical student, in this genus, has to contend : the great number of hy-
brids, the existence of which in the genus Salix no one can doubt, is another
obstacle. Nobody will accuse me of arrogance in assuming to know S. rubra
and S. viminalis. On the banks of the Redmtz, near Erlangen, there are man}
thousand trees of these two species ; and, at the same time, many intermediate
forms, which I can refer to neither species. The catkins of these afford no
distinguishing marks ; for what seem at one time to belong to the forniei
species, at another time appear more nearly allied to the latter." Koch con-
cludes by stating that, in his Commentary, the species have been arranged in
10 groups ; and that no kind has been admitted as a species that he has not
himself seen and examined. He has added but few varieties, " although an
immense number of no importance might have been adduced ; being convinced,
from daily observation and experience, that the multiplication of varieties, in-
stead of rendering any intricate genus more clear, only involves it in a greater
difficulty."
The species of Koch, besides being identified with those of the Species
CHAP. cm. SALICA'CE.*;. ,VAVLIX. 14-89
Plantttnun of Linnaeus, and the Species Plantarum of Willdenow, have the
synonymes of other authors added to them.
* In our App. iii. to the genus Salix will be found the characters of Koch's
10 different groups; and under each the names and synonymes of the species
which he has assigned to them.
From the perusal of Koch's observations, two points, we think, will be ren-
dered clear to the botanical reader : — 1. That the mode of arranging the
sections according to the character of the leaves, adopted by all the Linnaean
school previously to the time of Wahlenberg, is altogether defective; and,
2. That the system of throwing the species into natural groups, as adopted by
Wahlenberg, Fries, Koch, and Borrer, is the true one. Being ourselves of
this opinion, the only question that remained for us to decide was, whether
we should follow Koch or Borrer in the arrangement of the species described
in this work as in a living state in British gardens.
The excellence of Koch's system was strongly impressed on our mind
from the moment that we saw it developed in Dr. Lindley's Synopsis of the
British Flora ; and, if we could have classed all the numerous sorts of willows
in the salictum at Woburn, and in the Hackney arboretum, under Koch's ten
groups, in a manner satisfactory to ourselves, we should have done so ; the
more especially as, from observing with care all the different sorts in the
Hackney arboretum, at different periods, from March to December, 1836, we
felt convinced in our own mind that by far the greater number of them were
varieties, and chiefly 0f S. caprea L. Not being able to do this, we determined
on endeavouring to obtain the advice and assistance of the first authority in
Britain on the subject of willows; and we accordingly applied to Mr. Borrer, who
at once, in the most kind and liberal manner, classed the sorts contained in the
Snlictum }\robur)iemc in the 22 groups into which, with the exception of a few
sorts, they are thrown in the following article. Mr. Borrer's knowledge
of this genus is universal'.y known. He possesses an extensive collection of
living plants, which he has cultivated for some years ; and, as Sir W. J. Hooker
remarks, " No one has ever studied the willows, whether in a growing or a
dried state, more deeply, or with a less prejudiced mind." {Brit. FL, ed. 3.,
vol. i. p. 416.)
The botanical details which we have given of each particular species, in-
cluding a comparison of specimens obtained in a living state from the arbo-
retum at Flitwick, from that at Gold worth, and from the salictum at Messrs.
Loddiges's,were made out for us,1 with great care and industry, by Mr. Denson.
Our figures were chiefly drawn for us by Mr. Sowerby, from specimens received
from the salictum at Woburn Abbey; in the single instance of the S. caprea,
reduced from Host's work ; and nearly all the remainder, including all the 28
plates of leaves of the natural size, by the kind permission of the Duke of
Bedford, have been copied from the Salictum Woburnense.
It will thus appear that our article, lengthy and elaborate as it is, is, in a
botanical point of view, chiefly to be considered as matter for a history of
willows, rather than as a complete history in itself. Such a history, indeed,
can only be prepared by a botanist who has h:.d all the species in a living state
under his eye for several years ; and who has applied to them one general
principle of contrast or comparison. Till this is done, not only with the genus
tfalix, but with every other genus of which there are numerous species, a
decided imperfection must ever be found in works like the present, in which
the specific characters are necessarily made up of descriptions given by dif-
ferent individuals, at different times, and in different countries ; some from
living plants collected from their native habitats, others from living plants
grown in gardens, and many from dried specimens. All this shows the great
advantage that would result to botany and arboriculture from a national
arboretum; in which not only all the species and varieties should be col-
lected, but also both the sexes of all the kinds that have the male and female
flowers on different plants. Such an arboretum, on a sufficiently large scale,
and properly managed, would form a living standard of reference, both for the
botanist and the cultivator.
5 E 2
1490
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
FART III,
Group i. Purpurete Koch, Borrer.
Osier Willows, until one Stamen in a Flower.
Monandras is the name adopted for this group in Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3. ; but Mr. Bqrrer considers
Purpureae preferable, because it is taken, like the name of each of the other groups in this ar-
rangement, from the name of a species included in lhat group. Purpureae, too, is the name given
by Koch to the same group.
Filament 1, bearing an anther of 4 lobes, and 4 cells; or, in S. rubra, forked,
and each branch bearing an anther of 2 lobes and 2 cells. Germen sessile.
Catkins very compact. Trees of low stature, or shrubs with twiggy branches, '
and leaves that are more or less lanceolate, and serrated, and often broader
upwards. Interior part of the bark, in most, yellow and very bitter.
(Hook. Sr. Fl.) The leaves of nearly all of the kinds of this group turn
black in drying. The inner bark of most of the kinds included in this group
is extremely bitter, which renders the plants suitable for banks of rivers,
and other places which are infested by rats ; as the bitterness prevents
these animals from eating it.
& 1. S. PURPU^REA L. The purple Willow.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1444. ; Smith Eng. Bot., t. 1388. ; Eng. FL, 4. p. 187. ; Forbes in Sal.
Wob., No. 1. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3., p. 417. ; Mackay Fl. Hibern., pt. 1. p. 243. ; Hayne Abbild.,
p. !229.
The Sexes. Both sexes are figured in Eng. Bot., and are in cultivation in some English collections.
Synonyme. S. purpurea a Koch Comm., p. 25.
Engravines. Eng. Bot, t. 1318. : Sal. Wob., No. 1. ; Hayne Abbild., t. 169. ; our fig. 1294. ; and
fig. 1. in p. 16U&
Spec. Char., fyc. Branches trailing, decumbent. Leaves partly opposite,
obovate-lanceolate, serrated, very smooth, narrow at the base. Stamen 1 .
Stigmas very short, ovate, nearly sessile. (Smith Eng. FL) A native of
Britain (between Thorpe and Norwich, &c.) ; flowering
in March and April. In a wild state, this species forms a
shrub, with a stem 3 ft. or 4 ft. high, with long, slender,
smooth branches, spreading widely, and, if not supported,
trailing on the ground ; very smooth, of a rich and shining
purple, with a somewhat glaucous hue. The catkins
appear earlier than the foliage; and often on different
branches. In cultivation, in dug grounds kept moist
and the plants cut down yearly, this species produces
shoots from 3 ft. to .5 ft. long, which are much esteemed
for the finer sorts of basketwork. It is also frequently
planted in Norfolk and Suffolk, and in some parts of
Essex, for "plaiting into close low fences, for the ex-
clusion of hares and rabbits; the bark and leaves being so extremely
bitter, that these animals will touch neither ; whilst the shoots, being long,
tough, and flexible, may be formed into any shape; and a fence of this kind
is reckoned little inferior to that of wire." (Eng. /Yora, quoted in Sal. Wob.y
. p. 2.) This species is well adapted for planting in ornamental shrubberies,
from the elegant slenderness of its twigs during winter ; the redness of its
catkins, the anthers of which are of that colour before they burst, and the
fine purplish arid glaucous hue of its young shoots and leaves. The latter,
as will be seen by the figure of one of the natural size in p. 1603., are of
an elegant, and, if we may use the expression, artistical shape. Female
plants are in the Hackney and Goldworth arboretums, and at Woburn
and Flitwick ; and male and female at Henfield. The male plant, being the
most beautiful when in flower, ought to be most propagated by nurserymen.
Varieties. Koch, in his J)e Salicibus Europteis Commentatio, has described six ; but he includes the
S. Welix and Lambertidna (to be described as species below) as two of them. He has charac-
terised the six varieties as follows : —
1294
CHAP. < IN.
,S'ALICANCEJE. SA LI X. 1 4-9 1
ft S. p. 1 i 5. purpurea Smt'/A, W»7W. — Stem dwarfor. Branches more spreading. Catkin*
very slender,
it S. p. 2; S. LambertMna Smith, Willd. —Catkins twice as stout, and leaves larger and
broader than in S. purpurea ; otherwise not different.
A S. p. 3; 5. Helix IFrtW. £». — Branches uprightish, but spreading. Leaves longer.
it S. «. 4 nnmail,'li>hico. — A male plant, with the stamens divided to the middle, or, rather,
having 2 stamens with the filaments connate, as in S. rubra, and as far as to the middle.
Koch found this growing in the Palatinate of the Rhine, near Cassel.
A S. p. Bsericea; S. monandra sericea Ser. Sal. #<•/»., p. 8.— This has its leaves, while they
are young, covered with a dense silky down, which afterwards disappears. Scringe
observed this in Switzerland ; and Koch afterwards gathered it in the Palatinate.
s* S. p. 6 brdctea rubra.— This has the scales of the catkin, that is the bracteas, of the colour
of red brick, and not black. Gunther sent it to Koch from Silesia ; and Koch deems it
a rare and singular variety.
/it-mark. Koch, considering S. purpurea as including the above four, gives the geographical dis-
tribution of the species as follows : — It inhabits the banks of streams and moist meadows, and also
sandy and comparatively dry places, in plains and lower mountains, from the Pyrenees and Al!)s,
through England and the whole of Europe, as far as to the south of Sweden.
a t 2. S. HE^LIX L. The Helix, or Rose, Willow.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1444. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 672. ; Hayne Abbild., p. 229. t. 170. ; Smith
Eng. Bot., t. 1343. ; Eng. Fl., 4. p. 188. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 2. ; Hook. Br. FL, ed. 3., p. 417. ;
Mackay Fl. Hibern., pt. 1. p. 244.
Synonymes. S. purpurea var. Koch. Comm., p. 25. ; ?S. oppositifblia Host Sal. Auslr., 1. p. 11.
t. 38, 39.
The Sexes. Both sexes are figured in Sal. Wob., and also in Eng. Bot. ; but Mr. Borrer believes
that the catkins of female flowers represented in the latter are those of S. Forbyana : if those ol
fldlix, they are much too thick. Mr. Borrer having only seen the male of S. //elix, and the female
of S. LambertiVJna, is inclined to regard them as the two sexes of one species.
Engravings. Eng. Bot, L 1343., the male plant; Sal. Wob., No. 2. ; Hayne Abbild., t 170. ; and Jig. 2.
in p. 1603.
Spec. Char., $c. Branches erect. Leaves partly opposite, oblong-lanceolate,
pointed, slightly serrated, very smooth ; linear towards the base. Stamen
1. Style nearly as long as the linear divided stigmas. (Sal. ]\rob., p. 3.)
A native of Britain ; flowering in March and April. A tree of humble
growth, but erect ; about 10ft. high, smooth in every part, altogether of a
lighter hue than those of S. purpurea. The branches are not trailing, but
upright ; they are smooth and polished, of a pale yellowish or purplish ash
colour, tough and pliable; less slender and elongated than the foregoin;:,
though useful for the coarser sorts of basketwork. Catkins larger than
those of S. purpurea ; the fertile ones, especially, full twice as thick. (Eng.
Flora, p. 188.) The branches, which are yellow, and the mode of growth,
which is erect, render this species easily distinguishable from the preceding.
Description. The name rose-willow relates to rose-like expansions at the
ends of the branches, which are caused by the deposition of the egg of a
cynips in the summits of the twigs, in consequence of which they shoot out
into numerous leaves, totally different in shape from the other leaves of the
tree, and arranged not much unlike those composing the flower of a rose,
adhering to the stem even after the others fall off. (Smithy and Kirby and
Spence.) Smith had never seen this monstrosity but on S. Helix, except
once on S. aurita : but it is very common on S. Hoffmannwzwa in Sussex
( Borrer), and on S. alba in Cambridgeshire, and is obvious in winter when the
plants are leafless. In these two kinds, the rose-like bodies are constituted of
leaves imbricately disposed, the upper the smaller : some of the bodies are
Sin. over. " The leaves and twigs are less bitter than those of S. purpurea;
and the greater size of the stem, as well as branches, renders this species
fit for several purposes which that is not. It also makes a better figure in
plantations, and the roots give more solidity to the banks of rivers or ditches."
(Smith.) Gerard describes the rose-willow, of which he has given a figure, as
" not only making a gallant show, but also yielding a most cooling aire in the
heat of summer, being set up in houses for the decking of the same." Dr.
Johnston, in his Flora of Berwick upon Tweed, states that S. //elix withstands
storms better than any other species. A crystallisable principle, called sali-
cine, has been obtained from this species ; which, according to Majendie, arrests
the progress of a fevor with the same power as sulphate of quinine. (i/o«r.
/.'. Inst.t October, 1830, p. 177. ; L'mdl. Xat. Sysl., p. 187. See also our p.
1459.) In ornamental plantations, S. //elix is an interesting shrub, from its
5 E 3
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 111.
slender shoots and glaucous leaves, which latter have a peculiar twist ; whence,
perhaps, the specific name of Helix, snail-like. There are plants at Hackney,
Goldworth, Woburn, Henfield, and Flitwick.
4ft 3. S. LAMBERT 1 A^N A Smith. Lambert's, or the Boyton, Willow.
Identification. Sm. Fl. Br., p. 1041. ; Eng. Dot, t. 1359. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 673. ; Smith Eng. FL, 4.
p. 190. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 3. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 8. p. 417. ; Mackay Fl. Hibern., pt. 1.
p. 244.
Si/noiiyme. S. purpurea /3 Koch Comm., p. 25.
The Sexes. Both are figured in Eng. Bot. and Sal. Wob. Mr. Borrer has only seen the female of
this, and the male of S. /felix, and thinks they are the two sexes of one species.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., t. 1359. ; Sal. Wob., No. 3.; and fig. 3. in p. 1603.
Spec. Char., $c. Branches erect. Leaves partly opposite, obovate-lanceolate,
pointed, serrated, smooth ; rounded at the base. Stipules none. Stamen 1.
Stigmas ovate, obtuse, notched, very short, nearly sessile. {Eng. Fl., iv.
p. 189.) A native of England, flowering in March and April. This species is of
the size and habit of the last, but very distinct from it at first sight, particularly
in the tender summits of the young growing branches, which, with their pur-
plish glaucous hue, and some degree of downiness, resemble those of a honey-
suckle. Catkins not more than half the size of those of S. Helix, with rounded,
blackish, hairy scales. (Sm. Eng. Fl.) First discovered on the banks of the
Willey, at Boyton, Wilts, by A. B. Lambert, Esq., whom the specific
name is meant to compliment. It grows in North America, on the banks
of rivers and willow grounds. It was introduced from Europe, and is cul-
tivated for basket-making. (Pursh.) S. Lambertidna is suitable for in-
troducing into ornamental plantations, from the graceful character of its
slender shoots, and its glaucous foliage. There are plants in the Hackney
and Goldworth arboretums, and also at Woburn, Flitwick, and Henfield.
& 4. S. WooLLGARfAvj Borr. Woollgar's Willow.
Identification. Borr. in Eng. Bot. Supp.,t. 2651. ; Hook. Brit. FL, ed. 3., p. 417.
Synom/mes. S. monandra Sal Wob., No. 4. ; S. monandra var. Hoffm. Hist. Sal., 1. p. 21. t. 1. f. 1.
The Sexes. The female is figured in Eng. Bot. Suppl., and both sexes in Sal. Wob. ; yet Mr. Borrer,
in his elucidation of this kind, published in Eng. Bot. Suppl., subsequently to the publication of
Sal. Wob., remarks that he is unacquainted with the male flowers.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No, 4. ; Eng. Bot. Supp., t. 2651. ; and Jig. 4. in p. 1603.
Spec. Char., fyc. Erect. Leaves cuneate-lanceolate, serrated, glabrous. Sta-
men 1. Ovary ovate, very pubescent, sessile, downy. Stigmas nearly
sessile, ovate, scarcely emarginate. (Hook. Brit. Fl., p. 417.) A native of
England, about Lewes, Sussex, in osier holts, but scarcely wild ; at Kings-
ton upon Thames, apparently wild ; flowering in May. * In the salictum
at Woburn, this species had not attained the height of 6 ft. in five years. It
is considered to be very distinct from either S. Helix or S. Lambertzawa.
Mr. Borrer applied the specific name in compliment to the late Mr.Wooll-
gar, " a gentleman who supplied Sir 3. E. Smith with several of his willows,
and who formed his opinions upon the species from long and accurate obser-
vation." (Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3.) S. Woollgarwwa had long been known to
Mr. Borrer and Mr.Wooll^ar as a variety of S. monandra Hoffm. ; but Mr.
Woollgar was so far of opinion that it was a distinct species, that he used
to call it S. cuneifolia, from the shape of its leaves, especially the upper
ones. (Ibid.) There are plants at Henfield, and in the Goldworth Arbo-
retum ; and some, with the name of S. monandra, in that of Messrs. Lod-
diges.
& 5. S. FORBVA'NA Smith. Forby's Willow, or the fine Basket Osier.
Identification. Smith FL Br., p. 1041. ; Eng. Bot., t. 1344. ; llees's Cyc., No. 49. ; Willd^Sp. PL,
4. p. 674. ; Smith Eng. FL, 4. p. 191. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 5. ; Hook. Br. FL, ed. 3., p. 418. ;
Mackay Fl. Hib., pt. 1. p. 244. ; Hayne Abbild., p. 231. t. 172.
Si/nonytnes. S. fissa Lin. Soc. Trans., not of HoflC (Smith) ; S. rubra /3 Koch Comm., p. 27.
The Sexes. The female is described in Eng. Fl., and figured in Eng. Bot. The male is not known.
" The original plant, sent from Mr. Forby to Mr. Crowe, was found now and then to bear a solitary
stamen at one of the lower bracteas of the catkins of female flowers, which showed this species to
i" truly rnonundrous, and distinct from Hoffmann's S. fissa, to which it had previously been
rffi-rred." (Smith.)
B*era9dtgt. Eng. Bot, 1. 1344. ; SaL Wob., No. 5. ; Hayne Abbild., t. 172. ; and Jig. 5. in p. 1603.
Ppcc. C%ft.-.,#c. Branches erect. Leaves alternate, with small .stipules, lanceo-
CHAP. CIII. SALICA^CEJE. 6'A^LIX. 14-93
late-oblong, with shallow serratures, smooth, rounded at the base, glaiu ous
beneath. Stamen 1. Style nearly as long as the linear divided stigmas.
(Smith Eng. Ft.) A native of England, flowering in April. The stem is
erect, bushy, with upright, slender, smooth twigs, very flexible and tough, of
a greyish yellow, not purple, hue. Fertile catkins extremely like those of
»V. 7/elix, but the leaves widely different. A valuable species for the finer
sorts of wickerwork, and for basket-making, bands tor tying faggots,
packets, &c. When cut down, plants make shoots from .5 ft. to 7. ft. long.
There are plants at Hackney, Goldworth, Wobiirn, and Flitwick.
• ¥ 6. £ RU'BRA Huds. The red, or green-leaved, Willow, or Osier.
Identification. Huds. Fl. AngL, p. 428.: Smith's Eng. Bot., t. 1145. ; Wllld. Sp. PI., 4. p. 674. ;
Smith's Eng. Fl., 4. p. 191. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 6. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3., p. 418. ; Mackay's
Fl. Hib., pt. 1. p. 244. ; ? Hayne Abbild., p. 230.
Synonymes. The name rubra seems to be originally given to S. vitelllna, a reddish [? twigged]
variety of which was confounded with S. rubra Huds. (Smith.); S. rfibra, in part, Koch'Comm.,
p. 26. ; S. fissa Hqffm. Sal., 1. p. 61. t. 13, 14. (Smith) ; S. concolor Host Sal. Aust., 1. p. 10. t. 34,
35., from Host's citation of Ray ; S. virescens nil. Dauph., 3. 785. t 51. 30. (Smith) ; S. linearis
Walker's Essays, p. 467., on the authority of Borrer.
The Seres. Both are described in Eng. Fl. ; and the female is figured in Eng. Bot. and Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., t. 1145.; Sal. Wob., No. 6. ; ? Host Sal. Aust, t. 1. t. 34,35.; Villars
Dauph., 3. t. 51. f. 30. (Smith.) ; ? Hayne Abbild., 171. ; and our fig. 6. in p. 1604.
Spec. Char.y $c. Stamens combined below in a manner which affords a cha-
racter in which it differs from all other British kinds of willow, except S.
€rowea«a, and from nearly all the foreign kinds. Mr. Borrer, however, has
observed the same thing occasionally in S.fusca, and in several of the Cinereae.
" Leaves linear-lanceolate, elongate, acute, smooth, with shallow serratures ;
green on both sides. Stigmas ovate, undivided." (Smith E. F.) A native of
Britain (in England, in low meadows and osier holts, as at Maidenhead, &c.,
but rare ; in Scotland, frequent in hedges and osier grounds) ; flowering in
April and May. In its wild state, it forms a small tree. The branches are
long, upright, smooth, greyish or purplish, more frequently tawny, and very
tough and pliant. The leaves are very long and narrow, and agree in
shape with those of the common osier, S. viminalis; but have not, as that
has, dense white pubescence beneath. (Smith.) Koch considers the S. For-
bydna of Smith as a variety of S. rubra ; and states that both are common
about Erlangen, where there is also another variety, which he regards as a
hybrid between S. rubra and S. viminalis. The leaves of this kind, even
when adult, have their under surface covered with a dense silky down, like
those of S. viminalis ; the young shoots bear stipules the length of the
petiole, like those of S. stipularis ; and the catkins resemble those of S. rubra.
There are plants of S. rubra at Hackney, Goldworth, Woburn, Henfield, and
Flitwick. When the plants of this species are cut down, they send out
shoots from 5ft. to 8ft. in length; and it is consequently one of the most
valuable osiers in cultivation, for bands, crates, basketwork or wickerwork,
and even small hoops.
Sfatistfcs. In the garden of the Horticultural Society of Lendon, 10 years planted, it is 12 ft. high ;
at Shepperton, on the Thames, it is 30 ft. high.
App. i. PurpurecE of which Plants have been introduced, but not
9 described.
S. clliptica Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836. Leaves resembling S. tfdlix, but narrower.
App. ii. Purpiireae described by Authors, but not yet introduced,
or of doubtful Identity with Species already in the Country.
S. cdncolpr, mas et fern., Host Sal., 1. p. 10. t. 34,35., Fl. Aust., 2. p. 639.; syn. S. minima
fragilis f7)liis longissimis, &c., Rait Syn., 449. In the Eng. Fl., Ray's species is identified with S
r libra ; but Host's plant may possibly be something different.
>. Hllix, mas et fern., Host Sal., 1. p. 10. t. 36, 37., Fl. Aust., 2. p. 639. This species, Host
observes, when growing among trees, becomes a tall tree ; but under other circumstances is dwarfer
S. oppasitifdlia, mas et fern., Host Sal., 1. p. 11. t. 38, 39., Fl. Aust., 2. p. 640. Host has applied
to this a syn. of Ray, which identifies it with S. HMix L.
S. )>un>>irca, mas et fern., Host Sal., 1. p. 12. t. K), 41., Fl. Aust, 2. p. 640. The catkins resemble
those of the S. purpuroa of British botanists ; and, hence, the two plants may be identical.
<BnV' H°St Sal> L P> 12> l' 4~' 43>* Fl< AUSt'' 2' P' 64°' Vcry diflfercnt fro»i
5 E 4
1494- ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
S. carnidlica, mas et fern., Host Sal., 1. p. 13. t. 44, 45., Fl. Aust, 2. p. 641. Abundant in Car-
niola, where it is used by the inhabitants, for many purposes; such as hedges for small gardens,
meadows, and stony fields. It is also planted on the banks of streams, for fixing by its roots their
sandy or gravelly banks. Tha shoots of the year are very long, unbranched, and tough : when
peeled, they are yellow, and are much used in basket-making. At the time of flowering, many of the
ovaries become wounded by insects, and afterwards much enlarged.
S. mirdbilis, mas, Host Sal., 1. p. 13. t. 46., Fl. Aust, 2. p. 641. Of the catkins upon a plant,
some consist of male flowers only, some of female flowers only, and many of male flowers inter-
mixed with female ones. In some catkins, male flowers occupy the lowest part of the catkin,
and female flowers the remaining part ; and catkins are found which hare the flowers in the
lower and upper part male, and in the intermediate part female. Each flower includes two
distinct stamens, or two connate in the lower part, or connate to near the tip, or often a single
stamen. It is not rare to find filaments devoid of anthers. These anomalies in the flowers of this
species are probably alluded to in the epithet mirabilis.
Group ii. Acutifblia Borrer. (Syn. Pruinosae Koch.)
Willows with dark Bark, covered with a fine Bloom.
Stamens 2, distinct. Tall shrubs, or becoming trees. Bark of the branches
and shoots of a dark colour ; that of the branches suffused with a whitish
matter, which is the character implied by Koch's term Pruinosae. This matter
is easily rubbed off. The bark is internally yellow, as in Group i. Foliage
of a lively green. Leaves lanceolate, acuminately pointed, serrate, glossy;
in many instances, downy when young, subsequently glabrous. Ovary and
capsule sessile, or nearly so. (Koch, Forbes , and observation.)
& ¥ 7. S. ACUTIFO^LIA Willd. The pointed-leaved Willow.
Identification, Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 668. ; Koch Comm., p. 22.
Synonyme. S. yiol&cea Andr. Bot. Rep., t. 581., Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 33., Forbes in Sal.
Wob., No. 25., and of many English collections : but not S. wiolacea Willd.. nor the S. caspica Hort.
(Willd.)
The Sexes. The male is figured in Sal. Wob., and is, perhaps, the 'only one cultivated in British col-
lections. Koch has implied that the female was unknown to him in any state.
Engravings. Andr. Bot. Rep., 581.; Sal. Wob., No. 25. ; and our Jig. 25. in p. 1607.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves linear-lanceolate, acuminated, smooth, with blunt
unequal serratures, glaucous beneath. Catkins of the male about 1 in. long.
(Sal. Wob., p. 49.) It is indigenous to Podolia, according to Besser. (Koch
Comm.) It was introduced into Britain previously to 1810, as Mr. Borrer
saw it growing in St. Andrew's Square, Edinburgh, in that year. In England,
it flowers in March or April, before the expansion of the leaves. It is a
small tree, with dark violet- coloured branches, slender, upright, and co-
vered all over with a whitish powder, like the bloom of a plum. Only
the male plant is in the Woburn salictum. This is a very beautiful species,
well deserving of culture in an ornamental point of view ; and Mr. Forbes
thinks its twigs would be useful for wickerwork. The catkins of the male
are ornamental, but, so far as we have seen, are not numerously produced.
The leaves are rather elegant. Its shoots and roots have the inner part of
the bark, or covering, of a yellow colour, and very bitter flavour; and,
hence, this kind may be eligible for planting upon banks in which rats
burrow. In the Horticultural Society's Garden, in 1835, there was a plant
of this species 15ft. high. There are plants in the Hackney and Gold-
worth arboretums ; and at Woburn Abbey, Flitwick House, and Henfield.
¥ 8. S. DAPHNoVoEs Villars. The Daphne-like Willow.
Identification. VilL Dauph., 3. p. 765., t 50. f. 7., " t. 5. f. 2." as quoted by Host ; Koch Comm.,
p. 23.
Synonymes. S. prae'cox Hoppe in Sturm D. JF7.,1. 25., Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 670., exclusively of the
syn. of Host,' Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 40., Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 26. ; 'S. bigemmis Hoffm.
Germ., 2. p. 260., Sal.,' t. 32. ; S. cinerea Host Sal. Auslr., 1. p. 8. t. 26, 27. Mr. Borrer^in a letter,
has remarked that Smith has erroneously cited, in his Flora Brit., S. daphnoldes Villars as a
synonyrne of S. cinSrea Smith ; and that this has led Koch to cite S. cindrea Smith as a synonyme
of S. rfaphnoldes Villars.
The Sexes. Both sexes are figured in Sal. Wob., and both are described and figured in Host
Sal. Auslr.
Engravings. VilL Dauph., 3. t. 50. f. 7. ?or 3. t. 5. f. 2.; Hoff'm. Sal., t. J2. ; Sal. Wob., No. 26. ;
Host Sal. Aust.i L t. 26, 27. ; our Jig. 1295. ; and Jig. 26. in p. 1608.
CHAP. CIII.
H95
1295
14-96 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART HI.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves broadly lanceolate, and pointed, with glandular ser-
ratures, smooth, glaucous beneath. Catkins appearing before the leaves.
Ovary sessile, ovate, smooth. Style elongated. (Sal. Wob., p. 51.) A
native of Switzerland and the south of France ; flowering at Woburn in
February. Introduced in 1820. It is a rapid-growing tree, with dark
greyish branches, slightly covered with a powder, or bloom, similar to that
of S. acutifolia ; the branches ascending obliquely. The tree at Woburn,
though only four years planted, was, in 1830, nearly 25ft. high. The
catkins appear often in February, from large crimson buds, which dis-
tinguish this species from every other, and make it very ornamental.
There are plants in the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges, and at Flitwick,
and Henfield.
Variation. The buds containing catkins are very large in the autumn; and, in
this state, it is the S. praevcox gemmata Ser. Sal.~exsicc.t No. 83. (Koch
Comm.y p. 23.)
¥ 9. S. POMERA'NICA Willd. The Pomeranian Willow.
Identification. Willd. Enum. Suppl., 66. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 153.
Synonymes. S. rfaphnoldes Villars var., with narrower leaves, and more slender catkins. (Koch
Comm., p. 23.) Mr. Borrer, in his manuscript list of grouped species, has indicated it as being
probably a variety of S. daphno'ides.
The Sexes. The female is described in Sal. Wob.
Spec. Char.y $c. Leaves lanceolate, tapering at both extremities, serrated j
smooth and shining above, glaucous underneath. Stipules ovate, serrated ;
their margins generally revolute. Catkins about 1 in. long. Ovary
ovate, smooth. Style longer than the parted stigmas. (Sal. Wob., p. 281.)
A native of Pomerania. Introduced in 1822, and flowering, in the Woburn
salictum, in February and March. This is a rapid-growing kind, much re-
sembling, in the colour of its branches and its mode of growth, S. praexcox.
The branches are long, smooth, round, shining, and copiously covered with
small yellow dots : the preceding year's shoots are covered with a violet-
coloured powder, similar to that on the shoots of S. prae^cox, and S. acutifolia.
The leaves are about 4 in. long, and nearly 1 in. broad, tapering towards
both extremities, serrated; the serratures somewhat glandular, smooth, and
shining on their upper surface, and glaucous underneath. Footstalks nearly
1 in. long, purplish and villous on their upper side. Catkins appearing be-
fore the leaves, and about 1 in. long. There are plants in the Goldworth
Arboretum, at Woburn Abbey, Henfield, and Flitwick.
Group iii. Tri&ndrfc Borrer. (Syn. y^mygdalinae Koch.}
Osier Willows, with three Stamens in a Flower.
Stamens 3. Leaves lanceolate, approaching to ovate, serrated, glabrous,
having large, rounded, toothed, more or less deciduous, stipules. Flowers
loosely disposed in the catkin. Pistil stalked. Ovary mostly glabrous.
Most of the kinds constitute excellent osiers, and become trees if left to
themselves. (Hook. Br. Fl.y 2d ed., with adaptation.) The kinds may be
denominated, generally, the osiers with 3 stamens in a flower. Most, or all,
when in the state of larger shrubs and trees, have their older bark ex-
foliated in broad patches, in the manner of that of the western and eastern
plane trees (Platanus occidentalis L., and P. orientalis L.). Most or all
are ornamental as shrubs, for their lanceolate, glossy, serrated leaves, and
their flowers.
¥ * 10. S. UNDULAVTA Kochy Hooker. The wavy-leaved Willow.
Identification. Koch Comm., p. 20. ; Hook. Fl. Br., ed. 3., p. 419. ; ? Hayne Abbild., p. 220.
Synonymes. Koch has cited as identical with, or included in, S. undu&ta, the following kinds : —
CHAP. CII1. SALICA'CE-ffi. SA%LJX. 14-97
S. uuduKita Ehrh. Bcytr., 6. p. 101., according to the specific character, but without inspection of
Ehrhartian specimens, Hi/hi. .s>i. /'/., 4. p. fi55. ; ? S. No. ,!S , Trcv. Obs. Hot., p. 18. ; and, as a
variety, .V. lanceolata Smith Eng. Hot., t. 1436., according to an authentic English specimen.
Hooker has deemed identical with .V. undulata of his Rr. F/.,cd. 3., p. 41!)., the kinds now to be
noticed : — .S'. lanceolata .V/w/7// Eng. Hot., t. 14;<J., Eng. /•'/., and Furbcs in Sal. Wob., No. 14.
"Dr. Meyler of (iottingcn lias sent me specimens of the ,S'. undulata of Ehrh., compared with
the Ehrhartian herbarium j and Mr. Borrer is satisfied that they are identical with Smith's S.
lanceolata ; at least, with the Sussex specimens communicated by Mr. Woollgar to him, and
which are probably the same with the females figured in Eng. Hot. Indeed, that station (viz. near
Lewes, in Sussex,) is the only one mentioned by Sir J. E. Smith as English. Mr. Borrer has
received German specimens of S. undulata with silky germens; and these are probably the S. un-
dulata of Saiict. Wob., which differs only in that respect, and in its more wavy leaves, from
our present plant. (Brit. FL, ed. 3., p. 419.)
The St-tes. The female is figured in Sal. Wob , Nos. 13. and 14., and in Eng. Bot., t. 1436. ; and
is described in Eng. Fl. Koch noted that he had seen the female wild and cultivated, but that he
had no knowledge of the male.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., Nos. 13. and 14. ; Eng. Bot., 1. 143(5. ; ? Hayne Abbild., 1. 160. ; out fig. 1296.;
said Jigs. 13 and 14. in p. 1605.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves lanceolate, acuminate through
much of their length, serrulate at the tip, and minutely
crenulate at the base ; at first pubescent, but becoming
glabrous; wavy at the edge, or not. Stipules half-heart-
shaped. Catkin peduncled upon a leafy twiglet. Brae-
tea bearded at the tip. Stamens 3. Capsule ovate-
conical, raore or less pubescent, or glabrous, stalked ; the
stalk twice the length of the gland. Style elongated.
Stigmas bifid. (Koch.) It inhabits the banks of streams,
in the plains and lower valleys in the north of Germanv, and in England.
(Id.)
Varieties.
t & S. u. 2; S. undulata Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 13. — Mr. Forbes
has given the following specific character, or diagnosis, of this kind,
he treating it as a species ; and, as this character may serve to por-
tray its main features, we retain it in application to it, viewed as a
variety. Leaves linear-lanceolate, acuminate, somewhat attenuated
towards the base; wavy, and sharply serrated at their margins.
Ovary sessile, ovate, scarcely downy. Style about half the length
of the linear parted stigmas. (Sal. Wob., p. 25.) Cultivated in the
Dublin Botanic Garden, and flowering in April and May. It is an
upright-growing plant, soon forming a bushy tree, about 10 ft. or
12ft. high, with brown, smooth, round branches, slightly downy
when young, and somewhat angular at the points. Catkins about
1 in. in length, bursting forth with the leaves. " This is a species
very distinct from the above, which is considered to be the S. undu-
lata of Ehrhart ; from which it is readily distinguished by long,
taper-pointed, wavy leaves. I conceive it to be a foreign kind.
I have not observed it in any collection but that contained in the
Dublin Botanic Garden, from which I derived it." (Forbes in Sal.
Wob.) In relation to this kind, Mr. Borrer has remarked in his
list, that, " if S. undulata Forbes, and S. lanceolata Smith and Forbes,
the S. undulata Hooker, are to be regarded as two species, the former
agrees best with Ehrhart's character of his S. undulata." There
are plants in the Hackney and Goldworth arboretums, and at Wo-
burn Abbey, Henfield, and Flit wick House.
Tf * S. u. 3; S. lanceolata Smith Eng. Bot., t. 1436., Eng. Fl.,iv.
p. 168., Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 14.— The following is Smith's
diagnosis of this kind: — Leaves lanceolate, serrated, glabrous, taper-
ing towards each end. Footstalks decurrent. Ovary stalked, ovate,
glabrous. Styles as long as the stigmas. (Smith Eng. Fl.) Smith
has farther noted of its distinctive characters as follows: — "Akin to
»V. triandra Lin. and S. Hoffinanniana Smith. An essential means of
distinction exists in the leaves, which are longer and narrower than
those of S. triandra, or any of its reputed varieties; more pointed
and tapering ; not linear, but truly lanceolate. Footstalks bearing
1498 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
at the summit a pair of glands, or minute leaflets ; not abrupt at the
base, but decurrent, each meeting with a projection of the branch,
tapering downward, and forming a kind of buttress ; which character
is clear and invariable." (Ibid.) There is a plant of S. lanceolata
in the Botanic Garden, Twickenham; and there are also plants
in the Hackney and Goldworth arboretums, and at Henfield and
Flitwick House. Mr. Forbes observes that this sort deserves cultiva-
tion, as the rods are much used for hampers, crates, &c. although
not so well adapted for tying bundles, and for the finer sorts of
wicker work, as the S. triandra.
¥ st S. u. 4-, having the catkins androgynous. S. undulata occurs in this
case. (Koch Comm.,p. 20.)
« 11. S. #IPPOPHAEFOXLIA Thuillier. The Sea-Buckthorn-leaved Willow,
or Osier.
Identification. Thuil. Paris., p. 514. ; Sering. SaL exsicc., No. 44. ; Koch Comm., p. 20. ; Link
Enum.
Synanyme. S. undul&ta Treviranus Obs. Sot., p. 17-, Koch in Regensb. Bot. Zeitung, 1820, p. 511.
S. Aippophaefblia Thuil. is so similar to S. undulata, as to be, perhaps, but a variety of that species.
(Borrer in a letter.)
The Sexes. Both are noticed in the specific character.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaf lanceolate, obsoletely crenulate in a repand manner ;
toothed with glanded teeth, so small as to seem to consist of glands only ;
acuminate through much of its length, downy, eventually glabrous. Stipules
half-heart-shaped. Catkin borne on a leafy peduncle, which is a twiglet.
Bractea hairy. Stamens 2. Capsule ovately conical, tomentose, downy,
or glabrous ; seated on a stalk that is as long as the gland. Style long.
Stigma bifid. (Koch.') Wild in the plains and lower valleys of the Pala-
tinate, Wetteravia, Silesia, and the north of Germany. Treviranus thinks
that this is the true S. undulata of Ehrhart ; " but I," say^s Koch, " have
not been able to find any of its leaves undulated, among many specimens
observed growing wild; but, perhaps, Ehrhart included this in his S.
undulata, to which it is too near akin to be a species distinct from that."
(Id.)
a ¥ 12. S. TRIA'NDRA L. The 3-stamened^ow^ra/ Willow, or Osier.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1442. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 654. , Smith Eng. Bot, t 1435. ; Eng. Fl.
4. p. 166.; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 15. ; Hook. Fl. Br., ed. 3., p. 419. ; Wade's Salices, p. ti. ;
Mackay Fl. Hibern., pt. 1. p. 245. ; ? Hayne Abbild., p. 219.
Synonyme. S. amygdalina, part of, Koch Comm., p. 19.
The Sexes. Both sexes are figured in Eng. Bot. and Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Gmel. Sib., 1. 155. t 34. f. 3. ; ? Hayne A&bild., t. 159. ; Eng. Bot., t. 1435. ; Sal. Wob.,
No. 15. ; our fig. 1297. ; and fig. 15. in p. 1605.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves linear-oblong, serrated, glabrous, rather unequally
sloping at the base. Stamens 3. Ovary stalked, ovate, compressed, gla-
brous. Stigmas nearly sessile. (Smith E. Fl.) Bractea (or scale) clothed
externally with fine, long, spreading, more or less plentiful hairs. (Ibid.)
Bractea glabrous. (Hook. Br. Fl., 3d ed.) Mr. Woollgar used to distin-
guish this species by the dark-barked smooth shoots of the female plant.
The male one he never met with at Lewes. (Ibid.) A native of Britain,
in wet woods and osier grounds, where it forms an upright tree, rising
naturally, when not injured, to the height of 30 ft. Leaves always perfectly
glabrous. This species is extensively cultivated for the long tough rods
which it produces when cut down, which are in frequent use for wicker-
work, hoops, &c. " S. triandra is one of the most valuable osiers. It is
cultivated for white basketwork, producing rods 8 ft. or 9 ft. long, tough
and pliant, even when stripped of their bark, and very durable. They are
cut down every year." (Smith in Eng. Fl.) There are plants in the Gold-
worth arboretum, at Flitwick House, at Henfield, and at Woburn Abbey.
Varieties. Several varieties, if not distinct species, are comprehended under
the name of S. triandra. " Of these, I venture to separate one as a species,
CHAT. CHI.
14-99
1297
by the name of S. HofFmamuVztta." (Ibid.) Mr. Forbes, after describing
the kind that he has adopted as S. triandra, adds, " I have another state
of this, with much larger and broader leaves."
* Y S. ?t. 2. The FrenchWillow,so called, and cultivated, in Sussex, and the
east parts of England. (Ibid.) — Description. " 12ft. to 15ft. high.
Disks of leaves of but half the size of those of the S. triandra de-
scribed by Smith, of a fine bright green. Petioles more slender.
Stipules larger. Catkins large and yellow. Stamens 3 or more,
thrice as long as the bractea. I have not seen the female flowers,
nor am I informed of the peculiar properties of this kind. Mr.
Crowe used to name it S. contorta, and esteem it a doubtful species,
and not supposed to be wild in Britain." (Ibid.) Synon. S.
triandra Curt. Ft. Lond. (Borrer in a letter.) About Lewes,
Sussex, it is confined to the osier-grounds. (Borrer in Hook. Br.
Fl., 2d ed.) This is apparently the S. Hoppeawa Willd., differing
only, according to my specimens from Salzburg, in the notched or
retuse bracteas. (Hooker, ibid.) Smith has quoted the S. triandra
1500 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
Curt. Fl. Lond. as identical with S. Hoffmanniawa Smith ; but has
remarked that it may possibly prove distinct, and that it doubtless
is so from the S. triandra, which he has described. There are plants
at Henfield.
* ¥ Si ?t. 3 Hoppeana; S. andrdgyna Hoppc, quoted in Willd. Sp.
PI., iv. p. 654., under S. Hoppeawa Willd. ; S. Hopped Willd.
Sp. PL, iv. p. 654., Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 2., Hayne Ab-
bild., p. 218. t. 158.; S. triandra androgyna Seringe, quoted in
Hayne Abbild.; S. amygdalina, part of, Koch Comm., p. 18.— Smith,
in his Eng. Fl., iv. p. 167., has incidentally described this, after S.
triandra, as follows : — " S. Hoppearca Willd. is characterised by
having some catkins composed partly of male and partly of female
flowers. Its leaves, though very glaucous beneath, agree nearly with
those of S. triandra, of which species Mr. Sieber, who sent me
specimens from Salzburg, appears to think it a variety." (Smith.)
It is shown, under var. 2, that Hooker deems S. Hoppeana ap-
parently identical with that variety. Introduced in 1820.
* * S. ? t. 4 ; S. triandra undulata Mertcns, incd. — This is an approach
to S. flmygdalina; the twigs are of a yellowish grey as in that kind,
and their young points grooved, but in a less remarkable degree.
Mr. Forster regards this, and not the French willow of the Lewes
basket-makers, as the S. contorta of Mr. Crowe. I have plants of
both sexes from the Lewes osier grounds. (W. B.)
& IB. S. HoFFMANN/,4^ Smith. Hoffmann's Willow, or Osier.
Identification. Smith Eng. Fl., 4. p. 168. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 16. ; Borrer in Eng. Bot. Suppl.,
t. 2620. ; Hook. Br. FL, ed. 3., p. 420.
Synonyme. S. triandra Hqffm. Sal., 1. p. 45. t. 9, 10., 23. f. 2. (Smith] ? exclusively of vars. (Borrer
in Hook. Br. Fl.) S. Hottmanma«« Sm. seems to be the S. tri&ndra of German botanists in
general. (Smith in Eng. Fl., 2. p. 167.)
The Sexes. The male is figured in Eng. Bot Suppl., and in Sal Wob. ; a notice relative to what has
been regarded as the female is given in Engl. Flora.
Engravings. Hoff Sal., 1. 1. 9, 10., and 23. f. 2. ; Sal. Wob., No. 16. ; Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2620. ; and
.fig. 16. in p. 1606.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves ovate-oblong, serrated, smooth, slightly rounded
at the base. Stamens 3. Ovary stalked, ovate, compressed, glabrous.
Stigmas nearly sessile. (Smith E. F.) The male plant is a native of
Britain, on the sides of streams, in Sussex, where it forms a much-
branched shrub, or crooked tree, scarcely ever exceeding 12 ft. high ; flower-
ing in May. Mr. Forbes states that his plant, after having been cultivated
for five years, had not exceeded the height of 5 ft. There are plants in the
Goldworth Arboretum, and at Henfield.
¥ 14. S. ^MYGDA'LINA L. The Almond-leaved Willow, or Osier.
Identification. Li«. Sp. PL, 1443. ; Willd. Sp. PL, p. 656. : Smith Eng. Bot, t. 1636. ; Eng. Fl, 4.
169. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 18. ; Hook Br.
lackay FL Hibern., pt. 1. p. 245.
•.onyme. S. amygdalina, part of, Koch Comm., p. 18.
The Sexes. Both sexes a«e figured in Eng. Bot. and Sal. Wbb.
Engravings. Eng. Bot, 1. 1636. ; Sal. Wob., No. 18. ; our Jig. 1298. ; and Jig. 18. in p. 1606.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves ovate, serrated, glabrous, rounded, and unequal
at the base. Stamens 3. Ovary ovate, compressed, smooth ; its stalks
almost as long as the bractea. Stigmas nearly sessile. Young branches
furrowed. Down of the seeds shorter, and less abundant, than in S. triandra.
Mr. Crowe first accurately compared and distinguished these two by their
leaves. (Smith E. F.) A native of Britain, on the banks of rivers and
ditches, in the eastern counties of England, and in Scotland, where it
forms a tree growing to the height of 20ft. or 30ft.; flowering in April
and May, and, for the second time, in August. " If cut down every year, it
produces rods 6 ft. or 8 ft. long, in considerable plenty, for coarse basket-
work, but not equal to S. triandra when peeled." (Smith.) Among the in-
sects which live upon this species is the Phalae^na anastomosis L., the
CHAP. CHI,
5ANL1X.
1501
1298
1502 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART II J.
Mocca-stone moth (Smith \ 299
and Abbott's Insects, t.
72. ; and our fig. 1299.)
The caterpillars of this
insect appear all collected ^
together in a web spun J
among the leaves. The
larva is of a bright yel-
low, streaked with brown,
and the imago of a pale
brown. The insect is
equally common in Eu-
rope and in America.
There are plants in the
Twickenham Botanic
Garden, and the Hackney
arboretum ; and at Wo-
burn, Henfield, and Flitwick.
± 15. S. VILLARSIA^NA Fliigge et Willd. Villars's Willow, or Osier.
Identification. Fliigge in Litt, quoted in Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 655. ; Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 63. :
Forbes in SaL Wob., No. 17.
Synonymes. S. triandra Villars Delph., 3. p. 76-2. ; S. omygddlina var. Koch Comm., p. 19.
The Sexes. Both sexes are described by Willd. ; the male is figured in Sal. Wob., and is in the
London Horticultural Society's arboretum.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 17. ; and fig. 17. in p. 1606.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves elliptical, rounded at the base, pointed at the tip,
serrated, whitely glaucous beneath. Catkins appearing with the leaves.
Flowers triandrous. Ovary pedicellated, ovate, smooth. Stigmas sessile.
( Willd. and Forbes.) A native of Dauphine, where, according to Willdenow,
it forms a shrub 5 ft. or 6 ft. high, with dark violet-coloured, shining branches;
but, according to the experience of Mr. Forbes, in the Woburn salictum,
it is a handsome upright-growing tree, attaining the height of 12ft. or
14 ft., with the preceding year's branches of a greyish brown colour, and
the young twigs dark brown above, paler beneath, polished, and some-
what angular, or striated, and very brittle. Introduced in 1818. The
male, as observed in the London Horticultural Society's arboretum, in
1835, is an elegant kind, noticeable early in spring for its plentiful blos-
soms, and subsequently for its leaves, which are remarkably neat in their
figure and serrature, and more or less peculiar as compared with those of
kindred kinds. The dark colour of the shoots of the preceding year or
years is also an ornamental feature. There are plants at Woburn Abbey,
Henfield, and Flitwick House.
App. i. Triandrce of which there are Plants in the Country not
described.
S. tenuifolia Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836, and S. tenuifblia G., in the collection at Hackney, appear to be
the same, and near akin to S. lanceolatum ; but are very different from the S. tenuifolia of Smith.
App. ii. Triandrtf described, but not yet introduced^ or of doubt-
ful Identity with Species in the Country.
S. spectdbilis, mas et fern., Host Sal. Aust, 1. p. 1. t. 3, 4., Fl. Aust., 2. p. 632. ; S. semperflDrens,
mas et fern., Host Sal. Aust, 1. p. 2. t 5, 6., Fl. Aust, 2. p. 633. ; S. tenuiflbra, mas et fern., Host
SaL Aust, 1. p. 2. t 7, 8., Fl. Aust, 2. p. 633. ; S. ventista, mas etfem., Host Sal Aust, 1. p. 3. t. 9, 10.,
FL Aust, 2. p. 633. ; S. vdria, mas et fern., Host Sal. Aust, 1. p. 3. t. 11, 12., Fl. Aust, 2. p. 634. ;
S. amygddlina, mas et fern., Host Sal. Aust, 1. p. 4. t. 13, 14., FL Aust., 2. p. 634. ; S. Itgtistrtna, mas
et fern., Host SaL Aust, 1. p. 4. t. 15, 16., Fl. Aust., 2. p. 634. ; S. specibsa, mas et fern., Host Sal.
Aust., 1. p. 5. t. 17., Fl. Aust, 2. p. 635.
I1" A I'. (111. i'ALICA^CEyK. SA'LIX. 1503
Group iv. Pcntandrcc Borrer.
Trees having Flowers with 3 — 5 Stamens.
Ski
Stamens in a flower more than 3, in most instances 5. Ovary glabrous.
The plants trees of moderate size. Leaves large, glossy, fragrant, serrated,
and having glands in the serratures, from which a resin exudes. Stamens
in each catkin so numerous and long, as to render the flowers, which, too,
are in perfection at the same time as the foliage, quite handsome, and the
trees, in this condition, more ornamental than those of any other group.
(Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 2., with adaptation.)
5 16. S. PENTA'NDRA L. The five-stamened^oweratf Willow.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 1442. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 658. ; Hayne Abbild., p. 221. ; Smith Eng.
Bot.,t. 1805.; Eng. Fl.,4. p. 171.; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 34. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. J., p. 420. ;
Wade's Salices, p. 36. ; Mackay Fl. Hibern., pt. I. p. 246. ; Host Sal. Austr., 1. p. 1.
Synonymes. S. pentftndra, part of, Koch, Comm., p. 13. ; the sweet Willow, or Bay-leaved Willow.
The Sexes. Both sexes are figured in Sal. Wob. and Hayne's/M6/M., and the male in Eng. Bot.t
with two views of an ovary. Both sexes are figured in Host's Hal. A'istr.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., L 1805. ; Hayne Abbild., t. 161. ; Sal. Wob., No. 34. ; Host Sal. Austr., 1.
t'. 1. f. 2. ; our Jig. 1299. a ; and Jig. ;54. in p. 1610.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves ovate, pointed, crenate, glandular, glabrous. Foot-
stalks glandular at the summit. Stamens 5 or more, hairy at the base.
Ovary ovate, tapering, smooth, nearly sessile. (Sal. Wob.y p. 67.) A native
of Britain, on the banks of rivers and watery places ; ^
most frequent in the north. In 1804, this, and five or v
six other distinct sorts were abundant on the banks of \S
Gogar Burn, near Edinburgh, between Gogar House
and the junction of the burn with the river Almond.
It forms an upright tree, 18ft. or 20ft. high, with
smooth shining branches, and large, copious, shining
foliage, so as to give the plant, in the summer season,
the appearance of an evergreen. It is one of the latest-
flowering willows, the flower seldom expanding till
the beginning of June. The flowers are remarkably
fragrant, as are the leaves, especially when bruised :
the fragrance, which is similar to that of the sweet
bay (Laurus nobilis), but less powerful, is exuded 1299 a
from the resinous notches of the leaves, and from the barren catkins. It is one
of the most desirable species of the genus for planting in pleasure-grounds, on
account of the fine display made by the blossoms, their abundant fragrance
the smooth, shining, rich deep green of the leaves, and the comparatively
slow growth and compact habit of the tree. Mr. Forbes states that, when
cut down, this species produces tough flexible rods, fit for basketwork ;
but, in a wild state, on the banks of Gogar Burn, where its five or six other
sorts were periodically cut down for basketwork and for hoops, the shoots
of S. pentiindra were considered rather short and brittle, as compared with
those of the others. Phalae'na typicoides, the Gothic moth, which, Donovan
(in his Insects, &c., vol. xv. p. 2. pi. 505.) says, is much esteemed by col-
lectors in Britain, on account of its scarceness, inhabits this willow. Not-
withstanding its being generally rare, it appears that it was seen in 1826, in
Cheshire, in immense quantities, during a thunder storm. (See Mag. Nat.
Hist., vol. iii., p. 404.) There are several plants in the Horticultural Society's'
Garden, which, in 1834, after having been 10 years planted, were from
15 ft. to 18 ft. high ; and others in the Hackney and Gold worth arboretums
and at Flitwick, Henfield, and Woburn.
Variety.
*t S. p. 2 hcrmnphroditica ; S. hcrmaphroditica Lin. Sp. PL, p. M42.,
O F
1504 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
Wahlenb. Flora Ups., according to Koch Comm., p. 14., Smith in
Bees' s Cyclo., No. 1. — The catkins bearing rarely male flowers and
female ones, and some of the stamens being changed into monstrous
pistils.
$ 17. S. MEVERIA^NA Willd. Meyer's Willow.
Identification. Willd. Berl. Baumz., p. 427. ; Hayne Abbild., p. 222. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 33. ;
Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3., p. 421.
Synoni/mes. Koch, in his Comm., p. 14., has presented the following: — "S. cuspidata Schultz Fl.
Starg. Suppl., p. 47. ; S. tinctbria Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 13. ; S. pentandra j3 Linn. Fl. Suec.,
according to Smith ; S. hexandra Efirfi. Arb., 140. ; S. EhrhartzVJwa Smith in Rees's Cyclopedia."
Koch has adopted the name S. cuspidata Schultz. S. tetr&ndra Willd. is quoted as synonymous
in Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3.
The Sexes. The male is figured in Hayne's Abbild., and described and figured in Sal. Wob., unless
some mistake as to the kind has occurred : see Borrer, below. The female is mentioned in. Koch's
Com., and Hooker's Br. Fl., ed. 3., p. 421.
Engravings. Hayne Abbild., t. 162. ; Sal. Wob., No. 33., with a doubt, at least, as to the flower-
bearing specimen j our Jig. 1300.; and fig. 33. in p. 1610.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves ovate-elliptic, pointed, glabrous, green, and shining
above, rather pale beneath, but not glaucous, serrated ; the serratures of
the young leaves glandular. Stipules soon falling off. Stamens 3 — 4.
Bractea obtuse, yellow. (Sal. Wob., p. 65.) Koch has stated the geogra-
phic distribution of S. cuspidata Schultz, to which he refers the S. Meyeriawa
Willd., to be Pomerania and Sweden, in meadows, and woody and marshy
places. Germany is given as the native country of this kind in our Hortus
Britannicus, and in Sweet's : and the date of its introduction into Britain is, in
the former, 1822 ; in the latter, 1823. Mr. Borrer states that the insertion of
this kind in Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3., as a native of Britain, arose from a mistake
of his. (See Borrer in Comp. to Bot. Mag., p. 225.) It forms a handsome-
growing tree, with brownish smooth branches, which are slightly warty ; and
large, broad, shining leaves, somewhat unequal, and obtuse at the base, often
broadest above the middle : of an ovate-elliptic shape, pointed ; green,
smooth, and shining above; pale, but not glaucous, beneath; strongly serrated,
and the serratures of the younger leaves furnished with glands. Nearly
allied to S. lucida, which, however, has smaller leaver, and longer, more
slender, catkins. It flowers in April. S. Meyeriawa is a desirable kind
of willow for introducing into ornamental plantations of the coarser kind,
as it grows quickly, and has large shining leaves, and the catkins of
flowers of the male are ornamental. It assimilates to S. pentandra in its
flowers, but is obviously distinct from that kind when the two are seen
growing near together. It is of freer growth, is more robust, and its leaves
are longer, narrower, and more shining. Mr. Borrer has communicated
the following remarks relative to the figure of S. Meyendna, given in Sal.
Wob., No. 33.: — " I never saw the catkins sessile, as represented in Sal.
Wob., t. 33., but always on leafy stalks, as in S. lucida, t. 32. Possibly the
two figures represent the same species. In American specimens of S. lucida
Muhl. and Willd., there is some silkiness on the young leaves. Still they
may be of the same species as S. Meyeridna ; and, if so, S. lucida is the
older name." There are plants at Woburn Abbey, at Henfield, and at Flit-
wick House, the latter of which are 13 ft. high.
*t 18. S. LU^CIDA Mitiilenb. The shining-leaved Willow.
Identification. Muhlenb. Nov. Act. Soc. Nat. Scrut. Berol, 4. p. 239. t. 6. f. 7. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4.
667. ; Muhlenb. Sims et Kon. Ann. of Bot., 2. 66. t. 5. f. 7. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. fi!5. ;
Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 32.; Michx. North Amer. Sylva, 3. p. 81. ; ? Forbes in Sal. Wob.,
No. 32., who has quoted Willd. with doubt.
Synonymes. S. Forbds« Sweet Hort. Brit., ed. 1830 ; where it is stated to be not the S. lucida of
others, and where the S. lucida of Spreng. Syst., which is the S. lucida Muhlenb., is registered
besides.
The Sexes. The male is described and figured in Sal. Wob., and noticed below, in the specific
character.
Engravings. Nov. Act. Soc. Nat. Scrut. Berol., 4. t. 6. f. 7. ; Sims et Kon. Ann. of Bot, 2. t. 5. f. 7. ;
Michx. North Amer. Sylva, 3. t. 125. f. 3. ; ? Sal. Wob., 32. ; our fig. 1301. ; and fig. 32. in p. 1610.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves ovate, acuminate, serrated, glabrous ; shining above, pale
beneath; the serratures resinous. Footstalks glandular Stipules large,
half-heart-shaped, serrated, and furnished with glands. Catkins of the male
CHAP. cm.
8ALICACE.C.
1300
1506
ARBORETUM AND 1-KUTICETUM.
1301
I'AKT 111
l£in. long, or more. Stamens 3—5, bearded at the base. (Sal. Wob.,
p. 63.) Mr. Forbes believes that the kind which he has elucidated is a
native of Switzerland ; but the S. lucida Muhlcnb. is a native of North
America ; and this may be one reason, at least, why Mr. Sweet distinguished
the plants of the two countries as of two species, as shown under Synonymes,
above. S. lucida of the Salictum Woburnensc forms a handsome low-growing
tree, with the branches of the preceding year of a greyish green colour, and
smooth : the young twigs are of a yellowish green, somewhat striated, or
angular, at the points. It flowers in April and May, and " appears a good
CHAP. CHI. SALlCA^CEdS. £A*LIX. 1507
basket willow." Mr. Forbes received it from Messrs. Loddiges, under the
name of S. Meyeridna ; which species, he says, is readily distinguished from
S. liicida by its much larger leaves, and shorter obtuse catkins. There are
plants in the Goldworth Arboretum, and in the salictum at Woburn.
Group v. Fragiles Borrer.
Trees, with their Twigs mostly brittle at the Joint*.
Stamens 2 to a flower. Ovary glabrous, elongated, seated upon a more or
less obvious stalk. Flowers very loosely disposed in the catkin. Leaves
lanceolate, serrated, glabrous, stipuled. The plants, trees of considerable
size. (Hook. Br. Ft., ed. 2., adapted.)
¥ 19. S. BABYLO'NICA. The Babylonian, or weeping, Willow.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1443. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 671. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 42. : Forbes
in SaL \Vob., No. 2^. ; Koch Comm.,p. 17., note; Pursh H. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 614.
Synonymes. S. prop^ndens Sering. Sal. Hel., p. 7.3. (Koch) ; S. orientalis, &c., Tourn. \ S. ar&bica,
&c., C. Bauh. ; Saule pleureur, Parasol du grand Seigneur, Fr. ; Trauer Weide, T^hranen Weide,
Ger.
The Sexes. The female is figured in Sal. Wob. ; the male is not known, in a living state, in Britain ;
unless it be S. b. Napolebno, as suggested in p. 1513.
Engravings. Rauw. It., 25. 183. ; Sal. Wob., No. 22. ; our Jig. 22. in p. 1607. ; and the plates of this
tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves lanceolate, acuminate, finely serrated, glabrous ;
glaucous beneath. Catkins protruded at the same time as the leaves.
Ovary ovate, sessile, glabrous. (Willd. Sp. PL, 4 p. 671.) A native of
Asia, on the banks of the Euphrates, near Babylon, whence its name ; and
also of China, and other parts of Asia ; and of Egypt, and other parts of
the north of Africa. It is said to have been first brought into England by
Mr. Vernon, a merchant at Aleppo, who sent it to his seat at Twickenham
Park, at about 1730, where it was seen growing by the celebrated Peter
Collinson, in 1748. In the Hortus Kewensis, the date of its introduction is
given as 1692; but no particulars are stated respecting it. Delille, in
a note to his UHomme des Champs, says that Tournefort first introduced
it into Europe ; and some authors, on the authority of the St. James's
Chronicle for August, 1801, assert that Pope introduced it into England,
and that his favourite tree at Twickenham was the first planted in this
country. The story is, that Pope, happening to be with Lady Suffolk,
when that lady received a present from Spain, or, according to some, from
Turkey, observed that some of the pieces of withy bound round it appeared
as though they would vegetate ; and, taking them up said, " Perhaps these
may produce something that we have not in England." Whereupon, the
story adds, he planted one of them in his garden at Twickenham ; which
became the weeping willow, afterwards so celebrated. This paper was
published about the time that Pope's willow was cut down, because the
possessor of his villa was annoyed by persons asking to see it. The most
probable of these stories appears to be, that the tree was brought to
Europe by Tournefort. It is now universally cultivated wherever it will
stand the open air, not only in Europe, but in Asia, and in the civilised
parts of Africa : it is also a great favourite in North America. That this
tree is a favourite one in China, and also very common in that country,
appears from the frequent representations of it that are found on porcelain,
tea-chests, &c. It is also pictured in a view of the village of Tonnan, drawn
by John Nicohotf, July 3. 1655, on his way to Pekin, with the embassy
which the Dutch sent to the Emperor of China in that year. (Syl. Flor., 2.
p. 265.) That the Chinese use it in their planted garden scenery, along
with other ornamental trees, is evident, from the published views of the
5 F 3
1 308
ARBORETUM AND FRUTJCETUM.
1302
PART 111,
CHAP. cm. SALICA'CE*:. SA^LIX. 1509
gardens and villas of Canton, and other places in China. Fig. 1302., which
is reduced from a drawing kindly lent us by Sir G. T. Staunton, shows
part of the villa of Conseqna, who had one of the finest gardens in Canton
about the year 1812, when the drawing was taken. A large weeping willow
is shown in the left of the picture, two or more in the middle, and one on
the right, as if placed on a balcony ; or perhaps growing through it from
the conservatory below. The Chinese employ the weeping willow also in
their cemeteries, as appears from^g. 1304., reduced from a plate in Dobell's
Travels, which represents the cemetery of the Vale of Tombs, near the lake
See Hoo. All the prints of Chinese objects, indeed, concur in showing that
the weeping willow is one of the most generally admired trees in China. It is
common in gardens in the neighbourhood of Algiers, and in burial-grounds
throughout Turkey, and great part of the west of Asia. In many countries,
particularly in France and Germany, it appears to have taken the place of the
cypress, as a tree for planting in cemeteries ; and the reasons why it is pre-
ferred for this purpose are thus given by Poiret in the Nouveau Du Hamelt —
" The cypress was long considered as the appropriate ornament of the ceme-
tery ; but its gloomy shade among the tombs, and its thick heavy foliage
of the darkest green, inspire only depressing thoughts, and present death
under its most appalling image. The weeping willow, on the contrary,
rather conveys a picture of the grief felt for the loss of the departed, than
of the darkness of the grave. Its light and elegant foliage flows like the
dishevelled hair and graceful drapery of a sculptured mourner over a sepul-
chral urn ; and conveys those soothing, though softly melancholy, reflections,
which have made one of our poets exclaim,* There is a pleasure even in grief/"
Notwithstanding the preference thus given to the willow, the shape of the
cypress, conveying, to a fanciful mind, the idea of a flame pointing upwards,
has been supposed to afford an emblem of the hope of immortality, and is
still planted in many churchyards on the Continent, and alluded to in
epitaphs under this light. In many of the churchyards of Germany, both
emblems are combined; the Lombardy poplar being substituted for the
cypress; as, indeed, we are informed it is in many of the cemeteries in
Turkey and Persia. Fig. 1303. represents a churchyard in Baden, called the
1303
Oehlberg (Mount of Olives), where the two trees are both planted, so as
to produce a very pleasing effect.
Much has, of late years, been said respecting a weeping willow in the
Island of St. Helena, supposed to overhang the tomb of Napoleon. Accord-
5 F 4
1510
ARBORETUM AND FBUT1CETUM.
1304
PART 111,
l MAI'. CHI. .YAUCA%CE;E. SAMJX. 1511
ing to some, this is a distinct species, indigenous to the island; and others
even assert that it is not a willow at all. Being anxious to procure correct
information as to the tree at St. Helena, we sent a letter to the Morning
Chronicle, which appeared in that journal on Sept. 5. 1836. We received
a great many answers ; some dried specimens ; a number of drawings and
engravings, either lent or given ; and one living plant. The result of the
whole, as far as it is worth, making public, is as follows: — No species of
willow is indigenous to St. Helena; but about 1810, or before, when
General Beatson was governor there, he, being fond of planting, had a great
many forest trees and shrubs introduced from Britain ; and though, as
appears by the St. Helena Gazette for 1811-12, he had the greatest diffi-
culty in preserving his plantations from the numerous goats which abounded
in the island, yet several of the trees survived, and attained a timber-like
size. Among these was the tree of *Salix babylonica, which has since been
called Napoleon's willow. This tree grew among other trees, on the side
of a valley near a spring ; and, having attracted the notice of Napoleon, he
had a seat placed under it, and used to go and sit there very frequently,
and have water brought to him from the adjoining fountain. About the time
of Napoleon's death, in 1821, a storm, it is said, shattered the willow in
pieces ; and, after the interment of the emperor, Madame Bertram! planted
several cuttings of this tree on the outside of the railing which surrounds
the grave ; and placed within it, on the stone, several flower-pots with
heartsease and forget-me-not. In 1828, we are informed, the willows
were found in a dying state ; and twenty-eight young ones were, in conse-
quence, placed near the tomb, which was at that time surrounded with a
profusion of scarlet-blossomed pelargoniums. A correspondent, who was at
St. Helena in 1834, says one of the willows was then in a flourishing con-
dition ; but another, who was there in 1835, describes it as going fast to
decay, owing to the number of pieces carried away by visitors. In what
year a cutting from this willow was brought to England for the first time
we have not been able to ascertain; but it appears probable that it
may have been in the year 1823, and that one of the oldest plants is that
in the garden of the Roebuck tavern on Richmond Hill, which, as it appears
by the inscription on a white marble tablet affixed to it, was taken from
the tree in that year. Since that period, it has become fashionable to
possess a plant of the true Napoleon's willow ; and, in consequence, a great
many cuttings have been imported, and a number of plants sold by the
London nurserymen. There are now trees of it in a great many places.
There is a handsome small one in the Horticultural Society's Garden ; one
at Kew ; several at Messrs. Loddiges's ; some in the Twickenham Botanic
Garden ; one in the garden of Captain Stevens, Beaumont Square, Mile
End ; one in the garden of Mr. Knight, at Canonbury Place, Islington,
brought over in 1824; one in the garden of No. 2. Lee Place, Lewisham,
Kent ; one in the garden of No. 1. Porchester Terrace; one in the garden
of S. C. Hall, Esq., Elm Grove, Kensington Gravel Pits; one, a very
flourishing and large tree, in the garden of Mrs. Lawrence, Drayton Green ;
one at Clayton Priory, near Brighton; one at Allesley Rectory, near Co-
ventry; several at Chatsworth ; and there are various others in the neigh-
bourhood of London, and in different parts of the country. In ornamental
plantations, the weeping willow has the most harmonious effect when in-
troduced among trees of shapes as unusual as its own ; partly of the same
kind, as the weeping birch, and partly of contrasted forms, as the Lombardy
poplar ; and the effect of these three trees is always good when accom-
panied by water, either in a lake, as in Jig. 1305., or in a stream and water-
tall, as in Jig. 1306. Both these views are of scenery in the park at Monza.
(See E 'net/ c. of Gard., ed. 1835, p. 36.) Fig. 1037. is an example of the use
of trees having drooping branches, and others having vertical branches, such
as the Lombardy poplar, in contrasting with and harmonising horizontal lines.
(Sft> (ward. Jfag., vol. i. p. 117.) For further remarks on the use of the
1512
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
1305
PART III,
weeping willow along with the Lombardy poplar, see Populus fastigiata in
a future page.
A large weeping willow, in a scene in which there are no other trees at all
harmonising with it by their form, however beautiful it may be in itself, always
more or less injures the landscape. In Gilpin's Forest Scenery^ he remarks
that the " weeping willow is a very picturesque tree, and a perfect contrast
to the Lombardy poplar. The light airy spray of the poplar," he adds,
1806
^(ip, .vfVY-.
: rvdvyigq&iik
" rises perpendicularly : that of the weeping willow is pendent. The shape of
its leaf is conformable to the pensile character of the tree ; and its spray,
which is lighter than that of the poplar, is more easily put in motion by a
breath of air. The weeping willow, however, is not adapted to sublime
subjects. We wish it not to screen the broken buttresses and Gothic windows
of an abbey, or to overshadow the battlements of a ruined castle. These
offices it resigns to the oak, whose dignity can support them. The weeping
willow seeks an humbler scene ; some romantic footpath bridge, which it
half conceals, or some glassy pond, over which it hangs its streaming foliage, —
CHAP. an.
ffALlCACRJB. SA^LIX.
1307
1513
' and dips
Its pendent boughs, stooping as if to drink.' COWPER.
In these situations it appears in character, and, of course, to advantage."
Sir Thomas Dick Lauder remarks on this tree, that it is a native of the
East, and that interesting associations are awakened in conjunction with it
by that very beautiful Psalm, " By the waters of Babylon we sat down
and wept, when we remembered thee, O Sion ! As for our harps, we
hanged them up upon the willow trees that are therein." (Psalm 137.) " The
tender and melancholy recollections of the captive children of Israel, when
taken in conjunction with this tree," he adds, " are of themselves sufficient
to give it an interest in every human bosom that may have been touched by
the strains of the Psalmist." (Lander's Gilpin, vol. i. p. 135.)
The weeping willow roots freely by cuttings, and grows with great ra-
pidity in a rich soil, within reach of water, in the climate of London ; but,
in the north, the young shoots are very apt to be killed by frost. These
shoots are brittle, and neither they nor the wood are ever applied to any
useful purpose. The weeping willow is particularly subject to the attacks
of the Curculio lapathi Lin., Cryptorhynchus Fab., and other insects, as
already pointed out in our general view of the genus 5alix. (p. 1478.)
A curious instance is given in the Gardener's Magazine, vol. ix. p. 267.,
of a weeping willow in the Botanic Garden at Carlsruhe. This willow,
which was planted in 1787, was nearly thrown down by a storm in 18 16;
and, in consequence of the injury it received, one branch was cut off,
and an oaken prop was put under the other, as represented in Jig. 1308.
a. The willow sent down a root under the decayed bark of the oaken
prop. This root in 1829, when we saw it, being increased to about the
thickness of a man's arm, had burst from the bark ; which being removed
the root stood alone, as shown at b ; and we are informed that it has since
so increased in size and strength as to render the oaken prop unnecessary.
Varieties. There is one very decided variety, commonly treated as a species,
under the name of S. annularis ; and Mr. Castles of the Twickenham Bo-
tanic Garden is of opinion that, exclusive of this variety, there are two
forms of the species in the country, one of which he thinks may pos-
sibly be the male plant. This form, as it appears to be the same as the
plant sent from St. Helena, we shall, till something further has been de-
cided respecting it, call it S. b. Napoleona. The varieties will, therefore,
stand as under : —
1514-
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
1308
S. b. 1 vulgdris foem. Hort. has pale green young shoots, slender, with
an angular twist above the axil of each leaf, and large stipules. It
is the most common weeping willow in the neighbourhood of London,
and flowers in June.
^ S. b. 2 Napoleons. Hort. has round shoots, generally reddish, and the
leaves are without stipules. It is of very vigorous growth ; and there
" are a number of plants of this kind in a brickfield close to the
Lunatic Asylum at Hanwell; one at the Marsh Gate, Richmond,
near the Poorhouse ; and one at the Ferry, near Ham House. Mr.
Castles' s son, Mr. George Castles, says there are also some by the
canal side, near Brentford." The tree at Richmond, when measured
for us in November 1836, was 60 ft. high, and the diameter of the
trunk was 3 ft. 3 in.
3f S. b. 3 crixpa Hort.; S. annularis Forbes in Sal. Wob.y No. 21.,
with a fig. of the female; our Jig. 21. in p. 1606. ; and the plate of
this tree in our last Volume. The ring-leaved Willow. — Leaves lan-
ceolate, acuminate, serrated, curled, or twisted, glabrous, and glaucous
beneath. Young twigs erect, pubescent at the points. Stipules
half-heart-shaped. Ovary ovate, glabrous, and sessile. Stigmas
notched. (Sal. Wob.y p. 41.) The preceding year's branches are
pendulous. A garden production, of uncertain origin, easily dis-
tinguished from the common weeping willow (S. babylonica), by the
crowded mass of its young twigs, and its curled leaves. The tree
does not appear as though it would attain the same height as the
species. The catkins of the ring-leaved willow appear in May.
The plant of this variety in the Horticultural Society's Garden, and
figured in our last Volume, was, in 1834, 17 ft. high.
Statistics of the Species. Salix babyldnica in the Environs of London. There are many immense
trees on the banks of the Thames, and in villa gardens where the soil is moist, from 50 ft. to 60 ft.
high, with heads 60 ft. or 80 ft. in diameter. In the Horticultural Society's Garden, in 1834, two
trees, 8 years planted, were 18 ft. high. At Mount Grove, Hampstead, 4 years planted, it is 12 ft. high.
Sa/i> babylonica South of London. In Devonshire, in Bystock Park, 12 years planted, it is 24 ft.
high ; at Endsleigh Cottage, 10 years planted, 20 ft. high. In Dorsetshire, at Melbury Park, 20 years
CHAP. cm. ,s M.ICA^CEA:. SA^LIX.. 1515
planted, it is 31 ft. high. In the Isle of Jersey, in Saunders's Nursery, 10 years planted, it is 30 ft.
high. In Somersetshire, at Nettlecombe, 24 years planted, it is .'54 ft. high. In Surrey, at Claremont,
it is ;jo ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. !» in., and of the head 45 ft.
S,///r I>iibi/I6niai \orf/t of London. In Yorkshire, at Hear Wood, 10 years planted, it is 20ft. high.
In Buckinghamshire, at Temple House, 40 years planted, it is 30 ft." high. In Denbighshire, at
f.'.aiibede Hall, 44 years planted, it is :>4 ft. high. In Oxfordshire, in the Oxford Botanic Garden,
1'J years planted, if is JO ft. high. In Pembrokeshire, at Golden Grove, 50 years planted, it is 20 ft.
high ; the diameter of the trunk'l^ ft, and of the head 20 rt. In Radnorshire, at Maeslaugh Castle, 50
years planted, it is 42 ft. high. In Suffolk, in the Bury Botanic Garden, 10 years planted, it is 2(5 ft.
high ; at Finborough Hall, 70 years planted, it is 70 ft, high ; the diameter of the trunk 3i ft., and of
the head 54 ft. In Warwickshire, at Combe Abbey, 10 years planted, it is 24 ft. high. In Worcester-
shire, at Hagley, 10 years planted, it is 20 ft. high ; at Croome, 70 years planted, it is 50ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk 2ft., and of the head 30ft. In Yorkshire, at Grimston, 30 years planted, it is
25 ft. high.
S/I//.T babijlonica in Scotland. At Hopetoun House, near Edinburgh, 1(5 years planted, it is 20 ft.
high ; the diameter of the trunk 8 in., and of the head 24 ft. In Fifeshire, at Danibristle Park, 10
years planted, it is 8 ft. high. In Perthshire, at Taymouth, 3f> years planted, it is 70 ft. high ; the
diameter of the trunk 3$ ft., and of the head 60ft. In Stirlingshire, at Callender Park, 5 years planted,
it is If) ft. high.
Sfilir baby!6nica in Ireland. Near Dublin, at Terenure, 50 years planted, it is 35 ft high. In Galway,
at Coole, it. is 50 ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk 2$ ft, and of the head 60 ft.
Sali* babt/l6nica in Foreign Countries. In France, near Paris, at Sc<-aux, 40 years planted,
it is 50ft. high; the diameter of the trunk 3ft., and of the head 60ft. In Austria, at Vienna,
in the University Botanic Garden, 50 years planted, it is 20 ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk
10 in., and of the head 12 ft. : in Baron Loudon's garden, at Hadersdorf, near the tomb of the
celebrated Marshal Loudon, 12 years planted, it is 14 ft. high : at Briick on the Leytha, 50 years
planted, it is 49ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk 3 ft., and of the head 48ft. In Prussia, near
Berlin, at Sans Souci, 40 years old, it is 24 ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk 9 in., of the head 7 ft.
In the south of Russia, the tree is met with in the gardens of some noblemen, and in the govern-
ment garden at Nikitka In Italy it is frequent. In the burial-grounds of Turkey it is common ;
and it may be found in various parts of India, and even in China. It is commoner in almost every
other country than in its native habitat, the banks of the Euphrates.
3f 20. S. DECI'PIENS Hojfm. The deceptive, White Welch, or varnished,
Willow.
Identification. Hoff. Sal., 2. p. 2. t. 31. ; Sm. Eng. Bot, t. 1937. ; Rees's Cyclo., No. 37. ; Engl. FL, 4.
p. 184. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 29. ; Hook. Br. Fl., cd. 3. ; Mackay Fl. Hibern., pt. 1. p. 246.
Synonymes. S. amerlna Walker Essays on Nat. Hist. ; S. fragilis, part of, Koch Comm., p. 15.
The Seres. Both sexes are described in Eng. Fl. : the male is figured in Eng. Bot. and Sal. Wob.
" I am only acquainted with the sterile plant." (Hook. Br. Fl.)
Engravings. Hoffm. Sal., 2. t. 31. ; Eng. Bot., t. 1937. ; SaL Wob., No. 29. ; OUT fig. 1309. ; and fig. 29.
p. 1609.
Spec. Char., 8?c. Leaves lanceolate, pointed, serrated, very smooth ; floral
ones partly obovate and recurved. Footstalks somewhat glandular. Ovary
tapering, stalked, smooth. Style longer than the cloven stigmas. Branches
smooth, highly polished. (Sal. Wob., p. 57.) A native
of Britain, growing plentifully in woods and hedges ;
and flowering in May. According to Pursh, it grows
in North America, on road sides and about plantations ;
but was introduced from Europe. (Fl. Amer. Sept.)
It forms an upright, but not lofty, tree, distinguished by
the smooth clay-coloured bark of the last year's
branches, which shine like porcelain, as if varnished ;
the shoots of the present year being stained of a fine
red or crimson. This species is frequently cultivated
for basketwork ; and, when planted in moist ground,
it produces annual snoots 6 ft. or 8 ft. in length, when cut down j but, in
a few years, these gradually become shorter, and the plant ceases to be
worth cultivating. The crimson colour of its twigs, in this state, readily
distinguishes it from every other species ; though it is often confounded with
S. fragilis. *A tree in the Horticultural Society's Garden was, in 1834, after
being ten years planted, 14 ft. high.
Statistics. In Oxfordshire, on the! banks of the Cherwell, in Christ Church Meadow, a tree
estimated to be of 40 years' growth, is 40 ft high ; the diameter of the trunk 3 ft,, and of the head*
60ft. There are plants in the Hackney and Goldworth arboretums, and at Hen field.
¥ 21. S. MONTANA Forbes. The Mountain Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 19.
The Sexes. The female is figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 19. ; and our fig. 19. in p. 1606.
Spec. Char., tyc. Leaves lanceolate, with long, narrow, tapering points; glau-
cous, and slightly hairy beneath ; margins closely serrated. Branches yellow.
Catkins accompanying the leaves. Ovary nearly sessile, ovate-lanceolate,
1516
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
glabrous. Styles scarcely so long as the notched stigmas. (Sal. Wob., p. 37.)
A native of Switzerland, where it forms an upright-growing tree, much re-
sembling S. vitellina, both in twigs and foliage. Catkins accompanying the
leaves, or appearing immediately after their expansion in May and June,
and nearly 2 in. long. According to Mr. Forbes, this species deserves cul-
tivation for the sake of its twigs and rods, which are little, if at all, inferior
to those of S. vitellina for tying, and for the finer sorts of wickerwork,
baskets, &c. There are plants in the Gold worth Arboretum, and also at
Woburn Abbey and Flitwick House.
3f 22. S FRA'GILIS L. The brittle-twigged, or Crack, Willow.
Identification Lin. Sp. PI., 1443. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4 p. 669. ; Smith Eng. Bot, t. 1807. ; Eng. FL, 4.
P. 1804 ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 27. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3., p. 421.; Mackay FL Hibern., pt. 1.
p. 246.
Syncn^me. S. fragilis, in part, Koch Comm., p. 15.
The Sexes. Both sexes are figured in Eng. Bot. and Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Lin. Fl. Lapp., No. 349. t. 8. f. b. ; Eng. Bot.t. 1807. ; Sal. Wob., No. 27. ; OUT Jig. 1310.;
/g. 27. in p. 1608. ; and the plate of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, pointed, serrated throughout, very
glabrous. Footstalks glandular. Ovary ovate, abrupt, nearly sessile, gla-
brous. Bracteas oblong, about equal to the stamens and pistils. Stigmas
cloven, longer than the style. (Smith E. F.) A native of Britain, and
frequent on the banks of rivers in marshy ground ; flowering in April and
May. A tall bushy-headed tree, sometimes found from 80 ft. to 90 ft. in
height, with the branches set on obliquely, somewhat crossing each other,
not continued in a straight line outwards from the trunk ; by which cha-
racter, Sir J. E. Smith observes, it may readily be distinguished even in
winter. The branches are round, very smooth, " and so brittle at the base,
in spring, that with the slightest blow they start from the trunk." Whence
the name of crack willow; though, according to Sir J. E. Smith, this "is
more or less the case with S. decfpiens, and several other willows, both
native and exotic." Many medical properties were formerly attributed to
CHAP. CIII. -S-ALICA^EJE. SALIX. 1517
this tree; but Sir J. E. Smith (in his Eng. Ft., vol. iv. p. 186.) says that
they belong, probably, to S. Russellmna. The roots, however, of S. fragilis
are used, in Sweden, to boil with eggs, to make them of a purple colour, at
Easter ; it being the custom there, as in many other countries, to make
presents of coloured eggs at that festival. A similar custom is said to have
prevailed anciently in Scotland. " The withy, or Salix fragilis," says
Gilpin, " is of little value in landscape ; and yet there is something beautiful
in its silver-coated catkins, which open, as the year advances, into elegant
hanging tufts, and, when the tree is large and in full bloom, make a beautiful
variety among the early productions of the spring." (Gilp. For. Seen.) For
the properties and uses of this species as a timber tree, see p. 1460.
Statistics. In the environs of London, on the banks of the Thames, near Brentford, 50 ft high.
In Suffolk, at the bottom of the old Bury Botanic Garden, on theauthority of Mr. Turner, the curator
of the new Botanic Garden at Bury, there was "a noble tree, 90ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk
7jft., and of the head 54ft. A portrait of this tree was lithographed by Mr. Strutt." This tree,
which grew on the banks of the Lark, was blown down during the hurricane of November 29th, 1836.
In Ireland, in the county Down, at Mount Stewart, 50 years planted, it is 57 ft. high ; the diameter
of the trunk 3|ft., and of the head 27 ft. In Russia, at Petersburg, in the garden of the Taurida
Palace, 49ft. high ; the circumference of the trunk lOi ft., and of the head 49 ft. There are plants
in the Hackney arboretum, and at Woburn Abbey, Flitwick House, Henfield, the Botanic Garden
at Twickenham, and various other places.
¥ « 23. S. MONSPELIE'NSIS Forbes. The Montpelier Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 30.
Synonynte. ? S. fragilis var. (Borrer in a letter.)
The Sexes. The male is figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 30. ; and Jig. 30. in p. 1609.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, pointed, glabrous ; green, shining
above ; pale, and somewhat glaucous beneath ; margins strongly serrated,
glandular. Stipules ovate-lanceolate, deeply serrated. Catkins about
2 in. long. Stamens 2. Bractea oblong, fringed. (Sal. Wob., p. 59.)
A native of Montpelier, in France. Introduced into England about
1825, or before, and flowering in the salictum at Woburn Abbey in
April and May. It forms a small tree, 10ft. or 12ft. high, with round,
smooth, tough branches, forming a bushy head; the young twigs pale
yellow, but becoming of a brownish-green colour at the base, like the pre-
ceding year's shoots. The leaves are from 4 in. to 6 in. long. There are
plants in the Hackney arboretum, and at Woburn Abbey, Henfield, and
Flitwick House.
* 24. S. RussELLLiVM Smith. The Russell, or Duke of 'Bedford '*, Willow.
Identification. Smith Fl. Br., p. 1045. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 656. ; Koch Comm., p. 15., at least
in part ; Smith Eng. Hot, t, 1801. ; Eng. Fl., 4. p. 186. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 28. ; Hook. Br.
Fl., ed. 3., p. 422. ; Mackay Fl. Hibern., pt 1. p. 246.
Synonymes. ? S. fragilis Woodv., and other medical writers ; the Dishley, or Leicestershire, Willow :
in some counties, the Huntingdon Willow. Koch has deemed identical with this the following: —
S. pt-ndula Ser. Sal. Helv., p. 79., from specimens from Seringe; S. viridis Fries Nov.,p. 120. ; S.
rubens Schrank Baier. Fl., 1. 226.
The Sexes. The female is figured in Eng. Bot. and Sal. Wob. Smith, in the Eng. FL, states that he
had not seen the flowers of the male. Dr. Johnston, in his Flora of Berwick upon Tweed, states,
that a male tree, which he has deemed of this species, is in " New-water-haugh Plantation."
Eyisravings. Eng. Bot., t. 1808. ; Sal. Wob., No. 28., and the frontispiece; our Jig. 1311. ; and
fig. 28. in p. 1608.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves lanceolate, tapering at each end, serrated throughout,
very glabrous. Footstalks glandular or leafy. Ovary tapering, stalked,
longer than the bracteas. Style as long as the stigmas. (Smith E. F.)
Smith states that he had not seen the flowers of the male of this kind ;
and this sex is not farther noticed in Sal. Wob. Dr. Johnston, in his Flora
of Berwick upon Tweed, has noticed the existence of a male tree of what
he deems this species within the province of his Flora ; and has given the
following botanical description of it : — " The male tree is very rare ; and, if
we are correct in our determination of it, the figure in Withering is not good.
Its catkins are 2 in. long, cylindrical, and yellow. Stamens 2. Filaments
not much longer than the pointed, more or less villous, bracteas. The
catkins stand on short leafy branchlets ; and ,the young leaves are entire,
I in. to 2 in. long, but not otherwise different from the adult ones. Catkins
1.518
ARBORETUM AND FKUTJCKTUM. I'.XliT III,
1311
of the female rather longer, lax, with smooth lanceolate ovaries." The
following matter may be understood to relate chiefly, or wholly, to the female.
A native of Britain, in marshy woods or osier grounds, and, in many places,
flowering in April and May. This tree, like S. fragilis, is frequently found
from 80ft. to 90 ft. high. According to Mr. Forbes, it is more handsome
than S. fragilis in its mode of growth, as well as altogether of a lighter or
brighter hue. The branches are long, straight, and slender, not angular
in their insertion, like those of S. fragilis ; and the trees of both species,
when stripped of their leaves, may be distinguished respectively by these
marks. The leaves, Sir W. J. Hooker observes, are of a peculiarly hand-
some shape when in perfection ; deeply sinuated, and much attenuated. This
extremely valuable tree, the same high authority observes, was first brought
into notice by His Grace Francis Duke of Bedford, about the beginning of
the present century, and thence most appropriately honoured by bearing the
family name. Of the size to which it reaches, some interesting details are
given in the present Duke of Bedford's introduction to the Salictum Wo-
burnense. The favourite tree of Dr. Johnson, at Lichfield, was of this species.
It is commonly said that this tree was planted by Dr. Johnson ; but, " in the
Gentleman's Magazine for July, 1785 (seven months after Dr. Johnson's
death), there is a particular account of this tree, wherein it is stated that it had
been generally supposed to have been planted by Dr. Johnson's father, but
that the doctor never would admit the fact. It appears, however, to have been
CHAP. CHI. 5ALICA^CEJE. ^A^LIX. 1519
a favourite tree of the doctor's, and to have attracted his attention for many
years : indeed, to use his own expression, it was the delight of his early and
waning life ; and it is said that he never failed to visit it whenever he went
to Lichfield; and, during his visit to that city in the year 1781, he desired
Dr. Trevor Jones, a physician of that place, to give him a description of it,
saying it was by much the largest tree of the kind he had ever seen or heard
of, and therefore wished to give an account of it in the Philosophical Trans-
actions, that its size might be recorded. Dr. Jones, in compliance with his re-
quest, furnished him with the particular dimensions of the tree, which were
as follows : — The trunk rose to the height of 12 ft. S^in., and then divided
into 15 large ascending branches, which, in very numerous and crowded
subdivisions, spread at the top in a circular form, not unlike the appearance
of a shady oak, inclining a little towards the east. Tlie circumference of
the trunk* at the bottom was 15ft. 9^. in. ; in the middle, 11 ft. 10 in. ; and
at the top, immediately below the branches, 13ft. The entire height of the
tree was 49 ft.; and the circumference of the branches, at their extremities,
upwards of 200 ft., overshadowing a plane not far short of 4000 ft. The
surface of the trunk was very uneven, and the bark much furrowed. The
tree had then (Nov. 29. 1781) a vigorous and thriving appearance. The
most moderate computation of its age was, at that time, near fourscore years ;
and some respectable authorities were strongly inclined to think that a
century had passed over its head. " The tree stood near the public foot-
path in the fields between the city of Lichfield and Stow Hill, the residence
of the celebrated " Molly Ashton ; " and it is said that Dr. Johnson fre-
quently rested under its shade when on his way to the house of that lady,
whom he never failed to visit periodically, till a short period before his
death. (See Croker's edition of BosweWs Johnson.} There is a portrait of
Johnson's Willow given as a frontispiece to the Salictum Woburncnse ; but,
as that figure has much more the appearance of a spreading beech than of
a willow of any kind, we were induced to doubt its fidelity. We ac-
cordingly made enquiries, through a friend at Lichfield, respecting the
original tree ; and we have satisfied ourselves that the portrait alluded to
bears very little resemblance to what Johnson's Willow was at any stage of
its growth; or, at least, at any time since the year 1810. (See Gard. Mag.,
vol. xii. p. 716 ; and vol. xiii. p. 94.) There are two engravings of Johnson's
Willow in the Gentleman's Magazine for 1785; one of these, a south-west
view of the tree, taken in July, 1785, by Mr. Stringer, and which may be con-
sidered as representing the appearance of the tree at Dr. Johnson's death, is
copied to the reduced scale of 1 in. to 12 ft. in/g. 1312. From this period,
the tree appears to have gradually increased in size till April, 1810, when Dr.
Withering found the trunk to girt 21 ft. at 6 ft. from the ground, and to extend
20 ft. in height, before dividing into enormous ramifications : the trunk and
branches were then perfectly sound, and the very extensive head showed
unimpaired vigour. In November of the same year, however, many of
the branches were swept away in a violent storm ; and nearly half of what
remained of the tree fell to the ground in August, 1815, leaving little more
than its stupendous trunk, and a few side boughs. We have seen a portrait
of the tree by Mr. Stringer, made in 1816, which was kindly lent to us by
that gentleman, by which it appears to have been then considerably muti-
lated, and in a state of decay. This decay was accelerated by a fire made
in the hollow of the trunk by some boys, in 1825, and which would pro-
bably have consumed the tree, had not Mr. Stringer, whose garden nearly
adjoins it, seen flames proceeding from the trunk, and sent some of his men
for the town engine to extinguish the fire. In April, 1829, the tree was
blown down in a violent storm, which took place on the 29th of that month,
about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. A drawing was taken of the tree as it lay
on the ground, from which a lithograph was published, representing its appear-
ance before its fall; and from this lithograph fig. 1313. is reduced to the
scale of 1 in. to 12ft.
5 G
1520
ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART III.
After the tree was blown down, Mr. Holmes,a coachmaker residing in Lich-
field, and the proprietor of the ground on which Johnson's Willow stood,
regretting that there was no young tree to plant in its stead, recollected
that, the year before, a large branch had been blown down, part of which
had been used as pea-sticks in his garden ; and examined these, to see if
any of them had taken root. Finding that one had, he had it removed to
the site of the old tree, and planted there in fresh soil ; a band of music
and a number of persons attending its removal, and a dinner being given
afterwards by Mr. Holmes to his friends, and the admirers of Johnson.
The young tree is, at present, in a flourishing state, and 20 ft. high.
Johnson's Willow, at the time of its fall, was estimated to be of the age of
130 years, and its greatest height appears to have been about 60ft. After
it was blown down, some of Johnson's admirers, at Lichfield, had its
remains converted into snuff-boxes and similar articles.
Great as is the affinity, botanically speaking, between S. Russellidna and
the preceding species, S. fragilis, its economical properties are wholly dif-
ferent. The timber of S. Russelh'awa is considered as the most valuable of
any of the willow tribe. So important is it as a plantation tree, that Mr.
Lowe, in his Survey of the County of Nottingham, states that, at eight years'
growth, the poles yielded a net profit of 214/. per acre; and, in two years
more, they would probably have produced 300/. per acre. The late George
Biggin, Esq., of Crossgrove Priory, an able chemist, ascertained that the
CHAP. CHI.
SALIC AXCE;E.
1521
1313
bark of this tree contains the tanning principle in a superior degree to that
of the oak ; and it is supposed that the medical properties stated to belong
to S. fragilis are attributed to it by mistake, and should be referred to S.
RusselUawa. (Hook. Brit. Flor., p. 415., with additions.) The bark, according
to Sir J. E. Smith, has been found useful as a substitute for cinchona in
agues. (Eng. Fl.t vol. iv. p. 187.) This species is as readily propagated by
cuttings or truncheons as any other ; and, though it thrives best in good
soil near water, it attains a considerable size in uplands.
Varieties. Many forms intermediate between S. fragilis and S. Russelliana
are extant, which seem to me to be hybrids. (Koch.) It should be re-
membered that Koch has included in his idea of S. fragilis the S. decipiens
of the English botanists, and, perhaps, other exotic forms as dissimilar as
this is.
Statistics. In the environs of London, at Syon, there is a tree of S. Russellidna 89 ft high ; the
diameter of the trunk 4 ft. 4 in., and of the head 65 ft : at Ham House, there is a tree 63 ft. high ; the
diameter of the trunk 32 ft., and of the head 59 ft. In Staffordshire, by the side of the road leading
from Lichfield to Stow, on the spot on which Johnson's Willow stood, a cutting of the old tree was
planted in 1830, which, in May, 1836, was 20 ft. high, and in a most vigorous state of growth. In
Scotland, in Stirlingshire, at Callender Park, 60 ft. high; the diameter of the trunk 3 ft8 in., and that of
the head 70ft : a tree, at Gordon Castle, at the age of 61 years, was 57ft. high, and above 11 ft in
its greatest circumference. This tree, it is stated in the Salictum Woburnense, was blown down in a
storm, on the 24th of November, 1826. In Ireland, at Terenure, near Dublin, 15 years planted, it it
25 ft. high ; in the Cullenswood Nursery, there is a tree, which is said to be this species, 90 ft. high,
which, according to the Return Paper sent u«, has not yet been 30 years planted.
5n 2
1522 ARBORETUM AND FKUTICETUM. PART III.
* 25. S. PuRSH/^fti Borrer. Pursh's- Willow.
Identification. Mr. Borrer suggests that this species may be called S. Purshiana, as there is an
older S. ambigua. (Borrer in a letter.)
Synonyme. S. ambfgua Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 617., Smith in Rees's Cyclo., 36., Forbes in Sal.
Wob., No. 154., Hook. Br. FL, ed. 2., incidentally under S. ambigua Ehrh.
The Sexes. The male is described in Sal. Wob.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves lanceolate, pointed, serrated, glabrous; shining above,
glaucous underneath. Footstalks stout, glandular at the summit. Stipules
half-heart-shaped, serrated, deciduous. Catkins accompanying the leaves.
Stamens 2. Bracteas rounded and concave. (Sal. Wob., p. 282.) A native
of North America, in low grounds ; and flowering in March and April.
This appears to be a rapid-growing tree, with round, greenish-brown,
smooth branches. The leaves are from 5 in. to 6 in. long, and about 1^ in.
in breadth, somewhat resembling those of S. Russellzarza, but much broader,
and more obtuse at the base ; wherein they resemble those of S. fragilis ;
they, however, differ from this species by their very white glaucous hue
underneath ; the serratures are, likewise, much coarser, and they are glandu-
lar, which is very obvious in the young leaves, that are generally furnished
with two obtuse glands at the insertion of the footstalks, which sometimes
run into small leaflets. Footstalks stout, glabrous. Catkins appearing
with the leaves. Stamens 2 in a flower. There are plants under the name
of S. ambigua in the Hackney and Goldworth arboretums ; also at Woburn
Abbey, and Henfield.
App. i. Frdgiles introduced, but not yet described, or of doubtful
Identity.
S. adscendens in Donald's Nursery. This kind is extremely dissimilar to the S. adscendens of
Ens. Bot. and Sal. Wob. S. bigtmmis 'Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836. Specimens were received from the
Hackney and Goldworth arboretums, which appear quite different from the S. bigemmis of Hoff-
mann which is identified with S. rfaphnoldes Pillars. S. decipiens, fern., Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836. S.
fragilis and S. murma Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836. S. rUbra G. Lodd.
App. ii. Fragiles described, but not yet introduced, or of doubtfid
Identity with introduced Species.
S frdeilis, mas et fern., Host SaL Aust, 1. p. 5. t. 18, 19., Fl. Aust, 2. p. 635. S.fragilior, mas et
fern Host Sal. Aust., 1. p. 6. t. 20, 21., Fl. Aust., 2. p. 636. S. fragitissima, mas et fern., Host Sal.
Aust, 1. p. 6. t. 22, 2-3., Fl. Aust., 2. p. 636. ; synon. S. fragilis Host Syn., p. 52?. S. palustris, maa
et fern., Host Sal. Aust., 1. p. 7. t. 24, 25. ; Fl. Aust., 2. p. 637. S. capdnsis Thunb. Fl. Cap., 1.
p 139 Smith in Rees's Cyclo., under No. 42., resembles S. baby!6nica, and is probably a variety
of that species. S. subserruta Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 671., Smith in Sees's Cyclo., No. 45. (S. Sdfsaf
bte'Ucdi Forsk. Cat PI. jfcgypt, 76.), is described as having a leaf very like that of S. baby!6nira.
(Rees's Cyclo.)
Group vi. Alba Borrer.
Trees of the largest Size, with the general Aspect of the Foliage ivhltish.
Stamens 2 to a flower. Ovary glabrous. Flowers loosely disposed in the
catkin. Leaves lanceolate, serrated with glanded serratures; hairy, espe-
cially while young, with appressed silky hairs, which give to the foliage a
light or whitish hue. Plants trees of considerable height. (Hook. Br. Fl.y
ed. 2., adapted.)
± 26. S. A'LBA L. The whitish-leaved, or common white, Willow.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 1449. ; Willd. Sp. PI.. 4. p. 710. : Sm. Eng. Bot., t. 2430.; Eng. FL, 4.
p. 231. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 136. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3. ; Mackay Fl. Hibern., pt. 1. p. 247. ;
Hayne Abbild., p. 254. ; Host Sal. Aust., 1. p. 9. ; Pursh FL Amer. Sept., 2. p. 616.
Synonymes. S&lix Raii Syn., 447., Ger. Emac., 1389. with a fig. ; S alba, part of, Koch Comm.,
p. 16. ; the Huntingdon, or Swallow-tailed Willow. (Pontey's Prof. Planter, ed. 1816, p. 92.)
The Sexes. Neither is rare in England. Both are described in Eng. Fl., and both figured in Eng.
Bot., Sal. Wob., Host Sal. Aust., and Hayne Abbild.
Engravings. Eng. Bot, t. 2430. ; Sal. Wob., No. 136. ; Host Sal Aust, 1. 1. 32, 33. ; Hayne Abbild.,
t. 197.; our Jigt. 1314. and 1315. ; Jig. 136. in p. 1629. ; and the plates of this tree in our last
Volume.
CHAP. CII1.
15*23
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, pointed, serrated, silky on both
sides ; the lowest serratures glandular. Stamens hairy. Germen smooth,
almost sessile. Stigmas deeply cloven. Scales notched. (Sal. Wob.,
p. 271.) A native of Europe, from Norway and Sweden to the Mediter-
ranean Sea; of the north-east and west of Asia ; and introduced into the
United States; near all the larger rivers of Russia and Livonia, es-
pecially the Irtish, where it attains the height of a large tree.
It is frequent in Britain, and also in Ireland ; and has long
been more extensively planted as a timber tree than any other
species. It grows rapidly, attaining the height of 30 ft. in ten
or twelve years, and growing 50 ft. or 60 ft. high, or upwards,
even on inferior soils. In favourable situations, it will reach
the height of 80 ft. or upwards. It is very extensively planted
as a pollard tree, not only in Britain, but in many parts of the
Continent, and even in Russia ; some hundreds of miles of
the road from Moscow to the Austrian frontier, where it
crosses those interminable steppes that appear bounded only
by the horizon, being marked by pollards of S. alba, at regular
distances along each side of the road. 1314
Varieties. Mr. Borrer suggests that, perhaps, two species are included in
S. alba. (Borr. in a letter.) " One of the few botanists really acquainted
with willows, Mr. Borrer, has suggested that there are some presumptive
distinctions between our S. alba and that of Hoffmann, in the shape of the
lower leaves, and of the bracteas (scales), as well as in the length and
density of the catkins." (Smith in Eng. Fl., iv. p. 232.)
2 S. a. 2 can-idea; S. alba var. Smith Fl. Brit., p. 1072. ; S. caerulea
Smith Eng. Sot., t. 2431., Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 137., Smith in
Reefs Cyclo., No. 141.; S.alba 0 Smith Eng. FL, iv. p. 231., Koch
Comm., p. 16. The upland, or red-tinged, Willow, Pontey Profit.
Planter, 4th ed., 1814, p. 72. ; the Leicester Willow, Davy's Agricul-
tural'Chemistry, 1st ed.; BlneWillow, Smith, and our/g. 137. in p. 1629.
— This kind has been treated of by Smith as a variety of S. alba in his
1*7. Brit., as a species in Eng. Sot., and subsequently, in his Eng.
Fl., as a variety of S. alba. Forbes, in Sal. Wob., has treated of it
as a species, and given the following distinctive character of it, which is
the same as that given in Eng. Sot. Leaves lanceolate, taper-pointed,
serrated ; the under side at length almost naked of hairs ; the lowest
serratures glandular. Stigmas deeply cloven. (Sal. Wob., p. 273.)
The female is figured in Eng. Sot., where the male is stated to be
not discovered; but the figure in Sal. Wob., given as of«this kind,
exhibits the latter sex, which is common, Mr. Borrer informs us,
about Chichester, Bognor, &c., almost to the exclusion of the female ;
whilst he has never seen a male S. alba in flower in Sussex,
eastward of the neighbourhood of Arundel, with the exception of some
which he had himself introduced. S. a. caerulea is a native of Britain,
in meadows and moist woods ; flowering, in the Woburn collection, in
May, and again in August. This willow, Sir J. E. Smith observes,
which is " mentioned in the Flora Sritannica as a variety of S. alba, is
so remarkable and so valuable, that we venture to name it as a species,
that it may be the more noticed. The male flowers, when known, may,
perhaps, afford better characters than we have been able to obtain
from the leaves. The late Mr. Crowe, who found the female plant
wild in Suffolk, was of opinion that this might be taken for S. alba in
many parts of England, the real one(E. .fl.,t.2430. [our/g.1315.]) not
being known in some of the northern counties. He had for many years
paid great attention to this tree, as have Mr. Rigby at Framlingham,
and Mr. Browne at Hetherset, Norfolk. A cutting, planted by the
latter, became, in 10 years, a tree 35 ft. high, and 5 ft. 2 in. in girt,
and was blown down in 1800. This is a rapidity of growth beyond
5 G 3
1524
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART 111.
all comparison with that of the common white willow, and even ex-
ceeding that of S. RusselhVma (No. 24. in p. 1517.). The wood and
bark are at least equal in quality to those of S. alba. The foliage
is distinguished by its great luxuriance, more azure hue, and the
almost entire want of the hairs from the under side of the adult
leaves. Mr. Crowe thought the stipules might afford distinctions,
but we find them too variable." (Sm. in Rees*s Cyclo., vol. xxxi. No.
140.) Mr. Forbes says : " Although this plant has been reunited
with S. alba, it appears to me to be sufficiently distinct, and to be
recommended for the quickness of its growth ; the leaves are, also,
much larger than the last when cut down, and, as well as the twigs,
are of a darker hue." In the parish of Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire,
there are numerous trees of S. alba, the vigorous shoots and branches
of which, and especially those of pollard trees, have red bark, which,
when the trees are leafless in winter, are very conspicuous. This
CHAP. cm. SALICACE.E. SALIX.
appears to be the upland, or red-twigged, willow of Pontey ; but it
may possibly be only a variation of the species, or the female. The
uses and culture of this sort may, of course, be considered as the
same as the last. There is a plant of this variety in Essex, at Audley
End, which, 20 years planted, is 55 ft. high ; the diameter of the
trunk 2 A ft., and of the head 45 ft. In Northamptonshire, at Wake-
field Lodge, a tree, 16 years planted, is 30 ft. high. There are plants
in the Hackney arboretum, and at Woburn and Flitwick.
% S. ?a. ?3 crispa. — A specimen received from Mr. Donald, nurseryman,
Woking, Surrey, named S. crispa, is very different from S. crispa
Forbes in Sal. Wob., and seems clearly S. alba. The specimen con-
sists of a young shoot of the year, bearing leaves ; and these leaves
' are narrow, contorted, and silky. So far as we can judge from the
single specimen, the kind may be regarded as a variety of S. alba,
analogous to that which S. b. crispa, S. annularis Forbes, is, relatively
to S. babylonica.
? S. a. 4 rdsea Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836. — The plant in Messrs. Loddiges's
collection under this name does not show any obvious marks of
difference from S. alba, nor any striking appearance of rosiness.
The epithet rosea, may probably have been applied in relation to the
rosaceous tufts of leaves which are sometimes found on S. alba, as
noticed under S. .Helix.
Properties and Uses. In the north of Europe, the bark of this tree is
used for tanning leather, and for dyeing yarn of a cinnamon colour ; and the
leaves and young shoots are given to cattle in a green state, or dried like the
twigs of the birch, and laid up for winter fodder. The inner bark of this tree,
like that of Scotch pine, being kiln-dried, and ground into a fine flour, is mixed
with oatmeal, and made into bread, in seasons of great scarcity, by the inhabit-
ants of Norway and Kamtschatka. The branches of the tree are used as stakes,
poles, handles to rakes, hoes, and other implements, and as faggot-wood for
fuel. The timber of the trunk is used for various purposes. It weighs, in a
green state, 70 Ib. 9oz. per cubic foot; half-dry, 51 Ib. 14 oz.; and quite
dry, 32 Ib. 12 oz. ; so as to lose more than one half of its weight by drying,
during which it loses a sixteenth part of its bulk. In ship bottoms, Mr.
Gorrie informs us, it is not found so liable to split by any accidental shock as
oak, or other hard wood. It is found an excellent lining for stone-carts, bar-
rows, &c. In the roofs of houses, rafters of this tree have been known to
stand a hundred years ; and, with the exception of about half an inch on the
outside, the wood has been found so fresh at the end of that period, as to be
fit for boat-building. (Gard. Mag., vol. i. p. 45.) The wood is also used in
turnery, mill-work, coopery, weather-boarding, &c. ; and the stronger shoots
and poles serve for making hoops, handles to hay-rakes, clothes-props (see
fig. 169. Encyc.ofCott. Arck.\ and various other instruments and implements;
and the twigs are employed in wickerwork. Mitchell says the Huntingdon
willow has been in great demand for making willow hats for gentlemen's
summer wear, split, and worked the same as straw for bonnets. (Dcnd.,
p. 56.) The bark, which is thick, and full of cracks, is in nearly as great
repute for tanning as that of the oak ; and it is also used in medicine, in
the cure of agues, as a substitute for cinchona ; though it is inferior
for both purposes to that of S. Russellza/wz. As fuel, the wood of this tree
is to that of the beech as 808 is to 1540; but the old bark makes a
very useful fuel ; and both it and the wood will burn when green, in which
state the wood is said to give out most heat. The charcoal is excellent for
use in the manufacture of gunpowder, and for crayons. The ashes are
very rich in alkali, containing more than a tenth part of their weight of
that salt. In France, a fine blood-red colour is obtained from the bark ;
and that of the young tree is used in the preparation of leather for making
gloves.
1526 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 111.
Propagation and Culture. It is justly remarked by Mr. Gorrie, that it adds
much to the value of the Salix alba, that its propagation and culture are of
the most simple description; and that it will grow luxuriantly in most
soils where other trees make but slow progress. According to Sang, it will
thrive well in high and dry grounds ; and, if planted in the grove manner,
perhaps no other plantation, except larches, would give so quick a return
for the trouble and expense of planting. " It is an excellent coppice-wood,
grows extremely fast, and is very valuable. It is likewise an excellent nurse
to other plants placed in humid situations, as in such it outgrows all other
trees." (Plant. Kal., p. 103.) A plantation made by Mr. Gorrie on the northern
bank of the Carse of Gowrie, in Perthshire, is thus described by him in Decem-
ber, 1825, fourteen years after it was planted: — " The soil is a dry ground, which
effervesces freely with acids, and is, consequently, calcareous. Its surface is
very steep, forming a slope of 43° ; and so poor, that it was without any sward
or covering of grass. At the bottom ran a small rivulet, on a bed of the same
kind of gravel. The banks and higher grounds were planted with oaks,
larches, and Scotch pines ; and the sides of the rill with alders and Hunting-
don willows. The undertaking was by my neighbours reckoned foolish, and
I had to encounter no little obloquy for my presumption. The result, how-
ever, has been favourable ; the plants on the high ground come away boldly,
and in the hollow, which is only about 50 ft. above the level of the sea, the
Huntingdon willow has made astonishing progress : at 4 ft. above the ground,
several of the trees already measure 46 in. in circumference, and in height
from 55ft. to 60ft.; giving fully 1 in. in diameter, and 4 ft. in altitude, for
every year they have been in the soil. The plants were about 4 ft. in height,
and A in. in diameter, at planting. Pruning has been regularly attended to ;
all large aspiring branches having been removed, and the leading shoot and
numerous small side shoots encouraged, for the purpose of producing suf-
ficient foliage to elaborate the sap. One peculiar advantage in the culture of
this valuable tree is, that, in planting it, rooted plants are not absolutely re-
quisite. I have found shoots of from 6 ft. to 8 ft. long, and about 2 in. in
diameter, succeed better than rooted plants: they require to be put in from
18 in. to 2 ft. deep in marshy soil, which should be drained : the numerous
roots sent out in such soil afford abundant nourishment, and shoots are pro-
duced the first year more vigorous than when the plants have been previously
rooted." (Gard. Mag., vol. i. p. 46.) On writing to Mr. Gorrie for an
account of the present state of this plantation, 10 years having elapsed since
the above was written, he informs us that, in October, 1836, he took a carpenter,
and measured several of the same trees, of which the dimensions were taken
in December, 1 825, and found that they had increased very considerably in
growth. " One tree now (in 1836) measures in circumference, at 1 ft. from the
ground, 7 1| in., two trees 68 in., and one tree 67 in. The average girt of those
which grow near the rivulet is from 62 in. to 68 in. ; but those which stand fur-
ther from the stream are smaller. The measurable solid wood, above 6 in. in
diameter, is 30 solid feet on each of two of the largest trees ; and 25 solid
feet on each of two other trees. Two trees have lately been blown over by
the wind, which stood beyond the reach of the stream ; and these measured,
the one 76 ft., and the other 80 ft., in length. On cutting up the wood of
these trees into boards, it showed a beautifully waved bird's-eye appearance,
and it readily acquired a smooth glossy surface. These trees have now been
planted 24 years ; and the largest one, which is that first mentioned above, as
girting 71£ in., measures, within a fraction, 1 in. in diameter for every year it
has stood ; and the accumulation of solid wood is yearly increasing in pro-
portion to the extent of the circumference. The solid measurable wood in the
largest tree averages at the rate of I ft. 3 in. for every year it has been planted.
Upon the whole," concludes Mr. Gorrie, than who no man is a more
competent judge on this subject, " I continue of opinion that few trees can
come in competition with the tfalix alba, for rapidity of growth, elegance of
form, and, in short, value." At Woburn Abbey, there are five trees of this
CHAP. CIII.
£AVL1X.
species, which stand on the margin of a pond, and were planted as cuttings
there in 1808, and measured for us in 1836. The height of these trees was
respectively 60 ft., 63ft., 60ft., 70ft., and 71ft.; and they contained in the
trunk 17ft., 20ft., 16ft., 42ft., and 22ft., and, with the addition of the
branches and bark, 55 ft., 85 ft., 40 ft., 101 ft., and 60 ft. It thus appears that
the largest tree had increased in its trunk at the average yearly rate of exactly
1£ cubic foot, and, in the trunk and head taken together, at the rate of more
that 3i cubic feet ; which increase accords in a very satisfactory manner with
that above recorded by Mr. Gorrie.
Pontey calculates that an acre of land worth 31. 10s annually for rent and
taxes, if planted with the Huntingdon willow in sets cut from shoots of two
years' growth, and 10 in. or 12 in. in length, would, in 7 years, be worth
677. 10s. per acre; thus affording a clear profit of 39/. a year. (Prof. Plant,
4th ed., p. 72.)
Sir J. E. Smith, in speaking of this willow, says that the bark is thick, full
of cracks, good for tanning, and for the cure of agues, though inferior in
quality to that of S. Russelliawa, " the true Bedford, or Huntingdon, willow."
We are certain that in Scotland, and, we think, frequently in England, the term
" Huntingdon willow " is applied to S. alba.
tfalixalba is one of the few willows which Gilpin thinks " beautiful, and fit
to appear in the decoration of any rural scene. It has a small narrow leaf,
with a pleasant light sea-green tint, which mixes agreeably with foliage of a
deeper hue." In ornamental plantations, care should be taken never to plant
this species of willow with trees which are not of equally rapid growth with
itself; for, with the exception of poplars, no tree so soon destroys the character
of young plantations of hard-wooded trees, such as pines, oaks, beeches, &c.
Perhaps one of the best situations, in point of ornament, is on the banks of a
broad river or lake, ample room being allowed for the head to expand on
every side ; but, when the object is to produce clean straight timber, the tree
requires to be drawn up in masses. It is observed by Sang, that, if " the
Huntingdon willow were not so very common, and so frequently met with in
low or mean scenery, it might, perhaps, be reckoned more ornamental than
many of the other kinds. They certainly are very elegant plants when young,
and in middle age ; and, if not picturesque when grown old, yet there is some-
thing very striking in their hoary and reverend appearance." (Plant. AW.)
Statistics. — Recorded Trees. Mitchell speaks of a Huntingdon willow, near the Lodge of Milton
House, Northamptonshire, 70ft. high, with a head 60ft. in diameter, and the stem 13ft. in circum-
ference. There is a holt of this willow, he says, in Cheshire, between the river Weaver and the
Manchester canal, the trees in which are 70ft high. In Farey's Derbyshire Report, it it stated, that
a tree of S&lix alba, felled at Wilksworlh, produced 156 ft. of timber, which sold at 2s. 6d. per foot.
Sdlix alba in England. Near London, at Ham House, Essex, it is 79 ft. high, with a trunk 2ft.
3 in. in diameter; on the Common of Turnham Green, the tree of which a portrait is given
our last Volume was 65 ft. high, but it was blown down
in the hurricane of the 29th of November, 1836. In
Devonshire, at Killerton, it is 65 ft. high, with a trunk
2 ft. 10 in. in diameter. In Gloucestershire, at Dodding-
ton, 46 years planted, it is 60 ft. high; the diameter of
the trunk 2* ft, and of the head 50ft. In Cheshire,
at Eaton Hall, 17 years planted, it is 50 ft. high. In Den-
bighshire, at Llanbede Hall, 45 yeaTs planted, it is 57ft.
high. In Oxfordshire, near Oxford, on the banks of the
Cherwell.it is 60 ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk 4 ft,
and of the head 60 ft. In Pembrokeshire, at Stackpole
Court, 50 years planted, it is 60 ft. high. In Rutlandshire,
at Belvoir Castle, 2(5 years planted, it is 50 ft. high. In
Suffolk, at Bury St. Edmunds, near the site of the ancient
church, a tree of this species, in 1835, was 75 ft. high ; the
circumference of the trunk 18 ft. 6 in., and that of the two
principal limbs 15 ft. and 12 ft. respectively ; the circum-
ference of the space covered by the branches was 204 ft,
and the cubic contents of the tree were 440 ft of solid tim-
ber. The above dimensions were taken fromMr. Strutt's
Sylva, who has given an engraving of the tree, from
which fig. 1316. is reduced to the scale of 1 in. to 50 ft
This tree began to decay in 1835; and in November, 1836, as we are informed by Mr. Turner, three
fourths of it were dead ; so that it now presents a splendid ruin. In Yorkshire, at Hornby Castle, it is
71) 11. high, the diameter of the trunk 4J ft., and of the head 80 ft.
S,i//j dlba in Scotland. Near Edinburgh, at Hopetoun House, it is 70ft. high ; diameter of trunk
4ft 9 in. ; and of the head 65ft. In Haddingtonshire, at Tynningham, it is 36ft. high; the diameter
1316
1528 ARBORETUM AND FRUTJCETUM. PART III.
of the trunk 2 ft., and of the head 99 ft. In Lanarkshire, in the Glasgow Botanic Garden 16 years
planted, it is 55 ft. high. In Banffshire, at Gordon Castle, it is 56 ft. high. In Perthshire in the
Perth Nursery, 8 years planted, it is 22 ft. high.
S«/fVr alba in Ireland. In Kilkenny, at Woodstock, 65 years planted, it is 70ft. high; the dia-
meter of the trunk 3£ ft., and of the head 65 ft. In Sligo, at Makree Castle, it is 65 ft. high : the
diameter of the trunk 5 ft. and of the head 60ft
"Aalix alba in Foreign Countries. In France, at Nantes, in the nursery of M. De Nerri£res,30 years
planted, it is 33 ft. high. In Bavaria, at Munich, in the Botanic Garden, 84 years planted it is
50 ft. high.
3£ 27. S. VITELLIXNA L. The yolk-of-egg-coloured, or yellow, Willow,
or Golden Osier.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1442.; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 668. ; Host SaL Aust., 1. p. 9. t. SO 31 ;
Hoffi SaL, 1. p. 57. t. 11, 12, and 24. f. 1. (Smith);- Smith Eng. Bot, t. 1389. ; Eng. FL, 4. p. 182.",
Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. i!0. ; Hook. Br. FL, ed. 3., p. 423. ; Mackay FL Hibern., pt. 1. p. 248.
Synonyme. S. &lba Koch Comm., p. 16.
The Sexes. Both sexes are figured in Eng. Bot., Sal. Wob., and Host Sal. Aust.
Engravings. Hoffm. Sal., t. 11, 12. and 24. f. 1. ; Host SaL Aust, t. 30, 31. ; Eng. Bot., t 1389 •
SaL Wob., No. 20. ; fig. 20. in p. 1606. ; and the plate of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves lanceolate, acute, with, cartilaginous serratures ;
glabrous above ; glaucous, and somewhat silky beneath. Stipules minute,
lanceolate, deciduous, smooth. Ovary sessile, ovate-lanceolate, smooth.
Bracteas linear-lanceolate, acute, fringed at the base, longer than the pistil.
(Smith Eng. FL, iv. p. 182.) S. vitellina, strangely referred to S. alba as a
variety by the great Haller, differs from S. alba obviously in its longer, more
taper catkins ; lanceolate, pointed bracteas ; glabrous filaments ; and gla-
brous adult leaves, and, perhaps, in other marks. (Smith, incidentally in Eng.
FL, under S. alba.) " Hoffmann observes that the inner layer of the bark
in S. vitellina is yellow, while that of S. alba is green ; but I have great
doubts of the constancy of this character." (Smith, under S. vitellina.) A
native of Britain, in hedges ; and cultivated in osier grounds, in many places ;
and readily distinguished from all the other sorts, by the bright yellow
colour of its branches. It has been introduced from Europe into North
America, where, according to Mr. Pursh, it is common by road sides and
in plantations." (Smith in his Eng. FL) It is much cultivated for basket-
work, tying, &c., and also as an ornamental shrub or tree. The rods, being
tough and flexible, Sir J. E. Smith says, are "fit for many purposes
of basketwork, as well as for package." As an ornamental tree, £alix
vitellina is very striking in the winter season, especially among evergreens.
As a shrub, it is not less so, both among evergreen shrubs and deciduous
kinds, having the bark of conspicuous colours. In the English garden at
Munich, extensive masses of this willow are placed in contrast with masses
of the white-barked honeysuckle (Lonicenz Xylosteum), the red-barked
dogwood (C'ornus alba), and the brown-barked spiraea (S. opulifolia).
The outlines of the masses at Munich are lumpish and formal, and the one
mass is by no means blended with the other as it ought to be ; but still the
effect, in the winter season, is very striking, and well deserves imitation by
the landscape-gardeners of this country. The tree of this species in the
Horticultural Society's Garden, which is a male, and a very handsome tree,
was 30ft. high in 1835, after having been only ten or twelve years planted.
Both male and female plants are in the Hackney arboretum and at Wo-
burn Abbey.
Variety. Smith, in his Eng. FL, under S. rubra, and Koch in his Comm., p. 16.,
have cited a variety or variation of S. vitellina, with reddish branchlets.
Statistics. In Hertfordshire, at Cheshunt, in the arboretum of William Harrison, Esq., on the
banks of a stream, 7 years planted, it is 33 ft. high. In Ireland, in Galway, at Coole, it is
54 ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk 2 ft, and of the head 57 ft. In Bavaria, in the Munich
Botanic Garden, 84 years planted, it is 50ft. high. In Austria, at Vienna, in the University
Botanic Garden, 30 years planted, it is 40ft high ; the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 6 in., and of the
head 28ft: at Brvick on the Leytha, 30 years planted, it is 30 ft. high.
App. i. Alba described, but which, probably, have not been intro-
duced into Britain.
S. excelfior Host SaL Auit., t. 28, 29.
CHAP. CHI.
SALICA^CEJE. SA'LIX. 1529
Group vii. Nigrte.
Extra-European Kinds allied to the Kinds of one or all of the three preceding
Groups.
Of the willows of Europe Koch has (Comm.) associated the kinds of Mr
Borrer's groups Pentandrae, Fragiles, and Albse into one group, which he
has named Fragiles; and he has pointed out and described, as extra-
European kinds belonging to it, S. occidentalis Bosc, S. nigra Muhl.y S.
babylonica L,, S. octandra Sieber, and S. Humboldttana Willd. Mr.
Borrer has included S. babylonica L. in his group Fragiles. The rest are
here collected in a group by themselves, to which is added S. /igustrina
Michx. jun.t from the notice by Mr. Forbes, and also by Michaux, that it is
similar to S. nigra.
2 28. S. Ni\5RA Muhlenb. The black, or dark-branched American, Willow.
Identification. Muhlenb. in Nov. Act. Soc. Nat. Scrut. Berol, 4. p. 237. t. 4. f. 5. ; Sims and Konig's
Ann. of Bot, 2. 65. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 657. ; Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 3. p. 78. ; Pursh FL Amer.
Sept., 2. p. 614. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 11. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 152. ; Koch Comm.,
p. 17., note.
Synonymes. S. caroliniana Michx. Ft. Bor. Amer., 2. p. 226. ; S. pentandra Walt. Fl. Car., 243. ;
S. vulgAris Claut. Fl. Virg.
The Sexes. Both sexes are noticed in the Specific Character. Willdenow had seen the male alive,
and both sexes in a dried state.
Engravings. Nov. Act. Soc. Nat Scrut. Berol., 4. t. 4. f. 5. ; Ann. of Bot, 2. t. 5. f. 5. ; Michx. N.
Amer. Syl., 3. t. 125. f. 1., without flowers ; Sal. Wob., No. 152., the leaf; undfig. 152. in p. 1630.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, pointed, serrated, green on both sides, glabrous, except a
downy rib and footstalk. Catkins accompanying the leaves, villous. Stamens about 5, bearded at
the base. Ovary stalked, ovate-lanceolate, glabrous. Stigmas divided, the length of the style.
(Sal. Wob., p. 280.) Catkin upon a seeming penduncle, which is a leafy twiglet Stalk of the cap-
sules 3 — 4 times as long as the gland. Stigmas ovate, emarginate. (Koch Comm., p. 17., note *)
Branches of a dark purple colour. Disk of leaf 2 in. or more long. (Willd.) A tree, 20 ft high,
with smooth branches, brittle at the base ; a native of North America, from Pennsylvania to Vir-
ginia, on the banks of rivers. Introduced in 1811, and flowering in May. Mr. Forbes observes
that S. /igiistrina of Michaux differs principally from S. nigra in its larger stipules, which resem-
ble, as well as the leaves, those of S. triandra. (Sal. Wob., p. 28.) There are plants in the Hackney
and Goldworth arboretums, and at Woburn Abbey.
a 29. S. HUMBOLDT/^^ Willd. Humboldt's Willow.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 657. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 8. : Humb. et Bonp. Nov.
Gen. et Sp. PL, 2. p. 176. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 8. ; Koch Comm., p. 18., note ; Lodd. Cat,
The Sexes. Both sexes are figured in SaL Wob., copied from Humb. et Bonp. Nov. Gen. et Sp. PI.
Koch has noticed (Comm.,p. 18., note) that in specimens which he had seen there were andro-
gynous catkins mixed with catkins of female flowers.
Engravings. Humb. et Bonp, Nov. Gen. et Sp. PL, t 99. and 100. ; SaL Wob., No. 8. ; and fig. 8.
in p. 1604.
Spec. Char.y $c. Leaves, linear, acuminated, finely serrated, smooth. Catkins
appearing late, after the expansion of the leaves. Flowers polyandrous.
Ovary stalked and glabrous. (Willd. Sp. Pl.y iv. p. 657.) Branches brown,
shining, erect, flexible. (Sal. Wob.y p. 115.) A native of Peru, and culti-
vated in various places in South America. It was introduced in 1823 ; but,
being somewhat tender, it had not, in 1829 (the date of the Salictum Wo-
burnense), produced its flowers in England. Mr. Forbes finds, at Woburn,
that it requires the protection of a green-house; but, in the Horticultural
Society's Garden, it stood out against a wall for 6 years ; and, though it was
killed in the spring of 1836, Mr. Gordon is of opinion that it was not
altogether owing to its tenderness. There are plants in the collection of
Messrs. Loddiges.
* ? X 30. S. BONPLAND/^AM Humb. et Bonpl. Bonpland's Willow.
Identification. Humb. et Bonpl. Nov. Gen. et Sp. PL, 2. p. 20. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 9.
The Sexes. Both sexes are figured in Sal. Wob., copied from Humb. et Bonp. Nov. Gen. et Sp. PI A
plant in the Woburn collection had not flowered in 1829.
Engravings. Humb. et Bonpl. Nov. Gen. et Sp. PL, t. 101, 102. ; Sal. Wob., t 9. ; and Jig. 9. in
1530
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves linear-lanceolate, narrow at the point, denticulate, glabrous, glaucous beneath.
Catkins appearing after the expansion of the foliage. Stamens from 6. to 8. Ovary stalked, smooth.
(Sal. Wob., p. 17.) Stem erect, with round, smooth, even branches. A native of irfexico, introduced
previously to 1829 into the Woburn salictum, where it has not yet flowered.
App. i. Nlgrte described, but not yet introduced.
S. Mgtistrina Michx. N. Amer. Sylva, 3. p. 80. t. 125. f. 2. ; Sal. Wob., p. 288. A tree, a native of
North America, about 25ft. high, which at first sight resembles S. nlgra; but its leaves are longer,
narrower, and have heart-shaped stipules at their base.
S. occidentalis Bosc, on the authority of Koch (Comm., p. 16.), is a native of the Island of Cuba.
S. octdndra Sieb., on the authority of Koch (Comm., p. 17.). Stamens 6— 10. Stipules obliquely-
ovate, acute. Wild in Egypt. Sieber deems it akin to S. tetrasp^rma Roxb. ; but Koch, who had
seen a dried specimen, thinks them different.
Group viii. Prinotdes Borrer.
Shrubs, mostly Natives of North America, and used in Basket-making.
Kinds all, or all but S. conformis Forbes, natives of North America. The
kinds which Mr. Borrer has placed in this group are S. rigida Muhl., S.
jorindides Pursh, and S. conformis Forbes. To these S. discolor Willd. and
S. angustata Pursh have been added, from their resemblance to S. pri-
noides,
A 31. S. RI'GIDA Muhlenb. The stiff-leaved Willow.
Identification. Muhlenb. in Nov. Act. Soc. Nat. Scrut. Berol., 4. p. 237. ; Willd. Sp. PI.. 4. p. 667. ;
MUhlenb. in Sims and K6n. Ann. of Bot, 2. 64. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 615. ; Smith in Rees's
Cyclo., No. 31. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 141.
Synonymes. S. cord£ta Michx. Fl. Bar. ~ Amer., 2. p. 225. ; S. cordifblia Herb. Banks MSS.
The Sexes. The female is noticed in the Specific Character.
Engravings. Nov. Act. Soc. Nat. Scrut. Berol., 4. t 6. f. 4. ; Ann. of Bot., t. 5. f. 4. ; Sal. Wob.,
No. 141., a leaf; undfig. 141. in p. 1630.
Spec. Char.,Sfc. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, rigid, smooth, sharply serrated ; the two lowest serratures
elongated. Footstalks hairy. Stipules dilated, rounded, having glandular serratures. Catkins
accompanying the leaves. Stamens to a flower mostly 3. Bracteas woolly. Ovary lanceolate, gla-
brous, on a long stalk. Style the length of the divided stigmas. (Pursh.) A native of North
America, from New England to Virginia, in swamps and hedges. The branches are green, red
towards the end, and the younger ones pubescent. It is very tough, and is much used in Ame-
rica by basket-makers. (Pursh.) Introduced in 1811, and flowering in April and May.
* * 32. S. PRINOI'DES Pursh. The Prinos-like Willow.
Identification. Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 613. ; Smith in Rees'g Cycl., No. 26. ; Forbes in Sal.
Wob., No. 40. ; Koch Comm., p. 46. note*.
The Sexes. The female is figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 40. j our fig. 1317. ; and fig. 40. in p. 1612.
Spec. Char.y fyc. Leaves oval-oblong, acute, with dis- 1317
tant wavy serratures ; glabrous above, glaucous be-
neath. Stipules half-heart-shaped, deeply toothed.
Catkins villous, protruded before the leaves. Ovary
stalked, ovate, pointed, silky. Style elongated.
Stigmas cloven. (Pursh.) A native of North Ame-
rica, on the banks of rivers, from Pennsylvania to
Virginia, where it forms a middle-sized tree, resem-
bling S. discolor; flowering in March and April. It
was introduced in 1811. In the Horticultural So-
ciety's Garden, and in the salictum at Wobum
Abbey, it has only attained the height of 6 ft. or
8 ft. There are plants of it at Henfield.
a 33. S. DI'SCOLOR Muhlcnb. The two-coloured Willow.
Identification. Muhlenb. in Nov. Act. Soc. Nat. Scrut. Berol, 4. p. 234. t. 6. f. 1. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4.
p. 6«i5. ; Muhlenb. in Sims and Kftnig's Ann. of Bot., v. 2. 62. t. 5. f. 1. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept.,
2. p. 613. ; Smith in Kees's Cycle., No. 25. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 147. p. 279.
The Sexes. Both sexes are noticed in the Specific Character.
Engravings. Nov. Act. Soc. Nat. Scrut. Berol., 4. t. 6. f. 1. ; Ann. of Bot., 2. t. 5. f. 1. ; Sal. Wob.,
No. 147., a leaf; and our fig. 147. in p. 1630.
Spec. Char., §c. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, glabrous, bluntly serrated, glaucous beneath. Catkins
CHAP. CIM. SALICA CEJE. SA LIX. 1531
protruded before the leaves. Bracteas short, rounded, hairy. Ovary awl-ghaped, silky, on a stalk
thrice the length of the bractea. (Smith in Rees's Cyclo.) A native of North America, and common
in low grounds and on the banks of rivers, from New England to Carolina. It is striking in its
appearance, from the dark brown of its branches ; and from its flowers, the filaments of which are
white, and the anthers first red, becoming yellow when they burst. According to Pursh, this kind
is the one most commonly used in America by the basket-makers. (Fl. Amer. Sept., voL ii. p. 613.)
Introduced in 1811 ; but we have not seen the plant.
& 34. S. ANGUSTA^TA PursJi. The narrowed, or tapered-leaved, Willow.
Identification. Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 613. ; Smith in Rees's Cydo.,"No. 27.
The Sexes. The female is noticed in the Specific Character.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves lanceolate, acute, very long, gradually tapering to the base, finely serrated,
glabrous, scarcely paler on the under surface. Stipules half-heart-shaped. Catkins protruded before
the leaves, upright, rather glabrous. Ovary ovate, glabrous, stalked. Style divided. Stigmas
2-lobed. A native of North America, and found in shady woods on the banks of rivers, in the
states of New York and Pennsylvania ; flowering in March and April. It has very long leaves,
and resembles S. prinoides. (Id.) Introduced into England in 1811.
* 35. S. CONFO'RMIS Forbes. The uniform-leaved Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 24.
The Sexes. The female only is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 24. j andfig. 24. in p. 1607.
Spec. Char., $c. Stem erect. Leaves lanceolate, pointed, tapering towards
the base, dull green ; glabrous and shining above, glabrous and glaucous be-
neath. Stipules ovate, or half-heart-shaped, serrated. Catkins from 2 in.
to nearly 3 in. long. Ovary ovate, subulate, silky. Style about as long
as the deeply parted stigmas. (Sal. Wob., p. 47.) Supposed to be a native
of North America. It is one of the earliest-flowering of the species ; the
catkins of the female plant appearing in February or March. Mr. Forbes
has not seen the barren catkins ; but the plant, he says, is easily distin-
guished by its long handsome leaves, its upright mode of growth, and its
long tough branches. The last property, Mr. Forbes observes, appears to
render it well adapted for basketwork.
Group ix. Grisece Borrer.
Chiefly Shrubs, Natives of North America.
Most of the kinds are natives of North America. S. Miihlenbergzawa Willd.,
S. cordata Muhlenb., S. falcata Pursh and £ trfstis Ait. are additions to
the kinds which Mr. Borrer has placed in this group. With regard to S.
reflexa Forbes, S. virgata ? Forbes, and S. Lyonw ? Schl., included in it
by Mr. Borrer, he remarks, " I am unacquainted with these, and have,
perhaps, placed them in the wrong group."
* 36. S. VIRE'SCENS Forbes. The greenish-leaved Willow, or verdant Osier.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 7.
Synonyme. Mr. Forbes received the kind from Messrs. Loddiges, under the name S. Aippophaefblia
but has substituted the specific name of virescens, as being one more descriptive of the plant
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 7. ; our fig. 1318. ; and fig. 1. in p. 1604.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves linear-lanceolate, serrated, acute, smooth, green on
both sides. Ovary ovate-lanceolate, scarcely downy. Style divided. Stig-
mas parted. Stipules none. (Sal. Wob., p. 13.) A native
of Switzerland, and sent by Messrs. Loddiges to the Woburn
salictum, where it flowers in April. This is an upright
shrub, about 8ft. high, with slender, brown, smooth branches;
the young twigs yellowish, and somewhat furrowed; and
the catkins long and slender, and appearing with the leaves.
In foliage and branches, it bears a strong affinity to S. rubra
Smith : but " the catkins, &c.," are very different ; much
resembling those of S. undulata Forbes. S. virescens is of dwarfer stature
than either S. rubra or S. undulata. There are plants at Woburn Abbey,
1532 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
Henfield, and Flitwick House, and also in the Hackney arboretum, under
the name of S. Aippophaefolia. The shoots are as valuable for basketwork
as those of S. rubra. (Forbes.)
ft 37. S. REFLE'XA Forbes. The refiexed-catJcined Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 94.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. SaL Wob., No. 94. ; and our Jig. 94. in p. 1619.
Spec. Char., $0. Leaves lanceolate, dentated, or distantly serrated ; cottony
beneath ; the older ones glaucous and glabrous. Stipules toothed, large,
on shortish footstalks. Catkins reflexed, on short stalks. Ovary stalked,
ovate, silky. Style short, divided. Stigmas parted. Bractea longer
than the stalk of the ovary, obovate, obtuse, notched, hairy, black in
its upper half. (Sal. Wob., p. 187.) A low spreading shrub; native
country not stated; flowering in March; with round green branches, villous
when young, marked with small yellow dots. Leaves from 3 in. to 3^ in.
long, scarcely 1 in. in breadth ; lanceolate, tapering towards their extremities,
serrated, entire at the base ; thickly covered with a short cottony substance,
while young, underneath ; finally, they lose this substance, and become
perfectly glabrous and glaucous ; the young ones are tinged with purple, and
very soft to the touch : lower leaves very small, and obtuse. Catkins about
1 in. long, recurved, slender. A very useful willow for tying, and for
the finer sorts of baskets and wickerwork, the younger twigs being very
tough and pliant.
j* 38. S. VIRGA^TA Forbes. The twiggy Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 12.
The Sexes. Mr. Forbes states that, when seen by him, the catkins were withered, and unfit for
examination.
Engravings. SaL Wob., No. 12., without flowers ; and our fig. 12. in p. 1605.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves linear-lanceolate, glabrous, green on both surfaces,
finely serrated. Stipules rounded or half-heart-shaped, serrated or toothed.
Branches glabrous, shining. (Sal. Wob., p. 23.) A very distinct and hand-
some sort, growing, in the Horticultural Society's Garden at Chiswick, to
the height of 1 ft. 6 in. or 2 ft., with small round, brown, glabrous, twiggy
branches; flowering in May and June. In size, habit, and leaves it re-
sembles S. Houstonidna.
ft 39. S. LYO^N// ? Schl. Lyon's Willow.
Identification. Sal. Wob., No. 12. Mr. Forbes obtained this sort, under the name of S. LydmY, from
Messrs. Loddiges, who had it, through M. Schleicher. from Switzerland.
The Sexes. Mr. Forbes had not yet seen the catkins in 1829, when the Salictum Woburnense wai
published.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 10., without flowers ; and our jig. 10. in p. 1604.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves alternate, lanceolate, elongated, pointed, serrated,
glabrous, green and shining on both sides, veiny ; obtuse at the base, some-
times furnished with one or two glands. Branches round, glabrous, inclining
to a reddish brown. (Sal. Wob., p. 19.) A native of Switzerland, intro-
duced by Messrs. Loddiges previously to 1829, the date of the Salictum Wo-
burnense. In the salictum at Woburn, it forms a bushy shrub, about 3 ft.
in height, with reddish brown branches, which are round, glabrous, and
shining ; these, again, throwing out many small twigs from the axils of the
leaves, which are villous when young. This species has not yet flowered
with Mr. Forbes, who has given the figure without catkins.
ft 40. S. HOUSTON/^M* Pursh. Houston's Willow.
Identification. Pursh FL Amer. Sept., 2. p. 634. : Smith in Ree«'s Cyclo., No. 43. ; Forbes in Sal.
Wob., No. 11.
Synonyme. S. tristis Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
The Sexes. The male is described in Pursh's specific character, and the female is described and
figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 1L ; and fig. 11. in p. 1604.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves linear-lanceolate, and very finely serrated, glabrous,
shining, and green on both sides. Stipules none. Catkins accompanying
CHAP. CIII.
SALIC A CEJE. SA'LIX.
533
the leaves, cylindrical, villous. Bracteas ovate, acute. Stamens 3 to 5,
bearded half-way up. Branches extremely brittle at the base. (Pursh.)
A native of Virginia and Carolina. In the salictum at Woburn, it is a low-
growing shrub, with slender, roundish, smooth, yellowish branches, rising
about 3 ft. or 4ft. high; flowering in May and June. " This species," Pursh
observes, " so frequently found in gardens under the name of S. tristis, is
very far from being in any way related to it. The specimen in the Banksian
herbarium was collected by Houston, and, as it is said, in Vera Cruz ; but
I am confident that it is a more northern plant, as I have frequently seen
it in Virginia." (Fl. Amer. Sept., ii. p. 614.J There are plants in the Gold-
worth Arboretum, and at Woburn Abbey, Henfield, and Flitwick House;
also in the arboretum at Hackney, under the name of S. tristis.
* 41. S. FALCA'TA Pursh. The sickle-leaved Willow.
Identification. Pursh FL Amer. Sept., 2. p. 614. ; Smith in Rees's Cycle., No. 44.; Forbes in Sal.
Wob., No. 148.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 148., a leaf; and our Jig. 148. in p. 1630.
Spec. Char., 8(C. Leaves very long, linear-lanceolate, closely serrated, tapering gradually, and some-
what falcate upwards ; acute at the base ; glabrous on both surfaces; when young, silky. Stipules
crescent-shaped, toothed, deflexed. A very smooth species, with very slender brown "branches :
flowers not yet observed. (Pursh.) A native of North America, from Pennsylvania to Virginia,
on the banks of rivers. Introduced in 1811, and flowering in April and May ; but we have never
seen the plant.
* 42. S. GRI'SEA Willd. The grey Willow.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 699. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 615. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo.,
No. 113. ; Koch Comm., p. 21., note *.
Si/nonymcs. S. serlcea Miihlenb. Nov. Act. Soc. Nat. Scrut. Berol., 4. p. 239. t. 6. f. 8. ; Sims et
Kb'nig Ann. of Sot., 2. 67. t. 5. f. 8. Perhaps the S. pennsylvanica Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 95., is
the S. grisea Willd. (Borrer in a letter.)
The Sexes. Both sexes are described in Willd. Sp. PI., and in Rees's Cyclo. : they are more briefly
noticed in the Specific Character below.
Engravings. Nov. Act. Soc. Nat Scrut. Berol., 4. t. 6. f. 8. ; Ann. of Bot, 2. t. 5. f. 8.
Spec. Char., $c. Petiole long, silky. Disk of leaf lanceolate, acuminate, serrulate ; glabrous on the
the upper surface, silky on the under one. Stipules linear. Stamens 2. Ovary silky, oblong. Stig-
mas sessile, obtuse. (Willd. and Miihlenb.) Wild in marshes in Pennsylvania. A shrub of man's
height. Branches brown, downy when young. Disk of leaf 14 in. long. Catkins protruded earlier
than the leaves. (Willd.} Introduced in 1820.
Variety.
dt S. g. 2 elabra.— Glabrous. Koch considers this the same as theS. petiolaris of Smith, described
below, No. 43 . ; and asserts that it is not a native of Britain, though Smith has included
it in his English Flora.
¥ * 43. S. PETIOLA'RIS Smith. The /ong-petiolated Willow.
Idtntifitation. Smith in Lia Soc. Trans., 6. p. 122. ; Eng. Bot., t. 1147. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 665. ;
Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 616. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 28. ; Eng. FL, 4. p. 181. ; Forbes in
Sal. Wob., No. 23. ; Hook. Br. FL, ed. 3., p. 423.
Synonymes. S. grisea Willd. var. /3 subglabrata Koch Comm., p. 21., note*. Koch regards the
S. petiolaris Smith as a var. of S. grfsea ; and it probably is so. (Borrer in a letter.)
The Sexes. The female is figured in Eng. Bot. and Sal. Wob. Smith observes that he " knows
nothing of the male plant" (Eng. FL) Mr. Borrer had formerly both sexes growing at
Henfield, having received the male from Mr. G. Anderson, but at present he has the female
only. (W. B.)
Engravings. Eng. Bot, t. 1147. ; Sal. Wob., No. 23. ; our fig. 1319. ; andfig. 23. in p. 1607.
Spec. Char.y fyc. Leaves lanceolate, serrated, glabrous ; glaucous beneath, some-
what unequal at the base. Stipules lunate, toothed. Catkins lax. Bracteas
hairy, shorter than the stalks of the ovate silky ovaries. Stigmas divided,
sessile. (Smith Eng. Fl.} A native of Scotland, in An-
gusshire and other places; forming a bushy tree, with
slender, spreading, flexible, smooth, purplish, or dark brown
branches ; flowering in April. It is easily known from every
other species, by its short obtuse catkins, and long dark
leaves. After gathering, the young leaves especially exhale
a strong scent, like the flavour of bitter almonds, but less
agreeable. No use has been made of this willow, though
it seems to abound in tannin. (Smith in Eng. FL) " Sent
from Scotland by the late Mr. Dickson. In Fossil Marsh, 1319
on the north side of the canal ; Mr. David Don Marshes in Angusshire ;
Mr. George Don." (Hooker.} " Mr. Pursh has suspected it not to be
1534- ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
truly British ; but there seems no reason why, like several other willows,
it may not grow wild in Europe as well as in North America ; and the au-
thorities above mentioned are not likely to be erroneous." (Smith.) " I have
never seen native specimens." (Hooker in JBr. Fl.)
& 44. S. PENNSYLVA'NICA Forbes. The Pennsylvanian Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 95.
Synonymes. ? Is not this the same as S. petiolaris Smith ; or, perhaps, it is the S. griseaff i/W. (Borrer
in a letter.) In Sweet's Hort. Brit., ed. 1830, it is questioned if S. pennsylvamca Forbes be not iden-
tical with S. pedicell£ris of Spreng. Syst., which is the S. pedicellaris Pursh.
The Sexes. The male is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 95. ; and OUT fig. 95. in p. 1620.
Spec. Char., $c. A bushy shrub. Leaves alternate, lanceolate, serrated ;
smooth, glabrous, and shining above ; densely clothed beneath with silky
silvery hairs. Stipules very minute, soon falling off. Catkins of the
male nearly 1 in. long, slender. Bractea oblong, hairy. Gland obtuse.
This kind, in its whole form and habit, bears a strong likeness to S. petiolaris
Smith ; but the silvery silkiness of the old leaves perfectly distinguishes
it. (Sal. Wob., p. 189.) A native of ? North America; flowering in
April. Introduced in (?) 1825. A low spreading shrub, with yellowish
green, round, villous, brittle branches. Leaves lance-shaped, varying from
3 in. to 5 in. in length, sometimes nearly 1 in. broad ; dark green and
shining above ; beautifully silvery-silky beneath ; all the leaves of a thin
texture; midrib pale, prominent, and slightly villous. Footstalks scarcely
i in. long. Catkins appearing before the leaves, nearly sessile. Anthers
reddish before expansion; afterwards yellow. There are plants in the
Goldworth Arboretum, and at Woburn Abbey and Flitwick House.
.* 45. S. MuHLENBERG/x4v2^4 Willd. Muhlenberg's, or the brown American,
Willow.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 692. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 609. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo.,
No. 96. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 145. p. 278. ; Koch Comm., p. 21., note*.
Synonymes. S. alp\na Walt. Car., 243. ; S. incana Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 2. p. 225. ; S. flava Schoepf.
Mat. Med. Amer. ; S. tristis Miihlenb. Nov. Act. Soc. Nat. Scrut. Berol., 4. p. 241. t. 6. f. 9., Sims
and Konig's Ann. of Sot., 2. p. 68. t. 5. f. 9.
The Sexes. Both sexes are noticed in the Specific Character.
Engravings. Nov. Act. Soc. Nat. Scrut. Berol., 4. t. 6. f. 9. ; Ann. of Bot, 2. t. 5. f. 9., a leaf; Sal.
Wob., No. 145. ; and OUT fig. 145. in p. 1630.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves lanceolate, sharpish, nearly entire, downy, revolute; veiny and rugose
beneath. Stipules lanceolate, deciduous. Bracteas oblong, fringed. Ovary ovate-lanceolate,
silky, stalked. Style short. Stigmas divided. The branches greenish yellow, with black dots.
Anthers purple ; yellow when they burst. Bracteas white, tipped with red, giving the catkins a
very pleasing appearance. (Pursh.) A shrub, 1 ft. to 4 ft. high, mostly decumbent Leaves lin. long,
or more. It is indigenous in gravelly places in Pennsylvania and Canada ( Willd.} ; or, according
to Pursh, in shady dry woods, from New York to Virginia. Introduced in 1811, and flowering in
April.
„* 46. S. TRI'STIS Ait. The sad, or narrow-leaved American, Willow.
Identification. Ait. Hort. Kew1., ed. 1., 3. p 393. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 693., Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept.,
2. p. 609. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 97. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 150. p. 279.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 150., a leaf; and OUT fig. 150. in p. 1630.
Spec. Char., 8fC. Leaves linear-lanceolate, entire, revolute, acute at each end; rather glabrous above,
rugged with veins and downy beneath. Stipules none. Catkins appearing before the leaves, and
oblong. Approaches near to S. Miihlenberginna. (Pursh.) A native of North America, in dry
sandy woods, from New Jersey to Carolina. Introduced in 1765, and flowering in April.
& 47. S. CORDA'TA Miihlenb. The heart-leaved Willow.
Identification. Mtihlenb. in Nov. Act. Soc. Nat. Scrut. Berol., 4. p. 236. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 666. ;
Miihlenb. in Sims et Kon. Ann. of Bot, 2. p. 64. ; Pursh FL Amer. Sept., 2. p. 615. ; Smith in
Rees's Cyclo., No. 30. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 142.
The Sexes. Both sexes are noticed in the Specific Character.
Engravings. Nov. Act. Soc. Nat. Scrut. BeroL, 4. t. 6. f. 3. ; Ann. of Bot., t. 5. f. 3. ; Sal. AVob.,
No. 142., a leaf; and our fig. 142. in p. 1630.
Spec. Char., %c. Branches green, red towards the end ; younger ones pubescent. Leaves ovate-
lanceolate, serrated, smooth ; above deep green, paler beneath, heart-shaped at the base. Stipules
rounded, finely toothed. Catkins accompanying the leaves. Stamens to a flower mostly 3. Flowers
lanceolate, woolly. Ovary stalked, lanceolate, smooth. Style the length of the divided stigmas.
(Pursh.) A native of North America, from New England to Virginia. Introduced in 1811, and
flowering in April and May. The young shoots are very tough, and are much used in America by
the basket-makers. A shrub, about 6ft. high, with green glabrous branches, and long leaves.
I Willd.) There are plants in the Goldworth Arboretum.
CHAP. cm.
.5ALICA
1535
Group x. Rosmarinifolicc Borrcr.
Low Shrubs, with narrow Leaves.
Stamens 2 to a flower. Ovary silky, stalked. Catkins short. Flowers
loosely disposed in the catkin. Leaves linear-lanceolate, entire, or toothed
with extremely minute glanded teeth. Plants small upright shrubs. (Hook.
Br. F/., ed. 2.)
j* 48. S. 2ZOSMARiNiFOxLiA L. The Rosemary-leaved Willow.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1448. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 697. ; Hayne Abbild., ». 244. ; Pursh Fl.
Amer. Sept., 2. p. 6li>. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 109. ; Eng. Bot., t. Ioti5. ; Eng. FL, 4. p. i.'14.;
Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 87. ; Hook. Br. FL, ed. 3. p. 423.
St/nonyme. S. rosmarinifblia, part of, Koch Comm., p. 49.
The Sexes. The female is described in Eng. Fl., and figured in Eng. Bot. Smith has noted that he
had not seen the catkins of the male. This is originally described, and both sexes are figured, in
Sal. Wob. Both are described in Willd. So. Pi., and figured in Hayne Abbild.
Engravings. Hayne Abbild., 1. 186. -, Eng. Bot., 1. 1365. ; Sal. Wob., No. 87. ; our fig. 1320. ; and fig. 87.
in p. 1618.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves linear-lanceolate, silky, quite entire, or with a few
very minute glanded teeth, especially the young leaves. Catkins shortly
oblong, curved, lax. Ovaries stalked, silky, lanceolate-acuminate. Style
about as long as the linear divided stigmas. Bracteas short,
villous. (Hook. Br. Fl.,ed. 3.) "Native of moist sandy or
turfy places in Sweden, Germany, and the northern parts of
Britain ; flowering in April. Pursh, finding it likewise ' in wet
meadows and mountain swamps from Pennsylvania to Ca-
rolina,' presumes that it has been imported thence into
England. Our specimens, however, accord exactly with
the Finland ones of Linna?us, and the German one of
Ehrhart, so that it seems common to both quarters of the
world." (Smith in Recs's Cyclo.) Flowering in April and
May. A slender upright shrub, 2 ft. or 3 ft. high ; allied in
its habits (silky silvery foliage, and short ovate catkins) to
S. angustifolia ? Wulf.t Borrei-, Hooker ; but much more
silky or downy; and the catkins, at first, are singularly recurved. The
branches are upright, very slender, round, silky when young. Leaves
scattered, on short slender stalks, nearly upright, straight, linear-lanceolate,
acute, hardly ever more than £in. broad at most, and from 1 in. to 2 in.
long ; entire, sometimes beset with a few marginal glands ; the upper surface
silky when young, but soon becoming glabrous and veiny, of a rather light
green, scarcely blackened in drying ; under surface glaucous, and at every
period more or less silky. Catkins lateral ; at first drooping, ovate, and
very short, but, as they advance, becoming more erect. The ovaries of this
species are smaller, and more awl-shaped, than in S. aimustifolia Borrcr,
Hooker, ?Wulf.
j* ^4-9. S. ANGUSTIFO'LIA Borrcr, Hooker, ?Wulf. The narrow-leaved Willow.
Identification. Borrer and Hook, in Hook. Br. FL, ed. 2., p. 417. ; ? Wulf. in Jacq. Coll., 3. 48,
Synonytnes. S. arbuscula Smith Fl. lirft., p. 10.50., Eng. Bot., t. l.J:ii.'., Hees's Ct/clo)>a'<lia, No.6~>.,
ting. Flora, 4. p. 198., exclusively ot the synonymes of Lin., perhaps of other synonymes, /•'»;•/><•..
in Sal. W,,/>., No. 86., not No. 138. ; S. ;-osmarinif61ia at, Koch Comm., p. 49. Smith! in his Eng.
Flora, has referred S. anguatifolia Wulf. to S. incubacea L.; and Koch has referred S. incubacea L.
to S. fosmarinifolia L.
The Sett's. The female is described in Eng. Flora, and figured in Eng. Bot. and Sal. Wob. Smith
has noted, in Eng. Flora, that the flowers of the male were unknown to him.
Engravings. Eng. Hot., t. UJti. j the female, Sal.]Wob., t. 86. ; ourjig. 13'21. ; and fig. 86. in p. 161S.
.s/>fv. Chnr., iVr. Leaves linear-lanceolate, nearly glabrous, with minute glan-
dular teeth ; the young leaves silky ; glaucous beneath. ( 'atkins ovate, erect.
( )\ aries ovate-acuminate, densely silky, stalked. Style ahouf ns long as the
broad, erect, entire stigmas. Bracteas very villous, nearly as long as the young
1320
1536 ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART III.
ovaries. (Hook. Br. Fl., p. 417.) A native of Scotland,
on the Clova Mountains, and also near Dumfries ; growing
to the height of 1 ft., and flowering in April. Botanists
are not agreed as to what is precisely the S. arbuscula L.
Smith deemed it to be this; but Mr. Forbes (Sal. Wob.,
No. 86., and incidentally under No. 138.) and Mr. Borrer
(Hook. Br. FL, ed. 2.) have concluded that it is not. Mr.
Forbes was much inclined to regard it as not specifically
distinct from S. rosmarinifolia Eng. Fl. and Eng. Sot.;
and Mr. Borrer, or Sir W. J. Hooker, or both, have regarded
it as probably the same as the S. angustifolia Wulfen. As to its relation
to S. rosmarinifolia, Sir W. J. Hooker says, " I agree with Mr. Borrer in
thinking that they are distinct, though the difference lies almost entirely in
their ovaries : these are shorter in S. angustifolia, with denser, less glossy,
and less truly silky hairs, with ovate and quite entire stigmas, and more
shaggy bracteas. There are plants at Woburn and Flitwick.
-* 50. S. DECU'MBENS Forbes. The decumbent Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 88.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 88.; and fig. 88. in p. 1618.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves linear-lanceolate, nearly entire; dull green and silky
above, pale and densely silky beneath. Stipules lanceolate. Branches
downy. Ovary ovate, silky, nearly sessile. Style elongated. Stigmas
divided. (Sal. Wob., p. 175.) A native of ? Switzerland. Introduced in 1823,
and flowering in May. A small shrub, with leafy downy branches, extending
obliquely from the ground to the height of 1 ft. or 1 ft. 6 in. The leaves are
from 1 i in. to 2 in. long, or more ; linear-lanceolate, entire, or nearly so,
some of them marked with a few glands about the middle ; dull green and
silky above, beneath densely silky ; the young ones have somewhat a silvery
appearance underneath. Buds red before expansion. Catkins nearly 1 in.
long. A very distinct species, resembling in foliage the male plant of
S.
at 51. S. FUSCA'TA Pursh. The dark-bro\vn-branched Willow.
Identification. Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 8. p. 612. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No, 110.
Tin- Suet. The female is noticed in the specific character.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves obovate-lanceolate, acute, somewhat serrated ; glaucous beneath, downy
when very young. Stipules minute. Catkins drooping. Bracteas (scales) obtuse, scarcely hairy
on the inside. Ovary ovate, silky, somewhat stalked. Wild in North America, in low overflowed
grounds on the banks of rivers, from New York to Pennsylvania ; flowering in March or April.
Branches of the preceding year covered with a dark brown or black tomentum. (Purxh and Smith.}
Introduced in 1811.
Group xi. Fusca Borrer.
Mostly procumbent Shrubs.
Stamens 2 to a flower, as far as to the kinds whose male flowers have been
observed. Ovary silky, stalked. Catkins ovate or cylindrical. Leaves
between elliptical and lanceolate ; mostly silky beneath ; nearly entire.
Plants small shrubs. Stem, in most, procumbent. S. fusca L., Hooker,
var. 1., and S. Doniana Smith, have a likeness in aspect to the kinds of the
group Purpureae, except S. rubra Huds. (Hook. Br. Fl.y ed. 2., adapted.)
-* 52. S. FU'SCA L. The brown Willow.
Identification. Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 2., p. 417. ; ? Hayne Abbild., p. 242.
Synonymes. S. repcns Hook. Fl. Scot., 1. p. 284. ; ,V. repens Koch, part of, Koch Comm., p. 47. The
various synonymes to be cited below in application to varieties are, in effect, synonymes of the
species also.
The Sexes. The female is figured in Hat/tic Abbild., if the S. fusra of that work is the S. fusca /..
Engraving*. Hayne Abbild., t. 184. ; Sal. Wob. ; and our fig. 8.5. in p. ItilS.
niAi». cur. v\i.K.\(i i. ,VAXLIX. 1537
S/H-C. Char.j «£/•. Stems more or less procumbent. Leaves elliptical or
elliptic-lanceolate, acute ; entire, or serrated with minute glanded serratures ;
somcuhat downy ; glaucous, and generally very silky beneath. Ovary
l-Miceolate, very silky, seated upon a long stalk. Stigmas bifid. (Hook. Br.
/•'/., ed. •-'. ) Sir \V. .). Hooker and Mr. Borrer have referred to this species
several kinds as varieties, which have been regarded as species by Smith
and others, and which we give below, retaining the specific character of
each, for the convenience of those who have received them as species, and
may wish to identify them.
Varieties,
•* S. /: 1 r/r^/m .- S. f. var. * Hook. Br. FL, ed. 2. ; S. fusca Smith Eng.
'Bot., t.'l9GO., Eti«. FL, iv. p. 210., Forbes in SaL Wob., No. 83. ; S.
repens Koch 0 Koch Comm., p. 47. ; and our Jig. 83. in p. 1618. — Stem
decumbent below, then upright, much branched. Leaves elliptic
lanceolate. (Id.) Mr. Borrer is disposed to deem the S. fusca Smith
different from the S. fusca L., at least as seen growing in the garden ;
for he allows that " the dried specimens show no character ; " in
which latter opinion I cordially agree with him." (Hooker.) " The
plant" of Smith "itself is usually a small procumbent shrub, with
rather long straight branches ; but varying exceedingly, according to
situation and other circumstances, as do the leaves also, which are
more or less glabrous above, and more or less silky beneath, where
the nerves are prominent." (Id.) The branches are spreading,
brown, and downy, with fine close hairs when young. (Smith.} Catkins
generally appearing before the leaves. A very beautiful little species,
nearly related to S. f. repens ; but is distinguishable from it by its
broader leaves, longer footstalks, and more upright mode of growth.
Smith states that it is found wild in moist mountainous heaths in
the north ; that its time of flowering is May. In the salictum at
Woburn, it flowered in May, and again in July. The male plant is
figured in the English Botany and the Salic turn Wobiirnense. There
are plants at VVoburn Abbey, Henfield, and Flitwick House.
Jc S. /; 2 rcpcm ; S. f. 0 Hook. Br. FL, ed. 2. ; S. repens Lin. Sp. PL,
1447, (Smith), Willd. Sp. PL, iv. p. 693., at least in part, Smith in
Rees'x Cyclo., No. 100., Eng. Bot., t. 183., Eng. FL, iv. p. 209.,
Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 84., our/g.84. in p. 1618., ? Hayne Abbild.,
p. 241. t. 183., ? Pursh FL Amer., ii. p. 610. ; S. repens Koch a.
Koch Comm., p. 47. — The following description of this kind is derived
from Eng. FL and Sal. Wob. : — Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, straight,
somewhat pointed, nearly entire ; almost naked above, glaucous and
silky beneath. Stipules none. Stem depressed, with short up-
right branches. Ovary stalked, ovate, downy. Capsules glabrous.
(Smith E. F.) A native of Britain, on moist and dry heaths,
moors, and sandy situations ; flowering in May. Stem woody, de-
pressed, often creeping ; sending up numerous upright branches,
about a finger's length ; sometimes subdivided and spreading ; some-
times procumbent and moderately elongated ; ail round and glabrous,
except the small leafy shoots of the present year, which are downy.
Leaves small, from 1 in. to f in. long, elliptical or broadly lanceolate,
somewhat revolute; nearly or quite entire, veiny, bluntish, with a
minute straight point ; the upper surface dark green, glabrous;
under surface glaucous, densely silky when young. Footstalks short
and broad, frequently downy. Catkins appearing before the leaves,
numerous, and attaining 1 in. in length, in the fertile plant, when
the seeds are ripe. Both sexes are described in Eng. Flora, and
both are figured in Eng. Bot., in Sal. Woh., and in Hayne Abbild., if
the latter engraving belongs to this willow. There are plants at
Woburn Abbey and in the Gold worth Arboretum.
-* S. /; :} proxtrdln ; S. f. var. 7 Hook. Br. /''/., ed. 2.; .V. prostrata Smith
5 ii 2
1538 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
Eng. Sot., t. 1959., Reeis Cydo., No. 105., Willd. Sp. PI., iv. p. 695.,
Smith Eng. Fl., iv., p. 21 1., exclusively of the locality ("in Epping
Forest"), Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 82., and our fig. 82. in p. 1618.—
The following particulars respecting this kind are derived from Eng.
Fl. and Sal. Wob., chiefly from the former : — Leaves elliptic-oblong,
convex, somewhat toothed, with a curved point ; glaucous, silky,
and veiny beneath. Stipules minute. Stem prostrate, with elongated
straight branches. Ovary stalked, ovate, silky. Styles shorter
than the stigmas. (Sal. Wob., p. 163.) A native of Britain, in moist
and dry moors, heaths, and sandy situations; flowering in May.
Root woody, rather long and slender. The stems compose an
entangled mat several feet in diameter, with straight, slender, round,
leafy, tough, downy or silky branches ; 1 ft. or more in length ;
spreading close to the ground in every direction, with a few short
upright ones occasionally. Leaves elliptic-oblong, numerous, scat-
tered, on short and rather thick stalks, ascending ; 1 in. long, convex,
but scarcely revolute ; partly entire, partly toothed ; the point re-
curved or twisted; the upper side dark green, obscurely downy,
veiny; under side concave, glaucous, rugged, with prominent veins,
and silky, especially while young. Catkins numerous, appearing before
the leaves; |in. long. Distinguished from S. fusca vulgaris by its
longer prostrate branches, and broader leaves. Both sexes are
described in Eng. FL; the female is figured in Eng. Bot. and in
Sal. Wob. There are plants at Woburn Abbey and Flitwick House,
and also in the Goldworth Arboretum. " S. prostrate and S. repens,"
Dr. Johnston observes, "have been confidently pronounced varieties
of the same species by some botanists of deserved eminence, while
others, not less eminent, consider them ' totally distinct.' Both
plants are familiar to me ; and I cannot hesitate to rank myself with
those who are of the latter opinion. S. prostrate is the larger species,
sending up from its prostrate stem straight simple branches, 1 ft.
or more in length, which are clothed with alternate leaves, rather
more than 1 in. long, and one half as broad. S. repens, on the
contrary, is a much branched creeping shrub, whose numerous
branches scarcely rise above the grass. The leaves are more closely
set, of a lighter green, and rarely one half so large. A general
dissimilarity in habit should surely keep plants separate, though they
may agree in some minute characters." (Flora of Berwick upon
Tweed, vol. i. p. 214.)
.* S./. 4,/ce'tida ; S. f. var. S Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 2.; S. fce'tida Smith Eng.
Fl., iv. p. 208. — Stem recumbent. Leaves elliptical. (Hooker.)
Smith has constituted his S. foe'tida of two kinds, that he had
previously published as species, by the names S. adscendens Smith
and S. parvifolia Smith. These two kinds may be here noticed
separately, as constituting together Hooker's S. fusca 8.
-* S. adscendens Smith in Eng. Sot., 1962., Rees's Cyclo., No. 103., Forbes in Sal. Wob.,
No. 80.,ourfig. 80. in p. 1618. ; S. foe'tida, exclusively of (3 Smith Eng. Fl., 4. p. 208.;
S. ripens Koch var. Koch Comm., p. 47. — The following particulars respecting
this kind are deduced from Sal. Wob. : — Leaves elliptical, nearly entire, with a
recurved point ; glaucous and silky beneath. Stem recumbent. Ovary ovate-Ian-
ceolate, on a silky stalk, nearly equal to the obovate bracteas. (Sal. Wob., p. 159.)
A native of Britain, in sandy heaths; flowering in May. A low creeping shrub,
with long, straight, densely leafy, recumbent, or somewhat ascending, round,
downy branches, silky when young. Leaves elliptical, narrower, and far less silky
than those of S. argentea. Mr. Forbes adds that he has observed so many points
of difference between this and the following kind, that he has preferred keeping
them distinct The male is figured in Eng. Bot., the female in Sal. Wob. There
are plants at Woburn Abbey and Flitwick House
J: S. parvifolia Smith Eng. Bot., t. 1961., Rees's Cyclo., No. 102., Forbes in Sal. Wob.,
No. 81., fig. 81. in p. IfilS. ; S. foe'tida /3 Smith Eng. Fl., 4. p. 208. ; S. repens Koch
var. Koch Comm.., p. 48. — The following account of this kind is taken from Sal.
Wob. : — Leaves elliptical, nearly entire, with recurved points; glaucous and silky
beneath. Stem decumbent. Stipules ovate, entire. (Sal. Wob., p. 161.) A native
of Britain, on moist and dry heaths, on moors, and sandy situations ; flowering
rn May, and, in the willow garden at Woburn Abbey, again in August The
CHAP. cm. ,VALICAVCE;E. &VLJX. 1.539
stem is much branched, elongated, and decumbent. Branches elongated, wand-
• like, 1 ft. or 1 ft. 6 in. long, spreading obliquely, or else procumbent ; very densely
clothed with innumerable leaves, round, thickish, hairy or silky. Leaves spread-
ing or recurved, about £in. long, of a broad elliptical figure, w'ith curved points ;
the margin slightly revolutc, either quite entire, or marked here and there with
a minute glaiulular'tooth ; the upper surface is of a dull lightish green, and nearly
glabrous ; the under surface glaucous, and more or less silky. Footstalks very
short, and broad. Catkins of the female ovate, dense, yellowish. Both sexes are
figured in Sal. Wob. j the female is described in Eng. Bot.
Both these kinds or subvarieties are distinguished by their strong
fishy smell. " This odour becomes powerfully offensive, when fresh
specimens have been confined in a box for several days." (Eng. Fl.y
iv. p. 209.)
* S. f. 5 incubacea ; S. f. 5 Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3. ; S. incubacea Lin.
Sp. PL, 1447., Fl.Suec., ed. 2., 351., Smith Eng. FL, iv. p. 212.,
exclusively of all the synonymes, according to Borrer in Eng. Bot.
Suppl., except the two of Linnaeus quoted above, Forbes in Sal.
Wob., No. 79., our fig. 79. in p. 1618., Borrer in Eng. Bot. Suppl.,
t. 2600., Hayne Abbild., p. 243. t. 185. The female is described in
Eng. Flora and Eng. Bot. SuppL, and figured in Eng. Bot. Suppl.,
Sal. Wob., and Hayne Abbild. — Mr. Borrer, in Eng. Bot. Suppl., has
treated of this as a species, although he has since regarded it as a
variety. The following is the specific character, given in Engl.Bot.
Suppl., and it will serve to portray the characteristic features of the
kind, whether viewed as a species or a variety. Leaves elliptic-lan-
ceolate, nearly entire, acute, with a twisted point ; glaucous and silky
beneath. Stipules stalked, ovate, acute. Stem procumbent.
Branches erect. Catkins erect, oblong-cylindrical. Stalk of the
silky ovary about as long as the obovate bractea (scale). (Borrer.)
Wild in England, at Hoptcm in Suffolk, in Anglesea on sandy
shores ; and in Switzerland and Germany. A shrub, about 4 ft.
high. It shows "the closest affinity' to S. argentea Smith, in its
mode of growth, flowers, stipules, and silky pubescence ; and from
which it differs in little besides the shape of the leaf. Serratures
are, indeed, more frequently found, and more apparent when
present ; but in S. argentea the leaves are not always strictly
entire. We have seen, on Swiss specimens, the male flowers of S.
incubacea, but they afford no distinctive marks." (Borrer.)
Jc S / 6 argentea ; S. f. 6 Hook. Br. FL, ed. 2. ; S. argentea Smith
Eng. Bot., t. 1364., Reefs Cyclo., No. 98., Willd. Sp. PI., iv. p. 693.,
Smith Eng. FL, iv. p. 206., Walker's Essays, p. 435., Forbes in Sal.
Wob., No 78., our fig. 78. in p. 1618., Hayne Abbild., p. 240. 1. 182.;
S. repens Koch y Koch Comm., p. 47. — Stem erect, or spreading.
Leaf elliptical, with a recurved point; the under surface very silvery.
The following information on this kind is derived from Engl. Fl.
and Sal. Wob., chiefly the former : — Leaves elliptical, entire, some-
what revolute, with a recurved point; rather downy above, silky and
shining beneath, as well as the branches. Stem upright. Ovary
ovate-lanceolate, silky; its silky stalk nearly equal to the linear
oblong bractea. Style not longer than the stigmas. (Smith E. Fl.)
A native of England, on dry heath and sandy situations, chiefly
near the sea ; flowering in April and May. Steins mostly spreading,
but, it' sheltered, erect; 4ft. or 5ft. high, with numerous, upright,
leafy branches, beautifully downy or silky. Leaves on short,
stout, downy footstalks, scattered ; 1 in., or often less, in length,
and half as much in breadth ; truly elliptical, with a small curved
point; the margin entire, slightly revolute; the upper side of a dull
uivi-u, at first silky, then downy, finally naked, reticulated with small
veins ; under side covered at all times with the most brilliant, silvery,
satin-like, close, silky hairs, very soft, almost concealing the strong
midrib and transverse veins. Catkins appearing before the leaves.
5 H 3
1540 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 111.
This species is readily distinguished from the remaining ones be-
longing to this section (with the exception of S. incubacea), by its
very silvery leaves and upright mode of growth. Both sexes are
described in JEng. Fl. ; the female is figured in Sal. Wob. and Haync
Abbild. There are plants at Woburn Abbey, Henfield, and Flitwick
House, and also in the Goldworth Arboretum.
& 53. S. DoN/^\Y4 Smith. Don's, or the rusty-branched, Willow.
Identification. Smith in Eng. Fl., 4. p. 213. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 85. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3.,
p. 424.; Borrer in Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2599.
The Seses. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob. and Eng. Bot. The male has not yet
been discovered.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 85. ; Eng. Bot., t. 2599. ; our fig. 1322. ; anAflg. 85. in p. 1618.
Spec. Char., #c., Leaves obovate-lanceolate, partly opposite, acute, slightly
serrated, even ; livid and somewhat silky beneath. Stipules linear. Branches
erect. Catkins erect, cylindrical. Ovary stalked, silky, longer than the
obovate bearded bractea. (Smith and Borrer.) Sent from
Scotland, as British, by the late Mr. George Don. It
flowers in May. Stem 5 ft. or 6 ft. high, with straight,
wand-like, round, leafy branches, of a reddish or rusty
brown, scarcely downy, except when very young. Leaves
mostly alternate, but several of the lowermost pairs oppo- I
site ; all nearly upright, flat ; 1^ in. long, uniform ; broadest,
and most evidently serrated, in their upper part, towards '"
the point; green, minutely veiny, and glabrous above ; livid,
or in some measure glaucous, as well as finely downy or silky, beneath,
with a prominent reddish midrib, and slender veins ; the silkiness less evi-
dent on the older ones. Footstalks short, very broad at the base, paler
than the branches. Catkins of female flowers appearing before the
leaves, on short lateral stalks. (Smith.) S. Doniana, in the female, which is
the only sex at present known to British botanists, assimilates to the kinds
of the group Purpurese, except S. rubra Huds., in the aspect of the branches,
shoots, leaves, and catkins ; in some of the leaves being opposite ; and in
the old bark being internally yellow, though less remarkably so than that of
these kinds ; but it differs from them in having its leaves silky beneath,
and its ovary stalked, and Mr. Borrer believes that, in the relation of
affinity, it is nearest to S. fusca ; but he notices that we are without the
means of proof, which the male flowers would afford. There are plants
at Woburn Abbey, Henfield, and Flitwick House, and in the Goldworth
Arboretum.
Group xii. Ambigua Borrer.
Shrubs.
S. finmarchiea Willd. has been added to kinds included in this group by Mr.
Borrer.
-* * 54. S. AMBI'GUA Ehrh.y Borrer. The ambiguous Willow.
Identification. Borrer in Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2733., who has adduced there the following references :—
" Ehrh. : Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 700. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 2., p. 418. ; Koch Comm., p. 49. ; Bluff: et
Fing. Fl. Germ., 2. 561."
Synonymes. Some are cited under the varieties treated of below ; S. ambigua Koch, part of, Koch
Comm., p. 49.
The Sexes. Both sexes of var. «, the female of var. 0, the male of var. y, and the female of var. 2>,
are figured in Eng. Bot. Suppl.
Engraving. Engl. Bot. Suppl., t. 2733.
Spec. Char., &c. Leaves oval, obovate, or lanceolate, slightly toothed, and having a recurved point ;
pubescent, somewhat rugose above, glaucous and having prominent veins beneath. Stipules half-
ovate, acute. Catkins stalked, upright, cylindrical. Ovary stalked, densely silky. Style vary
short. Stigmas short, at length cloven. (Borr. in Bot. Suppl.') Indigenous on gravelly heaths, in
Sussex, Essex, and Suffolk ; and has been observed in Perthshire, Angusshirc, Caithnesf, Orkney,
CHAP. CIII. A'ALICA^CEA:. A'A'LIX. 1541
and the Hebrides, (Borrer.) S. ambigua approaches, on the one side, to S. aurlta, with the smallest
varieties of which it is most liable to be confounded ; and, on the other, to N. tusca ; differing
from the former by its less rugose and less vaulted leaves, and in their distinct serrature, more
delieate texture, and less woolly pubcscense ; also in its smaller, flatter, and less obliquelstipules ;
arid from the latter, by its less silvery pubescence, in the more uneven upper surface of its leaves,
'•nd their more prominent vein.- beneath, as well as in some minute characters in the flowers.
Koch regards it as a hybrid between the two. It varies much in the procumbent, ascending, or
more erect manner of its growth, in the paler or darker brown tinge of the twigs, and in the
quantity of pubescence. (Borrcr.
1'arieties.
Jk J* S. a. 1 rulgaris; S. a, at. Borr. in Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2733., 5 figures of the two sexes,
and description. — A small straggling shrub, with branches sometimes procumbent, some-
times rising 1ft. or 2ft. from the ground. (Borrer.} A very full description, and 5
figures, are Riven in Eng. Bot. Suppl. There are plants at Henfield.
St S. a. 2 major • S. a, /3 major Burrer in Eng. Bot. Suppl. , t. 2733., 3 figures of the female,
and description; ? S. ambigua p Hook. Br. /•'/., ed. 2., p. 418. ; S. versiffilia Bering.
Siiit/csde laSuisse, No. 66., Monogr, 40. (Borrer.) — Mr. Borrer mentions the three-
following forms of this variety : — f. A plant found on heathy ground, at Hopton, Suffolk,
which attains, in the garden, the height of 5ft., and scarcely differs from .V. ambigua
vulgaris, except in growing erect, and in the greater size of all its parts. It is much
less silky than the following kind. 2. This, S. ambfgua /3 Hook. Br. Ft., has a silvery
appearance, from the abundance of silky hairs which clothe the leaves, especially
beneath. It is said by Mr. Drummond, who found it on bogs, near Forfar, to be of
upright growth, and 3ft. or 4 ft. high. 3. S. versitblia of Seringe appears, from his speci-
mens, to belong to this variety ; but whether S. vcrsifblia of Wahlenberg is, as Seringe
thought, notwithstanding the long style, and some other discrepancies, the same, we have
no means of deciding. Koch thinks it rather, according to Wahlenberg's original idea,
a hybrid Offspring of S. myrtilloldes, and S. limdsa of Wahlenberg, the S. arenaria L.
(Borrer.} There are plants at Hen field.
* S. a. 3 spat/iuli,ta; S. a. y spathuU\ta Bor. in Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2733,, where three speci-
mens of the male plant are figured and described ; S. ambfgua y Hook. Br. Ft., ed. 2.,
p. 41S.; s. .spathulata H'ti/d. Sp. P/.,4. 700.; Bluff, el Fin-. Ft. (Avm.,4.566. (Borrer};
.S'. Ipathul&ta It'iltif. ; scarcely differs from S. ambigua vulg&ris, except in the narrower
base of the leaf. The style has been supposed to be longer; but that organ seems to
vary a little in length, in both S. vulgaris and S. a. major, from accidental circumstances.
(Borrer.} S. spathulata Willd. is indigenous to Germany ; and, according to Mr.
Borrer's identification of a kind found wild in England, to Epping Forest, Essex. There
are plants at Henfield.
S S. a. \ undulata ; S. a. 5 undulata Borrer in Eng. Bot., t. 2733., 4 figures of the female, and de-
scription ; S. spathulata Jf//W.,var. undulata of Professor Mertens. (Borrer.') — This variety
occurs at Hopton in Suffolk, as well as S. a. major. It is remarkable for its lanceolate
or almost linear leaves, and distinctly stalked stipules. " In our specimens of this, both
the style and the stalk of the germen are occasionally longer than in the other varieties."
(Borrer.)
? -* ? j* 55. S. FINMA'RCHICA Willd. The Finmark Willow.
Identification. Willd. Enum. Suppl., p. 66. ; Ber Baum., p. 441.; Koch Comm.,p. 51.
The Sexes. The female is noticed in the specific character.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves elliptic, obovate, or lanceolate, the tip recurved ;
entire, or toothed with distant glanded teeth; beneath, wrinkled with veins,
downy j afterwards more or less glabrous. Stipules half-ovate, straight.
Catkins of female flowers peduncled ; the peduncle a leafy twig. Capsule
ovate-lanceolate, glabrous, upon a stalk that is four times longer than the
gland. Style short. Stigmas ovate, notched. (Koch.) Wild in moist
meadows, and on mountains clothed with pines, in Podolia and Volhynia ;
and, perhaps, wild in Finmark. Very like S. ambjgua Ehrh., from which it
differs only in its glabrousness, and in the peduncles of the catkins being
longer, and furnished with more perfectly developed leaves. (Id.) Intro-
duced in 1825. There are plants in the Hackney arboretum.
-* ? j* 56. S. VERSI'COLOR Forbes. The various-coloured Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 77.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sat. Wob.
Engravings. Sal Wob., No. 77. ; and our Jig. 77. in p 1618.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves elliptic, almost entire; greyish green and villous
above, glaucous and pubescent beneath. Stipules large, ovate. Ovary
ovate, stalked, silky. Style smooth. Stigmas divided. (Sal. JJW;., p. 153.)
A native of Switzerland; when introduced is uncertain ('t 18^4) ; flowering,
in the willow garden, in May. A low, depressed, or trailing shrub, about
2 ft. high, with slender, round, pubescent branches ; the young ones green-
ish brown, densely downy ; much resembling those of »V. r/laternoides, but
always depressed; while those of S. tflaternoides are quite erect. Leaves
about l^ in. long, nearly 1 in. in breadth, elliptic, with bluntish points;
green and villous above; glaucous, pubescent, and whitish beneath ; margins
u 1
1542 ARBORETUM AND FRDTTCETUM. PART III.
distantly marked with 3 or 4 minute teeth, entire towards the base. Foot-
stalks short, rather slender, downy ; midrib and veins prominent. Stipules
on short footstalks, ovate, sloping off at one side. Catkins numerous,
recurved, above ^ in. in length.
* 57. S. ^LATERNOI'DES Forbes. The Alaternus-like Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 76.
The Scj-cs. The female is described and figured in So/. Wob. " I have not met with a male plant."
(Forbes.')
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 76. ; and our Jig. 76. in p. 1618.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, entire, pointed ; villous above,
hairy and white beneath. Stipules ovate, serrated. Catkins 1 in. long,
thidc, and obtuse. Ovary ovate, subulate, silky, stalked. Style shorter
than the linear undivided stigmas. (Sal. Wob., p. 151.) A native of Swit-
zerland. Introduced in 1824, and flowering in April and May. A low, up-
right, bushy shrub, growing, in theWoburn collection, to the height of 5 ft. or
6 ft., with slender, round, pubescent, reddish branches, dark green after the
first year. Leaves from 1 in. to li in. long, or perhaps more; about ± in.
in breadth ; elliptic-lanceolate, or somewhat obovate, pointed, entire, dull
green and villous above, whitish and densely hairy beneath ; reticulated,
with a pale midrib. Catkins 1 in. long, appearing before the leaves. There
are plants at Woburn Abbey and in the Hackney arboretum.
* ? ¥ 58. S. PROTEXLFO'LIA Schl. The Protea-leaved Willow.
Identification. Schleicher, quoted in Hook. Br. FL, ed. 2., p. 419. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 75.
Sifiionynies. Erroneously referred to S. ambigua in Hook. Br. Fl., ed 2. (Borrer MSS.)
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 75. ; and our fig. 75. in p. 1617.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves elliptical, entire ; villous above, white and silky be-
neath. Stipules ovate, silky. Catkins thick, obtuse. Ovary stalked, ovate,
silky. Bractea obovate, silky. Stigmas undivided. (Sal. Wob., p. 149.) A
native of Switzerland. Introduced in 1820; flowering in April and May.
This is a handsome upright-growing shrub, or low tree, attaining the height
of 1 2 ft., although only four years planted. Branches of a brownish green
fuscous colour, somewhat downy, but ultimately becoming smooth; the
young twigs are of a yellow purple, pubescent, and soft to the touch.
Leaves elliptic, about 1| in. long ; dull green and villous above, whitish and
silky beneath, and reticulated with large prominent veins; the young leaves
have rather a silky silvery appearance ; while the old ones become more
firm and pubescent, their margins entire, or sometimes very distinctly
marked with shallow serratures. Catkins about 1 in. long. A very orna-
mental plant, but not fit for cultivation for economical purposes. There
arc plants at Woburn Abbey, Henfield, and Flitwick House, and also in
the Goldworth Arboretum.
Group xiii. Reticulates Borrer.
1
The characteristics of this group, as adopted in Hook. Br. Fl., are not described ;
because it consists of only one species, the S. reticulata L., and the charac-
teristics of this species may be deemed representative of those of the group.
-* 59. S. RETICULAVTA L. The netted, or wrinkled, leaved, Willow.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 1446. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 685. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 75. ; Koch
Comm., p. 62. ; Du Ham. Arb., ed. 1.. 3. p. 132. ; Smith Eng. Bot., t. 1908. ; Eng. Fl., 4. p. 200. ;
Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 67. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 2., p. 419. ; Hayne Abbild., p. 236. ; Host Sal.
Aust., 1. p. 33. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 610.
The Sexes. Both sexes are figured in Eng. Bot., and Sal. Wob., Host Sal. Aust., and Hayne Abbil
It may be inferred that both are not difficultly obtainable in the wild localities of the species.
Engravings. Lin. Fl. Lapp., ed. 2., t. .3. f. 1., t 7. f. 1, «. ; Fl. Dan., t. 212. ; Hoffm. Sal., 2—3.,
t. '.'.0— 27. ; Du Ham. Arb., ed. 1 , 3. t. 32. ; Eng. Bot., 1. 1908. ; Sal. Wob., No. 67. ; Hayne Abbild.,
t. 178. ; Host Sal. Austr., 1. t. 105. ; our fig. 1323. ; and fig. 67. in p. 161(1.
£
CHAP. CIII.
SALICA CE^E. .S'A^LIX.
1543
Char., $c. Leaves orbicular, somewhat elliptical, obtuse, entire,
coriaceous, with reticulated veins, nearly glabrous; glaucous beneath.
Ovary sessile, downy. (Smith E. F.) The young foliage is often floe-
cose. (Br. FL, ed. 2.) A native of England, and the high
mountains in Wales and Scotland ; flowering from May to
July. Koch has stated its European places of growth to be
as follows : — Moist rocks, or other moist places, of the/
highest mountains above the limit of perpetual snow, in
Piedmont, Savoy, Switzerland, the Pyrenees, Germany,
Carpathia, Transylvania, Britain, and Lapland. Hooker has
remarked (Br. F/., ed. 2.) that he possesses S. reticulata,
obtained from Arc:ic America, and having long silky hairs
on both surfaces of the leaf. Mackay has not inserted the species in
the Flora Hibernica. Lightfoot, as quoted by Smith, has noted the kind
of soil in which it occurs on many of the Scottish highland mountains
to be micaceous. " Larger than S. herbacea, with stout, woody, procumbent
stems and branches, either mantling the alpine rocks, or spreading on the
ground in large patches. Leaves 3 from each l>ud, on long slender foot-
stalks, without stipules ; alternate, nearly orbicular, or somewhat elliptical,
1 in. broad, firm, coriaceous though deciduous, entire, with an occasional
notch at the end ; the upper surface wrinkled, of a deep shining green ;
the under surface very glaucous or whitish, beautifully reticulated with
abundance of prominent veins, now and then somewhat silky. Catkins
solitary at the end of the same branch, above the leaves;" of a purplish
red colour, as are the buds. The veins on the under surface of the leaf are
of a purplish colour. (LimuEiis.) This is a most remarkable species, totally
different from any other; and it ought not to be wanting in any collection.
Smith has deemed it akin to S. herbacea. Koch has associated the two in
the same group. In its rounded wrinkled leaves, villous when young, in
its buds, and in its branches, it bears much similarity to S. caprea, though
it is widely different in its inflorescence. There are plants in the arboretum
of Messrs. Loddiges, in the Fulham Nursery, and in the Goldworth Ar-
boretum.
A pp. i. Reticiddta described, but not yet introduced.
S. vestlta Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p 610., Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 76., differs from S.
reticulata, in having the under side of its leaves clothed with long silky hairs. Pursh calls it a very
elegant species. It is a native of Labrador.
Group xiv. Glaucce Borrer.
Small, upright, with soft silky Leaves.
r
Stamens 2 to a flower" Ovary very downy, or silky, sessile, Plants small
shrubs, most of them upright ; all, or most of them, remarkable for their
foliage, which consists of leaves that are oblong-lanceolate, soft, hairy, silky,
and, in most, white and cottony on the under surface. The kinds are very
closely akin, each among the rest. (Hook. Br. FL, ed. 2., adapted.) Only
S. glauca L., S. arenaria L., and S. Stuartidna Smith, are associated together
under the above characteristics in Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 2. Of the kinds
brought together below, us agreeing more or less in the quality of similarity,
Mr. Borrer has indicated S. claeagnifolia Forbes (elaeagnoides Schlcicher), S.
glauca L., S. sericea Villars, S. Lapponum L., S. arenaria L., S. arenaria L.
? var., S. leucophylla Schlcicher ; and S. Stuartidna Smith.
* 60. S. £L.EAGNoV DBS Schlcicher. The Elaeagnus-like Willow.
Identification. SchkU'h. Cat. ; Scringe Sal. Helv., p. !)1. ; both quoted by Koch in Comm., n. 5f>.
1544 AKBOKETUM AND FHUTICKTUM. PART III.
Synoni/mcs. S. t-la'agnilolia Forbes in Sal. IVob., No. 69., where the name is quoted as one adopted
by M. Schleicher; S. glauca var., with leaves lanceolate-, more narrow and more acute, and with
flowers in the catkin a little more laxly disposed. (Koch DC fial. Europ. Co»i/n.}
Tlic Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. IVob. y but the male is neither mentioned
there, nor by Koch.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 69. j and./?"'. 69. in p. 1016.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves entire, ovate-elliptic, nearly glabrous above, woolly and
white beneath. Catkins cylindrical. Ovary nearly sessile, ovate, downy.
Style elongated. Stigmas bifid. (Forbes in S. IV.) A native of Europe. In-
troduced in 1824; flowering in May, and, in the willow garden at Woburn
Abbey, in April, and again in August. This is an upright-growing shrub, at-
taining the height of 6 ft. ; the leaves and branches much resembling those
of S. glauca, but distinct ; the leaves being of a thinner texture, with a
different direction of their finer veins. The leaves are of an ovate-elliptic
shape, nearly glabrous on their upper surface, white and woolly underneath.
Catkins of the female 2 in. long, and cylindrical.
j* 61. S. GLAU'CA/,. The glaucous Mountain Willow.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 1*46. ; Fl. Lapp., ed. 2., 299. t. 8. f.p,t. 1. f. 5. ; but it is not S. seriiva
of Villars (Smith.} ; Wahlenb^Fl. Lapp., 264. t. 16. f. 3. ; VVilld. Sp. PI , 4. p. 687. ; Smith in Rees's
Cyclo., No. 84. ; Koch Comm., p. 55. ; Smith Eng. Bot., t. 1810. ; Eng. Flora, 4. p. 201". ; Forbes in
Sal. Wob., No. 68. ; Hook. Br. FL, ed. 2., p. 419.
Sunonyme. S. appendiculata Fl. Dan., t. 1056., VVilld. Sp.Pl.,^. p. 690., Smith in Rees's Cyclo.,
No. 93.
The Sexes. Both sexes are described in Eng. Fl. • the female is figured in Eng. Bot , and in Sal.
Wob.
Engravings. Lin. FL Lapp., ed. 2., t. 8. f. p, t. 7. f. 5. ; Wahl. Fl. Lapp., t. 16. f. 3. j Eng. Bot.,
t 1810. f Sal. \Vob., No. 68. ; Hall. Hist, 2. t. 14. f. 2. ; our Jig. 1324. ; and^. 68. in p. 1616.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves nearly entire, elliptic-lanceolate ; even, and nearly
glabrous above ; woolly and snowy-white beneath. Footstalks decurrent.
Ovary sessile, ovate, woolly. (Smith E. F.) A native of the High-
lands of Scotland; flowering there in July, but, in the
willow garden at Woburn Abbey, in May. Described
by Smith as having a stem 2 ft. to 3 ft. high, stout,
bushy, with numerous short, round, spreading, brown
or yellowish branches, downy in their early state.
Leaves nearly 2 in. long, and ^ in. or fin. wide;
elliptic-lanceolate, acute, somewhat rounded at the
base ; nearly, if not in every part, quite entire ; the
upper side of a beautiful glaucous green, the under
one densely downy or cottony, of no less elegant and
pure a white, with slightly prominent veins, and a
reddish midrib. In the willow garden at Woburn Abbey the plant is 18 in.
high ; there are plants also at HenfieM.
-* 62. S. SERI'CEA Villars. The silky Willow.
Identification. Villars Delph.,3. p. 782. t. 51. f. 27. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 688.
St/nonyme. S. glauca, a synonyme of Koch Comm., p. 56. " S. serfcea of Villars, according to hi*
' ownspecimens, is the true Lappbnum ; and I have Swiss ones, properly so named, from M. Schleicher.
It is Haller's No. 1643." (Smith in Engl. Fl., 4. p. 202.)
The Sexes. Willdenow has described the female, and noted that he had seen it in a dried state.
Engravings. Vill. Delph., 3. t. 51. f. 27. ; and fig. 74. in p. 1617.
Spec. Char., $c. Stem prostrate. Leaf oblong-lanceolate, entire, obtuse,
silky and hoary on both surfaces. Catkins silky, stout. Capsules ovate-
oblong, stout, very villous, sessile. Very different from S. glauca L. ( Willd.,
Villars in Willd. Sp. PI.) Branches brown, glossy. Leaves 2 in. long,
covered with long appressed hairs. Stipules are not apparent. Catkins
i in. long, cylindrical. Bracteas lanceolate, hairy, caducous. Style short,
bifid. Stigmas dilated, bifid. Wild in the Alps of Switzerland and France.
(Id.) Introduced in 1820. Mr. Forbes has a kind under the name S. sericea,
but has quoted Willdenow in identification, with a mark of doubt. The
following matter is taken from Mr. Forbes's account. Leaves oblong-
lanceolate, very entire, both sides silky, glaucous beneath. Ovary ovate,
villous, nenrly sessile. Style deeply divided. Stigmas parted. (Sal. MV;.,
p. 147.) A native of Switzerland. Introduced in 1820, and flowering,
1545
iii the willow garden at Woburn Abbey, in April and May. This species
grows to the height of 5 ft. or 6 ft. ; quite erect, with dark green, rounded,
pubescent branches ; the old ones shining and glabrous after the first year.
Leaves from 2 in. to nearly 3 in. or 3^ in. long, and from 1 in. to IT> in. broad ;
densely silky on both sides, elliptic-la'nceolate, with acute oblique points; the
lower rather obtuse ; margins entire ; whitish and glaucous beneath ; closely
covered with long, compressed, silky hairs. Midrib prominent, yellow.
Footstalks yellow, pubescent, very stout, and much dilated at the base.
Catkins 1 in. or more in length, appearing before the expansion of the
leaves. They remain on the plant during the greater part of the summer ;
by which peculiarity this very distinct species is readily known from every
other. The female plant is figured and described in the OwbfefN Woburnemi:
-* 63. S. LAPPOVNUM L. The Laplanders' Willow.
Iticntification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1447. ; FL Lapp., 366. t. 8. f. /, ed. 2., ;3<;0. t. 8. f. / ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4.
p. 689. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 89., but the syn. S. sericea Pillars, there applied to S. Lappd-
num, Koch has applied to S. glaiica ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 73.
Si/nuiii/iHf. .S'. arenaria Fl. Dan., t. 197. (Smith.).
the Sews. The female is described in Willd. Su. PI., and described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Lin. Fl. Lapp., t. 8. f. /, ed. 2., t. 8. f. t ; SaL Wob., No. 73. ; our fig. 1325. ; and fig. 73.
in p. 1617.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves lanceolate, very entire, bluntish ; hoary above, woolly
beneath. Seed-vessels woolly and oblong. (Forbes S. W.) A native of
Lapland ; flowering there in May and June, and, in the Woburn collection,
in April. Introduced in 1812. * " This appears to be a very
distinct species from glauca, elaeagnifolia, arenaria, lanata, and
StaartMMM. It grows with me to about 1 ft. high, with short,
pale, decumbent branches ; sometimes the young twigs are
tinged, with red. Leaves from 1 in. to 1^ in. long, often un-
equal at the base, densely downy on both "surfaces, and white
beneath. Catkins from 1 in. to 1^ in. long." (Forbes.) Smith
has incidentally noted in Eng. Fl., iv. p. 202., the following
characters of S. Lapponum L.: — " Leaves 2 in. to 2j in. long,
greyish, all over very silky, both sides alike at every period of their growth,
and never cottony. Catkins large, with large floral leaves, like the proper
leaves. Bracteas oblong, hairy. Ovary and capsule sessile, peculiarly
woolly." It grows wild in the alps of Lapland, everywhere. (Willd.')
tt ± 64. S. OBTUSIFONLIA Willd. The blunt-leaved Willow.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 705. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 131.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, wedge-shaped at the base, finely villous on both surfaces,
glaucous on the under one ; the upper leaves acute and entire ; the lower bluntish and distantly
toothed. Frequent in the woods and on the mountains of Lapland. (Lin. and Smith.] A slender
shrub, not unfrequently arborescent. Young branches clothed with long silky down. Leaves
rather more than 2 in. long, and f in. wide. It is remarkable that, contrary to the nature of most
willows, the lower blunter leaves of each branch are furnished with minute distant teeth ; while
the upper and pointed ones are quite entire. Except in the teeth of the leaves, it comes nearer
to S. Lappbnum than any other. (Smith.} Introduced in 1818.
* 65. S. AREXAVRIA L. The sand Willow.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1447. ; Lin. Fl. Lapp., ed. 2., 298. t. 8. f. o, q ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 689.,
exclusively of the synonymes ; Hayne Abbild., p. 236. ; Fl. Dan., t. 197., and Hall., No. 1642.;
Smith in Rees's Cycio., No. 90. ; Smith Eng. Bot., t. 1809;, Eng. FL, 4. 204. ; Forbes in SaL Wob.,
No. 70. ; Hook. Br. FL, ed. 3., p. 426.
Sftnrmi/»ic. .V. limbsa Wahlenb. Fl. Lapp., 2(15., Koch Comm., p. 54.
The Sexet. Doth are described in Eng. Flora, and both are figured in Sal. Wob. : the male is
figured in Eng. Bot.
Engravings. Lin. Fl. Lapp., ed. 2., t. 8. f. o, q ; Omel. Sib., 1. t. ;5fi. f. 1. ; Wahlenb. FL Lapp.,
t. 16. f. 4. ; Hayne Abbild., t. 179. ; Eng. Bot., 1. 1809. ; Sal. Wob., No, 70. ; and fig. 70. in p. 1617.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves nearly entire, ovate, acute ; reticulated and some-
what downy above ; veiny and densely woolly beneath. Style as long as the
sessile woolly ovary. Stigmas linear, deeply divided, the length of the
style. (Smith E. F.) A native of the Highland mountains, especially
those of Breadalbane and Clova ; flowering there in June, but, in the willow
garden at Woburn Abbey, in May. A larger and stouter shrub than S.glauca,
of which it was supposed by the original finder to be the female plant ; but
1325
]546 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
barren as well as fertile individuals, of both species, agreeing exactly together
in other respects, and differing alike from correlative ones of the other spe-
cies, are now well known. In size and general habit, this most resembles
S. glauca; but their discriminative marks are clearly discernible. The leaves
of S. arenaria are rather smaller and shorter, more precisely ovate, with a
little sharp point ; their upper surface dark green, reticulated with sunk
veins, and clothed with thin cottony down, more dense and soft upon the
young ones ; the under side pure white, with dense cottony wool ; the veins
prominent ; midrib reddish ; the young leaves, as well as the floral ones, beau-
tifully silky beneath. (Id.) Mr. Forbes states that he has plants of this willow
with leaves not above half the size of those of others, owing to their being
planted in a different soil ; which will show, he says, " how much culture
improves the size of these species of plants."
? Variety.
* S. a. ? leucophylla ; S. leucophylla Schleicher. (Borrer in a letter.) —
Koch has cited S. leucophylla WUld. Enum. Suppl., p. 66., BcrL
Baumz., p. 444. t. 6. f. 3., as a state of S. limosa Wahlenb., distin-
guished by having the under surface of the leaves less snowily
tomentose : perhaps this is the same as Schleicher's.
-* 66. S. OBOVA^TA Pursh. The obovate-/e«m/, or Labrador, Willow.
Identification. Pursh FL Amer. Sept., 2. p. 611. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 91. ; Forbes in SaL
Wob., No. 144.
The Sexes. The male is noticed in the specific character.
Engravings. SaL Wob., No. 144., a leaf; andfig. 144. in p. 1630.
Spec. Char., tyc. Stem diffuse. Leaves obovate, obtuse, entire ; glabrous above, clothed with silky
hairs beneath. Stipules none. Catkins sessile. Bracteas obovate, black and hairy at the end. Native
to Labrador, and to the north-western coast of America. Flowering in May. Allied to S. arenaria
L., and somewhat inclined to be upright. Stamens two. (Pursh.) Whether introduced, or not,
is uncertain.
? j* ? £ 67. S. CANE'SCENS WUld. The greyish Willow.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 687. ; ? Enum. ; Smith in Rees's Cyc>o., No. 86.
Synonyme. S. limbsa Wahlenb. var., Koch Comm., p. 55.
The Sexes. The female is noticed in Willdenow's description.
Spec. Char., 8fc. leaves oblong-lanceolate, acute, slightly serrated in the middle part'; glabrous and
glossy on the upper surface, white and tomentose on the under one. Capsules ovate, tomentose.
( Willd.} Willdenow describes it more particularly from a female dried specimen, as follows : — -
Branches brown, rather downy when young. Leaves 2 in. to 3 in. long when young ; canescent on
the upper surface. Stipules not apparent. Catkin of the female cylindrical, 1 in. long. Capsule
sessile. Native country not known with certainty ; though in Sweet's Hort. Brit., ed. 1830, S.
canescena WUld, Enum. is stated to be a native of Germany, introduced into Britain in 1815.
« 68. S. STU\RTIA^NA Smith. Stuart's, or the small-leaved
shaggy, Willow.
Identification. Smith Eng. Bot., t. 2586. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 84. ; Eng. FL, 4. p. 203. ; Forbes
in SaL Wob., No. 72. ; Hook. Br FI., ed. 2., p. 419.
Synonymes. S. arenaria masculina Smith Fl. Brit., p. 1059., Eng. Bot., 1. 1809. the text ; S. Lap-
ponum Walker ; S. limbsa Wahl. var. foliis angustMribus lanceolatis Koch Comm., p. 55.
Derivation. S. Stuart/dwa " was named in compliment to one of the best men, and most learned
scholars, that Scotland has produced, the late Rev. Dr. Stuart of Luss." (Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 2.,
1831.)
The Sexes. Both sexes are described in Eng. Flora : the female is figured in Eng. Bot., and in Sal.
Wob.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., t. 2586. ; Sal. Wob., No. 72. ; andfig. 72. in p. 1617.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves nearly entire, ovate-lanceolate, acute ; shaggy above,
densely silky, somewhat cottony, beneath. Style as long as the almost ses-
sile woolly germen. Stigmas capillary, deeply divided, the length of the
style. (Smith E. F.) A native of Scotland, on the Breadalbane Mountains ;
where it flowers in June, and, in gardens, in July and August. Bushy, and
copiously branched ; 2 ft. or 3 ft., or rather more, in height. The branches
dark brown ; downy when young, and leafy, cottony or silky at the tops.
Leaves scarcely half the size of those of S. glauca and £. arenaria, and more
lanceolate; rarely somewhat obovate, sharp-pointed; sometimes slightly
wavy or toothed ; the upper surface greyish green, shaggy or silky, partly
denudated by culture, always very even, not wrinkled or veiny ; the under
CHAP. CIII. SALICA'CEJE. 6'AVLIX. 154-7
side white, and more densely silky, partly cottony. (Smith.) There are
plants at Woburn, Henfield, and Flitwick.
Vnricty. Mr. Forbes has noted that he was in possession of a variety corre-
sponding with S. Lapponum in the catkins exactly, but differing from it in
the branches and leaves ; and that he had received it from Mr. M'Nab
of Edinburgh. (Sal. Wob., No. 72.)
-* 69. S. PYRENAVICA Gouan. The Pyrenean Willow.
Identification. Gouan Illustr., 77., exclusively of the synonymes ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 696. ; Smith
in Rees's Cyclo., No. 107. ; Koch Comm., p. 56.
The Sexes. The female is described in the specific character.
Spec. Char.,S(C. Leaves elliptic or ovate, acute, entire; when young, tomentosely villous; when
adult, glabrous, ciliate, of the same colour on both surfaces, reticulately veined. Catkins peduncled ;
the peduncle a leafy twiglet. Capsules ovate-lanceolate, tomentose, upon a short stalk, which is
longer than the gland. Style bifid. Stigmas elongated, bifid. A native of the Pyrenees, conti-
guously to the region of snow. (Koch.) Introduced in 1823.
Variety or Variation.
-* S. p. 2 ciliuta ; S. cili&ta Dec. Fl. Fr., 3. p. 293. ; S. pyrenaica /3 ciliata Dec. Ft. Fr., /">.
p. .')14. (Koch Comm..), differs from the species in having no hairs on the surface of the
leaves, and only hairs remaining at the edges.
£ 70. S. WALDSTEIN/^^ Willd. Waldstein's Willow.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. G79. ; Koch Comm., p. 57.
The Sexes. The female is noticed in the specific character.
Spsc. Char., Sfc. Leaves elliptic or lanceolate, acute, glabrous, serrated with distant adpressed
teeth. Catkins upon a long leafy peduncle, which is a twiglet. Capsules ovate-conical, tomentosi*,
sessile at first, eventually having a short stalk. Gland reaching higher than the base of the cap-
sule. Style elongated, cleft half-way down. Stigmas bifid. Wild on the Alps of Carinthia,
the Tyrol, and Salzburg. (Koch.) Introduced in 1822.
Group xv. Vimindles Borrer.
Willows and Osiers. — Mostly Trees, or large Shrubs, ivithl on g pliant B 'ranches ,
used for Basket-making.
Stamens 2 to a flower. Ovary nearly sessile; in S. mollissima Ehrh. sessile;
hairy or silky. Style elongated. Stigmas linear, mostly entire. Leaves
lanceolate. Plants trees of more or less considerable size, with long pliant
branches. (Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 2., adapted.)
s 71. S. SUBALPI^NA Forbes. The subalpine Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 93.
The Sexes. The male is described and figured in Snl. Wob. " The female plant I have not seen."
(Forbes.)
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 93. ; andjig. 93. in p. 1619.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, nearly entire; villous above, white
and cottony beneath. Stipules not apparent. Catkins nearly 1 in. long.
Bractea reddish. Anthers yellow. (Sal. Wob., p. 185.) A native of Switzer-
land. Introduced in 1820, and flowering in April and May. A low upright
shrub, with round, yellowish, pubescent, slender branches, which soon turn
black in drying, the old ones becoming glabrous and brown. Leaves from
2 in. to 2i in. in length ; elliptic-lanceolate, bright green, wrinkled, and
pubescent ; beneath, somewhat glaucous, whitish, densely pubescent, reticu-
lated with prominent arched veins, their margins slightly revolute ; at first
seeming entire, but, on minute investigation, appearing furnished with a few
distant glandular serratures towards the apex. Barren catkins from £ in.
to 1 in. long. Anthers yellow. The twigs are brittle, and, though rather
elongated, Mr. Forbes thinks them unfit for basketwork. Mr. Borrer
remarks of this kind, that, perhaps, it is not of the group Viminales, in
which he has placed it. According to a specimen of it which has been sent
to us by Mr. Brooks of Flitwick House, it has rounded rather tumid buds,
and the shoot is rather angled ; and in these characters, and in those of its
] 54-8 ARBORETUM AND MflTICETUM. PART III.
leaves, it is dissimilar to S. viminalis : its buds and leaves seem rather to
indicate affinity to kinds of the group Cinereae. There are plants at Henfield.
& 72. S. CA'NDIDA Wittd. The whitish Willow.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 708. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 608.; Smith in Rees's Cyclo.,
No. l;>8. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 91.
The .SV.rr.s-. The male is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 91. ; our fig. 1326. ; andfig. Pi. in p. 1619.
Spec. Char., Sec. Leaves linear-lanceolate, very long,
obscurely toothed ; downy above ; beneath densely
downy. Stipules lanceolate, nearly the length of the
footstalks. ( Willd. and Forbes.) A native of North Ame-
rica. Introduced in 1811, and flowering, in the willow-
garden at Woburn Abbey, about the end of February
or beginning of March. Leaves from 3 in. to 4 in.
long ; linear-lanceolate, narrow towards their extre-
mities, obscurely toothed ; margins slightly revolute ;
downy above, snow-white and cottony beneath ; with
a prominent midrib, and obscurely prominent lateral
veins, owing to the down. Catkin of the male 1 in. long, cylindrical. A
very handsome species, well deserving a place in shrubberies, both for its
ornamental white leaves, and very early flowers. There are plants at
Woburn and Henfield.
Varieties. Mr Forbes mentions two varieties, one of which flowers full three
weeks earlier than the other, and has the anthers of a less deep scarlet.
(Sal. Wob.}
a ? ¥ 73. S. INCA^NA Schranck. The homy-leaved Willow, ? nr Osier.
Identification. Schranck Baier (Bavar.) FL, 1. p. 230. ; Koch Comm., p. 32. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob.,
No. 90.
Synonymes. S. riparia Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 698., Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 111., Hayne Abbild.,
p. 245., ? Host Sal. Austr., 1. p. 17. ; S. lavandulaefblia Lapeyr, Abr., p. 601., Seringe Sal. Helv.,
p. 70. ; S. angustifblia Pair, in Du Ham. Arb., ed. 1., 3. t. 29. ; S. rosmarinifblia Gouan Hort., 501.,
Schranck Salisb., No. 38., Scop. Cam., p. 527., Host Syn., 529.; S. viminalis Vitt. Delph., 3.
p. 785.
The Seres. Both are figured in Hayne Abbild. : the male is figured in Sal Wob., where Mr. Forbes
has noticed that he had not seen the catkins of the other sex. If the kind of Host Sal. Austr. is
identical, both sexes of it are figured in that work.
Engravings. Du Ham. Arb., ed. 1., 3. t. 29. ; Hayne Abbild., t. 187.; Sal. Wob., No. 90. ; ? Host
Sal. Austr., t. 58,59. ; our./t£. 1327. ; and Jig. 90. in. p. 161<>.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves linear-lanceolate, denticulated, hoary on the under
surface with hoary tomentum. Catkins arched, slender, almost sessile, sub-
tended at the base with small leaves. Capsule ovate-lanceolate, glabrous,
stalked; the stalk twice the length of the gland. LS'27
Style elongated. Stigmas bifid. Bracteas subgla-
brous, ciliate with short hairs. (Koch Comm.} The
following description ~6f the kind is taken from Mr.
Forbes in Sal. Wob. : — " Branches villous, dark
brown, whitish when young ; long and slender, angu-
lated at the top of the young shoots, and distinctly
warted; forming a bush 4ft. or 5ft. high. Leaves
linear, from 3 in. to 4 in. long; minutely serrated,
or, rather, furnished with a few glandular teeth to-
wards the base ; margin slightly revolute; upper surface green and villous ;
beneath, thickly clothed with white cottony down : the young leaves are all
revolute and snowy-white. Footstalks bearing at the summit two glands,
short and dilated at the base. Catkins appearing before the leaves, barren
ones 1 in. long. The leaves of this species, Mr. Forbes observes, bear a
strong affinity to those of S. viminalis ; while the catkins, branches, and mode
of growth are quite different ; and that it never rises more than 5 ft. or 6 ft.
high." Host has described, in the Sal. Auttr., his S. riparia as an elegant tree ;
but he may only mean a plant of tree-like figure, but slender and not of con-
siderable height. Koch states that the species is found in a wild state, in
CHAP. cm.
.s U ICA'CK/i:. \AVI.IX.
1549
the lo\\er alphu- valley* on the Puviu-es < Vvciinrs, Alps of Dauphiny,
Switzerland, Tyrol, Austria, Carpathia ; whence it follows the course of
rivers, ami inhabits their banks and moist meadows; but it does not grow
in Germany, on the Rhine, beyond the limits of Suabia, nor north of the
Danube, it descends from the Carpathian Mountains into Hungary and
Galicia ; but, according to Besser, is not found in Volhynia. Introduced in
It flowers, in the willow garden at Woburn, in April. It is an in-
teresting kind for distinctness of character. There are plants at Wobnrn,
Henfield, and Flitwick ; and also in the Hackney arboretum, under the
name of S. trichoearpa.
a 74. S. LINEAVRIS Forbes. The linear -/cr/rcd Willow.
liK-ittification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 89.
Vt/nontjnic. ? S. iiicuna var. linearis Borrer. (Borrer in a letter.)
teg. The male is described and figured in Sal. Hrob. Mr. Forbes has noted that he had not
seen catkins of tl.e female.
Kngravings. Sal.Wob., ,S!i. ; our Jig. 1328. ; zndjig. 89. in p. 1619.
>)>'r. Char., $c. Leaves linear, villous; shining above, cottony beneath ; mar-
gins slightly denticulated. Branches brown. Stipules none. Catkins ellip-
tical, nearly sessile. Bracteas elliptical, yellow, as are also the anthers. (Sol.
}Voh.y p. 177.) Brought from Switzerland by the Hon.
Henry Grey Bennett, in 1820 ; and flowering, in the willow
garden at Woburn Abbey, in April. A low bushy shrub,
with copious branches, dark brown or purplish in every
stage. Leaves from H in. to 2^ in. long, truly linear ; the
margins slightly serrated ; the teeth sometimes furnished
with glands ; the upper surface green, shining, wrinkled,
and besprinkled with fine, minute, adpressed hairs, some-
times scarcely visible ; beneath, white and cottony, their
margins revolute ; leaves frequently opposite and alternate
on the same branch. Buds of a bright crimson colour.
Footstalks short, reddish. No vestige of stipules is to
be perceived in any state of growth. Catkins appearing before the
leaves, 1 in. long, and erect in the male plant. Easily known by the
rosemary-like appearance of its leaves. In the figure of the stamens in
Sal. l\\>h. (see our Jig. 1328.), the stamens are represented as palpably mon-
adelphous ; a case of which not any mention is made in the text there.
This kind is striking from the narrowness of its leaves. There are plants
at Woburn, Henfield, and Flitwick, and in the Goldworth Arboretum.
® ¥ 75. S. VIMINANLIS L. The twiggy Willow, or common Osier.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 1448. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 706. ; Hayne Abbild., p. 251. j Koch Comm.,
' ; Host Sal. Austr., 1. p. 16. ; Smith Eng. Bot, 1. 1898. ; Eng. Ft, 4. p. 228. ; Forbes in Sal.
Wob., No. 13.3. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed.3. ; Mackay Fl. Hibern., pt. 1. p. 249. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2.
p. COS.
Synonyme. S. longifolia Lam. Fl. Fr., 2. 232. (Koch.]
The Saftt. Botli sexes are figured in Eng. Bot., SVz/. Wob., Hayiie Abbild., and Host Sal. Aitstr.
Both exist in Britain. The male seems less robust and vigorous than the female
KuKntriugx. EnK. Bot., 1. 1898. ; Sal. \Vob., No. 133. ; Hayne Abbild., t. 194. ; Host Sal. Austr.,
:, '>:>. ; our .fig. 1329. ; and Jig. 133. in p. 1629.
Spec. Char., AY'- Leaves linear, inclining to lanceolate,
elongated, taper-pointed, entire, wavy ; snow-white and
silky beneath. Branches straight and slender. Ovary
-ile. Style as long as the linear undivided stigmas.
(Smith E. F.} A native of England, in wet meadows ; and
flowering in April and May. According to Pursh, 4t ""
- in North America, introduced from Europe, on
the banks of rivers, and about plantations. The follow-
ing description of its characters is derived chiefly from
the K>t<r/ix/t Flora : — Branches straight, erect, wand-
like, very long and slender, round, polished; when young,
downy with fine silky hairs. Leaves on short footstalks,
almost upright, about a span long, anil .', in. \\ide. being nearly linear, acute,
1328
1329
1550 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
entire, though slightly wavy at the edges, and somewhat revolnte; the
upper side green, glabrous, even ; under side pure white, with close cot-
tony, or rather silky, down. Stipules linear-lanceolate. Catkins numerous,
lateral, sessile, full 1 in. long." (Smith.) This species i.s readily distinguished
from others of the section to which it belongs by the white satiny under
surface of its leaves. It is held in high estimation for the various kinds
of basketwork, bands, &c. ; and it is generally employed for such purposes.
Varieties. One has the bark of the branchlets of a testaceous colour
(brownish yellow) ; another dark brown ; and the leaves of this variety are
of a darker green : but there are many intermediate varieties. (Koch Comm.)
" There is a variety called the velvet osier, in which no external difference
is discernible ; but the twigs are said to be more pliant." It is much
esteemed as an osier for wickerwork. (Smith Eng. Fl., iv. p. 229.) Perhaps
it is right to understand Smith as intending this as a distinct kind from
" the true velvet osier," which he has noticed under S. Smith/«n«, and
which is mentioned in this work under S. holoserf cea. In the neighbourhood
of Edinburgh, a brown-barked variety, probably the same as that mentioned
by Koch, is grown for hoops, under the name of the Dutch willow. It
makes shoots 10ft. or 12ft. long in one season. Plants are common in
the nurseries. Species named S. Villaresi/, S. purpurea mas, and S. rubra,
sent to us from the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges, are all the same as S.
viminalis.
Culture, fyc. There is nothing peculiar in the culture of this species, or its
varieties ; but, as it is a vigorous grower, those who cultivate it in quantities
for basket-making or hoops generally plant it in the best soil, intersected by
watercourses, so that the roots may always have that element within their
reach. Accounts of the formation, management, and profit attending osier
plantations will be found in the Bath Agricultural Society's Papers, vol. xvi.
p. 129. ; Transactions of the Society of Arts, vols. 19, 20. 22, 23, and 24. : but,
after our general directions for the culture and management of basket and
hoop willows (p. 1467.), it is unnecessary here to enter into farther details.
a ¥ 76. S. STIPULA^RIS Smith. The stipuled, or auricled-lcaved, Osier, or
Willow.
Identification. Smith Fl. Brit, p. 1069. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 708. ; Koch de Sal. Europ. Comm.,
p. 29. ; Smith Eng. Bot., t. 1214. ; Eng. Flora, 4. p. 230. ; Hook. Br. FL, ed. 2., p. 420. ; Mackay Fl.
Hibern., pt. 1. p. 249.
The Sexes. Both are described in Eng. Flora, and both are figured in Eng. Bot., and both in Sal.
IVob.
Engravings. Eng. Bot, L 1214. ; Sal. Wob., 132. ; snd./zg. 132. in p. 1628.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves lanceolate, pointed, slightly wavy, obscurely crenate ;
soft and nearly naked above, white and downy beneath. Stipules half-
heart-shaped, stalked, very large. Gland cylindrical. Ovary ovate, nearly
sessile, as well as the linear undivided stigmas. (Smith E. F.) A native
of England, in osier holts, hedges, and woods ; and flowering in March.
" Twigs upright, tall, soft and downy, of a pale reddish brown, brittle, and
of little or no use as an osier. Leaves almost upright, numerous, about
a span long, sharp-pointed, unequally and slightly crenate, green, even,
and soft; though hardly downy above, finely downy and whitish beneath,
with a nearly smooth, reddish, or pale midrib, and remarkably downy, or,
as it were, fringed, veins. Footstalks stout, \ in. or fin. long." (Smith.)
" Allied to S. viminalis in fructification ; differing in its larger and coarser
leaves, less white beneath ; and in their large, very remarkable stipules."
(Hook. Br.Fl.) " It is not worthy of cultivation for any economical purpose :
yet it was sent several times to the late Mr. Sowerby to draw, as the
true £ viminalis, the valuable qualities of which every body knows." (Smith
E. F.) Common in the nurseries.
¥ 77. S. SMITH/^A^ Willd. Smith's Willow, or the silky-leaved Osier.
JdenlificMhm. Willd. Enum., 1008.; Smith Eng. Fl., 4. p. 229.; Forbes in Sal. \Voli., No. I.M., -»
far as relates to the female; Hook. Br. Fl.,ed. 2., p. 420. ; Mackay Fl. Hibern., pt. 1. p. 250.
CHAP. cm. .VALICA'CEA:. 5AvLix. 1551
Synonymes. S. molllssima Smith Ft. Brit., p. 1070., exclusively of the synonymes, Eng. But., t. 1509.,
tbeft Cyclo. ; S. acuminata, with narrower leaves, Koch Comm.t p. 31. ; S. acuniin&ta /3 Lindl.
SI/HO/)., p.
The Sms. The female is described in Eng. Fl., and figured in Ping. Bot. and Sa/. Wob.
i'ngravings. Eng. Bot., t. 1509. ; Sal. Wob., No. 134., the female ; and our Jig. 134. in p. 1629.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves lanceolate, pointed, slightly wavy, minutely toothed;
soft and downy above, but the down scarcely visible; whitish and silky
beneath. Stipules long, narrow. Catkins ovate. Germen stalked. Style
shorter than the linear deeply divided stigmas. (Smith Eng. Fl.) " In my
specimens the ovaries and bracteas are remarkably shaggy." (Hook in Br. Fl.,
ed. 2.) A native of England, in meadows and osier grounds ; common
in the woods in the neighbourhood of Woburn ; and flowering in March
and April. " Branches erect, wand-like, round, long, slender, reddish,
leafy, smooth, finely downy and soft when young; brittle, and unfit for
basketwork. Leaves on shortish downy footstalks, lanceolate, 3 in. or 4 in.
long, tapering to a point; the margin wavy, or slightly crenated, with
minute teeth here and there, especially towards the point ; the upper side
green, delicately soft to the touch, with extremely minute, almost invisible,
close, silky down ; under side paler, whitish, densely silky, and likewise
peculiarly soft; the midrib and slender veins reddish, rather less downy.
Catkins appearing before the leaves, numerous, small." (Smith.) S. Smith-
ifina is without merit in the economical application of its rods, (Id.)
There are plants at Woburn Abbey, at Henfield, and at the Goldworth
Arboretum : also, under the name of S. mollissima, at Messrs. Loddiges's.
t 78. S. MOLLI'SSIMA Ehrh. The softest-surfaced Willow, or Osier.
Identification. Ehrh. Beitr., 6. p. 101. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 707. ; Wahlenb. Fl. Carpat., p. 317. ;
? Hayne Abbild., p. 252. ; Koch Comm., p. 28.
Si/ onyme. S. pubera Koch apud Bb'nninghausen Fl. Monaster.
The Sexes. The female is described in the specific character. Koch has noted that he had not seen
the male.
Engraving. ? Hayne Abbild., 1. 195., the female.
Spec. Char.,Sfc. Leaves lanceolate, acuminate, repandly toothed with distant minute teeth ; when
young, having the under surface finely tomentose. Stipules ovate, acute. Catkins sessile, or upon
a short twiglet seeming a peduncle, and bearing smalt leaves at the base of the catkin. Capsule
ovately conical/.tomentose, sessile. Gland reaching higher than the base of the ovary. Style elon-
gated. Stigmas linear, bifid, reaching as high as the hairs of the bracteas. (Koch.} It is easily
distinguished from S. viminalis by the down of the leaves being finer, yellowish, and not shining ;
the flowers more loosely disposed in the catkin ; the bracteas of a yellowish rusty colour, and by
their hairs being of a dull white, and of the length of the stigmas. In S. viminalis the leaves are
white, and silky beneath ; the bracteas of a very dark brown, and have silvery hairs ; and the stig-
mas are undivided, and extend beyond the hairs of the bracteas. S. mollissima grows wild upon
banks of rivers, and contiguously to water, in the north of Germany, in Silesia, and in the north of
Hungary. (Koch.) A native of Germany.
3t ? t 79. S. HOLOSERI'CEA Hook., ? Willd. The velvety, or " soft-shaggy-
flowered" Willow, or Osier.
Identification. Hook. Br. FL, ed. 2., p. 421. ; Bluff, and Fing. FL Germ., 2. p. 565. (Hook.) ; ? Willd.
Sp. PL, 4. p. 708. (Hook.) ; ? Hayne Abbild., p. 253. ; ? Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 137. ; ? Koch
Comm., p. 34.
Synonymes. S. Smithj'awa rugdsa, quoted as a name extant by Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 134. ; ? S.
acuminata, the var. mentioned by Smith in Eng. Fl.t 4. p. 228. ; S. acuminata var. rugdsa Smith
MSS., and probably S. rubra of Walker's Essays, p. 443. (Borrer in a letter.) I believe that the
velvet osier is S. holosericea Willd.
The Sexes. The male is figured in Sal. Wob. ; the female is described in the Specific Character, S(c.
Engravings. Hayne Abbild., 1. 196. (the sex is the male); Sal. Wob., No. 134., in which the male
catkin only is figured.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves lanceolate, acuminate, serrated ; glabrous above;
pale, downy, and strongly veined beneath. Catkins cylindrical. Ovaries
stalked, densely clothed with silky wool. Stigmas ovate, sessile. Bracteas
very snaggy, black. (Hook. Br. Fl.) Wild about Lewes, Sussex. Mr.
Borrer thinks that this is probably allied to the S. holosericea Willd., and
distinguishes it from S. acuminata Smith by its sessile pale-coloured stigmas,
and leaves greener and more rugose above, and more strongly veined beneath.
(Ibid.) S. holosericea Willd. \s noticed by Smith (Eng. >Y., iv. p. 230.), as
a native of Germany, not so of Britain. It is recorded in the Hortus Bri-
tannicus, as introduced into Britain in 1822. Smith has remarked, besides,
that he believes a kind of osier, called the velvet osier, to be identical
with S. holosericea Willd. , and that the velvet osier is much valued for
1552 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
some kinds of wickerwork. There are plants at Henfield, and at Messrs.
Loddiges's.
m ? ¥ 80. S. MICHEL/AY^ Forbes. Michel's Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 155.
Synonymes. ? S. holosericea Willd., 4. p. 708. (Forbes] ; ? S. holosericea var. (Borrer in a letter.)
the Sexes. The male plant is figured and described in Sal. Wob. Mr. Forbes had not seen the
flowers of the female.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., 1. 135. ; and fig. 135. in p. 1629.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Stem erect. Leaves lanceolate, pointed ; flat and villous
above ; greyish, downy, and reticulated beneath. Stipules ovate, acute,
serrated. Filaments long, yellowish. Anthers yellow. Bractea elliptical,
hairy. (Sal. Wob., p. 269.) Flowering in April. This plant grows to the
height of 12 ft. or 15 ft., although it has not been cultivated above four
years. The branches of the preceding year are of a dark brownish green
colour, and somewhat villous ; those of the present year's growth more of
a yellowish brown, and densely covered with a fine pubescence. Leaves
from 3 in. to 4 in. long, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate when fully growrn ;
flat, villous, and ultimately shining above; reticulated, greyish, soft and
downy beneath ; upper leaves denticulated with small glandular teeth,
entire towards the base ; lower leaves quite entire, gradually smaller. Foot-
stalks about ^ in. long, downy, pale yellow. Catkins of the male copious,
nearly sessile, appearing before the expansion of the leaves. Mr. Forbes
doubts whether this may not be the S. holosericea of Willdenow ; but he
retains the name of S. Michehawfl, which he received with the plant from
the Horticultural Society's Garden, till he has an opportunity of seeing the
catkins of the female, so as to aid him in coming to a decision. There are
plants at Woburn.
¥ 81. S. FERRUGI'NEA Anderson. The ferruginous-team/ Salloiv, or
Willow.
Identification. Anderson MS. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 128. ; Borrer in Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2665. ;
Hook. Br. FL, ed. S., p. 427.
The Sexes. Both sexes are described and figured in Eng. Bot. Suppl. : the female is described and
figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 128. ; Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2665. ; and our fig. 128. in p. 1627.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves lanceolate, having at the edge wavy crenatures and
small teeth ; hairy with minute hairs on both surfaces, paler on the under
one ; thin in substance. Stipules small, half-ovate. Bracteas oblong-lanceo-
late. Ovary silky, stalked. Style about as long as the oblong stigmas.
(Borrer in Eng. Bot. Suppl.) The late Mr. G. Anderson, who distinguished
and named the species, discovered it near Carlisle, in 1809 ; and found it
afterwards in Fifeshire and other counties of Scotland; and by the Thames,
near Windsor, Reading, &c. The female has been observed, also, near
Nuthurst, Sussex. (Id.) The following description is taken from that
given by Mr. Forbes in Sal. Wob. : — ' A bushy shrub or low tree ; flowering
in April, and growing, in the willow garden at Woburn Abbey, to the height
of 12 ft. or 14 ft., with shortish, green, fuscous branches, round, downy, and
somewhat of a rusty hue when young, especially towards autumn ; but of a
more pale yellow in an earlier state. Leaves from 2|in. to Sin. long;
obovate-lanceolate, tapering towards the base, with rather long oblique
points ; flat, villous, and dark green above ; densely silky, reticulated, and
greyish beneath ; lower leaves entire, scarcely 1 in. long ; upper ones finely
serrated towards the apex, or rather furnished with distant, minute, glan-
dular teeth, entire towards the base; the rusty hue also visible in the
older leaves. Catkins of the female from 1 in. to Hin. long, appearing
before the leaves." Mr. Forbes deems this a kind of sallow ; and its
rounded tumid buds show an affinity to the sallows. Mr. Borrer has placed
it in the group Viminales, and is of opinion that it comes nearest to S.
Smithmnfl : he adds, of the young leaves, that " the newly expanded leaves
of the male are beautifully tinged with brownish purple, which is nearly,
CHAP. cm. SALICA'CKA:. .VA'LIX.
or in general quite, wanting in the female. Their sides, in that stage of
growth, are closely rolled back, as is usual in the group to which this
species belongs." (Eng. Bot.) There are plants at Woburn Abbey, at
Henfield, and at Flitwick : at the latter place, one specimen, seven years
planted, is 10 ft. high, with a trunk 7 in. in diameter. It is also in the
Goldworth Arboretum, and at Messrs. Loddiges's, whence we have had
specimens of both sexes.
^ 82. S. ACUMINANTA Smith. The acuminated-leaved, or large-leaved, Sallow,
or Willow.
Identification. Smith Fl. Brit., p. 1068., excluding the references to Mill. Diet, and Hoffm. Sal.
(Smith in Eng. Fl.}\ Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 704., excluding the reference to Hoffm. Sat. ; ? Hayne
Abbild., p 251 ; Koch Comm., p. 30., exclusively of some of the synonymes; Smith Eng. Bot.,
1 1484. ; Eng. Fl., 4. p. 227. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 131. ; Hook. Br. Fl.,ed. 2., p. 421. ; Mackay
Fl. Hibern., pt. 1. p. 250.
Synom/me. S. lanceol&ta Serfage.
'/'/«• Xi-xes. The female is described in Eng. FL, and figured in Eng. Bot. and in Sal. Wob. Koch
has described the male, if what he has described belongs to this species.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., t. 1434. ; Sal. Wob., No. 131. ; ? Hayne Abbild., 1. 193. ; our fig. 1330.; and
fig. 131. in p. 1628.
Spec. Char., $c. Stem erect. Leaves lanceolate-oblong, pointed, wavy, finely
toothed, glaucous and downy beneath. Stipules half-ovate, then kidne£-
shaped. Catkins cylindrical. Ovary stalked, ovate, hairy. Style as long
as the undivided stigmas. {Smith E. F.) A native of England, in wet
grounds ; flowering in April and May. Neither Mr. Borrer nor Mr. Forbes
has ever found this species wild. (Hook. Br. FL, ed. 2.) Localities in
Ireland for it are stated in Mackay's Flora Hibernica. Smith and Forbes
place this kind among the true sallows. (Ibid.) In its upright mode of
growth, in the shape of its leaves, and in its general habit, it agrees much
better with S. viminalis, S. stipularis, and S. Smithiana than with any of
the sallow tribe. At Florence Court, where I collected specimens in the
autumn of 1833, it has become a tree of about 20ft. high, although grow-
ing in an elevated situation. (Mackay in Flora Hibern.) The following de-
scription is derived from Eng. Fl. and Sal. Wob., chiefly from the former : —
Generally of more humble growth than the S. caprea ; though sometimes
becoming a lofty tree, with upright, or less spreading, branches, which are
always minutely downy, and very soft to the touch. Leaves of a totally
different shape, commonly 3 in. or 4 in. long, and 1 in. at least in breadth;
elliptic-lanceolate, tapering to an acute point, either flat or somewhat
rugged, with copious, though shallow and unequal, marginal notches ; the
upper side green and smooth, except the midrib ; under side paler, and,
in a young state, glaucous ; delicately soft and downy, with a prominent
reddish midrib and veins. Footstalks reddish and downy, stout, mea-
suring full iin. Cktkins of the female cylindrical. (Smith.) A very distinct
sallow, soon recognised to be different from S. macrostipulacea (Forbes)
by its downy germen, and much larger leaves. (Id.) There are plants at
Woburn, Henfield, and Flitwick (where there is a var. called S. a. alpina),
and also at Messrs. Loddiges's. Specimens from the latter arboretum, also
bearing the names of S. serpyllifolia and S. repens, were S. acuminata.
App. i. Vimindles in the Country, but not described.
S. trichocdrpa. A specimen obtained from Messrs. Loddiges, under this name, seems the same as
S. inc^na, according to a specimen of the latter obtained of Mr. Brooks ; but it may be an allied
kind, not yet described.
Group xvi. Cinerece Borrer.
Sallows. — Trees and Shrubs, with roundish shaggy Leaves, and thick Catkins.
>l
Stamens *> to a flower. Ovary toincntosc with silkv toniciUum. Leaves
5 i 2
1554
AUBORKTUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART 111,
CHAP. cm. VU.ICA'CE^E. SA'LIX. 1555
mostly obovate, toothed, grey or hoary, more or less wrinkled ; very veiny
beneath ; stipuled branches downy. Plants trees or shrubs. The group
includes the kinds of willow that are usually called the sallows. (Hook.
Br. Fl., ed. 2., adapted.) The sallows are known by their obovate, or
rounded, downy leaves, and thick, early, silken catkins, with prominent,
yellow, distinct stamens, 2 to a flower. (Smith Eng. Fl., iv. p. 216.) Not
a few of the group Nigricantes Border also have been regarded as sallows.
Mr. Borrer, however, states that he is unacquainted with many of the
species, or supposed species, of this group, and of the group Nigricantes ;
and it is highly probable that many of them are placed wrongly. (Borrer in
a letter.)
s 83. S. PA'LLIDA Forbes. The pale Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 96.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 96. ; &ndfig. 96. in p. 1620.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves lanceolate, obovate, acute, serrated; villous and
veiny above ; beneath reticulated, glaucous, and cottony. Branches slender,
pale, villous. Stigmas ovate, deeply toothed or cloven at the base.
Ovary nearly sessile, ovate, lanceolate, silky. Style scarcely so long as the
ovate undivided stigmas. (Sal. Wob., p. 191.) A native of Switzerland.
Introduced in 1823, and flowering in April and May. Stem erect. A slender-
growing shrub, with short, palish green, round, villous branches ; those of
the preceding year brownish green, glabrous, and delicately warty. The
leaves about 2 in. long, obovate-lanceolate, or often somewhat spathulate ;
dull green, veiny, and villous on their upper surface j glaucous, downy, or
rather covered with a whitish cottony substance, beneath, and reticulated ;
the midrib and arched veins prominent. Footstalks shortish. Ovary almost
sessile. There are plants at Woburn, and in the Goldworth and Hackney
arboretums.
"* 84. S. WiLLDENOv/,4NM4 Forbes. Willdenow's Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 41.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 41. ; and Jig. 41. in p. 1613.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves elliptic lanceolate, toothed, or bluntly serrated at the
base and tip ; the old leaves glabrous and glaucous beneath ; young ones densely
downy. Stipules large, half-heart-shaped, toothed, glabrous. Branches gla-
brous, villous when young. Ovary stalked, very silky, ovate. Style glabrous.
Stigmas notched. (Sal. Wob., p. 81.) Native country uncertain. Alow-
growing shrub, with brownish branches, which are green and villous when
young. The catkins appear in April, and again in August. " A very dis-
tinct and handsome species. The leaves bear a similarity to those of the
Afyrica carolin&na, but are much larger on the young shoots. The S.
wyricoides Muhlenberg (Smith in Rees's Cyclo.) is a very different plant."
(Forbes.)
* 85. S. PoNTEDERA\tf/f Willd. Pontedera's Willow.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 661. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 18. ; Koch Comm.,p.24. ;
Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 43.
Synonymes. S. pumila alpina nigricans, folio oleagino serrato, Panted. Comp., 148, 149. ; S. Pon-
teddm? Bellardi App. ad Fl. Fed., 45. ; Vill. Delf., 3. p. 766.
The Sexes. The male is noticed in Koch's specific character ; the female is described and figured in
Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob.. No. 43. ; our fig. 1331. ; and fig. 43. in p. 1613.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves elliptical, serrated, acute, glabrous ; glaucous beneath,
and obtuse at their base; the midrib, footstalks, and young leaves hairy.
Ovary oblong and downy. (Sal. Wob., p. 85.) A native of Switzerland.
Introduced in 1821, and "flowering before the expansion of the leaves,
in April. It is described by Willdenow as a shrub, 2ft. or 3ft. high ; but,
in the Woburn salictum, Mr. Forbes has found it attain the height of 12 ft.
or 1 3 ft. in four years. In the Horticultural Society's Garden, crowded
155(5
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETl'M. PART III.
1331
1557
among other species of Salix, it was 16ft. high in 1834, after being 10 years
planted. This species forms an upright bushy shrub or tree, with elliptical
leaves ; the lower ones entire ; the upper finely serrated, green, and a little
villous; shining above; glaucous, pubescent, reticulated, and whitish be-
neath. There are plants at Woburn, Flitwick, Henfield, Goldworth, and
Hackney.
¥ 86. S. MACROSTIPULA^CEA Forbes. The large-stipuled Sallow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 130.
The Xt'jres. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 130. ; and Jig. 130. in p. 1627.
Spec. Char., #c. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, somewhat obovate, pointed, ser-
rated, entire towards the base ; upper side dull green and glabrous, glaucous
beneath. Stipules very large, toothed, often cloven. Ovary stalked,
ovate-subulate, glabrous. Stigmas parted. (Sal. Wob., p. 259.) A native of
Switzerland. Introduced in ? 1824, and flowering in April and May. A
rapid-growing tree, with dark green, round, downy branches, marked with
small yellow or reddish spots; the lower branches pendulous. Leaves
elliptic-lanceolate, acute, Sin. or 4 in. long, and l£in. or more in breadth;
base obtuse, entire, dilated above the middle ; margins rather distinctly
serrated ; the upper side green and glabrous ; under side glaucous, with a
downy midrib and veins. Footstalks reddish and downy, stout, measuring
full ^ in. long. Stipules large. Young leaves purplish, soft to the touch, and
pubescent. Adult ones rather coriaceous, copiously marked beneath with
dark blotches. Catkins of the female from l^in. to 2 in. long. There are
plants at Woburn, Henfield, and Flitwick, and also at Hackney.
a ¥ 87. S. INCANE'SCENS ? Schl. The whitish-leaved Sallow.
Identification. ? Schl. as quoted in Sweet I lort. Brit., ed. 1830, p. 469. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 120.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 120. ; and fig. 120. in p. 1625.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves elliptic, obovate, serrated or denticulated; greyish
green and downy above ; very downy, whitish, and reticulated beneath.
Stipules rounded, serrated. Ovary ovate-lanceolate, downy. Style short.
Stigmas ovate, entire. (Sal. Wob., p. 239.) A native of Switzerland. Intro-
duced in 1823. Flowering in March, at which time the catkins are nearly
sessile ; and again in August. A bushy shrub or tree ; the branches round,
pubescent, and of a muddy green colour, marked with a few yellow spots,
having the appearance of being besmeared with clay. Leaves obovate, about
2 in. long, and a little more than 1 in. wide ; margins a little revolute ; deeply
denticulated ; denticles a little glandular; the upper side densely pubescent,
wrinkled ; the midrib ferruginous ; beneath, pubescent, reticulated, of a
whitish colour, with prominent arched veins ; midrib pale beneath, and pro-
minent. Footstalks shortish and stout, dilated at the base, and downy.
Catkins from I in. to H in. long, appearing before the expansion of the
leaves, in March ; and again in August. " 111 adapted to any useful
purpose." (Forbes.)
sfi ¥ 88. S. PANNO^SA Forbes. The cloth-leaved Sallow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 123.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., 1. 123. ; and fig. 123. in p. 16-26.
Spec. Char.,8fc. Leaves elliptic-obovate, serrated ; green and downy above,
greyish and densely pubescent beneath. Stipules large, serrated, glaucous.
Ovary ovate-lanceolate, silky, on a short footstalk. Style glabrous. Stig-
mas undivided. (Sal. Wob., p. 245.) A native of Switzerland. Introduced
in 1824, and flowering, in the Woburn salictum, in April and May. A small
tree, growing to the height of 12 ft. or 14 ft., with oblique spreading branches,
which are of a darkish fuscous colour, and closely covered with a short
pubescence ; the young twigs are of a greyish brown, and densely downy.
Leaves from l^in. to 2 in. long, about 1 in. in breadth; elliptic-obovate; dull
5 i 4
1558 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 1 fl .
green and downy on their upper surface ; greyish, densely pubescent, and
denticulated with prominent arched veins beneath ; the small ones nearly
covered with pubescence ; the margins serrated, entire towards the base;
tip oblique. Many of the leaves are opposite or nearly so, and alternate,
on the same branch. Footstalks stout. Catkins about 1 in. long. There
are plants at Woburn, Flitwick, Henfield, and Hackney.
? Variety. Mr. Forbes received a kind of Salix, under the name of S.
mollis, which, as compared with S. pannosa, had its leaf, catkin, ovary, and
bractea larger ; and the catkins often recurved, and devoid of floral leaves.
Mr. Forbes expresses himself doubtful whether it is sufficiently distinct
from S. pannosa to constitute a distinct species.
& 89. S. MUTA'BILIS Forbes. The changeable Willow, or Sallow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 160.
The Sexes. The female is described in Sal. Wob.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves elliptic, remotely serrated ; dull green and pubescent
above ; pale glaucous and hairy beneath. Stipules rounded, serrated, and
minute. Ovary stalked, ovate-lanceolate, silky. Style somewhat elon-
gated and stout. Stigmas cloven. It bears an affinity to S. pannosa in cat-
kins and mode of growth. (Sal. Wob., p. 288.) A native of Switzerland.
Introduced in ? 1824, and flowering in March and April. Branches densely
downy, copiously beset with somewhat elliptical leaves, which are of a dull
green colour above, pale and hairy beneath, with prominent veins, the sub-
divisions of which form a rectangular network ; their substance is rather
of a thin crackling texture ; the young leaves are very hairy in their earliest
state. There are plants at Woburn and in the Hackney arboretum.
% 90. S. CINE^REA L. The grey Sallow, or ash-coloured Willow.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1449.; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 690., exclusively of the syn. ofVillars;
Smith in Rees's Cyclo.,No. 94., where Smith has remarked that Willdenow's description disagrees,
in some points, with his plant ; Smith Eng. Bot., 1. 1897. ; Eng. FL, 4. p. 215. ; Forbes in Sal Wob.,
No. 125.; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3. ; Mackay Fl. Hibern., pt. 1. p. 250.
Synonymes. S. cin&rea var. Koch Comm., p. 36. The following information is derived from Mr.
Borrer. Smith has erroneously cited, in his Fl. Br., p. 1063., the S. daphnoldes Pillars as a syno-
nyme of S. cineTea Smith ; and this has led Koch (Comm., p. 23.) to cite S. cindrea Smith as a
synonyme of S. rfaphnoldes yillars.
The Seres. Both sexes are figured in Sal. Wob. The male is figured in Ens. Bot.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., 1. 1897. ; Sal. Wob., No. 125. ; our fig. 1332.; and fig. 125. in p. 1626.
Spec. Char., fyc. Stem erect. Lower leaves entire ; upper serrated, obovate-
lanceolate ; glaucous, downy, and reticulated with veins beneath. Stipules
half-heart-shaped, serrated. Ovary silky ; its stalk half as long as the
lanceolate bracteas. (Smith Eng. Fl.') A native of Eng-
land, on the banks of rivers and in moist woods ; and
flowering, in the willow garden at 'Woburn Abbey, in
April, and again in September. The following descrip-
tion is taken from the more detailed one of Smith in his
English Flora : — " A tree, 20 ft. or 30 ft. high, if left to
its natural growth ; but in hedges or thickets it is more
dwarf and bushy. It is readily to be distinguished from
other common willows, by its rusty glittering hue, which
lies more, perhaps, in the fine veins of its leaves, than in
the pubescence sprinkled over the*m, which consists of
minute, prominent, shining hairs, totally unlike the de-
pressed silkiness of the species of the groups Glaucse,
ruscae, and .ffosmarinifoliae. The rusty colour, indeed,
increases after the specimens have been long dried, but 1332
is visible in some degree in the growing plant, especially towards the
autumn. The branches are glabrous, reddish brown, and crooked ; and
the young ones are slender, spreading, and, in an early state, downy. On
the leafy branches of the year the lower leaves are nearly or quite entire,
1 in. or l£in. long, obovate, with a short oblique point, on shortish slen-
der footstalks, without stipules ; the upper ones twice as large, variously
CHAP. CHI. SALICA'CF/E. i'A^LIX. 1559
serrated, with half-heart-shaped stipules, strongly serrated, or toothed, vari-
ous in size, but never very large." According to Smith, S. cinerea is the least
useful of the sallows ; but its branches, when two years old, are used for
bands and coarse wickerwork. There are plants at Woburn, Flitwick, and
in the Hackney arboretum.
Varieties. There are several varieties of this species, one of which has va-
riegated leaves; and, as this is a rare character among willows, it merits a
distinct notice. Smith, in his English Flora, iv. p. 2 16., notices having re-
ceived a specimen of such a variety from Germany. Mr. Forbes has since
found two plants with slightly variegated leaves, growing in the Woburn
plantations. He has figured some of these leaves, from which it appears
that they are blotched with small yellow blotches. Koch has referred to S.
cinerea L., as varieties, S. cinerea Smith, S. aquatica Smith, and S. oleifolia
Smith.
% 91. S. AQUA'TICA Smith. The Water Salloiv, or Willow.
Identification. Smith Fl. Br., p. 1065. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 701. ; ? Hayne Abbild., p. 248. ; Smith
Eng. Bot, t. 1437. ; in Rees's Cyclo., No. 118. ; Eng. Fl., 4. p. 218. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 127. ;
Hook.pr. Fl., ed. 3. ; Mackay's Fl. Hibern., pt. 1. p. 250.
Si/noni/me. S. cinerea var. Koch Camrn., p. 36.
Tlte Sexes. Both sexes are figured in Sal. Wob., and in Hayne Abbild., if the kind is identical : the
female is figured in Eng. Bot.
Engravings. ? Hayne Abbild., 1. 191. ; Eng. Bot., t. 1437. ; Sal. Wob., No. 127- ; and our Jig. 127.
in p. 16i!7.
Spec. Char., $c. Stem and branches erect. Leaves slightly serrated, obovate-
elliptical, minutely downy, flat, rather glaucous beneath. Stipules rounded,
toothed. Ovary silky, stalked. Stigmas nearly sessile. (Smith Eng. Fl.)
A native of England, in wet hedgerows, swampy places, &c. ; and flowering in
April. Most of the following particulars are derived from Smith's description
given in his English Flora : — Stem generally bushy, rarely forming a tree.
Branches numerous, upright ; the young ones slender, hoary, or finely downy,
leafy throughout, often angular. Leaves on rather slender downy footstalks,
elliptic-oblong, acute, about 2 in. in length, flat, not wavy, though serrated
about the middle and towards the extremity, narrowest at the base ; the lower
ones on each branch gradually smaller, quite entire, obovate, rounded
and obtuse; the lowest of all not £in. long, all soft and pliant, of a dull
greyish green, reticulated with minute veins ; not rugged, but even, and fi-
nally glabrous on the upper side; glaucous and minutely downy underneath.
Catkins appearing before the leaves. A perfectly distinct kind from S.
cinerea and S. oleifolia; being without the rusty hue of these species upon
the leaves, which are also much broader, and of a thinner texture. The
branches, or twigs, are very brittle, and not adapted to any economical pur-
pose, except that, perhaps, of being'used for fire-wood.
¥ 92. S. OLEIFOLIA Smith. The Olive-leaved Willow, or Sallow.
Identification. Smith Fl. Br., p. 1065. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 702. ; Smith Eng. Bot, 1. 1402. ; Rees's
Cyclo., No. 119. ; Eng. FL, 4. p.219. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 126. ; Hook. Br. FL.ed. 3. ; Mackay
Fl. Hibern., pt. 1. p. 251.
Synom/me. S. cinerea var. Koch Comm., p. 36.
l. W
.
The Urn's. Both sexes are figured in Sal. Wob. : the male is figured in Eng. Bot.
Engravings. Eng. BoL, 1. 1402. ; Sal. Wob., No. 126. ; and fig. 126. in p.1626.
Spec. Char., $c. Stem erect. Branches straight and spreading. Leaves obo-
vate-lunceolate, flat, rather rigid, minutely toothed, acute, glaucous, reticu-
lated, and finely hairy beneath. Stipules small, notched, and rounded. Cat-
kins oval, nearly half as broad as long. (Smith E. F.) A native of England,
in wet hedgerows ; and flowering, in the willow garden at Woburn Abbey, in
March, and again in August. The following particulars are derived from
Eng. Fl. and Sal. Wob., chiefly from the former. Truly arboreous; and, if
allowed to grow, becoming as tall as a common crab tree, though not of so
stout a habit as S. caprea, except as regards the catkins. The branches
are rounded, and, when young, somewhat angular, brown, more or less hoary
with short down, very soft to the touch. The leaves spread but moderately,
and arc troin 2 in. to 3 in. in length, and 1 in., at most, in breadth, elliptic-
1560 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
lanceolate, tapering at each end, and somewhat obovate, acute, not pointed ;
at first sight, seeming entire or minutely serrated ; but they are more gene-
rally bordered with glandular teeth: the upper side is green, flat, even, ob-
scurely hoary rather than downy ; under side paler, slightly glaucous, with
copious, prominent, reticulated, minutely hairy veins, acquiring by time a
portion of the rusty hue of S. cinerea. Their substance is firm rather than
coriaceous ; and in the earliest state they are densely downy. Footstalks
rather short and downy. Catkins remarkably large, appearing before the
leaves ; and that of the female about 2 in. long when at maturity. Distinguished
from S. cinerea and S. aquatica by the coriaceous texture of its leaves,
which very much resemble those of Quercus 7vlex. When cut down, the
plant produces tough twigs, that are adapted for baskets or wickerwork.
The two-years-old shoots may also be used with advantage for making
wattled hurdles, crates, &c. ; but they are inferior to those of S. cinerea.
There are plants at Woburn, Flitwick, and Goldworth.
¥ 93. S. GEMINA^TA Forbes. The twin-catkin Sallow, or Willow.
Identification. Sal. Wob., No. 129.
The Seres. The male is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 129. ; and Jig. 129. in p. 1627.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves obovate-lanceolate, serrated ; deep green, shining,
and veiny above; reticulated, hairy, and paler beneath. Stipules rounded
and toothed. Branches brownish, downy when young. Catkins large, often
two or three bursting forth from the same bud. Anthers yellow. Bractea
obovate and hairy. (Sal. Wob., p. 257.) Native country not stated : perhaps
it is Britain ; for Mr. Forbes received the kind from Sir J. E. Smith under
the name of S. cinerea ; and a specimen of the same kind has subsequently
been observed in the Smithian herbarium. Introduced in ? 1824, and
flowering in March. This appears a rapid-growing tree, producing long,
round, brown, brittle branches, downy only when young, and distantly
marked with yellow spots. The upper leaves are above 3 in. long, with
sharp points, serrated, and of an ovate-lanceolate shape ; the lower obo-
vate, with short oblique points, and rather more than 1 in. broad above the
middle ; entire, glabrous, and shining on their upper surface, except while
young, when they are hairy on both sides ; beneath, copiously besprinkled
with minute, depressed, shining hairs, and very distinctly reticulated with
prominent arched veins in every stage of growth. Footstalks downy, dilated
at the base, somewhat decurrent and brown on their upper side. Catkins
of the male about 1 in. long. Distinguished from S. cinerea by its long
narrow leaves ; large, obtuse, twin catkins ; and obovate, large, rounded
bracteas. There are plants at Henfield.
ffi 94. S. CRI'SPA Forbes. The crisp-leaved Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 42.
The Sexe$. The male is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 42. ; and/g. 42. in p. 1613.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, crisped, wavy ; glabrous above ; glau-
cous, reticulated, and slightly hairy when young, beneath. Stipules half-
heart-shaped, deciduous. Branches pale green. Catkins small, rounded.
Anthers red before they burst, afterwards yellow. Gland bifid or trifid,
reddish. Bractea obovate, fringed. (Sal. Wob., p. 83.) Native country un-
certain. A low-growing shrub, with round, glabrous pale green branches,
which are villous only at their extremities when young. The catkins are
small, and burst forth before the leaves, in March ; amongst the earliest-
flowering of the species. The plant flowers again, a second time, in
August.
ik 95. S. AURI'TA L. The round-eared, or trailing, Sallow, or Willow.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 2. p. 1446. ; Hoffm. Sal., 1. 30. t. 4. f. 1. 2., t 22. f. 1. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4.
n 700 ; Hayne Abbild., p. 246. ; Koch Comm., p. 38. ; Smith Lin. Fl. Lapp., 303. t. 8. f. »/ ; Eng.
Bot , t J487. ; Rees's Cyclo., No. 117. ; Eng. Fl.,4. p. 216. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No.124. ; Hook, Br.
Fl., ed. 3. ; Mackay FL Hibern., pt. 1. p. 251.
CHAP. CHI. SALICAXCEJK. S^LIX. 1561
S. uliginosa Willd. Enum., 1007. (Smith and Koch] ; the trailing Sallow, so called in
' Norfolk. (Smith E. F.)
The Sexes Both sexes are described in Eng. FL, and figured in Eng. Sot., in Sal. Wob.t and in
H,i v it c Abbild.
Engravings. Hoffln. Sal., 1. t. 4. f. 1., 2. t. 22. f. 1. ; Smith Lin. FL Lapp., t 8. f. y j Hayne Abbild.,
1 188. ; Eng. Bot, 1. 1*87. ; Sal. Wob., No. 124. ; and our fig. 124. in p. Itoi.
Spec. Char., $c. Branches trailing. Leaves somewhat serrated, convex, obo-
vate, obtuse, with a small hooked point; hairy, and reticulated with veins, on
both sides. Stipules roundish, convex, toothed. Ovary silky, stalked.
Stigmas nearly sessile. (Smith Eng. FL) A native of England, in moist
woods and thickets ; flowering in April and May. Stem bushy, usually 3 ft.
or 4 ft. high. " Branches spreading, or trailing, either amongst other bushes,
or on the ground, to a great extent. Leaves various in size, on short, stout,
downy footstalks, obovate, generally 1 in. or 2 in. long, more or less con-
tracted towards the base, though sometimes rounded, or nearly ovate in
that part : their termination is often remarkably obtuse or abrupt, with a
broad, short, recurved, hooked, or oblique point; both sides hairy, and very
rugged ; the upper side dark green, wrinkled like a cabbage leaf; under side
paler, rather glaucous." (Smith Eng. FL) " The leaves occasionally
form permanent rosaceous tufts like those of S. Helix." (Ibid.) There
are male and female plants both at Woburn Abbey and in Messrs. Loddiges's
arboretum ; and from the latter we have received a specimen of S. ambfgua,
which seems to be S. aurita.
Varieties. Koch and Smith have referred the S. uliginosa Willd. and S. aurita
Willd. to the S. aurita L. ; and Koch has thus contradistinguished the two
former : — S. uliginosa Willd. Taller. Leaves obovate. S. aurita Willd.
Dwarfer. Leaves roundish^obovate, smaller by half. Mr. Forbes has noticed
that a variety was growing in the Woburn plantations which was about 1 ft.
or 1 ft. 6 in. high, and had its leaves truly obovate. Koch has deemed the
S. cladostemma Hayne Dendr. F/., p. 191. and fig. B, c, a singular variety of
S. aurita, and characterised it as having 2, 3, or 4 stamens to a flower, and
these with their filaments connate to beyond the middle. We have a spe-
cimen obtained of Messrs. Loddiges^ under the name of S. aurita micro-
phylla, whose leaves are oblong, and do not look of the affinity of S. aurita.
Smith judged (Flor. Brit, and Eng. FL) the S. caprea pumila, folio subro-
tundo, subtus incano, of Dillenius in Rait Syn., to be a dwarf variety of S
aurita ; but Mr. Borrer has expressed, in Eng. Bot. Supp., t 2733., his
opinion that this " is probably a synonyme of S. ambigua."
a 96. S. LATIFOVLIA Forbes. The broad-leaved Willow, or Sallow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 118.
The Srxes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 118. ; and Jig. 118. in p. 1625.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves broadly elliptic, distantly denticulated towards the
base, and finely serrated towards the point. Stigmas half-moon-shaped, ser-
rated, glabrous, and large. Capsules ovate, silky, and footstalked. Bractea
ovate, hairy. Style about the length of the stigmas. (Sal. Wob.t p. 235.) Na-
tive country not stated. Flowering in March. A straggling plant, with strong,
round, pubescent branches, which are of a brown fuscous colour, and be-
come nearly glabrous towards the lower end in autumn. Leaves of a large
elliptical form, a little heart-shaped and unequal at the base ; above, green
and shining ; beneath, glaucous, downy, and reticulated ; the margins re-
motely denticulated, and nearly entire towards the base ; finely serrated at the
apex. Footstalks \ in. long, and pubescent. Catkins nearly 1 in. long when at
maturity. A kind quite distinct from every other of this section, and re-
markable for the breadth of its leaves, which differ in texture from those of
S. grisophylla, that are also broad. There are plants at Woburn, Henfield,
and in the Goldworth Arboretum.
i 97. S. CA'PREA L. The Goat Willow, or the great round-leaved Sallow.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1448. cc (Smith) ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 703., exclusively of the synonyme
of FL Dan. (Smith] ; Hayne Abbild., p. 249. ; Smith Eng. Bot, 1 1488. ; Ree»'s Cyclo., No. 126. ;
1562
ARBORETUM AND PRUTICETUM.
'ART III.
Eng. Fl.,4. p. 225. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 122. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3., p. 429. ; Mackay Fl.
Hibern., pt. 1. p. 252.
Synonymcs. S. cftprea Koch, part of, Koch Comm., p. 37. ; common Black Sallow, Saugh in York-
shire, Grey Withy.
Derivation. The name caprea seems to have originated in the reputed fondness of goats for the
catkins, as exemplified in the wooden cut of the venerable Tragus, their namesake. (Smith in
Eng. Fl.)
The Sexes. Both sexes are figured in Sal. Wob., and both in Haune Abb/Id.
Engravings. Hoffm. Sal., t. 3. f. l.,2. t. 21. f. a. b. c. (Smith) ; Hayne Abbild., t. 192. ; Eng. Bot,
t. 1438.; Sal. Wob., No. 122. ; our fig. 1333., from the Sal. Wob. ; and fig. 1334., representing the
male, and fig. 1335 the female, both from Host's
1333
Sal. Aust., t. 66, 67- ; and fig. 122. in p. 1626.
133*
Spec. Char.&c. Stem erect. Leaves
roundish-ovate, pointed, ser-
rated, waved; pale and downy
beneath. Stipules somewhat
crescent-shaped. Catkins oval.
Ovary stalked, ovate,silky. Stig-
mas nearly sessile, and undivided
Capsules swelling. (Smith E.
F.) A native of Britain, in woods and dry pastures, common; flowering
in April and May. The following traits are derived from Smith's fuller
description in his
English Flora:— "A
moderate-sized tree,
with spreading, round,
brown or purplish
branches, minutely
downy when young.
Leaves larger and
broader than in any
other of the genus ; of
a deep green above,
with a downy rib;
white underneath, or
rather glaucous, veiny,
densely clothed with
soft, white, cottony
down ; generallybroad-
ly ovate, approaching
to orbicular, with a
sharp point; some-
times more elliptical,
either rounded or
slightly heart-shaped
at the base; varying
in length from 2 in. to
CHAP. C1J1. .VALICANCE#:. .YA\L1X. 1563
3 in.; the margin wavy, and more or less strongly serrated. Footstalks
stout, downy. Catkins numerous, much earlier than the foliage, and
almost sessile." This tree, Sir W. J. Hooker observes, " distinguishes itself,
in the spring, by being loaded with handsome yellow blossoms before any of
its leaves appear. The catkins," both of the male and the female, "are broader
and shorter than in most of the species with crowded flowers." " This species,"
Mr. Forbes observes, "has several very valuable qualities. The bark serves
the Highlanders for tanning, and is no indifferent substitute for the cinchona
in agues. The wood, being white, tough, and smooth in grain, forms excellent
hurdles, and good handles for hatchets. It is also used for charcoal, and
in the manufacture of gunpowder, &c. The catkins are much resorted to
by bees for honey." (Sal. Wob., p. 243.) According to Mitchell, it is the
best underwood for coppices that we have. It makes good fences ; and
sheep-hurdles made of it will last a year or two longer than those made of
hazel ; and they will suit every situation, wet or dry. (Dendrologia, p. 56.)
The flowering branches of this species are called palms, and are gathered by
children on Easter Sunday ; the relics of the Catholic ceremony formerly
. performed in commemoration of the entry of our Saviour into Jerusalem.
(See Dr. Johnstons Flora of Berwick upon Tweed.)
A 98. S. SPHACELA^TA Smith. The withered-pointed-leaved Willow,
or Sallow.
Identification. Smith Fl. Br., p. 1066. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 702. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 125. *
Eng. Bot, t. 2333. ; Eng. Fl., 4. p. 224. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 121. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed.3., p.429.
Synonymes. S. caprea var. Koch Comm., p. 38. ; .V. caprea /3 Wahl. Carpat., p. 319. " I received S.
sphacelata Smith, for the S. populifblia Schleicher." (Forbes in Sal. Wob.}
pu
The Sexes. Both sexes are described in Eng. Fl., and figured in Eng. Bot. and in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Eng. Bot, t. 2333. ; Sal. Wob., No. 121. ; and fig. 121. in p. 1625.
Spec. Char., $c. Stem erect. Leaves elliptic-obovate, even, veiny, entire, or
slightly serrated ; downy on both sides ; discoloured at the point. Stipules
half-heart-shaped, toothed, erect. Ovary stalked, ovate-lanceolate, silky.
Stigmas notched, longer than the style. (Smith Eng. Fl.) A native of
Britain ; found, in Scotland, near the head of Loch Tay ; and flowering in
April and May. A small bushy tree, 5 ft. or 8 ft. high ; the young branches
very soft with dense, hoary, short, velvet-like down. Leaves, in like manner,
soft and downy, especially when first opening; always of a greyish aspect ;
their shape obovate or elliptical, with a small oblique point ; their length
Hin., perhaps 2iin. at their full growth; the margin either quite entire, or
slightly, sparingly, and unequally serrated; the upper side light green, clothed
with fine down, which finally disappears ; under more downy, with a pro-
minent rib and veins, hoary, not glaucous ; the tip, from its earliest formation,
nearly naked, green or brownish, soon looking as if blasted or withered,
and assuming a tawny hue. The footstalks are shortish, and thickly downy.
Catkins on short hairy stalks, l^in. long when matured. Very distinct
from every other British willow that Mr. Forbes has seen ; and readily
known by its whitish woolly leaves, which are always more or less marked
with holes, and the larger ones of which are serrated in their adult state.
Group xvii. Nigricantes Borrer.
Shrubs with long Branches, or small Trees. Mostly Sallows.
A group as difficult to define as are the kinds of which it is constituted.
Stamens 2 to a flower. Ovary stalked, glabrous or silky. Style more or
less 2-cleft. In leaves, many of the kinds approach those of the group
Cinereae very nearly, having ovate or obovate ones ; but the leaves are less
wrinkled. Plants shrubs with long branches, or small trees. (Hook. Br.
f '/., ed. 2.) The term Nigricantes has been applied to this group, not, as it
1564 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 111.
has been supposed, in allusion to the leaves of the kinds of which it is con-
stituted turning black in drying, but to mark their affinity to S. nigricans
Smith, a well-known individual of their number. {Borrer in Eng. Bot.
Suppl.y t. 2795.) In this case, it may be supposed that the characters of S.
nigricans Smith are pretty well representative of those of each of the kinds
of the group. Some of the characters of S. nigricans Smith are described
below, No. 108. According to Mr. Borrer (Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2729,) it
is doubtful, in application to almost every kind of the group, whether it
is a species or not.
It is shown, under the preceding group, that Mr. Borrer professes
himself not acquainted with all the kinds of that group and this ; and
that he may, therefore, have placed some of them wrongly. It may in-
terest the lovers of broad grounds of distinction in species to know
that Koch, who has applied this principle to the willows, has included
several of the kinds in this group, which are treated below as distinct spe-
cies, in one species. Under his species S. johylicifolia, he has cited S. johy-
licifolia Lin. Sp. PL, ii. 1442., Wittd. Sp. P/.,'iv. p. 659., exclusively of the
synonyme of Smith, Wahlenb. Fl.Lapp., No. 482. ; S. stylosa Dec.; S. stylaris
Seringe ; S. hastata Hoppe ; and S. hybrida Hoffm. ; as synonymes : and the
following as being still the species, under a more or less varied form, — S.
nigricans Smith, S.Ammanmdna Willd., S. Andersom'ffwa Smith, S. spiraeaefolia
Willd. ex Link, S. rupestris Smith, S. Forsteriana Smith, S. hirta Smith, S.
cotinifolia Smith, and S. wlmifolia Hort. Bcrol. He has intimated, besides,
that several of the kinds distinguished by Schleicher also belong to this
species. Dr. Lindley, in his Synoptu of the British Flora, where he has
followed Koch wholly, has added to Koch's S. phylicifolia the kinds S.
rfamascena Forbes and S. Borreri«;za Smith. Relatively to the principle of
rendering species in the willows thus comprehensive, Mr. Borrer makes the
following remark in Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2702. : — " We have repeatedly
disclaimed all dogmatical decision as to what are species among the willows ;
nor have we ever denied the probability that many of those which, in the
present state of our knowledge, we think it expedient to propose as distinct
may be, in reality, mere seminal varieties or hybrids. This being admitted,
the further admission can scarcely be withheld, that those botanists may
possibly be correct in their views who regard, in some instances, as species
what we are accustomed to regard as sections of the genus." Mr. Borrer
has added, " Of these facile princeps is Koch, whose lucid DC Salidbus
Europteis Commentatio displays a most intimate acquaintance with his
subject." With regard to the details of Koch's adjudication of the above-
cited species S. phylicifolia, Mr. Borrer gives the following corrective
notices, which, for the sake of accuracy, we give below : —
Under S. damascene Forbes, Eng. Bot. Suppl.,t.2709.,itis remarked, " Koch
would, no doubt, refer S. damascena, as he does its affinities, S. Andersonidna,
S. nigricans, £c., to Wahlenberg's S. phylicifolia ; but those botanists would
scarcely have appropriated the name to willows of this set, had they been
aware of the fact that the original Lapland specimen of S. />hylicifolia in
the Linnaean herbarium is indubitably, as was long since stated by Smith,
the S. johylicifolia of Eng. Bot., t. 1958. This last is united by Koch, with
numerous affinities, to S. arbuscula of Wahlenberg, which he regards as the
S. arbuscula of the Linnaean Flora Suecica." Under S. tenuifolia Smith this
remark occurs in Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2795. : — " S. tenuifolia and S. rupes-
tris are so nearly allied, that we cannot undertake to point out satisfactory
distinctions ; yet Koch places S. tenuifolia under S. arbuscula, and S. ru-
pestris under S. /jhylicifolia." Under S. petraeNa Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2725.,
is this remark : — " It is surely by error that Koch has placed S. petraexa
under his S. arbuscula, with S. johylicifolia of Smith ; and not under his own
S. />hylicifolia, with S. Ammannidna and its affinities."
CHAP. <
CHAP. cm. SALICA CEJE. SA^LIX. 1565
99. S. AUSTRA'LIS Forbes. The southern Sallow, or Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 103.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 103. ; and our^.103. in p. l»;_'i.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves elliptical, acute, slightly serrated ; glaucous beneath.
Stipules large, heart-shaped, serrated, and downy. Catkins appearing before
the leaves. Ovary glabrous, stalked. Styles longer than the divided
stigmas. (Sal. lVob.,p. 205.) A native of Switzerland. Introduced in 1824,
and flowering in April and May. A low, upright, bushy shrub, with red-
dish brown downy branches. The leaves from l^in. to 2 in. in length,
and about 1 in. in breadth ; of an ovate-elliptic shape, acute at the point ;
their margins slightly serrated ; upper surface dull green, and a little downy;
beneath, glaucous, and more downy, but ultimately becoming nearly gla-
brous, particularly at the latter end of the season. Catkins on short stalks,
erect; about 1 in. long. " Unfit for any useful purpose." (Forbes.) There
are plants at Woburn, Henfield, and Flitwick, and also in the Hackney
arboretum.
* 100. S. VAUDE'NSIS Forbes. The Vaudois Sallow, or Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 117.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 117. ; and our fig. 117. in p. 1624.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves elliptical, serrated ; dark green, shining and villous
above ; glaucous, reticulated, and pubescent beneath. Stipules rounded,
toothed. Branches reddish, downy. Ovary ovate, stalked, downy. Style
rather longer than the parted stigmas. (Sal. Wob., p. 233.) A native of
Switzerland. Introduced in ?1824, and flowering in March and April. A low,
spreading, bushy shrub, with slender, round, downy branches, which are at
first reddish, but become of a dark sooty brown colour after the first year.
Leaves elliptical, somewhat obovate, with oblique points, entire towards
the base, serrated above ; lower leaves small, rounded, slightly crenate, and
becoming ultimately nearly glabrous ; upper ones dull green and villous
above ; but glaucous and reticulated with large prominent veins beneath,
and downy. The young ones are purplish, on luxuriant shoots, above
2 in. long and 1 in. in breadth, but in their general habit little more than 1 in.
in length ; all of rather a thin texture, losing their pubescence when nearly
full grown. Footstalks of a middling size, downy and purplish. Catkins
above 1 in. in length. A very distinct kind. There are plants at Woburn
and Flitwick, and in the Hackney and Goldworth arboretums.
s 101. S. GRISOPHY'LLA Forbes. The grey-leaved Willow, or Sallow.
Identification. Sal. Wob., No. 1191.
The Sexes. The male is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal Wob., No. 119. ; and our fig. 119. in p. 1625.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves elliptical, acute, denticulated ; shining above, reticu-
lated and downy beneath. Stipules large, half-heart-shaped, serrated, pubes-
cent. Catkins* nearly 1 in. long, obtuse, on short thick stalks. Bracteas
elliptic and silky. (Sal. Wob., p. 237.) A native of Switzerland. Introduced
in 1824, and flowering in April and May. This is a strong-growing plant;
the branches round, hairy, of a reddish brown colour, and somewhat angu-
lar when young. Buds large, purplish when fully grown. Leaves from 2£in.
to 3 in. long, and 1± in. broad ; rounded at the base ; above, dull green and
shining, besprinkled with many minute hairs ; beneath, pubescent, reticu-
lated, and of a whitish hue, with denticulated margins ; the substance of
the leaves of a thick coriaceous texture. Footstalks nearly £ in. long, of
a purple colour, and much dilated at the base. Catkins nearly 1 in. long
when fully expanded ; bursting forth before the expansion of the leaves.
There are plants at Woburn and Flitwick ; also in the Hackney arbore-
tum.
1566 ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART 111.
a 102. S. LACU'STRIS Forbes. The Lake Willow, or Sallow.
lilcntification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 116.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 116. ; and our fig. 116. in p. 1624.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves elliptical, serrated ; dull green and villous above ;
glaucous, reticulated, and pubescent beneath. Stipules half-heart-shaped,
serrated, often cloven. Ovary stalked, awl-shaped, glabrous. Style twice
the length of the ovate notched stigmas. (Sal. Wob., p. 231.) A native of
Switzerland. Introduced in 1824, and flowering in March. A straggling-
growing shrub, with round, dark, villous, pendulous branches, greyish brown
when young, and thickly covered with a short pubescence, which continues
on the preceding year's shoots. Leaves serrated, elliptical ; dull green, vil-
lous above ; glaucous, pubescent, and reticulated with prominent veins be-
neath ; entire at the base, with short oblique points. Footstalks brown above,
pale and downy beneath, like the midrib. Catkins from 1 in. to 1^ in. long.
Readily distinguished from S. crassifolia by its pendulous branches and bushy
mode of growth. There are plants at Woburn, Henfield, and Flitwick ;
also in the Hackney and Goldworth arboretums.
si 103. S. CRASSIFONLIA Forbes. The thick-leaved Willow, or Sallow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 115.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 115. ; and Jig. 115..in p. 1624.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves ovate-elliptical, often heart-shaped at the base, point-
ed, bluntly serrated, pubescent, glaucous beneath. Branches downy. Sti-
pules half-heart-shaped, serrated. Ovary ovate lanceolate, glabrous. Style
longer than the obtuse stigmas. (Sal. Wob., p. 229.) A foreign species ;
but the date of its introduction is not stated. It flowers, in the Woburn col-
lection, in April and May. A bushy shrub, about 9 ft. or 10 ft. high, with
dark green downy branches, very soft to the touch when young. Leaves
from 1 in. to 1^ in. broad, distinctly and bluntly serrated ; the serratures
somewhat glandular; upper surface dark green, shining, and pubescent;
beneath, glaucous, veiny, and reticulated with many prominent veins : the
substance of the leaves is thick, and rather coriaceous. Footstalks stout,
downy, dilated at the base. Catkins appearing before the leaves ; at first
short, but ultimately 2 in. long. Nearly allied to S. cotinifolia; but differing
from it in the thickness and downiness of its leaves, as well as in its obtuse
stigmas and nectary. It also grows much stronger, and the branches are
more brittle. ^There are plants at Woburn and Flitwick ; also in the Hack-
ney arboretum.
at 104. S. COTINIFO^LIA Smith. The Cotinus, or Quince, leaved Sallow, or
Willow.
Identification. Smith Fl. Br.,p. 1066. ; Eng. Bot., t. 1403. ; Rees's Cyclo., No. 120. ; Willd. Sp. PI.,
4. p. 702. ; Eng. Fl., 4. p. 220. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 114. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3., p. 430.
Synonymcs. S. spadicea Vt'Uars's Daupfi., 3777. ; S. phylicifulia var. Koch Comm., p. 42.
The Sexes. The female is described in Eng. FL, and figured in Eng. Bot. and Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., t. 1403. ; Sal. Wob., No. 114. ; our fig. 1336. ; and.fe H*. in P- 1624.
Spec. Char., fyc. Stem erect. Branches spreading, downy.
Leaves broadly elliptical, nearly orbicular, slightly
toothed, glaucous and downy, with rectangular veins
beneath. Style as long as the linear notched stigmas.
(Smith Eng. Fl.) A native of Britain, in woods and
on the banks of rivers ; about 2 ft. high, but sometimes,
if sheltered, attaining the height of 6 ft. or 8 ft. ; always
upright, with straight, round, brown, downy, moderately
spreading branches. Leaves 1 in. or l^in. long, and
lin. wide; flat, broadly elliptical, frequently almost
orbicular, with a broad sharp point ; the base rounded """% 1336
or obtuse, the margins beset with very shallow serratures,
or, more generally, with small glandular teeth; upper side of a dull green,
i HAT.. fill. A'ALH A < 1 B. .w'lJX. 1567
covered with minute, drpivssed, scattered hairs; under side pale, or slightly
glaucous, more loosely hairy, especially the riband transverse parallel veins
the subdivisions of which compose a fine rectangular network. Catkins much
iier than the foliage. (//;«/.) This is a readily distinguished species; and
the leaves are more heart-shaped at the base than even those of S. hirta.
There are plants at Woburn, Henfield, and Flitwick.
* * 105. S. HI'RTA Smith. The hairy-branched Sallow, or Willow.
UfHhJicutiun. Smith Eng. Bot, t. 1404. ; llees's Cyclo., No. 121. ; Willd. Sp. 1'L, 4. p. •;<«;. ; Smilli
Kng. Fl.,4. 221.; Forbes in Sal. NVob., No. 1 l.'l ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. :J. The first Tour of these,
at least, relate to the male only : the tilth relates to both sexes. See, also, under Synonymc.
Xi/iuiHifiHi-. .S'. pirta Sc/i/t-icficr i> the female of S. hirta. (Forbes in Stil. H'ob.)
pirta Sc/i/t-
'hie Sej-ex. The male is described in Kntf. Fl., and figured in Kng. Hot. and Siil. Wub. The female
ili'MTilK-d in Sal. Hob., and in Hunk. Br. 77..«-«l. 2.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., t. 1404. ; Sal. Wob., No. 113. ; and our Jig. 113. in p. 1023.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Stem erect. Branches densely hairy. Leaves elliptic-heart-
shaped, pointed, finely crenate, downy on both sides. Stipules half-heart-
shaped, flat, toothed, and nearly glabrous. (Smith ling. Fl.) A native of
Britain, in woods and on the banks of rivers; flowering in May. A small
tree, remarkable for its thick, round, hoary branches, clothed very densely
with prominent, close, horizontal, soft, cottony hairs. Leaves elliptic-ob-
long, a little heart-shaped, or cut away, at the base; from 2 in. to 3 in. in
length, and at least 1 in. in breadth ; sharp-pointed and flat, bordered with
shallow serratures, or blunt notches ; the upper surface of a dull green,
minutely hairy ; under side pale pr glaucous, and more densely downy,
particularly the rib and veins, which last are reticulated like those of »V.
fotiniiolia Smith. Footstalks stout, densely downy, A in. long. Catkins 1 in.
or more in length. (Ibid.) There are plants at Woburn and Henfield;
and in the Goldworth and Hackney arboretums.
* 106. S. RIVULAVRIS Forbes. The River Willow, or Sallow.
IdentijieatUm. Sal. Wob., No. 102.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
r.nKni"inKs. Sal. Wob., No. 102. ; and our Jig. 102. in p. 1621.
c. Branches erect. Leaves elliptical, glabrous ; glaucous and
pubescent beneath when young; dark green on their upper surface. Stipules
rounded, serrated. Catkins obtuse, short. Ovary stalked, ovate-lanceo-
late, slightly downy. Style about the length of the parted stigmas. (Sal.
/'<>/>., p. 203.) A native of Switzerland. Introduced in ? 1824; and flowering,
in the willow garden at Woburn Abbey, in May. An erect-growing shrub,
with dark mahogany-coloured branches, nearly perpendicular in their mode
of growth, copiously marked with yellow dots; the young ones green and
pubescent. Leaves from 1 in. to 1^ in. long, with short oblique points ;
generally unequal at the base; finely serrated; green and villous above-
when young ; glaucous and hairy beneath, but soon losing their glaucous
hue, and much of their pubescence ; the older leaves are bright green, and
almost glabrous on both sides. Footstalks rather long, slender. Catkins
on short thick stalks, scarcely 1 in. long. There are plants at Woburn,
Flitwick, Ooldworth, and Hackney. In the latter arboretum is a variety
named S. rivularis minor Lodd. Cat.,cd. 1830.
^ 107. S. ATROPURFU^REA Forbes. The dark-pufpfe-faMcitaf Willow, or
Sallow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob , No. 156.
T/ic .Vjv.v. The male is described in Sal. Wob.
Sj»'c. Char., cyr. Leaves ovate, serrated; somewhat heart-shaped and unequal
at the base; dark green, shining above; glaucous and finely hairy beneath.
Footstalks nearly 1 in. long, downy. Stipules very large, half-heart-
shaped, serrated, glabrous. Filaments yellow. (Sal. Wob., p. 284.) A
native of Suit/erland. Introduced in 18^4, and flowering in April. This
is a low tree, with darkish brown branches, afterwards inclining to purple,
\\liich are copiously covered with minute hairs, and marked with small
5 K
1568 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
yellow spots, and are very brittle. The leaves are from Hin. to 2 in. long,
and nearly H in. in breadth, when fully grown ; of an ovate, or somewhat
heart-like", shape at their base, and oblique at their tip. Upper surface
dark green and shining; underneath, veiny, minutely hairy, and glaucous.
Footstalks nearly 1 in. long, dilated at the base, and downy. This
species, although it bears some resemblance to S. rivularis, is yet very
distinct. The young shoots are brittle, and not adapted for basketwork.
m 108. S. CORIA^CEA Forbes. The coriaceous-/e-ai>«/, or leathery, Willow, or
Sallow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 112.
The Sexes. Both sexes are described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 112. ; and ourfig. 112. in p.1623.
Spec. Char.,fyc. Leaves elliptical, slightly obovate, acute, denticulated, crisped,
pubescent, reticulated and glaucous beneath. Stamens long, white. Anthers
4-celled, yellow. Catkins of the female about 1 in. long, thick, obtuse.
Ovary nearly sessile, ovate-lanceolate, very downy. Style longer than the
deeply parted stigmas. Bractea ovate-lanceolate, hairy. Stipules rounded,
serrated, glabrous. (Sal. Wob., p. 223.) A native of Switzerland. Intro-
duced in ? 1825, and flowering in March. This is a low-growing bushy
shrub, attaining to the height of 7 ft. or 8 ft., with round pubescent branches,
of a pale green colour, remotely marked with yellow spots. Leaves about
2 in. long, elliptic-obovate, acute; margins denticulated, crisped ; upper sur-
face of a dull shining green, besprinkled with minute appressed hairs ;
glaucous beneath, pubescent, with a prominent midrib, and with arched hairy
veins ; the substance of the leaves of a thick leathery texture. Footstalks
stoutish and yellow. Catkins nearly 1 in. long, densely downy before they
are expanded. There are plants at Woburn, Flitwick, and Hackney.
& 109. S. NI'GRICANS Smith. The dark broad-leaved Willow.
Identification. Smith Eng. Bot., 1. 1213. ;' Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 659. : Smith Eng. Fl., 4. p. 172. ;
Forbes in Sal. Wob.,'No. 37. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. S.
Synonyme. S. phylicifulia j3 Lin. Sp. PL, 1442., Fl. Lapp., No. 350. t. 8. f. c. (Smith from Herb.
Lin.}, Koch Comm., p. 41.
The Sexes. Smith has described both sexes in Eng. Fl. ; the female from Lapland specimens : the
male is figured in Eng. Sot. and Sal. Wob. The S. nigrescens Schl., female, is figured in Sal. Wob.,
as the female of S. nigricans Smith. It does not appear that the flowers of the female have been
found wild in Britain. (Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 2.)
Engravings. Lin. Fl. Lapp., t. 8. f. c.; Eng. Bot, 1. 1213. ; Sal. Wob., No. 37. ; and our fig. 37. in
p. 1611.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, acute, crenate ; glabrous, with a
downy rib, above ; glaucous beneath. Stamens 2, thrice the length of the
hairy bractea. Ovary lanceolate, downy, on a short downy stalk. (Smith
Eng. Fl.) The male plant is a native of Britain, in fens, osier grounds,
woods, and thickets. The female plant in the Woburn collection is the
S. nigrescens of Schleicher, which was introduced about 1825, or before.
The male plant in the Woburn collection forms a large bushy shrub,
scarcely attaining the height or form of a tree, with upright, round, stout,
rather brittle branches, glabrous, except when young. The catkins appear
in April, much earlier than the foliage ; and those of the males, when full
grown, are l^in. long. The leaves are from 1 in. to Hin. broad, and from
4 in. to 5 in. long. According to Smith, S. nigricans is of no use in the arts.
There are plants at Woburn, Flitwick, Henfield, and Hackney.
sit 110. S. ANDERSON/^\V^ Smith. Anderson's Willow, or the Green Mountain
Sallow.
Identification. Smith Eng. Bot, 2343. ; Rees's Cyclo., No. 123. ; Eng. Fl., 4. p. 223. : Forbes in Sal.
Wob., No. 109. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3.
Synonyme. S. phylicifolia var. Koch Comm.
The Sexes. The female is described in Eng. Fl., and figured in Eng. Hot. and in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Eng. Bot, t. 2343. ; Sal. Wob., No. 109. ; and our fig. 109. in p. 1(523.
Spec. Char.t $c. Stem upright. Leaves elliptical, acute, finely notched,
slightly downy, paler beneath. Stipules half-ovate, nearly glabrous. Branches
minutely downy. Ovary glabrous ; its stalks almost equal to the brnctea.
CHAP. cm. SALIC A'CEA:. SA'LIX. 1569
Style cloven, longer than the cloven stigmas. (Smith Eng. Fl.) A native of
Scotland, on the Breadalbane Mountains ; and England, on the banks of the
Tyne below Newcastle. Stem bushy ; its branches, which are green the first
summer, and afterwards of a sooty brown, are clothed with dense, short,
curved down, which finally disappears from the older ones. Leaves of a
rich bright green, blackish when dried, from 1 in. to 1 A in. long, broadly
elliptical, acute, scarcely pointed, flat, finely crenate, or copiously and bluntly
serrated ; paler, but not glaucous, underneath ; more or less downy on both
sides, especially the midrib and veins, with minute hairs, their substance
thin and pliant ; the very young ones silky. Footstalks downy, and rather
short. Catkins of ripe capsules not above 1 in. long. (Ibid.) There are
plants at Woburn, Flitwick, Henfield, and Hackney.
Varieties. Mr. Forbes states that he has three varieties of S. AndersomV/nfl, in
one of which the catkins are much shorter, and the capsules more loosely
set on the rachis, or axis, of the catkin, than in the one figured in the Salic-
tum Woburnense. (Sal. Wob.)
& 111. £ DAMASCE^NA Forbes. The Damson-leaved Willow, or Sallow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 157. ; Bor. in Eng. Bot Suppl., t 2709. ; Hook. Br. Fl.,
ed. 3.
Synonymes. S. rfamascenifdlia Anderson MSS. ; S. phylicifblia Lin., a state of, LindL Synops. Br.
Fl., p. 234.
Ttu- Sexes. The female is described in Sal. Wob., and described in Eng. Bot. Suppl. " Mr. Ander-
son possessed both sexes, but we have seen the female only." (Borrer.)
Engraving. Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2709.
Spec. Char., fyc. Upright. Young shoots densely hairy. Leaves ovate, or
rhomboidal, bluntly toothed ; silky when young ; at length nearly glabrous ;
green on both surfaces. Stipules half-heart-shaped. Catkins, with the
flowers in blossom, longer than the floral leaves. Bracteas (scales) obovate.
Ovary stalked, glabrous. Style divided, longer than the diverging stigmas.
(Borrer in Eng. Bot. Suppl.) Perhaps too nearly allied to S. Andersoniatia
to be properly regarded as a species. In that, the leaves, especially the
lower ones, are more oblong, and their under side is not so absolutely devoid
of a glaucous tinge ; the catkins are shorter, and rarely overtop the larger,
and generally leaf-like, bracteas of the catkin. The flowers, except that they
are more loosely set, and their bracteas (scales) more oblong and blacker,
are very nearly the same in structure. If the footstalk of the germen is
sometimes naked (a state which we have not seen), it is usually hairy. (Ibid.)
The late Mr. G. Anderson communicated to Mr. Borrer, in 1813, under the
manuscript name of S. rfamascenifolia, the S. rfamascena Forbes, as a species
obtained from the south of Scotland and the borders, that he had cultivated
for five years. The flowers appear with the young leaves, about the middle
of April. The plant is a very upright shrub, about 12 $. high. The follow-
ing description is quoted from Mr. Forbes : — " Stem and branches erect,
of a dark brown mahogany colour, copiously marked with small yellow
spots ; round and brittle. The leaves are from 1 in. to l^in. long, and
rather more than £ in. in breadth, of an elliptic figure, bluntly serrated ;
the serratures furnished with glands towards the points of the leaf; deep
green and shining above, reticulated and glabrous beneath ; the prominent
arched veins only besprinkled with a few long hairs; the young leaves
hairy, but ultimately losing their pubescence and their glaucous hue. Foot
stalks long, slender, downy on both sides, and brown. The leaves and
young twigs of this species very much resemble those of the damson plum
and of S. Andersom'awa. There are plants at Henfield.
a* 1 12. S. ANsoNL4\tf,4 Forbes. Anson's Sallow, or Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 107.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. \Vub., Xo. 1U7. ; and our Jig. 107. in p. 1G22.
Xprr. Char., $c. Leaves elliptic, acute, bluntly and deeply serrated, glabrous ;
bright green and shining above ; beneath, glaucous and besprinkled with
minute appressed hairs. Stipules large, rounded, serrated, glabrous. Ovary
5 K 2
1570 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. TART III.
ovate-lanceolate, slightly downy. Style thick, glabrous, twice the length of
the parted stigmas. (Sal. Wob., p. 213.) A native of Switzerland. In-
troduced in ? 1824, and flowering, in the willow garden at Woburn Abbey,
in March and April. A spreading bushy shrub, producing long, dark,
mahogany-coloured branches, which are glabrous and shining after the first
year ; the younger ones reddish brown and pubescent. Leaves from 1 in.
to l^in. long, bluntly and deeply serrated, sometimes a little wavy and un-
equal at the base; green and shining above, glaucous and hairy beneath, but
ultimately becoming nearly glabrous on both sides : the young leaves are
very hairy when first expanded. Footstalks ^ in. long, brown and downy.
Catkins appearing before the expansion of the leaves. This species, Mr.
Forbes observes, is a very remarkable one. Its very dark mahogany-
coloured branches, which are of a deeper hue than even those of S. bicolor
and S. nfgricans, readily distinguish it from any other species. There im-
plants at Henfield.
flfe 113. S. HELVETIC A Forbes. The Swiss Willow, or Sallow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 159.
The Sexes. The female is described in Sal. Wob.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves ovate, acute, serrated ; green, shining, and silky
above; glaucous and hairy underneath. Stipules large, half-heart-shaped,
serrated. Catkins often recurved, about 1 in. in length. Ovary ovate,
silky, stalked. Style divided. Stigmas notched. (Sal. Wob., p. 287.) A
native of Switzerland. Introduced in 1824, and flowering in April, and again
in August, in the willow garden at Woburn Abbey. This is a bushy
tree, somewhat resembling S. AndersoQtona in form of leaves and mode
of growth. In the Woburn salictum, it grows to about 14 ft. high, with
greenish brown, round, villous branches, which are copiously marked with
yellow dots. Leaves from l^in. to nearly 2 in. long, and about l?,ii)
in breadth ; ovate, acute, sometimes hollowed out at the base, finely ser-
rated ; green and shining above ; glaucous, and besprinkled with minute
hairs underneath. Footstalks above ^ in. long, villous, like the midrib. A
very distinct species.
&114. S. FI'RMA Forbes. The firm-leaved Sallow, or Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 106.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 106. ; and our Jig. l()(i. in p. 1622.
. Char., tyc. Leaves elliptic, obtuse, serrated, unequal at the base ; green,
shining, and villous above ; glaucous and minutely hairy beneath. Stipules
large, rounded, glabrous. Catkins above 1 in. long, nearly sessile. Ovary
ovate-lanceolate, nearly glabrous. Style longer than the parted stigmas.
(Sal. Wob., p. 211.) A straggling bushy shrub, flowering, in the willow
garden at Woburn Abbey, in March or April, and again in August; with
dark brown glabrous branches, much resembling S. dura in colour and mode
of growth ; but the leaves are very different in shape, being elliptical, broader
above the middle, and furnished with shallow serraturcs : in their surfaces
they have no material difference. Leaves about 2 in. long ; often obtuse and
unequal at the base ; green, shining, and somewhat villous above ; glaucous
and besprinkled with minute hairs beneath ; both surfaces becoming nearly
glabrous. Footstalks about 1 in. long, pubescent, reddish. Twigs and
branches very brittle. There are plants in the Goldworth and Hackney
arboretums.
a 1 15. S. C-ARPINIFOVLIA Schl. The Hornbeam-leaved Sallow, or
Willow.
Identification. ? Schleicher, as quoted in Hort Brit., No. 24078. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 155.
Si/mmyme. S. phylicifolia var. Koch Coimn., p. 42.
The Sexes. The female is described in ,S'a/. Wob.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves ovate, acute, unequal, and a little heart-shaped at the
CHAP. cm. SALICAVCE;E. ,SAVLIX. 1571
base; the margins deeply serrated, and furnished with glands, a little wavy ;
upper surface shining and downy; under one glaucous, and besprinkled
with small appressed hairs. Ovary ovate-subulate, glabrous. Style
longer than the divided stigmas. (Sal. Wob.t p. 283.) A native of Germany.
Introduced in 1824-, and flowering in March and April. A small bushy
tree, with round villous branches, of a sooty brown colour. Buds hairy.
Leaves from 1 in. to l^in. long, of an ovate shape, deeply serrated, and
somewhat wavy; unequal, and a little heart-shaped at the base; more
or less downy on both sides, especially the midrib and veins, with minute
hairs ; beneath, glaucous. Footstalks downy. Catkins 1 in. long. This
species resembles, in leaves and mode of growth, S. rotundata ; but is a
very distinct kind, having the leaves more oblong and undulated. There
are plants at Woburn, and in the Hackney arboretum.
* ¥ 116. S. ROTUND AVT A Forbes. The round-km^d Willow, or Sallow.
Identification. Sal. Wob., No. 104.
Xi/nonyme. ? S. rotundifblia Host.
The .SV.ir*. Both sexes are described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Sal. Wob., No. 104. ; our fig. 1337., p. 1572. ; and fig. 104. in p. 1621.
Spec. Char., <$r. Leaves orbicular, bluntly serrated ; glabrous and shining above ;
glaucous, reticulated, and slightly hairy beneath. Stipules rounded, ser-
rated, glandular. Ovary awl-shaped, glabrous, stalked. Style twice the
length of the parted stigmas. (Sal. Wob., p. 207.) A native of Switzerland.
Introduced in ? 1824, and flowering, in the willow garden at Woburn Abbey,
in April and May. An upright-growing shrub or low tree, attaining the
height of 15ft. or more ; the preceding year's branches of a brownish green
colour, marked with several yellow spots, and retaining their pubescence;
very brittle ; the young twigs round, densely hairy, and copiously covered
with leaves. Leaves orbicular, somewhat heart-shaped at the base when
fully grown, bluntly serrated ; glabrous and shining above; glaucous, reticu-
lated, and very minutely hairy beneath, becoming almost glabrous when at
maturity. Footstalks stout, and densely downy. Catkins of the male
nearly 1 in. long. The roundness of the leaves renders this a very distinct
species. There are plants at Woburn, Henfield, and Goldworth.
*t 117. S. DU'RA Forbes. The hardy Sattowt or Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob,, No. 105.
/'//.• .V./V.S-. The male plant is;figurcd in Sal. Wob.
Bmgrtumgt. Sal. Wob., No. 105. ; and our fig. , 105. in p. lf.22.
Char., $c. Leaves elliptical, deeply toothed, a little heart-shaped at the
base ; green, shining, and villous above ; glaucous and pubescent beneath.
Stipules large, rounded, glabrous. Catkins short. Bractcas yellow, fringed.
(Sal. Wob., p. 209.) A rapid-growing tree, flowering, in the willow garden
at Woburn Abbey, in April and May ; with dark brown, glabrous, round
branches ; the young ones reddish, and thickly covered with short white
hairs, which disappear towards autumn ; forming a bushy head, with long
oblique twigs. The leaves are nearly 2 in. long, and l^in. in breadth; of
an elliptical-roundish shape, obtuse and somewhat heart-shaped at the base,
with blunt oblique points ; green, villous, and shining above ; glaucous and
pubescent beneath, becoming nearly glabrous in autumn ; their margins
d reply toothed, the teeth furnished with glands, which are very conspicuous
in the young leaves. Footstalks rather short, stout, and downy. Catkins
about £ in. long. A very distinct species ; and, though of very rapid and
vigorous growth, unfit, from the brittleness of its branches, for basketwork.
There are plants at Woburn, Henfield, and Flitwick, and also in the Hack-
ney and Goldworth arboretums.
1 18. S. FORSTERTA^NA Smith. The glaucous Mountain Sallow, or
Forster's Willow.
Identification. Smith Eng. Bot., t. 2J44. ; Kees's Cyclo., No. 124. ; Smith Eng. Fl., 2. p. 224. ; Forbes
in Sal Uol, , Nu. no. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3., p. 431.
K 3
1572
ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART 111
1337
CHAP. cm.
Si/n«ni/m<: S. /(hylicifolia var. Koch Connn., p. 41.
The .sv.irs. The female is described in Kng. Fl., and figured in Eng. Bot., where the style is repre-
sented too short (Smith Eng. Fl.) ; and in Sal. Wob.
Engraving* Eng. Bot, t. 2J44. ; Sal. Wob., No. 110. ; and omfig. 110. in p. 1623.
Sjicc. Char.,$c. Stem erect. Branches minutely downy. Leaves elliptic-
obovate, acute, crenate, slightly downy, glaucous beneath. Stipules vaulted.
( >vary stalked, awl-shaped, silky. Style as long as the blunt notched stig-
mas. (Smith Eng. Fl.) A native of Britain, in Scotland, on the Breadal-
bane Mountains ; and flowering in May. Taller than S. Andersonidna, and
forming a small tree, with finely downy branches. Leaves larger and firmer
than those of S. Andersonidna ; their upper surface of a darker or duller
green, though more polished, scarcely downy, except the midrib and veins ;
glaucous beneath, and finely veiny, with more downiness ; their length 2 in.
or 3 in. ; the margin crenate, rather serrated; the young ones very densely
silky, in the manner of the foregoing. Footstalks downy. Catkins of the
female 1 in. long when in full bloom, and more than twice as much when the
seeds are ripe. (Ibid.) In the Woburn collection there are three varieties of
this species. The one described drops its leaves much earlier than either
A'. Anderson?«7z« or S. rupestris, and is, according to Mr. Forbes, quite dis-
tinct. There are plants at Woburn and Henfield; also in the Goldworth
and Hackney arboretums.
-* 1 19. S. RUPE'STRIS Donn. The silky Rock Willow, or Sallow.
Identification. Donn Hort. Cant., ed. 5., p. 231. (Smith) ; Eng. Bot., t. 2.542. ; Rees's Cyclo., No. 123.;
Smith Eng. Fl., 4 p. 222. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 111. ; Hook. Br. FL, ed. 3.
The Sexes. Both sexes are described in Eng. FL, and figured in Eng. Bot., and in Sal. Wob.
En^ranngs. Eng. Bot., t. 2342. ; SaL Wob., No. 111. ; and ova fig. 111. in p. 431.
Spec. Char., fyc. Stem trailing. Leaves obovate, acute, serrated, flat, even,
silky on both sides. Stipules hairy. Branches minutely downy. Ovary
stalked, awl-shaped, silky. Style as long as the blunt undivided stigmas.
(S»iith Eng. Ft.) A native of Scotland, in woods and on the banks of
rivers ; and flowering in April. Stems trailing or depressed, with dark-
coloured branches, covered with very fine down when young. Leaves about
1 in. long, obovate or elliptical, acute, even and flat, veiny, but not wrinkled ;
finely and regularly serrated, beautifully silky with depressed hairs ; more
especially beneath, and when young. Footstalks downy, in the manner of
the branches. Catkins appearing rather before the leaves, ^ in. long ; those
of the female soon becoming thrice that length, and more lax. A perfectly
distinct kind. The branches are tough, and suitable for tying and basket-
work. There are plants at Woburn, Henfield, and Flitwick ; and also in the
Hackney and Goldworth arboretums.
3fc 120. S. TENUIFO'LIA L. The thin-leaved Willow.
Identification. Lin. Fl. Lapp., ed. 2., 292. t. 8. f. c. (Smith.) The figure in that work represents
only a floral leaf, and that unlike any that we have seen in our plant. (Borrer in Ene Bot Suiipl.)
Smith Fl. Br.,p. 1052.; Eng. FL, 4. p. 179., exclusively of the synonyme of Eng Bot., t 2186 ;
Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 50. ; Hook. Br. FL, ed.3. ; Borr. in Eng. Bot. Sunp., t. 2795.
Synoni/mes. S. arbuscula Wahlenb., var. Koch Comm., p. 45. " If Koch had known S. tenuifolia
Smith Fl. Br. in the living plant, I think he would have referred it to his own S. nhylicifblia."
(Borrer in a letter.) S. tenuifblia of Eng. Bot., t. 2186., is S. bicolor Hook. Br. Fl.
The .S'iMrs. Both sexes are described and figured in Engl. Bot. Stipp., and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Lin. Fl. Lapp., ed. 2., t 8. f. c. ; Sal. Wob., No. 50. ; Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. S79& ; and our
fig. 50. in p 1614.
fc. Upright. Young shoots and petioles densely pubescent. Disks
of'leaves elliptical, or oblong, flat, with a recurved point, crenate, reticulated
with sunken veins, slightly hairy; glaucous beneath. Stipules half-lfeart-
shaped. Catkins on a short stalk that bears small leaves. Bractea oblong,
shaggy. Ovary glabrous, on a glabrous stalk. Style as long as the stigmas. A
link between the Si\\ ices nigricantes and Malices bicolores of Hook. Br. Fl.t
most allied, perhaps, to thetbrmer ; and, indeed, so nearly to S. rupestris, that
we cannot undertake to point out satisfactory distinctions. (Borrer in E. B.
Suppl.) A native of England, above the bridge at Kirkby Lonsdale. The fol-
lowing are some of the features of the kind, as it is described by Mr. Borrer: _
" A much-branched spreading shrub, 10 ft. or 12 ft. high. Twigs very downy
5 K 4
1574- ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 111.
when young, afterwards glabrous, or nearly so. and shining, green, or tinged,
especially in the female, with brown. Petioles downy> spreading, rather
long. Leaves by no means remarkably thin ; ovate or more or less rhomboid,
and having a short, decurved, somewhat twisted point; on strong you nil
shoots more oblong ; dark green above and moderately shining ; glaucous
beneath ; sprinkled, when young, on both surfaces with appressed hairs,
some of which remain in the advanced state; veins sunken on the upper
surface, very prominent on the under one ; margin rather closely serrate, or
rather crenate, especially about the middle of the leaf, with a glandular
tooth in the notches. Stipules small, except on very vigorous shoots, half-
heart-shaped, pointed, serrated, beset with glands on the edges and on the
lower part of the disk. Catkins appearing in May, before the expansion of
the leaves; cylindrical, about 1 in. long when in full flower. Flowers closely
imbricated. Stamens thrice as long as the bractea." There are plants at
Woburn, Henfield, and Flitwick, and also in the Uoldworth Arboretum.
? Variety. Mr. Borrer states that he has, in his collection at Henfield, from
the same locality as the species, what seems a variety of it ; having silky
hairs on the upper half of the ovary and towards the base of its stalk. This
is, perhaps, the plant mentioned in the Flora Britannica, as deserving further
investigation. (Borrer in Eng. Sot. Suppl.)
a ¥ 121. S. PROPI'NQUA Borr. The nearly related, or fiat-leaved, upright,
Mountain Willow.
Iilentificaiion. Borr. in Eng. Hot. Suppl., t. 2729. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3.
The Sexes. The female is described in the Specific Character ,• and described and figured \nEng.
Bot. Suppl.
Engraving. Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2729.
Spec. Char., $c. Upright. Young shoots pubescent with minute down.
Leaves elliptical, obscurely crenate, nearly flat, nearly glabrous on both
surfaces; veins slightly sunken ; under surface pale green. Stipules small,
vaulted, glanded. Ovaries stalked, silky towards the point. Style longer
; than the notched stigmas. (Borrer in Eng. Bot. Suppl.) Finding in this
some apparently distinctive characters, we venture, after much hesitation,
to add another presumed species to a section of the genus, of which almost
every species is doubtful. It was discovered in Britain by Mr. Anderson,
and we know it only from plants received from him. Planted by the side
of S. petraeva, it has attained, in the same period, scarcely half the height of
that. (Ibid.} S. petrseva is, in some instances, more than 15ft. high. There
are plants at Henfield, and in the Gpldworth Arboretum.
* 122. S. PETRJE'A Anders. The Rock Sallow, or Willow.
Identification. First distinguished by Mr. G. Anderson, who is understood to have given to it the
name of S. petraTa. (Borrer in Ens. Bot. Suppl.) Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 97. ; Borrer in Eng
Bot Suppl., t. 272*;. j Hook. Br. Fl, ed. 3.
Sijnonymes. S. arbuscula Wahlnib., Koch Comm., p. 45., where Koch has remarked that he has thus
adjudged the S. petrajva Antterson from a specimen derived from Anderson. " It is surely by error
that Koch has placed S. pctra'a under his S. arbCiscula, with S. phylicifolia Smith, and not under
hU own S.7>hylicifolia,with S. AmmanniAna and its allies." (Borrer in Eng.. Bot. Suppl.) If Koch
had known the S. petraexa in the living plant, I believe that he would have referred it to his
own S. phylicifdlia. (Borrer in a letter.)
Tfie Sexes. The female is described and figured in Eng. Bot. Suppl., and in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 97.; Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2725. ; and OUT fig. 97. in p. l(i'2<).
Spec. Char., $c. Upright. Young shoots densely hairy. Leaves oblong, ser-
rated, carinate, twisted, reticulated with deeply sunken veins ; beneath, hairy,
glaucous, at length pale green. Stipules large, half-heart-shaped, flattish,
having few glands. Ovary stalked, naked, wrinkled towards the point. Style
divided, longer than the cloven stigmas. S. petra3va is nearly allied to S.
hfrta Smith Eng. Bot., t. 1404. ; and still more nearly, perhaps, to S. sty-
laris of Seringe Monogr. dcs Saulcs de Ifi Suissc, p. 62. (Borr. in Eng. Bot.
Suppl.) A British kind of willow, first distinguished by the late Mr. G.
Anderson, who communicated the plants from which our figure was drawn.
We have wild specimens from the mountains of Breadalbane. The kind is
3. shrub, in some instances upwards of 15 ft. high, with crooked ash-coloured
CHAP. CITI. SALICA^CE/K. .VA^L.IX. 1575
brunches and brown twigs. Young shoots covered with short, horizontal,
or deflexed hairs. Leaves on the upper surface slightly hairy, very dark
green and shining; on the under one, bluish, anil rather more hairy, or
Woolly ; at length glabrous on both surfaces, except on the petiole and
midrib, and losing, or very nearly losing, the glaucous tinge on the under
one ; the edges slightly recurved, serrated throughout with blunt gland-
tipped teeth. Stipules remarkably large, serrated, having glands at the
edge, and a few on the disk, near the point of insertion. The kind is re-
markable for the long, dark, shining, wavy leaves, and large stipules, of its
strong shoots. The flowers come forth with the young leaves about the
beginning of May. Catkin, in the earliest state of flowering, ovate, and
usually less than i in. long ; but it gradually becomes cylindrical, and 3 or 4
times as long. (Ibid.) There are plants at Woburn, Henfield, and Flitwick.
¥ 123. S AMMANN//IVAT/* Willd. Ammann's Willow.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. fif.3. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 21.
Synoniimcis. S. /ihylidfoha var. Koch Com in., p. 41. ; S. .VyrsinUos Huff. Sal., 1. p. 71. t. 17, 18,19,
' and ''24. f. 2. (Smith in /uv.s'.v Ci/c/o.) " .V.styhlris SermM-Mynogr. ilex .SV/w/«\v </<• la Suissc, p. <i'2., is
regarded as .V. Ammann&jM Willd. (Boner, incidentally in Eng. h'ot. Si<j>])i.,t. 2725.)
The Sexes. The female is noticed in the Specific Character.
Engravings. Hoffm. Sal., 1. p. 71. t. 17, 18, 19, and 24. f. 2. (Smith.}
Spec. Char., ftc. Leaves oblong-elliptical, acute, serrate, glabrous ; glaucous
beneath. Petiole long, downy. Stipules ovate, dentate, persistent. Cat-
kins protruded before the leaves. Ovaries lanceolate, glabrous. ( ll'/f/d.)
Wild in the alps of Salzburg and Carinthia. (Id. and Smith.) Introduced
in 1821.
3fe 124. S. ATROVI^RENS Forbes. The dark-green Sallow, or Willow.
Identification, Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 108.
The 8/eteg. Both sexes are described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 10S. ; and our jig. 108. in p.
S/)e<\ Char.) $c. Leaves ovate-acute, bluntly serrated, nearly glabrous, heart-
shaped at the base. Footstalks rather short, downy. Stipules large,
rounded, serrated. Ovary awl-shaped, on a short stalk, downy. Style
glabrous, longer than the parted stigmas. (Sal. Wob., p. 215.) A native of
Switzerland. Introduced in 1824, and flowering, in the willow garden at
Woburn Abbey, in May. An upright shrub or tree, attaining the height of
10ft. or 12 ft. Branches dark brown, round, downy, and slightly striated.
Leaves above 2 in. long, If in. broad, of an ovate-heart-shaped figure,
slightly hairy; glaucous beneath, with a downy midrib and prominent arched
veins ; margins bluntly serrated. Footstalks short. Catkins of the male
rather more than 1 in. long, and appearing with the leaves. A very distinct
species, and easily distinguished by its dark green leaves, which are generally
heart-shaped at the base.
a 125. S. STRE'PIDA Forbes. The creaking Willow, or Sallow.
lilcntijicatiun. Sal. Wob., No. 100.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. IV<>!>.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 100. ; and our Jig. 1(X). in p. I(>21.
. Char., $c. Leaves obovate-elliptical, acute, pubescent, glaucous beneath ;
margins denticulated ; the tip oblique. Stipules half-heart-shaped, serrated,
and glabrous. Catkins oblong. Capsules awl-shaped, silky. Style long.
Stigmas bifid. (Sal. Wob., p. 199.) A native of Switzerland. Introduced in
1820, and flowering in March and April. This plant forms a straggling
bush, producing rather long pendulous branches, of a pale greenish colour,
very pubescent, and soft to the touch ; perfectly round. Buds of a purplish
colour, and hairy. Leaves about 2 in. long, and broadest about the middle ;
the tip oblique," acute, and nearly entire ; margins dentated, or slightly
serrated; the lower serratures, in some of the leaves, sometimes elongated ;
upper surface of a dull green, pubescent ; under surface glaucous, hairy, with
a pale, prominent, and downy midrib. Footstalks rather short, sometimes
tinged with red. Catkins of the female 1 in. long. The shoots unfit for
J576 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
basketwork. There are plants at Woburn, and in the Goldworth and Hack-
ney arboretums.
& 126. S. SO'RDIDA Forbes. The sordid Sallow, or Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 101.
The Seres. The male is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 101. ; and our fig. 101. in p. 1621.
Spec. Char., #c. Leaves lanceolate, serrated, pubescent, and glaucous beneath.
Stipules rounded, toothed, glandular. Catkins numerous, recurved. Fila-
ments whitish. Anthers yellow. Bractea obovate, slightly fringed. (Sal. Wob.,
p. 201.) A native of Switzerland. Introduced in ? 1824; flowering, in the
willow garden at Woburn Abbey, in April. It is a bushy, upright-growing
shrub, with yellow, round, pubescent branches, which are variously marked
with small black spots. Buds yellow, rather longer than in S. strepida.
(Forbes.) Leaves from 2 in. to 2| in. long, and about 1 in. broad, of an
elliptic-lanceolate shape, remotely serrated, the serratures furnished with
glands ; upper surface pubescent, but ultimately becoming nearly glabrous ;
glaucous beneath, with a densely pubescent midrib. Footstalks nearly
i in. long, slender. Catkins appearing before the leaves ; all inclining
towards one side of the branch ; very numerous. The twigs are brittle, and
unfit for basketwork. There are plants at Woburn, Flitwick, Henfield, and
Hackney.
* 127. S. SCHLEICHERIA^NA Forbes. Schleicher's Willow, or Sallow.
Identification. Sal. Wob., No. 98.
The Sexes. The female is described in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 98. ; and our fig. 98. in p. 1620.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves elliptic, acute, serrated, dark green ; villous above,
glaucous and pubescent beneath. Germens awl-shaped, glabrous, stalked.
Style twice as long as the undivided ovate stigmas. Stipules half-ovate,
serrated. (Sal. Wob., p. 195.) A native of Switzerland. Introduced in 1824;
flowering in April and May. This species forms a very bushy head, attaining
the height of 12ft. or 15ft., spreading obliquely, with round dark brown
branches, copiously covered with a sort of pubescence when young, which
continues, to a certain degree, on the preceding year's shoots. Leaves
from l|in. to 2 in. long, elliptic, acute ; shining and villous on their upper
surface ; glaucous and hairy beneath ; often contracted at the base ; the
young ones densely covered with long silky hairs, but losing their pubescence
as they advance in age, and ultimately becoming almost glabrous. Footstalks
slender, about ^in. long. Catkins from l^in. to 2 in. long, expanding with
the leaves. There are plants at Woburn and Henfield ; and also in the
Goldworth and Hackney arboretums.
& 128. S. GRISONE'NSIS Forbes. The Grisons Sallow, or Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob, No. 99.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 99. ; and ourfig.'JW. in p. 1620.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, glabrous; deep green,
shining above ; paler glaucous beneath. Stipules half-heart-shaped, toothed,
glabrous. Ovary ovate-lanceolate, somewhat downy, on a short stalk.
Style glabrous, longer than the cloven stigmas. (Sal. Wob.,y. 197.) A native
of the Grisons. Introduced in ? 1824, and flowering, in the willow garden
at Woburn Abbey, in March and April. A shrub, much resembling S. Schlei-
chenana in size and mode of growth ; but the leaves are much longer, and
likewise the catkins, by which it is readily distinguished from that species.
The branches are brownish green, glabrous, and shining, after the first year ;
young ones reddish brown, pubescent, but becoming glabrous in autumn.
Leaves from 2 in. to 3 in. long, elliptic-lanceolate ; their breadth 1 in. or
more ; deep green, glabrous, and shining on their upper surface ; glaucous and
paler beneath ; pubescent in their young state ; their margins furnished with
shallow serratures, entire towards their extremities. Footstalks ^ in. or
CHAP, cm.
SALICA CEJE. SA LIX.
1577
more in length, downy. Catkins from 2 in. to 3 in. long when matured.
The branches are brittle, and apt to break when used for tying. There are
plants at Woburn, Henfield, and Flitwick.
Group xviii. Bicolbres Borrer.
Husky Shrubs, with Leaves dark green above, and glaucous beneath.
Stamens 2 to a flower. Ovaries silky. Leaves between obovate and lanceo-
late, glabrous, or nearly so; dark green on the upper surface, very glaucous
on the under one. Plants twiggy bushes. (Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 2., adapted.)
Koch has included under one species, to which he has applied the name
S. arbuscula Wahlenberg, several of the species or kinds of this group.
The constituents of this species are as follows : — As synonymes, S. arbus-
cula Wahlenb. Fl. Lapp., No. 476., Fl. Suec., No. 1122.; S. arbuscula
a Lin. Succ., No. 386., Sp. PI., p. 1445., not of Smith, nor Vahl, nor
Jacq. — As varieties, Lin. Fl. Lapp., t. 8. f. c. ; S. johylicifolia Smith Fl.
Brit.; S. radicans Smith Fl. Brit.; S. tetrapla Walker-, S. humilis Willd.
Berl. Baumz. ; S. Dicksomawa Smith ; S. Weigelidna Willd. Sp. PI., p. 678. ;
S. /aurina Smith ; S. majalis Wahlenb. Fl. Lapp., p. 270. ; S. tenuifolia
Smith Fl. Brit.; S. petrae'a Anderson; S. Crowedna Smith. Dr. Lindley,
in his Synopsis of the British Flora, has added to these the following kinds,
elucidated by Borrer in Eng. Bot. Suppl., and treated as species below :
— S. laxiflora Borrer; S. johillyreifolia Borrer; S. propinqua Borrer ; S.
Weigeliflttfl Borrer ; S. nitens Smith ; S. tenuior Borrer. In the part of the
prefatory matter of the group Nigricantes, relating to S. johylicifolia Koch,
some information on the above S. arbuscula Koch is incidentally given.
* 129. S. TENU^IOR Borrer. The narrower-leaved intermediate Willow.
Identification. Borrer in Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2650. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 2., p. 425.
Sunonymes. Specimens were communicated to Smith, who appears to have united this kind with
the S. /aurina Smith, the S. bfcolor Smith Eng. Sot., t. 1806. (Borrer.}
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Eng. Sot. Suppl. ; the male is not known.
Engraving. Eng. Bot. SuppL, t. 2650.
Spec. Char., $c. Disk of leaf obovate-lanceolate, acute, obsoletely crenate,
flat ; glabrous on both surfaces, glaucous on the under one. Petiole slender.
Stipules acute, glandulose. Catkin slender. Flowers laxly disposed in the
catkin. Bracteas (scales) acute, longer than the silky stalk of the capsule.
Style longer than the ovate stigmas. (Borrer.) Found by the river Lochy,
near Killin, in Breadalbane. The specimens figured were taken from a
plant brought thence in 1810. An upright shrub, 15ft. or more high.
Branches loosely spreading. Disk of leaves about 2 in. long, when first
unfolded, sprinkled with appressed hairs on both surfaces, but soon becom-
ing glabrous except the midrib ; upper surface dark green and shining.
Petiole long, pale, downy. The flowers appear, with Mr. Borrer, earlier
than the leaves, about the beginning of May. Catkin about 1 in. long,
while the flowers are in blossom ; eventually about 2 in. Mr. Borrer has
indicated its affinity as follows : — Very near S. /aurina Smith ; and, like
it, intermediate between the common sallows and the glabrous bright-
leaved affinities of S. phylicifolia ; resembling some of the former more
nearly in general habit and in the shape of the leaves ; the latter, in the
deciduous nature of the pubescence, and in the glandulose stipules. S.
nigricans angustifolia Seringe Saules de la Suisse, No. 22. : it is very similar
to S. tenuior Borrer. There are plants at Henfield, and in the Goldworth
Arboretum.
1578 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
& 130. S. LAXIFLO^RA Borr. The loosc-catkincd Willow.
Mcntificatian. Borr. in Eng. Bot. Stippl., t. 2749. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3.
The .'<V.rr.v. The female is described and figured in Eng. But. Suppl. The male plant is not known.
Kngraving. Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2719.
Spec. Char., $c. Upright. Young shoots slightly pubescent. Leaves gla-
brous, flat, broadly obovate, narrower to the base, slightly toothed, glau-
cescent beneath ; upper leaves acute. Stipules small, concave Flowers
loosely disposed in the catkin. Ovary stalked, bluntish, glabrous in the
lower part. Style as long as the linear divided stigmas. {Borrer in E. B.
Suppl.} Wild at Killin, in Breadalbane, where it was observed in 1810.
Mr. G. Anderson had previously distinguished it, and communicated to
Mr. Borrer the plant from which the specimens figured were taken, but
without informing Mr. Borrer in what part of Britain he had found the
kind. That plant has formed a tree-like shrub, more than 12 ft. high, with
crooked, divaricated branches, and flowers in April. The twigs are shin-
ing, greenish grey or slightly tinged with brown ; at first, sparingly and
inconspicuously pubescent. Leaves 1 in. to H in. long; bright green and shin-
ing above, more or less glaucous beneath. Catkin about 1 in. long when
the flowers are in blossom, which are loosely set in the catkin. It flowers
in April. It resembles S. /aurina in the figure of the leaves ; but that kind
differs in its more acutely angled ramification ; its mahogany-coloured
twigs, densely cottony while young; the abundance of short appressed
hairs present on both surfaces of the young leaves ; the more awl-shaped
ovary, white all over with cottony hairs ; and the shorter style, with short
stigmas, the segments of which usuallv adhere together. {Borrer in E. B.
Suppl. ; Hook. Br. FL, ed. 3.)
± 131. S. LAU'RINA Smith. The Laurel-leaved, or shining dark green, Willow.
Identification. Smith Lin. Soc. Trans., 6. p. 122. ; Hook. Br. Fl, ed. 2., p. 425.
Synonymes. S. bicolor Smith Eng. Bot., 1. 180(5., Eng. Fl., 4. p. 178., Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 38. ;
S arbiiscula Wahlcnb. var. Koch Comm., p. 45.
The Sexes. The female is described in Eng. FL, and figured in Eng. not. and Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., t. 1806. ; Sal. Wob., t.38. ; our Jig. 1338. ; and fig. 38. in p. 1612.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves elliptic-oblong, acute, waved,
and slightly serrated, nearly glabrous ; glaucous be-
neath. Footstalks dilated at the base. Stipules
pointed, serrated. Bracteas obtuse, hairy, and half
as long as the densely downy, ovate, long-stalked
ovary. (Smith Eng. Fl.) A native of Britain, in
various parts ; growing plentifully in woods and
thickets ; flowering in March and April. A shrub
or small tree. Branches at first erect, or wand-like,
round, of a mahogany-colour, beset with copious
nearly upright leaves, and attaining the height of 1338
6 ft. Catkins earlier than the foliage. If neglected, the plant becomes a
small tree. (Smith.) The twigs are very brittle, and unfit for any useful
purpose. (Forbes.) There are plants at Woburn and Ilenfield ; also in the
Goldworth and Hackney arboretums.
a 132. S. PATTENS Forbes. The spreading-ira?2cAerf Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. "Wob., No. 39.
The Sexes The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 39. ; and our fig. 39. in p. 1612.
Spec. Char., $c. Stem spreading. Leaves elliptical, entire ; glabrous, green
and shining above ; veiny, glabrous, and glaucous beneath. Stipules lan-
ceolate, very minute, withering. Ovafy sessile, ovate-lanceolate, silky.
Style longer than the parted stigmas. (Sal. Wob., p. 77.) The native country
of this species is not given. It is a branching shrub, about 3ft. or 4ft.
high, with short, spreading, dark brown branches, slightly villous only
when in their youngest state. The leaves are 1 in. long ; and sometimes
2 in. long, and 1 in. in breadth, on luxuriant shoots; much resembling those
CHAP. CHI.
SALICA CE/E. A'A'LIX.
579
of ,V. /anrina. The catkins appear with the leaves in May, and the plant
produce's them a second time in Augu>t. The general length of the
t \\iiz-, i> from Gin. to Sin. ; but this species is not likely to be applicable to
baakeUmaking. There are plants at Woburn, Ilcnfield, and Flitwick.
-* 133. S. RADIVCANS Smith. The footing-branched Willow.
Identification. Smith Fl. Brit, p. 1053. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 676. (Smith}; Hook. Br. Fl.,ed. 2.,
Borrer in Eng. Bot. Suppl., t.2701., in the text.
Fl. Lap],., No. 351., t. 8. f. d., Suift/t I
he original Lapland specimen of S pnylicil
herbarium "is indubitably, as was long since stated by Smith, the S. phylicifoliaof Eng. Bot., t, l!>.~>s.''
ippl., t. ! . .
.S'. phylicifMia Lin. F/. Lapp., No. 351., t. 8. f.d., Smith Fl. Brit., p. 1049., Eng. Bat.,
" The original Lapland specimen of .S' pbyliciflHia in theXuuuean
, Eng. Fl., 4. p. 173.
(Borrer in Eng. Bot. SHU/I/., t. 2709.) "As Linnaeus no doubt included several other willows," besides
the Lapland S. ;>hylicifulia, noticed above, " under his S. ;>hylicif6lia, it would be better to call " the
kind of Eng. Bot. " by Smith's tirst name, rad'icans." (Burrcr, quoted in Hook. Br, Fl., ed. 2.) S.
/jhylicifblia Forbes in Sal. ll'ob.. No. 46. ; S. arbuscula Wnhlcnh. var. Koch Coimn., p. 4J-.
'/'//<• &.'xfs. The female is described in Eng. Fl., where Smith has noticed that he had not observed
the catkins of the male. The female is figured in Eng. Bot. and Sal. Wvb.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., 1. 1958. ; Sal. Wob., No. 46. ; and our fig. 46. in p. 1614.
Spec. Char., tyr. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, with wavy serratures, very glabrous ;
glaucous beneath. Stipules glandular on the inside. Ovary lanceolate,
stalked, silky. Style twice the length of the stigmas. Branches trailing.
(Smith Eng. Fl.) The following traits are also derived from Smith. A
low, spreading, glabrous bush, whose long, recumbent, brown or purplish
branches take root as they extend in every direction. Leaves on shortish
stalks, not much spreading, about 2 in. long, not 1 in. broad ; very acute
at the point, not at all rounded at the base ; glabrous at all times, except an
obscure downiness on the midrib above ; harsh to the touch, bitter, variously
rrenated or serrated ; the serratures peculiarly, and sometimes very re-
markably, undulated ; the upper side of a dark shining green, and the
under glaucous. "A perfectly distinct plant, in its low mode of growth,
from S. Borren'awrt and S. Davalltond, and from all the other British species
with which I am acquainted." (Forbes.) Mr. Borrer has described inci-
dentally, at the end of his account of S. Davall/an/z in the Eng. Sot.
Snppl. t. 2701., characters of S. radicans in contrast with characters
of S. Davalltana. One of these is, that S. radicans flowers a full fortnight
later than S. DavalhVwrz.
Sfe 134. S. BoRRER//*\v.4 Smith. Borrer's, or the dark upright. Willow.
Identification. Smith Eng. Fl., 4. p. 174. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 45. ; Borr. in Eng. Bot. Suppl .
tiiiilii. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3.
The .SV-ir.v. The male is described in Eng. Fl. and Eng. Bot. Suppl., and figured in Sal. Wob. and
Eng. But. S//i>/>/. Mr. W. Wilson and Sir W. J. Hooker have found the female at Killin, in
Ureadalbane. (Hook. Br. FL, ed. 2.)
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 45. ; Eng. Bot. Suppl., t.2619. ; our fig. 1339. ; and Jig. 45. in p. 1614.
Spec. Char.y eye. Branches erect. Leaves lanceolate, serrated with shallow
nearly even serratures, very glabrous ; glaucous beneath. Stipules lanceo-
late, small. Bracteas (scales) acute, shaggy. (Smith E. F.t Borr. E. B. S.)
It is nearly allied to S. phylicifolia Eng. Bot.,
t. 1958.; but seems distinct, differing much in its
mode of growth and habit, and its narrower and
truly lanceolate leaves. (Borr.) Native to Scotland,
in Highland mountain valleys : Breadalbane, Killin
in Breadalbane, and Glen Nevis, are the localities
mentioned. It was first discovered by Mr. Borrer,
who has given a detailed description of it in Eug.
Bot. Sitpp/.y from which the following traits are
derived : — A much-branched shrub, decumbent at
the base only, about 10ft. high. Large branches
ash-coloured. Twigs spreading or ascending, short,
soon becoming of a deep mahogany hue, and glabrous. 1339
Buds large. "Disk of the leaf lanceolate, tapering to each end, about 2 in,.
long, and \ in. or more wide; keeled, twisted; dark green and shining on
the upper surface, glaucous on the under one ; glabrous on both, except
t lew scattered silkv hairs on each ; in the leaves of young shoots, closely
1580 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
crenate, or notched with shallow, flat, or slightly waved, gland-pointed
teeth. Petiole about a quarter of the length of the disk. Catkins of the
male numerous and showy; produced about the beginning of April, earlier
than in the generality of mountain willows. (E. B. S.) Ovary lanceolate
subulate, on a long stalk, quite glabrous ; style long, bifid ; stigmas linear,
bifid. (Hooker.) This kind, cultivated in the willow garden at Woburn
Abbey, produced its flowers before the expansion of the leaves in April ;
and again, when the plant was in full leaf, in July. Trained to a single stem,
it would form a very handsome small tree for suburban gardens. There
are plants at Flitwick and Woburn.
a 135. S, DAVALL/^^^ Smith. Davall's Willow.
Identification. Smith Eng. FL, 4. p. 175., as far as to the Scottish kind ; Borrer in Eng. Bot. Suppl.,
t. 2701. ; Smith's British specimens, not his Swiss one, were taken from the same individual as ours
(Borrer) ; Forbes in SaL Wob., No. 47. ; Hook. Br. FL, ed. 3.
Synonymes. S. tetrapla Walker (Anderson}; S. phylicif.Mia Willd. (Mcrtens) ; these relate to the
female of the Scottish kind (Borrer) : S. thymcltsindes Schlcicher. (Forbes in Sal. Wob.)
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Eng. Bot. Suppl. Mr. Borrer is not acquainted
with the male, but has added a figure of a specimen of what Mr. Anderson regarded as such,
prepared from a sketch made from one of Mr. Anderson's specimens in 1811. Two sexes are figured
in Sal. Wob. As it is most probable that Mr. Borrer knew of these, perhaps he deemed the male
erroneous.
Engravings. Eng. Bot. Suppl., t.2701. ; Sal. Wob., No. 47. ; and our fig. 47. in p. 1614.
Spec. Char.y fyc. Upright. Leaves obovate lanceolate, flattish, very acutely
pointed, obscurely toothed or serrated ; glabrous on both surfaces, somewhat
glaucous on the under one. Stipules minute. Young shoots and petioles
pubescent. Bracteas obovate, silky. Ovary stalked, acute, silky. Style
as long as the divided stigmas. (Borr. in Eng. Bot. Suppl.) The female
is a native of Scotland. We have specimens from Teesdale that seem of
the same species. (Borr.) A bushy shrub, with ascending branches,
scarcely exceeding 4 ft. high. Twigs tinged with brown. (Borr?) It grows
with me to from 6 ft. to 7 ft. high, with upright, dark brown, shining branches.
(Forbes.) Leaves about l|in. long, (Borr.), 1 in. broad, on luxuriant
shoots (Forbes) ; upper surface dark green and shining, under surface pale,
and more or less glaucous. Petiole rather long and slender. Catkins of
the female about 1 in. long. The flowers appear when the leaves begin to
expand, about the end of April. (Borr.) There are plants at Woburn, Hen-
field, and Flitwick.
? Variety.
& S. Davalliima Smith, the Swiss kind. (Smith Eng. Fl.,i\. p. 175.) — Bor
rer has not identified, in Eng. Bot. Su])pl., this with the Scottish
kind; hence it becomes right to register it separately. The fol-
lowing notice of it is derived from Smith Eng. Fl. : — M. Davall
sent a specimen of the kind to Smith, in 1790, from Switzerland.
This specimen, when shown to Professor Mertens, was pronounced
by him to be of the S. jphylicifolia of Willdenow and other German
botanists. " It is not, however, that of Linnaeus, nor, apparently,
that of Wahlenberg." It agrees with the female of the Scottish
kind, except that the ovary, and all parts of the catkin, are much
less silky.
ft 136. S. TE'TRAPLA Smith. The four-ranked Willow.
Identification. Smith Eng. Fl., 4. p. 177., exclusively of the citation of Walker; Hook. Br. Fl., ed 2.,
p. 426., exclusively of the citation of Walker ; Borrer in Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2702. ; ? Forbes in Sal.
Wob., t. 49. Borrer has not quoted the last.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Eng. Bot. : the figure in Sal. Wob., whether of
this kind or not, is of the female ; and a male is described there. Male flowers not known to
Mr. Borrer ; but who has found S. ramifusca Forbes (Sal. Wob., t. 53.), from recent specimens in
leaf, so similar to S. tetrapla Smith, that he can scarcely doubt of that being the male of this.
Engravings. Eng. Bot. Suppl* t. 2702. ; ? Sal. Wob., No. 49. ; and our fig. 49. in p. Kill.
Spec. Char.y fyc. Upright. Leaves lanceolate, twisted, somewhat carinate,
very acutely pointed, serrated ; nearly glabrous on both surfaces, glaucous
on the under one. Stipules .small, half-heart-shaped. Young shoots and
petioles pubescent. Bracteas lanceolate, silky. Ovary stalked, bluntish,
CHAP. CHI. SALICA^CEJE. SA^LIX. 1581
iilabrous on the lower part. Style longer than the divided stigmas. (Bor-
rer in Eng. Bot. Suppl.) Wild in Brcadalbaiu*, Scotland. Cuttings
brought thence in 1810 produced plants that, in 1831, were upright shrubs,
i -i ft. to 15 ft. high. Twigs straight, spreading, slightly tinged with brown.
Leaves scarcely 2 in. long, except on luxuriant young shoots ; rather rigid.
( 'atkius of the female scarcely 1 in. long while the flowers are in blossom.
Mr. Borrer has thus contrasted the kind with S. Davalliana : — It is much
taller. The leaves are rather longer, and more spreading ; less shining, and
of a duller green above, and whiter on the under surface ; and the flowers
differ. The following traits of S. tetrapla are derived from Smith's de-
scription : — " The whole shrub is larger than S. WuMeniotaa (S. Weigel&ruz
Borr.); the leaves longer more elliptical, and more pointed, with unequal,
coarse, and wavy serratures; deep green above; finely glaucous, with pro-
minent pale or reddish veins beneath ; glabrous, except a very minute, short,
dense downiness on the upper side of the midrib and of the footstalks :
sometimes even this slight pubescence is wanting." In conjunction with
Mr. Forster, Mr. Forbes compared this species with his S. Wulfeniwza, to
which, he says, it does not bear the least alliance. Mr. Forbes notes it
as flowering in April. There are plants at Woburn and Henfield ; also in
the Hackney arboretum.
3fc 137. S. RAMIFU'SCA Forbes, V Anders. The brown-branched Willow.
Identification. Mr. Forbes states that he obtained this new British species from Mr. Mackay of
the Dublin Botanic Garden, who received it from the late Mr. George Anderson. (Sal. Wob.y
No. 53.)
Synont/me. "We find S. ramifusca Sal. Wob., t. 53., from recent specimens in leaf, so similar to our
S. tetrapla, that we can scarcely doubt its being the male of that species. (Borr. in Eng. Bot.
" /., t.2702.)
xes. The male is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Cravings. Sal. Wob., No. 53. ; and our Jig. 53. in p. 1615.
Spec. Char., Sf-c. Stem erect. Leaves elliptic-acute, serrated ; shining above;
glabrous, reticulated, and glaucous beneath. Stipules half-heart-shaped,
serrated, and withering. Branches yellowish brown, pubescent when young.
Catkins nearly 1 in. long, on short stalks. Anthers yellow, of 4> lobes.
(Sal. Wob., p. 105.) A native of Britain, but where is not stated ; flowering,
in the Woburn salictum, in April, before the expansion of the leaves, and
again in July. An upright kind, attaining the height of between 12ft. and
14ft., with round, glabrous, dark green branches, of the preceding year's
growth. The young twigs of a brownish yellow, slightly downy when young.
Leaves alternate, somewhat erect, elliptical, acute, approaching to an ovate
shape when fully grown ; glabrous and shining on their upper surface, glaucous
and reticulated beneath ; the two or three youngest leaves only slightly
downy, as also the tops of the young branches. Footstalks villous above,
glabrous beneath, as also the midrib. Catkins nearly I in. Ions: ; often
two catkins bursting from the same bud. There are plants at Woburn,
Henfield, Flitwick, and also in the Goldworth Arboretum.
& 138. S. FORBVSIA^NA. Forbes's Willow.
Synonyms. S. WeigeUtma Forbes in Sal.Wob., No. 51., PWilld. Sp. PI., 4. p. 678. (Forbes.) Mr. Borrer
has advised us, in his MS. list, that he is not certain whether S. Weigelwna Eng. Bot. Suppl. and S.
WeigehYiMa Sal. Wob. are to be distinguished, and, if they are, which is the S. \Veige\iana Willd.
See, also, Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 265(3. and t. 2795. While ,S. Weigelwna Forbes remains unidentified
with any other kind, it must be treated of as a distinct one.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob. Mr. Borrer has expressed the opinion
that he has both male and female specimens of S. WeigelrYma Forbes from the Highlands of Scot-
land. (Borr. in Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2795.)
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 51. ; and our fig. 51. in p. 1615.
Spec, Char., $c. The following is the amount of Mr. Forbes's original descrip-
tion, taken separately from what be has quoted from Willdenow : — Upright,
bushy, 5 ft. to 6 ft. high. Branches glabrous, brown. Leaves elliptic, acute,
serrated, or finely toothed ; entire towards the base ; bright green and shin-
ing on the upper surface, glaucous and pale on the under one, where the
vi iu> are parallel, arched, and prominent. Stipules remarkably small, soon
falling off. Catkins appearing, in the willow garden at Woburn Abbey, in
1582 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART HI.
April, before the leaves expand. Ovary ovate lanceolate, downy. Style
longer than the deeply parted stigmas. There are plants at Henfield.
& 139. S. WEIGEL/^\V^ Borr. Weigel's Willow.
Identification Borr. in Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2656., perhaps exclusively of the identification of Willd.,
as intimated by Mr. Borrer at t.2795., and in his MS. list, as follows :— " I am uncertain whether
S Weigeb* £»a Eag. Bot., 2656., and S. Weigel/<V;i« Sal. VVob., are to be distinguished, and, if so,
which 'is ,S'. VVeigehVma Willd." Hook. Br. Fl., ccl. 3., p. 434. ? exclusively of syn., Willd. ;
? Havnc Abbild., p. 232., with a fig.
St/nonjmct. S. WulfemYma Smith Eng. Fl., 4. p. 176. ; Rces's Cyclo., No. 16. ; Forbes in Sal. VVob.,
No. 4X. ; excluding from each the foreign synonymes. (Borrer.)
The Sexes. Both sexes are figured in Eng. Bot. Suppl. ; the male in Sal. Wub., as that of S. \\ ulfen-
Engraeingt. Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2656. ; Sal. Wob., No. 48. ; Hayne Abbild., t. 173. ; our fig. 1340. ;
and Jig. 48. in p. 1614.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves elliptical, rhomboidal, or almost round, with a short
point, obsoletely crenate ; glabrous on both sides, glaucous beneath. Sti-
pules small. Catkins on short stalks. Floral leaves small. Bracteas
(scales) oblong, hairy, longer than the hairy stalk of the ovary.
Style longer than the stigmas, (Borrer.) It seems not uncommon
in the more mountainous parts of Britain : Breadalbane in Scot-
land, and Yorkshire and Westmoreland, are places named.
Cultivated. It is an upright shrub, about 10ft. high. Mr. Borrer
thinks it probable that it is of more humble growth in its native
stations. Leaves thin, dark green, and more glittering than those
of S. nitens ; the under surface very glaucous. The catkins appear
earlier than the leaves, about April or May, and are very similar
to those of S. nitens. It is difficult to define satisfactorily the distinctions
between S. WeigehVma and S. nitens ; yet the aspect of the two is unlike,
from the dark hue of the whole bush in S. nitens ; and there seems to be a
real difference in the structure of the leaves. (Borrer.) There are plants
at Henfield.
Variety. In what seems a variety of this species, the leaves are more con-
spicuously toothed, rather silky when young ; the shoots more downy, and
the ovary pubescent towards the point only. (Borrer S)
sJfe 140. S. NIVTENS Anders. The glittering-leaved Willow.
Identification. Anders. MS. ; Smith Eng. Fl.,4. p. 175. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 44. ; Hook. Br
FL, ed. 2., p. 426. ; Borr. in Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2655.
The Sexes. Both sexes are described and figured in Eng. Bot. Suppl.
Engravings. Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2655. ; Sal. Wob., No. 44. ; Jig. 1341. ; ami Jig. 44. inp. 1613.
$l>cc. C/iar., $e. Leaves ovate, or elliptical, acute, slightly serrated ; nearly
glabrous above, with sunk veins ; glabrous and glaucous beneath. Stipules
small. Catkins on short stalks. Floral leaves small. Bracteas (scales)
oblong, hairy, longer than the hairy stalk of the ovary.
Style longer than the stigmas. Nearly allied to S. Weigel-
idna, and more nearly to S. Crowcdna. (Borrer in Eng.
Bot. Suppl.) Mr. G. Anderson first distinguished the
kind ; and the male specimens figured were derived from
a plant that he communicated to Mr. Borrer : the female ,
came from Teesdale. The kind is an upright shrub, taller,
and of rather stouter growth, than S. Borreriemff, which it
resembles in the dark mahogany hue of its shining twigs,
most remarkable in the male. Young shoots slightly pu- 1341
bescent. Petioles short, reddish. Disk of leaf about l^in. long, in many
instances waved or twisted ; upper surface dark green, shining, more or less
silky when young, afterwards glabrous, except on the midrib ; under surface
glaucous, and even white. The flowers appear with Mr. Borrer earlier than
the leaves, in April or May, about a fortnight later than those of S. Borrer-
idna. Catkins of the male scarcely 1 in. long ; of the female, by the figure,
more than 1 in. There are plants at Woburn, Flitwick, Henfield, Goldworth,
and Hackney.
CHAP. CIII. SAL1CAVCE;£. S^LIX. 1583
& 141. S. CROWEA^NA Smith. Crowe's Willow.
Identification. Smith Eng. Bot., 1. 1146. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 675. ; Smith in Rees's Cycle., No. 51. :
Eng. Fl., 4. p. 192. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 52. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3.
Synoiiiftiifs. S. arbuscula Wahlenb., var. Koch Comm., p. 45. j S. hQ mills Schl. is cited in Sal. Wob.
as the female of S. Crowea«« Smith ; ?.S'. heterophy"lla Host.
The Seit-s. Both st-xes are described in Eng. Bot., and figured in Sal. Wob. Mr. Borrer deems the
rase of the combination of the filaments to be one monstrous in the species, rather than innate and
characteristic.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., 1. 1146. ; Sal. Wob., No. 52. ; and our fig. 52. in p. 1615.
Spec. Char., $c. Filaments combined below. Leaves elliptical, slightly ser-
rated, quite glabrous, glaucous beneath. (Smith Eng. Fl.) Mr. Borrer
regards (Eng. Sot. Suppl., t. 2660. ; and Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 2.) the combi-
nation of' the filaments as not a constitutional character of this species, but
as only such of the individual, from which all the individuals that are in this
case, that he has examined, have been propagated ; and he regards the state
as one founded in monstrosity. He has added, in argument : *' Indeed," the
stamens "are-represented in the Salictum Woburncnsc as changing into"ovaries,
" as those of S. bicolor Ehrhart, and some of the common sallows, have been
observed to do." See notices of instances below, and in p. 1454. ; and Mr.
Borrer has since found this change taking place in S. Croweana, in his own
garden. Reviews S. nitens Anderson and S. Croweana Smith as very closely
akin ; and, in the following notice of some differences between them which
he has made (Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2660.), it may be inferred that what he
deems characteristic features are noticed : — " The leaves of S. Croweawa are
less pointed, almost obovate; in every stage without pubescence, even in the
petiole; their edges rarely waved, and more obscurely crenate; and the
scales of the catkins, that is, the bracteas of the individual flower, shorter
and rounder." According to Hooker's British F/ora, ed. 2., Mr. Borrer finds
the ovary, not downy, as Smith has described it to be, " but nearly glabrous,
as figured in the Salictum Woburncnsc" A native of England (Smith), in
swampy meadows and thickets, flowering in April and May. " S. Crowe-
ana, with submission, is not a Norfolk plant, but from the river Ettrick, near
Selkirk, whence Mr. Dickson sent it to Mr. Crowe ; and he gave me fresh
cuttings from the same place three years ago, which turn out exactly the
same individual as Crowe's from Dr. Smith." ( Mr. Anderson, in a letter to
Mr. Borrer, 1815.) The following traits are drawn from Smith's detailed
description in his English Flora : — "A bushy shrub, usually 4. ft. or 5 ft. high,
wkh many stout, irregularly spreading, glabrous, leafy, brittle, brownish
yellow branches. Leaves alternate, perfectly glabrous, on broadish glabrous
footstalks, uniformly elliptical, very rarely inclining to obovate, If in. long,
more or less, acute, and often recurved at the extremity, contracted gra-
dually at the base ; the margin copiously, though not conspicuously, serrated,
or rather creriate; the upper side of a deep shining green, under glaucous,
veiny. The catkins appear before the leaves, and are about 1 in. long ; those
of the male of a bright yellow. This iSalix, when covered with male blossoms,
is amongst the most handsome; nor are the leaves destitute of beauty." S.
Croweana has grown 10 ft. high with Mr. Borrer. Mr. Forbes has figured
a curious monstrosity in the plant of this species which is 'in the Woburn
salictum, of the catkins of the male changing into ovaries, with the style and
stigmas perfect, as in the fertile flower. Mr. Forbes observed the progres-
sive change of the stamens into ovaries. At first, he says, the filaments began
to thicken a little in the middle when they were united, and they gradually
grew into their subsequent shape, the filaments becoming pistils, and the
anthers stigmas. Sir W. J. Hooker states that a similar alteration has
been remarked by Mr. Borrer in S. oleifolia, and Mr. R. Gee in S. cinerea.
There are plants at Woburn, Henfield, and Flitwick.
a 142. S. BI'COLOR Ehrh. The two-coloured Willow.
Identification. Ehrh. Arb., 118. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 2., p. 427. ; ? Hayne Abbild., p. 238.
Synonymet. .S. tc-mui'blia S»ul// Eng. Hot., t. 2186., as to the figure; .S'. Horibunda Forbes in Sal.
Wob., No. .04. Koch, in his Cumin., has identified .S'. bicolor Ehrh. with S. livida Wahlcnb. ; and
noted that what is frequently cultivated in German gardens as S. bicolor Ehrh. is of another spe-
5 L
1584- ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 111.
cies, and much nearer to S. arbuscula Wahlenb. Mr. Borrer has remarked on this as follows : —
«' I am not acquainted with S. livida Wahl. If this prove S. bicoior Ehrh., our S. bicolor, which
is the plant of the German gardens, as I conclude from Mertens having given it me as S. bicolor,
may bear Forbes's name of floribunda, unless Schrader's older name, discolor, belongs to it : see
Koch, p. 46." (Borrer in a letter.)
The Sexes. The male is described in Sal. Wob., and figured in Eng. Sot. and Sal. Wob. ; some
notice of what Mr. Borrer deems the female is given in Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 2.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., t. 2186. ; Sal. Wob., No. 54. ; and our fig. 54. in p. 1615. ; ? Hayne Abbild.,
1. 180., where the sex figured is the male.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves elliptical, green and shining above, glabrous and
glaucous beneath ; serrated, ending in oblique points. Stipules crescent-
shaped, serrated. Catkins of the male copious, bright yellow. Filaments
slightly bearded at the base. (Sal. Wob., p. 107.) A native of Britain ; flower-
ing, in the willow garden of Woburn Abbey, in April, and again in July. A
bushy spreading shrub, with short yellow branches, slightly villous when
young ; the older ones rather a yellowish green, quite glabrous ; rising to the
height of 6 ft. or 8 ft., with bright yellow catkins in April, and again in July.
Leaves elliptical, acute, serrated, glabrous ; shining above, glaucous and veiny
beneath ; glabrous in every state of growth, with the exception of a slight
downiness on the very youngest leaves, which are always of a purplish
colour ; midrib and footstalks glabrous, yellow. Stipules crescent-shaped,
serrated. This is a very ornamental species when in flower; neither are the
leaves destitute of beauty ; and, when the shrub is cut down, it produces
tough, flexible twigs, that are good for tying, basketwork, &c. S. bicolor
has become 10 ft. high with Mr. Borrer. (Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2660.)
There are plants at Henfield.
« 143. S. PHILLYREIFOVLIA Borrer. The Phillyrea-leaved Willow.
Identification. Borrer in Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2660. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed.2. p. 417.
The Sexes. Both suxcs are described and figured in Eng. Bot. Suppl. , the female in the fruit-
bearing state .
Engraving. Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2660.
Spec. Char., Ssc. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, acute at each end, strongly serrated, glabrous on both
surfaces, glaucous on the under one. Stipules small. Young shoots pubescent. Bracteas (scales)
oblong, hairy, longer than the glabrous stalk of the glabrous ovary. Style as long as the stigmas.
In the arrangement of the kinds, this one may stand between S. bicolor and S. Dicksom'dna, in
both of which; the leaves are for the most part obsoletely serrated, and of a figure approaching to
obovate with a point. (Borrer.) Mr. Borrer has thus stated its localities in a wild state. Highland
valleys of Scotland, particularly in Glen Tarfe, near Fort Augustus, Inverness-shire ; and in the
vicinity of Ben Lawers, Perthshire. He has termed it a beautiful kind. The male, growing in
his garden since 1810, had become, in 1830, an upright much branched shrub, about 5 ft. high ; and
it flowers in about the middle of April, before the leaves appear, and sometimes again at mid-
summer. Catkins numerous, cylindrical, J in. long, closely set with flowers. The leaves, in size,
figure, and serratures, bear no slight resemblance to those of Phillf rea latifblia : when young, they
are sprinkled on both surfaces with minute appressed hairs, but become at length glabrous, except
in the upper surface of the petiole and midrib. The disk of the leaf is scarcely more than 1 in.
long, and has its upper surface of a bright, shining, full green; the under surface bluish : the petiole
is about a third of the length of the disk. There are plants at Henfield.
j* 144. S. DICKSONI/JM Smith. Dickson's Willow.
Identification. Smith Eng. Bot, 1. 1390. : the figure is bad, and has led to doubts as to this species,
which only authenticated specimens could remove (Borrer in Eng. Bot Suppl., t. 2663., inci-
dentally.) Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 696. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 60. ; Eng. Fl., 4. p. 196. ; Forbes in
Sal. Wob., No. 55. ; Hook. Br. FL, ed. 3.
Si/nonyme. S. myrtilloides Smith Fl. Brit., p. 1056., not of Lin.
The Sexes. The female is described in Eng. Fl. and Sal. Wob., and figured in Eng. Bot. and Sal.
Wob. Smith has noticed, in his English Flora, that he had not observed the stamens.
Engravings. Eng. Bot, 1 1390., see under Identification, above; Sal. Wob., No. 55. ; and our
fig. 55. in p. 1615.
Spec. Char., 8?c. Leaves elliptical, acute, slightly toothed, glabrous ; glaucous
beneath. Young branches very glabrous. Catkins ovate, short, erect. Ovary
stalked, ovate, silky. Stigmas nearly sessile. (Smith Eng. Fl., iv. p. 196.)
Leaves, for the most part, obsoletely serrated, and of a figure approaching to
obovate with a point. Ovary and its stalk densely silky. (Borrer in Eng.
Bot. Suppl., t. 2660., incidentally.) A native of Scotland ; flowering in
April. The following traits are derived from Mr. Forbes's description : — "A
low-growing upright shrub, attaining the height of 18 in. or 2 ft., with
smooth yellow branches ; the preceding year's arc greenish and scaly. The
leaves are elliptic, obovate, minutely serrated in the middle, or denticulated;
entire at both extremities ; glabrous and shining above, and very glaucous
CHAP. CIII.
SALICA'CE/E. SAVLIX.
J585
underneath. The footstalks are long and slender, dilated at the base."
From the remarks made by Sir W. J. Hooker in Brit. Fl. (ed. 2.), and by
Mr. Forbes, there seems to be a good deal of uncertainty as to this species ;
which, as far as we are concerned, must be left to time, and the examination
of plants in a living state, to be cleared up. There are plants at Henfield.
Group xix. \ acciniifblicE Borrer.
Small, and generally procumbent, Shrubs.
Stamens 2 to a flower. Ovary sessile, downy. Leaves bearing a considerable
resemblance to those of a /raccinium ; opaque ; the under surface glaucous.
Plants, small shrubs, usually procumbent, rarely erect. (Hook. Br. FL,
ed. 2., adapted.) It is probable that S. arbuscula L. is the same as one or
more of the four kinds, S. racciniifolia Walker, S. carinata Smith, S. pruni-
folia Smith t and S. venulosa Smith. (Borrer in his manuscript list.)
The Vaccinium-leaved Willow.
Walker's Essay on Nat. Hist. (Hook Br. Fl., ed. 2.), ed. 1812, p. 460. ; Smith Ens
Bot.,J. 2341. ; Rees's Cyclo., No. 56. ; Eng. Fl., 4. p. 194. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 57. ; Hook!
jc 145. S. rACCimiFoxLlA Walker.
Identification.
Bot, t. 2341.
Br. Fl., ed. 3
S-
Both sexes are figured in E
xynonyme. S. prunifblia, part of, Koch Comm., p. 59.
The Sexes. Both sexes are figured in Eng. Bot. and Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., t '2341. ; Sal. Wob., No. 57. ; our fig. 1342., and fig. 57. in p. 1615.
Spec. Char., SfC. Leaves lanceolate-ovate, serrated ; glabrous and even above,
glaucous and silky beneath. Capsules ovate, silky. Stems decumbent (Smith
Eng. Fl.) A native of Scotland, on Highland mountains ; flowering in May.
A low decumbent shrub, very distinct from S. prunifblia, of a much more
humble stature, with decumbent, or trailing, long, and slender branches, silky
when young, though otherwise glabrous. Leaves of but half the breadth of
those of S. ^prunifolia or S. venulosa, covered at the back with close, delicate,
almost invisible, silky hairs, and likewise very glaucous ; the floral ones ovate,
obtuse, on long silky footstalks, and beautifully silky at the back, especially
when young ; the upper surface of all the leaves even and glabrous, nearly as
much so as.in S. prunifblia. " An humble and pretty little shrub, which I had
referred (in Flora Scot.) to a variety of S. wrunifblia, and which is very closely
allied to S. carinata, prunifblia, and venulbsa." (Hook.) Of all the willows, it
most resembles in foliage the Faccfnium Myrtillus L., or bilberry. The leaves
have the teeth each terminated by a small spherical gland, and these are,
especially in early summer, of a pretty bright yellow colour. (Walk. Ess., ed.
1812, p. 461.) There are plants at Woburn, Henfield, and Flitwick, and in
the Goldworth Arboretum.
« 146. S. CARINA'TA Smith. The keeled, or folded-leaved, Willow.
Identification. Smith Fl. Br., 1055. ; Eng. Bot, 1. 1363. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 680. ; Smith in Rees's
Cyclo., No. 63. ; Eng. FL, 4. p. 197. , Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 59. ; Hook. Br. FL, ed. 3.
Si/nonyme. S. prunifblia, part of, Koch Comm., p. 58.
The Sexes. The female is figured in Eng. Bot. and in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., 1. 1363. ; Sal. Wob., No. 59. ; and fig. 59. in p. 1615.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves ovate, finely toothed, glabrous, minutely veined, folded into a keel. Catkins
cylindrical, with rounded hairy bracteas. Ovary sessile, ovate, silky. (Smith Ens. Fl.) A native
of the Highlands of Scotland, on mountains ; flowering there in June, and, in the willow garden
at Woburn Abbey, in April, and again in August. Larger and more erect than S. prunifblia or
S. venulbsa, to both which it is nearly related in the fertile catkins Mr. Forbes considers this
too different from S. racciniifblia and S. venulbsa, to require any detailed comparative view of
them. There are plants at Woburn and Flitwick.
j* 147. S. PRUNIFOLIA Smith. The Plum-leaved Willow.
Identification. Smith Fl. Br., p. 1054. ; Eng. Bot, 1 1361. ; Rees's Cyclo., No. 55. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4.
p. 677. ; Smith Eng. Fl , 4. p. 193. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 56. ; Hook. Br. FL, ed. 3.
Synonymes. S. A/yrsinltes Light/., not Lin. ; S. prunifblia, part of, Koch Comm., p. 59.
The Sexes. The female is figured in Eng. Bot. and Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., t. 1361. ; Sal. Wob., No. 56. ; and our fig. 1615.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves broadly ovate, serrated, glabrous on both sides ; even
above, glaucous beneath. Stem erect, much branched. Capsules ovate,
shaggy, like the bracteas, with silky hairs. (Smith Eiig. FL) A native of
Scotland; flowering in April. Described by Smith as a bushy shrub, often
oft. high, with spreading branches; the whole erect, or ascending, not decum-
5L 2
1586 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
bent. In the Woburn salictum, it grows about 18 in. high, quite upright.
Young branches brown, bearing a little short, soft, curved down ; not rigid
prominent hairs, as in the S. £etulifolia Forster. Leaves broadly ovate,
tolerably uniform, 1 in. long, or rather more, bluntly pointed, serrated
throughout, but not deeply ; quite glabrous, even, of a full shining green
on the upper surface, without any prominent veins ; glaucous, veiny when
very young only, besprinkled with a few silky close hairs, beneath. Catkins
obtuse, of a brownish purple, much shorter than those of S. vacciniifolia,
S. venulosa, and S. carinata; and more like those of S. 6etulifolia Forster.
The branches are, likewise, more thickly clothed with upright shorter leaves,
than those of either S. venulosa or S. vacciniifolia. The above is derived
partly from Smith, and partly from Forbes. There are plants at Woburn
and Flitwick.
Variety.
jt S. p. stylo longiore Koch, style longer ; S. prunifolia Ser. Sal. Hclv.
p. 49.; S. formosa Willd. Sp. PL, iv. p. 680. ; S. fce'tida Schleich. Cent.,
li. n. 95. ; S. alpina Sut. Helv., p. 283.— This is wild in Switzerland.
{Koch Comm.) S. formosa Willd. is registered in Sweet's Hortus
Brilannicus as introduced in 1820.
& 14-8. S. VENULOVSA Smith. The veiny-leaved Willow.
Identification. Smith Fl. Br., 1055. ; Eng. Bot., 1362.; Rees's Cyclo., No. 57. ; Eng. FL, 4. p. 195.
Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 58. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3.
Synonyme. S. prunifolia, part of, Koch Comm., p. 41.
The Sexes. The female is figured in Ens. Bot. and Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., 1. 1362. ; Sal. Wob., No. 56. ; and fig. 56. in p. 1615.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves ovate, serrated, naked, reticulated with prominent veins above, rather
glaucous beneath. Capsules ovate, silky. Stem erect, much branched. (Smith Eng. Fl.) A native
of Scotland, on the Breadalbane Mountains, where the blossoms are in perfection in June ; but in
gardens they flower in April ; and, in the willow garden at Woburn Abbey, they flower a second
time in August. In size and general habit, this species agrees with S. prunifolia; but the some-
what narrower leaves differ materially on their upper surface, in their prominent, elegantly reticu-
lated veins, conspicuous in the dried as well as growing specimens, especially towards the margin.
The under side is generally less glaucous than in the two last; and, in having many close-pressed
hairs, comes nearest to S. ?<acciniifolia. Catkins much longer and more slender than in S. »runi-
fblia ; and the whole shrub is more erect, and grows in the Woburn collection to twice the neight
of either S. prunifblia or S. wacciniifblia. ' SirVV. J. Hooker agrees with Mr. E. Forster, in considering
S. venulbsa as only a variety of S. prunifolia; and, indeed, he doubts if S. prunifolia, S. carinata,
and S. yacciniifblia, with S. venulbsa, are not different states of the same species ; and Koch and
Dr. Lindley are of this opinion, having included them all under one species, S. /nrunifblia. We
accordingly consider those forms as varieties, though we have treated them, to a certain extent, as
if they were species, for the sake of those who differ from us in opinion. Mr. Borrer has remarked,
in the manuscript list with which he has favoured us, that probably S. arbuscula L. is the same
as one or more of the kinds S. wacciniifolia Walk., S. carinata Smith, S. prunifolia Smith, and S.
venulbsa Smith. There are plants at Woburn, Henfield, and Flitwick.
a 149. S. CJE^SIA Villars. The grey-leaved Willow.
Identification. Villars Dauph., 3. 768. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 80. ; Koch Comm., p. 59.
Synonymes. S. myrtilloldes Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 686., exclusively of the synonymes of Linnaeus
(Borrer), Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 66. (Borrer) ; S. prostrata Ehrh. PI. Select., p. 159., according
to Seringe (Koch).
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Villars Dauph., 3. t. 50. f. 11. ; SaL Wob., No. 66.; and our fig. 66. in p. 1616.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves elliptic or lanceolate, acuminate, glabrous, not
shining, entire and revolute at the edge. Catkin upon a short leafy twiglet.
Capsule ovate-conical, tomentose, seemingly sessile, eventually having a
very short stalk. Gland reaching as high as the base of the capsule. Style
shortish. Stigmas ovate-oblong, entire, and bifid. (Koch.) Wild in the
Alps of Dauphine, and in Savoy, upon the mountain Enzeindog. (Id.)
Registered as introduced in 1824. Mr. Forbes has given a detailed de-
scription, whence we quote as follows : — "A low straggling shrub, attaining
the height of 3 ft. or 4 ft., with slender shortish branches, dark brown on
their upper side, pale beneath, somewhat wrinkled or striated. Leaves about
1 in. long, perfectly entire, wavy, with a short sharp point ; very glabrous,
glaucous and veiny beneath; lower opposite, upper alternate. Catkins
from £in. to nearly 1 in. in length, appearing, in the willow garden at
Woburn Abbey, along with the leaves, in April or May, and again in Au-
gust. Koch has noted (Comm., p. 52.) that S. caersia Viltars differs from
CHAP. CIII.
1587
S. myrtilloides L. wholly in habit, and in its capsules being sessile, and
densely tomentose. There are plants at Henfield.
Group xx. Myrtilloides Borrer.
Small Bilberry-like Shrubs, not Natives of Britain.
1343
This group consists of exotic kinds, and, therefore, does not appear in Hook.Br.Fl. ; and, consequently,
we cannot quote characteristics thence. In S. myrtilloides L., we believe that the epithet was
meant to express a likeness in the foliage to that of Faccinium Myrtillus L. ; and we suppose that
this likeness appertains to each of the kinds of which Mr. Borrer has constituted his group Myr-
tilloides.
-** 150. S. MYRTILLOVDES L. The Myrtillus-like, or Bilberry-leaved, Willow.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 1446. ; Fl. Lapp., ed. 2., 295. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 79. ; Wahl. Fl.
Lapp., p. 267. ; Koch Comm., p. 52.
St/nonyme. S. elegans Besser En. PI. Volhyn., p. 77. (Koch.)
The Sexes. The female is described in Rees's Cyclo., and the male partly so. The female is noticed
below.
Engravings. Lin. Fl. Lapp., ed. 2.,t. 8. f. i. k. ; and OUT fig. 1343.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves very various in form, ovate, sub-
cordate at the base, oblong, or lanceolate ; entire, opaque,
glabrous ; veins appearing reticulated beneath. Stipules
half-ovate. Fruit-bearing catkin (? catkin of the female in
any state) borne on a leafy twiglet. Bracteas (scales) gla-
brous or ciliated. Capsules (?or rather ovaries) ovate-lan-
ceolate, glabrous, upon a stalk more than four times as long
as the gland. Style short. Stigmas ovate, notched. (Koch.)
The flowers of the female are disposed in lax cylindrical
catkins. (Smith in Eng. F/.,4. p. 196.) Wild in the infra-
alpine bogs of the Carpathians, and in spongy bogs of Po-
land, Livonia, Volhynia, and through Russia, Sweden, and
Lapland. It occurs in the alps of Bavaria, whence it descends
into the valleys ; and has been gathered even near Munich,
in turfy ground. (Koch.) This is registered as having been
introduced into Britain in 1772. Mr. Borrer has remarked
in the list that he is not aware that it has been introduced
alive into Britain.
-** 151. S. PEDICELLAXRIS Pursh. The long-stalked-capsuled Willow.
Identification. Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 611. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 78.
Synonyme. S. pennsylvanica Host.
The Sexes. The female is noticed in the Specific Character.
Spec. Char., fyc. Stem erect Branches glabrous. Leaves obovate-lanceolate, acute, entire, glabrous,
green on both surfaces. Stipules none. Catkins stalked, nearly glabrous. Bracteas oblong, scarcely
hairy. Ovary ovate, oblong, glabrous, upon a stalk twice as long as the bractea. Stigma sessile,
divided. Wild on the Catskill Mountains, New York ; flowering in April. An elegant and sin-
gular species. Introduced by Pursh in 1811. (Pursh, Smith, and Hort. Brit.)
j* 152. S. PLANIFO'LIA Pursh. The flat-leaved Labrador Willow.
Identification. Pursh FL Amer. Sept., 2. p. 611. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 92.
Spec. Char., Sfc. It is inclined to rise from the ground on a single stem. Branches divaricating,
glabrous. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, very glabrous, flat, spreading ; acute at each end, minutely
serrated in the middle, paler beneath. Stipules none. Native of Labrador. Seer, by Pursh, in
Mr. Anderson's garden, without flowers. (Pursh and Smith.) Introduced in 1811. Perhaps this
is not of the group Myrtilloides. (Borrer in a letter.) This singular species is easily distinguished,
Pursh observes, by its remarkably flat and spreading leaves, and by its being, though procumlxMit,
inclined to rise from the ground on a single low stem. (Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. fill.)
Group xxi. ^ILyrsinltes Borrer.
Small bushy Shrubs.
Stamens 2 to a flower. Ovaries downy. Leaves oval or broadly elliptical,
serrated, small, glossy, rigid. Plants small and bushy. (Hook. Br. Fl.,
adapted.) It seems to be the case that the epithet JWyrsinites, in S. Afyrsi-
nites //., has been intended to imply a likeness in the foliage of that kind to
5L 3
1588 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
that of the Faccinium ^fyrsinites; and it may be supposed that this cha-
racter obtains more or less in all the kinds of the group.
-t* 153. S. .MYRSINI'TES L. The Whortleberry -leaved Willow.
Identification. Lin., cited by Borrer in Eng. Bot. Suppl., 1 2753., the text ; Fl. Dan., 1. 1054. (Smith.')
Synonymes. S. Afyrsinltes /3, Smith Eng. FL, 4. p. 195., Hook. Br. FL, ed. 2., p. 429. ; S. flrbutifolia
Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 682. ; probably S. Macnabidna Macgillivray in Jameson's Edtnb. Phil. Jour ,
Oct. 1830. (The above indicated by Borrer.) S. Afyrsinltes Koch, part of, Koch Comm., p. GO.
S. rtrbutifolia Willd., Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 67. ; S. dubia Suter Helv., p. 283. (Willd.)
The Sexes. It is implied in the Spec. Char., $c., that the female is known.
Engraving. Fl. Dan., 1. 1054. (Smith.)
JSpec. Char., $c. This has, like S. fctulifolia, short catkins, and
distinctly serrated leaves; but these are more acute, and of an
ovate-lanceolate figure ; and the long style seems to afford a dis-
tinctive character. (Borrer in Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2753., in the
text.) It occurs on various Scottish mountains. (Id.) Wahlenberg
compares the stems and leaves to those of 2?etula nana, from the
glossy greenness of the latter, their prominent veins, and their
remaining on the shoots in a withered state till the following year.
The whole plant is very dark, and almost black when dry. (Hook. 1344
Br. Fl.)
jk 154. S. .SETULIFO'LIA Forster. The dwarf Birch-leaved Willow.
Identification. Forster MS., cited by Borrer in Eng. Bot. Suppl., t 2753., in the text.
Synonymes. S. 3/yrsinltes Smith Eng. Sot., 1. 1360., exclusively of the references to HoffYnann (Smith
in Eng. FL), Eng. Fl., 4. p. 195., exclusively of the var. /3, Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 60., Hook.
Br. FL, ed. 2., p. 429., exclusively of the var. /3, not of Linn. (Borrer) ; S. jl/yrsinltes Koch, part
of, Koch Comm., p. 60.
The Sexes. The female is described in Eng. Fl., and figured in Eng. Bot. and Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., 1. 1360. : Smith in Eng. Fl. has quoted, besides, Lin. FL Lapp., t. 7. f. 6. t. 8.
f. / ; and Villars Dauph., 3. t50. f. 12. : but has designated this as "bad : " Sal. Wob., No. 60. ;
our fig. 1345. ; and fig. 60. in p. 1615.
Spec. Char., $c. It differs from S. procumbens by its smaller, rounder, more
conspicuously serrated leaves; shorter, almost ovate, catkins; shorter,
more truncate, and paler bracteas (scales) ; and more distinctly quadrangular
ovary. From the remarkable primd facie resemblance of its leaves
to those of 2?etula nana, Mr. Forster has suggested for it the
name of ietulifolia. (Borrer in Eng. Bot. Suppl.) Mr. Borrer
regards it as not certain that this kind is a native of Britain ; and
the question resting on whether the kind found by Dr. Stuart in
the mountains of Glencoe is identical with S. -Myrsinites of Eng.
Bot., or with S. procumbens Eng. Bot, Suppl., he has stated 1345
that, to ascertain this, it would be necessary to inspect the specimens of
the kind found by Stuart, preserved in Lightfoot's herbarium. If the kind
prove not British, Mr. Borrer does not know its source. Cultivated in
the willow garden at Woburn Abbey, it has flowered in May, and again in
August. A sturdy, upright, bushy shrub, 1 ft. to 2 ft. high, with abun-
dance of short, leafy, dark purplish branches, hairy when young, not downy.
Leaves very different from those of all the foregoing species, except S.
walifdlia, in their rigid, thin, crackling, veiny texture; without anything
glaucous or cottony about them, the fine hairs on the younger ones being
scattered and silky. (Smith Eng. Fl.) Pursh has included in his Flor.
Amer. Sept., ii. p. 617., a North American kind of willow, named S. Myr-
sinites : ? is this the same as either of the above.
Jc 155. S. PROCU'MBENS Forbes. The procumbent Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 61., exclusively of the synonymes. The figure is not a cha-
racteristic one. (Borrer in Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2753.) Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 2., p. 429. ; Borrer in Eng.
BoL Suppl., t 2753.
Synonymet. S. la'vis Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 1., p. 432. ; S. retDsa Wither. Sot. Arr., ed. 4., 2. p. 49., and
The Sixes'. The female is described and figured in Eng. Bot. Suppl. and Sal. Wob. The male plant
has not come under our notice. (Borrer.)
Engravings. Wither. Bot. Arr., ed, 4., vol.2. ; Sal. Wob., No. 61., the figure not a characteristic
one; Eng. Bot Suppl., t. 2753. ; and OUT fig. 61. in p. 1615.
Spec. Char., fyc. Branches diverging. Leaves oval, minutely serrated, re-
curved, bright green and shining on both surfaces. Catkins elongated,
IP. CIII. SALTCA^CEdE. SAVLIX. 1589
thick, cylindrical. Ovary nearly sessile, tapering, obsoletely quadrangular.
Style short, deeply cloven. Stigmas spreading, bifid. (Borrer in Kng. liul.
Sup pi.) A native of the Highlands of Scotland : it has been found in the
mountains of Breadalbane, and upon Brae-Riach, one of the Cairngorm
range. It flowers in June, but, in the willow garden at Woburn Abbey,
in May. The following characters are some of those described of it by Mr.
Forbes : — A low procumbent shrub, extending along the ground, with green-
ish brown, pubescent, round, shortish branches. Leaves from 1 in. to 1 £ in.
long, and upwards of 1 in. in breadth ; of a roundish-elliptical shape,
hollowed out, or somewhat heart-shaped, at the base ; bright green and
shining on both sides ; always perfectly glabrous and serrated. Readily dis-
tinguished from S. 6etulifolia, which at first sight it greatly resembles, by
its procumbent mode of growth, and large elongated catkins. Dr. Hooker
has observed of it, that it is a beautiful shrub ; and that it has been culti-
vated for years in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, where it retains all its
characters. There are plants of it at Henfield.
.* 156. S. RETU^SA L. The retuse-leaved Willow.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 1445.; Willd. Sp. PI., 4, p. 684. ; Hayne Abbild., p. 234. ; Smith in
Rees's Cyclo., No. 70.; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 139.
Synonymes. S. retusa Koch, part of, Koch Comm., p. 62.; S. serpyllifolia Jacq. Austr., t. 298-
(Koch.}
The Sexes. Both sexes are described in Rees's Cyclo., and thence in Sal. Wob., and below ; and both
are figured in Hayne Abbild. : the male is figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Bocc. Mus., 1. t. 1. ; Jacq. Austr., t. 298. ; Hayne Abbild., 1. 176. ; Sal. Wob., No. 139. ;
our Jtg. 1346. ; and fig. 139. in p. 1630.
Spec. Char., tyc. Leaves obovate, entire, glabrous, shining above. Catkins
of the female oblong, of few flowers. Bracteas (scales) the length of the
oblong smooth ovary. (Smith in Rees's Cyclo.} Native of the alps of
Germany, Switzerland, France, and Italy, but not of Britain or
the north of Europe. The main stems are woody, depressed,
trailing, branched, often of great thickness, throwing up many
short, glabrous, leafy branches, which are likewise partly decum-
bent. Leaves stalked, various in size and breadth, but usually
from \ in. to 1 in. long, and from one to four lines broad ; quite
entire, abrupt, or even emarginate, at the extremity ; tapering at
the base ; furnished with one rib, and many straight parallel veins.
Catkins lax; those of the male yellow, with elliptic, oblong,
slightly ,hairy bracteas (scales). Stamens 2 to a flower. Catkin of the
female of about 8 or 10 flowers. Capsules large, nearly sessile, ovate, gla-
brous. The style, which is short and undivided, remains at the extremity
of one of the valves ; and, as the capsule becomes quite ripe, its stalk is
somewhat elongated. (Rees's Cyclo.') Introduced in 1763, and flowering in
May. It almost equals S. herbacea in diminutiveness. (Willd.')
? Varieties. It is probable that S. Kitaibelzawa, S. UVa-ursi, and S. serpyllifolia
Scop.y are only varieties of S. retusa L. (Borrer in his list.)
Jc 157. S. KITMBELIA^NA Willd. Kitaibel's Willow.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 683. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 69. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob.,
No. 64. ; Wahlenb. Carpat, p. 314. (Koch.)
Synonymes. S. retusa Koch, 0 major Koch Comm., p. 63. ; ? S. Uxva-ursi Pursh. (Borrer in his list.)
It is probable that S. Kitaibelzwna is only a var. of S. retusa L.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 64. ; and our fig. 64. in p. 1616.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves obovate, lanceolate, entire, emarginate ; glabrous and
shining above. Catkins appearing with the leaves, cylindrical, and many-
flowered. Bracteas shorter than the ovate-lanceolate ovary. (Willd. and
Smith. ) A very small shrub, with yellowish glabrous branches, spreading close
along the ground. A native of the Carpathian Mountains ; flowering there in
April and May, and, in the willow garden at Woburn Abbey, in April and
May, and again in August. Branches dark brown, the young ones shining.
Leaves nearly 1 in. long, obovate, lanceolate, entire; emarginate at the
tip ; very glabrous on both sides, the upper side shining ; the under one
5 L 4
1590 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
showing parallel veins, and being less shining. Introduced in 1823. There
are plants at Wobnrn, Henfield, and Flitwick.
j» 158. S. UVVA-U'RSI Pursh. The Bearberry-kaw?d Willow.
Identification. Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 610. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 77. ; Forbes in Sal.
Wob., No. 151.
Synonymes. ? Identical with S. KitaibehVJno. (Borrer in his list.) It is probable that S. UVa-ursi
is only a variety of -S. retusa L. (Id.)
The Sexes. The female is noticed in the Spec. Char., %c., below.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 151. ; and out fig. 151. in p. 1630.
Spec. Char., fyc. Stem depressed. Leaves spathulate-obovate, obtuse
entire, glabrous ; shining above, glandular at the margin beneath. Stipules
none. Catkins lax. Bracteas oblong, fringed. Ovary stalked, ovate,
glabrous. Style deeply divided. Stigmas two-lobed. A beautiful little
species, with all the appearance of Jrctostaphylos IPva-ursi in habit, as well
as in the form of its leaves. (Pursh.) A native of Labrador. Introduced
in ? 1811, and flowering in April and May. This was possessed alive by
Mr. G. Anderson.
^ 159. S. .SERPYLLIFO'LIA Scop. The Wild-Thyme-leaved Willow.
Identification. Scop. Cam., No. 1207. ; Willd. Sp. Pi., 4. p. 684. ; Hayne Abbild., p. 325. ; Smith in
Rees's Cyclo., No. 71. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 65.
Synonymes. S. retusa Koch, y Koch Comm., p. 63. It is probable that S. serpyllifolia Scop, is only a
variety of.S. retusa L. (Borrer in his list.)
The Sexes. The male is figured in Sal. Wob., the female in Hayne Abbild.
Engravings. Scop. Carn., t. 61. "Scopoli's figure throws no great light on the " species. (Smith in
Rees's Cyclo.) Sal. Wob., No. 65. ; our figs. 1347, 1348. ; and Jig. 65. in p. 1616.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves ovate, or ovate-lanceolate, acute, entire,
glabrous, shining above. Catkins oblong, of few flowers. Cap-
sules elliptic, glabrous. Stigmas sessile. (Smith in
Rees's Cyclo.) A native of the high mountains of
France, Italy, and Switzerland; flowering in May.
'l347 Introduced in 1818- Haller, Allioni, Villars, and
other botanists, took this for a variety of S. retusa; ^ 4
but it appeal's to be widely different, the leaves being nearly
three times smaller, and always acute. A very curious little plant, only
1 in. or 2 in. high, of which there are specimens at Henfield, in the Chelsea
Botanic Garden, and in the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges.
jc 160. S. CORDIFOVLIA Pursh. The heart-leaved Labrador Willow.
Identification. Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 611. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 72. ; Forbes in Sal.
Wob., No. 143. p. 277.
Engravings. Sal Wob., No. 143., a leaf; and fig. 141. in p. 1630.
Spec. Char., &c. Stem depressed. Leaves oyal, rather acute, entire, reticulated with veins, heart,
shaped at the base ; glabrous above, pale, with a hairy rib and mavgin beneath. Stipules half-
heart-shaped. Native of Labrador. In general habit it resembles S. Myrsinltes. (Pursh.) A
native of North America, in Labrador. Introduced in 1811, and flowering from April till June.
Koch observes of this species, that it is very similar to S. Waldsteinjaraa Willd., and differs only
in the leaves being strictly entire. The leaves, when young, are sprinkled with villose hairs, but
soon become glabrous, except at the edge.
Group xxii. Herbacea Borrer.
Very low Shrubs, scarcely rising an Inch above the Ground.
There are only two species in this group, the characteristics of which will be
found in their specific characters.
j» 161. S. HERBA^CEA L. The herbaceous-/oo£mg Willow.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 2445.; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 682.; Hayne Abbild., p. 233. ; Smith in
Rees's Cyclo., No.66. ; Koch Comm., p. 63. ; Smith Eng. Bot.,"t. 1907. ; Eng. Fl., 4. p. 199. ;
Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 63.; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3.; Mackay Fl. Hibern., pt.l. p. 253. ; Host
Sal. Austr., 1. p. 32. ; Pursh Fl. Amor. Sept., 2. p. 617.
The Sexet. Both sexe« are described in Eng. Fl., and figured in Sal. Wob., Hayne Abbild., and
CHAP. C
CHAP. CIII. SALIC AVCE/E. S^LIX. 1591
Host Sal. Austr. : in Eng. Hot., the female, In fruit and flower'; and bractea (scale) of the male.
Both sexes were living, in 1SJH, in the Twickenham Botanic Garden.
Engravings. Hayne Abbild., t. 175.; Eng. Bot., t. 1907.; Sal. Wob., No. 62.; and Host Sal.
Austr., 1. t.104.; our Jig. 1;549. ; and fig. 62. in p. 1615.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves orbicular, serrated, reticulated with veins; very
glabrous and shining on both sides. Ovary stalked, ovate-lanceolate,
glabrous. (Smith Eng. Fl.) A native of Britain, on the Welsh and High
land mountains ; flowering there in June, but, in the
willow garden at Woburn Abbey, before the expansion
of the leaves. It is a native, also, of various parts of
Europe; also, according to Pursh, of North America.
In the Companion to the Botanical Magazine, it is
stated that S. herbacea exceeds in the elevation of
its habitat every other shrub in Britain (p. 89.) ; and
that « few hills of 800 or 900 yards in Britain are
without S. herbacea, whilst £ reticulata is probably
limited to the Scottish Highlands, and not very
plentiful there." (p. 222.) S. herbacea is the least
of British willows, and, according to Sir J. E. Smith, the least of all
shrubs. Dr. Clarke, in his Scandinavia, calls it a perfect tree in minia-
ture; so small, that it may be taken up, and root, trunk, and branches
spread out in a small pocket-book. According to Hooker (Br. FI.y
ed. 2.), it is not " so small as is generally supposed, for its stems divide
and creep below the surface of the earth, scarcely rising 1 in. above it." In
ed. 3., it is stated, on the authority of Dr. Graham, that, " in the Bo-
tanic Garden of Edinburgh it has acquired a prostrate woody stem, 2 ft. to
3 ft. long, and as thick as the little finger." Under the head Varieties,
we have noticed some plants which may belong to this species, and
which have stems 2 ft. or 3 ft. high. The leaves of S. herbacea are em-
ployed, in Iceland, in the tanning of leather. (Lindl. Nat. Syst. Bot.} S.
herbacea is called by the Laplanders the ptarmigan leaf. ( Wahlenberg,
quoted in Eng. JFY.) In Switzerland, M. Alphonse De Candolle observes,
" some species of willow (S. retusa, herbacea, and reticulata) spread over
the uneven surface of the soil ; and, as their branches are often covered
with the earth, which the heavy rains wash over them, they present the
singular phenomenon of trees which are more or less subterranean. The
extremities of these branches form, sometimes, a kind of turf; and the
astonished traveller finds himself, as we may say, walking on the top of a
tree. The £alix herbacea is the species that most frequently presents this
remarkable appearance, because it generally grows on steep slopes of loose
soil, particularly among the fragments of schistus, that are easily penetrated
by the melting snow and the rain." (Gard. Mag., xii. p. 235.) There are
plants at Henfield.
? Varieties. " A very remarkable kind of willow, from Sutherland, which has
all the characters of S. herbacea, except that it grows 2 ft. high, has been
sent to me by Dr. Graham, and is now alive in my garden." (Borrer in a
letter.) An unusually large variety was found by Mr. Templeton on the
top of Slieve-Nance, in the county of Antrim, Ireland, similar to some
of the large varieties gathered by Mr. M'Nab of Edinburgh on the moun-
tains of Sutherland. Mr. Moore lately sent Mr. Mackay very luxuriant
specimens from Dark Mountain, in the county of Deny, Ireland. (Fl.
Hibern., pt. 1. p. 253.)
j» 162. £ POLARIS Wahlenb. The Polar Willow.
Identification. Wahlenb. Suec., p. 636. ; Fl. Lapp., p. 261. ; Koch Comm., p. 64. ; Forbes in Sal.
Wob., No. 63.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Wahl. Fl. Lapp., t. 13. f. 1. ; Sal. Wob., No. 63. ; our figs. 1350. and 1351. ; and fig. 63.
in p. 1615.
Spec. Char.,$c. Leaves ovate, very obtuse, nearly entire, glabrous. Catkins
of few flowers. Stem filiform, or thread-shaped. (Wahlenberg Fl. L.) A
1592 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
native of Lapland; flowering there in July, and, in the »* ^
willow garden at Woburn Abbey, in April, and again in
July. Introduced in 1820. The branches and leaves of
this species are more tender during the spring than those of
S. herbacea ; the stem is almost filiform. Leaves broadly
J350 ovate, or somewhat roundish, ovate, or obovate; hardly *»•
ever so narrow as to be called oblong ; and shining on both sides. Mr.
Forbes says this plant bears a strong affinity to S. herbacea ; but that the
silky germ ens and glaucous leaves clearly show it to be distinct. There
are plants at Henfield.
Group xxiii. Hastate Borrer.
Low Shrubs f ivilh very broad Leaves, and exceedingly shaggy and silki/ Catkins.
(HookBr.Fl.)
& 163. S. HASTAVA L. The \\a\berd-leaved Willow.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1443. ; Fl. Lapp., eA 2., 293.; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 664. ; Smith in Rees's
Cyclo., No. 22. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 35.
Synonyme, S. hastata Koch, part of, and, if the kinds indicated below as varieties be admitted as
such, all of Koch's S. hastata, except S. Wulfenzanrt Willd., Koch Corain., p. 42.
The Sexes. The female is described and figured in Sal. Wob. Smith has noted in Hees's Cyclo that
he had not seen male flowers.
Engravings. Lin. Fl. Lapp., ed. 2. t. 8. f. 9. ; Sal. Wob., No. 35. ; our fig. 1352. ; and fig. 35. in p. 161 1 .
Spec. Char.y fyc. Leaves ovate, acute, serrated, undulated, crackling, glabrous ;
heart-shaped at the base, glaucous beneath. Stipules unequally heart-
shaped, longer than the broad footstalks. Catkins very woolly. Ovary
lanceolate, glabrous, on a short stalk. (Smith in
Rees's Cyclo.} A native of the mountains of Lap-
land. It is said that Messrs. Lee and Kennedy
first brought it into this country, in about 1780. It
rises to a small spreading tree, and flowers in April
or May. Branches blackish, hairy when very young
only. Leaves 3 in. long, and about half as wide.
(Id.) It generally attains the height of 4ft. to 5 ft.
(Forbes.) Koch, viewing the species as comprising
the varieties indicated below and S. WulfenzVma
Willd., has given the geographical distribution of
it as follows : — Moist places, and by rivers in the
alpine and subalpine regions of Savoy, Switzerland,
Germany, and Carpathia, Sweden, and Britain. Its
most certain British station seems that discovered
by Mr. F. Drummond, " by a small stream that passes through the sands
of Barrie, near Dundee." (Bor.) In the north of Sweden, it inhabits
the bogs of the lower regions and plains. S. walifolia Smithy indicated
below as a variety of S. hastata, is the kind of the latter that is indigenous
to Britain. Koch, according to his view of the contents of S. hastata
as a species, has ascribed to it a variousness in the form of the leaf of from
lanceolate to ovate, with a heart-shaped base.
Varieties.
& S. h. 2 scrruldta. — Leaves broadly ovate, heart-shaped at the base ;
synon. S. hastata Willd. Sp. PL, iv. p. 664. But Wahlenberg .has
accurately remarked that the description relates to a shoot devoid
of flowers : the same kind, in a flower-bearing state, is the S. serru-
lata Willd. Sp. PL, iv. p. 664. (Koch Comm., p. 43.) This variety of
Koch's we consider as blended in our first, or typical, kind. Willde-
now has given Lapland as the native country of both his, S. hastata
•HAP. cm.
SALICA CEJE. SAXIX.
1593
and S. scrrulata : the latter is registered as introduced into Britain
in 1810.
S. h. 3 \\\a1ifilia ; S. wialifolia Smith Eng. Sot., 1. 1617., Willd. Sp. P/.,iv.
p. <>?()., Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 36.; S. hastata, part of, Koch
Com HI. t p. 43. ; S. hastata Hook. Br. Fl.,ed.2.; S. hastata Borrer
in a letter. — The female is figured in Sal. Wob. and in Eng. Bot.,
where Smith notes that he had not seen the catkins of the male.
For a leaf, see OUT fig. 36. in p. 161 1. Leaves elliptic oblong, toothed,
wavy, thin and crackling, very glabrous. Stipules heart-shaped,
about equal to the footstalks. Bracteas obovate, bearded. Ovary
lanceolate, glabrous, on a short glabrous stalk. (Smith Eng. Fl.)
According to Koch, the leaves are obovate-oblong, serrated with
crowded and deepish teeth. (Comm., p. 43.) Sir J. E. Smith, who
considered this sort as a distinct species, described it as having an
aspect " altogether singular among our British willows, resembling
some sort of apple tree rather than a willow." The stem is from 3 ft.
or 4 ft. to 6 ft. high, crooked, with numerous irregular, spreading,
crooked, or wavy branches, most leafy about the ends ; their bark
blackish ; the young ones hairy. There are plants of S. hastata
and S. h. ?»alifolia at Woburn and Flitwick.
& ? J* S. h. 4 arbuscula ; S. arbuscula Wahl. Fl. Dan., t. 1055.,
Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 138., where there is a figure
and description of the female plant (see our fig. 1353.,
also fig. 138. in p. 1630.) ; S. arbuscula £ Lin. Fl. Suec.,
p. 348. ; S. arbuscula y Lin. Sp. PI., p. 1545., Fl. Lapp.,
t. 8. f. m. — Leaves lanceolate, serrated with distant,
small, and appressed teeth, or almost entire. Accord-
ing to Forbes, the leaves are elliptic-lanceolate, sharply
serrated ; glabrous above, glaucous and slightly silky beneath ; the
lower leaves densely silky. Catkins about ^ in. long. Ovary ovate,
downy, sessile. Style longer than the linear divided stigmas. The
old leaves appear to be nearly glabrous, and to correspond with the
figure of S. arbuscula in Flor. Lapp., pi. 8. fig.m. (Sal. Wob., p. 275.)
Brought from Switzerland, by Lord G. W. Russell, in ? 1824 ; and
flowering, in the Woburn salictum, in May. A very pretty little
shrub, not above 1 ft. high. (Ibid.)
& 164. S. LAN A 'T A L. The woolly-leaved WTillow.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1446.; FL Lapp., ed.2. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 688. ; Smith in Rees's
Cyclo., No. 88. ; Smith Eng. FL, 4. p. 205. ; Hook, in Eng. Bot. Suppl., t. 2624. ; Wahlenb. Lapp., 259.;
Hook. Br. FL, ed. 2.
Synonymcs. S. lanJita, the kind No. 2., Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 71. ; S. lanata Koch, at least part
of Koch Comm., p. 53. ; ? S. caprea Fl. Dan., t. 245. The style is represented as bifid, and the stig-
mas as bipartite. (Hooker m E. B.) ?S. chrysanthos Fl. Dan., 1. 1057. , Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 71.,
the kind No. 1. In Fl. Dan., t. 1057., two styles to a flower are represented, though the plate, in
other respects, very faithfully represents my Lapland specimen of S. lanata, sent me by Dr. Wick-
strom. (Hooker in Eng. Sot.) The S. chrysanthos Fl. Dan. and the Scottish S. lanata appear to
me widely different in foliage, the Scottish kind having its leaf much more orbicular, and generally
heart-shaped at the base. (Forbes in Sal. Wob.) Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 704., Smith in JRees's Cycl.,
No. 127.
The Sexes. Both sexes are described and figured in Eng. Bot. Suppl., t.2624. : both sexes of S.
chrysanthos Fl. Dan. are figured in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Lin. Fl. Lapp., ed. 2., t. 8. f. x., t. 7. f. 7. ; Wahl. Lapp., t. 16. f. 1. ; Eng. Bot. Suppl.
t,2624.: Sal. Wob.,No. 71., "-- '-:-J VT- " -•— -- ™ •*-- ^*»« •> -*- <
fig.ll. No. 2. in p. 1617.
1353
the kind No. 2., a leaf; FL Dan., t.245. ? 1057. ; our fig'. 1354. ; and
Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves roundish ovate, pointed, entire ; shaggy on both
surfaces ; glaucous on the under one. Ovary sessile, oblong, glabrous.
Styles four times as long as the blunt divided stigmas. (Smith Eng. Fl.)
Catkins clothed with long, yellow, silky hairs. Ovary nearly sessile, Ian-
ceolate, longer than the style. Stigmas undivided. (Hooker in Eng. Bot.
S///>/)/.) Capsule upon a stalk that is longer than the gland. Stigmas
entire. (Koch Comm., p. 53.) Stamens 3 to a flowes ; in some instances 2 ;
the filaments, in not a few instances, combined to a greater or less extent.
(Hooker in E. B. S.) A native of Lapland, the Faro Isles, and Sweden ; and,
159*
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
1354.
perhaps, other parts of the north of Europe, besides Scot-
land, in which country it has been found in two localities ;
one, Glen Callater, where it was found by Mr. G. Don,
who was the first to discover the species in Scotland ; the
other, the Clova Mountains, where Mr. T. Drummond
discovered it on rocks, in sparing quantity. It flowers in
May. The figures in Eng. Sot. Suppl., dated February,
1630, had been partly prepared from a plant cultivated
in the Chelsea Physic Garden, that had been originally
brought from the Clova Mountains. The following traits "^
are derived from Smith's detailed description in Eng. Fl. :
— " Stem 3 ft. or 4 ft. high, with numerous thick dis-
torted branches, downy when young. Leaves broader than those of any
other British willow except S. caprea, on shortish stout footstalks ; elliptic
or roundish, with a short oblique point ; entire, though somewhat wavy ;
from l^in. to 2i in. long, occasionally heart-shaped at the base; some-
times more obovate, inclining to lanceolate, and the earlier ones much
smaller : all of hoary or grey aspect, being covered, more or less completely,
with long, soft, silky, shaggy hairs, especially the upper surface; the under
one is more glaucous, beautifully reticulated with veins. Catkins terminal,
large, and very handsome, bright yellow : those of the female proceed from
lateral buds." Dr. Wahlenberg considers this species as " the most beau-
tiful willow in Sweden, if not in the whole world." The splendid golden
catkins at the ends of the young shoots light up, as it were, the whole
bush, and are accompanied by the young foliage, sparkling with gold and
silver. It yields, also, more honey than any other salix. Grafted standard'
high, it would make a delightful little spring-flowering tree for suburban
gardens. There are plants at Henfield, and in the Goldworth Arboretum.
Varieties, according to Koch, in Koch Comm., p. 53.
& S. /. 2 glabrescens-, S. chrysanthos Vahl Fl. Dan., vi. t. 1057. (Koch
Comm., p. 53.) — Leaves glabrous in a great degree.
it S. /. 3 glandulosa Wahlenb. Fl. Lapp., t. 16. f. 1. (Koch Comm.") — Leaves
sublanceolate, glabrous in a great degree, tooth with glanded teeth.
? jc S. /. 4 depolita Koch; S. depressa Lin. Fl. Suec., No. 899., Fl. Lapp.,
No. 36 1. 1. 8. fig. n., Wahlenb. Fl. Lapp. (Koch Comm.), Lin. Fl. Suec.,
ed. 2., 352., Fl. Lapp., ed. 2., 297. t. 8. f. n. (Smith in Rees's
Cyclo.}
If S. chrysanthos Fl. Dan. be admitted as a variety of S. lanata L., the
question as to its synonymes stated above may be deemed unnecessary.
Group xxiv. Miscellanea A.
Kinds ofSdlix described in Sal. Wob., and not included in any of the preceding
Groups.
% 165. S. ^GYPTIVACA L. The Egyptian Willow.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1444. ; Willd. Sn. PJ., 4. p. 686., excluding the references to Pallas and
Gmelin ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 82. ; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 146.
Synonymes. Calaf and Ban, Alpin. JEgypt., 61. t. 62.
"the Sexes. The male is mentioned in the description in Rees's Cyclo.
Engravings. Alpin. JEgypt., t. 62. ; Sal. Wob., No. 14ft ; andyfe. 146. in p. 1630.
Spec. Char.,S(C. Leaves somewhat toothed, elliptic, oblong, veiny; rather glabrous above, glaucous
and more or less hairy beneath. Stipules half-heart-shaped. Branches glabrous, and angular and
furrowed. Catkins sessile, very hairy. Alpinus describes this species as a small tree. The leaves
are on rather short footstalks, broad at the base, without glands, usually 3 in. or 4 in. long, and
nearly 2 in. broad ; acute, rather distinctly toothed ; glaucous and densely downy when young.
(Rees'i Cyclo., art. S&lix, No. 82.) A native of Egypt, where a water is said to be procured from
, the catkins by distillation, which is considered antipestilential. (Ibid.)
CHAP. cm.
SALICA^CEJE. SAVLIX.
1595
? t ? * ?.* 166. S. ALPIVNA ? Forbes. The alpine Willow.
Identification, 't Forbes Sal. Wob., No, 149. Mr. Forbes has not quoted an authority for the name,
though he has noted that he was indebted to Professor Don for a specimen.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., No. 149. ; and our fig. 149. in p. 1630.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves obovate, elliptic, entire ; margins slightly revolute, densely silky on the
upper surface; glaucous, reticulated, hairy underneath. Branches slender, and very black when
dried. (Sal. Wob.,p. 279.) " Dr. Graham kindly sent me living cuttings of a willow with this
name, alplna, from the Edinburgh Garden, in 1831 ; but I have not succeeded in cultivating it I
think it much resembled S. cordifolia Pursh, which I formerly had growing.
* 167. S. BERBERIYQ^IK Pall. The Berberry-leaved Willow.
Identification. Pall. Fl. Ross., 1. p. 2. 84. t. 82. : Itin., 3., Append., 759. t. K. k. f.
7. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 683. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 68. ; Forbes in SaL
Wob., No. 140.
The. Seres. The male is figured in Sal, Wob. ; the female is noticed in the Specific
Character.
Engravings. Pall. Fl. Ross., 1. p. 2. t. 82. ; Itin. Append., t. K. k. f. 7 ; Gmel.
Sib., 1. t. 35. f. 3. ; Sal. Wob., No. 140. ; our Jig. 1355. ; and fig. 140. in p. 1630,
Spec. Char., 8fC. Leaves obovate, bluntish, with deep tooth-like serratures, glabrous,
shining, ribbed, and reticulated with veins on both sides. Capsules ovate, glabrous.
(Smith in Rees's Cyclo.) A native of Daiiria, in rocky places on the loftiest moun-
tains ; growing, along with /Jhododendron chrysanthum, near the limits of per.
petual snow. The stems are branched and diffuse. Leaves with disks not much
above | in. long, and so deeply toothed as to be almost pinnatifid ; and very
happily compared to those of the berberry. (Smith.') A variety with elongated
leaves is found in Kamtschatka. Introduced in ? 1824, and flowering in May.
1355
¥ 168. S. TETRASPE'RMA Roxb. The four-seeded Willow.
Identification. Roxb. Corom., 1. p. 66.'; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 657. ; Smith in' Rees's Cyclo., No. 9. :
Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 31.
The Sexes. Both sexes are figured in Rox.'Cor. and in Sal. Wob.
Engravings. Roxb. Corom., 1. t. 97. ; Sal. Wob., No. 31. ; and fig. 31. in p. 1609.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaf oblong-lanceolate, with the upper part acuminate ; serrated, glabrous, glau-
cous beneath. Flowers blossoming after the protrusion of thejleaves. Male flower having 6 sta-
mens. Ovary ovate, stalked. Style short. Wild in mountainous places in India, by the banks
of rivers. (Willd. Sp. PI.) A native of India. Introduced in 1796, or soon afterwards. In its
native country, it forms a middling-sized tree, with an erect trunk, but short, and as thick as a
man's body, bearing a very large branching head, with twiggy branches. It had not flowered in
the Woburn collection anteriorly to the date of the publication of that work in 1829.
± 169. S. £7LMIFOVLIA Forbes. The Elm-leaved Willow, or Sallow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 158.
The Sexes. The female is described in Sal. Wob., and in the Specific Character.
Spec. Char.,8(C. Stem erect Leaves ovate-elliptic, serrated ; glaucous beneath, shining above: a
little heart-shaped and unequal at the base, acute at the tip. Stipules large, half-heart-shaped,
serrated and glandular towards the stem. Ovary nearly sessile, ovate-lanceolate, glabrous. Style
elongated, glabrous. Stigmas notched. Bracteas obovate, dark in their upper half, and fringed.
(Sal. Wob., p. 286.) A native of Switzerland. Introduced in 1821, and flowering, in the Woburn
salictum, in April, and again in August. An upright bushy tree, attaining the height of 18 ft. or
more. Branches round, pubescent, of a dark brown colour, and marked with many small red
spots towards autumn. The leaves from 2 in. to 2| in. long, and 1£ in. in breadth, of an ovate-elliptic
shape, sometimes hollowed out at the base ; finely serrated ; green and shining above, glaucous
and besprinkled with minute hairs underneath. Footstalks above | in. long, villous, like the mid-
rib. Catkin slender, 1£ in. long when at maturity. Three applications of the epithet wlmif61ia,
besides the above, have been made; namely, S. tdmifblia Thuill. Paris., 518., De Cand. Fl. Fr.
5. p. 340. (Koch Comm., p. 37.; Smith Eng. Fl.) ; S. 7<lmifblia Schl. (Steud. Nom. Bot.) ; and S
wlmifolia Hort. Berol. (Koch Comm., p. 42.) Koch has referred the first of these to S. caprea, and
Smith to S. aurlta ; the second is referred, in Steud. Nom. Bot., to S. nigricans Smith ; the third by
1 Koch, to his S.phylici folia. ? Is Mr. Forbes's distinct from all these. S. wlmifblia Thuill. is regis-
tered in Hort. Brit., No. 24006., as having been introduced from Switzerland in 1821.
j» 170. S. VILLO^SA Forbes. The vi\\ous-leavcd Willow.
Identification. Forbes in Sal. Wob., p. 183.
The Sexes. The plant in the Woburn collection had not flowered in 1829.
Engravings. Sal. Wob., t. 92. ; undfig. 92. in p. 1619.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves obovate-lanceolate, finely serrated towards the tip ; rather slightly toothed,
and tapering towards the base ; upper surface shining, and minutely covered with small hairs ; be-
neath, glaucous, reticulated, and slightly hairy. (Sal. Wob., p. 183.) A small shrub, with slender,
greenish yellow, villous branches, which are sometimes marked with yellow dots ; growing here to
the height of 2 ft. The leaves are from 1 in. to 1 j in. long, obovate-lanceolate, tapering towards the
base, minutely serrated at their tip, but generally finely toothed in the middle : often appearing as
entire; their upper surface shining, besprinkled with very minute hairs; under glaucous, reticu-
lated, covered with small shining hairs. The whole substance of the leaves is very thin and tender.
Mr. Forbes cannot unite this with the hitherto described species ; the leaves and slender growth
of the branches being very different from any other species of the genus. It appears rather impa-
tient of cold; and, as it suffers during the winter, that may be .one reason why it has not yet
flowered A .S. vil!6sa Sch/eichcr is registered in Steudel's Nomenelator Kotanicus ; and such is
likely to be indigenous to Schleicher's country of residence, Switzerland, whether the kind noticed
above is identical with it, or not.
1596 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
Group xxv. Miscellanea; B.
Kinds of Salic introduced, and of many of ivhicli there are Plants at Messrs.
Loddiges's, but which we have not been able to refer to any of the preceding
Groups.
Several of the names in this group are Schleicher's, Koch's estimate of which we have already
given in p. 1486. Many of the others are probably of kinds described as belonging to preceding groups ;
because, when the salictum at Woburn was planted, the entire collection of Messrs. Loddiges, as it
existed in 1827, was included. We have, however, given the names and descriptions below, that
nothing might be wanting to render our article on Salix as complete as the nature of the recorded
information on that genus will admit.
& 171. S. ALBE'SCENS Schl. The whitish-leaved Willow.
Identification. Schleicher Cat. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Synonyme. S. stylosa * Dec.
Description, $c. There are living plants in the Hackney arboretum, which appear to belong to
Cinerea?. It is mentioned in the Hortus Britannicus as a native of Switzerland, introduced in 1824.
& 172. S. XLNIFO"LIA Host. The Alder-leaved Willow.
Identification. Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
Description, S(c. This kind appears to belong to the group Cinerea?. There were living specimens
in the Hackney arboretum, and in the Cambridge Botanic Garden, in 1836.
¥ 173. S. AMMANN/^A^ Willd. Ammann's Willow.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PL, No. 16. ; Smith in Rees's CycL, No. 21. ; ? Walt, on the authority of
Steud.
Synonymes. S. Afyrsinites Hqffm. Sal., 17, 18, 19., on the authority of Willd. ; S. hastata Hopp.,
notL.
Engravings. Hoffm. Sal., t. 17, 18, 19. ; Hayne Abbild., t. 116.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves oblong-elliptic, acute, serrated, glabrous, glaucous beneath. Stipules ovate,
permanent, toothed. Catkins about 1 in. long, with elliptic, obtuse, hairy scales ; appearing before
the leaves. (Smith, adapted.) A tree with brown branches, downy when young ; a native of the
Salzburg and Carinthian Alps. According to Hort. Brit., it was introduced from Austria in 1821.
If 174. S. ANGUSTA'TA Pursh. The twper-leaved American Willow.
Identification. Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., No. 21. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 27.
Spec. Char.t ffc. Leaves lanceolate, acute, very long, gradually tapering at the base, finely serrated,
quite glabrous, scarcely paler beneath. Stipules half-heart-shaped. Catkins erect, smoothish,
appearing before the leaves. (Pursh.) A low tree, found in shady woods on the banks of rivers,
in New York and Pennsylvania ; flowering in March. It has very long leaves, and resembles
S. />rinoldes. (Ibid.) Introduced in 1811.
& 175. S. ANGUSTIFONLIA Willd. The narrow-leaved Caspian Willow.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 699. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 112.
Synonyme. ? S. caspica Pall. Fl. Ross., 1. p. 274.
Engraving. N. Du Ham., 3. t 29.
Spec. Char., 8(C. Leaves linear, very narrow, without stipules, nearly entire, ovate at the base,
hoary above, silky beneath. ( Willd. and Smith.) A low shrub, a native of the country near the
Caspian Sea. Branches brown. Pallas's plant is said to be glabrous, otherwise his description
agrees with that given by Willdenow. (Ibid,) Introduced in 1825.
? £ 176. S. 2?ETUXLINA Host. The Birch-like Willow .
Identification. Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
Description, Sfc. This seems to belong to the group Cinerea;. There are living plants in the Hack-
ney arboretum, the leaves of which are too long and too narrow to bear much resemblance to those
of any kind of .Ktula ; so that the name probably refers to some other part of the plant.
? & 177. S. CANDI'DULA Host. The whitish Willow.
Identification. Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Description, tyc. Leaves in form somewhat resembling those of an elm. Apparently belonging to
the group CinSreae. There were living plants in the Hackney arboretum, and in the Botanic Gar-
den at Cambridge, in 1836.
? ft 178. S. CANE'SCENS Lodd. The hoary Willow.
Identification. Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, acute, 2 in. or 3 in. long; glabrous and shining above,
white and downy beneath ; young leaves hoary on the upper side. Capsules ovate, sessile,
downy. There arc plants under this name in the Hackney arboretum, which appear to belong to
the group ("iniTea? Borr., p. 1553. ; and are totally different from S. cant'sccns Willd., No. 67-
in p. 1545, which belongs to the group GlaucaB Borr., p. 1543.
Descri
Messrs
CHAP. cm. SALICA'CE/E. SA'LIX. 1597
stt 179. S. CERASIFO^LIA Schl. The Cherry -leaved Willow.
Identification. Schleichcr's Catalogue.
Description, fyc. An ornamental shrub, a native of Switzerland. Introduced in 1824.
& 180. S. CHRYSA'NTHOS GEd. The golden-flowered Norway Willow.
Identification. (Ecler in Flora Danica, 1. 1057. ; Willd., No. 10S. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 127.
Synonyme. ? S. lan&ta var.
Engraving. Fl. Dan., t. 1057. '
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves elliptic, acute at each end, entire, downy on both sides. Stipules ovate,
entire. Catkins thick, 1 j in. long ; the scales clothed with long, shining, gold-coloured hairs. Stylo
divided to the base. (Smith.) A native of Finmark, as well as of the Norway alps. A shrub with
thick crooked branches, and large shaggy leaves. It takes its name from the gold-coloured hairs
on the scales of the catkin.
& 181. S. CINNAMOVMEA Schl. The Cinnamon Willow.
Identification. Schl. Cat.
Description, %c. A shrub, a native of Switzerland. Introduced in 1824.
afe 182. S. CLETHR^FO'LIA Schl. The Clethra-leaved Willow.
Identification. Schl. Cat. ; Lodd. Cat, 1836.
ription, Sfc. A shrub, a native of Switzerland. Introduced in 1824. There are plants at
. Loddiges's, from which it appears to belong to the group Capreae.
afe 183. S. CONI'FERA Wangenh. The cone-bearing Willow.
Identification. Wangenh. Amer., 123. t. 31. f. 72. ; Muhlenb. in Nov. Act. Soc. Nat Scrut. Berol., 4.
p. 240. ; Willd. Arb., 347., Sp. PL, 4. p. 705. ; Muhlenb. in Sims et Kim. Ann. of Bot, 2. 67. ;
Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 612. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 130.
Synonyme. S. longirustris Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 2. 226.
The Sexes. A female plant, with this name attached, was flowering in the London Horticultural
Society's arboretum in the spring of 1835.
Engraving. Wangenh. Amer., t. 31. f. 72.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, serrulate with distant teeth ; glabrous on the upper
surface, even and tomentose on the under one. Stipules lunate, subdentate. Ovaries lanceolate,
villous. Style elongated. Stamens deeply cleft. (Willd. and Smith.) Wild in North America, in
shady woods on a gravelly dry soil, from New York to Carolina, where it flowers in April. The
cone-like excrescence at the ends of the branches, occasioned by an insect, is not unfrequently
found on S. prinoides and its allied species. (Pursh.) Introduced in 1820.
£ 184. S. CORU'SCANS Willd. The glittering Willow.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 681. ; Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 64. j Eng. Fl., 4. p. 180. ; Host
Sal. Austr., 1. p. 28., who has quoted as identical Jacq. Austr., t. 408.
Synonymes. Willdenow has cited, as identical with this, S. arbuscula Jacq. Austr., t. 408., and
Host Synops., 527. ; and remarked that it is close akin to S. tenuif 61ia Smith ; and Smith has con-
firmed this relationship in Eng.'Fl.,*. p. 180. : yet Koch has cited (Comm., p. 57.) the S. arbuscula
Jacq. Austr., t. 408., as a rude and unfaithful figure of S. Waldsteimdwa Willd., a kind which
WilLdenow has stated (Sp. PI.) to be closely related to S. 3/yrsinltes; Willd. Sp. PL, and, hence, very
different from S. tenuif Mia Smith; and Koch has besides (Comm., p. 45.) mentioned a doubt
whether S. coruscans Willd. does not belong to S. arbuscula Wahlenb., but that he dares not refer
it to it, from not having seen an authentic specimen.
The Sexes. Both sexes are described in Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 681. ; and both are figured in Host Sal.
Austr.
Engravings. Jacq. Austr., t. 408. ; Host SaL Austr., t. 94.
Spec. Char., &c. Leaves ovate-elliptic, acute at the tip, tapered to the base ; serrate, the lower teeth
glanded ; glabrous ; glossy above, [glaucescent beneath. Capsule ovate-lanceolate, glabrous,
(Willd.) It inhabits the Alps of Styria, Carinthia, and Salzburg. (Id.) Willdenow had seen this
kind living, and has described it in detail in his Sp. PL Introduced in 1818.
j* 185. S. CYDONLEFOVLIA Schl. The Quince-leaved Willow.
Identification. Schl. Cat ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
Description, $c. A dwarf shrub, a native of Switzerland. Introduced in 1824. There are plants
at Flitwick, and in the Goldworth and Hackney arboretums.
j* 186. S. DUVBIA Hort. The doubtful Willow.
Description, S$c. There are plants under this name in the arboretum at Flitwick House.
* 187. S. ERIA'NTHA Schl. The woolly-flowered Willow.
Identification. Schl. Cat.
Description, $c. A low shrub, a native of Switzerland. Introduced in 1823, and flowering in April.
j* 188. S. FAGIFOVLIA Waldst. etKit. The Beech-leaved Willow.
Identification. Waldstein et Kitaibel's PI. Rar. Hung. ; Willd., No. 103. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo.,
No. 128.
Spec. Char. ,8;c. Leaves ovate-elliptic, with a glandular point, serrated, entire at the base; about
I1, in. long; dark green and smooth above, reticulated with hairy veins beneath. Stipules kidney-
shaped, with glandular teeth. Branches brown, downy when young. Catkins not observed. ( Willd. ">
A native of the Croatian Alps. There are plants in the Cambridge Botanic (Garden, and at Messrs
Loddiges's ; from the latter of which it appears- to belong to the group Cincrea?.
1598 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
£ 189. S. FINMA'RCHICA Lodd. Cat. The Finmark Willow.
Identification. Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
Description, S(C. A low tree, a native of Sweden. There are plants under this name at Messrs.
Loddiges's, which bear some resemblance to S. viminalis ; and at all events are quite different from
S. finmarchica Willd., No. 55. in p. 15-11. It flowers in April and May.
j* 190. S. FOLIOLOXSA Afael. The many-leaved Willow.
Identification. Afzel. in Linn. Fl. Lapp., ed. 2., p. 295. ; Willd., No. 61. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo.,
No. 73.
Synonymes. ? S. folibsa Loud. Hort. Brit., No. 24028., Sweet's Hort. Brit., No. 159.; S. alplna
wyrtilolia Rudb. Lapp., 99. ; S. arbuscula {3 Lin. Sp. PL, 1445.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves elliptic, ovate, entire, somewhat pointed, smooth, glaucous beneath. Ovary
. lanceolate, silky, on a long stalk. Stigmas nearly sessile, deeply divided. (Linn.) A very low
shrub, not exceeding 1 ft. high, with very ,thin almost pellucid leaves ; and short, thick, many-
flowered catkins, produced on short lateral branches. A native, according to Linnaeus, of sandy
fields in the wild part of Lapland, but rare. (Smith in Rees's Cyclo.) Some botanists consider this
synonymous with S. If vida, No. 190.
& 191. S. FORMOSA Willd. The elegant Willow.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PI, No. 51. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 62.
Si/nonymes. S. glauca Willd. Arb., 358., ? S. alplna Scop. Cam., ed. 2. vol. 2. p. 255.
Engraving. ? Scop. Cam., vol. 2., t. 61.
Spec. Char., fyc. Branches reddish brown. Leaves 1 in. or more in length, a little contracted at
the base, finely fringed at the edge ; the young ones very silky beneath. Stipules extremely minute.
Female catkins scarcely 1 in. long, .with lanceolate, fringed scales. (Willd.) A native of the Swiss
and Cahnthian Alps.
-» 192. S. FUSCAVTA Pursh. The brown-stemmed Willow.
Identification. Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 612. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 110.
Spec. Char., $c. Branches of the preceding year covered with a dark brown or black tomentum.
Leaves obovate-lanceolate, acute, somewhat serrated, glaucous beneath, downy when young.
Stipules minute. Catkins drooping. Scales obtuse, scarcely hairy on the inside. (Pursh.) Found
wild, in low overflowed grounds on the banks of rivers, from New York to Pennsylvania ; flower-
ing in March or April. (Id.)
& 193. S. GLABRA^TA Schl. The glabrous Willow.
Identification. Schleich. Cat. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
Description, S[C. A shrub, a native of Switzerland. Introducedjin 1820. There are living plants
in the Hackney arboretum, from which it appears to belong to the group Cinerea;.
& 194. S. HETEROPHY'LLA Deb. The various-leaved Willow.
Identification. De Bray ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
>Pe. ]
arboretum.
.* 195. S. HUVMILIS Dec. The humble Willow.
Identification. De Candolle.
Description, S(c. A low shrub, seldom rising above 1J in. high. Introduced in 1820, and flowering
in ApriL
.* 196. S. JACQUI'N// Host. Jacquin's Willow.
Identification. Host Synops., p. 529. ; Wahlenb. Carpat, p. 315. ; Koch Comm., p. 61.
Synonymes. S. ftisca Jacq. Austr., 1 409., ? Hoff. Hist. Sal. ; S. alpma Scop. Corn., 2. 255. t. 61. ; S.
Jacquinjano Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 692., Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 95., Hayne Abbild., p. 239.,
Host Sal. Aust, 1. p. 31.
The Sexes. Both sexes are figured in Hayne Abbild., and both in Host Sal. Aust.
Engravings. Jacq. Aust, t 409. ; Scop. Cam., 2. t. 61. ; Hayne Abbild., 1 181. ; Host Sal. Aust, 1.
t. 102.
Spec. Char., tyc. Leaves elliptic "or lanceolate, entire, reticulately veiny on both surfaces, shining,
eventually becoming more or less glabrous, ciliate. Catkins upon a twiglet nearly as long as the
catkin ; leafy in the lower part, leafless in the upper. Capsule (? or ovary) ovate-acuminate, sessile,
woolly, eventually upon a very short stalk, and more or less glabrous. Gland reaching higher than
the base of the capsule. Style elongated. Stigmas linear, bifid or entire. It only differs from
•V. 3/yrsinltes Koch in having its leaves entire, and mostly, if not always, ciliate at the margin.
r1 Is it a variety of that species. (Koch.) S. Myrsinltes of Koch's Comm. is equal to the S. Myr-
sinltes L., and S. ftetulifolia Forster, of this work. S. Jacquimt is indigenous to the highest alpine
chains of Carinthia, Carniola, Austria, Carpathia, and Transylvania. (Koch.) Introduced in 1818.
& 197. S. LI'VIDA Wahlenb. The livid-leaved Willow.
Identification. Wahlenb. Lapp., No. 1169. ; Koch Comm., p. 39.
Synonymes. S. arbuscula y Lin. Fl. Suec., p. 348. ; ? S. arbuscula /3 Lin. Sp. PI., p. 1446. ; S. Starke-
ana Willd. Sp. PI , 4. p. G77., according to specimens from Silesia ; ? S. foliolbsa Afzel. in /•'/. /,«/>/>.,
ed. 2., p. 295., Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 685. ; .V. walifulia licss. Ga/ic., p. 313., according to the author
in Enum. PI. Folhyn., p. 37. ; S. bicolor Ehrh. Arb., 118., Fries Kovit., p. 58. (Koch Comm.) The
S. Hvida Hook. Fl. Scot., and Smith Eng. Fl., 4. p. 1999., once supposed identical with S. livida
Description, 8fc. A shrub, a native of Europe. Introduced into Britain in 1823, and flowering
i April and May. There are plants in the Hackney "
WaM., has been since referred, in Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 2., to S. tmcciniifolia Walker.
CHAP. CHI. SALICA^CE.E. .SA^LIX. 1599
Spec. Char., S(C. Leaves obovate or elliptical, shortly acuminate, entire except the upper ones,
which are serrate with remote blunt teeth; glaucescent or livid rather than glaucous on the under
surface; when adult, glabrous. Stipules kidney-shaped. Fructiferous catkins peduncled ; the
peduncle a short twig bearing one or two leaves. Capsules stalked, tomentose, ovate at the base,
lanceolate and long in the remaining part ; stalk five times as long as the gland. Style very short.
Stigmas ovate, bifid. (Koch Comm., p. 39.) Koch compares it to S. aurlta, but says that the male
catkins are more slender, and the female ones thicker, and with looser flowers. Introduced in
1824, according to Sweet's Hort. Brit.
j» 198. S. LONGIFO^LIA Muhlenb. The long-leaved Willow.
Identification. Muhlenb. Nov. Act. Soc. Nat. Scrut. Berol., 4. p. 238. t. 6. f. 6. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4.
p. 670. ; Muhlenb. in Sims et Kon. Ann., 266. t. 5. f. 6. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 613. :
Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 41.
The Sexes. The male is described.
Engravings. Nov. Act. Soc. Nat Scrut. Berol., 4. t. 6. f. 6. ; Ann. of Bot., t. 5. f. 6.
Spec. Char., &c. Leaves linear, pointed at each end, very distinctly toothed, glabrous, green on both
surfaces. Stipules lanceolate, toothed. Catkins protruded after the leaves. Bracteas rounded,
somewhat hairy, mostly so on the inside. Stamens 2. Filaments bearded at the base. (Pursh, as
quoted by Smith in Rees's Cyclo.) Gathered on the banks of the Susquehanna ; flowering in
July. Not above 2 ft. high. Leaves 5 in. to 6 in. long, not £ in. wide. The flowering branches
sometimes bear broader and shorter foliage. (Id.) According to Pursh, the branches are brown,
and the branchlets white.
afe 199. S. MESPILIFO^LIA Schl. The Mespilus-leaved Willow.
Identification. Schl. Cat. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Description, Sfc. A shrub, a native of Switzerland. Introduced in 1824 ; flowering in April and
May. There are plants at Messrs. Loddiges's, from which.it appears to belong to the group Cinfereas.
& 200. S. MURINNA Schl. The Mouse Willow.
Identification. Schl. Cat ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Description, $c. A shrub, a native of Switzerland. Introduced 'in 1824, and flowering in March
and April. From the plants at Messrs. Loddiges's, it appears to belong to the group Cinereae.
a 201. S. MYRicoVDEs Muhlenb. The Myrica-like Willow.
Identification. Muhlenb. Nov. Act. Soc. Nat. Scrut. Berol., 4. p. 285. t. 6. f. 2. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4.
p. 666. ; Miihlenb. in Sims et Konig Ann. of Bot., 263. t 5. f. 2. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2.
p. 613. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 29.
The Setes. The female is noticed in the Specific Character.
Engravings. Nov. Act. Soc. Nat. Scrut. Berol., 4. t 6. f. 2. ; Ann. of Bot, 2. t. 5. f. 2.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, acute, about 4 in. long, and 1 in. broad, bluntly serrated,
glabrous, glaucous beneath, glanded at the base. Stipules ovate, serrated with glanded teeth.
Catkins woolly, about 1| in. long. Ovary lanceolate, glabrous ; its stalk and the bractea remarkably
woolly, and the former longer than the gland. Style the length of the divided stigmas. (Smith.}
Wild in North America, in wet meadows and woods, from New England to Virginia ; flowering
in April. A shrub, from 6ft. to 9ft. high. (Pursh and Smith.) According to Pursh, the adult
branches are green, and the younger ones purple, and glabrous. Introduced in 1811.
at 202. S. NERVO^SA Schl. The nerved-leavcd Willow.
Identification. Schl. Cat. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
Description, 8fc. A shrub, a native of Switzerland. Introduced in 1824. From the plants in the
Hackney arboretum, it appears allied to S. c&prea.
£ 203. S. OBTU'SA Link. The blunt-leaved Willow.
Identification. ? Link.
Description, 8(c. A low shrub, rarely exceeding 4 ft. high ; a native of Switzerland. Introduced
in 1820, and flowering in May.
a 204. S. OBTUSIFO^LIA Willd. The obtuse-leaved Lapland Willow.
Identification. Willd., No. 106. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 131.
Synont/mes. S. fbliis ob!6ngis, &c., Lin. Fl. Lapp., ed. 2., p. 301.; S. caprea 0 Sp. PI., 1448.; S.
O lea sylvestris, &c., Rudd. Lapp., 99.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, wedge-shaped at the base. Frequent in the woods and
mountains of Lapland. (Linruzus.) A slender shrub, not unfrequently arborescent. Young
branches slender, clothed with long silky down. Leaves rather^ more than 2 in. long, f in. wide ;
green, shining, slightly downy above, with many curved parallel veins ; glaucous, and not more downy,
beneath. Footstalks downy. It is very remarkable, that, contrary to the nature of most willows,
the lower blunter leaves of each branch are furnished with minute distant teeth, or shallow ser.
ratures ; while the upper and pointed ones are quite entire. Except the teeth of the leaves, it come*
nearer to S. Lapponum than any other kind of willow. (Smith in Rees's Cyclo.)
ai 205. S. OBTUVSI-SERRA^TA Schl. The obtusely-serrated-lcaved Willow.
Identification. Schl. Cat. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 183ft
Description, Sfc. A shrub, a native of Switzerland. Introduced in 1824. The plants in the Hack,
ney arboretum appear allied to S. ca"prea.
34 206. S. PALLE'SCENS Schl. The pale Willow.
Identification Schl. Cat. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
5 M
1600 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
Description, $c. A shrub, a native of Switzerland. Introduced in 18-23 The plants at Hackney
appear allied to S. caprea.
m 207. S. PALUDONSA Lk. The Marsh Willow.
Identification. Link Enum. ; Sweet Hort Brit., No. 73. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Description, $c. From the plants bearing this name in the Hackney arboretum, this kind appears
to belong to the same group as S. pallescens.
* 208. S. PERSIC^EFOVLIA Hort. The Peach-tree-leaved Willow.
Identification. Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Description, fyc. The plant bearing this name in the Hackney arboretum appears allied to S.
rubra.
J: 209. S. PYRENAVICA Gouan. The Pyrenean Willow.
Identification. Gouan Illust., 77., excluding the synonymes ; Willd., No. 86. : Smitli in Rees's
Cyclo., No. 107.
Spec. Char., 8(C. Stems quite prostrate, branched, and smooth. Leaves 1 in. long, and nearly | in.
wide ; bright green and shining above ; remarkably woolly about the margin, which gives them a
peculiar and characteristic appearance. When young, they are hairy all over. Footstalks broad,
channeled, rather short, smooth, yellowish, without stipules. Female catkins 2 in. long, slender,
rather lax, on leafy stalks. Scales linear-obovate, long, fringed with COJMOUS long hairs. Germens
extending rather beyond the scales, and clothed with similar hairs. Stigmas long and linear.
(Smith in Rees's Cyclo.] A native of the Pyrenees. Introduced in 1823, and flowering in May.
& 210. S. PYRIFO^LIA Schl. The Pear-tree-leaved Willow.
Identification. Schl. Cat. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Description, fyc. A shrub, a native of Switzerland. Introduced in 1824, and, from the plants at
Hackney, apparently belonging to Cinerea?.
$t 211. S. RECURVAVTA Pursh. The recur ved-catkined Willow.
Identification. Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 609. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 99.
The Sexes. The female is noticed in the Specific Character.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves obovate-lanceolate, acute, glabrous, entire ; glandular at the margin, glau-
cous beneath ; the young ones silky. Stipules none. Catkins protruded before the leaves, re-
curved. Ovary ovate, somewhat stalked, the length of the hairs of the bracteas. Style very short.
Stigmas divided. Wild in shady woods in North America, among the mountains of New Jersey
and Pennsylvania ; flowering in April. A low shrub. Branches brown, glabrous. Buds yellow.
Bracteas tipped with black. (Pursh and Smith.) Introduced in 1811. According to Pursh (p. 612.),
it bears considerable resemblance to S. rosmarinifblia.
& 212. S. SALVI^FO^LIA Link. The Sage-leaved Willow.
Identification. Adopted from Link in Willd Sp. PI., 4. p. 688. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 87. ;
Koch Comm., p. 34.
Synonymes. S. patula Seringe Sal. Helv., p. 11., Spreng. Syst., Sweet Hort. Brit. ; S. oleifolia Ser.
Sal. cxsicc., No. 1. ; S. oleaefblia Vill. Dauph., 3. p.784., according to Willd. Sp. Pi., 4. p. 709. ;
S. Fluggeawa Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 709., according to a specimen from Flugge himself in the her-
barium of Mertens, Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 139.
The Sexes. The female is described in the Specific Character, and in Willdenow's description of S.
F\uggeana.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves oblong lanceolate, acute, tapered to the base, obsoletely denticulated,
hoary and tomentose, and wrinkled with veins on the under surface ; lower ones obtuse. Stipules
half-heart-shaped, acute. Catkins sessile, arched, attended by some scale-shaped leaves at the
base. Capsule ovate-lanceolate, tomentose, stalked ; the stalk as long again as the gland. Style
short. Stigmas oblong, nearly entire. (Koch.) Wild in Portugal, the south of France, and Swit-
zerland. In Dauphine, VilUrs says that it serves as a stock on which to graft S. vitelllna. Smith
mentions that the trunk is about 10ft. or 12 ft. high ; the leaves about If in. or 2 in. long, and some-
what revolute ; and the branches dark brown, hairy when young, and very brittle. Smith describes
S. salviasfolia and S. Fluggeawrt as distinct species ; but it does not appear that he had seen speci-
mens of either. S. Flugge««a Willd. is stated in the Hortus Britannicus to be a native of the south
of France, and introduced in 1820.
-«* 213. SCHRADER/^A^ Willd. Schrader's Willow.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 695. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 104. ; Koch incidentally in
Comm., p. 46.
Synonymes. S. discolor Schrad. Hort. Gb'tt. MSS., asquoted by Willd. It is noticed by Koch (Comm.,
p. 46.), as a variety of a kind that is cultivated, in most German gardens, under the erroneous name
of S. bicolor Ehrhart.
Spec. Char.', Sfc. Leaves elliptical, acute ; finely downy on both surfaces, glaucous on the under one ;
slightly serrated towards the point. Stipules very small. Catkins protruded rather earlier than
the leaves, ovate, hairy. (Smith.) It approaches, in habit and size of leaves, S. Crowe.mrt and S.
bicolor ; but the foliage is always more or less clothed on both surfaces with silky hairs ; and the
two stamens are distinct. The footstalks are slender, elongated, sometimes having two minute
rounded stipules at the base, or, in their stead, a pair of glands. (Id.) Introduced in 1820.
* 214. S. SEPTENTRIONA^LIS Host. The northern Willow.
Identification. Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Description, Sfc. From the plants in the Hackney arboretum, this kind appears to belong to the
group Cinerese. Mr. Borrer had cuttings of S. nigricans Smith, from Messrs. Loddiges, under the
name of S. septentrional is.
CHAP. CHI. £ALICAXCE£<:. SAVLIX. 1601
ft 215. S. SILESIXACA Willd. The Silesian Willow.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PI ,4. p. GW. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 17. ; Koch de Sal. Europ. Comm.,
1>. •«').
7%e Sexes. The female is noticed in the Specific Character.
Engraving. Hayne Abbild., 1. 164.
Spec. Char.. Sfc. Leaves obovate, with an acuminate point ; the lowest ones blunt ; waved and ser-
rated in the margin ; under surface of the same colour as the upper one, and glabrous in adult
leaves. Stipules kidney-shaped, or half-heart-shaped. Catkins sessile. Capsule ovate-lanceolate,
glabrous or silky, stalked. Stalks three to four times as long as the gland. Style of middling
length. Stigmas ovate, bifid. (Kcch.) Wild in woods, in mountainous, and subalpine places, at
the termination of the growth of the spruce fir, in Carpathia, in Sweden, and on the Alps of
Croatia. (Koch.) Introduced in 1816, and flowering in May. -
ft 216. S. STARKEA^NA Willd. Stark e's Sallow, or the Marsh Silesian Willow.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PL, No. 46. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 54. ; Hayne Abbild., p. 232. ;
Host's Salix, p. 27.
The Sexes. The female is figured in Hayne Abbild., and both in Host Sal.
Engravings. Hayne Abbild., 1. 174. ; Host Sal., figs. 89. and 90.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves elliptical, nearly orbicular, smooth, somewhat serrated in the middle, rather
glaucous beneath. Catkins appearing after the leaves. Capsules ovate-lanceolate, stalked, and
downy. Stipules small, ovate, and toothed. (Willd. and Smith.) Found in the bogs of Silesia, by
the Rev. Mr. Starke. A shrub, growing to the height of 4ft. ; introduced in 1820, and flowering
in April and May. Koch regards it as identical with S. livida Wahl.
& 217. S. TETRA'NDRA Host. The four-stamened Willow.
Identification. Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
Description, $c. From the specimen in the Hackney arboretum, this kind appears closely allied
to S. fragilis.
j* 218. S. THYMEL^EoVDEs Host. The Wild-Olive-like Willow.
Identification. Lodd. Cat, ed. 1826.
Description, &c. There are living specimens of this kind of willow in the Hackney and Goldworth
arboretums. Those in the former are dwarf plants, appearing to belong to the group Cinerea?.
ft 219. S. TREVIRA\V^ Lk. Treviranus's Willow.
Identification. Link Enum. ; Sweet's Hort. Brit., No. 19. ; ? Spreng. Syst., incidentally in Koch's
Comm.
Description, $c. Koch mentions the S. Trevirani of Spreng. in the list at the end of his work, as
one of the kinds which he had not observed with sufficient accuracy to describe ; and states that it
was in the Erlangen Botanic Garden in 1828, but that it had not then flowered. (Comm., p. 64.)
ft 220. S. VELUTI'NA Willd. The velvet Willow.
Identification. Willd. Enum. ; Sweet's Hort Brit, No. 216.
j* 221. S. VERSIFOVLIA Spreng. The twining-leaved Willow.
Identification. Spreng. Syst. ; Sweet's Hort. Brit, No. 117. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
Description, fyc. From the specimen at Messrs. Loddiges, this is a dwarf sallow belonging to the
group Cinerea?.
j» 222. S. FACCINIOIVDES Host. The Vaccinium-like Willow.
Identification. Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
Description, $c. The plant bearing this name in the Hackney arboretum, appears allied to S.
fr&gilis.
ft 223. S. WALDSTEIN/^^J Willd. Waldstein's Willow.
Identification. Willd., No. 50. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 61.
Synonyme. S. alpestris Host Sal. Austr., 1. p. 30.
The Sexes. Both are figured in Host Sal.
Engravings. Host Sal. t. 99. and 1. 100.
Spec. Char.,S(C. Leaves ohovate elliptic, smooth, rather acute, remotely serrated in the middle only ;
shining above, somewhat glaucous beneath. Germen lanceolate, silky, and perfectly sessile.
Anthers yellow. Young branches smooth. (Willd. and Smith.) Found on the Croatian Alps.
Very nearly akin to S. Dickson/ona, but differing in the smoothness of its branches. A shrub,
about 4 ft high. Introduced in 1822, and flowering from April to June.
ft 224. S. WULFEN/^JM Willd. Wulfen's Willow.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 660. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 16. ; Host Sal. Austr., 1. p. 29.
Synonymes. S. hastata var. Koch Comm., p. 43. ; ? S.phylicajfblia Wutf in Jacq. Coll., 2, p. 139. ;
Host Syn., 526.
The Sexes. Both are figured in Host Sal.
Engravings. Sal. Austr., t. 95., and t. 96.
Spec. Char., &c. Leaves obovate, bluntish, serrated, smooth, glaucous beneath. Catkins dense with
fringed scales. Germen stalked, awl-shaped, nearly smooth. Style longer than the stigmas.
Smith in Itecs's Cyclo.) This is not the S. Wulfemdna of Smith in Eng. Ft., described p. 1582.
Mr. Korrersaysof this species, "The true S. Wulfenia/Mi of Willdenow we have no reason to
believe a British species. We have seen of it several foreign specimens of both sexes ; in all of
1602 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
which, and especially in those from the younger Jacquin preserved in the Smithian collection, the
bracteal leaves are large and closely resemble those of the leafy twigs; and the scales of the
catkin are naked, except a marginal fringe." (Borrer in Eng. Bot. SuppL, t. 2656.) The S. Wul-
fenidna of Willdenow appears to be a native of Carinthia, where it was found by Wulfen. It
flowers from May to July, and was introduced in 1818.
App. i. Ki?ids of Sdliz described or recorded in Botanical
Works, but not introduced into Britain, or not known by these
Names in British Gardens.
& S. arctica R. Br., in his List of the Plants collected in Ross's Voyage. Koch, in his Comm., p. 61.,
note *, considers this species about intermediate between S. Jacquinti Host and S. reticulata L. ; and
he has described it. He states it to be a native of the most northern part of America, Hudson's Bay,
Melville Island, &c. It is also described by Dr. Richardson, in App. to Franklin's First Journey,
p. 752, 753. According to Dr. Lindley (Nat. Syst. of Bot.), it is the most northern woody plant that is
known. Mr. Borrer considers it to be near S. cordifblia Pursh.
3fc S. desertbrum Rich, and S. rostrdta Rich, are mentioned by Dr. Richardson, in App. to Frank-
lin's First Journey, as new species.
& S. cinerascens Link MSS. (Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 706. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 132.), the ash-
coloured Portuguese willow, has the leaves oblong-obovate, pointed, and serrated; hoary with down
beneath. Stipules large, lunate, and toothed. ( Willd. and Smith.} A native of marshes in Portugal.
This kind is supposed by Koch to be probably identical, or nearly so, with the S. grandifblia of
Seringe ; and it appears to belong to the group Cinerea?.
3fe S. grandifdlia Seringe Sal. Helv., p. 20. ; Koch Comm., p. 36. ; S. stipularis Ser. Sal. crsicc. ; S.
cinerascens Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 706. This kind is supposed by Koch to be the same as S. cinerascens ;
and it appears to resemble S. caprea.
-* S. divaricdta Pall. Fl. Ross., 2. p. 80., Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 675., Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 52.
This species is a native of the alps of Daiiria, where it grows among granite rocks, over which it
spreads in a prostrate form. The stem is about as thick as the finger, very much divided, and forked
from its origin, with short, rigid, depressed, yellowish brown branches. The leaves are crowded
about the ends of the shoots ; in some specimens lanceolate, and nearly entire ; in others obovate-
lanceolate, coarsely serrated, the serratures somewhat wavy and obtuse : both sides are quite smooth.
Pallas states that this kind resembles the S. phylicifolia of Linnaeus. (Smith.}
& S. hirsiita Thunb. Prod., 6., Fl. Cap., 1. p. 141 ; Willd. Sp. Pi., N:>. 695., Smith in Rees's
Cyclo., No. 106. A tree 6 ft. high, a native of the Cape of Good Hope; with the leaves on the
extreme shoots scarcely 1 in. long, and on very short footstalks, obovate, obtuse, with a point, and
clothed on both sides with white hairs. (Thunb. and Smith.)
? % S. pedicelldta Desf. Atlant, 2. p. 362., Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 706., Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No.
133. The stalked Barbary Sallow. Leaves lanceolate, rugose, downy beneath. Capsules stalked,
and glabrous. Nearly allied to S. caprea, but differing in the smoothness of the capsule. (Smith,
adapted.)
dfc S. Integra Thunb. Fl. Jap., 24., Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 686., Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 81. The
entire-leaved Japan Willow. Leaves entire, smooth, linear oblong, obtuse. Gathered by Thunberg
in Japan. (Smith.}
*£ S.jap6nica Thunb. Fl. Jap., 24. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 668., Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 34. ;
Rju, vulgo Aujaki, Kcemyfer Amcen. Exot., 908. Leaves serrated, glabrous, lanceolate, glaucous
beneath. Twigs pendulous. A middle-sized tree ; a native of Japan.
& S. mucrondta Thunb. Prod., 6., Fl. Cap., 1. 140. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 685.; Smith in Rees's
Cyclo., No. 74. Leaves entire, smooth, oblong, pointed, arid about 1 in. in length. Gathered, at
the Cape of Good Hope, by Thunberg. (Smith.)
**. S. rhamnifblia Pall. Fl. Ross., 2. p. 84., Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 53., Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No.
53. ; S. pumila, fbliis ovalibus, &c., Gmel. Sib., 1. t 35. f. A. A procumbent shrub, a native of
mountain bogs, and the stony banks of rivers, in Siberia. Leaves firm and rigid ; about 1 \ in. long,
and mostly tapering at the base. (Smith.}
& S. Seringc&na. Gaudin in Serfage's Sal. Helv., p. 37., Koch Comm., p. 33. ; S. lanceoftta Ser.
Sal. exsicc., No. 70. ; S. Kanderidwa Ser. Sal exsicc., tfo. 42. ; S. longifblia Schleich. Cat.
Spec. Char.,S(C. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, crenulate ; white on the under surface with
white tomentum, and rugose with veins. Stipules ovate, acute. Catkins arched, sessile, slender,
bracteated at the base with small leaves. Capsule ovate-lanceolate, tomentose, stalked ; the stalk
twice as long as the gland. Style elongated. Stigmas bifid. (Koch.) It grows wild by rivulets, in
subalpine valleys of Switzerland and Tyrol. (Id.)
Sfc *fc S. serfitina Pall. Fl. Ross., 1. p. 2. 77., Itin., 3. 759. t. N. n., Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 85.,
and incidentally in Eng. Flora, 4. p. 228. ; S. No. 19. Gmel. Sib., I. 163. ; S. caprea -y Lin. Sp. PI.,
1448. ; S. aegyptlaca Willd., so far as relates to the synonyme of Pallas ; S. Gmeliimma Willd. Sp. PI.,
Spec. Char., tyc. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, entire, often more than a span long ; rather downy on
the upper surface, silky on the under one, revolute in the bud. Stipules lanceolate. Catkins ses-
sile, unattended by leaves, very hairy. Ovaries lanceolate, silky, stalked. (Smith.) Abundant in
the sandy islands and shallows in the southern parts of the Wolga ; not expanding its catkins or
leaves till the beginning of June In dry ground, -t becomes a tree ; but is otherwise shrubby, 6 ft.
high ; with brittle grey or yellowish twigs, glabrous, except when very young. It is distinguished
from S. caprea, by its broad and serrated leaves, and ovate ovaries. (Id.)
To the names above given many others might be added, and in particular the greater number of
those described in Host's Flora Austriaca, which we have preferred giving in a separate Appendix.
See App. iv.
The plates, which form pages 1603. to 16SO., contain figures of leaves, of the
natural size, from the engravings of willows given in the Salictum Woburnense ;
and against each leaf, or pair of leaves, we have placed the same number, and
the same name, which are given in the Salictum. In App. ii., in p. 1631., will
be found an alphabetical list of all these names, with references to the figures
of leaves in our pages ; and the same figures are also referred to, where the
respective kinds are described, in the description of willows in British collec-
tions, contained in the pages between p. 1490. and p. 1595.
CHAP. CHI.
1603
i. Adult Leaves serrated, nrarfy smooth.
OSIERS AND WILLOWS.
3. 5. Lfltiibe
4. 5. mon^ndra.
1604-
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
VAHT III.
§ i. continued. — Adult Leaves serrated, nearly smooth.
OSIERS AND WILLOWS.
CHAI1. CHI,
1605
§ i. continued. — Adult Leaves sciraied, nearly xntoaf/t.
OSIERS AND WILLOWS.
U. \ Unccol&ta.
1606
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III,
§ i. continued. — Adult Leaves serrated, nearly smooth.
OSIERS AND WILLOWS.
21. S. annuttris. 2° & vitolllim.
CHAP. CHI.
SALICA CE^E. SAL IX. - -ler^r / ;
i. continued. — Adult Leaves serrated, nearly smooth.
OSIERS AND WILLOWS.
1608 AftBOKETUM AMD FRUTICETUM. PART III
§ i. continued. — Adult Leaves serrated, nearly smooth*
OSIERS AND WILLOWS.
27. .V.
CHAP. cm.
1609
§ i. continued. — Adult Leaves serrated, nearly smooth.
WILLOWS.
1610
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART J1I.
§ i. continued. — Adult Leaves serratedy nearly smooth.
WILLOWS.
S3. 5.
CHAP. cm.
. SAVLIX.
1611
i. continued. — Adult Leaves serrated, nearly smooth.
WILLOWS.
37. S. nigrlcans.
35. S.
1612 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
§ i. continued. — Adult Leaves serrated, nearly smooth.
WILLOWS.
PART III,
•'!'). S. pit tens-
CHAP. cm.
1613
§ i. continued. — Adult Leaves serrated, nearly smooth.
WILLOWS.
I ; s. Pon\edcrana
41. & \Vi\Ueiiovifma.
1614
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
§ i. continued. — Adult Leaves serrated, nearly smooth.
WILLOWS.
r.0. 5. tenuifdlia-
CHAP. CHI.
161
§ i. continued. — Adult Leaves serrated, nearly smooth.
WILLOWS.
56. S. jorunif dlia. 63. S. polaris. 62. S. herbacea. 54. S. floribunda.
61. S. proci1mben«
1616
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III
$ ii. Adult Leaves entire, nearly smooth.
WILLOWS.
66. S. rayrtilliiides.
§ iii. Leaves all shaggy, ivoolly, or silky.
WILLOWS.
CHAP. CUT.
SALICACEJE. S\ LIX.
1617
§m continued. — Leaves all shaggy, woolly, or silky.
WILLOWS.
1618
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM-
PART III,
§ Hi. continued. — Leaves all shaggy, woolly, or silky.
WILLOWS.
76. 5. rtlaternoides.
80. S. adscdndens.
77. S. versfcolor.
IjiMHlUftov 83- S, fusca.
8*. X. ripens.
87. S. rotmarlnlftli*.
CHAP. (III.
SALICA CEJE. SA LIX.
1619
§ iii. contiiuiecl. — Leaves all shaggy, woolly, or silky.
WILLOWS.
9i>. S. villfisa. 89. S. lineari.'.
i
S. subalplna.
91. ,V. candid*.
PO. S. inchna.
04. S. rcrtexa.
0 N 3
]620
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
§ iii. continued. — Leaves all shaggy, woolly, or alky.
WILLOWS AND SALLOWS.
98. S. Schleicher/awfl. s.
/. A. i>ctra> a. «.
. S. grhon>'ii.i.s. s.
'.". .s. penqsylvAnicn.
i n.\r. cm,
SALICACE/E.
§ in. continued. — Leaves all shaggy, woolly, or silky.
SALLOWS.
100. S. strepida. s. j|j||\ J^ ^ A 102. 5. rivularis. s.
N I
1622
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III
continued. — Leaves all shaggy, luoolly, or silky.
SALLOWS.
105. S. dhra. *.
CHAP. cm.
5ALICA CEJE. ,?A LIX.
1623
iii. continued. — Leaves all shaggy, woolly, or silky.
*
SALLOWS.
110. S. Forsteridwa. ».
1624- ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
§ iii. continued. — Leaves all shaggy, woolly, or silky.
SALLOWS.
114. S. cotiniftlia
117. 5- vaudi'nsis. s
'•a 115. S. crassi folia,
CHAP. cm.
'CE^:. SA'LIX.
1625
§ iii. continued. — Leaves all shaggy, woolly, or silky.
SALLOWS.
119. S. grisophylla. s.,X
x
US. s. latifolla. s.
I'JO. .V. iii .1:11 -
1626 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III,
§ iii. continued. — Leaves all shaggy, tvoolly, or silky.
SALLOWS.
122. S. ciprea. «.
126. S. oleif&lia. a.
CHAP. CJII.
.S'ALICAVCE/K. A'A^LIX.
1627
§ iii. continued. — Leaves all shaggy, woolly t or silky.
SALLOWS.
128. S. ferruginea. s. 129. S. geminata.
127. S aquation.
1628
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART HI,
continued. — Leaves all shaggy, woolly, or silky.
SALLOW AND OSIER.
132.
CHAP. CIII. 5ALICAXCE^E. 5AVLIX.
§ iii. continued. — Leaves a/2 shaggy, woolly, or silki/.
OSIERS AND WILLOWS.
1629
137. 5. canrQlea.
1:34. S.
1630
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III,
§ iv. Miscellaneous Kinds.
WILLOWS, OSIERS, AND SALLOWS.
138. S. arb&scula. 139. S. retusa.
143. S. cordiftlia. 8.
149. S. alplnn. s.
142. S. corcteta.
CHAP. Clll. ^ALICA^CE^E. .VA^LIX. 1631
A pp. ii. Kinds ofSdlixJigured or described in the Salictum
Woburnense.
The preceding Twenty-eight Plates, forming pages 1603. to 1630., contain specimens of the leaves of
most of the kinds in the Woburn Collection, of the natural size ; and references to these figures,
and also to the pages in this work containing the descriptions, synonymes, &c., of the Woburn
species, are here given. The names are arranged alphabetically for the convenience of reference ;
but, in the Salictum Woburnense, they are arranged in the order in which the leaves are given
in the Twenty-eight pages of Plates.
.Salix acuminata, f. 131. in p. 1628., and our No. 82. in p. 1553.
adscdndens, f. 80. in p. 1618., and our No. 52. var. 4. in p. 1538.
cegyptiaca, f. 146. in p. 1630., and our No. 165. in p. 1594.
alaternoldes, f. 76. in p. 1618., and our No. 57. in p. 1542.
alba, f. 136. in p. 1629., and our No. 26. in p. 1522.
ah/ma, f. 149. in p. 1630., and our No. 166. in p. 1594.
ambigua, No. 154. in Sal. Wob., and our No. 25. (Purshtana) in p. 1521.
amygdalina, f. 18. in p. 1606., and our No. 14. in p. 1500.
Anderson/an^, f. 109. in p. 1623., and our No. 110. in p. 1568.
annularis, f. 21. in p. 1606., and our No. 19. var. 3. (baby!6nica crfspa) in p. 1514.
Ansoniana, f. 107. in p. 1622., and our No. 112. in p. 1569.
aquatica, f. 127. in p. 1627., and our No. 91. in p. 1559.
arbuscula Smith, f. 86. in p. 1618., and our No. 49. (angustifblia) in p. 1535.
arbuscula 7,., f. 138. in p. 1630., and our No. 163. var. 4. iu p. 1593.
arenaria, f. 70. in p. 1617., and our No. 65. in p. 1545.
argentea, f. 78. in p. 1618., and our No. 52. var. 6. in p. 1539.
atropurpurea, No. 156. in Sal. Wob., and our No. 107. in p. 1567.
atrovlrens, f. 108. in p. 1622., and our No. 124. in p. 1575.
aurita, f. 124. in p. 1626., and our No. 95. in p. 1560.
austra-lis, £ 103. in p. 1621., and our No. 99. in p. 1565.
babylonica, f. 22. in p. 1607., and our No. 19. in p. 1507.
berberifblia, f. 140. in p. 1630., and our No. 167. in p. 1595.
bfcolor, f. 38. in p. 1612., and our No. 131. (teurina) in p. 1578.
Bonpland?a»a, f. 9. in p. 1604., and our No. 30. in p. 1529.
Borreridwa, f. 45. in p. 1614., and our No. 134. in p. 1579.
Candida, f. 91. in p. 1619., and our No. 72. in p. 1548.
caprea, f. 122. in p. 1626., and our No. 97. in p. 1561.
carinata, f. 59. in p. 1615., and our No. 146. in p. 1585.
carpinifblia, No. 155. in Sal. Wob., and our No. 115. in p. 1570-
cinerea, f. 125. in p. 1626., and our No. 90. in p. 1558.
casrulea, f. 137. in p. 1629., and our No. 26. var. 2. in p. 1523.
confurmis, f. 24. in p. 1607., and our No. 35. in p. 1.531.
cordata, f. 142. in p. 1630., and our No. 47. in p. 15.54.
cordifblia, f. 143. in p. 1630., and our No. 160. in 1590.
coriacea, f. 112. in p. 1623., and our No. 108. in p. 1568.
cotinifolia, f. 114. in p. 1624., and our No. 104. in p. 1566.
crassifblia, f. 115. in p. 1624., and our No. loa in p. 1566.
crispa, f. 42. in p. 1613., and our No. 94. in p. 1560.
Croweana, f. 52. in p. 1615., and our No. 141. in p. 1583.
damascena, No. 157. in Sal. Wob., and our No. 111. in p. 1569.
Davalltdna, f. 47. in p. 1614., and our No. 135. in p. 1580.
decipiens, f. 29. in p. 1609., and our No. 20. in p. 1515.
decumbens, f. 88. in p. 1618.. and our No. 50. in p. 1536.
Dicksomdwa, f.55. in p. 1615., and our No. 144. in p. 1584.
discolor, f. 147. in p. 1630., and our No. 33. in p. 1530.
Donidna, f. 85. in p. 1618., and our No. 53. in p. 1540.
dura, f. 105. in p. 16^2., and our No. 117. in p. 1571.
£la?agnifolia, f. 69. in p. 1616., and our No. 60. (daeagnoldes) in p. 1543.
falcata, f. 148. in p. 1630., and our No. 41. in p. 1533.
ferrugfnea, f. 128. in p. 1627., and our No. 81. in p. 1552.
firma, f. 106. in p. 1622., and our No. 114. in p. 1570.
floribunda, f. 54. in p. 1615., and our No. 142. (bicolor) in p. 1583.
Forbyawa, f. 5. in p. 1603., and our No. 5. in p. 1492.
ForstenYJna, f. 110. in p. 1623., and our No. 118. in p. 1571.
fragilis, f. 27. in p. 1608., and our No. 22. in p 1516. *
fusca, f. 83. in p. 1618., and our No. 52. var. 1. in p. 1537.
geminata, f. 129. in p. 1627., and our No. 93. in p. 1560.
glauca, f. 68. in p. 1616., and our No. 61. in p. 1544.
grisonensis, f. 99. in p. 1620., and our No. 128. in p. 1576.
grisophylla, f. 119. in p. 1625., and our No. 101. in p. 1565.
hastata, f. 35. in p. 1611., and our No.163. in p. 1592.
//dlix, f. 2. in p. 1603., and our No. 2. in p. 1491.
herbacea, f. 62. in p. 1615., and our No. 161. in p. 1590.
hirta, f. 113. in p. 1623., and our, No. 105. in p. 1567.
Hoffmannidna, f. 16. in p. 1606., and our No. 13. in p. 1500.
Houston/dna, f. 11. in p. 1604., and our No. 40. in p. 1532.
Humboldt*<J»a, f. 8. in p. 1604., and our No. 29. in p. 1529.
helvetica, No. 159. in Sal. Wob., and our No. 113. in p. 1570.
incana, f. 90. in p. 1619., and our No. 73. in p. 1548.
incanescens, f. 120. in p. 16£5., and our No. 87. in p. 1557.
incubacea, f. 79. in p. 1618., and our No. 52. var. 5. in p. 1539.
KitaibehYma, f. 64. in p. 1616., and our No. 157. in p. 1589.
lacustris, f. 116. in p. 1624., and our No. 102. in p. 1566.
Lambert«J«fl, f. 3. in p. 1603., and our No. 3. in p. 1492.
lanata, f. 71. in p. 1617., and our No. 164. in p. 1593.
lanceoiata, f. 14. in p. 1605., and our No. 10. var. 3. in p. J497.
5 o
1632 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III,
Salix Lappbnum, f. 73. in p. 1617., ., and our No. 63. in p. 1545.
latifolia, f. 118. in p. 1G25., and our No. 96. in p. 1561.
lineam, f. 89. in p. 1619., and our No. 74. in p. 1549.
liicida, f. 32. in p. 1610., and our No. 18. in p. 1504.
Lybn«, f. 10. in p. 1604., and our No. 39. in p. 1532.
macrostipulacea, f. 130. in p. 1627., and our No. 86. in p. 15.77.
wjalifolia, f. 36. irf p. 1611., and our No. 163. var. 3. in p. 1593.
Meyerifl/w, f. 33. in p. 1610., and our No. 17. in p. 1504.
MichehVma f. 135. in p. 1629., and our No. 80. in p. 1552.
monandra, f. 4. in p. 1603., and our No. 4.(VVoolgarzrtwa) in p. 1492.
montana, f. 19. in p. 1606., and our No. 21. in p. 1515.
monspeliensis, f. 30. in p. 1609., and our No. 23. in p. 1507.
Miihlenbergzd/itf, f. 145. in p. 1630., and our No. 45. in p. 1534.
mutabilis, No. 160. in Sal. Wob., and our No. 89. in p. 1558.
Myrsinltes, f. 60. in p. 1615., and our No. 154. (ftetulsefblia) in p. 1588.
myrtillmdes, f. 66. in p. 1616., and our No. 149. (cassia) in p. 1586.
nigra, f. 152. in p. 1630., and our No. 28. in p. 1529.
nfgricans, f. 37. in p. 1611., and our No. 109. in p. 1568.
nltens, f. 44. in p. 1613., and our No. 149. in p. 1582.
obovata, f. 144. in p. 1630., and our No. 66. in p. 1546.
oleifblia, f. 126. in p. 1626., and our 92. in p. 1559.
pallida, f. 06. in p. 1620., and our No. 83. in p. 1555.
pannbsa, f. 123. in p. 1626., and our No. 88. in p. 1557.
parvifblia, f. 81. in p. 1618., and our No. 52. var. 4. in p. 1538.
patens, f. 39. in p. 1612., and our No. 132. in p. 1578.
pennsylvanica, f. 95. in p. 1620., and our No. 44. in p. 1534.
pentandra, f. 34. in p. 1610., and our No. 16. in p. 1503.
petrae'a, f. 97- in p. 1620., and our No. 122. in p. 1574.
petiolaris, f. 23. in p. 1607., and our No. 43. in p. 1533.
ohylicifblia, f. 46. in p. 1614., and our No. 133. (radlcans) in p. 1579.
polaris, f. 63. in p. 1615., and our No. 162. in p. 1591.
pomeranica, No. 153. in Sal. Won., and our No. 9. in p. 1496.
Pontederawfl, f. 43. in p. 1613., and our No. 85. in p. 1555.
pra2vcox, f. 26. in p. 1608., and our No. 8. (daphnoides) in p. 1494.,
prinoldes, f. 40. in p. 1612., and our No. 32. in p. 1530.
prostrata, f. 82. in p. 1618., and our No. 52. var. 3. in p. 1537.
prcte&fblia, f. 75. in p. 1617., and our No. 58. in p. 1542.
procumbens, f. 61. in p. 1615., and our No. 155. in p. 1588.
prunifblia, f. 56. in p. 1615., and our No. 147. in p. 1583.
purpurea, f. 1. in p. 1603., and our No. 1. in p. 1490.
ramifusca, f. 53. in p. 1615., and our No. 137. in p. 1581.
reflexa, f. 94. in p. 1619., and our No. 37. in p. 1532.
rfepens, f. 84. in p. 1618.. and our No. 52. var. 2. in p. 1537.
reticulata, f. 67. in p. 1616., and our No. 59. in p. 1542.
retusa, f. 139. in p. 1630., and our No. 156. in p. 1589.
rigida, f. 141. in p. 1630., and our No. 31. in p. 1530.
rivularis, f. 102. in p. 1621., and our No. 106. in p. 1567.
rosmarinifolia, f. 87. in p. 1618., and our No. 48. in p. 1535.
rotundata, f. 104 in p. 1621., and our No. 116. in p. 1571.
rubra, f. 6. in p. 1604., and our No. 6. in p. 1493.
rupestris, f. 111. in p. 1623., and our No. 119. in p. 1573.
RusselhVma, f. 28. in p. 1608., and our No. 24. in p. 1517.
SchleichendMfl, f. 98. in p. 1620., and our No. 127. in p. 1576.
serpyllifolia, f. 05. in p. 1616., and our No. 159. in p. 1590.
, f. 134. in p. 1629., and our No. 77. in p. 1550.
s6rdida, f. 101. in p. 1621., and our No. 126. in p. 1576.
sphacelata, f. 121. in p. 1624., and our No. 98. in p. 1563.
stipularis, f. 132. in p. 1628., and our No. 76. in p. 1550.
strepida, f. 100. in p. 1621., and our No. 125. in p. 1576."
Stuartmwa, f. 72. in p. 1617-, and our No. 68. in p. 1546.
subalpina, f. 93. in p. 1619., and our No. 71. in p. 1547.
tenuifblia, f. 50. in p. 1614., and our No. 120. in p. 1573.
tetrapla, f. 49. in p. 1614., and our No. 136. in p. 1580.
tetrasperma, f. 31. in p. 1609., and our No. 168. in p. 1595.
triandra, f. 15. in p. 1605., and our No. 12. in p. 1498.
tristis, f. 150. in p. 1630., and our No. 46. in p. 1534.
wlmifdlia, No. 158. in Sal. Wob., and our No. 169. in p. 1595.
undulata, f. 13. in p. 1605., and our No. 10. in p. 1496.
tTva-tirsi, f. 151. in p. 1630., and our No. 158. in p. 1590.
vacciniifblia, f. 57. in p. 1615., and our No. 145. in p. 1585.
vaudensis, f. 117. in p. 1624., and No. 100. in p. 1565.
venulosa, f. 58. in p. 1616., and our No. 148. in p. 1586.
versicolor, f. 77. in p. 1618., and No. 56. in p. 1541.
Villarszawa, f. 17. in p. 1606., and our No. 15. in p. 1502.
villbsa, f. 92. in p. 1610., and our No. 170. in p. 1595.
viminalis, f. 133. in p. 1629., and our No. 75. in p. 1549.
triolacea, f. 25. in p. 1607., and our No. 7. (violacea> in p. 1494.
vir^scens, f. 7. in p. 1604., and our No. 36. in p. 1531.
virgata, f. 12. in p. 1605., and our No. 38. in p. 1532.
vitelllna. f. 20. in p. 1606., and our No. 27. in p. 1528.
Vfeigelidna, f. 51. in p. 1614., and our No. 138. (FoTbesidna) in p. 1581.
Willdenov/^no, f. 41. in p. 1613., and our No. 84. in p. 1555.
Vfulfenictna, f.48. in p. 1614., and our No. 139. (Weigel^na) in p. 1582.
CHAP. cm. SALICA'CEJE. S-AVLIX. 1633
App. iii. Koch's Arrangement of the Species ofSdlix indigenous
to Europe ; including, also, some extra-European Species, with
references to the pages in this work, where each species is de-
scribed. (See p. 1487.)
ANALYSIS OF THE GROUPS.
Catkins sessile on the points of the branchlets. Leaves below the cat- 7 „;:; runvc*/vTn»;
kins, proceeding from the sides of the branchlets - - - - j v
Catkins originating in terminal buds, seated on leafy peduncles, having > GLACIA'LES
new buds. Peduncles permanent, and containing the branchlets - 3
Terminal bud, and generally several more next the point of the branch-
lets, producing leaves ; the intermediate lateral ones, catkins.
Scales of the catkins of one colour, yellowish green; falling off 7 . pnA/«IT1?u
before the fruit is ripe - j '' *
Scales of the catkins of one colour, yellowish green, permanent - i
Scales of the catkins discoloured at the point.
Anthers, after flowering, black .---... i
Anthers, after flowering, yellow or brown.
Capsules on long stalks, which are at least twice as long as
the gland.
Tall, erect, or arborescent shrubs . vi. CA'PRE^E.
Low shrubs, with a creeping procumbent stem - - vii. ARGE'NTEJE.
Capsules sessile, or with very short stalks.
Catkins sessile. Leaves cuspidate, acuminate, serrated - iii. PRUINOVS«.
Catkins sessile. Leaves entire, or very slightly toothed - v. VIMINAVLES.
Catkins stalked. Stalk leafy ix. FRI'UIDA.
Group i. Frdgiles.
Catkins lateral ; the fertile ones on a leafy peduncle. Scales of the catkin of one colour, yellowish
green, falling off before the fruit is ripe. Large trees.
1. S. pentandra L. Syn. : S. polvandra Schrank Baier. Fl. ; S. tetrandra Willd, Enum. Suppl. ;
S. hermaphroditica Lin. Sp. PI. ; No. Ifi. in p. 1503.
2. S. cuspidata Scjiultz. Syn. : S. Meyenano Willd. Baum. ; S. tinctbria Smith in Reefs Cyclo. ; 5.
pentandra /3 Lin. Fl. Suec. ; S. hexandra Ehrh. Arb. ; S. EhrharUana Smith in Rees's Cycl. ;
No. 17. in p. 1504.
5. S. fragilis L. Syn. : S. decfpiens Hqffm. Sal., Eng. Sot. ; S. fragilis Smith in Rees's Cyclo. ; S.
\\'argiana Lej. Fl. d. Spa. ; S. fragilis Warg»awa Lej. Revue ; No. 22. in p. 1516., and No.
20. in p. 1515.
4. S. RusselUwo Smith. Syn. : S. pendula Scr. Sal. Helv. : S. viridis Fries Nov. : S. rubens Schrank
Baier. Fl. ; No. 24. in p. 1517.
5. S. alba L. Syn. : S. ca:rulea Eng.Bot. ; S. vitellina Lin. Sp. PI. ; Wo. 26. in p. 1522. j and No. 27.
in p. 1528.
To this group belong, also, the following extra-European species : —
1. S. occidental Base ; p. 1530.
2. S. nigra Mii/il. Nov. Act. Soc. n. s. Ber. ; S. caroliniana Michx. Amer. ; No. 28. in p. 1529.
3. S. babylonica L. ; S. propendens Ser. Sal. Helv. ; No. 19. in p. 1507.
4. S. octandra Sieb. ; p. 1530.
5. S. Humboldt/^na Willd. ; No. 29. in p. 1529.
Group ii. P^niygdalmcE.
Catkins lateral, the fertile ones on a leafy peduncle. Scales of the catkins of one colour, yel-
lowish green, permanent. Leaves long, serrated, smooth. Tall shrubs, with pliable shoots. '
6. S. amygdalina L. Syn. : S. triandra Lin. Sp. Pi., Willd. Sp. PI. ; S. Villarszdna Willd. Sp. PL ;
S. Hoppe<J»a Willd. Sp. ; No. 14. in p. 1500. ; No. 12. in p. 1498. ; No. 15. in p. 1502. ; and
No. 13. in p. 1500.
7. S. undulata Ehrh. Syn. : S. lanceolata Smith Ens. Bot. ; S. No. 37. and 38., Trevir. Obs. Bot. ;
No. 10. in p. 1496.
8. S. Aippophaefblia Thvil. Syn. : S. undulata Trev. Obs. Bot., p. 17., Koch in Rcgensb. Bot. Zeit.,
1820, p. 311. ; No. 11. in p. 1498.
Between this and the next group must be placed the three following North American species : —
1. S. Miihlenbergjana Willd. Sp. PL ; S tristis MUM. Nov. Act. Soc. n. s. Berol. ; S. incana
Michx.; Fl. Bor. Amer. ; No 45. and No. 46. in p. 1534.
2. S. grisea Willd. Sp. Pi. ; S sericea M'uhl. Nov. Act. Soc. BcroL, not of Villars, is the
S. petiolaris Smith Fl. Br. ; No. 42. and No. 43. in p. 1533.
3. S. cordata Muhl. Nov. Act. Soc. Berol., Willd. Sp. PI. ; No. 47. in p. 1534.
Group iii. Pruinosce.
Catkins lateral, the fertile ones also sessile. Capsules sessile. Stamens 2, distinct ; anthers, after
shedding their pollen remaining yellow. Scales of the catkins discoloured at the point Leaves
cuspidate acuminate, serrated, becoming smooth. Inner bark yellow in the summer. Tall shrubs
or trees, of a bright green hue.
9. S. acutifolia Willd. Syn. : S. t/iolacea Ander. Rep., Smith in Rees's Cyclo. ; S. caspica Hort. :
No. 7. in p. 1494.
10. S. rfaphndides VWars. Syn. : S. pr«e'cox Hoppe in Sturm D. Fl., Willd. Sp. PI. -, S. bigemmis
Hoffm. Fl. Germ., Hist. Sal. ; S. cinerea Smith Fl. Br., Willd Sp. ; S. pomer&nica Willd.
Enum. Suppl. ; S. prse'cox gemmata Ser. Sal. exsicc., No. 83. ; No. 8. in p. 1494., and No. 9. in
p. 1496.
Group iv. Purpure<s.
Catkins lateral, sessile ; their scales dark or purple at the extremity. Stamens 2, united as far as
the middle, or the point ; anthers purple, becoming black after flowering. Inner bark yellow in
the summer. Tall shrubs or trees, with a glaucous or dull green hue
5 o 2
1634 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
11. S. Pontederana Willd. Sp. PI. ; No. 85. in p. 1555.
12. S. purpurea /,. Syn. : S. monandra Hoffm. Sal. ; S. Lambert»ano Smith FL Br. ; S. /ft-Hx
Willd. Enum., Link Enum. ; S. monandra serfcea Ser. Sal. Hclv. ; No. 1. in p. 1490., No. 4.
and No. 3. in p. 1492., and No. 2. in p. 1491.
13. S. riibra Hudson. Syn. : S. ffssa Ehrh., Dec., Hoffm. Sal.; S. membranacea Thuil. Paris., S.
virescens Vill. Delph. ; S. olivacea Thuil. Paris. ; S. Forby<J»a Smith Fl. Br. ; No. 6. in
p. 1493., and No. 5. in p. 1422.
9 Group v. Vimindles.
Catkins lateral, sessile ; the scales brownish or dark at the point. Stamens 2, distinct, rarely united
at the base ; the anthers yellow as they go off. Capsules sessile, or on short stalks, which are not
longer than the gland. Leaves long, entire, or finely toothed ; covered on" the under side with a
silky or thick down. Tall shrubs, sometimes arborescent S. viminalis is the tallest and hand.
somest species, and the most valuable for its twigs for wickerwork, which are longer and.stronger
than those of any other species.
14. 5. mollSssima Ehrh. and Willd., but not of Smith. Syn. : S. pubera Koch in Banning. Fl. Man. ;
No. 78. in D. 1551.
15. S. viminalis L. Syn. : S. longifblia Lam. Fl. Fr. ; No. 75. in p. 1549.
16. S. stipularis Smith ; No. 76. in p. 1550.
17. S. acurainata Smith, but not of Hoffm., Willd., or any German author. Syn. : S. Smithidna Koch
in Regensb. Bot Zeit, 1820, p. 276. ; S. mollissima Smith FL Br. ; S. lanceolata Fries Fl. Hall. ;
S. mollissima Koch in Reg. Bot. Zeit., 1820, p. 276. ; No. 82. in p. 1553., and No. 77. in p. 1550.
Group vi. Cdprecs.
Catkins lateral, in flower sessile supported by a few leaves, in fruit usually placed on leafy stalks ;
scales dark or brownish at the point Stamens 2, or but little united ; anthers, after bursting,
yellow. Capsules placed on stalks which are at least twice as long as the glands. Tall shrubs
or trees.
18. S. incana Schrank. Syn. : S. ripkria Willd. Sp. PI. ; S. lavandulaefolia Lapeyr. Arb., Ser. Sal.
Helv. ; S. angustifblia Pair, in Du Ham. Arb. ; S. rosmarinifdlia Gouan Hort., Host Syn. ; S.
E\s>'Agno& Scop. Cam. ; No. 73. in p. 1548.
19. S. Seringedwa Gaudin. Syn. : S. lanceolata Ser. Sal. Helv., not of Smith ; S. holosericea Ser.
Sal. gxsicc., not of Willd. ; S. longifblia Schleich. Cat., not of Miihl. ; p. 1602.
20. S. *alvisef61ia Link. Syn. : S. pitula Ser. Sal. Helv. ; S. oleifblia Ser. Sal. exsicc. ; S. oleifblia
Pill. Delph. ; S. Flugge^na Willd. Sp. PI. ; No. 212 in p. 1600.
21. S. holosericea Willd. Syn. : S. veluttna Schrad. ; No. ? 220. in p. 1601.
22. S. cindrea L. Syn. : S. acuminata Hoff., not of Smith ; S. Hoffmannwna Bluff, et Fing. ; S.
aquatica Smith Fl. Br. ; S. cinerea Smith Fl. Br. ; S. TimmzY Schkuhr ; S. oleasf&lia Hort. ;
? S. rufinervis Dec. ; S. nlgra Fl. Lusitan. ; No. 90. in p. 1558., and No. 91. in p. 1559.
23. S. grandifolia Seringe. Syn. : S. stipularis Ser. Sal. exsicc., not of Smith ; S. cinerascens Willd.
Sp. PI. ; p. 1602.
24. S. caprea L. Syn. : S. tomentbsa Ser. Sal. Helv. ; S. wlmifblia Thuil. Paris, (see p.1595.), Gaud.
Ft. Fr. ; S. aurigerana Lapeyr. Hist. ; S. lanata nil. Delph. ; S. sphacelata Smith Fl. Br.,
Willd. Sp. PL; S. caprea /3 Wahl. Carpal. ; No. 97. in p. 1561., and No. 98. in p. 1563.
25. S. aurlta L. Syn. : S. rugbsa Ser. Sal. Helv. ; S. uliginbsa Willd. Enum. ; S. aurita Willd. Enum.;
S. cladostcmma Hayne Dendr. Fl. ; No. 95. in p. 1560.
26. S. Uvida Wahl. Syn. : S. arbuscula y Lin. Fl. Suec. ; S. arbuscula (3 Lin. Sp. PI. ; S. Starker/n^
Willd. Sp. PI. ; S. foliosa AfzeL, in ed. 2., Fl. Lapp., Willd. Sp. Pi. ; S. walifolia Bess. Galic. ;
S. bicolor Ehrh. Arb., Fries Novit. : No. 197. in p. 1598.
27. S. sileslaca Willd. Syn. : S./agifblia Willd. Sp. PL ; No. 215. in p. 1601.
28. S. ohylicifclia Linn. Syn. : S. styl&sa Gaud. Fl. Fr. ; S. stylaris Ser. Sal. Helv. ; S. hastata
Hoppe Fl. Bar. Cent. : S. hybrida Hoffm. Deutsch. Fl. ; S. nigricans Smith Br. FL, Willd. Sp.
PL : S. Ammanmdwa Willd. Sp. PI.; S. Anderaonjana Smith Eng. Bot. ; S. spiraeaef olia Willd. ,
according to Link's Enum. ; S. rupestris Smith Eng. Bot., Rees's Cyclo. ; S. ForstenVmo Sm.
Eng. Bot. ; S. hirta Smith Eng. Bot., Willd. Sp. PL ; S. cotinifblia Smith Fl. Br., Willd. Sp.
PL ; S. ttlmifblia Hort. Berol., not of Thuil. ; S. Halleri Ser. Sal. Helv. ; S. carpinifoliaScAWcA.,
Ser. Sal. Helv. A great many of Schleicher's species are only variations of S. johyliciiolia.
29. S. hastata L. Syn. : S. LudwfgtY Schk. Handb. ; ? S. PontedeM Vill. ; S. serrulata Willd. Sp.
PL ; S. walifblia Smith Fl. Br., Willd. Sp. PI. ; S. arbuscula Wahl. Fl. Dan. ; S. arbuscula ft
Lin. Fl.. Suec. ; S. arbCiscula Lin. Sp. PL, Fl. Lapp. ; S. Wulfemdtw Willd. Sp. PL ; S. phyli-
cifolia Wulf. inJacq. Coll. ; S. glabra Scop. Cam. ; No. 163. in p. 1592., and No. 224. p. 1601.
30. S. arbuscula WahL Syn. : S. arbuscula » Lin. Fl. Suec., Sp. PL, not of Smith, Vahl, nor Jacq. ;
S. ohylicifblia Smith FL Br. ; S. radlcans Smith FL Br., Wtlld. Sp. PL ; S. tetrapla Walker,
Link Enum. ; S. humilis Willd. Ber. Baumz., Enum. Suppl. ; S. Dicksonidwrt Eng. Bot. ; .S'.
myrtilloldes Smith Fl. Br. ; S. Weigelwma Witld. Sp. PL ; S. tenuifblia Eng. Bot., not of Fl.
Br. : S. Jatirina Sm. Tr. of Lin. Soc., Willd. Sp. PL ; S. Wcolor Smith FL Br., var. /3,is S.
majalis Wahl. Fl. Lapp. ; S. tenuifblia Smith Fl. Br. ; S. petrae'a Anders. ; S. Crowcana
Smith Fl. Br., Eng. Bot., Willd. Sp. ; ? S. discolor Schrad. ; ? S. Schraderulna Willd. Sp.
PI. (See p. 1577.)
Group vii. Argentece.
Catkins and capsules as in the last, but the stature of the plant is different; for these are dwarf
shrubs, with a subterranean creeping trunk. Stalks of the capsules, in all the species, longer than
the gland, or very rarely, in some varieties, of the same length.
31. S. repens L. Syn. : S. fusca Lin. Sp. PL, Smith Fl. Br. ; S. depressa Hoff. D. Fl. ; S. repens
Smith Fl. Br. ; S. argentea Smith Fl. Br. ; S. lanata Thuil. ; S. parvifolia Smith in Rees't
Ct/clo., Eng. Bot. ; S. adscendens Smith in Rees's Cyclo. ; S. incubficea Thuil. S. rostrata
Thuil. and S. polymorpha Ehrh. are intermediate between S. fusca Smith and S. repens
32. S.Sr£?miamimaA /" PSyn. :' S. incilbacea Lin. Sp. PL, Willd. Sp. PL ; S. lae'ta Schultz Suppl.
Fl. Stutgard.; S. heterophylla Schultz ; S. arbftscula Smith Fl. Br. ; Nos. 48. and 49. in p. 1535.
33. S. ambfgut Ehrh. Syn.: S. plickta Fries Fl. Hall.; S. versifblia Ser. Sal. Helv. ; & ;. Schultztfna
Willd. ; S.«pathulata Willd. Sp. PL ; S. prostrata Smith Fl. Br. -, No. 54. in p. : 1540.
34. S. finmarchica Willd. Syn. : S. onfista Better En. PL Volhyn. ; No.55. in p. 1541.
CHAP. CIII. £ALICAVCEvE. iVLIX. 1635
25. S. myrtilloides L., not of Willd. nor Smith. Syn. : S. elegans Baser En. PL ' Yolhyn. ; No. 150.
in p. 1587.
Group vui. Chrysanth(E.
Catkins sessile, with small bract-like leaves at the base ; produced at the ends of the branches of the
previous year, or just below them, and placed above the leaf-buds.
36. S. lanata L. Syn. : S. chrysanthos Vahl Fl. Dan. ; S. depr£ssa Lin. Fl. Suec.t Fl. Lapp. ; No.
164. in p. 1593.
Group ix.
C'atkins lateral, the fertile ones on leafy peduncles; scales dark or brown at the point. Stamens 2,
distinct, or slightly joined. Anthers, after flowering, yellow or brown. Capsules sessile, or placed
on stalks that are not longer than the gland. Branchy shrubs ; the old branches knotted, and the
younger ones hardly twiggy, or fit for basketwork,
37. S. limbsa Wahl. Syn. : S. nfvea Ser. Sal. Helo. ; S. helvetica Vitt. Delph. ; S. bractea Debray.
in den Dcnkschrif. d. Rcgensb. Bot. Ges., 2. p. 43. ; 6'. arenaria Willd. Sp. PI. ; S. leuco-
phylla Willd. Enum. Suppl., Berol. Baumz. ; S. arenaria Smith FL Br. ; S. canescens Willd.
Sp. PI. ; S. Stuartiana Smith in Kees's Cyclo. ; No. 67. and 68. in p. 1547.
38. S. glauca L. Syn. : S. sericea Vill. Delph. ; S. glauca <y Lappbnum Wahl. Fl. Lapp. ; S. Lap-
ponum Lin. Sp. PI., Willd. Sp. PL ; S. albida Schleich. Cat. ; S. dffiagnifides Schleich. Cat.,
.SVr. Sal. Hclv. ; S. appendiculata Vahl in FL Dan. ; S. glauca B appendiculata Wahl. Fl.
. Lapp. ; No. 61. in p. 1544.
39. S. pyrenaica Gouan. Syn. : S. ciliata Dec. Fl. Fr. ; S. pyrenaica /3 ciliata Dec. Fl. Fr. ; No. 69.
in p. 1547.
40. S. Waldsteimawa Willd. Syn. : S. arbuscula Jacq. Aus. ; S. ovata Ser. Sal. Helv., Ser. Sal.
exsicc. ; No. 70. in p. 1547.
41. S. prunifblia Smith. Syn. : S. venulbsa Smith FL Br. ; S. carinata Smith Fl. .Br. ; S. formbsa
Willd. Sp. PI.; S. te'tida'Sdkfeft*. Cent. ; S. alplna Sut. Helv. : S. t»acciniifolia Eng. Bat..
Rees's Cyclo. : Nos. 145, 146, and 147. in p. 1585. ; and No. 148. in p. 1586.
42. S. cassia Vill. Syn : S. prostrata Ehrh. PL Select. ; S. myrtilldldes Willd. Sp. PL, not of Lin.
nor of Smith ; No. 149. in p. 1586.
43. S. 3/yrsinltes Lin. Syn. : S. arbutifolia Willd. Sp. PL, Ser. Sal. Helv. ; S. dubia Sut. Fl. Helv. ;
S. retusa Dicks. ; No. 153. in p. 1588.
44. S. Jacqufnn Host. Syn. : S. fusca Jacq. Austr., not of Lin. ; S. alplna Scop. Cam. ; S. Jacquin-
iana Willd. Sp. PL ; No. 196. in p. 1598. S. arctica R. Br. seems intermediate between S.
Jacquf nil" and S. reticulata ; p. 1602.
Group x. Glacidles.
From the terminal bud of the branches of the preceding year, proceeds a new branch clothed with
leaves, having the buds for a future year in their axils ; and on the top of this is placed a catkin.
The catkins, therefore, are seated upon a leafy permanent peduncle, by which the branch is con-
tinued and lengthened. Very small shrubs, with subterranean creeping trunks, and ascending
branches.
45. S. reticulata Lin. ; No. 159. in p. 1543.
45. S. retusa Lin. Syn. : S. Kitaibeliana Willd. Sp. PL, Wahl. Carpat. ; S. serpyllifblia Scop. Cam.,
Willd. Sp. PI., Jacq. Austr. ; Nos. 156. and 157. in p. 1589., and No. 159. in p. 1590.
47. S. herbacea Lin. ; No. 161. in p. 1590.
48. S. polaris Wahl. ; No. 162. in p. 1591.
The following species, Koch states, are not sufficiently known to him to be comprehended in any
of the preceding groups : — S. tnolacea Willd. and S. Trevirani Spreng., which are in the Botanic
Garden, Erlangen, but have not yet (1828) flowered. The following Koch had not seen : — S. versi-
fblia Wahl., S. punctata Wahl., S. cordscans Willd., S. cinerascens Willd., S. reflexa Willd., S.
rufinervis Dec., S. canaliculata Bess., and S. campestris Fries. Very many ot these are, probably,
cither synonymes or varieties of those already described ; as are the following : — S. splendens, rQbens,
iserana, wepctifblia, and multiflora Presl ; and S. reflexa sedinensis and Pseudo-caprea Compend.
Fl. Ger.
App. iv. Kinds of Sdlix described in Host's Flora Austriaca, and
^figured in Host's Salix.
The very few identifications given are those of Host.
Salix &lba, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 638., Sal., t. 32. and 33.
alpestris, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 653., Sal., t. 99. and 100. ; S. Waldsteima/m Willd. Sp.
PL, 4. p. 679. ; S. Hostiana Willd. Mag., 1810, p. 63.
omygd&lina, m. and f., Fl. Aiis., 2. p. 634., Sal., 1. 13. and 14.
austrlaca, ra. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 646., Sal., t. 64. and 65.
aurlta, m. and f., Fl. Aus., p. 648., Sal., t. 78.
caprea, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 646., Sal., t. 66. and 67., Lin. Sp. PL, 1448., Willd. Sp. PI., 4.
p. 703.
carni61ica,m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 641., Sal., t. 44. and 45.
cindrea, m. and f., FL Aus., 2. p. 637., Sal., t. 26, and 27. ; S. rfaphrioWes I'M. Delph., J.
p. 765. t. 5. f. 2. ; S. praevcox Hoppe.
c6ncolor, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 639., Sal., t. 34. and. 35. ; S. minima, &c., Rait Sun.,
p. 449., applied by Smith in Ene. FL, 4. p. 192., to S. rhbra Huds.
cortscans, m. and f., FL Aus., 2. p. 651., Sal., t. 94., Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 681. ; S. arbdscula
Jacq. Aus., t. 408., Host Syn., p. 527.
discolor, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 645., Sal., t. 60. and 61.
elegans, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 652., Sal., t. 97.
excelsior, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 638., Sal., t. 28. and 29.
flavescens, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 653., Sal., 1. 101.
fragilis, m. and f, Fl. Aus., 2. p. 635., Sal., t. 18. and 19.
fragilior, m. and f, Fl. Aus., 2. p. 636., Sal., t. 20. and 21. ; S. fragilis Host Sun.'u. 527.
fragilfssima, m. and f., 17. Avs., 2. p. fijfi., Sal., t. 22. and 23.
5o 3
1636 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
Salix glaucescens, m. and f, Fl. Aus.t 2. p. 648., Sal., t. 76. and 77.
miix, m. and f., Fl. Aug., 2. p. 639., Sal., t. 36. and 37.
herbfccea, m. and/, Fl. Aus., 2. p. 652., Sal., t. 104., Lin. Sp. PL, 1445., Fl. Lapp., No. 355.,
Fl. Dan., 1. 117., Eng. Bot., t. 1907.
heterophylla, m. and f., Fl. Aug., 2. p. 650., Sal., t. 87. and 88.
intermedia, m. and f, Fl. Aus., 2. p. 644., Sal.t t. 56. and 57.
Jacquinwnrt, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 654., Sal., t. 102., Host Sun., p. 529., Willd. Sp. PL, 4.
p. 692. ; S. ftisca Jacq. Aus., t. 409.
/igustrina, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 634., Sal., t. 15. and 16.
litoralis, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 643., Sal., t. 52.
longifblia, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 645., Sal., t. 62. and 63.
7«enthae/o//a, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 649., Sal., t. 79. and 80. ; S. Myrsinltes Wulfen in Jacq.
Coll., 2. p. 136., Hoffm. Sal., 1. p. 71. t. 17., f. 1., &c., Host Syn., p. 527.
mirabilis (androgynous) Fl. Aus. ,2. p. 641., Sal., t.46.
monandra, m. and f. Fl. Aus., 2. p. 647., Sal., t. 71. and 72.
montana (androgynous) Fl. Aus., 2. p. 647., Sal., t. 73.
mutabilis, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 640., Sal., t. 42. and 43.
oppositifi.lia, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 640., Sal., t. 38. and 39. ; S humilior, &c., Rait Syn., 445.
This name is applied as a synonyme to S. /ftlix L., by Smith in his English Flora, 4. p. 188.
ovata, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 648., Sal., t. 74. and 75.
palustris, m. and f., Fl. Aus.y 2. p. 637., Sal., t. 24. and 25.
parietaria?fblia, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 650., Sal., t. 85. and 86.
parvifl6ra, m. and f., Fl.Aus., 2. p. 642., Sal., t. 49.
pentandra, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 632., Sal., t. 1. and 2., Lin. Sp. PI., 1442., Eng. Sot.,
1. 1805., Smith.
polym6rpha, m. and f., and with the sexes monoecious, Fl. Aug., 2. p. 646., Sal., t. 68, 69,
and 70.
pratensis, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 642., Sal., t. 50. and 51. ; S. angustifMia Wulfen in Jacq.
Coll., 3. p. 48. ; S. rosmarinifolia Wulf., 1. c. ; S. incubilcea Host Syn., p. 528.
prunifblia, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 649., Sal., t. 83. and 84.
pulchtlla, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 653., Sal., t. 98.
purpiirea, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 640., Sal., t. 40. and 41.
repens, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 643., Sal., t. 53.
reticulata, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 655., Sal., 1. 105., Lin. Sp. PI., 1446., .Fl Lapp., No. 359.
t. 78., Fl. Dan., t. 212., Eng. Bot., t. 1908., Smith.
retusa, m. and f., Fl. Aus. 2. p. 654., Sal., t. 103., Lin. Sp. PI., 1493., Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 684. ;
S. serpyllifolia Scop. Cam., 2. p. 255. t. 6., Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 684. ; S. Kitaibehana Willd.
Sp. PI., 4. p. 684.
riparia, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 644., Sal., t. 48. and 59. ; S. incana Schrank Safer., 1. p. 230. ;
S. rosmarinifblia Schrank Sal., No. 38., Host Syn., 529.
rivalis, m. and f., Fl. Aus. 2. p. 649., Sal., t. 81. and 82.
gemperflbrens, m. and f., Fi. Aus., 2. p. 633., Sal., t. 5. and 6.
spectabilis, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 682., Sal., t.3. and 4.
specibsa, m. and f., Fl. Aus. ,2. p. 635., Sal., 1. 17.
Starkearea, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 650., Sal., t. 89. and 90., Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 677. ; S.
Twalif&lia Besser Fl., 2. p. 313.
sudetica, m. and f., Fl. Aus. ,2. p. 651., Sal., t. 91. and 92.
tenuiflura, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 633., Sal., t. 7. and 8.
tenuis, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 642., Sal., t. 47. and 48.
tomentbsa, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 651., Sal., t. 93., Host Sun., p. 528.
varia, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 634., Sal., 1. 11. and 12.
ventista, m. and f., Fl. Aus. ,2. p. 633., Sal., t. 9. and 10.
viminalis, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 643., Sal., t. 54. and 55., Lin. Sp. PI., 2448. ; Willd. Sp.
PI., 4. p. 706., Hqffm. Sal., 1. t. 2. f. 1, 2. t 5.,&c., Smith Fl. Br.t p. 1070.
Titelllna, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 638., Sal., t.30. and 31.
WulfemYma, m. and f., Fl. Aus., 2. p. 651 , Sal., t. 95. and 96., Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 660.; S.phy.
licifdlia Wutfen in Jacq. Coll., 2. p. 139., Host Syn., p. 526.
GENUS II.
PO'PULUS Tourn. THE POPLAR. Lin. Syst. Dice'cia Octandria.
Identification. Tourn. Inst., t. 350. ; Lin. Gen., 526. ; Theo. Nees ab Esenbeck Gen. PI. Germ. Illust. ;
Smith's Engl. Fl., 4. p. 242.
Synonymes. Peuplier, Fr. ; Pappel, Ger. ; Pioppo, Ital. ; Poplier, Dutch ; Alamo, Span.
Derivation. Some suppose the word Populus to be derived from polio, or paipallo, to vibrate or
shake; others, that the tree obtained its name from its being used, in ancient times, to decorate
the public places in Rome; where it was called arbor populi, or the tree of the people. Bullet
derives the name also from populus, but says that it alludes to the leaves being easily agitated, like
the people. From the Spanish name for this tree, alamo, is derived the word alameda, the name
given to public walks in Spain, from their being generally planted with poplars.
Description. All the species are deciduous trees, mostly growing to a
large size ; natives of Europe, North America, some parts of Asia, and the
north of Africa. They are all of rapid growth, some of them extremely so ;
and they are all remarkable for a degree of tremulous motion in their leaves,
when agitated by the least breath of wind. The poplar is dioecious ; and the
catkins of the males of most of the species are very ornamental, from the red
CHAP. cm. JALICA^CEJE. PO'PULUS. 1637
tinge of their anthers, and from their being produced very early in spring,
when the trees are leafless, and when flowers are particularly valuable from
their rarity. The catkins are also, in most species, so numerous, that the
effect of the mass of red, when the tfee is seen from a little distance, and in a
strong light, is very striking. The colour of the anthers of some of the
species is so deep, and their size is so large, that a correspondent of the
Magazine of Natural History compares them, when torn off by a high wind,
and lying on the ground, to "great red caterpillars." (See vol. vi. p. 198.)
The females of all the species have their seeds enveloped in abundance of
cottony down ; which, when ripe, and the seeds are shed, adheres to every
object near it ; and is so like cotton wool in appearance and quality, that it
has been manufactured into cloth and paper, though it has been found de-
ficient in elasticity. The buds of P. balsamifera, and all its allied species,
are covered with a viscid matter, which is said to be of use in medicine. P.
alba, P. (a.) canescens, and their varieties, are easily distinguishable from all
the other species, even at a considerable distance, when their leaves are
ruffled by the wind, from the thick white cottony down which covers their
under surface. The tremulous motion of the leaves, which is common,
in a greater or less degree, to all the poplars, proceeds from the great length
of the petioles, in proportion to the size and weight of the leaves to which
they are attached. Pliny speaks of three kinds of poplar : the black, the
white, and the poplar of Libya. He mentions that the poplar was cultivated
as a prop to the vine (P/w., lib. xvi. cap. 23. and cap.- 37.) ; and that the
trees were planted in quincunx, in order that they might obtain more light
and air. He also says that the wood of the poplar, like that of the willow,
and of all the aquatic trees, is particularly suitable for making bucklers,
from its lightness; and because, when struck, tire blow only indents
the soft wood, without piercing or cracking it. The poplar buckler
thus acted like a shield of Indian rubber, or any other elastic substance,
and repelled the blow. The ancients applied the leaves of the poplar,
macerated in vinegar, to parts affected by the gout; and they dried the
young shoots with the leaves on during summer, and laid them by, to
serve as winter food for cattle. The wood of the poplar is soft, light,
and generally white, or of a pale yellow. It is but of little use in the arts,
except in some departments of cabinet and toy making, and for boarded floors;
for which last purpose it is well adapted, from its whiteness, and the facility
with which it is scoured ; and, also, from the difficulty with which it catches
fire, and the slowness with which it burns. In these respects, it is the very
reverse of deal. Poplar, like other soft woods, is generally considered no*t
durable; but this is only the case when it is exposed to the external atmo-
sphere, or to water ; and hence the old distich, said to be inscribed on a poplar
plank,—
" Though heart of oak be e'er so stout,
Keep me dry, and I '11 see him out,"
may be considered as strictly correct. One of the most valuable properties of
the poplar is, that it will thrive in towns in the closest situations ; and another
is, that, from the rapidity of its growth, it forms a screen for shutting out ob-
jects, and affords shelter and shade sooner than any other tree. The females
of several of the exotic kinds of poplar have never been introduced into
Britain ; and, consequently, little opportunity has been found for raising new
varieties from seeds ; but all the kinds, whether indigenous or foreign, are
readily propagated by cuttings or layers, and some of them by suckers. They
all like a moist soil, particularly when it is near a running stream ; but none
of them thrive in marshy or undried soil, as is commonly supposed. On very
dry ground, the leaves of the poplar grow yellow, and fall off much sooner than
when they are planted in a more congenial situation ; but the timber, in dry
soils, is said to be more compact, fine-grained, and durable. P. alba and
its varieties produce their leaves much earlier than P. nigra and its varieties.
The species and varieties belonging to this genus are in a state of confusion,
5o 4
1638 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
from which it will be impossible entirely to extricate them, till both the male
and female plants of each sort have been cultivated together for a number of
years in the same garden. Judging from the plants in the London nurseries,
and in the arboretums of the Horticultural Society and Messrs. Loddiges, we
think that all the kinds now in actual cultivation in Britain may be included
under the heads of P. alba, P. tremula, P. nigra, and P. balsamifera.
Poplars, from their rapid growth and great bulk, are liable to have their
branches broken off by the wind ; in which case, if care is not taken to protect
the wound from the weather, the water enters, and the trunk soon rots and be-
comes the prey^of insects, which in their turn are fed on by birds. The larvae of
a number of moths live on the leaves of the poplars, sucl\as Tortrix populana,
JJombyx populi, Ceriira vinula, Smerinthus populi, S. 'ocellatus (the eyed
hawk moth), Anacampsis populella, and a number of others, some of which
will be noticed under particular species. The larvae of Cossus Ligniperda
(see p. 1386.), of ^Egeria crabroniformis (see Mag. Nat. Hist., iv. 445.), and
of some others, live on the wood. The larva of the puss moth (Ceriira vinula)
is one of the few caterpillars that are known to have the voluntary power of
communicating electricity. An interesting account of the manner in which
this was discovered by a naturalist in Selkirkshire, is given in the Magazine of
Natural History, vol. iv. p. 281. The larva of this insect is very common on
poplars and willows in Switzerland, where the pupa often remains two full
years, before it assumes the perfect state. (Ibid., viii. 558.) Populus graevca
affords food to this moth, to the poplar hawk moth (Smerinthus populi), to
the kitten moth (Ceriira furcula), to the pebble prominent moth (Notodonta
ziczac), and'to Various species of Clostera, (the chocolate-tipped moths), which
feed exclusively on the poplar and willow. The larva of Smerinthus populi
(Mag. Nat. Hist., viii. 629.) is very common both on poplars and willows,
and often strips them entirely of their foliage ; the moth of this species is
seldom seen, as it flies but little, and only during the night. The larva of
Smerinthus ocellatus is common on willows and poplars from July to the end
of September, and the fly does not usually appear till the following spring.
It is stated of this insect, that a female produced young without having any
connexion with the male ; from which it would appear that in certain Lepi-
doptera a single pairing can render fertile more than one generation, as well
as in the case of the A'phides. (Mag. Nat. Hist., viii. 557.) Trochilium api-
forme (the hornet hawk moth) and JEgerifl asiliformis feed on the Lombardy
poplar, on which the larva may be found in May and June, early in the morn-
ing ; the fly almost invariably mounts to the top of the trees soon after sunrise.
(Ibid., p. 555.) The splendid European butterfly (not yet detected in Great
Britain), Limenitis populi, frequents the aspen. The caterpillar, also, of the
fine Camberwell beauty, or, as it used to be called, the poplar butterfly, feeds
on the poplar. Both poplars and willows, when the trunks begin to decay,
are attacked by the jet ant (JFbrmica fuliginosa), more especially in France,
and on this insect that very shy bird, the hoopoe chiefly lives. Among the
coleopterous insects, Rhynchites populi, Chrysomela populi and C. tremulae,
Saperda populnea, and Orchestes populi, one of the flea weevils, feed on the
leaves of poplars. Notices of all the preceding insects, and of various others
which attack the poplar and the willow, will be found in the Magazine of
Natural History, vols. i. to ix. inclusive. Various epiphytical fungi are found
on the poplar, some of them on the leaves, and others on the bark of the
branches or trunk ; such as Sclerotium jpopulinum Peru., JSrysiphe adunca
Link and E. popu\i Link, Erineum aureum Pers., {/redo /jopulina Pcrs.,
and U. ovata Straus. Some others will be noticed under particular species ;
and the greater part are included among the Cryptogamia of our Encyclo-
pedia of Plants, where several of the species are figured.
5f 1 . P. A'LBA L. The white Poplar, or Abele Tree.
Identification. Lin. Sp., 1463. ; Willd. Sn. PI., 4. p. 802. ; Smith Eng. Bot, t. 1618. ; Eng. FL, 4.
p.-243. ; Hook. Brit. Ft, ed. 2., p. 432. ; Mackay Fl. Hibern., pt 1. p. 254. ; Raii Syn., 446. ; Ger.
Enum., 1486. ; Bauh. Hist., 1. p. 2. fig. 160.
Synonymes. P. 61ba latifT.lia Lob. Ic., 2. p. 193. fig. 1. ; P6pulus No. 163*. Hall. Hist., 2. p. 303. ;
/>. major Milt. Dtct.t 8. No. 4. ; P. nfvea Willd. Arb., 227.; P. 61ba nivca Mart. Mill. The name
CHAP. CIII. SALICACEJE. J'o'PlJLUS. 1639
of LcukC-, given to this species by Dioscorides, is still used among the modern Greeks. (See Smith
/>nn(., Sil/Ui. /•'/. Gra-ca.) The great white Poplar, great Aspen, Dutch Beech; Peuplier blanc,
Ypruati, Blanc de Hollande, Franc Picard, Fr. ; Airbo, or Aoubero, in some provinces; weisse
Pappel, Sillier I'appi-1, weisse Aspe, Weissalber Baum, Ger. ; Abeelboom, Dutch.
Derivation. The si>ecific name of White applies to the under surface of the leaves, which, when
quivering in the wind, give the tree a peculiarly white appearance. The English name of Abele
is derived from the Dutch name of the tree, Abeel ; and this name is supposed by some to be taken
from that of the city of Arbela, in the plains of Nineveh, near which, on the banks of the Tigris
and Euphrates, great numbers of these trees grew. It is said to be the same tree as that mentioned
in the Bible as Abel-shittim, Chittim, Shittim-wood, and Kittim. The Dutch Beech is an old
name, given to this tree, as we are informed by Hartlib, in his Complcnt Husbandman (1659), on
account of ten thousand trees of it having been brought over all at once from Flanders, and planted
in the country places ; where the people, not knowing what they were, called them Dutch beech
trees. The French name of Ypr£au alludes to the tree being found in great abundance near the
town of Ypres.
Engravings. Eng. Bot, 1. 1618. ; Ger. Em., 1488. ; Bauh. Hist, 1. p. 160. ; Matth. Valg., 1. p. 123.
fig. ; Cam. Epit., 65. fig. ; Dod. Pempt, 835. fig. ; Dalech. Hist., 86. fig. ; Hayne Abbild.,t. 202. ;
our Jig. 1507. : and the plate of this tree in our last Volume.
The Sexes. Both sexes are described in the English Flora, and are not unfrequent in plantations
Trees of both are in the Horticultural Society's Garden.
Spec. Char., tyc. Leaves lobed and toothed ; some-
what heart-shaped at the base ; snow-white, and
densely downy beneath. Catkins of the female
plant ovate. Stigmas 4. (Smith Eng. Fl.)
Root creeping,' and producing numerous suckers.
Branches very white, and densely downy when
young. Leaves angular, and generally with three
principal lobes, variously and unequally toothed,
blunt-pointed, veiny; dark green and smooth
above, and covered with a thick remarkably white
do.wn beneath. The leaves vary very much in
form ; and on young luxuriant branches they are
almost palmate. The tree is a native of most
parts of Europe, and is usually found in woods or thickets, in rather moist
soil. It grows to the height of 80 ft. or 90ft., and flowers in March.
Varieties. These are numerous, but the principal one, P. (a.) canescens,
being generally considered as a species, we shall first give it as such;
and next enumerate the varieties which belong to it and to P. alba.
% 2. P. (A.) CANE'SCENS Smith. The grey, or common white, Poplar.
Identification. Smith Fl. Brit, p. 1080. : Eng. Bot, t. 1619. ; Eng. Fl.. 4. p. 243. ; Willd. Sp. PI.,
4. p. 802. ; Michx. North Amer. Sylva, 2. p. 245. t. 100.
Synonymes. P. &lba Mill. Diet., ed. 8., No. 1., Willd. Arb., 227. ; P. &lba foliis imnoribus Raii
Syn.,446., Ger. Em., 148. fig., Lob. Ic.,2. 193. fig.; P. alba fblio minbre Bauh. Hist.,\. 1. p. 2.
160. fig. ; P. No. 1634. £ Hall. Hist., 2. 303. ; Peuplier grisaille, Fr.
The Sexes. Only the female plant is expressly described in the English Flora. The plant in the
Horticultural Society's Garden is the male.
Engravings. Eng. Bot, t. 1619. ; Michx. North Amer. Sylva, t. 100. ; Hayne Abbild., t. 201. : N
Du Ham., 2. fig. 52., as P. alba ; and our fig. 1508.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves roundish, deeply waved, toothed ; hoary and downy
beneath. Catkins of the female plant cylindrical. Stigmas 8. (Smith in
Eng. Fl.) It is essentially distinguished from P. alba, as Mr. Crowe first
discovered, by the stigmas, which are 8, spreading in two opposite di-
rections. The bracteas of the fertile flowers are, also, more deeply and re-
gularly cut. The branches are more upright and compact. The leaves are
rounder, more conspicuously 3-ribbed, and less deeply or acutely lobed.
They are downy beneath ; but the down is chiefly greyish, and not so white
or cottony as in P. alba: in some instances the leaves are glabrous.
(Smith.) Smith has described the root as creeping as extensively as that of
P. alba. P. canescens is found wild in " wet ground in England, France, and
Germany ; sometimes also on open elevated spots, where the soil is loamy."
(Smith in Rees's Cycl.) It grows to about the same height as P. alba, and
flowers in March. " Mr. Crowe was very instrumental in bringing this tree
into notice in Norfolk. He observed it to be of slower growth than P.
alba. The wood, though till lately it was but little used or distinguished, is
much firmer than that of any other British poplar ; making as good floors
as the best Norway fir in appearance ; having, moreover, the valuable pro-
1640 AUBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
perty that it will not, like any resinous wood, readily take fire." (Smith in
Eng. Fl.)
Varieties referable to one or other of the preceding kinds, most of them to
P. alba.
i P. a. 2 hybrida Bieb. Fl.Taur. Cauc., 2. p. 423., and Suppl., p. 633.; P.
alba Bieb., 1. c. ; ? P. intermedia Mertens ; P. a. crassiiblia Mertens ;
and P. grisea Lodd. Cat., 1836; appears to be intermediate between
P. alba and P. (a.) canescens. It is plentiful in the neighbourhood
of streams in Tauria and Caucasus ; whence it appears to have been
introduced into Britain in 1816. There is a female plant of this
kind in the Horticultural Society's Garden, and young plants in
Loddiges's arboretum.
¥ P. a. 3 acerifdlia', P. acerifolia Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; P. (/uercifolia Hort. ;
P. palmata Hort.; is a very distinct variety of P. alba, with the
leaves broad, and deeply lobed, like those of some kinds of ^'cer.
i P. a. 4 arembergica, P. arembergica Lodd. Cat., 1836, seems identical
with P. (a.) acerifolia; but the plants in Loddiges's collection, which
were only received in 1835, are so small, that it is difficult to
decide with certainty respecting them. Booth (Gard. Mag., xi.
p. 207.) describes it as growing much more rapidly than the old variety.
*£ P. a. 5 belgica, P. belgica Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836, is also a kind removed
from the Continent in 1835 ; but the plants in Messrs. Loddiges's
collection are too small to admit of our stating anything more re-
specting them, than that they are evidently a variety of P. alba ;
probably identical with P. a. acerifolia.
3f P. a. 6 candicans, P. candicans Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836, is a strong-growing
variety of P. alba ; probably also identical with P. acerifolia. This
is the P. tomentosa of the Hawick Nursery, and the hoary poplar of
the Edinburgh nurseries, where it is propagated by layers, which
make shoots 6 ft. or 8 ft. long the first season.
¥ P. a. *? nivea, P. nivea Lodd. Cat., differs very little, if at all, from the
preceding variety.
5f P. a. 8 cegyptiaca Hort., P. a. pallida Hort., the Egyptian white poplar,
is a much weaker-growing plant than any of the preceding varieties >
though we have received specimens of this kind from the Hawick
Nursery, and seen a tree bearing this name in the Horticultural
Society's Garden, we can say very little about it. Messrs. Archibald
Dickson and Son, of Hawick, state that it is unfit for planting for
forest purposes.
Other Varieties. The late Professor Mertens of Bremen (as M. Fis-
cher of Gottingen informed us in 1835) planted a number of different
sorts of poplar on the ramparts of Bremen; and, in 1816, specimens
of these were sent to Sir J. E. Smith, which are now in the herbarium
of the Linnaean Society. Of these specimens, the most remarkable is
$ P. a. 9 pendula, P. a. var. gracilis ramis pendentibus Mertens. — The specimens of this va-
riety are of both sexes ; and we may presume, from the pendent shoots, that it would
be a very desirable kind of poplar to have introduced, if it is not already in this country.
There is a pendent-branched tree of P. alba in Lincoln's Inn New Square, which might
probably retain its drooping character, if propagated by cuttings or grafting.
Description, $c. The white poplar, and its different varieties, form trees
from 80ft. to 100ft. high, and upwards, generally with a clear trunk to a con-
siderable height, and a spreading head, usually, in full-grown trees, but thinly
clothed with foliage. The roots creep under the surface to a considerable
distance from the tree, and send up suckers in abundance. The leaves of all
the varieties are white underneath ; those of P. (a.) canescens least so ; and
those of P. a. nivea, and P. a. candicans, so in the greatest degree. The
leaves of the largest-growing varieties of the abele tree, are deeply lobed and
indented ; very dark above, and very white and downy beneath, with foot-
stalks about 1 in. in length. The young shoots have a purplish tinge, and
they are covered with a white down ; but the bark of the trunk and of the
CHAP. CHI.
SALICACEJE. PO PULUS.
1641
1.303
older branches is grey. In the beginning of April, the
male catkins, which are generally about 3 in. in length,
appear; and, about a week afterwards, the female catkins,
which are shorter, come forth : a week after the expan-
sion of the flowers of the female catkins, the males drop
off; and, in five or six weeks afterwards, the seeds will
have ripened and dropped also. The seeds are enclosed
in a hairy or cottony covering ; in consequence of which,
they are wafted to a great distance by the wind. The
growth of all the varieties is extremely rapid ; so that a
tree, 10 years planted, in soil moderately good and
moist, will attain the height of 30ft., or upwards, with
a trunk from Gin. to 9 in. in diameter; as has been the
case with several trees in the Horticultural Society's
Garden. As a proof of the rapidity of the growth of
the abele tree, Evelyn mentions one of these trees at
Syon, " which, being lopped in February, 1651, did, by
the end of October, 1652, produce branches as big as
a man's wrist, and 17ft. in height." Truncheons of the white poplar, Oft.
long, planted on the banks of a stream, some yards from the current, had, in
12 years, trunks nearly 10 in. in diameter; and had heads in proportion. (Bath
Soc. Papers, 1786, vol. iii. p. 90.) The duration of the tree rarely exceeds
two centuries ; but, when it is to be cut down for timber, it should be seldom
allowed to exceed 50 years' growth, as the heart-wood at that period, on most
soils, begins to decay. Mitchell says that, on the banks of rivers, the tree is
at its full value in 40 or 50 years ; but that, in dry situations, it will require
from 50 to 70 years to mature it. (Dendrologia, &c., p. 51.) In the Dictionnaire
des Eaux et Forets, it is stated, that a tree planted in a field, and surrounded
by a fence at 25 ft. distance from it on every side, formed by its suckers, in
20 years, a circular clump of wood 50ft. in diameter; and, consequently,
that 30 or 40 trees would cover an acre with a thick wood in tne same space
of time. Hence it follows, that, when the tree is once introduced into woods,
especially where the soil is loamy and moist, it forms a perpetual succession
of young trees, however frequently these may be cut down. When treated
as coppice-wood, the abele is by no means a durable plant ; the stools decay-
ing after they have borne three, or at most four, crops of poles.
Geography. The common grey poplar (P. (a) canescens) is generally sup-
posed to be a native of Britain, as well as of France and Germany ; but the
abele tfree (P. alba) is thought by some to have been first brought to England
from Flanders. This we think highly probable ; and it is favourable to our
opinion that P. alba and its varieties ought to be considered as cultivated
forms of P. canescens. P. alba and P. (a.) canescens are indigenous to Europe,
as far north as 56° or 57° ; and they are found throughout the south of Eu-
rope, Caucasus, Persia, and Barbary. They grow in most districts of Britain;
and a few stunted plants of P. alba are said by M'Culloch to comprise all the
trees in the Island of Lewis. Whether these trees in Lewis belong to P. alba,
or P. (a.) cane'scens, may, however, be doubted. Turner, in 1568, says, "the
white aspe is plentifull in Germany and Italy;" but that he does not remember
to have seen it in England. Gerard, who wrote 30 years after Turner, found
the white poplar at Black wall, near London ; at Ovenden, in Essex; and a few
other places. Dr. Walker, writing in 1773, says that it is doubtful whether
the abele is a native of England ; but that it certainly has the appearance of
being indigenous in several parts of Scotland. But it must be recollected
that, in his time, P. alba and jr. (a.) canescens were considered as synonymous.
He adds, also, that the abele was planted in many places in Scotland about the
end of the seventeenth century ; and that it had been afterwards neglected and
despised, in consequence of the great number of suckers that it threw up all round
it from its creeping roots. Hartlib, in his Complcat Husbandman (published in
1659), states that, some years before the time of his writing, there were 10,000
1642 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
abeles at once sent over into England from Flanders, and transplanted into
many counties ; and Mortimer, writing in the beginning of the eighteenth cen-
tury, says that the best sorts of abele trees come from Holland and Flanders.
Evelyn mentions the tree as being raised in abundance from cuttings.truncheons,
and suckers ; adding, 'that "there is a finer sort of white poplar, which the Dutch
call abeel ; and we have of late much of it transported out of Holland." The
Dutch, he adds, " look upon a plantation of these trees as an ample portion
for a daughter." {Hunter's Evelyn, vol. i. p. 209.)
History. The abele was known to the Romans, as we have already noticed
when giving the history of the genus. As a road-side tree, it has been much
planted, in modern times, in Holland, Flanders, and in some parts of France
and Germany. In the forests of France, it is so abundant, in some places, as
to form the prevailing tree over extensive tracts of country ; and it furnishes
fuel for the adjoining towns ; more especially for bakers' ovens, those of Paris
being almost entirely heated with the wood of this tree, which is there called
le bois blanc. In Britain, the white poplar has been propagated in nurseries
since the time of Miller ; but it does not appear to have been ever very exten-
sively planted in masses, though there are trees of it to be found here and
there throughout the country. In Scotland, it was a popular tree about the
beginning of the present century ; more especially, as Sang informs us, for
moist situations, which it was not thought advisable to drain. In such
situations, however, though it will grow, it never attains a large size.
Properties and Uses. The wood of the white poplar weighs, when green,
58 Ib. 3 oz. per cubic foot ; and in a dried state, 38 Ib. 7 oz. : it shrinks and
cracks considerably in drying, losing one quarter of its bulk. The wood of
P. (a.) canescens is said to be much harder and more durable than that of P.
alba; in the same manner as the wood of the T'ilia europaeva parvifolia is finer-
grained and harder than that of T. e. grandifolia. The wood is the whitest of
any of the species ; and it is used, in France and Germany, for a variety of
minor purposes, particularly when lightness, either of weight or colour, is thought
desirable ; or where an artificial colour is to be given by staining. It is excellent
for forming packing-cases, because nails may be driven into it without its split-
ting. It is used by the turner and the cabinet-maker, and a great many toys
and small articles are made of it. The boards and rollers around which
pieces of silk are wrapped in merchants' warehouses and in shops are made of
this wood, which is peculiarly suitable for this purpose, from its lightness,
which prevents it much increasing the expense of carriage. The principal use
of the wood of the white poplar in Britain is for flooring-boards; but for this pur-
pose it requires to be seasoned for two or three years before using. According
to Mitchell, when felled at the point of maturity (see description above), abele
wood is good for any kind of building purposes, especially on farms, where it
is very suitable for the large folding doors for barns, as it is light, and never
warps. It is also used as a substitute for the wood of the lime tree by musical
instrument makers, and by carvers in wood. In Scotland, it is sometimes
used in mill-work, and by the cabinet-maker and turner ; and it is frequently
used by the cooper, for making wooden dishes and casks. The leaves are
eaten by cattle in Sweden, and are considered wholesome. As an ornamental
tree, it is chiefly to be recommended in scenery on a large scale; since its great
height and ample head overpower most artificial objects, such as buildings;
and most exotic trees, from the comparative slowness of their growth. The
fittest trees to plant along with the white poplar are other rapid-growing
poplars and willows ; and the fittest situations are the margins of broad rivers,
or that of a large lake. In many situations in England, specimens of this tree
exist, which, though fine in themselves, injure, by their disproportionate size,
the effect of all the surrounding objects. Perhaps the most valuable purpose
to which the tree can be applied in Britain, next to that of planting it by rivers
and lakes, is for planting it in avenues, or by road sides : for the former, it is
recommended on account of the rapidity of its growth; and for the latter, be-
cause its trunk is generally clear of branches to a considerable height, and,
CHAP. CIII. »9ALICAVCE^:. Po'PULUS. 1643
consequently, the light and air are more freely admitted to the road, than when
the road sides are planted with trees that branch to the ground, such as oaks,
elms, or limes. On the Continent, the nakedness of the trunks of road-side
trees is an objection rather than an advantage, on account of the superior
dryness of the climate. In the Nouveau Cours d* Agriculture, it is recom-
mended to substitute white poplars, in old elm or oak avenues, for any trees
that may have died from accident or disease, on account of the rapidity of its
growth, and the short time which will be requisite for it to attain an equal
height with the elms or oaks remaining.
Poetical, mythological, and legendary Allusions. According to the ancient
mythology, the white poplar was consecrated to Hercules, because he destroyed
( 'iic'iis in a cavern adjoining Mount Aventinus, which was covered with these
trees; and, in the moment of his triumph, bound his brows with a branch of
white poplar (that being the only tree near him), as a token of his victory.
When he descended into the infernal regions, he also returned with a wreath
of white poplar round his head. (Stackh. Comm. de Theophrast., p. 217.) It was
this, says the fable, that made the abele leaves of the colour they are now. The
perspiration from the hero's brow made the inner part of the leaf, which
touched his forehead, white; while the thick smoke arising from some parts of
the infernal regions turned the upper surface of the leaves almost black.
Persons offering sacrifices to Hercules were always crowned with branches of
this tree; and all who had gloriously conquered their enemies in battle wore
garlands of it, in imitation of Hercules. The poets frequently mention the
white poplar. Homer, when describing the shield of Ajax, son of Telamon,
states that it was made by Tychius, a skilful currier of Hyle ; and it is said
that the Tychius thus immortalised was a real person, beneath the poplar tree
at whose door Homer had often sat, reciting his poems, while the kind-
hearted currier gave him food, and relieved his necessities. In another part
of the Iliad, Homer compares the fall of Simoisius, when killed by Ajax, to
that of a poplar : —
" So falls a poplar, that in watery ground
Raised high its head, with stately branches crown 5d."
Ovid mentions that Paris had carved the name of (Enone on a poplar. Virgil,
in his Georgics, gives directions for the culture of this tree, and mentions it in
his Eclogues ; and Horace, in his Ode to Dellius (lib. ii.), speaks of the white
poplar as a tree which delights to grow on the banks of rivers. Modern
poets have also noticed this tree. Cowper sings of —
" The poplar, that with silver lines his leaf ;"
and Barry Cornwall says, —
" The green woods moved, and the light poplar shook
Its silver pyramid of leaves."
Sterne, in his Sentimental Journey, represents Maria as sitting under a poplar.
In the Sentiment of Flowers, it is said that the ancients consecrated this tree
to time, because the leaves are in continual agitation ; and, being of a blackish
green on one side, with a thick white cotton on the other, they were supposed
to indicate the alternation of day and night.
Soil, Situation, Projwgation, and Culture. For the abele to attain a large
size, the soil in which it is planted should be loamy, and near water; though
on a dry soil, where the tree will grow slower, the timber will be finer-grained,
and more durable. In France, it is found to grow, not only in marshy places,
but in dry sands ; and it is a mistake to suppose that it will thrive in stagnant
marshes in any climate. The French writers recommend it strongly for
avenues, planted at a distance of 2-1 ft. tree from tree, on the side of a road
from 60ft. to 100ft. wide; and, for filling up blanks in grown-up avenues, the
white poplar is considered the best tree known. ( See above ; and Diet, des Eaux
cl Forcls, art. Avenue.) In British nurseries, it is commonly propagated by
layers ; which, as they seldom ripen the points of their shoots, or produce
1644 ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART III.
abundance of fibrous roots the first season, ought to be transplanted into nur-
sery lines for at least one year before removal to their final situation. The
tree is admirably adapted for thickening or filling up blanks in woods and
plantations; and, for this purpose, truncheons may be planted 3 in. or 4 in. in
diameter, and 10ft. or 12 ft. high. These truncheons have the great advan-
tage of not being overshadowed by the adjoining trees, which is almost always
the case when young plants are used for filling up vacancies among old trees.
The truncheons need not be inserted very deeply in the soil, because the roots
which they protrude, like those of all other trees having creeping roots, ori-
ginate in a part of the trunk near the surface. When the white poplar is
planted in masses, with a view to produce timber, the plants ought to be from
loft, to 18ft. apart every way, and they may be most profitably cut down
at the end of 30 or 40 years ; but, when they are only to produce poles of
from 6 in. to 9 in. in diameter, fit for roofing sheds and similar purposes, they
need not be planted at a greater distance than from 6 ft. to 9 ft. every way ;
and, for coppice wood, from 4 ft. to 5 ft. is the proper distance. Owing to the
softness of the wood, and its liability to shrink and crack, it is dangerous to
cut off very large branches ; and, even when branches of moderate size are
cut off., the wound ought always to be covered over with grafting clay, or
some description of plaster, to exclude the air. The tree is considered,
both by French and English authors, as bearing lopping worse than any other
species of the genus ; and, when transplanted, the head should never be cut
off, and not even cut in, unless the tree is to be planted in a hot and dry
soil.
Accidents and Diseases. When the tree is either carelessly pruned, or when
a branch is broken off by accident, or a stump suffered to decay, the water
seldom fails to be conducted to the heart of the trunk, and, by bringing on
caries, to rot the timber. The leaves, and also the trunk, of the tree are
liable to be infested by fungi, of which several species are common to the
different species of poplar. (See p. 1638.) The porosity of the trunk, stool,
and roots is favourable to the production of fungi of the larger kinds ; and
the Polyporus igniarius Fries may frequently be seen on the trunk of the
tree, or on the stool of a tree that has been cut down, of gigantic size.
Statistics. Recorded Trees. At Strath fieldsaye, at Chalfont House, Bucks, and at Kingston,
Surrey, Mitchell, writing in 1827, says, there are first-rate trees : at Longleat, he mentions some
100ft. high, with trunks from 3 ft. to 4ft. in diameter, and with 40ft. to 60ft. of clear bole. At
Knowle, he saw one 9 ft. in circumference, that had been felled and cross cut : the sap-wood
was about 4 in. thick, and the heartwood spongy, like the inside of an overgrown turnip. At
Wentworth House, Mitchell saw another overgrown abele, felled and sawn across, which presented
the same appearance as the tree at Knowle. In Scotland, a tree at Drumlanrig, in Dumfriesshire,
which stood on a dry soil, and was 80 years old, was, in 1773, 80ft. high, with a trunk 2ft. 6 in. in
diameter. In the year 1769, a row of abeles, at Stevenston, in East Lothian, contained 122 trees, all
about 80 ft. high, and having clear trunks of from 20 ft. to 30 ft. The trunks were from 5 ft. to 7 ft.
in circumference, and yet the trees stood only 7 ft. distant from each other. They grew in a deep
moist soil, were then 80 years old, and afforded a great quantity of timber, though they had begun
to decay. (Walker's Essays, p. 50.) In France, in the years 1804 and 1805, several abeles, which
were planted at Versailles in the time of Louis XIV., and had long been regarded as magnificent
specimens, were cut down ; and, though they had begun to decay, they were cut into planks, and sold
at a high price, for naval purposes.
Fopulus alba in England. In the environs of London, at Ham House, it is 85 ft. high, with a
trunk 3J ft. in diameter. On the banks of the Thames, between Hampton Court and Chertsey, are
several specimens upwards of 100ft. high. In Devonshire, at Killerton, 25 years planted, it is 73 ft.
high, diameter of trunk 2 ft. 1 in., and of the head 38 ft. In the Isle of Jersey, 10 yearsplanted.it is
28 ft. high. In Surrey, at Deepdene, 10 years old, it is 27 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 6 in., and
of the head 10ft. In Sussex, at Kidbrooke, it is 60ft. high, diameter of the trunk 3ft., and of the
head 30 ft. In Wiltshire, at Longford Castle, it is 100 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 6 ft., and of the
head 90 ft. In Berkshire, at Bear Wood, 12 years planted, it is 40 ft. high ; at Ditton Park 90 years
planted, it is 80ft. high. In Denbighshire, at Llanbede Hall, 50 years planted, it is 63ft. high. In
Herefordshire, at Stoke Edith Park, it is 85ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 4ft., and of the
head 60 ft. In Leicestershire, at Belvoir Castle, 26 years planted, it is 60 ft. high. In Northampton-
shire, at Clumber Park, 14 years planted, it is 25 ft. high. In Northumberland, at Hartburn,
83 years planted, it is 82 ft. high. In Pembrokeshire, at Stackpole Court, 40 years planted, it is 60 ft.
high, diameter of the trunk 2$ ft., and of the head 28ft. In Shropshire, at Willey Park, 16 years
planted, it is 30 ft. high. In Staffordshire, at Trentham, 26 years planted, it is 35 ft. high ; at Alton
Towers, 6 years planted, it is 20ft. high. In Suffolk, at Finborough Hall, 80 years planted, it is
100ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 6ft., and of the head 75ft. In Yorkshire, at Grimston, 14
«» years planted, it is 70 ft. high.
Vdpulus alba in Scotland. In the environs of Edinburgh, at Hopetoun House, it is 30ft. high;
the diameter of the trunk 3 ft. 10 in., and of the head 30ft. In Haddingtonshire, at Tynningham,
it is 58 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 3 in., and of the head 42 ft. In Roxburghshire, 70
years planted, it has a clean trunk 50ft. in height, averaging for that height 2ft. In diameter, and
CHAP. cm. SALicVcEjE. PO'PULUS. 1645
containing nearly 120ft. of timber. In BanfFshire, at Gordon Castle, it is 70ft. high, the diameter
of the trunk 3 ft. In Clackinannanshire, in the garden of the Dollar Institution, 12 years planted,
it is 50 ft. high. In Forfarshire, at Monboddo, 16 years planted, it is 25 ft. high ; at Courtachy Castle,
14 years planted, it is 27ft. high. In Perthshire, at Taymouth, it is 60 ft. high, the diameter of the
trunk 3 ft., and of the head 25 ft. ; in Messrs. Dickson and Turnbull's Nursery, 28 years planted,
it is 54 It high.
Ptiptilns dlha in Ireland. In the environs of Dublin, in the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, 35 years
planted, it is 60ft. high. In King's County, at Charleville Forest, 45 years planted, it is 120ft. high ;
diameter of the trunk 2ft. 10 in., and of the head 20ft. In the County of Down, at Ballyleady, 10
years planted, it is 35 ft. high, diameter of the trunk IJft-. and of the head 33ft. In Galway, at
Coole, 70 years planted, it is 80 It high, the diameter of the trunk 2f ft.
VApulus alba in Foreign Countries. In France, at Toulon, in the Botanic Garden, 30 years planted, it
is 50 ft, high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft.; at Avranches, in the Botanic Garden, 40 years planted, it is
60 ft high, the diameter of the trunk 2J it., and of the head 40 ft In Hanover, at Gottirigen, in the
Botanic Garden, 40 years planted, it is from 70 ft. to 80 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk.from 2 ft. to
oft., and that of the "head 50ft. In Saxony, at Worlitz, 60 years old, it is 50 ft. high, with a trunk 3| ft.
in diameter. In Bavaria, in the Botanic Garden, Munich, 24 years old, it is 30 ft high, the diameter of
the trunk 1 ft. ; in the English Garden, 30 years planted, it is 50ft. high. In Austria, at Vienna, at
Laxenburg, 80 years old, it is 45ft. high ; at Kopenzel, 18 years planted, it is 20ft. high ; in the
garden of Baron Loudon,30 years planted, it is 36ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk 14in , and
of the head.ieft. ; at Briick on the Leytha, 60 years old, it is 90ft. high, the diameter of the trunk
1| ft, and of the head 60ft. In Prussia, at Berlin, at Sans Seuci, 50 years old, it is 60 ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk 2|ft., and of the head 28ft. In Italy, in Lombardy, at Monza, 30 years old,
it is 70 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft, and of the head 40 ft
Commercial Statistics. Price of plants, in the London nurseries, 25s. per
hundred, or, when of large size, 1*. each ; at Bollwyller, 1 franc each.
$ 3. P. TRE'MULA L. The trembling-team/ Poplar, or Aspen.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1464. ; Du Roi Harbk., 2. p. 148. ; Willd. Arb., 228. ,% Sp. PL, 4. p. 803. :
Spreng. Syst. Veg., 2. p. 244. ; Dill. Diet, No. 2. ; Pall. Fl. Ross., 1. p. 65. ; Smith Eng. Bot, 1. 1909. :
Engl. FL, 4. p. 244. ; Hook. FL Scot., 289.; Mackay Fl. Hibern., pt 1. p. 254. ; Du "Ham. Arb.,ed.
nov., 2. p. 183. ; Ho'ss Anleit, p. 153.
Synonymes. P. No. 1633., Hall. Hist , 2. 303. ; P. libyca Rail Syn. 456. ; P. hy"brida Dod. Penipt.,
836'., Ran Syn., 446. ; P. n'igra Trag. Hist., 1033., fig. ; P. pendula Du Roi; le Tremble, Fr. ; la
Tremola, Alberalla, Alberetto Ital. ; Zitter-Pappel, Espe, Ger.
Derivation. The English name of Aspen is evidently derived from the German, espe.
The Sexes. Both sexes are described in the English Flora. A male plant was flowering in the London
Horticultural Society's arboretum in the spring of 183$. The plant growing in the Cambridge
Botanic Garden a few years ago, and perhaps still growing there, was a male one.
Engravings. Eng. Bot, t. 1909. ; T. Nees ab Esenbeck Gen. PL FJ. Germ., fasc. 1., the catkins of the
female, the flowers of both sexes, and the fruit; Blackw., t. 248. ; Ger. Em., 1487. fig. ; Lob. Ic.,
2. 194. fig. ; Bauh. Hist, 1. 163. fig. ; Matth. Valgr., 1. 125. fig. ; Cam. Epit, 67. fig. ; Dod. Pempt,
836. fig. ; Dalech. Hist, 87. fig. ; Treg. Hist, 1083. fig. ; Hayne Abbild, t 203. ; our fig. 1509. ; and
the plate in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., $c. Young branchlets hairy. Leaves having compressed foot-
stalks, and disks that are roundish-ovate, or nearly orbicular ; toothed in a
repand manner, downy when young, afterwards glabrous on both surfaces.
Stigmas 4, erect, eared at the base. (Smith, Willd.. Spreng.) It is a native
of rather moist woods, as well as of various other situations throughout
Europe. (Smith in Rees's Cyclop.^) It flowers in Britain in March and
April.
Varieties. In our opinion, P. trepida, P. grandidentata, and P. gra^ca are
nothing more than different states of P. tremula; nevertheless, we have fol-
lowed the authorities, and given them as species, inserting below only what
are considered as varieties of P. tremula. Among the specimens sent by
Professor Mertens to Sir J. E. Smith, before mentioned (see p. 1640.), the
following approximate to P. tremula : —
¥ P. 1. 1 monticola, P. monticola Mertens. — The professor seems to think
this the genuine P. tremula of Linnaeus. The specimen is of a male
plant.
± P. t. 2 parvifolia Mertens. — There are specimens of both sexes of this
variety.
5f P. t. 3 grandifolia Mertens. — The specimen is of a female plant.
¥ P. t. 4 rotundifblia major Mertens. — The specimen is of a male plant.
*t P. t. 5 minor Mertens. — This specimen is of a male plant.
± P. t. 6 oxyod(mtay P. oxyodonta Mcilcns. — The professor appears to
doubt whether this is only a variety of P. tremula. Smith de-
scribes the teeth of the leaves of the species as nominally blunt :
oxyodonta signifies sharp teeth ; and in the specimen the teeth of
the leaves are rather pointed. It is of a male plant.
5 P. /. 7 stricta, P. stricta Mertens. — The professor appears doubtful
1646 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
whether this is not also only a variety of P. tremula, though he has
made it a species. The specimen is of a female.
The above varieties, we suppose, still exist on the ramparts of Bre-
men; cuttings of them might, no doubt, be procured through the
Floetbeck Nursery.
If P. t. Qpendula, P. pendula Lodd. Cat. ,1836, and the plate of this variety
in our last Volume, is the only distinct variety of P. tremula
that exists in the neighbourhood of London. The handsomest
specimen is at Kenwood, where a male plant, 8 years planted, is
20 ft. high.
¥ P. t. 9 supma, P. supina Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836, closely resembles the
preceding sort ; and the plant in the Hackney arboretum is so very
small, that it is difficult to say whether it is really distinct or not.
t P. t. 10 tevigdta; P. laevigata Ait. Hort. Kew., Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ;
has shining leaves, rather larger than the species.
Description. A rapid-growing tree, rather exceeding the middle size, with
a straight clean trunk, tall in proportion to its thickness; and a smooth bark,
which becomes grey, and cracks with age. The branches, which extend
horizontally, and are not very numerous, become
pendulous as the tree advances in age. The
young shoots are tough, pliant, and of a reddish
colour ;* and both the wood and the leaves vary ex-
ceedingly, according to the dryness or moisture of
the soil in which the tree is grown. The flowers
appear in March, before those of any other poplar.
The roots, Sir J. E. Smith observes, creep and emit
suckers ; and these, as well as the young branch-
lets, are clothed with brown prominent hairs : they
are sometimes hoary, but not cottony. The coloui
of the upper surface of the leaves is a fine dark
glaucous shining green, and that of the under sur-
face of a paier shade. The disk of the leaf has a
small point, and 3 ribs; it is somewhat wavy, and
often shorter than the footstalk; which, being vertically compressed in its upper
part in relation to the plane of the leaf, counteracts the ordinary waving
motion of the leaf in the wind, and causes it to quiver with the slightest
breeze ; whence has arisen the proverbial theme of comparison, the trembling
of an aspen leaf. (Smith in Eng. FIJ) The leaves, says Dr. Johnston of Ber-
wick, are of a fine smooth dark green, with a narrow yellowish edge, more or
less fringed with soft hairs, and suspended on flattened stalks ; so that
" When zephyrs wake,
The aspen's trembling leaves must shake :"
and, by their friction on one another, they make a constant rustling noise.
(Flora of Berwick upon Tweed, vol. i. p. 220.) The tree, when in a suitable
soil, grows with great rapidity during the first thirty years after being planted,
attaining, in that time, the height of from 60 ft. to 80 ft. ; afterwards, the trunk
increases slowly in thickness, and in 60 or 80 years it begins to decay, and can
seldom occupy the ground profitably for a longer period. When cut over
by the surface, the stool sends up shoots more freely than the white poplar,
but much less so than most other trees that stole. The want of shoots from
the stools, however, is amply made up by the abundance of root suckers.
Geography, History, $c. The trembling poplar is a native of most parts of
Britain, in wet soils. It is found as far north as Sutherland ; at above 1600ft.
above the level of the sea, in Braemar, in Aberdeenshire ; and, at an elevation
of 1500 ft., in the Isle of Mull. It is indigenous to Ireland, in the county of
Dublin, and in other places mentioned in Mackay's Flora Hibcrnica. It is
found, according to Mirbel, in the whole of the south of Europe, Asia
Minor, and Caucasus, and in Lapland to the Frozen Ocean. It is very abun-
CHAP. cm. S-ALJCA'CEJE. PO'PULUS. 1647
daut in Russia, and particularly so in the woods about Moscow ; and it is,
perhaps, worthy of notice, that, in the year 1813, the year following the fire
which burned down the greater part of that city, seedling plants of the trem-
bling poplar sprang up every where among the ruins. The seeds had, doubtless,
been wafted thither by the winds in the earlier part of the year 18 J 2. Hence,
had that city been deserted at that time, it would, in a very few years, have
been one immense forest, the soil being every where rich. In Smith's Pro-
dromus of Sibthorp's Flora Gr&ca, the moist meadows of Boeotia, Mount
Athos, and the neighbourhood of Constantinople, are given as localities
where this tree is found. Among modern botanists, it appears to have been
first recorded by Dodonaeus, who adopts Pliny's name of Populus libyca. It
is mentioned by Gerard, Cook, Evelyn, Villars, and other authors, who all
notice its property of not bearing lopping, which it has in common with P.
alba, trepida, and graeNca.
Properties and Uses. In a natural state, the bark of the trembling poplar
forms the principal food of beavers, where the animal abounds ; and deer, goats,
and other quadrupeds of these kinds, are fonder of the spray and buds, than
they are of those of any other tree. The young shoots and leaves, [-reduced
in the form of suckers from the roots, are greedily eaten by cattle and sheep.
According to Withering, the roots, from their nearness to the surface, im-
poverish the land, and prevent anything else from growing on it luxuriantly ;
and the leaves, the same author observes, destroy the grass. Artificially con-
sidered, the uses of the trembling poplar, like that of all trees having a wide
geographical range, are various. The wood of the trembling poplar weighs,
when green, 54 Ib. 6 oz. ; half-dry, 40 Ib. 8 oz. ; and quite dry, 34 Ib. 1 oz. : it
consequently loses two fifths of its weight by drying. It shrinks by this
operation one sixth part of its bulk, and cracks and splits in an extreme de-
gree. The wood is white and tender : and it is employed by turners ; by
coopers, for herring casks, milk-pails, &c. ; by sculptors and engravers; and by
joiners and cabinet-makers ; and for various minor uses, such as clogs, butcher's
trays, pack-saddles, &c. In France, sabots are made of the wood, and also
the bars and pins which serve to keep in their places the bottoms of casks ;
under-pinnings for flooring, laths, and rounds of ladders, and wooden vessels
of different kinds If the tree is cut when the trunk is filled with sap, and
employed green, the wood soon heats, and is quickly destroyed by fungi, under
the appearance of mouldiness. The bark is employed in tanning, in common
with that of P. alba and of P. nigra. It may also be employed in buildings,
in situations where it will be kept perfectly dry ; but, when it is intended for
that purpose, it ought to be cut down in the middle of winter, disbarked im-
mediately, and deprived of its moisture by steaming and drying, or other
means. As fuel, the wood is of feeble quality; and, though its flame is
bright and clear, it gives but little heat, and the fires made of it are of short
duration, the embers soon dying out. On account of the rapidity with
which it gives out its heat, it is preferred for heating ovens and stoves.
Its charcoal is light and soft, and it is employed in the fabrication of
gunpowder. The value of the wood as fuel is to that of the beech as 970
is to 1540; and its charcoal is to that of the same tree as 988 is to 1600.
A thousand pounds' weight of the ashes of the wood produces 61 Ib. 4>oz.
of potash; the tree, among a list of 73 plants, occupying only the 71st
place. The leaves are employed, in France, Germany, and Sweden, as food
for cattle, sheep, and goats, either in a green or dried state ; and they are
cut every two years for that purpose, during summer. Bosc thinks this the
most valuable purpose to which the tree can be applied. Cattle, sheep, and
goats, he says, are passionately fond of aspen leaves, when green ; and like
them very well when dry. The powdered bark, given in doses of half a pound
each, expels the bots and worms from the stomachs of horses ; and in
Russia, Pallas informs us, the bark is used in domestic medicine, in scorbutic
and other cases. In the Highlands of Scotland, and other places, the bark
of young trees is made into torches. In landscape-gardening, the tree has a
5 P
164-8 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
very fine appearance, either when planted singly, or on the margins of woods;
from its fine, round, and somewhat pendulous head, the beautiful glaucous
green of its leaves, and, above all, by their perpetual trembling. The shade
of all the poplars is considered more wholesome than that of any other tree ;
and that of this species is thought better than any of the others. The great
drawback to the tree, when planted singly on lawns or pastures, or in hedge-
rows, is the number of suckers which it throws up ; and which, if not eaten
down by cattle, or mown, would soon turn a whole country into an aspen
forest. Perhaps it might be grafted on P. nigra, which does not throw up
suckers, or possibly on some kind of willow.
Poetical and legendary Allusions. The constant quivering of the aspen
leaves has rendered the tree a favourite subject of allusion to the modern
poets, and others, who have wished to find a comparison for anything in
constant motion. One of the most curious superstitions respecting this tree
is that of the Highlanders, who believe that the cross of Christ was made of
it, and that, consequently, it can never rest. This, however, as Miss Kent
observes, can hardly apply to the leaves, as the cross could not have been
made of them ; but perhaps, she adds, " they struggle to escape from the
wicked wood on which they grow." (Syl. Sketches, p. 31.) Gerard compares
the leaves to women's tongues, " which seldom cease wagging."
The following are some of the principal poetical allusions to the aspen : —
" His hand did quake
And tremble like a leaf of aspen green."
SPENSER.
" A perfect calm ; that not a breath
Is heard to quiver through the closing woods,
Or rustling turn the many-twinkling leaves
Of aspen tall"
THOMPSON.
Sir W. Scott has many allusions to this tree; particularly in the well-
known lines, —
" Oh, woman ! in our hours of ease
Uncertain, coy, and hard to please,
And variable as the shade
By the light quivering aspen made,
When pain or sicknesss rends the brow,
A ministering angel thou."
Soil, Situation, $c. As the roots of this tree chiefly extend close under
the surface of the ground, it is not necessary that the soil should be deep ;
but, for the same reason, it ought to be loamy, rich rather than poor, and con-
stantly moist. Hence, also, this tree is better adapted for soils that are con-
stantly wet below, than almost any other tree, since its roots, by keeping so very
near the surface, are never out of the reach of the air, which they would be
if they penetrated into soil perpetually saturated with water. The conditions
which this tree requires in respect to soil are found in moist woods, where
the shade of the tree diminishes evaporation, and where the annual fall and
decay of the leaves produce a constant supply of leaf-mould. The next
most favourable situation is an open moist meadow, in which the tree, being
freely exposed to the light and air on every side, attains its largest size, and
assumes its finest form. In dry soils, the tree will live for many years, but
never either attain a large size, or display its foliage to advantage. When
planted in masses by itself, the trees may be placed at the distance from each
other of 6 ft. or 8 ft. every way ; and such a plantation, on a suitable soil,
will have attained perfection in 50 or 60 years, and may be cut down as
timber. After felling, the shoots seldom push vigorously; but the abundant
suckers from the roots will produce a second crop of timber, if that should
be considered advisable. Treated as a coppice-wood, it may be cut down
every 7 or 8 years, for faggot-wood ; and, for poles, every 15 or 20 years.
When mixed with other trees in a timber plantation, the most suitable sorts
to plant with it are said to be the oak and the beech.
CHAP. CIII. SALICAXCE/E. PO'PULUS. 164-9
Propagation, #c. The trembling poplar may be propagated by cuttings,
but not so readily as most other species. Wherever trees are found, they
generally throw up suckers from which plants may be selected ; or cuttings of
the roots may be made use of. In some situations, seedling trembling poplars
are abundant in the woods ; and these are sometimes collected by the country
people, and sold to the nurserymen. When it is intended to raise the trem-
bling poplar from seed artificially, the seeds ought to be gathered as soon as
they drop, and immediately sown on light, rich, moist soil, and covered with
the same soil as slightly as possible, and shaded by branches, spray, leaves, or
mats. The plants will come up at the end of four or five weeks, and will
grow 1 in. or 2 in. the first summer. In the future culture of the tree very
little or no care is required, at least in Britain. On the Continent, and
particularly in Belgium, it is very subject to the attacks of insects, and espe-
cially to those of the larvae of different kinds of moths, butterflies, and 7'en-
thredfnidae. These are collected in the beginning of summer, by order of the
public authorities ; and payments are made to the collectors in proportion to
the quantity they bring in. The Tipula juniperina L. lays its eggs in the
leaves and leaf-stalks of this species ; in consequence of which circumstance,
red glandular substances, about the size of a pea, are produced : but the
injury done by these is trifling, compared with that effected by other insects,
which eat away the disk of the leaf.
Statistics. In England, in the environs of London, at Kenwood, Hampstead, P. t. pendula, 8 years
planted, is 20 ft. high, in sandy soil ; at Syon, the species, 70ft. high ; in the Isle of Jersey, in Saun-
ders's Nursery, 10 years planted, it is 40 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 14 in., and of the head
44 ft; in Staffordshire, atTrentham, 10 years planted, it is 30ft. high ; in Yorkshire, at Castle Howard,
it is 130 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 3$ ft. In Scotland, in Renfrewshire, at Bothwell Ca.stlc,
80 years planted, it is 73 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk is 4 ft., and of the head 117 ft. ; in Banff-
shire, at Gordon Castle, 84 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 4 ft., and that of the space covered by
the branches 60 ft. ; in Forfarshire, at Courtachy Castle, 14 years planted, it is 40 ft. high ; in Perth,
shire, at Taymouth, it is 80 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 2 ft. Sin., and of the head 20 ft. ; in Stirling-
shire, at Callendar Park, 10 years planted, it is 30ft. high. In Ireland, in the Glasnevin Botanic
Garden, 20 years planted, it is 30 ft. high ; in Gahvay, at Coole, it is 70 ft. high, and the diameter of
the trunk is 2 ft. ; in Louth, at Oriel Temple, 40 years old, it is 72 ft. high. In Saxony, at Worlitz,
60 years old, it is 40ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 3ft. In Austria, at Vienna, at Briick on
the Leytha, 40 years old, it is 48 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2|ft, and of the head 36 ft.
In Bavaria, at Munich, in the English Garden, 30 years old, it is 40 ft. high, the diameter of the
trunk 10 in., and of the head 15 ft. In Russia, near St. Petersburg, 90 years old, it has a trunk
1 ft. in diameter. In Italy, in Lombardy, at Monza, 24 years old, it is 70 ft. high, the diameter of the
trunk JA ft., and of the head 26 ft.
Commercial Statistics. Plants are seldom propagated in the London nur-
series ; but, when they are to be found there, the price is similar to that of
P. alba •, and this is the case also on the Continent.
± 4. P. (T.) TRE'PIDA Willd. The Nortli American trembling-leaved
Poplar, or American Aspen.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 803. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 618. ; Spreng. Syst Veg., 2.
p. 244.
Synonyme. P. tremuloldes Michx. Fl. Bar. Amer.,2. p. 243., Mich*. North Amer. Sulva., 2. p. 241.
t. 99. f. 1., N. Du Ham., 2. p. 184.
The Sexes. A plant of the female is in the London Horticultural Society's arboretum, where it
flowered in April, 1835, though only 5 ft. or 6 ft. high. The stigmas were 6 or 8.
Engravings. N. Du Ham., 2. t. 53.; Michx. Arb., 3. t. 8. f. 1.; Michx. North Amer. Sylva, 2. t. 99.
f. 1.; and our fig. 1510.
Spec. Char., %c. Disk of leaf suborbiculate, except having an abruptly acumi-
nate point, toothed, having two glands at its base on the upper surface,
silky while young, afterwards glabrous. {Pursh.) Disk of leaf white, and
silky on both surfaces when young ; glabrous when adult. Petiole very
long, not compressed. (Willd., from dried specimens.) Bud resinous. Pe-
tiole compressed. Disk of leaf toothed with hooked teeth, ciliate. (Spreng.)
Catkins silky. (Michaux,jun.} A tree, from 20 ft. to 30 ft. high ; found in
North America, in extensive swamps, from Canada to Carolina; and found,
also, from Hudson's Bay to the northward of the Great Slave Lake, as far
as lat. 6-t°. It was introduced into Britain in 1812, and flowers in April.
Its usual period of leafing, in England, is before that off. tremula. There
is a plant of this kind in the London Horticultural Society's Garden, which,
in 183-i, after being eight years planted, was 12ft. high. On April 20. 1835,
5P 2
1650
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III
shoots and leaves had been protruded from this T^JN 1510
plant, and been blackened by frost ; while in P
tremula and P. canadensis the leaf buds were most
of them unchanged from their appearance in winter.
Michaux states that, in America, the American
aspen blossoms about the 20th of April, and that
the leaves appear in ten days or a fortnight after-
wards. He describes the leaves as small when
compared with those of other poplars, and as being
thrown into agitation by the gentlest breath of air.
The catkins are composed of silky plumes, which are
pendulous, and protruded from the extremity of the
shoots. The bracteas of the male flowers are of a
dark chestnut colour, but are fringed with white
hairs. The perianth is white. The anthers are
numerous, and deep brown ; the pollen is white
The bark is smooth. The wood, according to Bige-
low, is light, fine, soft, and perishable ; and the
bark is used as a febrifuge. In the United States, it is scarcely applied to
any useful purpose ; though Michaux was informed that it had been
successfully divided into very thin laminae, for the fabrication of women's
hats ; and that these hats were, for a short time, fashionable in several
towns of the United Stater. Among the Cree Indians, the wood is esteemed
to burn better, in a green state, than that of any other tree in the country.
(Franklin's first Journ., p. 753.) In Britain, this tree is in several col-
lections, but is not very common : we believe it to be only a variety of
the European P. tremula. Plants, in the London nurseries, are 2s. 6d.
each ; and at New York, 20 cents.
¥ 5. P. (T.) GRANDIDENTAXTA Michx. The \arge-toothed-leaved Poplar,
or North American large Aspen.
Identification. Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 2. p. 24& ; Michx. North Amer. Sylva, 2. p. 243. t. 99. f. 2. ;
Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 619. ; Spreng. Syst, 2. p. 244.
Engravings. Michx. North Amer. Sylva, 2. t. 99. f. 2. ; and our fig. 1511.
The Sexes. The female is represented in Michaux's figure. The plants in the Horticultural Society'i
Garden have not yet flowered.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaf, when young, villous, afterwards glabrous on both
surfaces ; the petiole compressed in the terminal part ; the disk roundish-
ovate, acute, sinuately toothed with large unequal teeth. (Pursh and
Michx. sen.) Wild in Canada, and a
tree, 40 ft. or 50 ft. high, with a trunk
10 in. or 12 in. in diameter. The full-
formed disk of the leaf is nearly round,
and 2 in. or Sin. in width. (Michx. jun.}
P. grandidentata is occasionally met with
in the American woods, but is much less
common than P. trepida. It is easily
distinguished from the various cultivated
kinds of poplar, by the large unequal
indentations of the margins of the leaves.
The leaves, as Michaux observes, are
covered, when young, with a white down,
which disappears as they grow older. In
many instances, the disk is furnished
with a pair of glands at the base. The
catkins appear in May, and are 2 in. or
3 in. long. The wood is much like that
of P. trepida. (Bigeloufs Account of " The
Plants of Boston and its Vicinity in 1824,"
p. 369, 370.) There are plants of this
CHAP. cm. JALICA'CEA;. PO'PULUS. 1651
poplar in the Horticultural Society's Garden, which, in 1834, were 23 ft.
nigh, after being ten years planted. The leaves are remarkable for their fine
rich yellowish red tinge, when they first appear in spring ; and for their
large size, deep indentations, and fine glaucous green during summer : on
which account, this poplar deserves a place in every collection as an or-
namental tree. We consider it as a variety of P. tremula, from which it
is not more distinct than P. alba acerifolia is from P. alba, or 77flia
europas^a grandifolia is from T. e. parvifolia. Plants, in the London
nurseries, are 2s. 6d. each; at Bollwyller, 3 francs; and at New York,
35 cents.
Variety.
¥ P. (/.) g. 2 pendula Michx. Flor. Bor. Amer. is said to have pendu-
lous branches. There is a tree bearing this name in the Horticultural
Society's Garden, but its branches are not pendulous.
3f 6. P. GR&^CA. Ait. The Grecian, or Athenian, Poplar.
Identification. Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 1., 3. p. 407., ed. 2., 5. p. 396. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 804. ; N. Du
Ham., 2. p. 185.
The Sexes. The female is in the London Horticultural Society's arboretum ; and was, some years ago,
in gardens at Bury St. Edmunds, and in the plantations of O. R. Oakes, Esq., at Newton, near
that town. Willd., in his Sp. PI., also mentions the male as the only one that he had seen living.
It is doubtful whether the male is in Britain
Engravings. N. Du Ham,, 2. t. 54. ; our Jig. 1512. ; and the plate of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., fyc. Branch round, glabrous. Petiole compressed. Disk of
leaf roundish-ovate, having a shallow sinus at the base, and terminating in
an acute point, serrated with equal teeth that are adpressed, glabrous, except
being slightly ciliated on the edge. (Willd. Sp. PL)
Wild in the islands of the Archipelago. (Ibid.)
Cultivated in Britain in 1779, by Hugh Duke of
Northumberland. It flowers in March and April.
(Hort. Kew.) The species is not registered in
Smith's Prodromus of Sibthorp's Flora Graeca ; so
that, though named P. gra3vca, and the Athenian
poplar, it does not appear to be wild in Greece;
nor, notwithstanding the statement of Willdenow,
in the Archipelago. According to the Nouv. Du
Hamel, it is stated by some to be a native of North
America, and more particularly of a township there '^x s l?
named Athens. The circumstance of its having
been introduced by Hugh Duke of Northumber-
land is favourable to this opinion ; that nobleman
having been a great importer of American trees.
It is a handsome, vigorous-growing tree, very
interesting when in flower, from its numerous
darkish-coloured catkins, which have the plume-like character of those
of P. tremula, P. trepida, and P. grandidentata. The leaves, in their
form, colour, and general aspect, resemble those of P. trepida, but are
longer. The tissue of the bark of young trees is of a coarsish texture ;
which, by rendering its component parts obvious, makes it an eligi-
ble subject for study to young physiologists. The pith of the young
branches, of about 1 in. in diameter, is very small in quantity, and green.
The capsules are upon pedicels, and these and the rachis are hairy. It is
propagated by layers, or by grafting on some other species of poplar ;
more particularly on P. alba canescens. Bosc states that he has seen grafts
produce shoots 8 ft. or 10 ft. long the first season. In the Gardener's
Magazine, vol. iii. p. 410., is an account of a number of trees bearing the
name of Populus grae'ca, which were planted at Woodfield, in Monmouth-
shire, which, after being planted ten years, averaged shoots of 3 ft. yearly.
The writer had been induced to plant these trees by a paper on the subject,
. in the Memoirs of the Literary Society of Manchester, vol. v. Though differ-
5 P 3
1652 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III
ing more from P. tre'mula than either of the last three sorts described,
still we are very much inclined to think that it is a variety of that species ;
though we do not feel sufficiently sure to venture to indicate this even in
parentheses. The trees in the Horticultural Society's Garden were, in 1834-,
from 25ft. to 30ft. high, after being ten years planted. The P. graeVa
is very subject to the attacks of the poplar hawk moth (Smerinthus populi),
the puss moth (Cerura vinula), and sometimes to that of other less common
PhalaeNnidae. (See Mng. Nat. Hist., vol. v. p. 48.) Price of plants, in the
London nurseries, Is. each; and at Bollwyller, 1 franc.
Statistics. In England, in Surrey, at Bagshot Park, 16 years planted, it is 3~> ft. high ; In Durham,
at Southend, 12 years planted, it is 35ft. high ; in Monmouthshire, at Woodfield, 10 years planted,
it is 35 ft. high ; in Rutlandshire, at Belvoir Castle, 18 years plan ted. it is 30 ft. high, the diameter of
the trunk 8 in., and of the head 24ft. ; in Suffolk, in the Bury Botanic Garden, 12 years planted,
it is 30 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 9 in., and of the head 16 ft.; in Worcestershire, at Croome,
40 years planted, it is 60ft. high. In Scotland, in Perthshire, in Messrs. Dickson and Turnbull's
Nursery, Perth, 15 years planted, it is 20 ft. high. In Ireland, near Dublin, in the Glasnevin Botanic
Garden", 20 years planted, it is 30 ft.-high. In Saxony, at Worlitz, 30 years old, it is 30 ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk 1 ft. In Prussia, at Berlin, in the Botanic Garden,10 years planted, it
is 20 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 6 in., and of the head 4 ft.
5 7. P. NI\JRA L. The black- barked, or common black, Poplar.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 1464. ; Pall. Fl. Ross., 1. p. 66. ; Willd. Arb., 229. ; Sp. PI., 4. p. 804. ;
Spreng. Syst. Veg., 2. p. 244. ; Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 2.,5. p. 396. ; Du lloi Harbk., 2. p. 139. ; Rail
Syn,, 446.; Mill. Diet, No. 3. ; Smith Eng. Bot., t. 1910. ; Eng. Fl., 4. p. 245. : Hook. Fl. Scot,
289.: Mackay Fl. Hibern., pt. 1. p. 251.
Synonijmcs. P., No. 1632., Hall. Hist., 2. p. 302.; P. alba Trag. Hist., 1080. fig.; P. vimfnea Du
Ham. Arb.; Aigeiros, Greek ; Kabaki, Modern Greek ; the old English Poplar, Suffolk ; the Willow
Poplar, Cambridgeshire; Water Poplar; the female of P. nlgra is called the Cotton Tree at
Bury StJDdmunds ; Peuplier noir, Peuplier Hard, Osier blanc, Fr. ; schwarze Pappel, Ger.
The Sexes. Both are described in the Eng. Flora. Numerous male plants of P. nlgra grow on the
east confines of Bury St. Edmunds, beside the river Lark, of which that figured in Strutt's Sylva
(our Jig. 1514.) is one. In the male, Smith states that the stamens are " eight, rarely more with
xis, though Liniia-us and Leers describe 16." A female plant of P. nlgra stood, in 1829, on Hardwicke
Heath, near Bury St. Edmunds, beside the pond; and it is said another female plant grows upon
the same estate.
Engravings. Eng. Bot, t. 1910. ; Ger. Em., I486., fig. ; and others, quoted in Eng. Flora ; T. Nees
ab Esenbeck Gen. PI. Fl. Germ. ; our Jig. 1513.; and the plate of this species in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., fyc. Petiole somewhat compressed. Disk of leaf deltoid, pointed,
serrated with glanded teeth, glabrous on both surfaces. Catkins lax,
cylindrical. Stigmas 4, simple, spreading. (Smith and Sprengef.) A tree,
from 50 ft. to 80 ft. high ; a native of Europe, from Sweden to Italy, on
the banks of rivers, and in moist woods ; and found, also, in the north
of Africa ; flowering in Britain in March and April.
Varieties.
t P.n.2 viridis Lindl.; P. viridis, Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; has the leaves
of a brighter green than the species. It was brought into notice
by a nurseryman of the name of Nurse, of Bealings, near Woodbridge,
in Suffolk, about 1816, or before. There is a plant in the London
Horticultural Society's Garden, and one in the Botanic Garden of
Bury St. Edmunds, and it is propagated in several nurseries.
*t P. n. 3 salicifolia; P. salicifolia Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; has long narrow
leaves, not unlike those of Salix viminalis. Introduced from the
Floetbeck Nursery in 1834.
Description. A tree of the largest size, with an ample head, composed'of nu-
merous branches and terminal shoots. The bark is ash-coloured, and becomes
rough and deeply furrowed with age. The roots, though they run along the
surface, go deeper into the soil than those of either P. alba or P. tremula,
and do not produce suckers, though the contrary is affirmed by Miller. The
branches are whitish ; and the branchlets are rarely hairy, but are more robust
than those of P. monilifera, which are glabrous. The leaves are slightly
notched on their edges, of a pale light green ; and the petioles are yellowish.
The leaves are protruded about the middle of May, much later than those of P.
fastigiata, P. alba, or P. (a.) canescens ; and, when they are first expanded,
' their colour appears a mixture of red and yellow. The catkins are shorter
than those of P. tremula or P. alba ; they appear before the leaves, in March
and April ; those of the males are of a dark red, and, being produced in
CHAP. CIII.
SALICA'CEJE, PO PULUS.
1653
1513
abundance, have, as before observed
(p. 1637.), a striking effect. The cap-
sules of the female catkins are round ;
and the seeds which they enclose are
enveloped in a beautiful white cotton.
The seeds ripen in May, and are soon
disseminated to a great distance by the
winds. The tree is of rapid growth,
especially in good soil, in moist situ-
ations, or on the banks of rivers. In
the climate of London, it attains the
height of 30 ft. or 40 ft. in ten years ;
and, when planted for timber, arrives
at perfection in from forty to fifty
years ; beginning to decay when about sixty or eighty years old. It bears
lopping ; and, when treated as a pollard, it produces abundance of shoots.
In moist soil, when cut down to the ground annually, it, throws up numerous
shoots, like willows ; and in that state, Bosc observes, it has been considered
by some as a distinct species, and the name of P. viminea applied to it.
Geography, History, $c. P. nigra has nearly the same geographical range
as P. alba ; but it is rather less common in the colder parts of Europe than
that tree. It appears to have been known to the ancients, being mentioned
both by Theophrastus and Pliny. In modern times, it was first described
by Bauhin. Gerard mentions it as growing as high as the white poplar,
" and now and then higher." Till about the beginning of the present century,
it was the poplar most extensively introduced into British plantations ; but it
has since given way, first to P. canade"nsis, and, subsequently, to the black
Italian poplar (P. monilffera). In the district of Waas, in Flanders, the
whole of which is distributed into small enclosures, not more than an
acre and a half in extent, great quantities of black and white poplars pre
planted in the hedgerows, 16ft. or 18ft. asunder. They are not suffered
to grow to any size, but are cut down every twenty or twenty-four years, and
replaced by young plants of the same sort. The largest trees are always
cut down first, to prevent the land from being too much shaded. Fifty trees
are allowed to an acre, and they are generally sold for seven or eight florins a
piece, for making sabots, of which they not only send a prodigious quantity
into other provinces, but also supply all Holland. (Youngs Annals, as quoted
in Martyrfs Mill.)
Properties and Uses. In a natural state, the leaves and young shoots are
eaten by cattle, and the wood by beavers. Artificially, the wood is applied
to all the different purposes of that of P. alba. Its most general use, on
the Continent, is for packing-cases, more especially for the transport of
bottled wines. The wood is yellow, soft, and, being more fibrous than
that of any other species of poplar, it splits more readily than the wood of
either P. alba or P. tremula. It weighs, in a green state, 60 Ib. 9 oz. per
cubic foot; half-dry, 42 Ib. 13 oz.; and dry, 29 Ib.': thus losing more than
one half its weight by drying; and it loses, by shrinking, more than a sixth
of its bulk. It is more employed by joiners and cabinet-makers than
the wood of P. tremula, because it is softer, and rather easier to work.
The wood never splinters, and is incomparable, according to Evelyn, for
all sorts of white wooden vessels, as trays, bowls, and other turner's ware.
It is used for making clogs, and for the soles, as well as heels, of shoes. It
is employed by the cartwright ; and Vitruvius reckons it among the building
timbers. Planted thick, and cut down for rafters, poles, and rails, few
trees make a quicker return. It forms a very indifferent fuel, being in
this respect to the beech as 792 is to 1540. The only European tree
which is inferior to it as a fuel is the Lombardy poplar. The bark, in Russia,
is used for preparing morocco leather ; and, when it is pulverised, it is eaten
by sheep. In Britain, it is used, like that of the oak, for tanning leather.
5 P 4
1654 AKBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III;
The bark of the old trunk, being very thick, light, and corky, is employed by
fishermen to support their nets, and, it is said, is used as* corks for bottles.
The buds, macerated in boiling water, and afterwards bruised in a mortar
and pressed, yield a fat substance, which burns like wax, and exhales a fine
odour. The balsamic sap with which the buds are covered forms the basis of
what Gerard calls that "profitable ointment, unguentum populeum, which is used
as a soothing remedy against nervous diseases and hemeroides." The young
shoots, especially when the plants are kept low, may be used as a substitute
for those of the willow, in basket-making. When the tree is pollarded, and
lopped every three or four years, it produces a great quantity of fuel, which
can be used green. The shoots, with the leaves on, are formed into brooms.
The cottony substance, or flock, which surrounds the seeds, has been used,
in Germany and in France, as wadding ; and it has also been manufactured
into cloth, hats, and paper ; but the expense of collecting it, and the want
of length and elasticity in the fibre, occasioned the manufacture to be given
up. In Kamtschatka, and in Norway, the inhabitants are sometimes under
the necessity of drying the inner bark, and grinding it, in order to mix it
with their oatmeal. (See Laing's Norway.) The flowers are much sought
after by bees. In landscape-gardening, the tree is valuable for particular
purposes, on account of the rapidity of its growth, the great bulk of its head,
and the striking effect of its dark red flowers in early spring ; but it is unfit
for grounds which are not of considerable extent, unless when treated as a
pollard or dwarf.
Poetical and mythological Allusions. According to Ovid, when Phaethon
borrowed the chariot and horses of the sun, and by his heedless driving set
half the world on fire, he was hurled from the chariot by Jupiter into the Po,
where he was drowned ; and his sisters, the Heliades, wandering on the banks
of the river, were changed into trees ; but, whether these trees were poplars
or alders, the poets do not seem to be agreed. The evidence in favour of the
poplar consists in there being abundance of black poplars on the banks of
the Po ; in the poplar, in common with many other aquatic trees, being
so surcharged with moisture as to have it exude through the pores of the
leaves, which may thus literally be said to weep ; and in there being no
tree on which the sun shines more brightly than on the black poplar, thus
still showing gleams of parental affection to the only memorial left of the
unhappy son whom his fondness had contributed to destroy.
" And eke those trees, in whose transformed hue,
The Sun's sad daughters wailed the rash decay
Of Phaethon, whose limbs with lightnings rent,
They gathering up, with sweet tears did lament." SPENSER.
The quivering of the leaves of the black poplar, and the manner in which
the sun dances on their smooth surfaces, have made them afford to the
poets joyous images, of activity and beauty. Homer, speaking of Penelope's
handmaids, says : —
" Some ply the loom ; their busy fingers move
Like poplar leaves when zephyr fans the grove." POPE'S Odyssey, book vii.
And a Spanish poet compares the tree to his lady's hair : —
" Each wind that breathes, gallantly here and there
Waves the fine gold of her disorder'd hair,
As a green poplar leaf in wanton play
Dances for joy at rosy break of day." WIFFEN'S Garcilasso.
Soil, Situation, fyc. For the tree to attain a large size, the soil ought to be
good, though it need not be deep ; more especially if it be in the immediate
vicinity of water. In such situations, the black poplar forms a very profitable
pollard tree ; and it is often so planted and treated in France and Italy, for
the purpose of affording props for vines. It is readily propagated by cuttings
or truncheons.
Insects, Diseases, Sfc. The black poplar is famous among naturalists for
CHAP. CIII. SALICA^CEJE. PO'PULUS. 1655
producing a sort of galls, or protuberances, of various shapes and si/es, on
its leaves and branches, which have been usually mistaken for the lodgments
of worms hatched from the eggs of an ichneumon fly : but they are, in reality,
produced from the operations of a viviparous species of ANphis(A. populi), for
the bringing up of its offspring. These galls are of the bladder kind, being
usually skinned over, and more or less hollow within, not woody, as those
of the oak, &c. They proceed from different parts of the plant, some from
the petioles of the leaves, and many from the young shoots : they are very
various in figure, some being roundish, others oblong, others crooked and
contorted in various directions, and some of them are in the figure of horns,
like those of Pistacia !Terebfntnus (p. 547. J, and of the same origin. (Rees's
Cyclopedia.) Uredo />opulina Pers., a kind of hypodermous fungus, has been
found on the leaves of this species.
Statistics.— Recorded Trees. Evelyn mentions some stately and straight black poplars in Cheshire,
that yielded boards and planks " by some preferred to oak for their whiteness and lasting, where
they lie dry." At Alloa House, in Clackmannanshire, a tree, between 3 ft., and -1 ft from the ground,
girted 13 ft. or 14ft. ; and at South field, in Fife, one about twenty years old, in 1819, measured 7 ft.
1 in. in girt (Sang.) A tree in the garden of Arquebuse, at Dijon, measured, in 1810, 21 ft. in cir-
cumference at 5ft. from the ground. It had an ample head ; and, though the trunk was ulcerated
in several places, it appeared as if it would live for many years, though it was then of great age.
The same tree, measured in 1836, by L. W. Dillwyn, Esq., exceeded 20 ft. in circumference, at 4ft
from the ground.
Existing Trees. In England, in the environs of London, at Ham House, Essex, it is 74 ft. high,
diameter of trunk 2 ft. 9 in., and of the head 58 ft. ; in the grounds of Lambeth Palace, between 70 ft.
and 80 ft. high, and in vigorous growth, though surrounded by smoke to such an extent as to injure
most of the other trees in the garden. In the Isle of Wight, in Wilkins's Nursery, Newport, 10
years planted, it is 25 ft. high. In the Isle of Jersey, in Saunders's Nursery, 10 years planted,
it is 20 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 6 in., and that of the head 12 ft. In Wiltshire, at Wardour
Castle, 50 years old, it is "0 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk
5ft., and of the head 99ft. ; in Cheshire, at Kinmel Park, it
is 6u ft. high, diameter of the trunk 4 ft, and of the head 45 ft.;
in Herefordshire, at Eastnor Castle, 20 years planted, it is 60 ft.
high ; in Nottinghamshire, at Clumber Park, it is 78 ft. high ;
the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 3 in., and of the head 39ft. ; in
Pembrokeshire, at Stackpole Court, 30 years planted, it is 70 ft
high; in Radnorshire, at Maeslaugh Castle, 65ft high; the
diameter of the trunk 4 ft, and of the head 76 ft. ; in Suffolk,
at Bury St Edmunds, near the old bridge over the river Lark,
is 90 ft high, and the diameter of the trunk is 5 ft., " a noble
and healthy tree " (see Jig. 1514. to a scale of 50 ft. to 1 in.,
copied from Strutt's Si/lva) ; in Worcestershire, at Hagley, 9
years planted, it is 23 ft. high. In Scotland, in Kirkcudbright,
shire, at St. Mary's Isle, it is 75 ft. high, the diameter of the
trunk Sift., and of the head 40 ft. ; in Haddingtonshire, at
Tynningham, it is 62 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2£ ft,
and of the head 27 ft. ; in Ross-shire, at Brahan Castle, it is
24ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft., and of the head
30ft In Ireland, in the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, 35 years
g anted, it is 50 ft. high. In France, at Toulon, in the Botanic
arden, 30 years planted, it is 50ft. high, with a trunk 2ft.
in diameter ; at Avranches, in the Botanic Garden, 40 years
planted, it is 40 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft, and of
the head 20ft. In Austria, at Vienna, in the Laxenburg
Garden, 40 years old, it is 30 ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk 1 5 » 4
14 in., and of the head 12 ft. In Bavaria, at Munich, in the English Garden, 50 years old, it is 36 ft.
high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft., and the head 14 ft. In Sweden, at Lund, in the Botanic Garden,
it is 72ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 21 in., and of the head 12ft. In Italy, in Lombardy.at
Monza, 30 years old, it is 80 ft high, the diameter of the trunk 2£ ft., and the diameter of head 40 ft
¥ 8. P. (N.) CANADE'NSIS Michx. The Canadian Poplar.
Identification. Michx. Arb., 3. p. 298.,; N. Amer. Syl., 2. p. 227.
Synonymes. P. laevig^ta Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 803., Purs'h Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 619., Spreng. Syst. Feg.,
2. p. 244., but not of Hort. Kew. ; P. monilifera Hort. Par., Aouv. Ccurs, &c. ; Cotton-wood,
Michx. ; Peuplier de Canada, Fr. in Nouv. Cours d'Agri., edit. 1822, torn xi. p. 407.
The Sexes. Willdenow has noted that he had seen the male living ; Bosc says that only the female
is in France.
Engravings. Mich. Arb., 3. t. 11. ; North Amer. Syl., 2. t 95. ; and our Jig. 1515.
Spec. Ckar.y $c. Young branch angled. Petiole compressed. Disk of leaf
roundish ovate, deltoid, acuminate, subcordate at the base, where there are
glands, serrated with unequal teeth, glabrous. (Pursh.) The branches are
angular, and the angles form whitish lines, which persist even in the adult
age of the tree. The trunk is furrowed, even in old age ; less so than that
of P. angulata, more so than that of P. monilifera. The young buds are
gummy. The catkins of the female are from 6 in. to 8 in. long. ( M. de Foti-
cault; and Michx. in N. Amer. Syl.) It is found wild in North America, in
1656 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
high rocky places between Canada ancl Virginia, and
about the western lakes ; where it forms a tree from
70 ft. to 80 ft. high. (Pursh.) When introduced is
uncertain ; the P. lasvigata of Aiton, which is often
confounded with this plant, and of which there are
plants in the Horticultural Society's Garden and in
Loddiges's arboretum, being a variety of P. tremula.
It flowers in March and April. According to Michaux,
the trunk of the Canadian poplar is furrowed, even
in its old age, as well as on its young branches. It is
remarkably hardy, growing in the Atlantic states, on
the river Missouri, 1500 miles from its confluence
with the Mississippi ; while the Carolina poplar (P. ^!| 1515
angulata), which is often confounded with it, is not
found above 100 miles from the confluence of the two rivers; and its
annual shoots are frozen, both there and in Europe, by a degree of cold
that does not appear to have the least effect on those of P. canadensis.
In Britain, the Canadian poplar used to be very commonly propagated in
nurseries, and extensively introduced into plantations ; but, within the last
30 years, the black Italian poplar (P. monillfera) has been substituted for it.
Bosc says that the Canadian poplar approaches nearer to P. nigra than
any other species, and that it is the best of all poplars for planting, where
the production of timber, with a view to profit, is the object. This cor-
responds perfectly with the character of P. monilffera in this country,
which -we suppose to be an improved variety of P. canadensis. The
natural uses of the tree are the same as those of P. nigra ; the young shoots
being given to horses, as their food, on the banks of the Missouri ; and the
branches being eaten by beavers. The Canadian poplar is propagated by
cuttings of the young wood, about 18 in. long, put in during autumn. " It is
remarkable," Bosc observes, " that the first shoots produced from these
cuttings are always curved at the lower extremity; though in a few years
this curvature entirely disappears. The same thing," he says, " takes place
•with the cuttings of P. monilffera." The fine poplar avenues in the lower
parts of the gardens of Versailles are formed of this species.
Statistics. In England, in the environs of London, at Mount Grove, Hampstead, 14 years planted,
it is 30ft. high ; in Surrey, at Walton upon Thames, 42 years planted, it is 110ft. high, the diameter
of the trunk 3 ft. 8 in , and of the head 60 ft. ; in Worcestershire, at Hadzor House, 22 years planted,
it is 55 ft. high. In Scotland, near Edinburgh, at Gogar House, it is 100 ft. high, the diameter of
the trunk 2 ft. 5 in., and of the head 30 ft. In Ireland, near Dublin, in the Cullenswood Nursery,
10 years planted, it is 50 ft high ; in Fermanagh, at Florence Court, 30 years planted, it is 70 ft.
high. In Belgium, at Ghent, in the Botanic Garden, it is 100ft. high. In Saxony, at Worlitz,
60 years old, it is 60 ft. high, with a trunk lift, in diameter. In Bavaria, in the Botanic Garden,
Munich, 81 years old, it is 60ft. high, with a trunk 18 in. in diameter. In Austria, at Vienna,
in the University Botanic Garden, 60 years old, it is 48ft. high, the diameter of the trunk
17 in., and of the head 24 ft. ; in RosenthaPs Nursery, 20 years planted, it is 53ft. high, the diameter
of the trunk 1£ ft., and of the head 22 ft. ; at Briick on the Leytha, 40 years old, it is 70ft.high, the
diameter of the trunk 3 ft., and of the head 36 ft.
Commercial Statistics. Price of plants, in the London nurseries, 5s. per
hundred; or single plants, of some height, 1*. each; at Bollwyller, li franc
each ; at New York, 25 cents.
£ 9. P. (N.) .Z?ETULIFOVLIA Pursh. The Birch-leaved Poplar.
Identification. Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 619. ; Spreng. Syst. Veg., 2. p. 244.
Synonymes. P. nigra Michx. Fl. Amer. Bar., 2. p. 244. ; P. hudsonica Michx. Arb., 3. p. 293. t. 10.
f. 1., North Amer. Syl., 2. p. 230. ; P. hudsoniana Bosc, and Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; American black
Poplar, Amer. ; Peuplier de la Baie d' Hudson, /«>.
The Sexes. It is uncertain whether it is the male or female plant that is in European collections.
lar, Amer. ; Peuplier de la Baie d' Hudson, /<>.
exes. It is uncertain whether it is the male or f
Engravings. Michx. Arb., 3. t. 10. f. 1. ; Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 2. t. 96. f. 1. ; and our fig. 1516.
Spec. Char., fyc. Young branches yellow. Branchlets hairy when young. Pe-
tioles yellow, and also hairy when young. Disk of leaf rhomboid, but much
acuminated ; toothed in every part of the edge ; hairy on the under sur-
face when young, but afterwards glabrous. (Pursh.) The catkins are
4 in. to 5 in. long, and destitute of the hairs which surround those of several
other species. {Michx. jun.) A tree, growing to the height of 30ft. or
CHAP. CIII. SALICA CE^E. PO PULUS. 1657
40ft., with a trunk 12 in. or 15 in. in diameter; found
by Michaux on the banks of the river Hudson, a little
above Albany ; and by Pursh about Lake Ontario.
Judging from the plants in the collection of Messrs.
Loddiges, and Michaux's figure, ve have no doubt
whatever of its being, like P. canadensis, merely a variety
of P. nigra. It is, however, tolerably distinct ; and, being
a small, neat, deep-green-leaved tree, well deserves a
place in collections.
Statistics. In England, in Devonshire, at Endsleigh Cottage, 16 years
planted, it is .Wft. high, the diameter of the trunk 14 in., and of the head
11 ft. ; in Buckinghamshire, at Temple House, 40 years planted, it is 60 ft.
high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft., and of the head 30ft. Price of plants 1516
the same as in P. canadensis.
$ 10. P. MONILI'FERA Ait. The Necklace-bearing, or black Italian,
Poplar.
Identification. Ait. Hort Kew., ed. 1., 3. p. 406. ; Willd. Arb., 232., Sp. PL, 4. p. 805. ; Pursh FI.
Amer. Sept., 2. p. 618. ; Wats. Dend. Brit., t. 102.
Syitonymes. P. virginiana Lin., Dcsf. Hort. Par., Dum. Sot. Cult., torn. 6. p. 400., Nouv. Cot/rs
d'Agri.,tom. xi. p. 407. ; P. gtanduld*a Mocnch Mcth., p. 339. ; P. carolin^nsis Micnch ll'eissenst, 81.,
Jlurgsd. Anlcit., 378.; P. nlgra it^lica Lodd. Cat., edit. 18:36 ; P. nlgra americana Ibid. ; P. acla-
desca I.indl. in Enc. of Plants, p. 840. ; ? P. marylandica Jiosc Nouv. Cotirs, art. Peuplier, p. 409. ;
Virginian Poplar, Swiss Poplar, Canadian, or Berry-bearing, Poplar, Mill. ; Peuplier Suisse, Peuplier
triphilon (see Nouv. Cours}, Peuplier de Virginie, Dumont.
Derivation. The epithet necklace-bearing alludes to the shape of the female catkins, which in their
capsules, and the manner in which these are attached to the rachis, resemble strings of beads.
Swiss poplar, and black Italian poplar, allude to the tree being very abundant in Switzerland and
the north of Italy.
The !-eres. Both sexes are frequent in British collections, but the male is most abundant Both are
in the London Horticultural Society's Garden. The female is figured and described "by Watson
(see Dend. Brit., t. 102.), who has figured some parts of the male flower in the same plate. Bosc
remarks that only the male is cultivated in French gardens.
Engravings. Michx. Arb., t 10. f. 2.; N. Amer. Syl., 2. t. 96. f. 2. ; Wats. Dend. Brit., 2. 1. 102. ;
OUT Jig. 1517. ; and the plates of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., $c. Shoot more or less angular. Branch round. Petiole
slender, compressed in the upper part ; in some leaves, shorter than the
disk, in others longer. Disk deltoid, glanded at the base, which is sub-
cordate in some leaves, and very obtusely wedge-shaped in others ; tip
acute ; edge serrated all round, except in the central part of the base, and
at the acute tip, the teeth have incurved points ; glabrous, except in the
edge, which, at least when the leaf is growing, is ciliate; edge ultimately,
and perhaps early, gristly. Male flowers about 30. in a catkin, upon pe-
dicels. Bractea glabrous. Stamens 16, a little longer than the corolla.
Female flowers about 40 in a catkin. Stigmas 4, dilated, jagged. (Pursh,
IVats., Michx., Spreng., and obs.) It is rather doubtful to what country
this poplar is indigenous : Canada is given as its native country in the
Hortus Kewensis ; but, in the Nouveau Du Hamel, it is stated to be a native
of Virginia. Michaux, jun., states that neither he nor his father ever found
it wild in America; and Pursh adds that he has only seen it in that
country in gardens. According to the Hortus Kewensis, it was introduced
into Britain by Dr. John Hope, in 1772. It is a tree, according to Pursh,
from CO ft. to 70 ft. high in America ; but in Britain it grows to the height
of 100 ft. or 120 ft., or upwards ; flowering in March, and ripening its seeds
about the middle of May.
Varieties.
X P. m. 2 Lindlei/ima. Sooth; the new waved-leaved Poplar, Hort.; has
rather larger leaves than the species, and they are somewhat more
undulated. The plant in the London Horticultural Society's Gar-
den is 13 ft. high.
% P. m. 3 /<)/«* variegdtis Hort. — The tree in the Horticultural Society's
Garden is between 30ft. and 40ft. high; but its variegation is by
no means conspicuous, except in early spring.
Desa-iption, $c. P. monilffera is the most rapid-growing of all the poplars;
and its timber is equal, if not superior, in quality to that of any other species.
1658
ARBORETUM AND FItUTlCETUM.
I'AKT III.
It comes into leaf, in the climate of London, 1517
in the last week of April, or in the beginning
of May; about which time the male catkins
have chiefly dropped off. The cottony seed
is ripe about the middle of May, and is so
abundant, even in young trees, as to cover the
ground under them like a fall of snow. When
young, the tree shoots up with a strong erect
stem, which is much less liable to put out
timber-like branches than any other poplar
whatever, except P. fastigiata and P. balsa-
mifera. The rate of growth, in the climate of
London, on good soil, is between 30 ft. and
40 ft. in 7 years ; and even in Scotland it has
attained the height of 70 ft. in 16 years. There
appears to be little doubt of its being a native
of America ; but, as Pursh has only seen it in
gardens there, and neither Michaux nor his
father had ever seen it there at all, we think it probably only a cultivated
variety of P. canadensis ; which, as we have before observed, comes so near the
P. nigra of Britain, as to induce us to think that they are not specifically dif-
ferent. P. monilifera was introduced into England in 1772, from Canada; but,
as it is figured in Abbott and Smith's Natural History of Georgia, vol. ii. t. 71.,
it appears to be also a native of that country. After its first introduction, it
does not appear to have been much cultivated for some years, when it was
brought into notice by Messrs. Archibald Dickson and Co., of Hasendeanburn
Nursery, under the name of the black Italian poplar. Its history under this name
is thus given in Pontey's Profitable Planter : — Messrs. Dickson obtained the
plant from a gentleman in their neighbourhood, who had received it from his
son, then residing in North America. Mr. Archibald Dickson then travelled
for the firm through most of the northern districts of England; and, having
a high opinion of this poplar, of which he had been the first to procure a
stock of plants, he recommended it every where. The name of the black
Italian poplar he accounted for to Mr. Pontey, by saying that he had learned
that this sort of poplar was common in Italy, as well as in America. Mr.
Pontey adds, in confirmation of Mr. Dickson's statement : " As I can now
recollect his having so recommended the article, and also having bought our
first stock from him, in or about the year 1 787, I have, therefore, good reason
to suppose his account is in every respect accurate : indeed, it stands strongly
confirmed by the age of the trees found on the southern verge, and within his
route, as they are much older than those to the south of it ; and, therefore, I
think Messrs. Dickson entitled to the credit of having first recommended and
disseminated a tree, the rapid growth of which, in addition to its being highly
ornamental, will prove of essential benefit to the country." (Pontey's Prof.
Planter, p. 218.) This was written in 1813, when Mr". Pontey published
the first edition of his book ; and the black Italian poplar has, since that
period, been far more extensively planted in Britain than any other species
or variety of the genus. Notwithstanding this evidence in favour of its being
a native of North America, we think (as we believe all the white-barked pop-
lars, such as P. njgra, P. canadensis, P. 6etulaefolia, P. fastigiata, and P. angu-
lata, to be different forms of one species) that P. monilifera may have been
originated in Italy or Switzerland, and carried out to North America ; and, if
so, this will readily account for the English name of black Italian, the
American name, mentioned by Michaux and Browne, of Swiss poplar, and the
French name of Peuplier Suisse. We have heard of a plant of P. fastigiata,
which appears to be throwing out a side branch of P. monilifera ; but we are
not authorised at present to state any particulars respecting it. The female
catkins of the two kinds appear so much alike, as to leave no doubt in our
minds of their identity as species.
CHAP. CHI.
5ALICAVCEJE. PO'PULUS.
1659
Properties and Uses, Soil, Propagation, $c. The wood may be applied to
the same purposes as that of the species previously described ; but, being of
larger dimensions, it may be considered as better fitted for being used in build-
ings. Pontey observes that the tree is not only an astonishingly quick grower,
but that its stem is remarkably straight ; and that, with very trifling attention
to side pruning, it may be kept clear of branches to any required height. For
these reasons, he considers it the most profitable of all trees to plant in masses
in a fertile soil, rather moist. Sir J. E. Smith describes the tree as very
hardy in Britain, and valuable for planting in exposed situations, or on poor
sandy soil ; but he adds that the female tree is objectionable, the down of
the seeds being a great nuisance, particularly near houses ; as it sticks to
clothes and furniture in a most troublesome manner. Hence, the male
trees should be selected, not only for planting near a house, but wherever
ornament is the main object ; as the flowers, which are of a deep red, and
produced in great abundance, are as ornamental as those of P. nigra; while
the female flowers of both species are comparatively inconspicuous, and the
seeds alike cottony and troublesome. Were every cottager to grow his own
fuel, there is, perhaps, no tree that would succeed so well for that purpose,
on a small spot of ground, as P. monilifera. (See Gard. Mag., vol. vi.
p. 146.) Cuttings of the black Italian poplar root more freely than those
of the Canadian poplar ; and this, indeed, constitutes, in our opinion, one
of the most important differences between the two trees. The caterpillars
of one of the bombycideous moths, belonging to the genus Cerura, and re-
garded (correctly?) by Sir J. E. Smith as identical with the English C.
furcula, the kitten moth, {Abb. and Smith, Ins. of Georgia, t. 71., and our
fig. 1518.) feed on this poplar, both in America and Europe. The cater-
1518
pillar (a), which is green and brown, when disturbed, shoots out of the end of
its forked tail two soft orange-coloured threads. Early in August, having
become much larger (b\ it sheds its skin, and .turns green striped with white.
In a few days, it encloses itself in a case made of chips of the wood (c),
which it attaches to a branch, and which looks somewhat like a slug, out of
which the moth (rf) makes its escape at one end.
Statistics. Recorded Trees. Mr. Pontey, in 1813, measured a tree growing in the garden of Mr.
Richard Atkinson of Huddersfield, which had been then planted 25 year*, and found it 60ft. high,
and containing 46 cubic feet of good timber. The soil was light, and only about 1 ft deep, on a
subsoil of coarse gravel. Mr. Pontey also measured another tree at Huddersfield, planted by himself
in very wtt soil, 19 years before, which was 64 ft. high, and contained 34 ft. of timber. (Forest Pru.
ner, 4th edit, p. 219.) Bosc, in 1822, mentions a superb avenue of these trees in the Jardin des
Plantes ; but they have since been cut down.
Existing Trees. In England, at Syon, it is 102 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 4 ft. 5 in., and of the
head 95ft ; at Ham House, Essex, it is 100ft. high, diameter of the trunk 3ft 8 in., and of the head
68 ft.; at York House, Twickenham, 60 years old, it is 80ft high, diameter of the trunk 18 in., and
of the head 40 ft. ; in Devonshire, at Bystock Park, 12 years planted, it is 40 ft. high ; in Dorset-
shire, at Melbury Park, 23 years planted, it is 66ft high, diameter of the trunk 7 in., and of the
head 26ft ; in Hampshire, at Strathfieldsaye, it is 108 ft. high, with a trunk 5 ft in diameter; in
Somersetshire, at Nettlecombe, 13 years planted, it is 54ft high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft.
7 in., and of the head 21 ft. ; in 'Surrey, at Bagshot Park, 22 years old, it is 35 ft. high , in Cheshire,
at Eaton Hall, 17 years planted, it is 50ft. high ; in Denbighshire, at Llanbede Hall, 20 years planted,
it is 55 ft. high ; in I^ancashire, at Latham House, 28 yean planted, it is 77ft high, the diameter
1660 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
of the trunk ,1ft, and of the head 57 ft. ; in Monmouthshire, at Dowlais House, 10 years planted,
it is 20ft. high; in Worcestershire, at Croome, 25 years planted, is 90 It. high, the diameter of
the trunk 20 in., and of the head 20 ft. In Scotland, in the Experimental Garden, Inverleith, 9 years
planted, it is 23 ft. high ; in Berwickshire, at the Hirsel, 13 years planted, it is 44 ft. high ; in Lanark-
shire, in the Glasgow Botanic Garden, 16 years planted, it is 60 ft. high ; in Roxburghshire,
near Hawick, one tree, 59 years planted, has a clear trunk of 55 ft, which girts 6 ft. 2 in., and con.
tains 130 ft. of timber ; another tree, 63 years planted, has a clear trunk of 55 ft., with a main
girt of 6ft. 11 in., and contains 164ft of timber; in Argyllshire, at Toward Castle, 15 years
planted, it is 36 ft. high ; in Clackmannanshire, in the garden of the Dollar Institution, 12 years
planted, it is 40ft high; in Perthshire, in Dickson and Turnbull's Nursery, 65 years planted,
it is 73 ft high, diameter of the trunk 2£ft., and of the head 42 ft. In Ireland, in the Glasnevin
Botanic Garden, 5 years planted, it is 16 ft. high. In Austria, at Vienna, in Rosenthal's Nursery,
16 years old, it is 33ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft., and of the head 27 ft. In Bavaria,
at Munich, in the English Garden, 30 years planted, it is 50 it. high, the diameter of the trunk
20 in., and of the head 15 ft.
$ II. P. FASTIGIAVTA. The fastigiate, or Lombardy, Poplar.
Identification. Desf. Hist. Arb., t. 2. p. 465.
Synonymes. P. dilatata Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 1., 3. p. 406., ed. 2., 5. p. 396., Willd. Arb., 229., Sp.
PI., 4. p. 804., Spreng. Syst. Veg., 2. p. 244. ; P. nlgra italica Du Rot llarbk., 2. p. 141. ; P. it&lica
Mcench Weissenst, 79. ; P. italica dilatkta Willd. ; P. pyramidata Hort. ; P. pannonica Jacq. ;
P. italica var. carolinensis Burgsdorf; Cypress Poplar, Turin Poplar, Po Poplar; Peuplier d'ltalie,
Peuplier pyramidal, Fr. ; Lombardische Pappel, Italianische Pappel, Ger. ; Pioppo Cypresso, Ital.
The Sexes. Plants of the male are plentiful in England. The female is known to be extant in Lom-
bardy, whence we have received dried specimens and seeds in November, 1836. (See Card. Mag.,
vol. xii.) M. C. A. Fischer, inspector of the University Botanic Garden, Gottingen, found, in
1827, a single plant of the female, after having many years before sought fruitlessly for it, among
many thousands of plants around Gottingen. (See Card. Mag., vol. vi. p. 419, 420.)
Engravings. Jaume St. Hilaire ; our Jigs. 1519, 1520. ; and the plates in our last Volume. In
fig. 1520., a represents the female catkins with the blossoms expanded ; b, the female catkins with
seeds ripe ; c, a portion of the female catkin of the natural size ; d, a single flower of the natural
size ; and e, a single Sower magnified.
Spec. Char., S/-c. A very distinct kind, having the form of the cypress tree,
from its branches being gathered together about the stem. (Willd.) Petiole
compressed. Disk of leaf deltoid, wider than long, crenulated in the whole
of the edge, even the base ; glabrous upon both surfaces. (Ait. Hort. Kew.,
and Spreng.) Leaves in the bud involutely folded. A tree, growing to
the height of from 100ft. to 1 20 ft., and sometimes to 150 ft. Introduced
from Italy into Britain about 1758, and flowering in March and April.
( Ait. Hort. Kew.)
Description, $c. The Lombardy poplar is readily distinguished from all
other trees of this genus by its tall narrow form, and by the total absence of
horizontal branches. The trunk is twisted, and deeply furrowed ; and the
wood, which is small in quantity in proportion to the ^ 151.9
height of the tree, is of little worth or duration, being
seldom of such dimensions as to admit of its being sawn
up into boards of a useful width. The leaves are very
similar to those of P. nigra, and the female catkins to
those of P. monilifera ; the male catkins resemble those
of P. nigra, and have red anthers, but jare considerably
more slender. One difference between P. fastigiata and
P. nigra is, that the former produces suckers, though not
in any great abundance ; while the latter rarely produces
any. P. fastigiata, also, in the climate of London, pro-
trudes its leaves eight or ten days sooner than P. nigra.
The male catkins of P. fastigiata, wetted and laid upon
paper, stain it of a deep green. The rate of growth of
P. fastigiata, when planted in a loamy soil, near water,
is very rapid. In the village of Great Tew, in Oxford-
shire, a tree, planted by a man who, in 1835, was still
living in a cottage near it, was 125 ft. high, having been
planted about 50 years. The Lombardy poplar is but of
short duration ; for, though a tree from one of the original
cuttings brought home by Lord Rochford still exists in a vigorous state at
Purser's Cross, yet the trees at Blenheim, and other places, planted about
the same time, or a few years afterwards, are in a state of decay.
Geography y History, fyc. The Lombardy poplar is considered, by Signor
Manetti and others, as wild in Italy, particularly in Lombardy, on the banks
of the Po ; because it has been observed that, when that river overflows its
CHAP. CIII.
PO'PULUS.
1661
banks, and carries off part of the surface soil, so as to expose that which has
lain covered for many years, " a great quantity of black poplars always spring
up ; and among them are many of the cypress, or Lombardy, poplars." (Gard.
Mag., vol. xii. p. 569.) Signer Manetti, from whom we quote, adds : " These
seeds have lain buried in the soil for many years, and were, no doubt, produced
by the forests which once covered the banks of the Po, the remains of which
are still to be found in many places." (Ibid.) To us it appears not impro-
bable, that the plants alluded to may have sprung up from seeds distributed
by the winds the same season, as the fresh soil would form a very favourable
nidus for their reception. The Lombardy, or cypress, poplar is said to be also a
native of Persia and the Himalayas, and to have been mentioned by Avicenna.
Morier found it abundant in Persia ; of which country Bosc and some other
botanists consider it a native, and thence to have been introduced into Italy.
The first avenue of Lombardy poplars planted there, Bosc observes, was
between Milan and Pavia; and the date of this avenue could, doubtless, be
obtained from the municipal documents of either or both of these cities. It
is singular, that the Lombardy poplar was not introduced into Tuscany till
.1805; a circumstance which appears to us strongly in favour of the sup-
position of its not being indigenous to Lombardy, or any part of Italy.
So remarkable a tree could not have escaped the notice of the Roman agri-
cultural writers ; and would, undoubtedly, have been recorded by Pliny, if it
had been known in Europe in his day. Into France it was introduced in
1662 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
1749; and, judging from the trees between Carlsruhe and Durlach, it must
have found its way about the same time into Germany. The first trees im-
ported into France were planted on the banks of the canal of Montargis ;
and the first avenue formed in Germany was that between Carlsruhe and Dur-
lach, described in p. 147. Extensive avenues of this tree have since been
planted in France, Belgium, and Germany. Every traveller in Prussia must
have observed those in the neighbourhood of Berlin. According to the Hortus
Kewensis, it was introduced into England about 1758, by the Earl of Roch-
ford, from Turin, where he was ambassador ; and he planted it at St. Osyth's,
in Essex, in which county this poplar is said still to go by his name. Dr.
Walker states that cuttings of the Lombardy poplar were first brought to
London by the Earl of Hertford, in the year 1763; and, according to others,
the plant was first imported as part of the package of some statuary, sent to
Whitton, for the Duke of Argyll, who began to plant in 1720, and died in
1761. (See p. 57.) Cuttings from the trees raised by Lord Hertford were
sent to New Posso, in Tweeddale, in 1765; and the tree was also extensively
distributed in Scotland, some years afterwards, by Lord Gardenstone, who
brought the cuttings direct from Italy (See his Travelling Memorandums.}
The tree has since been generally planted throughout Europe, chiefly as an
avenue, or roadside, tree ; or as an ornamental tree among houses in towns;
but in part, also, for its timber.
Properties and Uses. The wood, according to Manetti, is inferior to that of P.
nigra ; but it will do very well for packing-cases. The branches, he adds, are
of very little use either for fuel or vine-props ; and, in consequence, its culture
as a useful tree in Lombardy is now very generally abandoned in favour of that of
P. nigra. (Gard. Mag., vol. xii. p. 570.) When Arthur Young travelled in Italy,
he found that the Lombardy poplar grew to the height of 40 ft. in 8 years ; and
that in 12 years it was fit to cut down for building purposes. Rafters, small
beams, studs, boards, &c., brushed over with coal tar and brick-dust, laid on
hot, have stood sixteen years without the least decay. In twenty years, he
says, the tree will produce a trunk 2 ft. in diameter, which, being cut down, is
sawn green into thin boards, £ in. or a -£in. in thickness, for packing-cases,
and similar uses. All the vessels in which grapes were carried home from
the vineyards were formerly made of Lombardy poplar planks, about 2 in.
thick ; but they are now formed of the wood of P. nigra. Such vessels
last 30 or 40 years ; and, in consequence of their lightness, are manageable,
however large and long they may be. A 4-wheeled cart is, in general,
covered with one of them ; and it contains about 15 cwt. of grapes. In
France, both the Lombardy and black Italian poplars are formed into
fences by being planted when the plants are about 6 ft. high, in lines
6 in. apart. The stems are connected by a horizontal rod, about 3 ft.
from the ground ; and a fence is thus produced the first season. After the
trees composing the fence have grown five or six years, they are cut down, and
afford a very considerable bulk of timber, fit for slight agricultural buildings,
fencing, and fuel. In some cases, the trees, instead of being cut down, are
thinned, and those that remain are suffered to attain a timber-like size, not
being cut down till the expiration of eighteen or twenty years ; but this mode
is only followed when the fields enclosed are of such a size as not to be
injured by the shade of the trees.
In Britain, the great use of the Lombardy poplar is as a tree for planting
among houses, and where it is required to form a contrast with round-headed
trees in ornamental plantations. It is admirably adapted for planting in
streets, and among houses in towns and villages ; from the little space occu-
pied by its branches, which are compressed about the trunk, so as not to
interfere with the walls, nor to obstruct the access of light to the windows.
The next best poplars for this purpose are the balsam and Ontario poplars ;
and the observations which we are about to quote in favour of the use of the
Lombardy poplar in scenery will also apply, in some degree, to these two
species. The employment of the Lombardy poplar for contrasting with
CHAP. CHI.
SALICA'CE^E. PO'PULUS.
1663
round-headed trees has been illustrated by Mr. John Thompson, in the first
volume of the Gardener's J\Iagazine ; of which paper the following is an abs-
tract, with some explanatory additions : — The Lombardy poplar, considered
as a tall conical mass of foliage, becomes of great importance in scenery, when
contrasted with round-headed trees. It is a known rule in the composition
of landscape, that all horizontal lines should be balanced and supported by
perpendicular ones ; and, hence, the bridge in Jig. 1521., displaying a long and
conspicuous horizontal line, has its effect greatly increased by the poplars
planted on each side of it. Not only the lines of the bridge are balanced
and supported by the upright poplars, but lengthened and pleasing reflec-
tions from the water are produced; which, breaking the horizontal gleams
of light, not only produce variety and richness, but, by increasing the length
of the perpendicular lines formed by the poplars, confer a degree of sublimity
on the picture : since it is allowed by all writers on the material sublime,
from Burke to Dugald Stewart, that gradually tapering objects of great height
create the emotion of sublimity. This is admirably illustrated at Blenheim,
where the poplar is an accompaniment to all the bridges, but more parti-
cularly to that viaduct, near Woodstock, where the water first enters the park :
this, seen from the neighbourhood of the great bridge, forms a landscape of
much beauty and purity. On the other hand, the planting of the island in the
lake at Blenheim is as much at variance with good taste as the planting at
the bridge is conformable to it. It is covered with tall poplars, forming a mass
which seems too big for its base; and which, from its stiff and upright form,
is too strongly opposed to the varied outline of the surrounding wood and
water, and destroys all breadth of effect. How much more agreeable it would
have been, to have looked down from the bridge on an island varied with
small groups of well-selected, low, round-headed trees ! Lombardy poplars
may be advantageously planted wherever there is a continuance of horizontal
lines ; but they should be so arranged as to form a part of those lines, and to
seem to grow out of them, rather than to break or oppose them in too abrupt
a manner. In the case of a stable or other agricultural building, where the
principal mass extends in length, rather than in height, it would be wrong to
plant Lombardy poplars, or other tall fastigiate trees, immediately before the
building; but they will have a good effect when placed at the sides, or behind
it, as shown in^g. 1522. This poplar is very generally planted in front of
the suburban cottages and residences which are to be found within a few
5Q
1(564.
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART HI,
miles from the metropolis ; six or eight poplars, taller than the house, often
obstructing its view, and overpowering and diminishing it by their magnitude
and stiffness ; while a few low trees, such as thorns and laburnums, mixed
with lilacs and other shrubs, would have formed subordinate groups and
masses to the house, and served to increase its effect in the landscape. This
poplar, or some equally fastigiate tree, should appear in all plantations and
belts that are made with a view to picturesque effect ; as in^g. 1523., where
1523
the outline is varied as well as the face of the plantation. Masses of round-
headed trees, such as Jig, 1524., though they might be seen to advantage in
some situations, when grouping with other objects, yet, when contemplated by
themselves, are quite uninteresting, from their dull and monotonous appearance;
but add the poplars, as injtfg. 1524 a., and you immediately create an interest,
and give a certain character to the group, which it did not before possess.
The causes are these : — The poplars, which are taller than the other trees, are
so distributed as to break the mass into several groups, each terminating in a
point; and the central group, being larger than the others, predominates over
them, and forms the mass into a whole. The pointed heads of the Lombardy
1524
poplars also form a pleasing contrast to the round heads of the other trees,
and break the too uniform line exhibited in the sky outline of j%. 1524. The
branches of the poplars, rising stiffly upwards, contrast with, and render more
. PO'PULUS.
1665
graceful, the horizontal or pendent masses of the round-headed trees ; and
the stems of the poplars, being clear of branches to a greater height than the
other trees, form an agreeable variety in the lower part of the group. (Gard.
Mag., vol. i. p. 19.)
The admirable effect of the Lombardy poplar, when planted so as to contrast
advantageously with horizontal lines in architecture, may be seen in Jig. 1 525.,
which is a view of the artificial ruins of a Roman aqueduct, in the gardens of
Schwezingen, in Baden. In this view may be also seen how drooping trees,
such as the weeping willow, may be harmonised with spiry-topped trees, by
the intervention of round-headed trees and shrubs. Fig. 1526. shows how easy
it is to overpower a building by planting Lombardy poplars near it ; this being
actually the case at one of the entrances into the town of Carlsrwne, viz., the
Ettlinger Thor, of which Jig. 1526 is a portrait. Fig. 1527., the Tivoli Garden,
at Vienna, shows too many Lombardy poplars, in proportion to the round-
152,5
headed trees : and Jig. 1528., the chateau de Neuviller, near Nancy, shows
the Lombardy poplar overpowering a mansion ; \v\i\\ejig. 1529., a sketch by
Gilbert Laing Meason, from the background of a landscape by Domenichino,
shows two Lombardy poplars, judiciously introduced as a supporting mass to
the tower, which forms the leading feature of the building. Fig. 1530. and
fig. 1531. are views of Pere la Chaise, showing the substitution of poplars for
cypresses in a cemetery ; andfg. 1532. the entrance to the botanic garden at
5Q 2
1666
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
1526
TART III.
Munich, shows their use in varying the margin of plantations. These examples
may serve to show how easy it is, by means of the Lombardy poplar, to add
to the effect of a landscape, or ta destroy the harmony of its different parts.
In short, the Lombardy poplar, like the weeping willow and birch, is a most
dangerous tree in the hands of a planter who has not considerable knowledge
and good taste in the composition of landscape. We have been induced to
enlarge on the subject more than we should have done, from seeing the
frequent misapplication of the tree in the neighbourhood of London, as well
1527
as its good effects in various instances. We should like to see it much more
common in towns, and in churchyards and cemeteries, and much less frequent
in suburban gardens. In the grounds of extensive residences in the country,
it ought to be sparingly introduced, unless the object be to recall the idea of
the metropolis.
The suitableness of the Lombardy poplar for planting in towns and cities
arises not only from its narrow form and vertical direction, but, also, from its
nature ; which, like its congener the Populus nigra, admits of its thriving
even among coal smoke, where most other trees would die, or become stunted
and diseased. The elevation of the tree is also favourable for inviting and
protecting singing-birds, in proof of which, a writer in the Magazine of Natural
History fvol.i. p. 418.) observes that, in the towns of America, " the song of
the Baltimore oriole (Oriolus baltimorus) is little less remarkable than his
fine appearance, and the ingenuity with which he builds his nest. His notes
CHAP. cm.
SALICA'CEJE. PO PULUS.
1528
1G67
consist of a clear mellow whistle, repeated at short intervals as he gleams
among the branches. There is in it a certain wild plaintiveness and naivete
extremely interesting. Since the streets of some of the American towns have
been planted with Lombardy poplars, the orioles are constant visitors,
chanting their native ' woodnotes wild,' amid the din of coaches, wheelbarrows,
and sometimes within a few yards of a bawling oysterwoman."
A curious phenomenon is represented by Mr. Murray as taking place with
this poplar. Speaking of the raining tree in the Island of Hierro, which sup-
plies the inhabitants as well as inferior animals with water, he accounts for
this effect, by stating that a cloud of vapour from the sea is impelled towards
the tree ; and, being condensed by its foliage, the rain falls into a large tank,
from which it is measured out by individuals set apart for that purpose by the
authorities of the island. The same effect, Mr. Murray alleges, takes place
with very tall trees of this species surrounded by fog in this country. " In
confirmation of a circumstance prima facie so incredible," he says, " I have
here to record a phenomenon, witnessed by myself, equally extraordinary. I
had frequently observed, in avenues of trees, that the entire ground engrossed
by their shady foliage was completely saturated with moisture ; and that during
the prevalence of a fog, when the ground beneath their pale was completely
parched, the wet which fell from their branches more resembled a gentle
shower than any thing else ; and in investigating the phenomenon, which I am
disposed to consider entirely electrical, I think the elm exhibits this feature
more remarkably than any other tree of the forest. I never, however, was
more astonished than I was in the month of September, 1828, on witnessing
a very striking example of this description. I had taken an early walk on the
road leading from Stafford to Lichfield ; a dense fog prevailed, but the road
5 Q 3
1668
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
1,530
was dry and dusty, while it was quite otherwise with the line of a few Lom-
bardy poplars ; for from them it rained so plentifully, and so fast, that any
one of them might have been used as an admirable shower-bath, and the con-
stant stream of water supplied by the aggregate would (properly directed) have
sufficed to turn an ordinary mill." (Mag. Nat. Hist.,\o\. iv. p. 34.)
In British nurseries, hedges for shelter are frequently formed of the Lom-
bardy poplar ; in which case they are cut over at a certain height, and regularly
cut in on each side, so as to form a verdant wall, 8ft. or 10ft. high, 18 in.
wide at bottom, and 6 in. wide at top. It is an excellent tree for sheltering
or shading either fields or gardens in a flat country ; but care must be taken
to plant it at a sufficient distance ; and, where shelter is wanted without shade,
not to introduce it on the south side of any garden or orchard, unless at a
distance of at least twice its ordinary height.
The Lombardy poplar, when Gilpin wrote his Forest Scenery, which was
previously to 1780, had been only seen by that agreeable writer as a young
tree. " Within these few years," he says, " the Lombardy poplar, which graces
the banks of the Po, has been much introduced in English plantations. It
seems to like a British soil, and its youth is promising ; but I have never seen
it in full maturity. Its conic form, as a deciduous tree, is peculiar. Among
evergreens, we find the same character in the cypress ; and both trees, in many
situations, have a good effect. The cypress, often, among the ruins of ancient
Rome, breaks the regularity of a wall or a pediment, by its conic form : and
the poplar on the banks of the Po, no doubt, has the .same effect among its
deciduous brethren, by forming the apex of a clump ; though I have been
told that, in its age, it loses its shape, and spreads more into a head. The
oldest poplars of this kind I have seen are at Blenheim. They are not old
trees, but are very tall, and, I believe, still preserve their spiry form. One
beauty the Italian poplar possesses, which is almost peculiar in itself; and
that is the waving line it forms when agitated by the wind. Most trees, in
this circumstance, are partially agitated : one side is in rest, while the other is
in motion. But the Italian poplar waves in one simple sweep from the top
to the bottom, like an ostrich feather on a lady's head. All the branches
coincide in the motion : but, in painting, I know not that I should represent
any kind of motion in a tree, except that of a violent storm. When the blast
continues for some time, when the black heavens are in unison with it, and
help to tell the story, an oak straining in the wind is an object of picturesque
beauty ; but when the gentle breeze, pressing upon the quivering poplar,
bends it only in easy motion, while a serene sky indicates the heavens to be
at peace, there is nothing to act in concert with the motion of the tree: it
seems to have taken its form from the influence of a sea air, or some other
malign impression; and, exhibiting an unnatural appearance, disgusts. One
thing more I should mention with regard to the Italian poplar ; which is, that,
although it sometimes has a good effect when standing singly, it generally has a
better when two or three are planted in a clump." (Forest Scenery, vol.i. p. 58.)
The Lombardy poplar, Sir Thomas Dick Lauder observes, though extremely
fatiguing to the eye when it lines the road for many miles, as it does very
CHAP. CHI. SALTCA^CEJE. 7'O'IMJLUS. 1669
generally in France, and occasionally in Italy, is often a very beautiful and
natural accompaniment to buildings. " We have observed," he says," a very
whimsical effect produced by the long rows of these poplars in France, when
seen crowning a distant elevation, where they have had to us all the appear-
ance of an army drawn up ; and we remarked that this whimsical deception
very frequently occurred." (Landers Gi/pin, vol. i. p. 1 16.) Mr. Sang considers
the Lombardv poplar as a "very ugly tree;" a circumstance which we are
rather surprised at in so enlightened an observer. The prevalence of these
poplars in the vicinity of London, and other places in England, he says, he
found tiresome in the extreme. Cobbett asserts the poplars to be a " very
worthless family of trees;" and he adds, " That well-known, great, strong, ugly
thing, called the Lombardy poplar, is very apt to furnish its neighbours with a
surplus population of caterpillars, and other abominable insects." ( Woodlands.}
Poetical and legendary Allusions. Some authors make Lombardy poplars
the trees into which the sisters of Phaethon were changed. The unhappy
virgins, say they, in their despair, clasped their hands above their heads, till
they became fixed, and with the long hair which hung down and covered them
like a veil, changed into leaves and branches, from which their tears stream
incessantly. Notwithstanding the poetry of this idea, the Lombardy poplar
could not be the tree alluded to by Ovid ; since it has certainly been either
originated in, or introduced into, Italy at a comparatively modern period, and
consequently was not known to the ancients. The spiral form of this poplar,
and the manner in which it waves in one mass, have been noticed by several
of our modern poets. Leigh Hunt speaks of
" The poplar's shoot,
Which, like a feather, waves from head to foot;"
and Barry Cornwall says, —
" The poplar there
Shoots up its spire, and shakes its leaves i'the sun
Fantastical."
The Isle of Poplars, in the Marquis de Girardin's gardens at Ermenonville,
is celebrated for having been the place chosen by Rousseau for his own
grave. The island is about 50 ft. long, and 30 ft. broad, and is situated
at one end of a large lake. The only trees planted on the island are Lombardy
poplars. A plan of the island may be seen in the Encyclopedia of Gardening, ed.
1835, p. 86. ; and a view of the island and the tomb forms the frontispiece
to Girardin's Essay on Landscape, &c.
5 d 4-
1670
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART 111.
Soil, Situation, tyc. The Lombardy poplar will only thrive on a tolerably
good soil, and will not attain a large size, except in a situation where to a
good soil is joined proximity to water. In the climate of London, it grows
with such rapidity, that care is required, when it is introduced in ornamental
plantations, to thin it out, or cut it down, so that its form may not prepon-
derate in the landscape. In the north of England, and in most parts of
Scotland, it does not thrive.
Statistics. Recorded Trees. Dr. Walker mentions a tree on the borders of a canal, near Brussels,
which, in 15 years, attained the height of 80ft., with a trunk from 7ft. to 8ft. in circumference.
Another tree, at Nisbet, in Berwickshire, had, in 1795, attained the height of 60 ft. in 26 years ; with
a trunk 6 ft. 1 in. in circumference at 4 ft. from the ground. The largest tree that Sir Thomas Dick
Lauder knows of in Scotland stands on the lawn, a little below the Castle cf Tarnawa, in Morayshire.
Phillips says the most extraordinary Lombardy poplars which he had seen were on the banks of the
Seine, near Rouen. They had not been planted more than 20 years ; " yet their height is such, as to
make it quite awful to walk in the avenues." (Syl. Flor., vol. ii. p. 133.) We wrote to our friend, the
Abbe Gosier of Rouen, for some account of these trees ; and his answer, dated March 4th, 1837,
states, on the authority of M. Dubreuil, Conservator des Promenades publiques, &c., that they
grow in alluvial soil, and are 150ft. high. A tree, planted in 1758, in the St. Peter's Nursery, Can.
terbury, was blown down, Mr. Masters informs us, during the hurricane of Nov. 29. 1836. The trunk
was upwards of 5 ft. in diameter at 1 ft. from the ground, and at 6ft. it was 4 ft. 4 in. in diameter.
It was nearly 100 ft. in height, very symmetrically formed, and from the northern and western
entrances to Canterbury was an object of considerable attraction. The wood of the trunk was in a
complete state of decay, and had produced an abundance of Polyporus igniarius for several years past.
Existing Trees In England, in the environs of London, at Ham House, Essex, it is 110ft. high,
with a trunk 3 ft. 10 in. in diameter ; at Gunnersbury Park, 45 years planted, it is 84 ft. high, diameter
of the trunk 2£ ft. ; at Whitton, it is 115 ft. high. In Somersetshire, at Nettlecombe, 18 years old, it
is 62ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1| ft, and of the head 7| ft. ; in Surrey, at Walton upon
Thames, 52 years planted, it is 110ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 4ft. 8 in. : in Cambridgeshire,
in the parish of Gamlingay, it is 90 ft high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 10 in. ; in the Cambridge
Botanic Garden, it is 100 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 5 ft., and of the head 30 ft. : in Denbigh-
shire, at Llanbede Hall, 50 years planted, it is 73 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2| ft., and of the
head 12 ft. ; in Durham, at Southend, 18 years planted, it is 45 ft. high; in Gloucestershire, at Dodding-
ton, it is 95ft. high, diameter of the trunk 3ft.; in Lancashire, at Latham House, 40 years planted, it is
80 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft, and of the head 14ft. ; in Leicestershire, at Donnington
Park, 60 years planted, it is 88 ft. high : in Oxfordshire, in the Oxford Botanic Garden, it is 80 ft.
high, the diameter of the trunk 3-J ft, and of the head 18 ft. ; in the village of Great Tew are some
trees which are 125 ft. high, planted about '.50 years ago, by a labourer who still lives near them :
in Pembrokeshire, at Stackpole Court, 35 years old, it is 80ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 3 ft,
and that of the head 12ft ; in Radnorshire, at Belvoir Castle, 18 years old, it is 50 ft high j in
Staffordshire, at Rolleston Hall, it is 88ft. high, with a trunk 2J ft. in diameter; in Suffolk, at
Finborough Hall, 80 years planted, it is 90ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft., and of the head
80ft.: in Warwickshire, at Coombe Abbey, 70 years planted, it is 85ft. high, the diameter of the
trunk 3 ft., and of the head 12 ft. : in Worcestershire, at Hagley, 9 years planted, it is 19 ft. high ;
at Croome, 30 years planted, is 70 ft. high : in Yorkshire, at Grimston, 14 years planted, it is 60 ft.
high ; at Knedlington, 11 years planted, it is 34ft. high. In Scotland, in Lanarkshire, in the Glasgow
Botanic Garden, 16 years planted, it is 65 ft high ; in Renfrewshire, at North Barr, 30 years planted,
it is 70ft high ; in Clackmannanshire, in the garden of the Dollar Institution, 12 years planted, it
is 26ft ; in Inverness-shire, at Cowan, 45 years planted, it is 75ft high, the diameter of the trunk
1 ft., and of the head 12ft. ; in Perthshire, at Taymouth, it is 100 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk
1 ft. 2 in., and of the head 12ft. ; in Ross-shire, at Brahan Castle, it is 70ft high, the diameter of
the trunk 2 ft In Ireland, in Gal way, at Coole, it is 30ft. high, with a trunk 9 in. in diameter. In
the Isle of Jersey, in Saunders's Nursery, 10 years planted, it is 36 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk
1 ft., and of the head 19 ft In France, at Ermenonville, in the Isle of Poplars, are several 80ft.
high. In Belgium, at Ghent, in the Botanic Garden, 80ft. high. In Saxony, at Worlitz, 60
years old, it is 60ft. high, with a trunk 1J ft. in diameter. In Bavaria, at Munich, in the English
Garden, 25 years old, it is 45 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 12 in., and of the head 10 ft. In
Prussia, at Berlin, in the Botanic Garden, 60 years old, it is 60ft. high, with a trunk 2ft. in
diameter. In Italy, in Lombardy, at Monza, 40 years old, it is 90 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk
2J ft., and of the head 10 ft. ; at Belgiosa, near Pavia, 80 years planted, it is 70 ft. high, the diameter
of the trunk 2 ft 7 in.
Commercial Statistics. Plants, from 5 ft. to 6 ft. in height, are 8s. per hun-
dred in the London nurseries ; at Bollwyller, from 50 to 60 cents each.
% 12. P. ANGI LANTA Ait. The angled-branchcd, or Carolina, Poplar.
Identification. Ait Hort. Kew., ed. 1., 3. p. 407., ed. 2., 5. p. 396. ; Michx. Arb., 3. ; North Amer.
Sylva, 2. p. 224. ; Pursh FI. Amcr. Sept., 2. p. 619.; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
CHAP. CIII. SALICA^CEJK. PO'PULUS. 1671
Synonyms. P. angulbsa Michx. Fl. Bar. Amer., 2. p. 243. ; P. heterouh^lla Du Rot Harbk., 2.
p 150., Ma-rich m-isacnst., 80., Wangenh. Amer., 85.; P. macrophflla Lodd. Cat., edit. 1836;
P. balsamifera MUl. Diet., No. 5.; Mississippi Cotton Tree, Amer.
The Sexes. A plant at Ampton Hall, Suffolk, and one in the London Horticultural Society's arbo-
retum, are both of the male sex. Michaux the elder has briefly described the flowers of both sexes,
in his Fl. Bor. Amer. ; but, as Michaux the son states, in his North Amer. Sylva, that his father
had confounded P. angulata and P. canadensis together in his Flora, we cannot be sure that the
part descriptive of the flowers under P. angul&ta relates to this. It is given below, in the supposition
that it may.
Engravings. Michx. Arb., 3. t. 12. ; North Amer. Sylva, 2. t. 94.; Du Ham. Arb., 2. t. 39. f. 9. ;
Catesb. Carol., 1. t. 39. ; our fig. 1533. ; and the plates of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., $c. Bud not resinous, green. Shoot angled, with wings.
Disk of leaf ovate, deltoid, acuminate, toothed with blunt teeth that have
the point incurved, glabrous : upon the more vigorous shoots, the disk is
heart-shaped, and very large. (Pursk, and Michx. jun.} The elder Michaux's
description of the flowers under P. angulata is as follows : — " Male flowers
polyandrous ; female flowers rather distantly placed upon the rachis, glabrous ;
the ovary subglobose." This description is liable to the exception above
noted. In Martyn's Miller, the male catkins are said to be like those of P.
nigra, and the anthers purple. P. angulata, in North America, is, according
to Pursh, a tree about 80ft. high; its branches are very brittle, and its leaves
are very large. It is wild in morasses on the banks of rivers between Virginia
and Florida, and on the Mississippi. Introduced into England in 1738, and
flowering in March.
Varieties.
If P. a. 2 nova Audibert. — The plant of this variety in the London Hor-
ticultural Society's Garden being only 2 ft. high, we are unable to
state in what respect it differs from the species.
¥ P. a. 3 Medusa Booth. — A plant in Messrs. Loddiges's collection,
received under this name, in 1836, from Messrs. Booth of Hamburg,
is not yet quite 1 ft. in height.
Description, $c. The shoots of this species, when young, are extremely
succulent; and, as they continue growing late in the summer, they are
frequently killed down several inches by the autumnal frosts. After the
tree has attained the
height of 20 ft. or
^L i • » .
30 ft., which, in the
climate of London, it
does in five or six
years, this is no longer
the case ; because the
shoots produced are
shorter and less sue- 1533
culent, and, of course, better ripened. According to Michaux, the leaves,
when they first unfold, are smooth and brilliant, 7 in. to 8 in. long on young
plants, and as much in breadth ; while on trees 30 ft. or 40 ft. high they
are only one fourth the size. The petiole, compressed in the upper part,
renders the leaves easily agitated by the wind. " The annual shoots on
young trees are very thick, distinctly striated, and of a green colour spotted
with white; on branches of the second, third, and even of the seventh or
eighth, years, the traces of the furrows are still observable: they are indicated
by prominent red lines in the bark, terminating at the insertion of the young
shoots, which ultimately disappear with the growth of the branches. This
character belongs also to the cotton-wood (P. canadensis); but, besides the
difference of their general appearance, the two species are distinguished by
their buds : those of the Carolina poplar (P. angulata) are short, of a deep
green, and destitute of the resinous substance which covers those of the
cotton-wood (P. canadensis), and of which the vestiges remain till late in the
season. The wood of P. angulata is white, soft, and considered of little use
in North America. As an ornamental tree, it forms a very stately object;
but, from the brittleness of the branches, they are very liable to be torn off
by high winds. In the climate of Paris, the points of the shoots of the ter-
1672
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
minal branches of trees are liable to be injured by severe frost ; but in the
climate of London this chiefly applies to plants in the nurseries. The Caro-
lina poplar roots from cuttings with some difficulty ; and, therefore, in British
nurseries, it is commonly propagated by layers. In ornamental plantations,
it ought always, as Miller advises, to be planted in situations where it will
be sheltered by other trees ; and, where it is wished to attain its full size, it
ought always to be planted in good soil, and near water. In North America,
where it grows in the swamps of Carolina, it is accompanied by the Taxo-
dium distichum, Nyssa biflora, ^4vcer rubrum, Carya aquatica, Quercus lyrata,
Populus canadensis, and P. heterophylla.
Statistics. P6pttlus angulata in Britain. At Syon, it is 83ft. high, diameter of the trunk S ft.,
and of the head 61 ft. : see the plate of this tree in our last Volume. At Ham House, Essex, it is
70 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 2£ ft., and of the head 45 ft. In Durham, at Southend, 15 years
planted, it is 65 ft, high. In Suffolk, at Ampton Hall, 57 years planted, it is 64ft. high ; the diameter
of the trunk 2ft. Sin., and of the head 95ft. In Yorkshire, at Grimston, 12 years planted, it is 50ft.
high. In the Experimental Garden, Inverleith, 9 years planted, it is 15ft. high.
Pdpulus angulata in Foreign Countries. In France, at Nantes, in the nursery of M. De Nerriferes,
60 years old, it is 80ft. high, with a trunk l£ft. in diameter ; in the Botanic Garden at Avranches,
24 years planted, it is 50ft. high; the diameter of the trunk lift, and of the head 30ft. In
Austria, at Vienna, in the University Botanic Garden, 8 years planted, it is 24ft. high; at Briick
on the Leytha, 70 years old, it is 80ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2| ft., and of the head 43 ft.
In Bavaria, at Munich, in the English Garden, 16 years old, it is 15 ft. high.
Commercial Statistics. Plants, in the London nurseries, are 1*. Qd. each ; at
Bollwyller, 1 franc and 50 cents ; at New York, 20 cents.
% 13. P. HETEROPHY'LLA L. The various-skaped-leaved Poplar Tree.
Identification. Lin. Sn. PI., 1464. ; Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 1., 3. p. 407., ed. 2., 5. p. 397. ; Michx. F).
Bor Amer., 2. p. 244. ; Willd. Arb., 233., Sp. PI., 4. p. 806. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 619. ;
Spreng. Syst. Veg., 2. p. 244.
Sijnonymes. P. magna, foliis amplis, aliis cordiformibus, aliis subrotundis, primoribus tomentosU
Gron. Virg., 194. 157- ; P. cordifdlia Burgsdorf, Lodd. Cat., edit. 1836. ; P. argentea Michx. North
Amer. Sylva, 2. p. 235. t. 97. ; Cotton Tree, Michx. N. A. S.
The Sexes. Michaux the elder has noticed some characters of the flowers of both sexes in his cha-
racter of the species in the Fl. Bar. Amer. ; and they will be found translated in our specific
character. Only the male is in British gardens.
Engravings. Michx. Arb., 3. t. 9. ; Michx. North Amer. Sylva, 2. t. 97. ; N. Du Ham., 2. t 51. ; and
our fig. 1534.
Spec. Char., %c. Shoot round, tomentose. Leaf, while young, tomen-
tose ; afterwards less so, or glabrous. Petiole but slightly compressed. Disk
roundish ovate, having a small sinus at the base, and being slightly auricled
there (or, as Michaux, jun., has expressed
it, with the lobes of the base lapped, so as
to conceal the junction of the petiole),
blunt at the tip, toothed; the teeth shal-
low, and having incurved points. Male
flowers polyandrous. Female flowers gla-
brous, situated distantly along the glabrous,
rachis, and upon long pedicels. {Michx.
sen., and Pursh.) A tree, a native of
North America, from New York to Caro-
lina, in swamps, and more particularly in
the country of the Illinois, and on the
western rivers. It grows there to the
height of 70 ft. or 80 ft. ; flowering in
April and May. It was introduced into
England in 1765; but we have never seen
plants of it higher than 5 ft. or 6 ft. ;
though a specimen tree in the Mile End Nursery, and another at Syon,
must have been planted more than 50 or 60 years ; and though it is said by
Bosc to be a lofty tree in the neighbourhood of Paris. It is a very remark-
able species, from* the particular character of its leaves, which, though as large
as, or larger than, those of P. angulata, and something resembling them in out-
line and in position on the branches, yet have nearly cylindrical footstalks,
and their disks hanging down on each side from the midrib in a flaccid manner,
not observable in any other species of the genus. According to Michaux,
1531-
CHAP. cm. SALICANCE;E. PO'PULUS. 1673
the trunks of trees of this kind, in North America, are covered with a very
thick and deeply furrowed bark. The young branches and the annual
shoots are round, instead of being angular, like those of P. angulata, P.
canadensis, and P. monilifera. The leaves, while very young, are covered
with a thick white down, which gradually disappears with age, till the leaves
at last become perfectly smooth above, and slightly downy beneath. They
are borne on long petioles ; the disks are often 6 in. in length, and as much in
breadth ; of a thick nature, denticulated and heart-shaped, with the lobes of
the base lapped, so as to conceal the junction of the petiole. The catkins
are drooping, and about Sin. long, which is about half the length of those of
P. angulata. " The wood," Michaux adds, " is soft and light, with the heart
yellowish, and inclining to red; and the young branches are filled with a pith
of the same colour. The tree is said to flourish in France, where, as in
America, its wood is held in little esteem. Both in French and British nur-
series, it is propagated only by inarching and by layers. It well deserves
culture as an ornamental tree, in rich moist soil, in a sheltered situation,
where its large leaves will not be in danger of being torn by the wind. The
male catkins are produced in great abundance ; and, being very thick, though
not very long, they make a fine appearance, from their rich brownish red and
yellow colour. Plants, in the London nurseries, are 2s. 6d. each; at Boll-
wyller, 2 francs ; and at New York, 20 cents.
% 14. P. BALSAMI'FERA L. The balsam-bearing Poplar, or Tacamahac
Tree.
Identification. Lin. SystVeg., 45., Mat. Med., 215. ; Pall. Fl. Ross., 1. p. 67. t. 41. ; Ait. Hort. Kew., ed.
2., 5. p. 397. : Willd. Arb., 230., Sp. PI., 4. p. 805. ; Michx. Arb., 3. ; North Amer. Sylva, 2. p. 237.
t. 98. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 618.
Synonyines. P. Tacamahaca Mill. Diet, No. 6. ; the Tacamahac, Amer. ; le Baumier, Fr. ; Peuplier
Hard, and also Tacamahac, in Canada ; Balsam Pappel, Ger.
The Sexes. Plants of the male are in English gardens. The female is figured in Pallas's Flora Ros-
sica, 1. 1 41. One or two flowers, clearly bisexual, have been found in a catkin of otherwise male
flowers, borne by a tree in the Botanic Garden at Bury St. Edmunds, previously to 1830, which
bore, at the same time, other catkins of male flowers. Miller mentions that a tree in the Chelsea
Botanic Garden also produced both male and female flowers.
Engravings. Michx. Arb., 3. t. 13. f. 1. ; North Amer. Sylva, 2. t. 98. f. 1. ; Du Ham. Arb., ed. nov.,
2. t. 50. ; Pall. FL Ross., 1. t 41. ; Wangh. Amer., t. 28. f. 59. ; Trew Ehret., t. 46. ; Catesb. Car.,
1. 1. 34. ; Gmel. Sib., 1. 1. 33. ; Pluk. Aim., t. 281. f. 1. ; our Jig. 1535. of the male plant ; fig. 1536. of
the female ; and the plate of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., $c. Shoot round. Bud very gummy. Petiole round. Disk of
leaf ovate-acuminate, or ovate-lanceolate, serrated with adpressed teeth ;
deep green on the upper surface, whitish on the under one, and tomentose
there, but rather inconspicuously so, and netted with glabrous veins. Sti-
pules subspinescent, bearing gum. Stamens 16, or more. (Willd., Michx.
jun., and obs.) A tree, a native of North America, and in Dahuria and
Altai. It was cultivated in England as early as 1692, in the Royal Gardens
at Hampton Court. (Ait. Hort. Kew.) It flowers in March, in North
America (Pursh) ; in April, in England (Ait. Hort. JCew.) ; and the
female, in Dahuria, in May. (Pallas.) In the climate of London, according
to Miller, the male flowers come out in long catkins in April and May, and
fall off soon after: their stamens are numerous, irregular in height, and
crowned with bearded anthers of a purple colour. The hermaphrodite
flowers are produced at the end of the shoots, upon long slender peduncles,
in very loose catkins, having a leafy involucre under each, which is oval
and entire; and from the bosom of that arises the peduncle, which is very
short. Upon the top is placed the petal, or calyx (or nectary, according
to Linnaeus), shaped like a wide cup, having a style in the centre, and two
stamens on one side, terminated by pyramidal purple anthers. The female
flowers are succeeded by oval capsules, terminating in a point, and en-
closing downy seeds. (Mart. Mill.)
Varieties.
¥ P. b. 2 viminalis ; P. viminalis Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; P. salicifolia Hort. ;
P. longifolia Fischer, Pall. Ross., t. 41. B; is a native of Altai, with
1674-
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
1535
slender twiggy branches, and leaves nearly lanceolate. There are
plants in Messrs. Loddiges's arboretum.
¥ P. b. 3 latifolia Hort. has the leaves rather broader than those of the
species. There is a tree of this kind, in the London Horticultural
Society's Garden, 12 ft. high.
¥ P. b. 4 intermedia Hort., Pall. Fl. Ross., t. 41. A, is a native of Dahuria,
with stout, short, thick branches, knotted with wrinkles ; and ovate,
long, and rather narrow leaves ; and generally attaining only the
height of a large shrub. There is a plant, in the London Horticul-
tural Society's Garden, 10 ft. high, by which it appears to be quite
distinct from P. b. viminalis.
± P. b. 5 suaveolens i P. suaveolens Fischer, and Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836. The
new sweet-scented poplar of the nurseries. — The plant in Messrs.
Loddiges's collection is not 1 ft. high ; and we have not been able to
identify it in any other collections ; though it must have been plen-
tiful in 1834, since in the wholesale priced Catalogue of the Ken-
sington Nursery for that year the price of plants is stated to be
10s. per hundred.
¥ P. b. 6 foliis variegdtis Miller has varie-
gated leaves. There is a tree of this
kind in the London Horticultural So-
ciety's Garden.
Description. The balsam poplar, in North
America, according to Michaux, attains the
height of 80 ft., with a trunk 3 ft. in diameter,
and roots spreading close under the surface, and
throwing up numerous suckers. In Siberia, ac-
cording to Pallas, it is only a middle-sized tree ;
and in Dahuria and Altai, a low tree, or large
shrub. According to Franklin, in the northern
parts of North America, the trunk of the balsam
poplar attains a greater circumference than that
of any other tree. The head of the tree, in
North America, is conical; but in Russia it is
roundish. The trunk is covered with an ash-
coloured bark ; and the wood, in Siberia, is said
to be reddish, being closer and a little harder
than that of other poplars. In the moist plains of Dahuria, the tree is
shrubby, because, according to Pallas, the grass is annually fired there ; and
the young shoots of all the trees being thus
injured, they are seldom found rising with a clear
stem. In the spring, the balsam poplar is known
from all other species by the fine tender yellow
of its leaves when they are first developed ; the
abundance of the yellow glutinous balsam with
which the buds are covered, the very strong
odour which this balsam diffuses throughout the
surrounding atmosphere, and the comparatively
rigid and fastigiate habit of growth of the tree,
which approaches, in the latter respect, nearer to
P. fastigiata than any other species. When
mature, the leaves become of a deep green colour
above, and of a rusty silvery white beneath.
This is one of the hardiest of poplars, though not
of rapid growth ; except the first three or four
years in the nursery. Bosc observes that bota-
nists often confound this species with P. can-
dicans ; but that cultivators never do so, from
the very different manner of its growth, and from
CHAP. CJII. SALICA^CEJE. PO'PULUS. 1675
the greater difficult} that is found in propagating it. The tree is wild in Lower
Canada, more particularly between Quebec and Hudson's Bay ; and in various
places between lat. 47° and 49°. It is not very common about Montreal j and
is rare on the shores of Lake Champlain. In Franklin's First Journey, it is
stated, that it is found as far north as the Great Slave Lake ; and that Macken-
zie River has been named Riviere aux Liards, from the abundance of the tree in
that quarter. It also constituted, Captain Franklin observes, " the greatest part
of the drift timber that we observed on the shores of the Arctic Sea. Its Cree
name is Matheh-metoos, which means the ugly poplar." (First Journey, &c.,
p. 753.) The balsam poplar was first brought from Canada to the Island of
Jersey, and propagated there. Six of these plants were sent to Caroline,
consort to George II., in the year 1731, under the name of arbre de la reine
One of these was given by the queen to Sir Hans Sloane ; and, being planted
in the Botanic Garden at Chelsea, it soon produced male catkins ; but no
female or hermaphrodite ones, till about the year 1760. This poplar was
introduced into Scotland, according to Dr. Walker, in 1768, having been
raised in a nursery-ground at Leith, in that year, from seeds sent from
Canada. The wood of the tree is white and soft, and not used in the arts
by the Canadians, according to Michaux; but Franklin observes that, though
it burns badly, and gives little heat, when green, its ashes yield a large
quantity of potash. The balsam from the buds used formerly to be sent
from Canada, and other parts of North America, in shells, under the name of
baume focot ; having been collected from the trees in spring, when, in con-
sequence of the heat, it is dissolved, and collects into drops on the points of
the buds. It is of a smooth and even texture, and is soluble in spirits of wine.
In Siberia, a medicated wine is prepared from the buds, which is diuretic, and
considered serviceable in the scurvy. Pallas states that the grouse, and
other birds of that family, that feed on the buds of this poplar during winter,
have their flesh imbued with a grateful balsamic flavour. In Europe, the only
application of this tree is to ornamental purposes ; and though, when it grows
old and scrubby, it may merit the Cree name of " ugly poplar," yet, when
young, few trees can be compared with it in the beginning of summer, either
for the light rich yellow green of its foliage, or the fine balsamic odour which
proceeds from both the leaves and the buds. In scenery of limited extent,
and when the round-headed trees and buildings are comparatively small, or of
medium size, the balsam poplar may be used for the same purposes as the
Lombardy poplar. (Seep. 1663.) The balsam poplar is readily propagated
by suckers, which it sends up in abundance ; or by cuttings, which, however,
do not strike so readily as those of the other poplars. It will grow in any
soil, but it prefers one moist and rich, and a sheltered situation.
Statistics. Recorded Trees. Near Edinburgh, in the pleasure-grounds of Craig Lockhart, a tree,
planted in 1771, was, in 1798, 50ft. high, and had a trunk 4 ft. in circumference at 4ft. from the
ground. It was at that time considered the oldest and finest balsam poplar in Scotland. ( Walker's
Essays.)
Existing Trees. In England, in Bedfordshire, at South Hill, itis 50 ft. high, the diameter of the
trunk 11 in., and of the head 26 ft. ; in Hertfordshire, at Cheshunt, 6 years planted, it is 23ft. high :
in Monmouthshire, at Tredegar Park, 50 years old, it is 45 ft. high ; at Dowlais House, 15 years old,
it is 20ft. high • in Pembrokeshire, at Stackpole Court, 7 years planted, it is 20 ft. high ; in Stafford-
shire, at Alton Towers, 4 years planted, it is 16 ft. high ; in Yorkshire, at Hackress, 16 years planted,
it is 14 ft. high. In Scotland, in the Experimental Garden, Inverleith, 9 years planted, it is 12 ft. high;
in Banffshire, at Gordon Castle, it is 56 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 3 in. ; in Clackman-
nanshire, in the Garden of the.Dollar Institution, it is 28 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 2j ft, and of
the head 10ft. ; in Fifeshire, at Danibristle Park, 16 years planted, it is 40ft. high ; in Forfarshire,
at Courtachy Castle, 18 years planted, it is 45ft. high, diameter of the trunk 2ft., and of the head
7 ft ; in Perthshire, in Messrs. Dickson and TurnbuU's Nursery, Perth, 26 years planted, it is 48ft
high. In Ireland, in Galway, at Coole, it is 36jft high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft In the Isle
of Jersey, in Saunders's Nursery, 10 years planted, it is 14 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 7 in
and of the head 12ft. In Bavaria, at Munich, in the English Garden, 25 years old, it is 20ft high
the diameter of the trunk 5) in., and of the head 8ft.
Commercial Statistics. Plants, in the London nurseries, 4ft. high, are
tis. per hundred; and of the new sweet-scented variety, 10s. per hundred.
At Bollwyller, plants are 1 franc each ; and at New York, 20 cents each.
1676
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
¥ 15. P. CA'NDICANS Ait. The whitish-leaved balsam-bearing, or Ontario,
Poplar.
Identification. Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 1., 3. p. 406., ed. 2., 5. p. 397. ; Willd. Arb., 231., Sp. PL, 806. ;
Michx. Arb. ; North Amer. Sylva, 2. p. 239. t. 98. f. 2. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept, 2. p. 618. : Spreng.
Syst. Veg., 2. p. 244.
Synonymes. P. macrophy^la Lindl. in Encyc. of Plants, p. 840., and Lodd. Cat., 1836; P. Iatif61ia
Mcench Meth., p. 338.; P. ontari^nsis Desf. Hort. Par., and Lodd. Cat., 1836 ; P. cordata Lodd.Cat.,
1836 ; P. canadensis Mcench Weissenst., 81., but not of Michx. which is P. laevi^ata U'illd. ; Balm
of Gilead Tree, Boston, North Amer. ; Feuplier Hard, Canada ; Peuplier a Feuilles verniss£es, Fr.
The Sexes. The male is in the London Horticultural Society's Garden ; the female is in the Duke
of Wellington's garden at Apsley House, London.
Engravings. Catesb. Car., 1. t. 34. ; Michx. Arb. ; Michx. North Amer. Sylva, 2. t. 98. f. 2. j and our
fig. 1537.
Spec. Char., $c. Shoot round. Bud very gummy. Stipules gummy. Pe-
tiole compressed in its upper part, hairy in many instances. Disk of leaf
heart-shaped at the base, ovate, acuminate ; serrated with blunt, unequal
teeth ; 3-nerved ; deep green on the upper surface, whitish on the under
one, on which the veins appear reticulate. Inflorescence similar to that
of P. balsamifera (Michx. jun., Ptirsh, Spreng., and obs.) The disk of the
leaf is thrice as large as that of P. balsamifera. (Michx. jun.) A tree,
attaining the height of 40ft. or 50ft., with a trunk 18 in. or 20 in. in
diameter, in the states of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hamp-
shire; flowering, with the balsam poplar, in March. It was introduced
into England in 1772, and is frequent in gardens.
Description, fyc. The Ontario poplar bears a close general resemblance to
the balsam poplar : it has the rigid fastigiate habit of that tree, its fine fra-
grance, and its property of throwing up numerous suckers; but it differs
from it, in having very large heart-shaped
leaves, and in attaining a larger size, both
in its native country, and in British gardens.
The buds are covered with the same balsamic
substance as those of P. balsamifera ; and
the leaves are of the same fine yellow colour
in spring, and, like those of the balsam poplar,
preserve, at all stages of their growth, the
same shape. The foliage, when mature, is
tufted, and of a dark green ; the disposition
of the branches is somewhat rigid and irregu-
lar; which last circumstance prevents the
foliage from massing well together, and gives
the tree rather an inelegant appearance. The
trunk is covered with a smooth greenish
bark, which becomes darker with age; the
wood is soft; and, like that of the balsam poplar, is chiefly valuable for
producing potash. Michaux never found the tree in forests in America,
nor was he able to discover where it was indigenous ; but he found it
growing commonly before houses, both in the towns and country. Pursh
mentions New England as the place where he had seen it in a living state. In
British gardens, it has very frequently been confounded with the balsam
poplar ; and the same thing, Bosc informs us, often happens in France. Bosc
strongly recommends this tree for its shade, and the fragrance with which
it perfumes the air in spring. It is readily propagated by cuttings or suckers,
but will not attain a large size unless on rich soil near water ; though, as the
roots creep along the surface, the soil need not be deep.
Statistics. In England, in Buckinghamshire, at Temple House, 40 years planted, it is 70ft. high ;
the diameter of the trunk 2ft., and of the head 30ft. ; in Durham, at Southend, 7 years planted, it
is 20ft. high ; in Hertfordshire, at Cheshunt, 18 years planted, it is 45ft. high ; in Nottingham-
shire, at Clumber Park, 10 years planted, it is 48 ft. high ; in Warwickshire, at Whitley Abbey,
7 years planted, it is 24 ft. high. In Scotland, near Edinburgh, at the Experimental Garden, Inver-
leith, 9 years planted, it is 23ft. high ; in Fifeshire, at Danibristle Park, 9 years planted, it is 23 ft.
high ; in Stirlingshire, at Callender Park, 16 years planted, it is 70 ft. high In Ireland at Dublin,
in the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, 30 years planted, it is 30 ft. high. In Germany, at Vienna, in
the garden of Baron Loudon, 30 years old, it is 24ft. high. Price of plants as in P. balsamffera.
1537
CHAP. civ. #ETULAH;EJE. ^XLNUS. 1677
CHAP. CIV.
OF THE HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER £ETULAVCE^.
THESE are included in two genera, the characters of which are thus given
by Smith : —
^'LNUS Tourn. Barren flowers numerous, aggregate, in a loose cylin-
drical catkin, imbricated every way. Calyx a permanent wedge-shaped
scale, 3-flowered, with 2 very minute lateral scales. Corolla composed of
3 equal florets, attached to the inner side of every scale, each of one petal,
in 4 deep, equal, ovate, obtuse segments. Filaments 4, from the tube of
the corolla, shorter than its segments, and opposite to them. Anthers of
2 round lobes. — Fertile flowers fewer, aggregate, in an oval firm catkin,
imbricated every way. Calyx a permanent, wedge-shaped scale, 2-flowered.
Corolla none. Germen compressed, of 2 cells. Styles 2, parallel, taper-
ing, a little prominent, deciduous. Stigma simple. Nut ovate, bony,
compressed, angular, without wings, of 2 cells. Kernels solitary, ovate,
acute. — Trees, with leaves alternate, stalked, simple, wavy or cut, decidu-
ous, with twin deciduous stipules. Catkins terminal, panicled, pendulous,
earlier than the foliage. (Eng. Fl.y iv. p. 134.) Natives of Europe and
North America.
.BE'TULA Tourn. Barren flowers. Catkin cylindrical, lax, imbricated all
round with ternate concave scales; the middle one largest, ovate. Co-
rolla none. Filaments 10 — 12, shorter than the middle scale, to which
they are attached. Anthers roundish, 2-lobed. — Fertile flowers. Catkin
similar, but more dense; scales horizontal, peltate, dilated outwards, 3-
lobed, 3-flowered. Corolla none. Germen compressed, bordered, of 2
cells. Styles 2, awl-shaped, downy. Stigma simple. Nut oblong, decidu-
ous, winged at each side, of one cell, with a solitary kernel. — Trees or
shrubs, very hardy, with round slender branches ; scattered, stalked, simple,
serrated, deciduous leaves; and a hard, often veiny, wood. Bark, in
several species, of many fine, soft, membranous layers. (JEng. Fl.t iv.
p. 153.) Natives of Europe, North America, and Asia.
The alder and the birch were made separate genera by Tournefort, and by
Linnaeus also, in his earlier works ; but he afterwards united both genera
into one, under the name of j&etulus. Modern botanists, for the most
part, follow Tournefort; and the following are the distinctive character-
istics of his two genera: — In j&etula, the female catkins are cylindrical,
solitary, on simple peduncles, and bear their seeds furnished with a mem-
brane on each side. In ^4'lnus, the female catkins are oval ; and they are
borne on a branchy peduncle, containing seeds which are not bordered
with membranes. As secondary characteristics, the birches prefer dry
places, and the alders moist situations. All the known species of alder
may be reduced to three or four; and all the species of birch which are
hardy in England to four or five. Most of the species of both genern
flower and fruit freely in the climate of London.
GENUS I.
IfflEQ
^'LNUS Tourn. THE ALDER. Lin. Syst. MonoeNcia Tetrandria.
Identification. Tourn., t. 359.; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 334.; Hall. Hist, 2. p. 300.; Comp., ed 4
p. 176. ; Gartn., t. 90.
Synonymes. /fetulae species Lin. ; Aune, Fr. ; Erie, Ger. ; Ontanp, Ital. ; Aliso, Span.
Derivation. From al, near, and Ian, the edge of a river, Celtic ; in reference to its habitat :
from the Hebrew, alon, an oak : or, according to others, from alitur amne, it thrives by the
river.
1678 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 111.
Description, $c. Trees, rarely exceeding the middle size; and some so
low as to be considered shrubs. With the exception of A. glutinosa lacini-
ata and A. cordifolia, the species are not very ornamental ; nor is the timber
of great value, except for the charcoal which may be made from it. All
the species prefer a moist soil, or one in the vicinity of water. A. glutinosa
ripens seeds freely, as do most of the other sorts; but all the latter are
generally propagated by layers. The only truly distinct species appear to us
to be, A. glutinosa, A. cordifolia, A. incana, A. oblongata, and A. viridis;
which last seems an intermediate species, or connecting link, between A'inus
and J^etula.
$ 1. A. GLUTINOUS A. Gcsrtn. The glutinous, or common, Alder.
Identification. Gaertn., 2. p. 54. ; 'Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 334. ; Comp., ed. 4., p. 155. : Hook. Lond.,
t. 59., Scot, 271. ; Hoss. Anleit, 186. ; Lodd. Cat ed. 1836
Volume.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves roundish, wedge-shaped, wavy, serrated, glutinous,
rather abrupt ; downy at the branching of the veins beneath. (Eng. FL, iv.
p. 131.) A tree, from 30 ft. to 60 ft. high ; a native of Europe, from Lapland
to Gibraltar ; and of Asia, from the White Sea to Mount Caucasus ; and,
also, of the north of Africa; flowering, in Britain, in March and April.
Varieties.
y A. g. 2 emargindta Willd. Baum., p. 19.,
has the leaves nearly round, wedge-
shaped, and edged with light green.
* A. g. 3 lacinidta Ait. Willd., 1. c., Lodd.
Cat., ed. 1836; A. g. incisa Hort.', our
^g.1538., and the plate of a fine tree at
Syon, in our last volume; has the leaves
oblong and pinnatifid, with the lobes
acute. Wild in the north of France,
particularly in Normandy, and in the
woods of Montmorency, near Paris.
(N. Du Ham.) Thouin, in the year
1819, in the Nouveau Cours d' Agricul-
ture, states that the cut-leaved alder was
first found by Trochereau de la Berliere,
and planted by him in his garden near
St. Germain, where the stool still remains from which all the nurseries
of' Paris have been supplied with plants, and, probably, all Europe.
* A. g. 4 quercifolia Willd., 1. c., Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836. — Leaves sinu-
ated, with the lobes obtuse.
¥ A. g. 5 oxyacanth&folia ; A. oxyacanthaefolia Lodd. Cat., ed. IS
our fig. 1539.— Leaves sinuated and lobed ; smaller than those of the
preceding variety, and somewhat resembling those of the common
* A. #. 6 mdcrocarpa ; A. macrocarpa Lodd. Cat., 1836 ; has the leaves
and fruit rather larger than those of the species, and is also of more
vigorous growth.
¥ A.g. 7 foliis variegdtis Hort. has the leaves variegated.
Other Varieties. There are some other names applied to plants in the col-
lection of Messrs. Loddiges, which, we think, can only be considered as
varieties of A. glutinosa; or, perhaps, of A. incana; but the plants are so
small, that we are unable to determine whether they are sufficiently distinct
to be worth recording. Among these names are, A. mgra, A. ritbra , A
plicdta, and A. unduldta. A. rubra is said to be a native of the Island of
Sitcha (Annal. des Sewn. Nat., 3. p. 237.) Some of the sorts treated as
CHAP. CIV,
1679
1539
species we think only varieties, as we have indicated by
putting the letter g. in parentheses.
Description. The alder, in a wild state, even in favour-
able situations, is seldom seen higher than 40 ft. or 50 ft. ;
but in uncultivated grounds, and in good soil near water,
It will attain the height of 50 ft. or 60 ft., and upwards.
This is not only the case with the species, but with the
variety A. g. laciniata, which forms a handsome pyramidal
tree; which, at Syon, has attained the height of 63ft.,
and at Woburn Farm, near Chertsey, is still higher. The
bark of the common alder, in oldish trees, is nearly black,
and full of clefts ; the colour of the wood is white before
the tree is cut down ; but, immediately on being cut, the
surface of the wound becomes of a deep red ; soon fading,
however, into the pale flesh-colour, which the whole of
the wood of this tree, when cut down, takes when dry, and
retains ever afterwards. The wood is homogeneous, tender,
and without much tenacity. The branches, when they
are young, and the tree is in a state of vigorous growth,
have a triangular form; but, when mature, they are round. The bark, at the
rising of the sap, separates from the wood with very great facility. The
leaves, when in the bud, are folded in the manner of a fan, very glutinous,
and completely enclosed by two oblong
stipules of a whitish green. They are from
3 in. to 4? in. long, and nearly as broad.
The petiole is about 1 in. long, and pro-
longed on the disk of the leaf, in the form
of a very prominent nerve on the under
side, from which proceed to the right and
left other prominent nerves, in each of the
axils formed by which is a little tuft of
cottony hair. The characteristics of the
leaves of this species, as compared with
those of other species of the genus, and
especially of A. incana, is, that they are
always rounded at the summit, and never
pointed ; though this distinction does not
hold good when applied to some of the
varieties, such as A. g. laciniata. The leaves are of a deep dark green ; and both
the young shoots and leaves are covered with a glutinous substance, more espe-
cially in the early part of summer. The male catkins are cylindrical, like those
of the birch, and appear in the autumn; while the female ones, which are on
branched footstalks, are of a short conical form, like a small fir cone, and
are produced in spring along with the leaves. On Mount Caucasus, Pallas
informs us, the female catkins come out about the end of February; but, in
the north of Russia, in March and April. The rate of growth of the alder,
in a favourable soil and situation, is about 2 ft. or 3 ft. a year for four or
five years; so that a tree 10 years planted will frequently attain the height of
20ft. or 25ft.; and at 60 years the tree is supposed to have arrived at
maturity. The roots are creeping ; and sometimes, but rarely, they throw
up suckers. The shade and fallen leaves of this tree are not injurious
to grass.
Geography, History, <$c. The common alder is the most aquatic of Euro-
pean trees, being found in wet swampy grounds, throughout the whole of
Europe, in situations too moist for even the willow and the poplar. In
meadows, and by river sides in the plains, it becomes a considerable tree ; but
on mountains, and in the most northerly parts of Sweden, it diminishes to a
shrub. It is found in the west, east, and north of A si? ^nd in the north of
5R
8
1680 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
Africa. According to Pursh, the common alder is also a native of North
America; in the interior of Canada, and on the north-west coast. The alder
was known to Homer and Theophrastus. (See p. 18.) According to Virgil,
it formed the first material for boats ; and Lucan recommends it as a wood
proper for ship-building. Virgil describes the proper situation for it, as on
the margin of still waters ; and Vitruvius recommends the wood for piles,
stating that the city of Ravenna was built on it. Aristotle mentions that
the alder was generally barren in Greece, and only fertile in the island of
Crete ; but it may be doubted whether he alludes to the same tree. In the
time of Theophrastus, the bark was used for dyeing leather ; and, in the days
of Pliny, the wood was employed for piles, which he calls " eternal ; " and for
pipes, for conveying water under ground, as it is at present. The same
author states that the tree was planted along the banks of rivers, to prevent
them, by its numerous roots and suckers, from being washed away during
extraordinary floods. Evelyn tells us that the celebrated bridge of the Rialto,
at Venice, was built on piles of this tree. It is still extensively used in
Flanders and Holland, for the purpose of forming piles. Boutcher, writing
in 1780, informs us that, between 1730 and 1750, "vast quantities of alder
plants were brought from Holland to Scotland, at a considerable price, and
unhappily for the owners, planted in large tracts of moist land, from which
no returns suitable to the labour and expense had been received." He adds
that he would greatly have preferred "poplars and abeles." (Treatise, &c.,
p. 111.)
Properties and Uses. Naturally, the leaves of the alder afford food to the
larvae of different species of moths, and other insects ; and the leaves and
young shoots are eaten by horses, cows, goats, and sheep, though they are
not fond of them; and they are refused by swine. Among the lepidopte-
rous insects may be mentioned several species of the genus Hipparchia
Fab. Saturnia Schrank. (See Magazine of Natural History, vol. viii.
p. 210., and vol. v. p. 251.) Clytus alni Fab., a coleopterous
insect, is common in the trunks of old alder trees. C. ^rietis
Fab., Cefambyx Anetis L., Sam. pi. 2. f. 25., and our jig. 154 J .,
is also common. The tongues of horses feeding upon the alder,
Linnaeus observes, are turned black ; and, on that account, it
is supposed by some persons to be unwholesome for them.
The uses to which the alder has been applied by man are
various. The wood, though soft, is of great durability in
water. It weighs, when green, 62 Ib. 6 oz. ; half-dry, 48 Ib.
8 oz. ; and quite dry, 39 Ib. 4 oz., per cubic foot ; thus losing 1541
above a third of its weight by drying, while it shrinks about a twelfth part
of its bulk. In the Dictionnaire des Eaux et Forcts, the wood is said to
be unchangeable either in water or earth. It is used for all the various pur-
poses to which soft homogeneous woods are generally applied ; viz. for turnery,
sculpture, and cabinet-making; for wooden vessels, such as basins, plates,
and kneading-troughs ; for sabots, wooden soles to shoes and pattens, clogs for
women, and similar purposes. In France, sabots made of alder wood are
smoked, to render them hard and impervious to the larva of the beetle which
attacks that wood. The French, and also the Highlanders, are said to make
light chairs of the wood of this tree, which have the colour, though they have
not the grain, of mahogany. Sir Thomas Dick Lauder, speaking of the wood,
says, " It is extremely valuable, even when of a small size, for cutting up
into herring-barrel staves; and thus whole banks, in Scotland, have been
denuded every year of this species of timber. The old trees, which are full
of knots, cut up into planks, have all the beauty of the curled maple, with the
advantage of presenting a deep, rich, reddish tint; and, in this state, they make
most beautiful tables. It must be remembered, however, that the alder tim-
ber is liable to be perforated by a small beetle ; it should, therefore, if possible,
be prepared by immersing the logs in a large hole dug in a peat moss, and im-
pregnating the water of the hole with a quantity of lime. If this be done for
CHAP. civ. B&TVuCcKJR. ^'LNUS. 1681
a few months, and the furniture afterwards well varnished over with what is
called the French polish, it will stand unharmed for generations." (Lander's
(ri/j)in, vol. i. p. 137.) Wood of alder, which has lain a long time in peat
bogs, becomes as black as ebony ; and as, in a recent state, it readily receives
a black dye, while, from the homogeneousness of its texture, it will take a
better polish than soft woods do generally, it forms a very common substitute
for that wood in small articles ; but it has always a dull hue, being inca-
pable of receiving the lustre of the real ebony. When used in constructions
above ground, it ought only to be placed in situations where it will be kept
perfectly dry : but the great use of the wood, on a large scale, is for piles, as
foundations for bridges and other buildings, water-pipes, barrels of pumps,
and props for mines. The spray is more durable than that of most other
trees, when used for filling drains in moist soil. Dorsetshire woodwards
(woodmen), Mitchell observes, " have nearly the same adage applied to alder
poles, when peeled for rafters, as those of the midland counties have for willows
and poplars (see p. 1637.) ; viz : —
" Thatch me well, and keep me dry,
Heart of oak I will defy."
" Stakes of alder," he says, " will not stand twelve months, nor will the timber
do for posts, or anything else, where it is in contact with the ground, except
under water. The wood, however," he adds, " ought not to be entirely re-
jected;" and he recommends it as linings for stone-carts and wheelbarrows,
that are in constant use ; " because, being soft, though it may bruise, it does
not split by the stones being tumbled in." It makes better weather-boards
than elm or beech, because it does not warp or cast. (Dendrol., p. 55.) Alder
hop-poles, according to Cobbett, will only last one year. As fuel, the alder
is to the beech as 985 is to 1540 : but, like other woods of little value as
fuel for heating dwelling-houses, it is preferred for other purposes, where a
slow and not fierce heat is required ; such as for heating bakers' ovens, for
burning limestone and chalk, for burning bricks, &c. The charcoal is es-
teemed excellent for making gunpowder ; but for domestic uses it is considered
inferior, being to that of the beech as 885 is to 1600. The ashes yield at the
rate of 65lb. of potash to 1000 lb. of ashes; which ranks it among 73 other
woods that yield this salt, in the 67th degree. The bark on the young wood
is powerfully astringent, and is employed by tanners : and the young shoots
are used both for tanning, and dyeing red, brown, and yellow ; and, in combi-
nation with copperas, to dye black. The catkins dye green; and the female
catkins are used by fishermen to sustain their nets above water, instead of
cork. In Hall's Travels in Scotland, the author says that the country people
in the Highlands make their own shoes ; and, to avoid the tax on leather, pri-
vately tan the hides with the bark of birch and alder. (Travels in Scotland,vo\. ii.
p. 401.) The fresh wood dyes a snuff-colour; and the bark, dried and pow-
dered, and mixed with logwood, bismuth, &c., yields the colour called boue de
Paris. It is said that the Laplanders masticate the bark, and, with the saliva
so coloured, stain their leathern garments red. (Syl. Sketches, p. 9.) In France,
the small roots are split, and worked into baskets ; and the knotty parts of the
larger roots are used for inlaying cabinet-work. Both linen and woollen
cloths are dyed black by boiling them with the flowers, buds, female catkins,
bark, and spray, and afterwards putting them into water which has been used
at a smith's forge for quenching the red-hot iron. The leaves are used in
medicine as detersive ; and they are employed in decoctions and gargles for
diseases of the throat. Among the uses which may be considered obsolete,
are two mentioned by Pennant ; viz. spreading the boughs over the fields
during summer ; leaving them there during the winter to rot ; and, in the fol-
lowing March, clearing off the undecayed parts, and ploughing the ground for
a crop of corn. The other use is that of strewing the leaves and young shoots
on the floors of houses to attract fleas, which are said to be entangled in the
" tenacious liquor, as birds are by birdlime."
5 R 2
1682 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
The alder is planted to form hedges in moist meadows; and it is planted
along the margins of rivers, to keep up the banks by its numerous creeping
roots. If the alder be planted in a low meadow, it is said that the surface of
the ground surrounding it will become boggy ; whereas, if ash be planted, the
roots of which also extend a great way in every direction, and run near the
surface, the ground will become firm and dry ; though on what principle these
changes take place, we are not informed; and the statement is therefore, most
probably, a vulgar error. The chief use of the alder is as coppice-wood, to be cut
down every five or six years,and made into charcoal for the gunpowder manufac-
turers. The charcoal is considered the next best for that purpose to that of
-Rhamnus Frangula, the berry-bearing alder, the aune noir of the French (see
p. 537.); and plantations of the common alder are made by the proprietors of the
gunpowder manufactories of Hounslow, and other places, in order to make
sure of a supply. The larger branches are made into charcoal for the coarser
kinds of gunpowder, and the spray for the finer kinds.
As an ornamental tree, much cannot be said in favour of the alder. Du
Hamel remarks that its verdure is agreeable, and its shade dense ; and that
its leaves, like those on all plants which grow by water, remain on longer in
the autumn than those of deciduous trees which prefer dry situations. In shel-
tered places, young alder trees frequently retain their leaves till January.
Du Hamel observes that, as cattle will never touch the leaves of the alder as
long as they can get anything else to eat, it is a good tree for parks, and
also for hedges ; and he adds that it will form very good avenues in situations
exposed to cattle. As an object for the landscape-painter, the leaves of the
alder do not fall into fine masses ; and they appear too uniformly distributed
over the entire head of the tree. Nevertheless, as Gilpin observes, it is a
more picturesque tree than the common willow, both in its ramification, and
in its foliage : perhaps, indeed, he says, it is the most picturesque of any of
the aquatic tribe, except the weeping willow. " He who would see the alder
in perfection, must follow the banks of the Mole, in Surrey, through the sweet
vales of Dorking and Mickleham, into the groves of Esher. The Mole, indeed,
is far from being a beautiful river : it is a quiet and sluggish stream ; but
what beauty it has, it owes greatly to the alder, which every where fringes its
meadows, and, in many places, forms very pleasing scenes, especially in the vale
between Box Hill and the high grounds of Norbury Park. Some of the
largest alders we have in England grow in the Bishop of Durham's park, at
Bishop- Auckland. The generality of trees acquire picturesque beauty by age :
but it is not often that they are suffered to attain this picturesque period.
Some- use is commonly found for them long before that time. The oak falls
for the greater purposes of man ; and the alder is ready to supply a variety of
his smaller wants. An old tree, therefore, of any kind, is a curiosity ; and even
an alder, such as those at Bishop- Auckland, when dignified by age, makes a
respectable figure." (Gilp. For. Seen., i. p. 69.) Sir Thomas Dick Lauder
fully agrees with Mr. Gilpin in his commendation of the alder. It is always
associated in our minds, he says, " with river scenery, both of that tranquil
description most frequently to be met with in the vales of England, and with
that of a wilder and more stirring cast, which is to be found among the glens
and deep ravines of Scotland. In very many instances, we have seen it put
on so much of the bold resolute character of the oak, that it might have been
mistaken for that tree, but for the intense depth of its green hue. The Mole
may, doubtless, furnish the traveller with very beautiful specimens of the alder,
as it may also furnish an example of that species of quiet English scenery we
have alluded to ; but we venture to assert, that no where will the tree be
found in greater perfection than on the wild banks of the river Findhorn, and
its tributary streams, where scenery of the most romantic description every
where occurs." (Laud. Gilp,, i. p. 136.) The alder, Boutcher characterises
as " an ugly melancholy tree ;" and, as it is more frequently found by stag-
nant than by running water, an observation as old as the time of Virgil, we
are strongly inclined, though we do not think it ugly, to consider it as one of
CHAP. CIV. BEYUL^CEIE. ^LNUS. 1683
the most melancholy of deciduous trees. The loose negligent manner in
which its dark dull green leaves are distributed over its branches, gives the
tree a dishevelled appearance, as if it were careless about itself; and, if the
weeping willow is to be considered as representing outward and simulated
grief, the alder, we should say, forms a good emblem of the grief of the heart.
" O'er the swift waters of the running stream
The willow waves its light and graceful form,
Mingling a transient shadow with the gleam
Of the bright sunshine — like a passing storm :
Emblem of grief, which, elegant, refined,
Is more of outward show than of the mind.
O'er the dark pond, whose sullen bosom shows
No curling waves to greet the passing breeze,
The rigid alder its stiff image throws,
Gloomy and sad, as though it scorn'd to please :
Emblem of woe, too great to be express'd,
Which broods in silence, and corrodes the breast."
The motion of the alder tree corresponds with its form ; being slight and
partial, owing to its rigidity, and not graceful and extending to the whole tree,
like that of the willows and Lombardy poplars. Let the reader only imagine
a pond with its margin varied by alders, and the same pond varied by willows ;
and then reflect on the difference in the impressions which the change of each
makes upon his mind. The common alder can never, with propriety, be
planted in artificial scenery, where the object is to imitate nature in an ar-
tistical manner, or, in other words, so as to preserve the character of art.
The reason is, the alder is so well known as an indigenous tree, that the
artificial scenery in which it appears is immediately lowered to a fac-simile
imitation of, or identification with, nature. Where either the geometrical or
any other gardenesque method of planting is adopted, however, this principle
does not apply ; nor will it hold good in the case of planting any of the
more striking varieties of the species ; for example, the cut-leaved alder, which
forms a very interesting tree, and is very fit for planting in artificial scenery,
because it is never found wild in Britain, and, from its habit of growth, as
well as from the form of its leaves, is in no danger of ever being mistaken foi
the common alder.
Poetical and mythological Allusions. Homer, Virgil, and other poets 1
antiquity, frequently mention the alder. Homer often alludes, to it in hi
descriptions of scenery : —
From out the cover 'd rock,
In living rill
Around it a
The bushy a
And again : —
In living rills a gushing fountain broke :
Around it and above, for ever green,
The bushy alders form'd a shady scene." Odyssey, book ix.
" Where silver alders, in high arches twined,
Drink the cool stream, and tremble in the wind. " Ibid., book xvii.
Some poets, when treating of the fable of the Heliades, assert that the
sisters of Phaethon were turned into alders instead of poplars. Virgil, in one
his Eclogues says, —
" The sisters, mourning for their brother's loss,
Their bodies hid in bark, and furr'd with moss,
How each a rising alder now appears,
And o'er the Po distils her gummy tears." DRYDEN'K Virgil, eel. vi.
Cowley has adopted the same fable : —
"The Phaethonian alder next took place :
Still sensible of the burnt youth's disgrace,
She loves the purling streams, and often laves
Beneath the floods, and wantons with the waves." Plants, book T.
Virgil, in another passage, alludes to the bark of the alder being full of
clefts : —
" As alders in the spring their boles extend,
And heave so fiercely, that their bark they rend."
DRY DEN'S Virgil, eel. x.
5 R 3
1684- ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
The alder, it has bejen already mentioned, was used by the ancients for
boats; and Professor Martyn suggests that a hollow alder, falling into the
stream on the banks of which it grew, may have given the first idea of a boat
to man. Virgil and Lucan both mention this use of the tree. Among the
old English poets, Browne alludes to the shade of the alder not injuring the
grass that grows under it : —
" The alder, whose fat shadow nourisheth,
Each plant set neere to him long flourisheth."
And Spenser speaks of the alders on the banks of the Mulla, in his Colin
Clout1 s come home again.
" ' One day,' quoth he, ' I sate, as was my trade,
Under the foot of Mole, that mountain hoar,
Keeping my sheep among the cooly shade
Of the green alders on the Mulla's shore.' "
Soil and Situation. It was commonly recommended to plant the alder in
swamps ; and, doubtless, from its roots running near the surface, it will thrive
better in such situations than many other trees ; but it is a great mistake to
suppose that the alder, or any other tree, will either grow rapidly, or attain a
large size, except in good soils, liberally supplied with moisture, but by no
means at all times soaked with it. A little reflection will convince us that, in
all countries, the best soils are on the banks of rivers and lakes; because to
such situations the finer earths have been carried down from the higher
grounds for ages, whether these grounds have been under water, or exposed
to the atmosphere. A good soil, on the margin of stagnant water, the sur-
face of which is some feet below the surface of the ground, promises to be a
more favourable situation than either the banks of a river, where the water
varies in height at different periods of the year, and where there cannot be a
very rich deposition of mud ; or a good soil on the margin of water at, or
nearly on, the same level with it. This is very well proved by two trees of
about the same age : one on the flat banks of the piece of water at Syon, and
the other on the raised bank of an old moat at Woburn Farm. The soil, in
both cases, is equally rich ; but at Syon the main roots of the tree are nearly
on a level with the water, while at Woburn Farm the main roots are some
feet above it. One of the most favourable situations for growing the alder
for poles is, an island the side of which is 2 ft. or 3 ft. above the level of the
water. Such islands, when so planted, with alders, are called alder beds ;
as they are called osier holts, when planted with willows. Ten years'
growth in such a bed, Cobbett states, will produce poles 20 ft., or more, in
length ; with but ends of from 4 in. to 6 in. in diameter. The alder,
Mr. Sang observes, is found in the highest perfection in moist soils ; and,
though it will grow freely in light elevated lands, it has a tendency in such
situations to dry and impoverish the soil, not being satisfied unless it can
obtain abundance of moisture. No tree, he continues, is, perhaps, equally
well adapted for upholding the banks of rivers, from the great multiplicity of
its roots. Evelyn is of the same opinion ; and he, and all authors, agree that
it will not even live in dry chalky soil.
Propagation and Culture. Evelyn says that the alder is propagated by
truncheons of the stem or of the root, " set as big as the small of one's leg, and
in length about 2ft. ;" one end of which should be plunged in the mud. " If
we plant smaller sets," he says, " let them be cut at a proper season, and when
the wood is of competent bigness, and mature." The Jersey manner of plant-
ing truncheons, he adds, is by forming them into lengths of 2ft. or 3 ft. each,
at the beginning of winter; binding them in faggots, and placing the ends of them
in water, till towards the end of spring. By that season, they will have con-
tracted a callosity at their lower extremity ; and, " being planted, will, like Gen-
netmoil apple trees, never foil of growing, and striking root." Boutcher says
the alder may be propagated by cuttings of three, four, or five years' growth,
planted in February or March. The Continental authors mention suckers,
CHAP. civ. //ETULAXCE;E. ,/LNUS. 1685
luu-rs, cuttings of the shoots, cuttings of the root, and grafting. Du Harrvel
says that a large stool or stump of alder, split with a hatchet into five or six
pieces, and planted, will form so many trees ; and, also, that if, instead of
splitting this stool, it be covered over 2 in. or 3 in. deep with soil, it will, in
two or three years, throw up shoots, which will become rooted plants. We
liavc planted with success, he says, trees obtained in this way, of 7 ft., 8 ft., and
10ft. in height, without heading them down; but, in situations exposed to
the wind, they require to be cut down to within 5 in. or 6 in. of the surface
of the ground. Another mode of multiplying the alder is, to cut a young branch
half through at the ground, lay it down horizontally along the surface, and
cover it with 2 in. of soil, when almost every bud will produce a shoot, and
every shoot will form roots. We have already described this mode as em-
ployed for raising plum stocks. (See p. 690.) Notwithstanding these different
modes, which are essential for the varieties, all writers agree that the species
is best propagated by seeds. When large truncheons are made use of, it
would appear that they only succeed satisfactorily in a very moist soil ; for
a writer in the Bath Society Papers, vol. vi. (published in 1792), says, " From
the authority of great masters in their way, Miller, Mortimer, &c., I was
induced to plant a waggon-load of alder truncheons, in 1764, in boggy places,
and along the banks of a river, as directed. I was flattered, the next summer,
with every prospect of success, their shoots being strong and gross ; but, lo !
the year following one and all perished, not having struck a single root."
The writer was therefore obliged to replant the ground with rooted slips,
taken from old stools, which did very well. The failure may probably have
been owing to the second summer being a dry one ; and, at all events, it
will show the propriety of taking the precaution used in Jersey, when trun-
cheons are employed for propagating this tree.
For raising the alder from seeds, Sang directs the catkins to be gathered
in dry weather, as soon as the seeds are matured (which is easily known by
the scales beginning to open), and carried to a loft, where they should be
spread out thinly. " They are afterwards to be frequently turned, and the seeds
will fall out in the act of turning. They are much more ready to drop out,
if the loft happen to be placed above an apartment where a good fire is kept.
When all the seeds which will readily come out by the above plan have
escaped, and are lying on the floor, gather them up into a bag for spring sow-
ing. The cones are then to be thrashed and sifted. Alder seeds may, like
those of the birch, be sown from the tree; but, like the birch, the germinating
alders are liable to be destroyed by early frosts in the spring." (Nic. PI.
Knl., p. 482.) The proper time of sowing, the same author continues, " is
March; and the covering, which ought to be of very light soil, should, on no
account, exceed a quarter of an inch in thickness. It being no easy thing to
know the quality of alder seed," he observes, " it is better to sow pretty
thick, and to thin out the plants, if necessary, the following spring." The
seeds are generally collected about the end of October, or the beginning of
November. Where the trees overhang water, it is recommended by the
Continental authors to cut off the extremities of the branches containing the
catkins, and let them drop into the water, afterwards fishing them out with
nets. The cones may be kept till spring, if in a perfectly dry situation, and
excluded from the air. The seeds may be proved before sowing, by bruising
them on the thumb nail ; when, if they have any kernel, it will show a white
farinaceous substance, and some appearance of oily or watery matter. All
agree that, when sown, the seeds should be very slightly covered with soil.
In loamy ground, one sixth part of an inch of light soil strewed over them
will be found enough ; and in light soils the seeds will be sufficiently covered
by a good watering from the rose of a watering-pot ; or the operation of
covering may be left to the first shower. After the seeds are sown, it is a
givat advantage, in dry climates, to cover the surface of the bed with pease-
liauhn, fronds of firs, moss, or loose leaves; or to stretch over it close
wicker hurdles, supporting them by props at about Sin. or Sin. above the
5R 4
1686 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
surface of the soil. Du Harnel obtained abundance of plants by strewing soil
over the surface of the ground under a seed-bearing alder tree in autumn, after
the seed had dropped. When the seed is sown in autumn, the plants will
come up the following spring ; and, when it is sown in spring, they will gene-
rally come up in the course of five or six weeks after sowing. Spring sowings
should be made much thicker than autumnal sowings ; because many of the
seeds, unless they have been very carefully excluded from the air, lose their
vital power during winter. The plants from spring-sown seeds will attain the
height of from Sin. to Gin. the first summer. The second year they will be
double or treble that height j and in three or four years, if properly treated, they
will be 5 ft. or 6 ft. high. The nursery culture and after-management in
plantations have nothing peculiar in them ; except that, when full-grown
trees are to be cut down, it is advisable to disbark them a year before ; a
practice as old as the time of Evelyn. When alders are cut down as coppice-
wood, in spring, when the sap is in motion, care should be taken that the cuts
are not made later than March; and that they are in a sloping direction upwards.
If, at this season, the cuts are made downwards, the section which remains
on the stool will be so far fractured as, by the exudation of the sap, and the
admission of the weather, no longer to throw up vigorous shoots, and it will
decay in a few years.
Accidents, Insects, and Diseases. The alder is liable to few accidents from
high winds : but the Adimonia alni Fab. deposits its eggs on the young buds ;
and the larvae are frequently so abundant, as to consume the leaves almost
entirely. There is also a small worm, the caterpillar of some coleopterous
insect, which penetrates through the bark into the wood, and ultimately
destroys the trees. (Diet, des Eaux, &c.) This is probably the Callidium
alni Fab., one of the longicorn beetles. A small species of jumping weevil
(Orchestes alni Leach) also attacks the leaves, as well as Phyllobius alni Fab.y
belonging to the same family, and Galeruca lineola Fab. (the Chrysomela
grisea alni, fern., of De Geer). Amongst lepidopterous insects, Cerura vinula,
Pygaevra bucephala, Notodonta rfromedarius, Lophopteryx camelina, Orgyia
antiqua, Zeuzera ae'sculi, Porthesia chrysorrhceX all belonging to the Linnasan
i?6mbyces; Apatela /eporina, Acronycta alni and psi (or dagger moths),
belonging to the JVbctuidae ; Geometra ulmaria, Drepana falcataria, and se-
veral !Tortricidae and T'ineidee, feed, in the larva state, upon the alder. Some
of these being, however, general feeders, are not so injurious as the others.
Statistics. Recorded Trees. The finest alder trees which Mitchell ever saw were probably the
same as those alluded to by Gilpin (p. 1682,), in the Bishop of Durham's park, at Bishop- Auckland, where
a tree, in 1818, had a trunk which measured 11 ft. in circumference. It grew upon a knoll on a
swamp. The finest alder poles the same author ever ob-
served were in Arnold's Vale, below Sheffield Place, Sussex : .£$t ., 1 54 L2
in 1815, these were from 60 ft. to 70 ft. high. The alders on
the banks of the river Findhorn have been already men-
tioned.
Existing Trees. In England, in the environs of London,
at Ham House, Essex, A. g. emarginata is 15ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 4 in., and of the head 28 ft. ; at
Syon, A. g. laciniata (fig. 1542.) is 63ft. high, the diameter of
the trunk 3 ft., and of the head 63 ft. ; at Kenwood, Hamp.
stead, 60 years planted, the species is 60 ft. high, the diameter
of the trunk 2 ft. 10 in., and of the head 60 ft. In Devon-
shire, at Killerton, it is 56ft. high, with a trunk 3ft. Sin.
in diameter : in Dorsetshire, at Melbury Park, 100 years
planted, the species is 50ft. high, the diameter of the trunk
3 ft., and of the head 46 ft. ; and A. g. laciniata is 50 ft. high:
in Somersetshire, at Nettlecombe, the species is 35ft high , ^IHni^^m^ivSf^V
the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 10 in., and of the head 32 ft.;
in Surrey, at Farnham Castle, 50 years planted, it is 50ft.
high ; at Woburn Farm, A. g. laciniata is 70 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 4ft., and of the head
65 ft. ; in Sussex, at Westdean, A. g. laciniata, 12 years planted, is 32 ft, high: in Berkshire, at Bear
Wood, 12 years planted, the species is 40 ft. high. ; in Buckinghamshire, at Temple House, 40 years
planted, it is 50ft. high ; in Cambridgeshire, in the Cambridge Botanic Garden, it is 5()ft. high,
the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 5 in., and of the head 36 ft ; in Denbighshire, at Llanbede Hall, it is
54ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 3ft., and of the head 34ft. ; in Herefordshire, at Eastnor
Castle, 18 years planted, it is 60ft. high : in Hertfordshire, at Cheshunt, 8 years planted, it is
30 ft. high ; and 10 years planted, it is 20 ft. high : in Lancashire, at Latham House, 50 years planted,
it is 58 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 3ft., and of the head 52ft.; A. g. lacini&ta, 20 years
planted, is 36ft. high : in Leicestershire, at Elvaston Castle, the species is 89ft. high, with a trunk
2 ft. 7 in. in diameter ; at Doddington Park, 35 years planted, it is 41 ft. high : in Monmouthshire,
at Dowlais House, 12 years planted, it is 35ft. high ; in Northamptonshire, at Wakefield Lodge,
CHAP. CIV.
1687
20 years planted, it is 25ft. high ; in Oxfordshire, in the Oxford Botanic Garden, 40 years planted,
it is 55ft. high; in Pembrokeshire, at Stackpole Court, 35 years planted, it is 40ft. high; in
Rutlandshire, at Belvoir Castle, 26 years planted, it is 60 ft. high ; in Staffordshire, at Trentham,
20 years planted, it is 20 ft. high : in Suffolk, at Finborough Hall, 60 years planted, it is 70ft. high,
the diameter of the trunk 3$ ft., and of the head 42ft. ; at Ampton Hall, 13 years planted, it is
2t> ft. high: in Worcestershire, at Hagley, 11 years planted, it is 16ft. high; at Coombe Abbey,
A. g. laciniata, 40 years planted, is 70ft. high. In Scotland, in Berwickshire, at the Hirsel, fii
years planted, it is '24? ft. high; in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, at St. Mary's Isle, 40 years
planted, it is 53ft. high ; in Haddingtonshire, at Tynningham, it is 24ft high, the diameter of the
trunk 16 in., and of the head 36ft. : in Lanarkshire, in the Glasgow Botanic Garden, 16 years
§ lanled, it is 30ft. high ; and A. g. laciniata, 16 years planted, is 35ft. high : in Argyllshire, at
Ward Castle, 12 years planted, it is 23ft. high ; in Banffshire, at Huntley Lodge, it is 63 ft. high,
the diameter of the trunk 4 ft. 3 in., and of the rfcad 60 ft. ; in Forfarshire, at Monboddo, 34 years
planted, it is 30ft. high ; in Perthshire, at Taymouth, it is 3()ft. high, the diameter of the trunk
1 ft. 4 in., and of the head 14ft.; in lloss-shire, at Brahan Castle, 45 years planted, it is 40ft.
high ; in Stirlingshire, at Callender Park, 16 years planted, it is 39ft. high. In Ireland, near
Dublin, in the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, 35 years planted, it is 40ft. high; at Terenure, 15 years
planted, it is 20ft. high. In King's County, at Charleville Forest, 8 years planted, it is 18ft. high ;
in Fermanagh, at Florence Court, A. g. laciniata, 40 years planted, is 60ft. high; in Galway, at
Coole, the species is 30 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft, and of the head 32 ft. ; in Louth,
at Oriel Temple, A. g. laciniata, 34 years planted, is 44 ft high ; in Sligo, at Mackree Castle, the
species is 60ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft., and of the head 36ft ; in Tyrone, at Baron's
Court, 50 years planted, it is 45 ft high. In France, at Nantes, in the nursery of M. De Nerrieres, 50
years old, it is 60 ft high, the diameter of the trunk 1J ft. ;>t Avranches, in the Botanic Garden, A. g.
laciniata, 20 years old, is 28ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 9 in., and of the head 16ft. In
Hanover, at Harbcke, 6 years old, it is 8ft. high, with a trunk 2 in. in diameter. In Austria, at
Vienna, in the garden of Baron Loudon, 14 years planted, it is 16ft. high; at Briick on the
Leytha, A. g. laciniata, 24 years old, is 25ft. high. In Italy, in Lombardy, at Monza, 70 years
old, it is 80 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft., and of the head 60 ft.
* X 2. A. (G) OBLONGAVTA Wittd. The oblong-leaved Alder.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 335. ; Baum., p. 20. ; N. Du Ham., 2. p. 215.
Synonymes. ^'Inus fol. oblong., &c.,Baufi. ; A. fol. ovato-lanceol., &c., Mill. Diet., ed. 7. ; lang-
liche Else, Ger.
Spec. Char.y $c. Leaves elliptic, somewhat obtuse, glutinous ; axils of the
veins naked on the under side. ( Willd. &p. PL, iv. p. 335.) A large shrub
or low tree, said to be a native of Hungary, Austria, and Turkey. It was
introduced by Miller, in 1749, who is said to have raised it from seed ; and,
if so, it must be a tolerably distinct kind; which, indeed, it appears to
be, though we are doubtful as to whether it is entitled to rank as a species.
The largest plant of A. oblongata that we have heard of is in the Glasnevin
Botanic Garden, where, in 1834, after being 30 years planted, it is 30ft.
high ; which confirms Willdenow's conjecture, that, in a mild moist climate,
it may become a tree. There are plants in the Horticultural Society's
Gardens, and at Messrs. Loddiges's.
Variety.
a ¥ A. (g.) o. 2 foliis ellipticis Ait., A. pumila Lodd. Cat., has the leaves
narrower than the species.
¥ 3. A. INCAXNA Wittd. The hoary-leaved Alder.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 335. ; Baum., p. 20. ; N. Du Ham., 2. p. 215. : Hoss Anleitung,
p. 190.
Synonymes. B. A'\nus var. incana Lin. Sp. PI., 1394. ;
B. incana Lin. Supp. ; A. folio incano, &c., Bauh. ^^ <£&9tU ^.^_ 1543
Pin., 428. ; B. viridis Vill. Dauph., 2. p. 789. ; weisse
Erie, graue Else, or weisse Eller, Ger.
Engravings. Hayne Abbild., t. J36. ; and our fig. 1543.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves oblong, acute,
pubescent beneath ; axils of the veins
naked. Stipules lanceolate. (Willd. Sp.
PL, iv. p. 335.) A tree, which grows
in light sandy soil, in Lapland, Sweden,
and Prussia ; and on the hills in Austria,
Carniola, the Ukraine, Tyrol, and Swit-
zerland ; also in North America. This
tree, which Hoss informs us is common
on the banks of the Danube, will attain
a'greater height than the common alder,
or from 50 ft. to 70 ft., even in a toler-
ably dry soil. It differs from the common
alder, in the leave* being pointed, in the leaves and the young wood not
1688
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
being glutinous, in their hoary appearance, and in the absence of tufts of hair
in the axils of the nerves of the leaves. It was introduced into England
in 1780, but has not been much cultivated. There are plants at^Messrs.
Loddiges's 30ft. high. It forms a very handsome tree, and well deserves a
place in ornamental plantations.
Varieties.
% A. i. 2 larinidta Lodd. Cat.,ed. 1836.— The leaves are slightly laciniated.
There are trees in the Horticultural Society's Garden, and at
Messrs. Loddiges's.
*t A. ». 3 glauca ; A. glauca Michx. N. Amer. Sylv.y Lodd. Cat.y ed. 1836 ;
jBetula incana var. glauca Ait. ; Black Alder, Amcr.y has the leaves
dark green above, and glaucous beneath : the petioles are reddish.
According to Michaux, this forms a tree, in the United States, from
18ft. to 20 ft. high. This is one of the most beautiful kinds of the
genus.
¥ A. i. 4? anguldta Ait. — Leaves green underneath, with the petioles green.
Other Varieties. A. americdna Lodd. Cat., A. canadensis Lodd. Cat.,
and A. rubra Lodd. Cat., appear to belong to this species ; but the plants
in the Hackney arboretum are so small, that we have not been able to
satisfy ourselves that they are sufficiently distinct to constitute varieties.
a 4. A. SERRULANTA Willd. The saw-leaved Alder.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 336. ; Baum., p. 21. ; N. Du Ham., 2. p. 216. ; Pursh FL Atner.
Sept, 2. p. 623. ; Michx. N. Amer. SyL, 2. p. 113. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
Synonymes. J?£tula serrulata Ait. Hort. Kew., 3. p. 338. ; B. rugbsa Ehrh. Beitr., 3. p. 21 .; Du
Rot Harb. Baum., 1. p. 176. ; Wang. Amer., p. 86. ; ? A. americana Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; ? A.
canad6nsis Lodd. Cat., 1836 ; common Alder, Amer. ; Hazel-leaved Alder.
Engravings. Wang. Amer., t 29. f. 60. ; Abbott's Insects, 2. t. 92. ; Michx. N. Amer. SyL, t. 75.
f. 1. ; and out fig. 1544. , on which are exhibited the larva, pupa, and perfect insect of the JVoctua
(Acronycta) hastilifera, PhalaeNna hastulifera Abb. and Smith, the American alder dagger moth,
which inhabits this tree.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves obovate, acuminate; veins and their axils hairy on the
under side. Stipules elliptic, obtuse. ( Willd. Sp. Pl.y iv. p. 336.) A shrub,
15U
from 6 ft. to 10 ft. high ; a native of North America, in swamps and on river
sides. According to Michaux, it is frequent along the sides of brooks, but
abounds most in places covered with stagnant water. Its leaves are of a
beautiful green, about 2 in. long, oval, distinctly furrowed on the surface,
and doubly denticulated at the edge. The wood, when cut into, ia white ;
CHAP. CIV. /yKTULA'CE^E. ^LNUS. 1689
but, like that of all the alders, it becomes reddish when it comes In contact
with.the air. The dwarf stature of this, and all the other American alders,
renders them of no use as timber trees ; but, according to Rafinesque, the
leaves are vulnerary and astringent. The bark is styptic, and is used for
dyeing brown, and, with vitriol, black. The inner bark of the root is emetic,
and dyes yellow. The female catkins also dye black. Plants, in the Lon-
don nurseries, are from 1*. to 1*. Gd. each ; and seeds Is. per oz. At Boll-
wyller, plants are 1£ franc; at New York, 15 cents.
a 5. A. UNDULA^TA WUld. The waved-leaved Alder.
H.-Htifiration. Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 336. ; Baum.. p. 21. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 18-36.
,S>« nt/mes. Zfetula crispa Ait. Hurt. Kew., 3. p. 339. ; B. A Inus var. crispa Mich*. Fl. Bor. Amcr.
'.'. p.'isi. ; A. crispa Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., ». p. 623., N. Du Ham., 2. p. 216.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves oblong, acute, rounded at the base ; petioles and
veins hairy on the under side ; axils of the veins naked ; stipules ovate-
oblong. ( Willd. Sp. PI., iv. p. 336.) A shrub, not above 3 ft. or 4 ft. high ;
a native of Canada, anil on high mountains in sphagnous swamps in Penn-
sylvania. In the Berlin Botanic Garden, according to Willdenow, it was
15ft. high in 1811. Plants, in the London nurseries, are 2s. Gd. each; and
at New York, 20 cents ; and seeds 1 dollar and 25 cents per pound.
5 6. A. CORDIFONLIA Lodd. The heart-leaved Alder.
Identification. Lodd. Bot. Cab., t. 1231.
Synntii/me. A. cordata Tenore Prod., 54., Hayne Dend., p. 153.
Enfrmimgt. Bot Cab., t. 1231. ; our Jig. 1545.; and the plate of this species in our last Volume.
. Char., $c. Leaves heart-shaped, acuminate, dark green and shining.
(Tenore.} A tree of similar magnitude to the common alder; a native of
Calabria and Naples, in woods. Introduced in 1820, and flowering in March
and April, before the developement of the leaves.
" A large and very handsome round-headed tree,
with broad, deep green, shining leaves, deeply
heart-shaped at the base. It grows with rapidity,
and is one of the most interesting ornamental
trees that have of late years been introduced."
(Penny Cyc., art. Alnus.) It is a most distinct 1545"
species ; and, though a native of the kingdom of
Naples, it is perfectly hardy. It ripens seeds in the climate of London, and
might easily be rendered as common as A. glutinosa. There is a very
handsome tree in the collection of Messrs. Loddiges ; and another in the
Horticultural Society's Garden. Plants, in the London nurseries, are
Is. Gd. each ; at Bollwyller, 2 francs ; and at New York, 50 cents.
* 7. A. VI'RIDIS Dec. The green-leaved Alder.
Iih-ntification. De Candolle PI. FL, 3. p. 304.
Synonymes. A. ovata Lodd. Bot. Cab., t. 1141. ; ^'Inus frutic&sa Schmidt ; .Betula ovata Schrank
Sal., No. 159.. Fl. Bav., 1. p. 419., as quoted in N. Du Ham., 3. p. 206., Willd. Sp. PI., p. 465.,
Wats. Dend. Brit., t 96., Host Fl. Aus. 2. p. 625. ; B. ^'Ino-tfetula; Ehrh. Beytr., 2. p. 72. ; B.
viridis Hort.
Engravings. Dend. Brit, t 96. ; Bot. Cab., t. 1141. ; Schmidt CEstr. Baum , 3. t 189. ; and our Jig.
1546., in which a is the ament, or male catkin ; b, the male flower magnified ; c, the stamen magni-
fied ; d, a longitudinal section of the cone or female catkin ; e, and g, transverse sections of the cone,
to show the position of the scales ; /, the female catkins ; h, the samara, or seed, with its wings.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves ovate, doubly serrated, glabrous. Peduncles of the
female catkins branched. Scales of the strobiles having equal lobes, trun-
cate-nerved. (Willd. Sp. PI., iv. p. 465.) A large shrub, or low bushy tree :
a native of the high mountains of Hungary, Styria, and Carinthia; and of
Germany, in the neighbourhood of Salzburg. Flowering, in Messrs. Lod-
diges's collection, in March and April ; and ripening its seed in August. It
was introduced in 1820. This plant is considered by many botanists as
intermediate between the alders and the birches. It agrees with the alders,
in having the peduncles of the female catkins ramose; and in general
appearance it resembles the /Jlnus incana in a young state : but it belongs
to the birches, by the parts of its fructification, and by the number of its
1690
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
1546
stamens. The stem of the plant,
in its native habitat, seldom rises
higher than 5 ft. or 6 ft. It di-
vides into smooth branches, an-
gular, furnished with alternate
oval leaves, smooth on both
surfaces, and doubly serrated.
The teeth are sharp, and almost
alternately long and short. The
male catkins are 2f in. long,
slender, cylindric, with numerous
pediceled flowers. The females
are subcorymbose, elliptic, with
slender peduncles. Watson,
who has given a good figure of
this species, says, from the habit
and inflorescence of the female,
this plant may be considered
an .d'lnus ; but the fruit, being a
samara, " claims it a 2?etula,"
As the general appearance of the plant more resembles an alder than a
birch, we have placed it under the former genus. It is a very handsome
shrub, and is well deserving of a place in collections. There are plants at
Messrs. Loddiges's, in the Horticultural Society's Garden, and in some of
the nurseries.
App. i. Other Species of K'lnus.
The genus ^4'lnus, Mr. Royle informs us in his admirable Illustrations, " has the same distribution
in the Himalayas that it has in the northern hemisphere ; that is, it occurs in moist situations, and
along the course. of rivers. A. obtusifblia Royle is very abundant on the banks of the Jumna and
Tonce. A. elongcita Royle occurs in Cashmere; and A. nepalensis Wall. PI. As. Rar., t. 131., on the
mountains surrounding the valley from which it was named." (Illust., p. 341.) It appears probable,
that, of the above species, at least A. nepattnsis, a tree from 30 ft. to 40 ft high, may prove sufficiently
hardy to bear the climate of London ; and we hope it may soon be introduced.
GENUS II.
JJE'TULA Town. THE BIRCH. Lin. Syst. Monoevcia Polyandria.
Identification. Tourn., t 360. ; Lin. Gen., 485. ; Juss., 409. ; FL Br., 1011. ; Comp., ed. 4., 157. ;
Lam., t 760. ; Gsertn., t. 90. ; Lindl. Nat Syst Dot, p.
Synonymes. Bouleau, Fr. ; Betula, Ital. ; Abedul, Span. ; Betulla, Port. ; Birke, Ger. ; Berk,
Dutch ; Birk, Danish ana Scotch ; Bidrk, or Bo'rk, Swedish ; Beresa, Russian : Brzoza, Polish.
Derivations. From betu, its Celtic name ; or, according to others, from the Latin word batuere, to
beat ; from the fasces of the Roman lictors, which were always made of birch rods, being used to
drive back the people. Pliny derives the name from bitumen.
Description, fyc. The species are chiefly deciduous trees, some of which are
of large size ; but several of the species are shrubs. They are natives of
Europe, chiefly in the most northern parts, or in high elevations in the south;
of North America ; and some of them of Asia. They are generally found in
mountainous rocky situations in the middle of Europe ; but they grow wild
in plains and peaty soils in the northern regions. The common birch is one
of the hardiest of known trees; and there are only one or two other species
of ligneous plants which approach so near to the North Pole. The common
birch has been known from the earliest ages ; and it has long been the most
useful tree to the inhabitants of the extreme north of Europe ; as the canoe
birch has been to those of the north of North America. The species all ripen
seeds in the climate of London, and are all of the easiest culture in any
ordinary soil ; but, being hair-rooted, they do not grow so well in very strong
clays ; nor do plants of this genus, when raised from layers or cuttings, grow
so freely as in the case of some other genera. The leaves of the birch having
CHAP. CIV. 7?ETULAXCE.E. flE'TULA. 1691
little succulency, and being astringent and aromatic, they are very rarely sub-
ject to the attacks of insects. The wood of all the species is much less
durable than the bark.
Leaves small. Natives chiefly of Europe.
¥ 1. B. A'LBA L. The white, or common, Birch.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1393. ; Willd., 4. p. 462. ; FL Br., 1012. ; Engl. Fl., 4. p. 153.; Hook.
Scot., '274. ; Hook. Hr. Fl., 3ded., p. 411.
met. ' B. pubescens Ehrh. 'Arb., 67., PL Off, 338. ; B., No. 1628., Hall. Hist. ; j?etula
liuii %«., 445. ; B, aetnensis Rnfi., according to Comp. to Bot. Mag., 1. p. 91. ; Bouleau commun,
AV. ; grmeine Birkc, Ger.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., t. 2198. ; Fl. Dan., t. 1467.; Trag. Hist, 1113. f. ; Bauh. Hist., 1. pt. 2.
p. 149. f.; Match. Valgr., 1. p. 121. f. ; Cam. Epit, p. 69. f. ; Dod. Pempt, 839. f. ; Ger. Emac.,
p. 1,778. f. ; Lob. Ic., 2. p. 190. f. ; our fig. 1547. ; and fig. 1550., ofthe entire tree ; and the plate
ot this species in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves ovate, acute, somewhat
deltoid, unequally serrated, nearly glabrous.
(Eng. Fl.,iv. p. 153.) A tree, a native of
almost every part of Europe, but more espe-
cially of the colder regions. A diminutive
shrub in the extreme north, but a tree from
50 ft. to 60 ft. high in the middle regions ;
flowering, in Lapland, in May; and in the
Apennines, in February and March.
Varieties.
t. B. a. 2 pendula Smith, Lodd. Cat., ed.
1836; B. pendula Roth Germ., i. p.
405., 2., pt. 2. p. 476. ; B. verrucosa
Ehrh. Arb., 96., Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836,
PL Off., 328.; B. pendulis virgulis
Loes. Pruss.; the weeping Birch, is a
well-known tree, differing from the
species in having the shoots more slen-
der, smoother, and pendulous. (See the
plate of the young tree in our last Volume.) Some Continental and
English botanists, and, among the latter, Sir J. E. Smith, are inclined
to consider this a variation rather than a variety ; but this opinion
does not prevail among cultivators. Sang states that the weeping
variety is easily known from the common birch, by its attaining a
much larger size; by its main branches being more straight and
upright (though its lateral ones are pendent at their extremities) ;
and by its leaves being smaller. It attains, he says, the stature of a
timber tree in much less time than the common sort; and is far
handsomer, both when young and when in a mature state. All these
particulars must have been observed by every one who has had much
occasion to penetrate into birch forests ; and the circumstance of
nurserymen collecting the seeds of this variety, and finding that the
majority of the plants produced by them are of the smooth-leaved
and weeping kind, leaves no doubt in our mind that B. a. pendula
is as much a variety as B. a. pubescens. Sir W. J. Hooker says (Brit.
Fl., 3d ed., p. 41 1.) : " There is a variety of this tree (B. pendula
Roth, Lindl. Syn., p. 229.), with remarkably drooping
branches, which are more verrucose than in the
common appearance. It is not unfrequent in the
Highlands of Scotland, and is generally known by
the name of the drooping birch. To this Scott
alludes :
" ' Where weeps the birch with silver bark,
And long dishevelled hair.'"
-£ B. a. 3 pubescens ; B. pubescens Ehrh. Beitr.t vi. 98.,
Willd., iv. 462., Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; and our fig.
1548.; has the leaves covered with white hairs; and, though con-
1692 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETU3I. PART III.
sidered by many botanists as a species, and
distinct enough in appearance, we have no
hesitation whatever in pronouncing it to be
merely a variety.
¥ B. a. 4 pontica ; 11. pontica Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ;
and our^g. 1549.; has the leaves somewhat
larger than the species, and appears of more
robust growth. There is a tree of this kind in
the Oxford Botanic Garden, which, 40 years
planted, is 45 ft. high ; the diameter of the
trunk 1 ft. 1 1 in., and of the head 30 ft. At
Croome there is a tree, which, 40 years
planted, is 70 ft. high ; and in the Glasnevin
Botanic Garden, one 35 years old, which is
38 ft. high. The plants in Messrs. Loddiges's
collection are quite young, and not above
3 ft. or 4 ft. in height.
¥ B. a. 5 urticifolia, B. wrticifolia Lodd. Cat., has
the leaves deeply laciniated, serrated, and hairy.
^ B. a. 6 dalecdrlica L. Supp., 416., is described by the younger Linnseus, as having its leaves
almost palmate, with the segments toothed ; " cut like those of h.emp," according to
Bosc.
*£ B. a. 7 macrocdrpa Willd. has the female catkins twice as long as those of the species.
=¥ B. a. Sfolits variegatis Dumont has the leaves blotched with yellowish;white.
Other Varieties. B. jpopulifolia and B. daurica, given below as species,
are, we think, as much varieties as the preceding sorts; for, though 2?.^;opu-
lifolia will come tolerably true from seed, yet it is often produced from seeds
of the common birch. B. daurica appears to be a variety of B. alba, stunted
from the climate in which it grows ; and the same observation will apply
to B. sibirica, and some others, enumerated in the Catalogue of Messrs.
Loddiges for 1836. B. excelsa and B. nigra of some of the London gar-
dens are mere varieties of the common birch, and quite distinct from the
species described by botanists under these names, which are natives of
America. (See Gard. Mag., vol. xi. p. 502. 689.) There are some other
sorts in the collection at Messrs. Loddiges's ; such as B. undulata, B.
Thouim'awrt and B. Fischerw, which appear to us to belong to B. alba ; but,
the plants being exceedingly small, we are not able to determine this with
certainty. B. laciniata being merely a cut-leaved variety of B. joopulifolia, we
have included it under that head ; as we have the sort named B. pendula,
in the collection of the Messrs. Loddiges. We prefer, in this case, as in
similar ones, giving varieties which have been generally considered species
as such, merely indicating our opinion by a letter in parentheses, for the
sake of disposing of the synonymes. There are some varieties of a trifling
nature given by Linnaeus in his Flora Suecica : such as one with a rounder
leaf than the species, and pendent branches ; one with a white, broad, and
acuminate leaf; one with brittle branches, and a blackish woolly leaf ; one
(B. saxatilis torminalis) with an oblong leaf; and, lastly, the dwarf birch,
probably the B. pumila of Lodd. Cat. These varieties are recorded in
Martyn's Miller ; but, unless we are right in conjecturing B. pumila to be
the last, we have not seen any of them. Dr. Agardh mentions " three
singular varieties with laciniated leaves (B. hybrida Mocncli) near Fahlun.
{Gard. Mag., vol. xii. p. 63.) The birch varies so much from seed, that
scarcely any limits can be given to the number of sorts that might be
selected from a seed-bed. In extensive birch forests, also, whether in the
rocky scenery of Sweden, the bogs in the north of Russia, or on the hills of
Germany, full-grown trees may be seen, as various in their foliage and habit
of growth as the young plants in seed-beds. For this reason, we are in-
clined to think that there are only two European species of birch, B. alba
and B. nana; and four American species, B. papyracea, B. excelsa, B.
lenta, and B. nigra.
CHAP. CIV.
/?ETULAVCE;E. WE 'TULA.
1693
Detcrip&m, The
common birch, when
of a tree-like si/e, is
known, at first sight,
by the silvery white-
ness of its outer bark,
the smallness of its
leaves in comparison
with those of other
timber trees, and the
lightness and airiness
of its whole appear-
ance. The tree, as
comparedwith others,
is of the middle size,
seldom exceeding 50
feet in height, with
a trunk of from 1 ft.
to 1 8 in. in diameter,
even in the most fa-
vourable situations.
When drawn up in
woods, however, in
good soil, it has been
known to attain the
height of from 60 ft.
to 80ft., but never,
in such situations,
with a trunk of pro-
portionate diameter.
In the woods of Rus-
sia, Pallas observes,
the birch is tall and erect, with a trunk not very thick ; in the groves, the
trunk is thicker, and the head more spreading; and, in the open fields, the
trunk is short, the head broader than it is high, and the branches tor-
tuous. The trunk is, in general, straight and cylindrical, without deformities
and knots. The cuticle is white and scaly in trees from ten to thirteen
years of age ; but in old trees the trunk is covered with deep black clefts
in its bark. The branches proceed chiefly from the summit, and are alter-
nate, frequently subdivided, very pliant and flexible, and covered with a
reddish brown or russet-coloured smooth bark, which, as well as the buds,
is slightly impregnated with a resinous substance. Both the trunk and
branches are occasionally subject to the production of excrescences; the
former as large knots, and the latter as twiggy tufts resembling large birds*
nests. These twiggy tufts are seldom found on the weeping variety, and
abound most on trees of the common sort growing on boggy soil. They
are most probably formed by the extravasation of the sap, occasioned by the
puncture of some insect. The leaves are alternate, bright green, smooth,
shining beneath, with the veins crossing like the meshes of a net ; and the
petioles are £ in. or more in length. The male catkins appear in autumn,
on the ends of the twigs, but do not expand their flowers till the female cat-
kins appear in spring. On young trees, and on old trees in particular situ-
ations, especially in damp boggy soil, the branches are erect ; but in old trees,
and in some young ones more than in others, they are pendulous, and hence
the variety of that name. The roots extend themselves horizontally, and
divide into a great number of rootlets and hair-like fibres at their extremities ;
but they never throw up suckers. The rate of growth is considerable when
the tree is young ; averaging from 18 in. to 2 ft. a year for the first 10 years ;
and young trees cut down to the ground often make shoots 8ft. or 10ft. long
1694
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
in one season. The duration of the birch is not great, the tree attaining
maturity, in good soils, in from forty to fifty years ; but, according to Hartig,
seldom lasting in health till it attains a hundred years.
Geography. The common birch is a native of the colder regions of the
old Continent ; and also, as we think (under the form of B. jwopulifolia,
and other kinds, treated by botanists as species), throughout great part of
North America. It is found in Asia, in Siberia, as far as the Altaic Moun-
tains ; and also in the Himalayas ; but not in Africa. According to Pallas, the
birch is more common than any other tree, throughout the whole of the Rus-
sian empire; being found in every wood and grove, from the Baltic Sea to the
Eastern Ocean; prospering best in a moist alluvial soil (humoso-limosuw) ;
and, as it loves a moderate humidity, it always indicates land fit for the plough.
In some parts of Russia, immense tracts are covered with this tree alone. In
the neighbourhood of Moscow, it forms the prevailing tree in all the woods
belonging to the country residences of the nobles, and it may be seen in the
foreground of/?g. 1551., which is a view of the Lake of Petrovskoye, which, in
1814, when we made the sketch, was one of the most celebrated " English
pleasure-grounds " in that part of the Russian empire. In Europe, Dr. Agardh
observes, the region of the birch is bounded only by vegetation itself. It
is found from Iceland to Mount Etna : in the Icelandic forests its limits are
only those of vegetation ; but on Mount Etna it is not higher than 5600 ft.
above the level of the sea, its range being about 1 000 ft. It is found on the
whole line of the Apennines, in the kingdom of Naples, (where it commences
at the height of 4761 ft. above the level of the sea,) and at the height of
6100ft. forms little woods. (Comp. Sot. Mag., 1. p. 91.) It is also found on
most of the high mountains of the south of Europe ; on Mount Caucasus,
in Bucharia, on the eastern shores of the Caspian Sea ; in Kamtschatka,
in forests at lat. 58° N. ; in Dahuria, in Japan, and in West Greenland. (Dec.)
Von Buch considers the birch to require a mean temperature of about
26° of Fahr. In Lapland, according to the same author, the line of birches is
1937 ft. below the line of eternal snow, and 802 ft. above the boundary of the
Scotch pine. At Hosperdet, in a bay of the Icy Sea, the common birch is a low
bush ; but at Alten it becomes a lofty tree, forming woods. (Schomv in Gard.
Mag., vol. xii. p. 60.) On the Alps, in Switzerland, it is never found at above
the height of 4400 ft. (M. Alphonse De Candolle in Gard. Mag., vol. xii. p. 234.)
B. alba appears in North America under the form of B. joopulifolia, which,
though by many botanists considered as a distinct species, yet we cannot help
thinking is nothing more than a very distinct variety of the birch of Europe.
(See No. 2.) B. pumila and B. glandulosa, also found in North America, are,
probably, nothing more than varieties of B. alba. In Britain arid Ireland, it
is found almost every where on mountains and in poor sandy soils ; reaching
CHAP. CIV. J?ETULANCE/E. UEfTULA. 1695
to the height of 3500 ft. on some of the Highland mountains. According to
Dr. Walker, the birch grows higher on the Highland mountains than any
other tree except the mountain ash : but in this he must have been mis-
taken ; because the extreme h eight at which the mountain ash is found in
Forfarshire is, according to Watson, 2500 ft. ; and the birch is found, in various
pUices, 1000ft. higher up the mountains. Some of the finest specimens of
the weeping birch grow on the banks of rocky streams in North Wales. In
England, the birch is supposed to have been once so plentiful in Berkshire as
to have given the name to that county ; though some suppose the name Berk-
shire to be a corruption of Bare-oak, or Berroc, shire.
History. The common birch was known to the Greeks (see p. 18.) and to
the Romans. According to Pliny and Plutarch, the celebrated books which
Numa Pompilius composed 700 years before Christ, and which were buried
with him on Mount Janiculum, were written on the bark of the birch tree.
In the early days of Rome, the lictors had their fasces made of birch branches,
which they carried before the magistrates to clear the way, beating the people
back with the boughs. Pliny says that the birch was brought to Italy from
Gaul; though, considering that it is a native of the Apennines, it is surprising
that it should not have been known to the Romans as an indigenous tree.
The birch was formerly used in England for ornamenting the houses during
Rogation Week, in the same manner as holly is at Christmas. Gerard says
the branches of the birch " serve well to the decking up of houses and ban-
quetting roomes for places of pleasure, and beautifying the streetes in the Crosse,
or Gang, Week, and such like." The Cross, or Gang, Week, Phillips tells us, was
the same as Rogation Week ; which was called Gang Week from the crowds, or
gangs, of penitents going in that week to confession, before Whitsuntide. It
was called Cross Week, from the crosses carried before the priests in the pro-
cession on Ascension Day ; and Rogation Week, from the Latin verb rogo, to
ask or pray. (Syl. F/or., i. p. 133.) Coles, writing in 1657, observes that, at
this season, as he " rid through little Brickhill, in Buckinghamshire, every
sign poste in the towne was bedecked with green birch." We have observed
the same custom in Poland, at the same season; where, also, large boughs are
fixed in the ground, against each side of the doors of the houses. The birch
has been used as an instrument of correction at schools from the earliest ages
Anciently, says Evelyn, " birch cudgels were used by the lictors, as now the
gentler rods by our tyrannical pedagogues, for lighter faults." The sight of a
birch tree, observes the writer of the article Birch in the Nouveau Du Hamel,
" offers a vast subject of interesting meditation : but happy the man to whom
its flexible pendent branches do not recall to mind that they were formerly
instruments of punishment to him !" Gerard observes that, in his time,
•' schoolmasters and parents do terrify their children with rods made of birch."
The use of these rods, however, both in schools and private families, is now
fast passing away, together with many other barbarous practices of our an-
cestors. At present, the tree is planted in Britain in poor soils, and in exposed
situations, for sheltering others ; in copses, for producing brooms, and for many
other valuable purposes; and, in favourable soils and situations, as being or-
namental. On the Continent, and more especially in France and Germany, it
is extensively planted as a fuel tree, on the poorest soils ; and, in good soils,
as a nurse for hard-wooded and resinous trees. In the north of Russia, and
in Sweden and Norway, the natural woods of birch form the principal supplies
of fuel for large towns ; and, in many places, also the principal timber for
buildings, furniture, and rural implements.
Properties and Uses. Naturally, the birch forms the food of various insects,
when in leaf; and the buds and catkins, in the winter season, are eaten by nu-
merous birds. The siskin, or aberdevine (jFringilla *S"pinus JL.), feeds upon the
seeds, which are its favourite food. The tree, when old, forms the habitat of va-
rious lichens, mosses, and fungi ; particularly Daedalea Aetulina, and the fungus
( Poly porus fomentarius) that produces the moxa. The leaves and young shoot
are also occasionally eaten bv cuttle, sheep, and swine, though they
1696 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
of them. Artificially, the birch recommends itself to the proprietor of woods and
to planters, by the following qualities: — 1st, By the lightness and multiplicity
of its seeds, which it begins to produce at the age of six years; and which,
being spread abroad on every side by the wind, give rise to a great number of
young plants; thus producing a thick wood, without either care or labour.
2dly, By the rapidity of its growth, and the resistance which it makes to all
the circumstances which usually destroy trees, and eradicate woods. 3dly,
By its power of withstanding a great degree of both heat and cold. 4thly, By
its suffering little fro-m the bite of cattle, and being but seldom attacked by
caterpillars, which are said only to have recourse to it after they have de-
stroyed all the succulent leaves in the same forest ; and which, consequently,
being then nearly matured, can do it but little harm. 5thly, By its not
requiring the shade or protection of other trees ; while its own shade, from
the lightness and thinness of its foliage, is extremely favourable to the growth
of oaks, beeches, and, above all, the pine and fir tribe, which spring up under
its protection with great vigour. Hence, the value of the birch as a nurse to
hard-wooded trees, which it protects in their youth, but which destroy it
when they acquire strength. 6thly, By its not injuring other trees with its
roots, which run along the surface of the soil, and draw but very little nourish-
ment from it. 7thly, By its succeeding almost every where, and improving
poor soils by the deposition of its leaves. Sthly, By its furnishing useful
products, such as spray for brooms, &c., a very short time after being planted.
And, 9thly, by its producing a wood almost exclusively employed in Sweden,
and other parts of the Continent, for smelting-ftirnaces ; and in other cases
where a bright clear flame is required. Though all these advantages, says the
author of the article Bouleau, in the Dictionnaire des Eaux et Forels, belong to
the birch, we cannot place it in the first rank of forest trees; and the oak,
the beech, and other trees of stately growth, are to be preferred to it in good
soils : but the birch cannot be too strongly recommended for light and poor
soils, sands, and chalks. In Prussia, he adds, the birch is planted every
where ; and it is considered to afford security against a dearth of fuel, and to in-
sure the prosperity of the woods, by the dissemination of its seeds, which fill
up every blank that occurs.
The wood of the birch is white, shaded with red ; of a medium durability
in temperate climates, but lasting a long time when it is grown in the extreme
north. The grain of the wood is intermediate between coarse and fine. It is
easily worked while it is green ; but it chips under the tool when dry. It
weighs, when green, 65 Ib. 6 oz. ; half-dry, 56 Ib. 6 oz. ; and dry, 45 Ib. 1 oz.
The wood of old birch trees is harder than that of young trees, and it also
weighs considerably more : for it appears, by the experiments of Hartig, that
the wood of a tree of 60 years' growth, weighed, dry, 36 Ib. 13oz. ; while
that of a tree of 25 years' growth, in the same state of dryness, only
weighed 35lb. 5oz. The wood soon rots when laid on the ground in heaps;
and, therefore, immediately after the trees are felled, they ought to be drawn
out of the wood, and taken into the timber-yard, where they can be exposed
freely to the air. As fuel, birch wood occupies the 12th place among 21
different sorts; and is to the fuel of the beech as 13 is to 15 : but, if the
wood of the birch is to be compared with that of the beech, taken in the
bulk, it is only as 12 to 15 ; because birch logs, not being so straight as those
of the beech, do not pack so closely together. The wood gives a clear, bright,
and ardent flame, and affords the kind of fuel most generally used in Sweden,
Russia, and France, for smelting-furnaces. Its charcoal remains burning a
long time ; though, compared wit)i that of the beech, its value is only as 14£
to 16. The bark of the birch is remarkable for ifs durability, remaining un-
corrupted for ages, even in situations exposed alternately to air and water, cold
and moisture. Pallas refers, in proof of this, to the tombs near Jenisca, in
Siberia ; and to the vaults under the Kremlin, in Moscow. When Mauper-
tuis travelled through Laplund, "to measure a degree of latitude, he was
obliged to pass through vast forests, consisting entirely of birch. The soil, in
some parts of these wastes, being very shallow, or very loose, the trees had
CHAP. CIV. BBTULAXCBJE. //E'i'ULA. 1697
not a sufficient footing for their roots, and became an easy prey to winds.
In these places, Maupertuis found as many trees blown down as standing. He
examined several of them, and was surprised to see that, in such as had lain
long, the substance of the wood was entirely gone, but the bark remained a
hollow trunk, without any signs of decay '* (Gilphi's Forest Scenery, vol. i.
p. 71.) In the mines of Dworetzkoi, in Siberia, a piece of birch wood was
found changed entirely into stone; while the epidermis of the bark, of a satiny
whiteness, and shining, was exactly in its natural state, perfectly well pre-
served, and without being coloured by the iron. It would be difficult, says
the relater of this fact in the Nouveau Du Hamely to find a more striking proof
of the durability of this thin pellicle, so light and so delicate in appearance, and
which the ancients used with so much propriety instead of paper, before the
invention of that material. The buds and leaves, in early spring, abound in
a resinous matter, an aromatic and agreeable fragrance from which may be
perceived at a considerable distance from the tree ; and the leaves, when
bruised, whether in a recent or dried state, are also bitter and aroma-
tic. The wood is employed by wheelwrights, in France, for the felloes
of wheels ; and, in the interior of Russia, in the construction of small rustic
carriages : the felloes of the wheels are sometimes made of one entire stem
of a young birch tree, bent by heat, and retained in its place by ties of the
spray. On the Continent, chairs, and many kinds of furniture, are made of
birch wood ; and many articles of cooperage, turnery, &c. Sabots are also
made of it; but they are not so good as those made of alder, and several other
kinds of wood, admitting the water when they grow old. For cabinet-making,
the birch is of little use till it has attained the age of sixty or eighty years ; at
which age it is little liable to warp, or to be attacked by worms. The tree oc-
casionally produces knots of a reddish tinge, marbled, light, and solid, but not
fibrous ; and of these, which are much sought after by turners, cups and bowls
are made by the Laplanders with their knives. The young shoots and
branches make hoops, brooms or besoms, and ties for faggots, baskets, wicker
hurdles, and other purposes to which the hazel or the basket-willow is ap-
plied ; and, when peeled, are used for making whisks for frothing up syllabubs,
creams, and chocolate. Birch hoops are very durable, from the conservative
influence of the bark.
In Poland, Russia, Sweden, Norway, and Lapland, small bundles of the
twigs, which have been gathered in summer, and dried with the leaves on, are
used in the vapour-baths, by the bathers, for beating one another's backs, in
order to promote perspiration. The inhabitants of the Alps make torches of
the branches ; and the Highlanders, candles of the bark, twisted into a rope-
like form. Sandals are also made of it, and thin pieces of the epidermis are
placed between the soles of shoes, or in the crown of the hat, as a defence
against humidity. The bark is used as coping to walls, and is placed over the
masonry of vaults under ground, as lead is in England, to prevent the moisture
from the soil from penetrating through it. It is even wrapped round sills and
the lower parts of posts, and other pieces of wood inserted in the ground, or
resting on it, to preserve them from decay. The charcoal of the birch is much
in demand for making gunpowder, and for crayons. The leaves are bitter
to the taste, and not willingly eaten by any animals, except rabbits and
goats ; but, when they are young and fresh, they may be given to cattle and
sheep ; and they are dried for this purpose throughout a great part of Sweden,
Norway, and Lapland. Medicinally, the leaves are said to be resolvent and
detersive ; and it is added, that persons afflicted with rheumatism, sleeping
on a bed stuffed with birch leaves, experience a perspiration which aftbrds them
great relief. A yellow colour is obtained from them, which is used for painting
in distemper, and for dyeing wool. The buds and the catkins afford a kind of
wax, analogous to that of bees. The ashes are rich in potash : 1000 Ib.
weight of wood, burnt green, will give 10 Ib. 12 oz. of ashes, which will afford
1 Ib. 4 oz. of potash. In this respect, the birch occupies the 55th place in a
list of 73 trees. In the birch, as in all other trees, the potash is most ubiiu-
5s 2
1698
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
dant in the bark ; and, consequently, the spray always yields more in propor-
tion than the trunk. The bark is much employed for tanning leather, both
in Britain and on the Continent. The birch appears to have been first used
in England for this purpose in Evelyn's time, as he speaks of " Mr. Howard's
new tan, made of the tops and loppings of birch." The bark yields a yellowish
brown dye, and, combined with alum, a brownish red. These may be con-
sidered as the principal uses of the birch tree in central Europe ; but there
are others to be noticed, which are peculiar to Norway, Lapland, Russia,
and the Highlands of Scotland.
In Lapland and Kamtschatka, the huts are constructed with birch branches
covered with turf; and faggots of the spray with the leaves on, in cases formed
of the skins of reindeer, serve for seats during the day, and beds at night.
An interesting view
of some of these
huts is given by Dr.
Clarke in his Scan-
dinavia, of which
our Jig. 1552. is a
copy. The bark of
large trees, cut into
lengths of 3 ft., and
about 18 in. or 2ft.
broad, serves the
Laplanders as a
species of cape, or
gPS**1
cloak, a hole being made it, in the centre, to admit the head. Sometimes
several pieces are used, with the holes only at one end ; and these, put over
the head, and hanging down on every side, form as complete a protection
from perpendicular rains or snows as if the man were slated. The same peo-
ple, and also the Russians, make the bark of the smaller trees into boots and
shoes ; the legs of the boots being taken from trees about the same thickness
as the human legs, and, consequently, having no seam. The bark is also made
into baskets, boxes, mats, and cordage for harnessing horses and reindeer,
and the inner bark into thread ; while all the fragments are carefully preserved
for lighting fires, or twisting into candles. Reindeer skins are tanned by
steeping them in a decoction of birch spray, mixed with salt ; and woollen
stuffs, being boiled in the same decoction, without the salt, are dyed yellow
or yellowish brown, according to the length of time which the process is con-
tinued. The Finlanders use the dried leaves as tea. The bark is also exten-
sively used, in Sweden and Norway, in roofing houses. The rafters are first
covered with boards, on which plates of birch bark are laid in the same way
as slates are in England ; and the whole is covered with turf and earth, to the
depth of 1 ft. or more, to exclude the heat in summer, and the cold in winter.
The earth over the bark is sometimes cultivated ; though it is most commonly
kept under grass. Dr. Clarke mentions that, " on some of the roofs of the
Norwegian cottages, after the hay was taken, he found lambs pasturing ; and
on one house he saw an excellent crop of turnips." (See Encyc. ofAgri., ed.
2., p. 111.) In Kamtschatka, the inner bark is dried and ground, like that of
the Scotch pine, in order to mix it with oatmeal, in times of scarcity. It is
also said to be eaten in small pieces along with the roe of fish. The sap of
the birch is made into beer, wine, and vinegar ; and a sugar is extracted, and
a spirit distilled, from it : 240 bottles of sap give 6 Ib. of syrup, which is used
in Russia in that state as sugar, without being crystallised. " During the siege
of Hamburg by the Russians, in 1814, almost all the birch trees in the neigh-
bourhood were destroyed by the Boshkirs,and other barbarian soldiers in the
Russian service, by being tapped for their sap." (Penny Cyclo., art. Betula,
vol. iv. p. 348.) The beer is produced by fermenting the sap with yeast,
hot water, and hops, in the usual manner. The sugar is procured by boiling
and evaporation ; and the wine is made as follows : —
Birch Wine. The sap is first obtained by boring a hole, 1 in. or 2 in. deep, in each tree, near the
CHAP. CIV. tfETULAY;EJE. ^E'TUUL 1699
ground, and on the south side of the trunk. In England, several holes are sometimes bored in the
same tree at once ; but, in France, this method is thought to deprive the tree of its sap too suddenly.
Each hole should have a kind of fosset fixed in it, which may be made of a piece of elder wood, with
the pith scooped out, or of a large quill. The outer end of this tube is placed in a vessel or large
bladder, to reserve the sap. In some places, the collectors of the sap cut off the extremity of each
branch, tying a bladder or vessel to the end of the wounded part. When a sufficient quantity of sap
has been collected, the hole in the tree is stopped with a wooden peg ; or the end of the wounded
branch is covered with pitch. This operation is always perfonned in spring; and most sap is said to be
procured after a very severe winter. Several trees should be bored at the same time, in order that a
sufficient quantity of sap may be obtained in one day, as it is spoiled by being kept. It has been observed
that the sap flows in greatest abundance about noon. When the wine is to be made, the sap should
be boiled with moist sugar or honey, in the proportion of four pounds of sugar to every gallon of
liquor. While boiiing, the scum is taken off as fast as it rises, till the liquor is quite clear. It is
then worked with yeast in the usual way. The juice and rind (pared very thin) of a lemon, and of a
Seville orange^ may be added to every gallon of clear liquor, and will be found a great improvement.
Some persons also put a few twigs of sweet briar into the cask when the wine is tunned, to give it a
ixTtumed flavour ; and anciently it was the custom to put cinnamon and other spices into this wine.
In Moscow, they add dried sprigs of mint. The wine should be kept three months before it is bottled,
and twelve months before it is drunk. Birch wine has an agreeable flavour, and is considered very
wholesome. That made in Russia effervesces like champagne
Birch Oil is obtained from the bark, by a kind of distillation, which is thus effected : — An excava-
tion is made in the soil, on the side of a bank 10 ft or 12 ft. deep, and in the form of an inverted cone,
like a common limekiln, which is lined in the inside with clay. The bark, being collected, and placed
in the kiln, is covered with turf, and then ignited : the oil flows through a hole made in the bottom
of the kiln, into a vessel placed to receive it, from which it is transferred to casks for exportation.
The liquor produced consists of oil and pyroligneous acid, and is used for tanning hides, to which it
gives that powerful fragrance, so well known as peculiar to Russia leather. The oil, when purified,
is quite clear, and is used in medicine, both internally and externally ; and the pyroligneous tar-like
liquor, which is separated from it, is used for greasing wheels, and for other purposes.
In the Highlands of Scotland, Sang observes, birch may be said to be the
universal wood. " The Highlanders make every thing of it : they build their
houses of it ; make their beds, chairs, tables, dishes, and spoons of it ; con-
struct their mills of it ; make their carts, ploughs, harrows, gates, and fences
of it ; and even manufacture ropes of it." (PI. Kal., p. 80.) The branches
are employed as fuel in the distillation of whisky ; and they are found to con-
tribute a flavour to it far superior to that produced by the use of fir-wood, coal,
or peat. Birch spray is also used for smoking hams and herrings, for which
last purpose it is preferred to every other kind of wood. The bark is used
for tanning leather, dyeing yellow, making ropes, and sometimes, as in Lap-
land, instead of candles. The spray is used for thatching houses ; and, dried
in summer with the leaves on, it makes an excellent material for sleeping
upon, where heath is scarce. The wood was formerly used in the Highlands
for arrows ; and the bark, it is said, on the sea coast, for making boats, as that
of B. papyracea is in North America.
In addition to the above, we might enumerate a number of minor uses
mentioned by authors, when speaking of the tree as belonging to the most
northern parts of Europe; and some of which, we have reason to believe, are
now become obsolete. Among these are what Evelyn calls " the whitest part
of the old wood, found commonly in doating birches," from which, he says, is
made " the ground of our effeminate-formed gallants' sweet powder ; " and of
the quite consumed and rotten wood," he says, is " gotten the best mould
for the raising of divers seedlings of the best plants and flowers." (Hunter's
Evelyn,\o\. i. p. 224.) The use of the birch in artificial plantations, in Britain,
is chiefly as an undergrowth, and as coppice-wood. In both cases, it is cut,
every 5 or 6 years, for brooms, hoops, wattle-rods, crateware, &c. ; every
10 or 12 years, for faggot-wood, poles, fencing, and bark for the tanners, the
value of which, in Scotland, is about half that of oak bark ; and not oftener
than once in every 15 or 20 years, when it is wanted for herring casks. In all
these cases, the spray is used for besoms, rods, ties, and similar purposes. In
the Highland districts, standard trees are left to attain a timber size. The
birch, as already observed, is very frequently used as a nurse to other trees ;
and especially to the oak, the chestnut, and other hard woods. Many of the
extensive oak plantations made by the late Duke of Portland in Nottingham-
shire were raised between rows of birch trees, planted two or three years
before the acorns were sown ; as has been recorded in detail by Speechly,
and by Hunter in his edition of Evelyn's Sylva, and in his Georgical Essays.
Hedges are, also, frequently made of the birch in poor, mossy, or sandy soils;
the tree bearing the shears as well as any ligneous plant whatever.
The birch, in landscape-gardening, is an interesting tree, from its form, and
5s 3
1700 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
from the whiteness of its bark, which renders it more conspicuous in winter
than in summer. Its stem, as Gilpin observes, " is generally marked with
brown, yellow, and silvery touches, which are peculiarly picturesque, as they
are characteristic objects of imitation for the pencil, and as they contrast
agreeably with the dark green hue of the foliage. But only the stem and
larger branches have this varied colouring. The spray is of a deep brown, which
is the colour, too, of the larger branches where the external rind is peeled off
As the birch grows old, its bark becomes rough and furrowed : it loses all its
varied tints, and assumes a uniform ferruginous hue." (Forest Scenery, vol. i.
p. 70.) The weeping variety, which, Gilpin says, is sometimes % called the
lady birch, from " its spray being slender, and longer than that of the common
sort, forms an elegant, pensile foliage, like that of the weeping willow ; and,
like it, is put in motion* by the least breath of air. When agitated, it is well
adapted to characterise a storm, or to perform any office in landscape which
is expected from the weeping willow." (7foW.)
The birch, however, being an extremely common tree in various districts,
and never being suffered to grow in any quantity, in its native countries, in
those soils and situations where other trees will thrive, there are certain asso-
ciations connected with it which are unfavourable to its use in gardenesque
scenery. Nevertheless, it must be allowed that these associations can only
be experienced by those who have seen the tree in its native habitats. Natives
of Scotland, North Wales, Sweden, Russia, and Germany would regard the
birch as indicating poor, sandy, boggy, or rocky soil ; and would not place
it on a lawn ; from the same feelings that would prevent a London planter
from placing there the alder, or any of the common willows. In the gar-
denesque style, therefore, or in that species of picturesque which is an
imitation of nature, and not an identification of her scenery, the birch, in most
parts of Europe, would require to be planted in situations where it would not
be conspicuous ; and never where it would form a leading feature in any
general view. The same principle applies in the case of every indigenous tree ;
and with a force proportionate to the commonness of that tree in the country
where the gardenesque plantation is to be made. A residence planted in a
style truly gardenesque ought, as we have often observed, to have no indigenous
trees in it whatever.
Where plantations are to be made in the elegant or artistical picturesque
style, and which are intended to form scenes which will be considered
by painters as equally worthy of their study with picturesque natural
scenery, and yet never for a moment be mistaken for it, the introduc-
tion of the birch must be guided by exactly the same principles as in the
gardenesque. It must never be planted in small groups, but always in
groups of such a size as to be only seen in association with other trees.
The exceptions to this last rule are, situations at a distance from scenery
where the birch is indigenous; and these may be considered as occur-
ring in all fertile valleys and plains. However beautiful the birch tree may
be in itself, and especially when it assumes the weeping form, it would be
inconsistent with sound principles to plant it on lawns either in North Wales
or the Highlands of Scotland ; though in the neighbourhood of London, and
many parts of England, it may be justly admitted, even on lawns, as one of the
most elegant of our ornamental trees.
Where the common birch is so favourite a tree as to make it desired in
considerable numbers, the only mode of introducing it into artificial scenery
in countries where it abounds, is by planting it in avenues, or in geometrical
lines ; or by having a scene expressly devoted to a fac-simile imitation of nature.
Where, in planting a park, the object is to cause it to be mistaken for a
natural forest, then, if the soil is poor, the birch may be planted or sown in im-
mense quantities; the object in this case being fac-simile imitation. In every resi-
dence, also, where there is an arboretum (and we trust that the time will soon
come when there will be no gentleman's seat of any extent without one), the
birch, like every other indigenous tree, will, of course, find a place. In resi-
dences to be formed in hilly or mountainous scenery where the birch does
CHAP. CIV. BBTULAVCBJK. IfE'TULA. 1701
not abound naturally, no British tree is more ornamental ; and the common
sort may there be introduced singly, and in groups and masses, along with all
the different species and varieties of the genus. Sir Thomas Dick Lauder
observes that some birch trees should always be planted near a house, for
the very purpose of filling the air with their fragrance, which is given out in
great abundance, particularly after rain or heavy dew ; more especially in
spring, when the resinous matter which produces this fragrance is most abun-
dant on the buds and young leaves.
Poetical Allusions. The birch does not appear to have been celebrated by
any ancient writers, though it has been mentioned by most of the modern
poets. Shenstone introduces it in his Schoolmistress, when alluding to the
birchen rods : —
" And all in sight doth rise a birchen tree,
Which Learning near her little dome did stow ;
Whilome a twig of small regard to see,
Though now so wide its waving branches flow,
And work the simple vassals mickle woe :
For not a wind might curl the leaves that blew,
But their limbs shudder'd, and their pulse beat low ;
And, as they look'd, they found their horror grew,
And shaped it into rods, and tingled at the view."
Pope has also immortalised birch rods in his Dunciad. The beauty of the birch
tree, and the extreme gracefulness of its foliage, render it a fitting emblem
of elegance. Coleridge calls it —
" Most beautiful
Of forest trees — the Lady of the woods.1
and Keats describes —
. . " The silvery stems
Of delicate birch trees."
Professor Wilson, also, gives a beautiful description of a birch tree in his Isle
of Palms.
" On the. green slope
Of a romantic glade we sate us down,
Amid the fragrance of the yellow broom ;
While o'er our heads the weeping birch tree strcain'd
Its branches, arching like a fountain shower."
Many other modern poets have mentioned this tree, and described its varioiu
uses. Phillips says : —
" Even afflictive birch,
Cursed by unletter'd idle youth, distils
A limpid current from her wounded bark,
Profuse of nursing sap."
and Leyden : —
" Sweet bird of the meadow, soft be thy rest :
Thy mother will wake thee at morn from thy nest ;
She has made a soft nest, little redbreast, for thee,
Of the leaves of the birch, and the moss of the tree.1
Numerous other instances might be given ; but these may suffice to show the
popularity of the tree among the observers and lovers of nature.
Soil, Situation, Propagation, Culture, fyc. In the beginning of the last
century (see p. 102.), the Earl of Haddington, who was the greatest and most
judicious planter of his time, called the birch an amphibious plant ; as it grows
on rich or poor, wet or dry, sandy or rocky situations, nor refuses any
soil or climate whatever. Though the birch is found in every kind of soil, as
Sang observes, " from that of a deep moist loam in a low bottom, to a poor
sandy, gravelly, or moorish earth ;" or, according to Ray, " in turfy soil over
sand, " alike in plains and in mountainous situations ; yet it " luxuriates most
in deep loams, lying on a porous subsoil, or in alluvial soil, by the sides of
rivers, or smaller streams. Even in such situations," Sang continues, " though
among stones and rocks, as on the River Dee, in Aberdeenshire, in particular,
the birch flourishes most exuberantly. On the sides of hills, in dry soils, it
grows slowly; but on such its timber is most durable." (Plant. AW., p. 54.)
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170C ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
Though the birch may be propagated by layers, and even by cuttings, yet
plants are not readily produced otherwise than by seed ; and those of certain
varieties, which are procured from layers, or by inarching, never appear to
grow with the same vigour as seedlings. Birch seed ripens in September and
October ; and may be either gathered and sown immediately, or preserved in
a dry loft, and sown in spring. Sang directs particular attention to be paid
to gathering the seeds only from weeping trees; and this we know to be the
directions given to the collectors employed by the nurserymen in the north
of Scotland. If the seeds are to be sown immediately, the catkins may be
gathered wet ; but, if they are to be kept till spring, they ought not to be
gathered except when quite dry; and every day's gathering should be carried
to a dry loft and spread out thinly, as they are very apt to heat when kept
in sacks, or laid up in heaps. The seeds should be sown in very fine, light,
rich soil, in beds of the usual width, and very slightly covered. Boutcher
says : — " Sow the seeds and clap them into the ground with the back of the
spade, without any earth spread over them, and throw a little peas haulm over
the beds for three or four weeks, till the seeds begin to vegetate. The peas
haulm will keep the ground moist, exclude frost, and prevent the birds from
destroying the seeds." (Treat, on Forest Trees, p. 113.) "It is scarcely
possible," Sang observes, " to cover birch seeds too little, if they be covered
at all." The plants, if sown in autumn, will come up in the March or April
following. If sown in spring, they will come up in May or June ; which, in
very cold climates, is a preferable season. If any danger is apprehended from
moisture in the soil during winter, the alleys between the beds may be
deepened, so as to act as drains. In the nursery lines, the plants require very
little pruning, and their after-care, when in plantations, is equally simple.
Wherever the birch abounds in woods or coppices, a great many seedling
plants spring up ; and these in various parts of England, are collected by the
country people, and sold to the nurserymen. This is, indeed, the mode by
which young trees and hedge plants of every kind were obtained before the
establishment of commercial nurseries. Young birch plants which have been
pulled out of coppice woods, when about two years old, we are informed by
Messrs. Young and Penny, of the Milford Nursery, who adopt the practice
extensively, " are found to root much better than seedlings of the same age
and size taken out of a regular seed-bed; doubtless because, in the latter
case, a greater proportion of the taproot requires to be cut off. In the case
of the young birches pulled out of the copses, the taproot, which could not
get far down into the hard soil, has its substance in a more concentrated form,
and is more branching; hence, little requires to be cut off it, except the ragged
rootlets, or fibres ; and it may be considered as acting as a bulb to the upper
part of the plant. The tops of these seedling birches are shortened before
planting ; and the plants, Mr. Young informs us, make as much wood in one
year as regular nursery-reared birch seedlings will in two. It is found in this
part of the country, that the downy-leaved black-barked seedling birches
(B. a. pubescens) stole much more freely, when cut down as coppice-wood,
than the smooth-leaved white-barked weeping variety (B. a. pendula). (See
Gard. Mag., vol. xi. p. 506.) It appears from Boutcher, that this mode of
obtaining young birch trees, was formerly practised in Scotland.
In France and Germany, plantations of birch are frequently made by sowing
the seed where the trees are intended finally to remain. For this purpose
the poorest soils are harrowed in humid weather, in the month of October, or
of November, and 15 Ib. of seed, as it is taken from the catkins along with
the scales, is sown on an acre, and afterwards covered with a bush harrow.
Where the ground is under corn, the seed is sown with the last corn crop, as
clover is in England ; and, where it abounds with weeds and bushes, these are
set fire to, early in the autumn, and the seed sown as soon afterwards as it is
gathered from the trees. It is observed by Michaux, that burnt soil is pecu-
liarly favourable to the growth of the birch, which in America reappears,
as if by enchantment, in forests that have been burnt down.
Accidents, Insects, and Diseases. Pallas observes that, in some parts of
CHAP. CIV. 7/ETULAxCE^E. If E TULA. 1703
Russia, where whole tracts of forests of different kinds of trees occur, there
is scarcely any tree more frequently struck by lightning than the birch ; which,
he says, refutes the superstitious notion of the Laplanders, who, believing
that the tree is never struck by lightning, seek for shelter under its branches
in a thunder-storm. It has constantly been observed, he says, that the birch
is always struck by the electric fluid transervely, below the top, and shivered
to pieces ; while the pine is ploughed by a deep furrow from the apex to the
ground, tearing oft' the bark, and leaving the tree entire. The common birch,
Mr. Westwood observes, is a tree upon which a very great number of insects
feed, seldom, however, causing any mischief of importance. Of these, it will be
sufficient to notice a few of the more remarkable ; indicating by a star those
which not only feed on the birch, but on various other trees ; and by a dagger
those which feed on the birch only ; commencing with the Lepidoptera, the
caterpillars of which, either exclusively or partially, subsist upon its leaves.
Amongst the butterflies, the Camberwell beauty (Vanessa Antioprz) is u
partial birch-feeder, whilst the brown hair-streak butterfly (Thecla betuke)
seems to be confined to birch woods ; appearing in the winged state in the
month of August. Amongst the Sphingidcc, Smerinthus tiliae (the lime hawk
moth) occasionally feeds upon the birch. Amongst the Linnaean 2?6mbyces,
the singular lobster caterpillar ( Stauropus fagi) partially feeds upon this tree,
and is met with, though but rarely, at Birch Wood, in Kent. * Leiocampa
dictaexa and *L. dictaeoides, * Lophopteryx camelina, *L. carmelita, *Ptilo-
phora variegata, *E'ndromis versicolor (the rare glory of Kent moth), the
reputed British species *Aglai« tau, *Eriogaster lanestris, * Callimorpha
miniata, * Lithosia quadra. Amongst the JVbctuidae, * Apatela /eporina,
*Acronycta auricoma, -f-Ceropacha fluctuosa, *C. flavicornis (the caterpillar
of which is a leaf-roller), *C6smia trapetzina, -|-C. fulvago, *Brepha notha,
* Catocala fraxini. Amongst the Geometridae, * Hybernia capreolaria,
* H. prosapiaria, *H. defoliaria, *Phigalia pilosaria, *BistO7* prodromarius,
*B. betularius, * Hipparchu-s ^apilionarius, -j-Cabera exanthemata, •{• Mela-
nippe hastata, f Emmelesia heparata. Amongst the smaller moths, -j-Pla-
typteryx /acertula, * Drepana falcataria, * D. ungufcula, *Pyralis barbalis,
f Antithesia betuletana, f Anacampsis betulea, ^Egeria spheciformis (one of
the small clear-winged hawk moths), and Zeuzera ae'sculi (Jig. 636. in p. 887.),
feed upon the wood of the birch. The coleopterous insects, Balaninus
betulae, Deporaus betulae, Rhynchites betulas, and Chrysomela betulae, also
feed upon the birch in the larva state, and are found upon it when they have
attained their imago form, devouring the tender leaves and young shoots.
Several species of Tfenthredinidas, or saw flies, also feed upon the leaves
whilst larvae, including Selandria betuleti, and Lyda betulae. The little flat
hemipterous insect A'radus betulae resides beneath 1-553
the bark, whilst ANphis betulae, Coccus betulae, and
Psylla betulae subsist upon the young shoots and
buds. When the birch begins to decay, various fungi
root themselves into its wood. The principal of these
are Daedalea Aetulina Fries (^garicus fctulinus L.,
and our Jig. 1553.), Polyporus 6etulinus Fries (boletus Aetulinus Bull. t. 312.),
and P. versicolor Fr. (our fig. 1554.); of these, P. detulinus generally grows
on the trunks of dead trees, and has white flesh, which has an acid taste
and smell. The epidermis is very thin and delicate, and easily 1554
peels off"; when dry the whole plant is very light, and its tex-
ture is between coriaceous and corky. (Eng. Fl.y v. p. 140.)
Polyporus fomentarius (see Q. 7?6bur) and P. nigricans Fries
are also found on the birch. The latter, though called the
black amadou, is quite unfit for making tinder. It is a very
distinct species, and is of a bright shining black, though, when
old, the epidermis becomes cracked, and of a dull ash colour.
Radulum orbiculare Fr. El., 1. p. 149. (Hydnum radula Fries
Syst. Mus., 1. p. 423.; H. spathulatum Grcv. Fl. Edin., p. 406.) is found on
the trunks of dead birches. Phlebia radiata Fries grows on the living birch
1704-
ARBORETUM AND FRUT1ETUM.
PART III
1555
trees. This is a very singular fungus ; it is composed
of folds radiating from the centre, with a beautifully
radiated margin; it was found at Appin, in Argyllshire.
SphaeVia multifdrmis Fries is also found on the birch.
To this list may be added Agariciis muscarius L.
(Jig. 1555.), the fly agaric, the most poisonous of all
the genus, which is generally found in birch woods.
It is highly narcotic, producing, in small doses, intox-
ication and delirium, for which purpose it is used in
Kamtschatka; and, in larger doses, death. For a de-
tailed account of its poisonous effects, see Roque's
Hist, des Champ. , p. 123. ; and a paper by Dr. Greville,
in the 4th vol. of the Wernerian Trans., from which
an extract is given by Dr. Lindley, Introd. to Nat.
Syst. of Sot., p. 337. (Eng. Ft., vol. v. p. 4.)
Statistics. Recorded Trees. A weeping birch, at Ballogie, in the parish of Birse, in Aberdeenshire,
measured, in 1798, 5ft. in circumference at 4ft from the ground. It had a clear straight stem, about
50ft. high, of nearly equal thickness throughout ; and the total height of the tree was supposed to
be about 100ft. (Stat. Hist., vol. ix. p. 129.) In the Forest of Tarnawa, in Morayshire, there are
several birches which girt 9ft, at 4 ft. from the ground. (Ibid., vol. viii. p. 557.) Sir Thomas Dick
Lauder says that there are now many in the same forest which girt 10 ft. and 11 ft. ; and he measured
one which girted 13 ft. at 3ft. from the ground. (Lauder's GUpin, vol. i. p. 28:3.) In France, in the
time of Du Hamel, there was a superb weeping birch at Ermenonville, which stood beside the
Temple of Philosophy, in the park, and hung over part of the building.
Existing Trees. In the environs of London, in the Fulham Nursery, 40 years planted, it is 50 ft.
high. In Dorsetshire, at Melbury Park, 50 years planted, it is 72ft. high ; in Wiltshire, at Wardour
Castle, 40 years planted, it is 60ft. high, diameter of the trunk 2ft., and that of the head 30ft.
In Scotland, in Haddingtonshire, at Yester, 80 years planted, it is 73 ft. high, diameter of the
trunk 4 ft. 6 in., and of the head 78 ft. ; in Forfarshire, at Kinnaird, 100 years planted, it is 70 ft. high,
the diameter of the trunk 3ft., and of the head 54ft. ; in Perthshire, at Taymouth, B. alba pendula
is 64 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft., and of the head 50 ft. ; in Ross-shire, at Brahan Castle,
the species is 70 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft, and of the head 30 ft. In Ireland, in the
Glasnevin Botanic Garden, 35 years planted, it is 36ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft., and of the
head 16 ft. ; in Tyrone, at Baron's Court, it is 60 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 4 in., and of the head
50ft. In France, at Avranches, in the B6tanic Garden, 19 years old, it is 49 ft. high, the diameter
of the trunk 2| ft., and of the head 20 ft. In Bavaria, in the Botanic Garden at Munich, 24 years
planted, it is 28 ft! high. In Austria, at Vienna, at Laxenburg, 25 years old, it is 20 ft. high. In
Prussia, at Berlin, at Sans Souci, 35 years old, the species is 5()ft. high, the diameter of the trunk
2 ft., and of the head 19 ft. In Sweden, at Lund, in the Botanic Garden, 52 ft. high, the diameter of
the trunk 9 in., and of the head 18ft. In Denmark, at Rosenburg, it is between 70 ft. and 80ft.
high. In Russia, near St. Petersburg, at Rudets, on the estate of Madame Constantinoff, 40 years
old, it is 71 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 15 in. In Lombardy, at Monza, 24 years old, it is
45 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft, and of the head 20 ft.
* ¥ 2. B. DAUVRICA Pall. The Daurian Birch.
Identification. Pall. Ross., 1. p. 60. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 463. ; Baum., p. 57. ; N. Du Ham., 3.
p. 204. ; Hayne Dend., p. 166.
Sunonvmes. B. excelsa cauadensis Wane. Beitr., p. 86.; Bouleau de Siberie, Fr.
Engravings. Pall. Ross., 1. t. 39. ; Willd. Baum., t 1. f. 3. and 4. ; and our fig. 1556.
Spec. Char.y $c. Leaves ovate, narrow at the base, quite entire, unequally
dentate, glabrous. Scales of the strobiles ciliated on their margins ; side
lobes roundish. (Willd. Sp. PI., iv. p. 463.) This spe-
cies, according to Pallas, its discoverer, is closely allied
to B. alba, and is found along with that species in*
Dauria, and part of Asiatic Siberia ; but it is not found '
in European Siberia, nor in Russia. It does not grow
so tall as the common birch, and the trunk does not
exceed 1 ft. in diameter. The bark is grey, cleft longi-
tudinally, and divided into brown scales, that have the
appearance of being burnt. The branches are more
subdivided, and more upright, than those of B. alba.
The leaves- are broader, commonly smaller, on shorter
petioles, and unequally serrated. The stipules are
lanceolate, grey, subpubescent, and deciduous. The
male catkins are produced at the ends of the twigs of
the foregoing year, two or three together, larger than
in the common birch; the females are on the same
twigs, lateral, thicker, with larger and more rounded
scales ; the seed, also, is a little longer ; but the niem-
1556
CHAP. CIV.
1705
1557
brane which surrounds it is narrower. The wood of the tree is hard,
and yellower than that of the common birch. Pallas says that it differs
from B. nigra L. (the red birch of America), in having smaller stipules, and
in the leaves being less frequently, and never doubly, serrated ; but, as he
had only an opportunity of comparing it with a .small dried specimen of
the American species, of which he has given us a figure, we cannot place
much confidence in his opinion. The young plants bearing this name at
Messrs. Loddiges's have every appearance of being nothing more than a
stunted variety of the common birch ; but these plants are too small and
unhealthy to enable us to determine, with certainty, whether they arc
really of the kind described by Pallas, or not. This species was introduced
in 1796 ; but it is not common in collections. There is a tree at Croome
bearing this name, which, after being 30 years planted, is 40 ft. high. One
in the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, 3.3 years planted, is 30 ft. high ; and
one in the Botanic Garden at Munich, 25 years planted, is 20 ft. high.
Variety,
Sk % B. d. 2 parvifilia Hayne Dend., p. 167., has the leaves smaller than
the species.
a» 3. B. FRUTICOVSA Pall. The shrubby Birch.
Identification. Pall. Koss., 1. p. 62. ; Du Roi Harb. Baum., 1. p. 151. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 466.,
Bauin., p. 61. ; N. Du Ham., 3. p. 208.
Stjnunymes. B. humilis Schrank Sal., p. 56., Fl. Bavar., No. 305. ; B. quebecctfnsis Schrift. der
Gesells. Naturf. Freunde, 5. p. 196., as quoted by Willdenow.
Engravings. Pall. Ross., 1. t. 40. ; Dend. Brit, t 154. ; and'our fig. 1557.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves roundish-ovate, nearly equally serrate, glabrous.
Female catkins oblong. (Willd. Sp. PI., iv. p. 466.) This species is always
shrubby, and never rises higher than 5 ft. or 6 ft., in moist situations ; but,
on mountains, it grows to a greater size, and
the trunk attains a thickness of 2 in. or 3 in.
The whole plant has a stunted appearance.
The buds are numerous, and come out soon
after those of B. alba. The leaves are small,
and generally two from the same bud. They
are lengthened out, and entire towards the
petiole ; and towards the end, which is very
sharp, they are unequally serrated. The
male catkins are sessile at the ends of the
twigs, frequently unaccompanied with any
leaf: they are more than 1 in. in length, and
pendent. The female catkins are lateral from
the leaf buds, solitary, alternate, upright,
small, commonly peduncled, and accompanied
by a small leaf ; and the ripe seeds remain upon them during the winter ;
their form is cylindric, and they are longer than those of B. nana ; the
scales are narrow at the base, three-forked at the end ; and there are three
seeds to each scale, of the same size and form as in B. nana. Pallas found
this species in marshes, and on rocky mountains in the cold subalpine re-
gions of Eastern Siberia. According to Willdenow, it is also found in
Canada, and in Germany, in Bavaria, and Mecklenburg. About Berlin, it
grows to the height of 4ft. or 5 ft. It was introduced in 1818j and there
are plants at Messrs. Loddiges's, and in some other collections.
* 4. B. PUXMILA L. The hairy dwarf Birch.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 467. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept, 2. p. 622. ; N. Du Ham., 3. p. 207. ;
Lin. Mant, 124.
Synonyme. B. nilna Kalm Itin.t 2. p. 263.
Engravings. Jacq. Hort. Vind., 1. 122. ; Du Roi Harb., 1. t. 3. ; Wang. Beitr., t. 29. f. 61. ; Dend.
Brit. t. 97, and our jig. 1558.
Spec. Char., $c. Branches pubescent, without dots. Leaves roundish -ovate,
on long footstalks, densely clothed with hairs on the under surface. Female
catkins cylindrical. (Willd. Sp. PI., iv. p. 467.) A shrub, a native of bogs in
1706
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III,
1558
Canada, of high mountains
in New York and Penn-
sylvania, where it does not
grow above 2 ft. or 3 ft. high,
and flowers in May and June.
The root is red, and is used
for inlaying. It was intro-
duced in 1762; and there
are plants at Messrs. Lod-
diges's. It appears but little
different from the preceding
sort, and both are probably
only stunted varieties of J5.
alba.
& 5. B. NAVNA L. The dwarf Birch.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 1394. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 465. ; Fl. Br., 1012. ; Eng. FL, 4. p. 154. ;
Hook. Scot, p. 274. ; Dicks. H. Sice., fasc. 8. 16. ; Khrh. Arb., 18. ; Gagneb. Act. Helvct, 1.
p. 58. ; Lind. Wicksb., 5. ; Hayne Dend., p. 168. ; Pursh FL Amer. Sept., 2. p. 262. ; Lodd. Cat.,
ed. 1836-
Synonymes. B. nana Suecbrum Bromel. Chi. Goth,, 11., Linn. Act. Sufc., 1735, 15. ; B No. 1629 ,
HcUl. Hist., 2. p. 300. ; B. No. 259., Amm. Ruth., 180. ; B. palustris pumila, &c., Celt. Act. Suec.,
Engravings. Am. Acad., 1. t. 1. ; Eng. Bot, t. 2326. ; Fl. Lapp., ed. 2., t. 6. f. 4. ; Lightf., t. 25. ;
Pall. Ross., 1. t. 40. f. D. G. ; Fl. Dan., t. 91. ; and our Jig. 1559.
Spec. Char.> $r. Leaves orbicular, crenate, reticulated with veins beneath.
(Eng. Fl., iv. p. 154.) A bushy shrub, seldom exceeding 2 ft. or 3 ft. in
height ; with numerous branches, slightly downy when young, and beset with
numerous, little, round, firm, smooth, sharply crenated
leaves, beautifully reticulated with veins, especially
beneath ; and furnished with short footstalks, having
a pair of brown lanceolate stipules at their base. Cat-
kins erect, stalked, cylindrical, obtuse ; the barren ones
lateral, and the fertile ones terminal. Scales of the
latter 3-lobed, 3-flowered, permanent. Stigmas red.
(Smith's Eng. Fl., vol. iv. p. 155.) A native of Lap-
land, Sweden, Russia, and Scotland, in Europe ; and of
Hudson's Bay, and other parts of Canada, in America;
on mountains, but almost always in boggy places. Ac-
cording to Pallas, it is common in the whole of the
north of Russia and Siberia ; but not on the moun-
tains of Altai or Caucasus. In wet situations, he says,
the shoots grow to the length of 6 ft. ; and, in a state of
cultivation, they grow as high as 9 ft., and assume an erect form. This shrub
is of singular use in the domestic economy of the inhabitants of Lapland.
Its branches furnish them with their beds, and their chief fuel ; its leaves,
with a better yellow dye than that obtained from the common birch ; its
seeds afford nourishment to the ptarmigan, or white partridge (!Tetrao
Z/agopus L.), which supplies a considerable portion of their food, and also
forms an important article of commerce ; and, for their medicine, it produces
the fungus Polyporus fomentarius Mich., respecting which some details will
be found under the head of Quercus, sect, jffobur, from which themoxa, or
amadou, is prepared, and which the Laplanders consider an efficacious
remedy in all painful diseases. Such is the wonderful power of adaptation
of man, in a country possessing few natural resources. B. nana has been
in cultivation in Britain since the days of Miller, and is by no means un-
frequent in collections. Price of plants, in the London nurseries, is 2s.
each ; and of seeds, 6d. per packet. At New York, plants are 25 cents each.
Varieties.
x B. n. 2 stricta Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836, is somewhat more erect in habit
than the species. There are plants at Messrs. Loddigcs's. Pallas men-
CHAP. civ. JSETULA'CE^:. SE'TULA. 1707
tions that the leaves of B. nana vary exceedingly ; in the marshes of
Siberia, especially near Lake Baikal, and in Lapland and the arctic
regions, they are small, and not an inch in length ; but in Ingria, and
the alpine rocky situations of Dahuria, they are large, and frequently
broader than they are long.
& 6. B. GLANDULorSA Mtckx. The glandular-branched Birch.
Identification. Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 2. p. 180. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 466. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept.,
2. p. 622. ; N. Du Ham., 3. p. 208.
Spec. Char.,8fc. Branches beset with glandular dots, glabrous. Leaves obovate, serrate, quite entire
at the base, glabrous, almost sessile. Female catkins oblong; scales halfS-cleft. Seeds round,
with narrow margins. ( H'illd. Sp. PI., iv. p. 466.) A handsome little shrub, not above 2 ft. high ;
found in Canada, about Hudson's Bay, and on the borders of lakes on the high mountains of New-
Jersey and Pennsylvania ; flowering in May. (Pursk.) It seems to correspond, in America, with
the B. nana of Europe, and is probably only a variety of that species. It is not yet introduced.
Leaves large. Natives of North America.
% 7. B. (A.) POPULIFO^LIA Ait. The Poplar-leaved Birch
Identification. Ait. Hort. Kew., 3. p. 336. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 463. ; Baum., p. 5.5. ; N. Du Ham.,
3. p. 204. ; Du Roi Harb. Baum., 1. p. 144. ; Marshal, p. 36. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., vol. 2.
p. 620. ; Michx. N. Amer. Syl., vol. 2. p. 97.
Synonymes. B. acuminata Ehrh. Beit., 6. p. 98. ; B. lenta Du Roi Harb. Baum., ed. 1., p. 92.,
Wang. Beit., p. 45. ; white Birch and Oldtield Birch, Amer.
Engravings. Michx. Arb., 2. p. 139. t. 2. ; Willd. Baum., 1. 1. f. 5. ; Michx. N. Amer. Syl., vol. 2.
t. 71. ; and our fig. 1560.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves deltoid, much acuminated, unequally serrated, quite
smooth. Scales of the strobiles having roundish side lobes. Petioles
glabrous. (Willd. Sp. PI., iv. p. 463.) A tree, in every respect closely
resembling B. alba, but growing with less vigour, and not attaining so large
a size as that species. A native of North America.
Varieties.
± B. (a.) p. 2 lacinidta, B. laciniata Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836, has large,
smooth, shining, deeply cut leaves, and appears to us to belong to
B. (a.) joopulifolia, rather than to B. alba.
¥ B. (a) p. 3 pendula, B. pendula Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836, has the spray
drooping, like that of the weeping variety of the common birch ; but
whether equally distinct or not, we have been unable to determine,
from the very small size of the plants in the London collections.
Description. The poplar-leaved birch, according to Pursh, is a tree from
30ft. to 40ft. high ; but, according to Michaux,
it only attains this height in favourable soils ^^
and situations. On trees that are fully grown,
the branches are numerous, slender, and droop- iSf^^lM 1560
ing. The leaves are smooth on both surfaces, -•^^SVr^'
heart-shaped at the base, very acuminate, and ^^^fNMf^S>
doubly and irregularly toothed. The petioles ^-^ w>?''{-''"W
are slightly twisted; and the leaves are thus ^ SHr
rendered more tremulous than those of trees ^tt^BkJWr^
on which this disposition is not observed. The -,- ... .,ssr.: Ltf^^H^ss*
buds, a few days after their developement, arc •- LlFwP^SIj^
slightly coated with a yellowish odoriferous v^fe^J vat^MF^Sfc^
substance, like those of B. alba. The trunk of
this species is clothed in a bark of as pure a
white as that of B. papyracea and B. alba ;
but its epidermis, when separated from the
cellular integument, is capable of being divided,
like that of B. nigra and B. excelsa, into thin
sheets, which constitutes an essential difference.
(Michx. N. Amer. Syl., ii. p. 98.) The tree
is indigenous to barren rocky woods and old
fields, from Canada to Pennsylvania. It is
rare in Virginia, and does not exist in the other southern states. It is
most frequently found in places scantily furnished with wood, where the
1708 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
soil is dry and meagre. In such situations, it commonly attains the height
of 20 ft. or 25 ft. ; but single trees, in moist places, grow to nearly double
that height, with trunks from 8 in. to 9 in. in diameter. It is less com-
mon in America than any other species of birch, being rarely found in
groups; and single trees are met with only at considerable intervals. It is
most common in the district of Maine ; but, even there, it is only seen by the
sides of the highways, and in sandy soils that have been exhausted by cultiva-
tion. The wood is very soft, brilliant when polished, and perfectly white ;
but it speedily decays, and, in America, is employed for no purpose, not even
for fuel. The twigs are too brittle for common brooms. It was first culti-
vated in England by Archibald Duke of Argyll, at Whitton, in 1750; and it
is to be met with in the principal British and Continental nurseries. When
the plants are raised from seed, they make very handsome trees ; and, as seed
is freely produced, this mode ought always to b,e adopted : but plants from
layers seldom attain any magnitude. The largest trees that we know of in
the neighbourhood of London are at Purser's Cross and Syon ; where, how-
ever, they are under 50 ft. in height. In the Fulham Nursery, there is one
30 ft. high ; and the largest tree of this kind in England, seems to be at Dod-
dington, in Gloucestershire, where it is CO ft. high. In Ireland, in the Glas-
nevin Botanic Garden, 35 years planted, it is 30 ft. high. The price of plants,
in the London nurseries, is from 1*. to Is. 6d. each, and seeds Is. per quart ;
at New York, plants are 10 cents each, and seeds CO cents per pound, or
5 dollars per bushel.
t 8. B. PAPYRANCEA Ait. The Paper Birch.
Identification. Ait. Hort. Kew., 3. p. 337. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 464., Baura., p. 58. ; N. Du Ham.,
3. p. 205. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 621.
Synonymes. B. papyrifera Michx. Fl. Bar. Amer., 2. p. 180., Marshal, p. 36. ; B. lanceoKlta Hort.;
B. rubra Lodd.Cat., ed. 1836 ; B. canadensis Lodd. Cat. j B. nlgra qflhe Paris nurseries ; Canoe
Birch, white Birch, Amer.
Engravings. Michx. Arb., 2. t. 1.; Willd. Baum., t. 1. f. 1. ; our fig. 1561. ; and the plate of this
tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., S/-c. Leaves ovate, acuminate, doubly serrate ; veins hairy be-
neath ; petiole glabrous. Female catkins on long footstalks, drooping;
scales having the side lobes short, somewhat orbiculate. ( Willd. Sp. PL, iv.
p. 4G4-.) A North American tree, attaining GO ft. or 70 ft. in height ; and
flowering, in America, in May and June. Introduced in 1750.
Varieties.
5f B. p. 2ftisca, B. fusca Base. — This variety is mentioned, in the Nouveau Du Hamel, as having
been collected by Bosc in Carolina. The leaves are smaller than those of the species,
and less downy. The branches, covered with a short soft down, of a brownish colour,
somewhat resemble those of B. nlgra Ait.
*£B.p.3 trichdclada Hort.,has extremely hairy branches, and its twigs in threes. It has heart.
shaped leaves. There is a tree in the Horticultural Society's Garden.
5f B. p. 4 platyphylla Hort. has very broad leaves.
Description, $c. The largest size which this tree attains in North America,
according to Michaux, is about 70 ft. in height, with a trunk 3 ft. in diameter ;
but a writer in the Gardener's Magazine mentions trees which girt from 18ft.
to 20 ft. in the settlements of the Hudson's Bay Company. Its branches are
slender, flexible, and covered with a shining brown bark, dotted with white. The
leaves are borne on petioles four or five lines long, and are of a middling size,
oval, unequally denticulated, smooth, with scarcely any hairs, and of a dark green.
The catkins are pendulous, and about 1 in. in length : the seeds are ripe towards
the middle of July. On trees the trunks of which do not exceed 8 in. in di-
ameter the bark is of a brilliant white ; and is as indestructible as the bark
of B. alba. The heart wood of this tree, when first laid open, is of a reddish
hue ; and the sap wood is perfectly white. It has a fine glossy grain, with a
considerable share of strength; but speedily decays when exposed to alternate
dryness and moisture. Michaux considers it, however, equal in point of useful
properties to the white birch of Europe. A section of the trunk of a full-
grown tree, 1ft. or 2 ft. in length, immediately below the first ramification,
exhibits very elegant undulations of the fibre, representing bunches of feathers,
pr sheaves of corn. These pieces are divided by cabinet-makers into thin
CHAP. CIV.
ZfE'TULA.
1709
plates, and arc much used by them, in Boston
and in other towns situated farther north, for
inlaying. The tree affords excellent fuel.
The hark, like that of the European species,
is, in Canada and the district of Maine, em-
ployed for many purposes. It is placed in
large pieces immediately under the shingles of
the roof, to prevent the water from penetrating
through it. Baskets, boxes, and portfolios
are made of it, which are sometimes em-
broidered with silk of different colours. Di-
vided into very thin sheets, it forms a sub-
stitute for paper; and, placed between the
soles of the shoes, and in the crown of the hat
(as the bark of the birch of Europe is in
Lapland), it is a defence against humidity.
But the most important purpose to which it is
applied, and one in which it is replaced by the
bark of no other tree, is the construction of
canoes. To procure proper pieces, the largest and smoothest trunks are
selected. In the spring, two circular incisions are made several feet apart, and
two longitudinal ones on the opposite sides of the tree ; after which, by intro-
ducing a wooden wedge, the bark is easily detached. The plates are usually
10 ft. or 12 ft. long, and 2 ft. 9 in. broad. To form the canoe, they are stitched
together with the fibrous roots of the white spruce, about the size of a quill,
which are deprived of their bark, split, and rendered supple by steeping in
water. The seams are coated with resin of the Balm of Gilead fir. Great use
is made of these canoes by the savages, and by the French Canadians, in their
long journeys into the interior of the country : they are very light, and are
easily transported on the shoulders from one lake to another. A canoe calcu-
lated for four persons, with their baggage, only weighs from 40 Ib. to 50 Ib. ; and
some of them are made to carry fifteen passengers. (Michx. N. Amer. Syl., ii.
p. 88.) A small canoe will carry 20cwt. In the settlements of the Hudson's
Bay Company, tents are made of the bark of this tree, which for that purpose
is cut into pieces 1 2 ft. long and 4 ft. wide. These are sewed together by
threads made of the white spruce roots, already mentioned ; and so rapidly is
a tent put up, that a circular one of 20 ft. in diameter, and 10 ft. high, does
not occupy more than half an hour in pitching. The utility of these "rind
tents," as they are called, is acknowledged by every traveller and hunter in the
Canadas. They are used throughout the whole year; but, during the hot
months of June, July, and August, they are found particularly comfortable.
It has been proposed to introduce this bark into England, and use it for pro-
tecting plants during the winter season, and for various other garden purposes.
(See Gard. Mag., vol. xi. p. 407.) The tree was introduced into Europe,
and cultivated by Archibald Duke of Argyle, in 1750. It flourishes, Michaux
says, in the vicinity of Paris, and is known there in the nurseries under the
name of B. nigra ; we suppose, because the bark of very young trees is ge-
nerally black, and the leaves of a very dark green. In the London nurseries,
it is not very common ; but there are plants of it in the arboretum at Messrs.
Loddiges's; and, in 1834, in the Horticultural Society's Garden, there were
several trees upwards of 30 ft. high, after being 10 years planted. S. papyracea
requires rather a better soil than the common birch, and it is best propagated by
seeds, which are annually received from New York. The plant usually known
by the name of B. papyracea, in the London nurseries, is the B. rubra of
Michaux, jun., the B. lanulosa of Michaux, sen., and our B. nigra, No. 9.
This mistake has arisen from the bark of B. nigra, even in trees not above
1 in. in diameter, separating from the trunk, and rolling up in very thin
paper-like laminae.
Statistics. In the environs of London, at Syon, it is 47 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 1 in.,
1710 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
and of the head 32 ft. In Devonshire, at Endsleigh Cottage, 10 years planted, it is 27 ft. high ; in
Buckinghamshire, at Temple House, 40 years planted, it is 25 ft. "high, diameter of the trunk 10 in.,
and of the head 1C ft. ; in Staffordshire, at Trentham, 26 years planted, it is 34ft. high. In Ireland,
near Dublin, at Cypress Grove, it is 55 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 9 in., and of the head
40ft. In France, at Paris, in the Jardin des Plantes, 30 years old, it is 32 ft. high, the diameter of
the trunk 2| ft., and of the head 30 ft. In Hanover, at Gottingen, in the Botanic Garden, 20
years planted, it is 30ft. high.
Commercial Statistics. Price of plants, in the London nurseries, from Is. to
1*. 6d. each ; and of seeds, Is. per quart. At New York, plants are 25 cents
each, and seeds 1 dollar per pound, or 8 dollars per bushel.
¥ 9. B. NI^GRA L. The black Birch.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 464., Baum., p. 56. ; Ait. Hort. Kew., 3. p. 336. ; Pursh Fl. Amer.
Sept, 2. p. 621. ; N. Du Ham., 3. p. 203. ; Dend. Brit, t. 153. ; Lindleycin Penny Cycl.
Synonym.es. B. Ianul6sa Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 2. p. 181., N. Du Ham., 3. p. 206. ; ? B. rubra
Michx. Arb.,2. p. 162. ; B. angulata Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; red Birch, Amer.
Engravings. Dend. Brit, t. 153. ; Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 2. t. 3. ; Willd. Baum., t. 1. f. 6. ; N.
Du Ham., 3. t. 51. ; Bot. Cab., t. 1248. ; our figs. 1562., and 1563. ; and the plates of this tree in
our last Volume.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves rhomboid-ovate, doubly serrated, acute ; pubescent
beneath, entire at the base. Scales of the strobiles villose ; segments li-
near, equal. (Willd. Sp. Pl.t iv. p. 464.) A tree, a native of North America,
from New Jersey to Carolina ; attaining the height of 70 ft. ; and flowering
in May. Introduced as B. nigra, in 1736, by Peter Collinson ; and again,
as B. angulata, in 1817, by Messrs. Loddiges. We have adopted the spe-
cific name of nigra, because it was preferred by Willdenow and Pursh. The
figure in Michaux, of which our^?g.l562. is a correct copy, differs so much
from that given in Dend. Brit, (our ^g.1563), which we know to be a faith-
ful imitation of the plant which we intend to describe, as it is to be seen at
Messrs. Loddiges's, and in various other nurseries, that we are inclined to
think there must be some error in the application of the name to the figure
in Michaux ; though his description agrees perfectly with our plant — the
difference between the cuts being in the position of the catkins.
Description, fyc. A tree, when full grown, attaining the height of 70 ft., in
Virginia and North Carolina. The trunk and the largest limbs are covered
with a thick, deeply furrowed, greenish bark ; but, on trees with trunks not
exceeding Sin. or 10 in. in diameter, the epidermis is
reddish, or of a cinnamon colour ; " whence, probably,"
says Michaux, " the appropriate denomination of red
birch. The epidermis of this species, like that of the
canoe birch (B. papyracea), divides itself transversely
into thin transparent sheets, which appear to be com-
posed of a mixed substance, instead of presenting a pure
homogeneous texture. Hence they have not a uniform
transparency, nor a perfectly even surface: compared
with the bark of the canoe birch, they are like coarse
paper compared with fine. When this tree is fully ex-
panded, its summit is ample; but the uncommon thickness
of its branches prevents it from appearing tufted; The
twigs which form the extremity of the tree are long,
flexible, and pendulous ; and the limbs are of a brown
complexion, spotted with white : their bark is slightly
uneven ; while on other branches it is smooth and glossy.
The petioles of the red birch are short and downy ; the
leaves, on young trees, are about 3 in. long, and 2 in.
broad, of a light green on the upper surface, and whitish beneath ; though on
old trees they are much smaller : they are doubly denticulated at the edge, very
acuminate at the summit, and terminated at the base in an acute angle, more
regular than is seen in the leaf of any other tree. The female catkins, in
America, are 5 in. or 6 in. long, straight, and nearly cylindrical ; about London,
they are not half the size. The seeds are ripe in the beginning of June."
(A7. Amer. Syl., ii. p. 101.) " No species," Dr. Lindley observes, " can be better
CHAP. civ. BBTULjfcSJfc /yKTriA 1?H
marked than this, which appears, however, rarely to
have found a place in collections. Its leaves are nearly
as large as those of the canoe birch (It. papyr&cea) ;
and they are remarkably angular. The stipules are
unusually large, and more resemble those of the pla-
tanus than the birch." (Penny Cycl.)
The most northerly situation in which this tree
is found in the United States is in New Jersey,
about 10 miles from New York; but it is abundant
in Maryland, Virginia, the upper part of the Carolinas,
and in Georgia. It is not, like the other species,
found growing in the midst of the forest, but only on
the banks of rivers, accompanied by the Piatanus
occidentalis, yTcer eriocarpum, and some species of
willow. It grows, with the greatest luxuriance, on the
sides of limpid streams which have a gravelly bed, and
the banks of which are not marshy. The wood of V^fy * |^P
the red birch is compact, and very nearly white; and
the colour of the sap wood and the heart wood is very nearly the same.
Like that of the juneberry (Amclunchicr Botryapium), it is longitudinally
marked by red vessels, which intersect each other in different directions. The
negroes make bowls and trays of it, when they cannot procure poplar. The
hoops for rice casks are made of its young shoots, and of branches not
exceeding 1 in. in diameter; and the spray makes better brooms than that
of any other species of American birch. "Among all the birches," says
Michaux, " this is the only species, the growth of which is invigorated by
intense heat." For this reason, he recommends it for cultivation in Italy,
and, we may add, for the temperate regions of Australia. In the climate of
London, it scarcely attains a timber-like size ; but there is a tree of it at Syon,
of which we have given a portrait in our last volume, which is 47 ft. high ; one
in the Fulham Nursery, which died in 1834, was 30 ft. high ; and one at Croome,
40 years planted, is 45 ft. high. In all these places it is known as B.
papyracea ; which name it has obtained from the paper-like laminae of its
epidermis, which separate and curl up for the whole length of the trunk ;
and this not only in old trees, but in plants of three or four years' growth.
From this circumstance, it can never be mistaken for any other species of
birch, either in winter or summer. The bark which comes nearest to it is
that of B. daurica, as represented in the engraving of the trunk of an old
tree of that species in Pallas's Flora Rossica. There are plants at Messrs.
Loddiges's, and in several of the London nurseries. They are generally
raised from imported seeds ; but seeds ripen in this country, when the tree
has attained the age of six or eight years. Plants, in the London nurseries,
are from ly. to Is. Qd. each; and seeds \$. per quart. At New York, plants
are 25 cents each, and seeds J dollar and 50 cents per pound, 50 cents per
quart, or 8 dollars per bushel.
¥ 10. B. EXCE'LSA H. Kew. The tall Birch.
Identification. Ait. Hort. Kew., 3. p. 337. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 464., Baum., p. 60. ; Pursh Fl.
Amer. Sept., 2. p. 261. ; N. Du Ham., 3. p. 203.
Synonymes. B. lutca Michx. Arb., 2. p. 152. ; ? B. nlgra DM Rot Herb. Baum., \. p. 148. ; yellow
Birch, Amer.
Engravings. Michx. Arb., 2. t. 5. ; Wats. Dend. Brit., t. 95. : N. Du Ham., 3. t. .02. ; Willd. Baum.,
t. 1. f. 2. ; and our fig. 1564. from Michaux, and fig. 1565. from the Nouv. Du Haw.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves ovate, acute, serrated ; petioles pubescent, shorter
than the peduncles. Scales of the strobiles having the side lobes roundish.
(Willd. Sp. PL, iv. p. 404.) A tree, from 70ft. to 80ft. high, in North
America; and flowering there in May and June. Introduced about 1767.
Description, fyc. The specific name of excelsa, Michaux observes, is in-
judiciously applied to this species, as it leads to an erroneous opinion that it
surpasses every other in height. It is a beautiful tree, and .its trunk is of
5T
1712
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
nearly a uniform diameter, straight, and destitute
of branches for 30ft. or 40ft. *" It is particularly
remarkable for the colour and arrangement of its
epidermis, which is of a brilliant golden yellow,
and frequently divides itself into very fine strips,
rolled backwards at the ends, and attached in the
middle. The young shoots and leaves, at their un-
folding, are downy. Towards the end of summer,
when fully expanded, the leaves are perfectly smooth,
except the petiole, which remains covered with fine
short hairs. The leaves are about 3^ in. long, and
2^ in. broad; oval, acuminate, and bordered with
sharp irregular teeth. The leaves, the bark, and the
young shoots, have all an agreeable taste and smell,
similar to those of the black birch (B. lenta),
though they lose it in drying. In its fructification,
this species nearly resembles B. lenta. The female
catkins are borne on short peduncles, and are twelve
or fifteen lines long, and 5 or 6 lines in diameter ;
straight, of an oval shape, and nearly cylindrical.
The scales which compose them are trifid, pointed, and about 3 lines in
length ; viewed through a lens, they are seen to be downy. Beneath these
scales are the small-winged seeds, which are ripe, in America, about the 1st
of October. (N. Amer. Syl.t ii. p. 104.) It abounds in the forests of Nova
Scotia, of New Brunswick, and of the district
of Maine. In New Jersey and Pennsylvania,
it is rare, and only met with in moist and
shady situations. It is confounded by the
inhabitants of these countries with B. lenta,
which is very abundant there, and to which
it bears a striking resemblance. In the dis-
trict of Maine, it is always found in cool and
rich soils, among ash trees, the hemlock
spruce, and the bfack spruce. It attains the
height of 60 ft. or 70 ft., with a trunk of
more than 2 ft. in diameter. It requires
a moister soil than most of the other Ame-
rican birches. " The wood of the yellow
birch is inferior in quality and appearance
to that of B. lenta, and never assumes so
deep a shade ; but it is strong, and, when
well polished, makes handsome furniture.
In Nova Scotia, and in the district of Maine,
it is found by experience, to be every way
proper for that part of the framework of
vessels which always remains in the water.
In the district of Maine, it is preferred for the yokes of cattle, and for the frames
of sledges ; and, in Nova Scotia, the young saplings are almost exclusively em-
ployed for making the hoops of casks." (N. Amcr. SyLt vol.ii. p. 105.) The wood
is excellent for fuel, and the bark is highly esteemed by tanners. Boards of this
tree were formerly imported into Ireland and Scotland in large quantities, and
were much used in joinery. Michaux considers it better adapted to the soil
and climate ot Germany than to those of France, on account of the moisture
which it requires. Though this species has been in British gardens since 1767,
when it was introduced by Mr. Gordon of the Mile End Nursery, yet it is
not common in collections. There are plants in the arboretum of Messrs.
Loddiges, but they are small ; and to us they appear to bear a close resem-
blance in their leaves to B. lenta. Willdenow mentions that there are no
large trees of this kind about Berlin. Plants, in the London nurseries, are
CHAP. CIV.
£ETULAX:E2B. BE TULA.
1713
from 1*. to 1*. Gd. each, and seeds 1*. Or/, per quart; at Bollwyller, the young
plants may be obtained for 2 francs ; and at New York, plants are 25 cents
each, and seeds 1 dollar and 35 cents per quart, and 4-$ dollars per bushel.
¥ 11. B. LK'NTA /,. The pliant Birch.
Menti/icatiun. Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 464., Enum., 981., Buum., p. 49. ; Wend. Coll., 2. p. 8. ; Pursh
Ft Amer. Sept., 2. p. 621. ; N. Du Ham., 3. p. 205. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Stmonvtncs B. rarpinifMia Ehrh. Beitr., 6. p. 99., Willd. Enum., 981., Baum., p. 49., Wcndl. Coll.,
2 p 81 Mich*. Arb., 2. p. 145. ; B. nlgra Du Roi Herb., 1. p. 93., Wang. Bcitr.t\). 35. The
plant is under both these names, and also under that of B. lenta, in Loddiges's arboretum. Black
Birch, Cherry Birch, Canada Birch, sweet Birch, Mountain Mahogany, Amer. ; Bouleau Merisier,
Engravings. Wang. Beltr., t. 15. f. S4. j Wend. Coll., 2. t. 41. ; Michx. Arb., 2. t. 94. ; and our
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves cordate-ovate, acutely serrated, acuminate j petioles
and nerves hairy beneath. Scales of the strobiles smooth, having the side
lobes obtuse, equal, with prominent veins. (Willd. Sp. 7V., iv. p. 464.) A
tree, from 60 ft. to 70 ft. high ; a native of North America, from Canada to
Georgia; and flowering there in May and June. Introduced in 1759.
Description, $c. According to Pursh, this is an elegant and large tree, the
most interesting of its genus, on account of the excellence of its wood. In
favourable situations, it sometimes exceeds 70ft. in height, with a trunk 2 ft.
or 3ft. in diameter. The
outer bark, on old trees, de-
taches itself transversely at
intervals, in hard plates, 6 in.
or 8 in. broad ; but, on trees
with trunks not more than
Sin. in diameter, the bark
is smooth, greyish, and per-
fectly similar in its colour
and organisation to that of
the cherry tree. In the neigh-
bourhood of New York, B.
lenta is one of the first trees
to renew its leaves. These,
during a fortnight after their
appearance, are covered with
a thick silvery down, which
afterwards disappears. They
are about 2 in. long, ser-
rated, somewhat cordiform
at the base, acuminate at the summit, of a pale tint, and fine texture. In
general appearance, they are not unlike those of the cherry tree. The
young shoots are brown, smooth, and dotted with white, as are also the
leaves. When bruised, the leaves diffuse a very sweet odour ; and, as they
retain this property when dry if carefully preserved, they make an agree-
able tea, with the addition of sugar and milk. The male catkins are flexible,
and about 4 in. long: the female ones are 10 or 12 lines long, and 5 or 6
lines in diameter ; straight, cylindrical, and nearly sessile, at the season of their
maturity, which is about the 1st of November. The tree is of very rapid
growth; as a proof of which, Michaux gives an instance of one, which, in 19
years, had attained the height of 45ft. 8 in. Michaux found the cherry birch
in Nova Scotia, in the district of Maine, and on the estate of Vermont. It
is abundant in the neighbourhood of New York, and in Pennsylvania and
Maryland. Farther south, it is confined to the summit of the Alleghanies ;
and it is found throughout their whole range, to its termination in Georgia.
On the steep and shady banks of the rivers which issue from these mountains,
in deep, loose, and cool soils, it attains its largest size. The wood of B. lenta,
when freshly cut, is of a rosy hue, which deepens by exposure to the light.
Its grain is fine and close : it possesses a considerable degree of strength, and
5T 2
1714- ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
takes a brilliant polish. The union of these properties renders the wood
superior to that of all the other American birches. In Massachusetts, Connec-
ticut, and New York, the wood of this birch is next in esteem to that of
the wild cherry (Cerasus virginiana). Tables, bedsteads, arm-chairs, sofas,
coach panels, shoe-lasts, and a great many other articles, are made of it.
Hunter, in his notes to Evelyn's Sylva, vol. i. p. 219., says that the sup of this
tree is used by the inhabitants of Kamtschatka without previous fermentation ;
and that the natives strip off the bark when it is green, cut it into long narrow
strips, like vermicelli, and, after drying it, stew it with their caviare. Michaux
strongly recommends the tree for cultivation, on a large scale, in the north
of France, in England, and in Germany ; and to the lovers of curious trees,
" as eminently adapted, from the beauty of its foliage and the agreeable odour
of its flowers, to figure in their parks and gardens." Though" cultivated by
Miller as early as 1759, it has never been much introduced into plantations,
either useful or ornamental. In the year 1818, it was recommended by a com-
mittee of the Caledonian Horticultural Society, as likely to prove a better tree
than the common birch for the moist and deep soils of the Highland valleys
of Scotland ; but we have never heard of any of this, or of any other Ame-
rican species of birch being tried there. One reason may be the high price
of these plants in the nurseries, which arises solely from the want of demand,
as all the species are just as easily raised from seed as the common birch.
As these seeds are procurable at very low prices, we repeat our recommenda-
tion to private gentlemen to purchase them, and to raise plants in their
own nurseries. There are plants of this birch at Messrs. Loddiges's; and
there is a considerable tree of it at Syon, which ripens abundance of seeds
yearly. In Ireland, at Oriel Temple, 50 years planted, it is 52 ft. high ; di-
ameter of the trunk 1 ft. 9 in., and of the head 42 ft. Plants, in the London
nurseries, are from Is. to Is. 6d. each ; and seeds are l.y. per quart. At New
York, plants are 12 cents each ; and seeds 60 cents per pound, 30 cents per
quart, and 5 dollars per bushel.
App. i. Species of Birch not yet introduced.
In Royle's Illustrations, several species of birch are mentioned as occupying the loftiest stations in
the mountains of Nepal, and other parts of the Himalayas, " as might be expected," he adds, " from
this genus extending to the highest latitudes." B. Bhojputtra Wall., the most useful and most gene-
rally known species, is found on Gosssiinthan, in Kamaon, or Choor, and in Kedarkanta. B. nftida
and B. cylindrost^chya occur with the former in Kamaon ; the latter extending also to Manma and
Dhunoultee. B. resim'fera lioylr, confined to Kunawar, with catkins resembling those of B. IQtea
MicAx., has leaves something like those of B. papyrifera. (Illust., &c., p. 344.) Dr. Lindley has
described four of these species in the Penny Cyclopaedia ; and, as they are likely to prove hardy, and
will probably soon be introduced, we give 'the following descriptions from that work, and froin the
work of Dr. Wallich : —
B. Bhojputtra Wall. The Indian Paper Birch. Leaves oblong-acute, with nearly simple serratures,
t somewhat heart-shaped at the base ; their stalks, ve-:ns, and twigs hairy. Female catkins erect, cylin-
drical, oblong. Bracteas smooth, woody, two-parted, blunt, much longer than the fruit, which has
narrow wings. A tree, found on the alps of Gurwal, in Kamaon, where its thin delicate bark fur-
nishes the masses of flexible laminated matter, of which great quantities are brought down into the
plains of India, for lining the tubes of hookahs ; and which is used by the mountaineers, instead of
paper, for writing upon. The Sanscrit name of the substance is boorjee ; a word which Mr. Graves
Haughton considers the root of birch; and one of many proofs that the Saxen part of the English
language is descended from the Sanscrit. (Wall. Plant. As. Rar.t vol. ii. p. 7.) The bark of this
species is of a pale cinnamon colour. It is nearly allied to B. papyr&cea. It would form a beautiful
tree in this country.
B. acuminuta Wall, has leaves ovate lanceolate, sharply serrated, taper-pointed, smooth, dotted
beneath; leaf-stalks and twigs quite smooth ; ripe catkins very long, pendulous, cylindrical, crowded:
the rachis, and the bracteas, which are auricled at the base, downy. Found on many of the moun-
tains of Nepal, and in the great valley of that country, following the course of rivers. The flowers
and fruit arc produced from December to April. It forms a very large and noble tree, from 50 ft. to
60ft. high, of an oval shape, being covered with branches from its base. The wood is stated by Dr.
Wallich to be greatly esteemed by the inhabitants, who employ it for all sorts of purposes where
strength and durability are required. " Prof. Lindley thinks that B. alnoldes (Don's Prod. AV/>.,
p. 58.) refers to this variety." (Wall. PI. As. Ear., t. 109.)
B. nitida. The shining Birch. Leaves oblong, taper-pointed, with fine double serratures, the twigs
and leaf-stalks hairy. Female catkins pendulous, cylindrical, crowded. Bracts three-lobed, hairy,
with the lengthened middle lobe longer than the fruit A tree, found in Kamaon.
B. culindrostachya has leaves oblong, taper-pointed, heart-shaped, with fine double serratures ;
twigs, leaf-stalks, and veins downy; female catkins pendulous, very long, cylindrical; fruit deeply
two-lobed; bracts linear-lanceolate, bUint, membranous, with two teeth at the base, fringed with
hairs. A tree, found in Kamaon.
CHAP. cv. coiiYLA\jt.-E. 1715
CHAP. CV.
OF THE HAKDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER CORYLAVCEA:,
OR CUPULI'FER^E.
<>HE'K< us Lin. Flowers unisexual; those of both sexes upon one plant. —
Male flowers disposed in long, slender, pendulous catkins; the catkins in
groups. Each flower consists of 8 or more stamens, and these are attended
by 6 — 8 bracteas, that are coherent at the base, and resemble a 6 — 8-
parted calyx. — Female flowers borne upon erect axillary peduncles ; a
tew upon a peduncle. Each flower consists of a pistil, whose ovary, and
the basal part of whose style, are invested with an adnate calyx, that is
toothed at the tip ; and the part of this that covers the ovary is again in-
vested with involucral scales, that are connate with external imbricate
bracteal ones. Ovary with 3 cells (? 5 in Q. 7vlex), and 2 ovules in each,
that at first are erect, soon after pendulous. Style short. Stigma 3-lobed
(? 5-lobed in Q. /lex.), rather fleshy. — Fruit an acorn, mostly oblong or
ovate ; its lower part invested with an imbricate cup ; its base scarred ; the
rest of its surface invested with the adherent, coriaceous, smooth calyx,
that is separable by art; cell, by abortion, I ; seed, by abortion, 1, very
rarely 2. — Species numerous. Trees, chiefly large and deciduous ; for the
greater part natives of the temperate zone of the northern hemispheres, but
some of them found on mountains in the torrid zone. Leaves alternate,
annual, or persistent. Scales of the buds imbricated. Leaves conduplicate
in the bud. (T. Nets ab Escnbcck Gen. PL Fl. Germ, llhistr. ; Smith Eng.
Fl., iv. p. 148.; and observation.)
/<VGUS Tuitnu Flowers unisexual, those of the two sexes upon one plant.
— Male flowers in stalked drooping heads, or capitate catkins, 3 or 4 in
each, attended by minute deciduous bracteas. Each flower consists of
a 5— 6-cleft bell-shaped calyx, and 8 — 12 stamens, that arise from the
bottom of the calyx, and extend beyond its mouth. — Female flowers borne
2 — 6 together, within a pitcher-shaped indistinctly 4-lobed involucre, con-
stituted of numerous unequal bracteal scales, and interior scales grown
together. Each flower consists of a calyx, lengthened into a laciniate limb,
and investing the ovary. An ovary of 3 angles, and 3 cells, and 2 pendulous
ovules in each. — Fruit. Nuts as many as, or fewer than, the ovaries, sur-
rounded by the externally echinate involucre, that becomes 4-valved, and
somewhat woody. Nuts upright, having 3 acute corners, crowned at the tip
with the hairy lobes of the calyx: each includes 2 — 3 seeds, pendulous at
the tip of the partly obliterated dissepiments, where are the remains of the
abortive ovules. — Species few. Trees tall in stature; natives of the colder
parts of Europe and America. Leaves alternate, annual, feather-veined,
plaited in the bud. (T. NCOS ab Escnbeck Gen. PI. Fl. Germ. ; Smith Eng.
FA, iv. p. 150, 151.; and observation.)
CASTAVNEA. Tourn. Flowers unisexual, very rarely bisexual ; those of the dis-
tinct sexes upon one plant. — Male flowers each consisting of a 6-parted
calyx, and 10 — 15 stamens, affixed to its bottom, and extended beyond its
mouth. The flowers are sessile, and disposed in groups along axillary stalks :
each group consists of many flowers, and is involucrated by a bractea and a
bracteole. — The female flowers consist each of an ovary, tapered to the
tip, clothed with a calyx, and crowned by its 6 — 7 — 8-cleft limb, anchbear-
ing as many styles, and having as many cells, with two pendulous ovules
in each. The flowers are disposed 2 — 3 or more together, within a bell-
shaped, and externally bristly involucre, and the involucred groups are
disposed upon terminal stalks, that are lengthened out as the flowers
advance to the state of fruit ; a few at the base of the stalks that bear
the groups of male flowers, and some solitarily in the axils of leaves.
— Fruit. The involucre is 4-valved, and includes 2 — 3 nuts ; the rest
of the number of ovaries being abortive. The nuts are large, and have
5 T 3
1716 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
a large scar at the base: they have 1 cell, and 1, 2, or 3 seeds. —
Species few. Natives of the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere.
Leaves alternate, annual, feather-veined, plaited in the bud. (T. Nccs ab
Esenbeck Gen. Fl. Germ.; Smith Eng. Fl.y iv. p. 150 — 152.; and obser-
vation.)
C'O'RYLUS Lin. Flowers unisexual ; those of the two sexes in distinct cat-
kins upon the same plant. — Male flowers in cylindrical catkins. Bracteas
sessile, imbricate. Two perigonial scales, that cohere at the base, are
adnate to the under surface of the bracteal scale. Stamens 8, inserted
upon the perigonial scales towards their base, and in about the line of their
cohesion. Anthers bearded at the tip of one cell. — Female flowers in a
bud-like catkin, which is developed into a branchlet : the flowers are borne
at its tip. Bracteal scales ovate, entire. Ovaries many, very minute ;
grouped ; each invested with minute, lacerated, villous, involucral scales,
that cohere at the base ; having 2 cells, each including 1 ovule, and this
apparently erect when young, pendulous when adult. Calyx not obvious ;
formed of a slightly villous membrane, that covers the ovary to the tip, and,
as the ovary progresses to a nut, adheres to it most closely, and becomes
part of the shell. Stigmas 2, long, thread-shaped. — Fruit. Nut ovate ;
included in a large, leafy, tubular involucre, that is lacerate at the tip ;
without valves, or, very rarely, with 2 ; scarred at the base ; by abortion,
1-seeded. Seed adhering to the remains of the dissepiment. — Species
few. Large shrubs and trees, occurring in the colder zones of the
northern hemisphere. Leaves alternate, entire, feather-veined. Flowers
protruded before the leaves. ( T. Nees ab Esenbeck Gen. PI. Fl. Germ., and
observation.)
CVRPINUS Tourn. Flowers unisexual ; those of the two sexes in distinct
catkins upon one plant. — Male flowers. The catkin lateral, sessile, cylin-
drical. The bracteas imbricate. The flower consists of 12 or more sta-
mens, inserted at the base of a bractea. Anthers bearded at the tip, 1-
celled. — Female flowers in lax terminal catkins. Bracteas of 2 kinds,
outer and inner : outer bracteas entire, soon falling off; inner bracteas
in pairs, each 3-lobed, with the side lobes much the smaller, forming an
involucre about an ovary. Calyx clothing the ovary to near its tip, and
adhering to it ; toothed at the tip. Ovary with 2 cells, an ovule in each ;
the ovule early pendulous : one of them becomes abortive. Style very
short. Stigmas 2, long, thread-shaped. — Fruit. Nut attended by the
involucre, and ovate, compressed, ribbed, clothed except at the base, and
tipped with the adnate thin calyx ; woody ; including one seed.--- Species
about 3. Natives of Europe, the Levant, and North America. Leaves
alternate, annual, feather-veined, plaited in the bud. (T. Noes ab Esenbeck
Gen. PL Fl. Germ. Illustr.}
O'STRYA Michx. Flowers unisexual ; those of the two sexes in distinct cat-
kins upon the same plant. — Male flowers. The bracteas of the catkin
simple, imbricate. Flower of 12 or more stamens, inserted at the base
of a bractea; filaments branched, each branch bearing an anther; anthers
each of 1 cell. — Female flowers. Bracteas small, deciduous. Involucral
scales in pairs, hairy at the base, the pair growing together at their opposed
edges, and constituting an inflated covering to the ovary, which it conceals.
Calyx investing the whole ovary, and extended at the tip into a very short
ciliate tube. Ovary having two cells, and 1 ovule in each. Style short.
Stigmas 2, long, thread-shaped. — Fruit a nut, minute, ovate, even ; bearded
at the tip ; 1-seeded from abortion ; covered by an inflated, nerved, mem-
branous involucre. The fruits of a catkin imbricately disposed into an
ovate spike. — Species few. Trees, natives of the temperate zones of both
hemispheres. Leaves alternate, annual, feather-veined. (T. Nees ab Escn-
beck, and observation.)
CHAP. IV.
COltYLAY'EJK. QUE'ltCUS.
GENUS I.
1717
QUE'RCUS £. THE OAK. L/w. Syst. MonoeVia Polyandria.
Identification.
t. ;,7.
Lin. Gen., 495. ; Juss., 410. ; Fl. Br., 1025. ; Tourn., t. 349. ; Lam., t. 779. ; Gacrtn.,
Synont/nies. /'lex Tourn. ; S\\ber Tourn. ; Derv/, Celtic ; Aaack, or Ac, Saxon ; Al, Alon, or Allun,
Hebrew ; Drus, Greek ; Chenc, Fr. ; Eiche, Ger. ; Eik, Dutch ; Quercia, Ital. ; Encina, Snan.
Dcr/t'titicm. From qucr, fine, and cuez, a tree, Celtic, according to Lepelletier : but, according to
others, from the Greek word choiros, a pig ; because pigs feed on the acorns. The Celtic name
for this tree (Derw) is said to be the root of the word Druid (that is, priest of the oak), and of the
Greek name Drus. The Hebrew name for the oak (Al, or Alon) is said to be the origin of the old
English word I/an (originally signifying an oak grove, or place of worship of the druids, and after-
wards, by implication, a town or parish), and also of the Irish words clan and dun. In the Book of
Isaiah, xliv. 14., idols are said to be made of Allun, or Alon ; that is, of oak. (Lawth's Trans.)
Description. The oaks are trees of temperate climates, mostly of large
size, and, in point of usefulness to man, only to be equalled by the pine and
fir tribe. The latter may be considered the domestic, and the former the
defensive, trees of civilised society, in the temperate regions throughout
the world. The oak, both in Europe and America, is the most majestic
of forest trees. It has been represented by Marquis (Reck. Hist., &c.)
as holding the same rank among the plants of the temperate hemispheres
that the lion does among quadrupeds, and the eagle among birds ; that
is to say, it is the emblem of grandeur, strength, and duration ; of force that
resists, as the lion is of force that acts. In short, its bulk, its longevity, and
the extraordinary strength and durability of its timber, attest its superiority
over all other trees, for buildings that are intended to be of great duration,
and for the construction of ships. In one word, it is the king of forest
trees. The trunk of the oak is not, in general, remarkable either for its
length, straightness, or freedom from branches, except when it is drawn up
among other trees. In an open situation, the larger species send out nu-
merous very large horizontal branches, so as to form a head broader than the
tree is high. The branches, in many of the species, are tortuous towards
their extremities, and furnished with numerous twigs, or spray. The main
root of the oak, in most species, descends perpendicularly to a considerable
depth, unless the subsoil be unpropitious : but it also extends horizontally as
widely as the branches ; thus taking a firmer hold of the ground than any other
tree, with the exception, perhaps, of the walnut, and one or two others. The
surface roots, in only one or two species, throw up suckers. The leaves vary
in different sections of the genus. In what are called oaks by way of emi-
nence, such as Quercus .ffobur, Q. riibra, and Q,. ferris, which may be con-
sidered as the heads of three great families, they are of a shape which is rarely,
if at all, to be found in any other genus of plants. The lanceolate leaves of
the willow, the cordate leaves of the poplar, and the pinnate leaves of the
ash or the acacia, are to be found in many genera ; but not so the lobed
and sinuated leaves of the oaks of the three sections above mentioned. In
other sections, such as that represented by Q. Phellos and Q. /vlex, the leaves
are entire, and may be considered as exhibiting commonplace forms. In
most of the species, and especially in the larger trees, the leaves are deci-
duous ; but in some sections, as in Q,. /Mex and Q. virens, they are evergreen.
The flowers are in all inconspicuous, without corollas, and, in general, ap-
pearing with, or before, the leaves. The female flowers are, as in most amen-
taceous plants, less numerous than the male flowers ; and, while the male
flowers are, for the most part, on pendulous catkins, the female flowers are in
many cases sessile. The fruit is in all an acorn ; a name in common use, and a
form every where known in the temperate climates of the northern hemisphere.
This fruit is as distinct in its character and appearance from all other fruits,
as tike leaves of the common oaks are from all other leaves. The form and
size of the nut of the acorn do not differ nearly so much as might be ima-
5x4
1718 ARBORETUM AND FRUTJCKTUM. TART III.
gined in the different species. Whoever has seen an acorn of the common
British oak would be at no loss to detect an oak of any species whatever,
provided he saw its fruit ; whereas in the case of many genera, such as
Pyrus, for example, no man, not a botanist, who had seen an apple or a pear,
would recognise as species of the same genus those trees which bore fruit
like the mountain ash. In short, the genus Quercus may be as easily detected
at first sight by its fruit, as the ^bietinae or the Leguminosae are by theirs.
The acorns of different species differ chiefly in the largeness or smallness,
roughness or smoothness, of their calyx, or cup ; and in their being sessile or
stalked. In general, the oaks of Europe have stalked fruit, and the oaks of
America sessile fruit. The fruit of most of the species attains maturity in
one year ; but in some two years are required. In all, the vital principle is
but of short duration ; and very few acorns, of any species, will germinate
after having been kept a year. The rate of growth of the oak is, in most
species, considered slow ; though this is not the case when it is planted on
suitable soil. The most rapid-growing European species is the Q. C'e>ris;
and of the American species, in America, the Q. alba. The highest-growing
species of oaks belong to the groups 7?obur, A'lbae, and Cerris ; but full-grown
trees belonging to these groups, which have reached 100 ft. in height, are rare.
The general height of what are considered large British oaks varies from 60ft.
to 80ft.; and large American oaks, from 70ft. to 90ft. The smallest Eu-
ropean oak is the Q. humilis, which is seldom found higher than 3 ft. or 4 ft.,
and, according to Marquis, is often in the Landes, near Bordeaux, not more
than 1 ft. high when it has attained Its full growth ; and the smallest American
oak is Q. pumila, which is seldom, if ever, higher than 20 in. in a wild state.
The oak which attains the greatest magnitude is Q. pedunculata; and this
species also appears to be of the greatest duration, both in respect to its
life, and to its timber. In ordinary soils and situations, no species of
oak attains to maturity in much less time than a century. There are, also,
few trees which, when raised from seed, are so long 'in producing fruit ;
though there are some exceptions among the European oaks ; and Q.
lanata, a native of Nepal, we have seen in a pot, bearing acorns, at the
age of three or four years. In general, however, the oaks that attain the size
of large trees do not produce fruit till they are between 15 and 18 years
old. Like most other trees, the oak seldom bears an abundant crop of
fruit for two years in succession ; and it increases in productiveness with age.
All the species of oak push up shoots from the collar when cut down, but
only one or two species from the root. In North America, Michaux observes,
dwarf, stoloniferous, or creeping oaks occur, the multiplied shoots of which
cover immense tracts of land. The meadows situated in the midst of the
forests of America are burned annually, either by the Indians or the settlers ;
who endeavour by this practice to produce a new herbage, not only with a view
of feeding their cattle on it, but to attract fawns and other animals from the
forests. During these annual conflagrations, the trees often take fire, and
whole tracts of forest are destroyed. The roots of the trees, however,
generally remain uninjured ; and those of the oaks, which spread hori-
zontally, frequently send up shoots which produce acorns, when only two
or three feet above the ground. These miniature oaks have been found by-
travellers, who, unable otherwise to account for their appearance, have
fancied them distinct species ; but as their acorns, when sown, Michaux ob-
serves, " have produced a taproot, like common acorns, without suckers or
stoloniferous roots, it is not likely that there are any oaks in America
which have naturally trailing stems." (Hist, des Chenes, p. 5.) We have
observed above, that oaks are generally considered of slow growth j but
this chiefly applies to young plants, and as compared with the rate of growth
of soft-wooded trees. After oaks have stood in good soil, and a suitable
climate, for five or six years, they grow with rapidity till they have at-
tained the age of 30 or 40 years, after which, most of the species live, and
continue to increase in size, for centuries. The life of some species of
oak extends to upwards of 1000 years. There are some 'oaks in Britain
CHAP. CV. C'OKYLAVCEA:. ^UE'llCUS. 1719
which are believed to have been old trees in the time of William the Con-
queror; and Pliny mentions u ^uereus 7vlex which was an old tree when
Rome was founded, and which was still living in his time.
Geoizrajiliy. The oak belongs exclusively to climates temperate either by
their latitude or their elevation ; the heat of the torrid zone, and the cold of
the frozen zone, being equally unfavourable to its growth. The common
British oak, after being a long series of years in the Botanic Garden at St.
Vincent's, never attained a greater height than a shrub, having to contend
with the sultry climate of that island. It never shed its leaves till they were
replaced by others, and had, in effect, become evergreen. A plant of the
cork tree, in the same botanic garden, remained stationary for 12 years.
(L. Guilding in Mag. Nat. Hist.} The oak grows naturally in the middle and
south of Europe, in the north of Africa; and, in Asia, in Natolia, the Hima-
layas, Cochin-China, and Japan. In America, it abounds through the greater
part of the northern continent, more especially in the United States ; and
upwards of twenty species are found in Mexico. No species of Quercus has
hitherto been found in Australia, or in any other part of the southern hemi-
sphere, except Java and some of the adjacent islands. In Europe, the
oak has been, and is, more particularly abundant in Britain, France, Spain,
and Italy. In Britain, two species only are indigenous ; in France there are
four or five sorts ; and in Italy, Greece, and Spain, six or seven sorts. The
deciduous oaks are the most prevalent in both hemispheres ; and the ever-
green kinds arc almost exclusively confined to the south of Europe, and to
the temperate regions of Asia and Africa. The number of sorts described by
botanists as species, and as natives of Europe, exceed 30 ; and as natives of
North America, 40. The latter are all comprised between 20° and 48° N.
lat. In Europe, Asia, and Africa, oaks are found from 60° to 18° N. lat.,
and even in the torrid zone, in situations rendered temperate by their eleva-
tion.
In Britain, the oak is every where indigenous. In Norway it is found at
N. lat. 60°; in Finland, in N. lat. 60° 27"; in Livonia, N. lat. 56° 30" and
59° 30" ; and in Russia, N. lat. 50°. The species found in these countries is
exclusively Q,. 7?6bur L., including under this name Q. pedunculata and Q. sessi-
liflora. In the north of Germany, and in the north of France, this is also the
only species; but in the south of Germany, as in Austria, and in the centre of
France, Q. Cerris abounds ; and in the south of France, Q. /Mex, Q. *Suber,
and some other evergreen species, are found. In Spain, as Captain S. E. Cook
informs us, Q. /?6bur is the most abundant, and almost the only species in
nearly the whole of the northern district of the country ; extending through
Navarre, Guipuscoa, Biscay, maritime Castile, and Asturias ; but it is never
found in the middle region. (2- 7vlex is the leading tree throughout the whole
of the middle and southern districts of Spain ; and the next abundant is
Q. gramuntia, which requires a drier climate than the former. Q. gramun-
tia produces edible acorns, which Cook states are as good as, or superior
to, a chestnut. These, he says, were the edible acorns of the ancients, which
they believed fattened the tunny fish on their passage from the ocean to the
Mediterranean. " These are the bellotas which Teresa, the wife of Sancho
Panza, gathered in La Mancha, where they still grow in the greatest perfec-
tion, and sent to the duchess." (Cook's Sketches in Spain, vol. ii. p. 245. to 252.)
In Italy, Q. 6'erris and Q. 7xlex are the prevailing species in the middle
states, Q. pedunculata in the more northern, and Q. sessiliflora in the king-
dom of Naples. In Greece and Asia Minor, we have Q. ff'sculus, with the
others before mentioned; and Q. ./E'gilops, Q. Tauzin, Q,. infectoria, and some
other comparatively rare species, are also found there and in the south of
France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy.
The oak is never found in perfection except in a good soil, and in a tem-
perate climate. Like almost all other plants, it will thrive in a deep sandy
loam, or in vegetable soil; but to attain its full size, and to bring its timber
fo perfection, it requires a soil more or less alluvial or loamy ; and the
European oaks are always most luxuriant, and produce the best timber, on ;»
1720 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICKTUM. PART III.
soil more or less calcareous. No oak in the temperate climates is found of a
large size at a great elevation above the level of the sea ; or where the climate
is very severe in spring. In the Himalayas, and in Mexico, oaks are found
of large size on mountains ; but then the climate, naturally hot, is only ren-
dered temperate by elevation. All oaks whatever are impatient of spring frosts.
History. The oak, from the earliest ages has been considered as one of the
most important of forest trees. It is celebrated, Burnet observes, " in story
and in song, in the forest and in the field, and unrivalled in commerce and
the arts." It was held sacred alike by the Hebrews, the Greeks, and Romans,
and the ancient Britons and Gauls j and it was " the fear of the superstitious
for their oracle, at the same time that it was the resort of the hungry for their
food." The earliest histories that exist contain frequent references to this
tree. The grove planted by Abraham, at Beersheba, was of allun, which
Hillier considers to have been Quercus jE'sculus; and he translates the
words elon Mamre (Gen., xviii. 1.) the oak grove of Mamre, instead of the
plane or terebinthine tree, as elon or ailon is sometimes rendered. In the
like manner, " the plane of Moreh" (Gen., xii. 6.) is said to signify the oak
of Moreh ; and the plane of Mamre, wherever it occurs, the oak tree, or oak
grove, of Mamre. (See Hierophyticon,&c.) According to Jewish traditions, the
oak of Mamre (Gen., xviii. 1.), under which Abraham stood when the angels
announced to him the birth of Isaac, long remained an object of vene-
ration ; and Bayle (Diet. Hist, et Crit.) says that it was still in existence in
the reign of the emperor Constantine. This tree, or rather the grove of
Mamre, is frequently alluded to in the Old Testament ; and in Eusebius's
Life of Constantine we find the oaks of Mamre expressly mentioned, as a place
where idolatry was committed by the Israelites, close to the tomb of Abraham,
and where Constantine afterwards built a church. The first mention of
the word oak in the English version of the Bible appears to be in Gen.,
xxxv. 8. : — " But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath
Bethel under an oak : and the name of it was called Allon-bachuth :" literally,
the oak of weeping. Numerous other instances of the mention of oaks occur
in the Holy Scriptures, particularly in the case of Absalom, whose hair was
caught " by the thick boughs of a great oak." (Second Book of Sam., xviii. 9.)
Joshua, before his death, made a solemn covenant with the people in
Shechem, and, after writing it in the Book of the Law of God, " took a great
stone, and set it up there under an oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord,"
as a witness unto them, lest they should deny God. (Joshua, xxiv. 2G.)
Among the Greeks, the Arcadians believed that the oak was the first created
of trees, and that they were the first people; but, according to others, the
oaks which produced the acorns first eaten by men grew on the banks of
Achelous. Pelasgus taught the Greeks to eat acorns, as well as to build huts.
The oak groves of Dodona, in Epirus, formed the most celebrated and most
ancient oracle on record ; and Pliny states that the oaks in the Forest of
Hercynia were believed to be coeval with the world. Herodotus, and
numerous other Greek writers, speak of celebrated oaks ; and it was an oak
that destroyed Milo of Croton. Pliny states that oaks still existed at the
tomb of Ilus near Troy, which had been sown when that city was first called
Ilium. Socrates often swore by the oak ; and the women of Priene, a mari-
time city of Ionia, in matters of importance, took an oath by the gloomy oak,
on account of a great battle that took place under an oak between the Prie-
nians and other lonians. On Mount Lycaeus, in Arcadia, there was a temple of
Jupiter with a fountain, into which the priest threw an oak branch, in times of
drought, to produce rain. The Greeks had two remarkable sayings relative to
this tree, one of which was the phrase ; " I speak to the oak," as a solemn asse-
veration ; and the other, " Born of an oak," applied to a foundling ; because,
anciently, children, when the parents were unable to provide for them, were
frequently exposed in the hollow of an oak tree.
Frequent reference is made to the oak, by ancient writers, on account of
the use made of the acorns in feeding swine. In the Bible, the woods of
CHAP. CV. CORYLAVCE^E. #UE'HCUS. 1721
Bashan are mentioned as fit for rearing cattle and feeding swine (Numbers,
xxxii.) ; and it is supposed to have been from this district that the great herd
of swine were driven by our Saviour into the Sea of Gennesareth. (Sprcng.
Spec. Hot. Ant.y 17.) The Romans used acorns for the same purpose. In
Strabo's time, Rome was chiefly supplied with hogs which were fattened on
mnst in the woods of Gaul. This mast is supposed to have been the acorns
of the common and the Turkey oaks, and of the jTlex ; but the word mast is
supposed by Burnet, in this case, to have included the mast of the beech, and
the nuts of the chestnut. Many laws were anciently enacted relatively to
acorns. The Romans expressly provided by the laws of the Twelve Tables,
that the owner of a tree might gather up his acorns, though they should have
fallen on another man's ground. (Pliny Nat. Hist., xvi. 6.) In more modern
times, acorns appear to have been used as a common food for man, as well as
for swine. " Little as we now depend for sustenance on the fruits of our forest
trees," Burnet observes, " and great as is the value of their wood, the reverse
was formerly the case : oak corn, that is, ac-cern, or acorns, some centuries
ago, formed an important food both for man and beast." (Amaen. Quer., fol. 1.)
In the present day, the native oak of Tunis, Quercus pseudo-cocclfera, is called
the meal-bearing tree; probably, as Smith observes, from the use of the acorns
as food; and F. A. Michaux mentions that the American Indians obtain an oil
from the acorns of the live oak, which they use in cookery. Pliny tells us
that, in his time, acorns formed the chief wealth of many nations ; and that,
in time of scarcity, mast was sometimes ground into meal, tempered with
water, and made into bread. He also informs us that, in Spain, acorns were
then brought to table to eat ; and Strabo states that, in the mountainous parts
of that country, the inhabitants ground their acorns into meal. (See C/ioulDe
far. Qucr. Hist.) During the war in the Peninsula, both the natives and the
French frequently fed on the acorns met with in the woods of Portugal and
Spain. The numerous herds of swine, which still constitute the chief terri-
torial riches of Spain, are fed, Captain S. E. Cook informs us, on the acorns of
the evergreen oaks, which abound in almost every part of the country. In the
Morea and Asia Minor, acorns are still sold as food. Desfontaiues seems to
have relished those of the Quercus Baltitay which are sold in the public mar-
kets of Morocco and Algiers, and eaten by the Moors, both raw and roasted.
Michaux ate acorns in Bagdad, and speaks with particular praise of those
which grow in Mesopotamia and Kurdistan, which, he says, are as long as the
finger. He also ate and relished the acorns of Spain. (Michx. Hist, des Chenes.)
The antiquity of oak forests is attested by the numerous trees which have
been dug out of bogs, or raised up from the beds of rivers, after having lain
there apparently for many centuries. Fossil oaks, which are particularly
abundant in the Isle of Portland, in the limestone known as Portland stone,
and of which there is a fine specimen in the front of the magnificent conser-
vatory at Syon House, also afford proof of the great' antiquity of this
tree. An immense fossil oak was raised from the neighbourhood of the
salt pits in Transylvania, in which the woody matter appeared to have been
in great part converted into hard salt. Abundance of subterranean oaks
have been dug up in Pembrokeshire ; and, in the Philosophical Transactions,
an enormous oak is said to have been discovered in Hatfield Bog in York-
shire, which was 18 ft. in circumference at the upper end where broken off,
and 36 ft. in circumference at the lower end ; and, though but a fragment,
it measured 120 ft. in length. The timber was perfectly sound; though,
from some of the coins of the Emperor Vespasian being found in the bog
near it, it is conjectured to have lain there above a thousand years, and may
possibly have remained there ever since the great battle fought in Hatfield
Forest, between Ostorius and Caractacus, A. D. 52.
The botanical History of the oak may be considered as commencing with
the time of Bauhin, who described more sorts than Linnaeus. The latter, in
his Specie,-; I'lantarnm, ed. 3., published in 1744, described 14 species; Will-
denow, in his edition of the same work, described 76 ; Persoon, in the Synojuit
}~'2C2 AKBOltETUM AND FK UTICKTUM. PAUTJ11.
Plantarum, 82 ; and about the same number are described in the Xouveau
Du Hainet, and by Smith in the article Quercus in Rees's Cyclopaedia. Ac-
cording to the Dictionnaire Classique a* Histoire Naturelle, the total number of
species described by botanists up to 1823 was 130 ; of which one half belonged
to America, and of these upwards of 40 to the United States. Humboldt
and Bonpland collected 24 species in Mexico ; Dr. Wallich and Dr. Ro) le
have found nearly half that number in the temperate regions of India; and
Blume found 16 species in Java. If, therefore, we take the number of oaks
which have been described by botanists at 150, we shall probably not be far
from the truth. Of these, the number indigenous to, or introduced into,
Britain is, according to our Hortus Britannicns, 62: .so that there remain
to be introduced nearly 100 sorts. When it is considered that ail the oak
family are decidedly trees of temperate regions, and would probably all live
in the open air in the climate of London, their introduction seems one of
the most desirable objects of arboricultural exertion.
The economical History of the European oaks may date from the days of
Theophrastus and Pliny ; the importance of the genus, and the various uses to
which the different species are applied, having been treated of in every work on
planting or forest culture since the time of the Greek naturalist. Secondat,
in his Mem. sur I* Hist. Nat. du Chene, published in 1785, was the first writer
who showed the different qualities of the wood of Q. pedunculata, Q. sessili-
rlora, and Q. Tauzin ; he also made various experiments to ascertain the
strength of the different kinds of oak wood ; and endeavoured to prove that
Q. sessiliflora was the Q. TZobur of the ancients. Fougeroux and Daubenton,
both professors, and members of the Academie Ro\ale lies Sciences, first
pointed out the common error in considering the wood of Q. sessiliflora, which
is common in the old ecclesiastical buildings in France, as the chestnut. (See
Mem. de V Acad. des Scien. for 1781, p. 49. and p. 295. The first work on
the American oaks which treated of the uses of the timber was that of the
elder Michaux, entitled Histoire des Chene s de P Arnerique, published in 1801 ;
and the best modern account of them is in the North American Sylva of his
son, in 3 volumes, 8vo, the English edition of which was published in 1819.
Bosc has also published what may be called the popular and economical history
of the oak, which is entitled, Afeinotret sur les dijfcrentes Etpece* de Chene
(j/ii croissent en France, et sur ces E't rangers a I* Empire qui se cuitivent dans
les Jar dins et Pepinieres des Environs des Paris, &c., in the Mem. de Flnstit.
National de France, ler Semo.tre, for 1807, p. 307. In this work 50 species
are described, of which 14 are considered natives of France. The Recherches
Historiques sur les Chencs, and the Essai sur les Harmonies Vcgetales et
Animales du Chene, both by Marquis, contain some curious information on
the subject. The elder Michaux's work has been translated, and some
additions made to it, by Dr. Wade, in his Qucrcus, published in 1809. It is
remarkable, that, in Martyn's edition of Miller's Dictionary, the part of which
treating of Quercus was published in 1807, no notice whatever is taken of
the oaks of America, except those which had been described in the Hortus
Kewensis, though Michaux's Histoire des Chencs, &c., was published six years
before. The Amcenitates Quercinece, by the late Professor Burnet, published
in Nos. 5. and 6. of Burgess's Eidodendron, 1833, and which occupies 25 folios
of the immense pages of that work, is one of the latest essays on the subject,
and, like all works that have been written by that learned author, is a very curi-
ous and elaborate production, though not so well known as it deserves to be.
Poetical and mythological Allusions. The oak was dedicated by the ancients
to Jupiter, because it was said that an oak tree sheltered that god at his birth,
on Mount Lycaeus, in Arcadia ; and there is scarcely a Greek or Latin poet,
or prose author, who does not make some allusion to this tree. Herodotus
first mentions the sacred forest of Dodona (ii. c. 57.), and relates the traditions
he heard respecting it from the priests of Egypt Two black doves, he says,
took their flight from the city of Thebes, one of which flew to the temple of
Jupiter Ammon, and the other to Dodona ; where, with a human voice, it
CHAP. cv. co RYLANCE A:. QUE'RCUS. 17'23
acquainted the inhabitants that Jupiter had consecrated the ground, which
would in future give oracles. All the trees in the grove became endowed with
the jrift of prophecy ; and the sacred oaks, not only spoke and delivered oracles
while in a living state, but, when some of them were cut down to build the
ship Argo the beams and mast of that ship frequently spoke, and warned
the Argonauts of approaching calamities. (See Horn. Odys , xiv. ; Lucan, vi.
427. ; Apoll.y book i., &c.) After giving the account above related, Herodotus
adds what he calls the explanation of it. He says that some Phoenician
merchants carried off an Egyptian priestess from Thebes into Greece, where
she took up her residence in the Forest of Dodona, and erected there, at the
foot of an old oak, a small temple in honour of Jupiter, whose priestess she
had been at Thebes. The town and temple of Dodona are said by others to
have been built by Deucalion, immediately after the great flood, when, in grati-
tude for his preservation, he raised a temple to Jupiter, and consecrated the
oak grove to his honour. This grove, or rather forest, extended from Dodona
to Chaonia, a mountainous district of Epirus, so called from Chaon, son of
Priam, who was accidentally killed there by ins brother Helenus. The forest
was, from this, sometimes called the Chaonian Forest; and Jupiter, Chaonian
father. (See Virgil t Ovid, &c.) The oracle of Dodona was not only the most
celebrated, but the richest, in Greece, from the offerings made by those who came
to it, to enquire into futurity. The prophecies were first delivered by doves,
which were always kept in the temple, in memory of the fabulous origin assigned
to the oracle : but, afterwards, the answers were delivered by the priestesses ; or,
according to Suidas, Homer, and others, by the oaks themselves ; hollow trees,
no doubt, being chosen, in which a priest might conceal himself. During the
Thracian war, a deputation of Boeotians consulting the oracle, the priestess
told them that, " if they would meet with success, they must be guilty of an
impious action : " when, in order to fulfil the oracle, they seized her, and
burnt her alive. Alter this, the Dodonian oracles were always delivered to
the Bceotians by men. The oracular powers of the Dodonian oaks are fre-
quently alluded to, not only by the Greek and Latin poets, but by those of
modern times. Cowper says, addressing the Yardley Oak, —
" Oh ! couldst thou speak
As in Dodona once thy kindred trees
Oracular, I would not curious ask
The future, best unknown ; but, at thy mouth
Inquisitive, the less ambiguous past !
TJy thec I might correct, erroneous oft,
The clock of history ; facts and events
Timing more punctual, unrecorded facts
Recovering; and misstated, setting right."
And Wordsworth, in his lines addressed to a Spanish oak, celebrated as
having been the place of meeting of the ancient lawgivers of Biscay, exclaims, —
" Oak of Guernica ! tree of holier power
Than that which in Dodona did enshrine
(So faith too fondly deem'd) a voice divine,
Heard from the depths of its aerial bower,
How canst thou flourish at this blighting hour?
Stroke merciful and welcome would that be
Which would extend thy branches on the ground,
If never more within their shady round
Those lofty-minded lawgivers shall meet,
Peasant and lord, in their appointed seat ;
Guardians of Biscay's ancient liberty."
Milo of Croton was a celebrated athlete, whose strength and voracity
were so great, that it was said he could carry a bullock on his shoulders, kill
it with a blow of his fist, and afterwards eat it up in one day. In his old age,
Milo attempted to tear an old oak up by the roots ; but the trunk split, and
the cleft part uniting, his hands became locked in the body of the tree; and,
being unable to extricate himself, he was devoured by wild beasts. (Ovid
Met., xv. ; Strnb., xvi. ; Pans., vi. c. 11., &c.)
The oak was considered by the ancients as the emblem of hospitality ; be-
cause, when Jupiter and Mercury were travelling in disguise, and arrived at
1724 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
the cottage of Philemon, who was afterwards changed into an oak tree, they
were treated with the greatest kindness. Philemon was a poor old man, who
lived with his wife Baucis in Phrygia, in a miserable cottage, which Jupiter, to
reward his hospitality, changed into a magnificent temple, of which he made
the old couple priest and priestess, granting them the only request they made
to him ; viz. to be permitted to die together. Accordingly, when both were
grown so old as to wish for death, Jove turned Baucis into a lime tree, and
Philemon into an oak ; the two trees entwining their branches, and shading
for more than a century the magnificent portal of the Phrygian temple. The
civic crown of the Romans was formed of oak ; and it was granted for eminent
civil services rendered to the state, the greatest of which was considered to be
the saving of the life of a Roman citizen. Scipio Africanus, however, when
this crown was offered to him for saving the life of his father at the battle of
Trebia, nobly refused it, on the ground that such an action carried with it its
own reward. Lucan alludes to this custom in his Pharsalia.
" Straight Lelius from amidst the rest stood forth,
An old centurion of distinguish'd worth :
An oaken wreath his hardy temples bore,
Mark of a citizen preserved he wore." ROWE'S Lucan, book i.
Shakspeare, when making Cominius describe the merits of Coriolanus, men-
tions this crown, as having been won by that hero.
" At sixteen years,
When Tarquin made a head from Rome, he fought
Beyond the mark of others : our then dictator,
Whom with all praise I point at, saw him fight,
When with his Amazonian chin he drove
The bristled lips before him : he bestrid
An o'erpress'd Roman, and i' the consul's view
Slew three opposers : Tarquin's self he met,
And struck him on his knee : in that day's feats,
When he might act the woman in the scene,
He proved best man i'the field, and for his meed
Was brow-bound with the oak." Coriolanus, act. ii. scene 2.
Acorns having been the common food of man till Ceres introduced corn
(Lucretius^ v. 937., &c.), boughs of oak were carried in the Eleusinian Mys-
teries.
" Then crown'd with oaken chaplets tnarch'd the priest
Of Eleusinian Ceres, and with boughs
Of oak were overshadow 'd in the feast
The teeming basket and the mystic vase." TIOIIE.
Virgil, in the first Georgic, says, —
" Bacchus and fostering Ceres, powers divine !
Who gave us corn for mast, for water wine." UHYDEN'S J'irgil.
And Spenser alludes to this fable in the following lines : —
" The oak, whose acorns were our food before
That Ceres' seed of mortal man was known,
Which first Triptolemene taught to be sown."
Boughs of oak with acorns were carried in marriage ceremonies, as emblems
of fecundity. (Archceol. Attic., 167.) Sophocles, in the fragment of Rlrizolonri,
describes Hecate as crowned with oak leaves and serpents. Pliny relates of
the oaks on the shores of the Cauchian Sea, that, undermined by the waves,
and propelled by the winds, they bore off with them vast masses of earth on their
interwoven roots, and occasioned the greatest terror to the Romans, whose
fleets encountered these floating islands. (Hist. Nat., xvi. 1.) OftheHer-
cynian Forest he says, " These enormous oaks, unaffected by ages, and coeval
with the world, by a destiny almost immortal, exceed all wonder. Omitting
other circumstances, that might not gain belief, it is well known that hills are
raised up by the encounter of the jostling roots; or, where the earth may not
have followed, that arches, struggling with each other, and elevated to the
very branches, are curved, as it were, into wide gateways, able to admit the
passage of whole troops of horse." (Ibidry xvi. 2.) This forest is described
CHAP. CV. CORYLAXCFJE. QUE'RCUS. 1725
by Caesar {Bell. Gall., vi.) as requiring sixty clays to traverse it; and the re-
mains of it are supposed by sonic to constitute the forest on the mountains of
the Hart/ ; and by others, to be the Black Forest of the Tyrol.
The beautiful fiction of the Hamadryads is frequently referred to by the
Greek poets. The Hamadryads were nymphs, each of whom was
" Doom'd to a life coeval with her oak." PINDAR.
Callimachus, in the Hymn to Delos (v. 80.), represents Melie as " sighing
deeply for her parent oak ;" and adds, —
" Joy fills her breast when showers refresh the spr?y :
Sadly she grieves when autumn's leaves decay."
Iii Apollonius It hod i us, book ii., we find one of the Hamadryads imploring a
woodman to spare the oak to which her existence was attached : —
" Loud through the air resounds the woodman's stroke,
When, lo ! a voice breaks from the groaning oak.
' Spare, spare rny life ! a trembling virgin spare !
Oh, listen to the Hamadryad's prayer!
No longer let that fearful axe resound ;
Preserve the tree to which my life is bound !
See, from the bark my blood in torrents flows,
I faint, I sink, I perish from your blows.' "
Among the Celtic nations, the god Teut was worshipped under the form
of an oak, or, according to others, Tarnawa, the god of thunder ; but these
legends, together with the superstitions of the druids, belong rather to the
British oak, than to the genus generally.
Properties and Uses. The wood of most of the species of oaks is, compara-
tively with that of other trees, hard, compact, heavy, tough, and durable; and, in
most, the entire plant, and more especially the bark, leaves, and fruit, abound
in astringent matter, and in tannin. The wood of the larger-growing Eu-
ropean kinds, and more especially of the group TZobur, is considered superior
to all other European or American woods for ship-building. The wood of Q.
alba, and that of Q. virens, are most esteemed for the same object in America.
The wood of the group Cerris is also employed in ship- building in Turkey and
Greece ; more especially, as Olivier informs us, at Constantinople. The wood
of the group 7vlex is very heavy, hard, compact, and durable, and fit for
various uses in mechanics and joinery. In America, the wood of Q. obtusiloba,
the post oak, is considered as one of the best kinds for most purposes of
construction. The wood of Q. riibra and Q. coccfnea has a reddish tinge, but is
coarse-grained, porous, and not durable. In general, the evergreen oaks have
wood of the finest grain; and the deciduous kinds of the group Ilubrae that
of the coarsest grain. There is no purpose in the arts to which the wood
of most of the species of oak is not applicable, when it can be obtained
of sufficient dimensions ; and the durability of the wood of the group -ffobur
is thought to exceed that of the wood of every other tree used in ship-build-
ing, the teak alone excepted. Throughout Europe, and more especially in
Britain, oak timber was used for every purpose, both of naval and civil
architecture, till the wood of the pine and fir tribe came to be generally
imported from the Baltic and North America, about the beginning of the
last century. Since that period, the use of oak timber has given way to that
of pine and fir in house-building ; but it still maintains its superiority in the
construction of ships, and various kinds of machines ; and even in house-
building, where great durability is required. Oak wood is also still employed
in joinery and cabinet-making.
The bark of all the species of oak abounds in tannin and gallic acid, and is,
or may be, used in tanning ; but, in Europe, more especially that of the sec-
tion 7?6bur, and, in America, the bark of Q. falcata, Q. rubra, Q. tinctoria,
and Q. Prinus monticola, are most esteemed for this purpose. The bark of
Q. tinctoria also furnishes a yellow dye, much used in dyeing wool and silk,
and considered preferable to that of the woad. Medicinally, the bark of some
of the species affords a substance which may be used instead of quinine.
1726 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
The bark of Q. Suber furnishes suberine, the suberic acid, and a product
by far more important than that of any species of the genus, cork ; a substance
which is not produced by any other tree whatever, in sufficient quantities to
be applied to any useful purpose.
The leaves, the flowers, and the fruit, according to Bosc, afford nourish-
ment to more than 200 species of insects, even in the neighbourhood of Paris;
and some of these insects are either valuable themselves in the arts, or they
are the cause of excrescences, such as oak galls, which are valuable. The
leaves of Q. coccifera afford nourishment to the Coccus ilicis, a hemipterous
insect, which is used in medicine under the name of kermes, and has been
employed in dyeing scarlet, from the remotest antiquity, under the name of
scarlet grain. This insect is produced, and cultivated for commerce, in the
south of France, and in various parts of the south of Europe, and of the East.
Oak galls, which are much in demand for the manufacture of ink and for dyeing
black, are produced on most of the deciduous European species, and are very
abundant on the section 7?6bur ; but the galls of commerce are chiefly pro-
duced by the Q. infectoria, a native of Asia Minor and the adjoining countries.
All the smaller parts of oaks, such as the spray, buds, leaves, flowers, and
fruit, may be employed in tanning ; and, accordingly, the cups, or calyxes, of
some species are in use for this purpose, more particularly those of the valonia
oak (Q. ./22'gilops), a native of the Archipelago. The leaves of the section
.ffobur are used as a substitute for spent tanner's bark in hot-houses ; and
being slow in decomposition, are found to retain the heat for a longer period
than those of any other European trees.
The acorns of all the species are edible ; and, in every country where the
oak abounds, they form the most important part of the food of wild quadru-
peds of the fructivorous or omnivorous kinds, and of some birds. The wild
animals most useful to man, which are nourished by them, both in Europe
and America, are the wild boar, the stag, and the goat. In Asia, pheasants
and pigeons, with other birds in a wild state, eat acorns, no less than wild qua-
drupeds. In North America, cows, horses, swine, bears, squirrels, pigeons,
and wild turkeys devour them. Among the domestic animals which eat and
thrive on acorns, the principal is the swine ; but there are few animals and
birds, in a state of domestication, Bosc observes, that may not be made to
live and thrive on them, however unwilling they may be to touch them at
first. In the earlier ages, there can be no doubt that acorns, in the countries
where thev were produced, were the food of man ; and the}' are still, as we
have seen, eaten in some parts of the south of Europe, the north of Africa,
and the west of Asia. The kinds which produce the acorns most valued
for eating are, Q. /'lex, Q. Ballota, Q. gramuntia, and Q. .E'sculus. The degree
of bitterness in acorns, produced by tli" same species, varies exceedingly on
different trees ; and were any kind of oak to be introduced into orchards as a
fruit tree, it would be advisable to select only the best varieties of particular
species, and propagate these by grafting. There are even varieties of Q.
Robur which produce acorns much less bitter than others; and we have
received some from a tree of this species, in the south of France, which ac-
cording to Dralet, are so sweet as to be eaten by the inhabitants. (See Re-
cherches sur les Chenes a Glands doux, p. 178.)
The entire tree or shrub, in the case of every species of oak, may be con-
sidered as highly ornamental : the least so are the willow-leaved oaks, and
the most so the lobed and deeply sinuated leaved kinds. The foliage, even,
of the same species, and more especially of the deciduous kinds, varies ex-
ceedingly ; not onlv on different individuals, but on the same individual at
different seasons of the year. In spring, the leaves of many of the decidu-
ous kinds are small, delicate, and beautifully tinged with yellow and red ; in
summer, they are broad and green; and in autumn, coriaceous, and of a
russet brown, scarlet, or blood-red colour. Nothing can be more remarkable
than the variation in the forms of the leaves, in the same individual, in some
of the American species ; those of the tree, when young, being sometimes
CHAP. CV. rORYLAVCE.i:. QUE'llCUS. 172?
lobed or notched, while those of the mature tree are entire; and the contrary.
The greatest variations in point of form arc, perhaps, to be found in indivi-
duals of the group Nigne ; and the greatest in point of colour, in the group
Riibra?. As a painter's tree, valued for its picturesque effect, when near the
eye, no species equals the (^. pedunculata ; but for general effect, at a dis-
tance, at least in America, the American oaks, the leaves of which die off"
of a deep red or fine scarlet in autumn, exceed all others. As a botanist's
tree, perhaps Q. Cerris is the most interesting European species, from the
very great variety of forms which its leaves assume; and from their being, in
some varieties, persistent in a dried or withered state ; and in others, remaining
on green throughout the winter. The dwarf oaks, both of Europe and
America, are curious miniature trees or shrubs. Q. riex has many interesting
associations connected with it ; and Q. ^K'gilops, from its remarkable foliage
and calycanthus-like cups, is a most singular and beautiful tree. For the
purposes of naval or civil construction and tanning, no species is at all to
be compared with those belonging to the group Robur.
Comparing the forms and outlines of oaks with the forms and outlines of
other trees, we shall find that they have greatly the advantage in point of
character and variety. The forms of all the pine and fir tribe, more especially
before they begin to decay, are monotonous ; and the same may be said even
of the forms of the cypress, the Lombardy poplar, and the weeping willow.
If we imagine ourselves in a forest of pines, firs, Lombardy poplars, or
weeping willows, it is easy to conceive the melancholy impression that the
scenery would produce on us ; and hence, perhaps, the suitableness of these,
and other uniform regular-headed trees, for cemeteries. But let us imagine
ourselves in a forest of oaks, either of one kind, or of several kinds ; and
how different will be the ideas that will arise in our minds, and the effect
that will be produced on our spirits ! Oaks, then, not only stand alone in
regard to the form of their leaves, and that of their fruit, but even, in a great
measure, as to their general shape.
Soil, Situation, and Climate. The oaks, both of Europe and America, to attain
their full size, require a deep loamy soil, a situation low rather than elevated
and a climate not liable to late spring frosts. It is remarkable that, even in
countries where the oak is indigenous, both its blossoms and young leaves are
frequently injured by the frosts of spring. The oaks which flourish on the
worst soils are the low-growing kinds belonging to the section /vlex, and
some of the American oaks, especially those belonging to the group Phellos;
and those which require the best soil are, the Q. sessiliflora, the Q. Cerris,
and most of the sorts composing the American group Rubrae. In elevated
situations, or in the extreme north, those species which under favourable
circumstances form the most magnificent trees become, as in the case of every
other tree, mere shrubs.
Propagation and Culture, Transport of Acorns, $c. The oak is propagated
with difficulty by every other mode except from seed ; and, generally, time will
be gained when the acorns are sown where the plants are intended finally to
remain. It is only, therefore, when peculiar varieties are to be continued, that
the process of grafting is resorted to ; and the mode by approach is almost the
only one that is certain of being attended with success. There are instances,
however, of whip-grafting succeeding with some species ; as, for example, with
Q. £uber, Q. C'erris, and Q. C. Lucombe«wa. (See Gard. Mag.y vol. xii.
p. 698.) When any of the common methods of grafting is adopted, by far
the best stock is Q. Cerris ; on which, also, many of the sorts may be suc-
cessfully budded; a practice which, we are informed by M. Rosenthal, is
general in the Vienna nurseries.
As the mode of raising oaks from the acorn is the same in all the species,
we shall here, once for all, give what we consider the necessary details. The
acorns need not be gathered from the tree, but may be collected from the
groupd immediately after they have dropped ; and, as in the case of other tree
seeds, they may be either sown then, or kept till the following spring. If they
5 u
1728 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
are to be kept, they should be made perfectly dry in the sun, or in an airy
shed, mixed with dry sand, in the proportion of three bushels of sand to one
bushel of acorns, or with dry moss ; and then excluded from the air and
vermin, by being put into barrels or boxes, or laid up in a cellar, or buried in
heaps, and covered with a sufficient thickness of earth to exclude the weather.
If the acorns are to be transported from one country to another, the same
mixing with dry sand or dry moss, and exclusion from the air, is adopted ;
but the more certain mode of retaining the vital principle in acorns is, to mix
them witli moist earth, or with moist live moss (Sphagnum) : in either of
the latter mediums, they will germinate during along voyage; but no evil will
result from this, provided they are sown immediately on their arrival. When
acorns are to be sown in a nursery, the soil ought to be thoroughly prepared
and rendered fine ; and, after the earth is drawn off the beds, or* the drills
opened, the acorns may either be scattered over the beds, or along the drills,
so that the nuts may be about 2 in. apart ; and, to regulate this distance
with greater certainty, the sand may be separated from the acorns with
a sieve. In either case, the acorns, before covering, must be patted down
with the back of a spade in the beds, and with the back of a wooden-headed
rake in the drills. The covering, which ought to be of well-broken soil,
should vary in depth, according to the size of the acorn ; 1^ in. being enough
for those of the largest size, such as those of the groups jRobur, A'lbae, &c. ;
and £in. for those of the smallest size, such as those of the groups 7vlex,
Phellos, &c. No mode of depositing acorns in the soil can be worse than
that of dropping them in holes made by a dibble. The acorn drops into
the hole, and becomes wedged by its sides before it gets to the bottom ; and,
if the upper extremity of the acorn should be downwards instead of upwards,
it can hardly be expected to grow. For this reason, the dibber should only
be used in pulverised soils ; and the point of the instilment should be of a
diameter greater than the length of the largest acorn which has to be dropped
into the hole. As acorns are greedily devoured by vermin, and especially by
land rats and mice, they ought to be sown in an open part of the nursery, not
near hedges, ditches, or houses ; and where, whether in nurseries, or in fields
intended to become oak woods, much danger is apprehended from vermin,
they ought not to be sown till late in March, so as to lessen the period be-
tween the depositing of the acorn and its becoming a plant.
As all oaks, when young, are remarkable for throwing down long and vigo-
rous taproots, and producing few lateral ones, they ought to be sown where
they are finally to remain, especially if the subsoil be good, and other cir-
cumstances not unfavourable; but, as this cannot always be the case, it is
customary among nurserymen to transplant the oak at one or two years'
growth, removing great part of the taproot ; some of them, however, shorten
the taproot without removing the plant, by inserting the spade obliquely
in the soil, so as to cut through the roots, at from 6 in. to 8 in. beneath
the surface ; an operation most conveniently performed when the oaks are
sown in drills ; because in that case the spade can first be inserted all along
one side of the drill, and then all along the other. The French nurserymen,
when acorns, walnuts, and other tree seeds which send down very long tap-
roots, are to be reared with a view to being transplanted, sometimes germinate
them in moist earth, or in sawdust, placed in a temperature of 50° or 60° ;
and, after the radicle has been protruded two or three times the length of the
acorn or nut, pinch off its extreme point before the seed is committed to the
soil. This treatment, which is applicable^ as we have seen in the case of the
horsechestnut (see p. 4-66.), to most large-seeded trees, has the effect of im-
mediately causing the taproot to throw out numerous lateral fibres ; which
is highly favourable for transplantation, though it is not so for the rapid
growth of the tree for the first year or two afterwards. To counteract its
effect in this respect, when the tree is planted where it is finally to remain, and
has grown there two or three years, it ought to be cut down to the ground ;
after which it will throw up vigorous shoots, and send down perpendicular
CHAP. cv. CORYLA'CE^E. QUF/RCUS. 1729
roots ; and if from the shoots one is selected to form the future tree, and the
others carefully rubbed off; the tree will advance at as rapid a rate as if it
had been sown where it was intended finally to remain ; and, in cases where
the subsoil is bad, much more so.
In the future culture of the oak, the trees generally require side pruning
when the object is a straight clean trunk. As most of the species grow erect,
the hardier deciduous kinds are well adapted for hedgerows ; but, as many
of the American kinds are comparatively tender, they are most advantageously
cultivated in masses. The group /Mex forms excellent evergreen hedges,
and most of the species belonging to it endure the sea breeze. The Nepal
species, as far as they have hitherto been introduced, require, even in the cli-
mate of London, the protection of a wall.
Accidents, Diseases, Insects, parasitic Plants, $c. None of the oaks are so
liable to have their branches broken by high winds as most other large
trees ; but, on the other hand, they are said to be more frequently struck by
lightning than other broad-leaved trees of the same size, or than needle-
leaved trees of any height. The oak is subject to few diseases, notwithstand-
ing the many kinds of insects that live upon its leaves. As the greater part
of our knowledge respecting the insects which feed on the oak relates to those
which infest the species comprising the group #6bur, and those which pro-
duce the galls of commerce and the scarlet grain, we shall defer what we
have to say on this subject till we come to treat of the species alluded to.
The fungi and lichens which live on the oak will be found noticed under
the group #6bur ; and others which are common to trees generally will be
treated of in a separate chapter, in Part TV. of this work. Fortunately, though
the insects infesting the oak often destroy, injure, or disfigure the leaves, yet
there are but very few kinds which attack the solid wood till it is in a state
of decay ; in which respect the oak differs widely from the elm, which, as
we have already seen (p. 1387.), is liable to have its wood destroyed by the
Scolytus at every period of its existence.
Study of the Species. Till the oaks of America began to attract the notice
of botanists, the European species occasioned comparatively little difficulty.
The American sorts, however, vary so exceedingly in their leaves at different
seasons of the year, in different stages of their growth, and in different lo-
calities, that it is next to impossible to fix on a specific character, taken from
them, which shall remain constant. The descriptions of the American oaks
which have been published are, consequently, of very little use, without
figures ; and even the figures differ exceedingly in different authors : for
example, in the works of the younger and elder Michaux, in Abbott's Insects
of Georgia, in Catesby's Carolina, and in Audubon's Birds of America', not to
speak of the figures in the Nouveau Du Hamcl, and other works published on
American oaks by botanists who have not been in America.
All the species of oaks hitherto described by botanists have been arranged
in sections founded on a single character taken from the leaves. Willdenow,
for example, has arranged them in the five following sections : such as, 1.
Leaves entire ; 2. Leaves toothed ; 3. Leaves lobed ; 4. Leaves sinuate, with
the lobes mucronate ; and, 5. Leaves sinuate, but the lobes without any
mucros. This arrangement, which has been followed by Smith, and in the
Nouveau Du Hamcl and other works, has, like all others of the kind, the dis-
advantage of bringing together species which are not allied in perhaps any
other particular than that which characterises the section. Thus, in all
Willdenow's sections, evergreens are indiscriminately mixed with deciduous
kinds ; large-leaved, rapid-growing, lofty trees, with small, slow-growing, bushy
trees; and so on. We do not mean to say that this arrangement is without
its use ; but we think it decidedly inferior to one in which the species are
thrown into groups according to a totality of characters. Such a classification
cannot, in the case of this genus, in our opinion at least, be effected satisfac-
torily either from dried specimens or drawings ; and, therefore, till the whole
of the species have been seen in a growing state by one botanist, it cannot
5 u 2
1730 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
be rendered complete. After duly considering all the materials of which we
have been able to avail ourselves, we have thought it best to throw into
groups those species which we have seen in a living state in the neighbourhood
of London or elsewhere ; and to place the remainder in Appendixes, ac-
cording to their native countries. In characterising our groups, we have
followed Scopoli and Michaux, in paying particular attention to the fructifi-
cation and the bark, as well as to the leaves ; and, with regard to the latter,
noticing not only their form, but, in the deciduous kinds, the colours which
they assume in autumn before dropping off, because we find this a very con-
stant character. Our groups are the following : —
A. Leaves deciduous.
a. Natives of Europe.
§ \. .Ro^BUR. British Oaks. Leaves lobed and sinuated; dying off of a
yellowish or russet brown. Bark rough. Buds ovate. Fructification annual.
Cups imbricate.
£ ii. CE'RRIS. Turkey Oaks. Leaves lobed and sinuated, or dentated ; in
some varieties subevergreen ; always dying off a dirty white. Bark rough.
Buds furnished with linear stipules. Fructification biennial. Cups echi-
nate, ramentaceous, or scaly-squarrose.
b. Natives of North America.
§ iii. A'LBJE. White Oaks. Leaves lobed and sinuated ; dying off more or
less shaded with a violet colour. Bark white, and scaling off in thin laminae.
Fructification annual. Cup imbricate, or echinate. Nut oblong, generally
large.
$ iv. PRIMUS. Chestnut Oaks. Leaves dentate; dying off of a dirty white,
or of a rich yellowish orange. Bark white, rough, and scaling off. Fructifi-
cation annual. Cup imbricate. Nut ovate, rather large.
$ v. RUXBR^:. Bed Oaks. Leaves lobed, sinuated, and deeply cut, mucro-
nated ; dying off of a deep red, scarlet, or purple. Bark blackish ; smooth or
furrowed, but never scaly. Fructification biennial. Nut ovate, and with a
persistent style. Cup imbricate, large in proportion to the nut.
§ vi. NIVGRJE. Black Oaks. Leaves obtusely and very slightly lobed ; with
mucros, which generally drop off when the leaves have attained their full
size; leaves dying off of a blackish green, or very dark purplish red, and
in America frequently persistent. Bark quite black, smooth, or furrowed ;
but never scaly. Fructification biennial. Cup imbricate. Nut with a per-
sistent style, and sometimes marked with dark lines.
§ vii. PHB'LLOS. Willow Oaks. Leaves quite entire ; dying off without
much change of colour ; but in America sometimes persisting during two
or three years. Young shoots straight and wand-like. Bark very smooth,
black, and never cracked. Fructification biennial. Cup imbricate and
shallow. Nut roundish and very small.
B. Leaves evergreen.
a. Natives of Europe.
$ viii. TLEX. Holm, or Holly, Oaks. Leaves ovate or oval, entire or ser-
rated, with or without prickly mucros. Bark smooth and black, or rough
and corky. Fructification biennial. Cup imbricate. Nut ovate, acuminate ;
sometimes very long in proportion to the cup.
b. Natives of North America.
§ ix. VIRE'NTES. Live Oaks. Leaves oblong-lanceolate ; dentate and variously
cut when young, but on full-grown trees quite entire. Bark smooth, black.
Fructification biennial. Cup imbricate. Nut long.
c. Natives of Nepal.
§ x. LANA*T,E. Woolly-leaved Oaks. Leaves oval, oblong, or lanceolate ;
serrated or dentate ; woolly beneath.
CHAP. CV. CORYLA'CE.E. ^UF/RCUS. 1731
A. Leaves deciduous,
§ i. Rbfair. British Oaks.
Sect. Char. Leaves lobcd and serrated ; dying off of a yellowish or russet
brown. Bark rough. Buds ovate. Fructification annual. Cups imbricate.
Trees from 30ft. to above 100 ft. high.
$ 1. Q. PEDUNCULA^TA Willd. The common, or peduncled, British Oak.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PL, No. 65. ; Ehr. Arb., 77. ; PI. Off., 169.
Sunont/mcs. Q. /fbbur Lin. Sp. PL, 1414., Sm. Fl. Br., No. 1., Eng. Sot., t. 1342., Woodv. Med. Bot.,
t. 13fi.: (i. K. peduncuKitum Mart. Fl. Rust., t. 10. ; Q. fcc'mina Roth Germ., 1., p. 408., 2. p. 2.488.,
Fl Dan., t. 1180. ; Q. racfemosa N. Du Ham., 1. p. 177., Lam. -Diet., 1. p. 715. ; Q. cum longo
pedunculo Bank. Pin., 420. ; Q. Htmeris Dalcch. Hist., 4. ; Qutrcus Fuchs Hist., 229., Matth. I'algr.
1. p. \84.,Tabern. Krcutcrb., 1:174. ; Q. navalis Burnet; Chene blanc Sranntat, p. Hi. t. 3. ; Chene
a Orappc-s, Chene femelle, Gravclin, Fr. ; Sticl Eiche, fruh Eiche, Thai Eiche, Lohe Eiche,
Derivation. The French and German names signify the white oak, the bunch-fruited oak, the female
oak, the stalked oak, the early oak (alluding to the production of the leaves), the valley oak, the
tanning oak, and the wood oak.
Engravings. Eng. Bot, t. 1342.: Woodv. Med. Bot.,t. 126.; Mart. Fl Rust.,t. 10. ; Fl. Dan.,
t. 1180. ; Du Ham. Arb., 2. t. 47. ; Hunt. Evel. Syl., t. in p. 69. ; N. Du Ham., 7. t. 54. ; Willd.
Abbild., t. 140. ; our fig. 1567. ; and the plates of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves deciduous, oblong, smooth,
dilated upwards; sinuses rather acute; lobes
obtuse. Stalks of the fruit elongated. Nut
oblong. ( Willd.) A tree, from 50 ft. to above
100ft. high, with spreading tortuous branches
and spray, and, when standing singly, with a head
often broader than it is high. It flowers in
April, and ripens its fruit in the September
following.
Varieties.
Z Q. p. 2pubcscens Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836. —
Leaves downy beneath. There are plants
at Messrs. Loddiges's, with downy leaves,
and the acorns on long footstalks ; which
shows that they cannot belong to the Q.
pubescens of Willd.
* Q. p. 3 fastigidta ; Q. fastigiata Lam. Diet.,
i. p. 725., N. Du Ham., vii. p. 178. t. 55., Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ;
Q. pyramidalis Hort. ; Chene Cypres, Chene des Pyrenees, Fr. ;
and the plate of this tree in our last Volume. — This is a hand-
some tree, resembling in general form the Lombardy poplar. It
is found in the valleys of the Western Pyrenees, and in the Landes,
near Bordeaux, though but sparingly. According to Jaume Saint-
Hilaire (Traite des Arb. For.), though it is found in the Pyrenees,
the Basse Navarre, and the neighbourhood of Bordeaux, it is
thought to be originally from Portugal. Capt. S. E. Cook found
it in the Pyrenees, in the line to Bayonne, but rarely. He describes
it as having a trunk rising only a little way above the roots, and
then spreading into a head composed of small branches, as nu-
merous and as vertical as those of the cypress. Bosc (Mem. sur Ics
Clinics) describes it as the handsomest of all the oaks for orna-
mental landscape ; in our opinion an error in taste which he has
fallen into from the novelty of its form in the oak family, since it is
without either the grandeur or the beauty of the common species. In
the Nouveau Du Hamel, a tree of this variety is mentioned, which had
been sown in 1790 ; and, though it was twice afterwards transplanted,
was, in 1819, upwards of 40ft. high. There are plants at Messrs.
Loddiges's, and a tree in the Horticultural Society's Garden, of which
latter the plate in our last volume is a portrait. A tree at Carlton,
near Darlington, in 1835, was 20 ft. high, after being twenty years
5 u 3
1732 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
planted. From the circumstance of this variety generally coming
true from seed, which, from what is stated in the Nouveau L>u
Hamel, it would appear to do, it is doubtless very distinct ; and hence
the circumstance of De Candolle and others treating it as a species.
± Q. p. 4 pendula; Q. pendula Lodd. Cat., 1836; the Weeping Oak; has
branches decidedly pendulous. The largest tree of this variety that
we know of, in England, stands in the park at Moccas Court, Here-
fordshire, and is, perhaps, one of the most extraordinary trees of the
oak kind in existence. It was first pointed out to us in 1806 ; and
we have lately had the following account of it sent to us by Mr. J.
Webster, who was then, and is still, gardener and forester at Moc-
cas : — " The tree is in vigorous health. The height of the trunk to the
first branch is 18 ft. ; girt, at 9 ft. from the ground, 13 ft. 2 in. ; total
height of the trunk, 75 ft., with branches reaching from about the
middle of its height to within 7 ft. of the ground, and hanging down
like cords. Many of these branches are 30 ft. long, and no thicker in
any part of that length than a common waggon rope. The entire head
of the tree covers a space 100 ft. in diameter. The tree bears acorns
every year, from which many plants have been raised, all of which par-
take more or less of the weeping character of the parent ; and many
so much so, that, when they are young, they are obliged to be sup-
ported by props. Many of the trees raised from this oak at Moccas
are twenty years before they show much in-
clination to hang their branches like cords ;
others begin to do so when they are quite
young. There are plants at Moccas, raised
from the parent tree, which are 50 years old."
(Gard. Mag., vol. xii. p. 368.) Fig. 1568. is
a portrait of this tree to the scale of 1 in. to
50 ft., which has been reduced from a drawing
made for us, in September, 1836, by G. R.
Lewis, Esq. Owing to the smallness of the
scale, the weeping character is not very obvious
in the figure ; but it is very striking in the tree.
As the tree stands on a steep bank, and the
spread of its branches is up and down the
slope, our portrait, which is a front view,
does not show so great a diameter of head as it would have done,
if a side view had been taken. There is a tree of this kind at
Messrs. Loddiges's, which was procured from the Lewisham Nursery,
where it is supposed to have been discovered in a seed-bed about
1816; and there is one in the Horticultural Society's Garden, raised
from an acorn of the Moccas tree, which has not yet become pendu-
lous. There is also a tree of the weeping oak in the neighbourhood of
Wisbaden, a portrait of which was kindly lent to us by Lady Wal-
singham ; but we are not certain to what species the tree belongs.
¥ Q. p. 5 heterophylla, Q salicifolia Hort., Q. laciniata Lodd. Cat., Q./ili-
cifolia Hort., and Q. Fennessi Hort. — In this variety the leaves vary
exceedingly in magnitude, in shape, and in being lanceolate and entire,
cut at the edges, or deeply laciniated. Fig. 1569. shows four leaves,
which were sent to us by the Rev. W. T. Bree, from a tree growing
in a hedge-row at Allesley, near Coventry. One of these leaves (a) is
very long and narrow, and quite entire ; b and c are much indented ;
and d approaches to the usual form of the leaf of the British oak. Mr.
Bree remarks that those which are first expanded bear the greatest
resemblance to the ordinary foliage. There are entire shoots on
the tree with foliage of the common kind ; and others with narrow
foliage, either entire, or denticulated. The tree, at the height of 5 ft.
from the ground, had, in 1832, a trunk 3ft. in circumference; and
( HAP. CV.
CORVLA^CEJE.
1733
1569
is supposed to be of spontaneous growth. There is a similar tree at
Mill Hill, in Middlesex, on entering that village from the London side.
(See Gard. Mng.y vol. xii. p. 576 ) There is another tree of this
kind at Munches, in Dumfriesshire ; and in Irving's Nursery, Dum-
fries, there were, in 1831, some scores of seedling oaks of the same
kind. Indeed, we have no doubt that in all extensive oak woods, or
1570
5 L' 4
1731
ARBORETUM AND FRUTJCETUM.
1571
PART 111.
CHAP. cv. CORYLA'CE;E. QUE'RCUS. 1735
countries where the oak abounds, similar varieties might be detected ;
and, farther, that acorns collected from these varieties would occa-
sionally, if not frequently, produce trees with the same character
of foliage; in the same manner as acorns from a weeping oak will
produce weeping trees, or from a tastigiate oak fastigiate trees.
Fig. 1570., to a scale of 1 in. to 4- ft., is a specimen of an oak of this
kind, recently brought into notice by Messrs. Fennessey and Son,
nurserymen, Waterford. It came up from seed accidentally, about
1820; and the parent tree was, in 1836, 15ft. high. Some of the
leaves are quite entire, and others deeply and curiously cut, as exhi-
bited in fig. 1571., drawn of the natural size.
£ Q. p. Gfbliis variegdtis Lodd. Cat. has the leaves variegated with white,
with some streaks of red ; and, when finely grown, is a very orna-
mental tree. We have never seen it worth looking at in the neigh-
bourhood of London ; but at White Knights there are very handsome
specimens, between 20 ft. and 30 ft. high.
¥ Q. p. 7 pnrpurea, Q. purpiirea Lodd. Cat., has the young shoots, and the
footstalks of the leaves, tinged with purple. The young leaves,
when they first come out, are almost entirely purple, and are very
striking. There are plants of this variety at Messrs. Loddiges's, and
a young tree in the Horticultural Society's Garden.
¥ Q. p. 8 Hodginsn Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836. — From the plants of this variety
in the Horticultural Society's Garden, and at Messrs. Loddiges's, it
appears to be of a more fastigiate habit of growth, and to have much
smaller leaves, than the species.
$ Q. p. 9 dfilcis. Chene i Feuillcs cacluques presquc sessiles, Dralet. — This variety exists in
France, on the borders of the Mediterranean Sea, in the Departments du Gard, de Vau-
cluse, des Douches de Rhone, and du Var. The leaves are divided into seven very open
lobes, of which the middle one is the largest. The acorns are large, and, according to
M. Dralet, very handsome; he adds that they are sweeter than those of a variety of Q.
.Tlex, which, from his description, appears to be Q. I. Ballbta. M. Dralet mentions two
L forms of (i p. dulcis : one having the leaves thin, with acute lobes, and slightly downy
beneath ; the acorns being so large as to measure 2| in. in circumference : and the other
having coriaceous glaucous leaves, with obtuse lobes ; and the acorns rather smaller,
and borne on peduncles IJin. in length. These two forms do not differ from the species
in rate of growth, magnitude, or quality of the timber. M. Dralet strongly recommends
the propagation of this variety in France, with a view to the employment of the acorns
as food. The tree, he says, is planted in avenues, in the department des Bouches du
Rhone ; and he adds that he gave acorns to the Botanic Garden at Toulouse in 1811,
from which young plants were raised. (Traite de VAmenagemcnt des Bois et Forlts, $c.,
suivi de Rccherches sur les CMncs a Glands doux, p. 180.) Through the kindness of M.
Vilmorin, we received some acorns of this variety in 1836, which we roasted and en-
deavoured to eat ; but we cannot recommend them from our own experience. The
variety, however, ought by all means to be introduced. _
Other Varieties. The varieties of British oaks which might be selected
from extensive woods of that tree, are without end ; but, as these oaks are
exceedingly difficult to propagate by any other method than from the acorn,
they have been in a great measure neglected by cultivators. The time of leaf-
ing and of dropping the leaves varies exceedingly; some oaks retaining their
foliage of a deep green for a month or six weeks after others ; others,after their
leaves have withered, and become of a russet colour, retaining them through-
out the winter, like the hornbeam and the beech. Some oaks bud at Christ-
mas, like the Glastonbury thorn ; as, for example, the Cadenham oak in
the New Forest, near Lyndhurst, mentioned by Parkinson, and by various
writers down to the time of Gilpin ; and one, that we have heard of, in the
Vale of Gloucester. The forms of the trees also vary : some being much
more fastigiate than others ; and the heads of some approaching to the
globular, or rather domical, form ; while the heads of others are more
conical. The difference in the size of the acorns, and in the length of
their footstalks, is as great as the difference in the size of the leaves, and in
the length of their footstalks ; and wherever Q. sessiliflora is found growing
along with Q. pedunculata, there are, or appear to be, numerous hybrids
produced between these two kinds. The Wyre Forest, near Bewdley, con-
tains upwards of 1200 acres, the greater part of which is the property of
W. L. Childe, Esq., whose gardener, Mr. John Pearson, informs us that
1736
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
both species abound in the forest ; and that he could collect a bushel of oak
leaves, that would vary in breadth from that of a finger to that of a hand ; and
from being perfectly sessile, to having a footstalk 2 in. long. He finds
hundreds of very distinct varieties ; and Mr. Childe's wood-cutter informed
him that, in regard to the qualities and appearance of the wood, there
are three very distinct sorts, which are called the black, the red, and the
white oak. The black oak produces the hardest, and the white oak the
softest, timber. Specimens of these three kinds of Umber have been sent
to us ; and though they are taken from trees of not more than a foot in
diameter, the difference of the colour of the heart wood is obvious, though
certainly not so much as we expected to see it.
* 2. Q. SESSILIFLO'RA Sal. The sessile-flowered Oak.
Identification. Sal. Prod., 392. ; Smith Fl. Br., No. 2. a ; Eng. Bot., t. 1845.
Synonymes. J&. Rbbur Willd., No^ 64^, Ait., No. 23., Lam. Diet., 1. p. 717., N. Du. Ham., 1.
p. 176. ; Q. R. var. sessile Mart. Fl, Rust., t. 11. ; «. s«5ssilis Ehrh. Arb., 87- ; 'Q. platyphyllos, mas
et foem., Dalech. Hist., 2. 3. ; Q. latifolia mas, &c., Bauh. Pin., Raii Syn., 440. ; Q. reg&lis Bur-
net; Chene male, Secondat, t. iv. f. 1, 2. p. 18. ; Chestnut Oak, Bay Oak; Chene roure or rouvre,
Durelin, Fr. ; Stein Eiche, gemeine Eiche, spat Eiche, Winter Eiche, diirr Eiche, roth Eiche,
Berg Eiche, Ger. ; Quercia vera, Ital. ; Roble, Span.
Derivation. The name of Chestnut Oak is given to this species, because its wood is said to resemble
that of the sweet chestnut. Bay Oak, from some fancied resemblance of the leaves to those of the
laurel bay. The French names imply the male oak, the red oak, and the hard oak. The Ger-
man names, the'stone oak, the common oak, the late oak, in allusion to its lateness in leafing ;
the winter oak, from its frequently keeping on its leaves during winter ; dry oak, probably from the
leaves remaining on the tree after they have become dry and withered ; red oak, from the colour of
its wood; and hill oak, from its being more abundant on hilly ground than the Q. pedunculata.
Engravings. Etig. Bot., t. 1845. ; Mart. Fl. Rust., t. 11. ; N. Du Ham., 7. t. 52. ; Willd. Abbild.,
1. 130. ; our fig. 1572. ; and the plate of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char.y fyc. Leaves on longish footstalks, deciduous, oblong, smooth ;
sinuses opposite, rather acute ; lobes obtuse. Fruit sessile. Nut oblong.
(Smith.) Leaves, when young, pubescent beneath. ( Willd.) A tree, readily
distinguished from the preceding species, even
at a distance, by the less tufted appearance,
and generally paler green, of its foliage during
summer ; and, in winter, by its less tortuous
spray and branches, by its lighter-coloured bark,
by its large buds, and by its frequently retaining
its leaves, after they have withered, till the fol-
lowing spring. There are trees of this species
at Kenwood (which takes its name from the
oaks there, being originally Kern Wood, the
acorn, or oak, wood); one in the grounds of
the Protestant Dissenters' School at Mill Hill,
formerly the residence of Peter Collinson ;
some, according to Martyn, at Norwood, in
Surrey ; and numerous others at Woburn Ab-
bey, and at Allesley ; besides those in Wyre
Forest, and in many other places which will
be hereafter mentioned. There are also speci-
mens at Messrs. Loddiges's, and in the Horticultural Society's Garden; and,
in 1834, there were thousands of young plants in the Milford Nursery. Ac-
cording to Secondat, who wrote in 1785, the kingdom of Naples then boast-
ed of a great many oaks of this species, where it was known under the name
of Quercia vera.
Varieties.
t Q. s. 2 pubcscens; Q. s. var £ Smith Eng. FL, vol. iv. p. 150. ; Q. pu-
bescens Willd. Sp. PI,, iv. p. 450., Abbild., t. 141., and our/g 1573.,
Q.R.lnnuginosum Lam. Diet., i.p.717.; the Durmast, Mart. Fl. Jtust.,
t. 12.— Leaves downy beneath. Fruit sessile, but sometimes subses-
sile. The flowers appear in May, and the fruit ripens in October.
Found occasionally in most of the oak woods of Europe ; and, ac-
cording to Willdenow, having the same general appearance, attaining
the same height, and living to the same age, as Q. sessiliflora. In
1572
CHAP. CV. CORYLA'CEjE. ^UE'RCUS. 1737
the Companion to the Botanical Magazine, it is
stated that the forests of Mount Etna consi*t ,^<
chiefly of this tree, which also forms some of the C
woods of the Apennines, at least in the north
of Italy. It is easily distinguished at first sight
from the common oak, by its inferior dimensions
and less twisted stem. Travellers who climb
Mount Etna by the usual road from Nicolsi
see scarcely any other tree. It is found at an
elevation of from about 3200 ft. to 5000ft. above
the level of the sea ; and on the eastern side,
in the Val del Leone, to 5100 ft. (Comp. $c., i. 91.) Martyn gives
the Chene noir of Secondat, pi. 5., as a synonyme to this variety ;
but we have satisfied ourselves, from examining the plates in
Secondat, that his Chene noir is the Q. Tauzin of Persoon, and
Bosc is of the same opinion. Willdenow quotes the Chene
noir of Secondat as a synonyme of his Q. pubescens in his Ber-
linische Baumzucht, ed. 1811, p. 349.; but not in his Abbildung, &c.,
published in 1819. Professor Burnet falls into the same error as
Professor Martyn, in considering the Q. pubescens of Willdenow to
be the Chene noir of Secondat, and the ^uercus cum longi pediculo
(alluding to the leaves) of Fougeroux; adding, with Martyn, the
synonyme of the Durmast oak ; and stating that he thinks the ap-
pellation /?6bur undoubtedly belongs to this species or variety.
Whether Q. pubescens Willd. and the Durmast oak are synonymes,
we are not quite certain, though we have very little doubt on the
subject. There is a tree with this name in the Horticultural So-
ciety's Garden, which scarcely differs from the species. According
to Martyn, there are trees of the durmast oak in the New Forest ;
and, according to Borrer, also in Sussex.
Other Varieties. Bosc mentions, 1. le Chene a Trochets, or Chene a petits
Glands, which has the leaves velvety beneath ; 2. le Chene a FeuUlcs decou-
ples, which has the leaves deeply lobed,and very small; 3. le Chene laineux, or
Chene des Collines, which has also the leaves deeply lobed, velvety beneath, and
pubescent above; 4. le Chene noirdtre, which has the acorns very large, and
almost solitary; and the leaves large, and pubescent beneath. This last variety
must not be confounded with the Q. nigra of America, or the Chene noir of
Secondat, which is the Q. Tauzin. Bosc also mentions that " he thinks
the Chene male of Secondat, the Quercus latifolia mas quae brevi pediculo est
of Bauhin, different from thechene male, or Q. sessiliflora, of the neighbour-
hood of Paris." It seems that this variety is known in the Landes under
the name of Auzin, or Chene de malediction ; because the country people
there believe that any one who cuts down one of these trees, or who sleeps
in a house built with any of the timber, will die within the year. Bosc had
never seen this variety, though he had traversed the country where it is said
to grow. It is described as a low spreading tree, with tortuous branches,
of great toughness, and well adapted for ship-building; weighing 75 Ib.
per cubic foot, and consequently sinking in water. From the name auzin
had not Bosc described Q. Tauzin separately, we should have supposed this
kind to be that species. Le Chene de Haies is also mentioned by Bosc,
under the head of Q. sessiliflora, as common on the Jura, and in the moun-
tains of the Vosges, where it is planted for hedges, seldom growing above
the height of 6ft. or 8 ft. The shoots are used for basket-making and
tying bundles. The leaves are like those of Q. pedunculata, but the acorns
are sessile. It is said not to change its nature by transplantation ; and
hence Bosc thinks that it may be a distinct species. (Nouv. Court d'Ag.,
art. Chene.)
In Britain, the varieties are very numerous, though none has hitherto
received a technical designation, except the durmast, just described ; respect-
1738
ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM.
PART 111.
ing which name Mr. Atkinson observes (Hort. Tram., 2d s., vol. i. p. 336.),
that the woodmen in the New Forest call all the oaks that have dark-
coloured acorns dunmast (of which word durmast is supposed to be a cor-
ruption); and that dun-coloured acorns are found both on Q. pedunculata
and Q. sessilifldra. A variety of Q. sessiliflora was found by Mr. Borrer
in North Devon, with large leaves, oblique at
the apex, as shown in fig. 1574. These leaves
are not quite so long as those of one of Mr.
Bree's varieties (fig. 1584.), which differ from
Mr. Borrer's in being pointed at the apex.
The only account which we are aware of, that
has been given of other British varieties of Q.
sessiliflora, is that by the Rev. W. T. Bree,
in the Gardener's Magazine, vol. xii. p. 571.
The varieties there mentioned were all found
at Corley, in the parish of Allesley. Mr.
Bree's communication was accompanied by
15 dried specimens, 5 of which we have M 1571
figured, and the rest shortly described.
" When you examine these specimens," Mr. Bree observes, " I think
you will come to the conclusion that our two so-called species of oak are
mere varieties; but, though there are sessile oaks bearing fruit on pe-
duncles, and pedunculated oaks bearing almost sessile fruit, there is yet
a certain undescribable something about the trees, by means of which I can
always distinguish each, without minutely examining either the acorns or
the leaf-stalks. There is little difference in the general form and outline of
the two trees when full grown ; but young seedlings of Q. sessiliflora bear
their leaves close to the stem, and not on footstalks ; so that, in this stage
of their growth, it is difficult to distinguish them from Q. pedunculata.
Q. sessiliflora generally bears small acorns ; but it sometimes produces very
fine large ones. The acorns, when ripe, have very generally a red or pinkish
tinge ; so that, in nine cases out of ten, they are distinguished by looking at
the fallen acorns only." The specimens which accompanied Mr. Bree's
communication are thus described : —
" Q. s. 1.— Acorns large, ovate, quite sessile, and growing in clusters of four or five. Leaves
from 5 in. to 5f in. in length.
" Q. s. 2.— Acorns large, quite sessile, and growing singly, or in clusters of two or three, as in
the preceding specimen, but closer together on the branches.
" Q. s. 3— Very large leaves, and very small long acorns ; one of the latter sessile, and the other
with a footstalk, of about 3-8th in. in length
" Q. s. 4— Acorns of three times the diameter of
those of the last specimen, and about twice
their length.
" Q. s. 5. — Acorns with a short peduncle. Two
specimens from the same tree. In one
specimen, the peduncles are 1 in. long ;
in the other, scarcely | in. The form of
the leaves, their yellowish green and long
footstalks, and the large buds in their
axils, leave no doubt whatever of these
si>ecimens belonging to Q. sessiliflbra.
" Q. s. 6. — Acorns single, or in clusters of from
two to five, on peduncles varying from
| in. to 1 in. in length. One of the pe-
duncles has an abortive sessile acorn at
its base ; two acorns, about £ in. "from
each other on its length ; and its extremity
terminates in a large well-formed leaf-bud.
The acorns are long, and very much re-
semble those of Q. pedunculata.
" o. s. 1 Acorns small and round, sessile in
some cases, but with short footstalks in
others ; the leaves of a darker green, ap-
proaching nearer to those of Q. peduncu-
lata than in the case of any of the pre-
ceding specimens ; though, from their
appearance, long footstalks, and large
buds, there can be no doubt of their be-
longing to Q. sessiliflbra.
" Q. s. 8. — Leaves but little laciniatcd, and re-
sembling those of (I. pedunculata ; broad,
with long footstalks, pale green. (See fig. 1575.)
1575
CHAP. CV.
CORYLA'CE;E. QUE'RCUS.
1739
" Q. s. 9. — Acorns on a very short peduncle. Leaves with an unusually long petiole, of a darker
i, much narrower in proportion to their length than in any of the preceding varieties
(Seefie. 1576.)
Q. s. 10. — Leaves regularly and deeply laciniated, regularly notched, and almost serrated. A
totally diflerent >pecimen from any of the preceding ones. (SeeyiX'- 1577.)
1577
1576 f\
" Q. s. 11. — The peduncles 1 in. in length, in some cases clothed with acorns on the sides, and
with a terminal one ; some solitary and quite sessile. A very handsome and remarkable
specimen. The acorns long, like those of Q. pedunculata.
" Q. s. 12. — Acorns on peduncles f in. in length ; the acorns long, but the foliage and buds
decidedly those of (1. sessiliHora.
" Q. *. 13.— Acorns very long and pointed, sessile. Leaves numerous, of a darker green than
usual A very remarkable variety. (See Jig. 1578.)
" Q. s. 14. — Acorns round, and on short peduncles. Leaves broad, and yellowish green.
" Q. s. 15 hjbrida.—Acoi-ns on very short peduncles, and petioles longer than usual ; thus
1379
approaching to Q. sessiliflbra, yet resembling a true Q. pedunculata. There is something
in the leaves, in their rather long petioles, and in the large buds in their axils,
which reminds us of Q, sessiliflbra; but still, taking the slenderness of the wood, the
colour of the leaves, their form, their number, the small buds, and the great length of
the acorn, the specimen appears to belong to Q. pedunculata This specimen, Mr. Bree
1740 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
informs us, is from a genuine tree of Q. pedunculata, although in some of its characters
it apparently approaches Q. sessiliflbra. Perhaps it may be a hybrid between the two
species ; for which reason we have called it Q. s. hybrida. (See fig. 1579.)
Some other remarkable varieties, mentioned by Mr. Borrer as having been
seen by him in Devonshire, will be found in a succeeding page, under the
head of Geography.
Q. pedunculata and Q. sessiliflora, though sufficiently distinct to be consi-
dered species, yet, being very generally found growing together in a wild state,
and being used indiscriminately for all the purposes to which the oak is ap-
plicable, may be most conveniently treated of together. We might, indeed,
in giving their description and geography, treat of them separately ; but, in
the history and statistics of the two trees, this would be impossible ; since
it is not known, at this moment, whether the largest and the oldest oaks
of Britain belong chiefly to Q. pedunculata or to Q. sessiliflora. We shall
first notice the doubts which exist among botanists as to the species to
which the term .Kobur was applied by the ancients; and then proceed to
treat of Q. pedunculata and Q. sessiliflora conjointly, under the name of the
British Oak.
Q. ~Robur. The word Robur, according to some, is taken from robus, the
obsolete form of rubcus, red ; which, as Burnet observes, would seem a fit
name for the red-wooded oak. Festus Pompeius says (lib. i.), " Materiam
quae plurimas venas rufi coloris habet robur dictam." According to others,
JKobur is applied to the oak from robur, strength, in allusion to the quality
of the wood ; and this we think the more probable derivation. Much doubt
has been entertained by botanists as to what species or variety the term
Robur was applied to by Pliny. That author says (lib. xvi. c. 8.) : —
" Glans optima in quercii, atque grandissima, mox esculo ; nam roboris parva ;
cerro tristis, horrida, echinato calice, seu castanea3 :" that is, " the largest and
best acorn is that of the Quercus, next that of the JE"sculus ; for that of the
.Kobur is small ; and then that of the Cerris, rough, and covered with a bristly
calyx, like the chestnut." From this passage Secondat arrives at the follow-
ing conclusion : that the Quercus of Pliny is the chene blanc (Q. pedunculata
Willd.) ; the ^sculus, the chene male (Q. sessiliflora Sm.) ; and the Robur, the
chene noir (Q. Tauzin Pers.). Willdenow, and most other Continental bota-
nists, suppose the Robur of the ancients to have been Q. sessiliflora; but Smith,
and other English botanists, consider Q. pedunculata to be the tree referred to.
Linnaeus included both sorts under the specific name of Robur ; seeming to
regard them as varieties of each other. His definition is so framed that it will
include both species : — " Q. Robur, foliis deciduis, oblongis, superne la-
tioribus : sinubus acutioribus : angulis obtusis." The distinctive characters
of petiolated and subsessile leaves, of pedunculated and sessile acorns,
&c., are entirely omitted ; and, when the more acute observations of subse-
quent botanists again led to their separation, the subspecific synonymes,
longo pediculo, and brevi pediculo vel sessiliflora, by which as varieties they
had been previously known, became the specific names of Q. pedunculata and
Q. sessiliflora, The classic adjunct .Robur, under which Linnaeus included
both species, was restrained by Smith to the first, and was by Willdenow
given to the second ; and while Willdenow has been followed by the Con-
tinental botanists, Smith has been followed by those of Britain. The wood
of Q. pedunculata is whitish, varying to drab ; that of Q, sessiliflora, whitish
brown, varying to amber ; while that of Q. Tauzin is much darker than either,
so much so that the French call it chene noir. Burnet, confounding the
wood of the Q. Tauzin with that of Q. sessiliflora var. pubescens, says : —
" The wood is of a deep reddish brown, very like that of old chestnut.
Hence I cannot but agree with Martyn, that this is the true Robur of
the ancients ; and, if the Linnaean varieties are to be elevated to the rank
of species, to this the appellation 7?6bur undoubtedly belongs." (A»i(rn.
Quer., fol. 3.) Burnet, finding that Pliny describes the quality of the wood
CHAP. CV. CORYLAvCEvE. ^UE'llCUS. 174-1
of the /?6bur as corrupting and rotting in the sea, concludes that the
term never can apply to our English oak. He supposes that it belongs
to Q. s. pubescens, confounding, as Martyn does, that variety with Q.
Ta&zin, which is not even a native of Britain, and is by no means common
on the Continent ; but, as the wood of Q. sessiliflora approaches nearer to
thai of Q. Tauzin than the wood of Q. pedunculata, our own opinion is,
that Willdenow and Burnet have approached nearer to the truth than
Smith.
We have, however, deemed it most convenient to follow Linnaeus, in adopt-
ing the term /?6bur to designate a group of closely allied species, or perhaps
only varieties.
Description. According to most authors and observers, there is little or no
difference in magnitude or general appearance between the entire full-grown
trees of Q. pedunculata and Q. sessiliflora ; though some affirm that the former
is a low spreading tree, and the latter a tall conical one. Fig. 1580. is given
1580
by that eminent artist J. G. Strutt, as characteristic of the general form
of both species. Both are described by Smith as large trees; and by
Willdenow as trees growing from 30 ft. to 50 ft. high, and as enduring for
500 years. According to Bosc (Mem. sur Ics CAcnes, &c.), Q. sessiliflora
may be known by its spreading branches, and Q. pedunculata by its com-
paratively fastigiate branches and pyramidal form. Some, on the contrary,
assert that Q. sessiliflora becomes a loftier and more pyramidal tree than
Q. pedunculata; and this is said to be particularly the case in Wyre
Forest, where, it is stated by Mr. Pearson, gardener to W. L. Childe, Esq.,
one of the principal proprietors of the forest, to be almost as different in
appearance from Q. pedunculata, as Populus fastigiata is from P. monilifera.
At Ken Wood and Woburn Abbey, it cannot be said that the difference in
magnitude and general form is remarkable. We are strongly inclined to be-
lieve that there is no important and constant difference between the mode
of growth of the two species ; because we have found individuals of the one
1742
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
Q. peduncuhlta at Studlcy Park.
Height 80 ft. ; girt of the trunk 24 ft. 6 in. j diameter of the head 91 ft.
species as pyramidal, fas tigiate, or orbiculate, as ever we have found any of the
other. In proof of this, we may refer to fig. 1581. andj%. 1582., which are
portraits, by that accurate and able artist H. W. Jukes, Esq., of two of the
largest trees of Q. pedunculata in Studley Park, Yorkshire, drawn to a scale
1582
O. paiuncuUMu nt Simili-ii 1'urk.
Height 78 ft. ; girt of the trunk 2!) ft. ; diameter of the head 87 ft.
C'ORYLA CK1E. QUE'llCUS.
1743
1584
of 1 in. to 39 ft. ; and to fig.
1585. and/g. 1586., portraits of
two of the largest trees of Q.
sessiliflora in the same park,
drawn to the same scale, and by
the same artist. The difference
in aspect, however, both when
the trees are clothed, and when
they have lost their leaves is considerable. The difference in the leaves
will be rendered obvious by comparing^. 1583., which represents Q. pe-
dunculata, with ^g.1584., which represents Q. sessiliflora. The branches
and spray of Q. sessiliflora are somewhat less tortuous and gnarled than
those of Q. pedunculata ; the bark is whiter, the shoots of the year rather
thicker, and the buds decidedly larger. Q. pedunculata comes rather earlier
into leaf than Q. sessiliflora : the flowers appearing in the former in the
beginning of May, and the fruit ripening in the beginning of October ; while
in the latter the flowers appear in the middle of May, and the fruit ripens
in November. The leaves of Q. sessiliflora are said by some to be more fre-
quently retained on the tree through the winter than those of Q. pedunculata ;
and hence, it is alleged, the German name of winter eiche for the former, and
sommer eiche for the latter : but Willdenow truly observes that trees may
frequently be found among both species which retain their leaves, in a withered
state, during the winter. The taproots in both, when young, and in good,
deep, loamy or sandy, soil, have been traced to a depth nearly as great as the
height of the tree. (Hanbury and Marshall.) The lateral roots do not run
so near the surface of the ground as those of many other kinds of trees,
unless the soil is thin and bad. They may sometimes be found several feet
under ground, attaining a great thickness, and extending to a much greater
length than the branches. The roots of the British oaks never throw up
suckers. The rate of growth of the two species does not appear to be very
5x
1744
AKHORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III,
1585
Q. sessilijldra at Studtey Park.
Height 118 ft. ; girt of trunk 33£ ft. ; diameter of the head 96 ft.
different, though it is generally alleged that plants of Q. sessiliflora grow
faster, and they certainly have a more robust appearance, than those of Q.
pedunculata, when of six or eight years' growth ; for which reason Mr. Bree
considers it the best species for copse wood. (See Gard. Mag., vol. xii.
p. 572.) Willdenow observes, also, that Q. pedunculata is the tenderer
of the two when young, which may result from its coming earlier into leaf.
The growth of both species, in about 10 years from the acorn, in good soil, in
the climate of London, may be stated as from 15 ft. to 18 ft., or even more, if
extra preparation were given to the soil. Both will attain the height of 50 ft.
in 30 years, which may be considered the average height of the species in
ordinary soils in England ; but, in deep loamy soils, both attain the height of
100ft. and upwards. The stem of the oak, Marshall observes, is naturally
short ; and, if left to itself, the tree, in an open situation, will generally feather
to the ground. It has not the upright growth of the ash, the elm, and the
pine tribe : nevertheless, by judicious training, or by planting in close masses,
the oak will acquire a great length of stem ; in this case, however, it rarely
swells to any considerable girt. There are many hundreds of oak trees, we
are informed, in the government plantations in the Forest of Dean, which
CHAP. cv.
1745
1586
Q. sessiliflora at Studley Park.
Height 95 ft. ; girt of the trunk 16 ft. 1 in. ; diameter of the head 82 ft. 9 in.
have been planted in masses within the present century, and never in the
slightest degree pruned, and which have yet straight stems, upwards of 60 ft.
high. The largest tree of Q. sessiliflora now standing in England, that we
have had any account of, is that in Studley Park, Yorkshire, of which Jig. 1585.
is a portrait, to the scale of 1 in. to 30ft., and which is 118ft. high. The
highest existing tree of Q. pedunculata, that we have heard of, is one at
Tibberton Park, in Herefordshire, of which fig. 1587. is a portrait, to the
scale of 1 in. to 50 ft., and which is 108 ft. high. We have accounts of several
other oaks, upwards of 100 ft. high ; but we know not to which species they
belong. It is not known that there is any difference in the longevity of the
two kinds ; there being examples of both which must be upwards of 200 or
300 years old. There are several oaks in England which are from 500 to
1000 years old, or upwards ; but, in most cases, we have not been able to
ascertain to which species they belong.
Geography. The British oak is a native of mbst parts of Europe, from
Sweden to the Mediterranean ; of the north of Africa; and of the west of
Asia : and Q. pcduuculuta appears to be the more prevalent species ; especially
in the middle and northern regions. In Britain, the Q. pedunculata is by far
the more common : but Q. sessiliflora is found in various places throughout
the island; for example, in addition to those already mentioned (p. 1736.),
near Cuckfield, at Cowfold, and in different parts of St. Leonard's Forest,
at Coalhurst near Horshum, and at Goodwood, in Sussex. Mr. Borrer,
who has given us these localities, adds : " There is abundance of it about
Tunbridge ; and I particularly recollect it near Dalgelly ; and in profusion,
and varying much in its foliage, in some parts of Devonshire, and espe-
5x2
174-6 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
cially along the Torridge, from Torrington to ,&&•-••>
Bideford ; and about Clovelly. In those parts .'^^^^^i;
is a variety with the leaf of a very large size 1587
(see Jig. 1574. in p. 1738.); and I recollect
a tree in Clovelly Park with all the leaves oddly
recurved at the edges, so as to have a convex
disk. I recollect, also, some very ancient pol-
lards, with leaves of great size, near Inver-
castlie, on the Ross-shire side of Strath Oikell.
I think the species is common in Scotland. I
presume an oak with a long, narrow, ragged
leaf, which I happen to have seen only at Chep-
stow Castle, where there are several trees, pro-
bably all planted, and where it is called Maiden
oak, is a var. of Q,. sessiliflora." ( W. B. Jan.
1837.) Mr. Bree says that in some parts of
North Wales, and in the neighbourhood of the
lakes in the north of England, Q. sessiliflora is
the more prevailing kind of oak ; constituting,
as it were, the staple growth of the country, almost to the exclusion of
Q. pedunculata. Great part of the Forest of Ardennes, in Warwickshire,
he says, consists almost entirely of Q. sessiliflora, of which there are
specimens which exhibit marks of great antiquity. (Gard. Mag., vol. xii.
p. 572.) Q. sessiliflora is said by Bosc to be the more abundant species
in the forests in the neighbourhood of Paris, where it forms a lower and
more spreading tree than Q. pedunculata; which, however, is said to be
the more common oak of France. In Germany, if we may judge from the
name for Q. sessiliflora, gemeine eiche, it would appear to be the more com-
mon ; and we are informed by German gardeners that this is the case. We
have seen both sorts in the Black Forest, in the neighbourhood of Donaues-
chingen. Mr. Atkinson states that he received acorns of three varieties of
oaks from a botanist who collected them in the Black Forest ; and that he
had, in 1833, plants of them 6ft. high, which did not exhibit any difference
from Q. pedunculata and Q. sessiliflora. The oak is never found of any
size except in deep loamy soil; and in a low, or only moderately elevated,
situation. It never grows in marshy soil. In gravelly or sandy soil, or in
shallow soil on rock, it forms a small stunted tree, and on mountains a
shrub. In England, it is found on soils superincumbent on chalk, sandstone,
and limestone ; thriving equally well on each, according to the depth and quality
of the surface soil. In Scotland, it is found in the clefts of granite rocks,
basalt, sandstone, and every other description of native rock, where the soil
over it is of any depth, and not saturated with water. In Germany, it has
been observed by Willdenow that Q. pedunculata requires rather better soil
than Q. sessiliflora.
History. The earliest notices which we have of the oak in Britain are in
the Saxon Chronicles, from which it appears that oak forests were chiefly valued
for the acorns which they produced, which were generally consumed by swine and
other domestic animals,but, in years of great scarcity, were eaten by man. " Fa-
mines," Burnet observes, "which of old so continually occurred, history in part
attributes to the failure of these crops. Long after the introduction of wheat
and oats and rye, nay, little more than 700 years since, when other food had
in a great measure superseded the use of mast, considerable reliance was still
placed thereon, and oaks were chiefly valued for the acorns they produced.
In the Saxon Chronicles, that year of terrible dearth and mortality, 1 1 16, is de-
scribed as * a very heavy-timed, vexatious, and destructive year,' and the failure
of the mast in that season is particularly recorded : — ' This year, also, was
so deficient in mast, that there never was heard such in all this land, or
in Wales." (Amcen. Quer., fol. 1.) About the end of the seventh century,
King Ina, among the few laws which he enacted to regulate the simple
CHAP. cv. CORYLA'CE*:. QUE'RCUS. 174-7
economy of our Saxon ancestors, gave particular directions relating to the
fattening of swine in woods, since then called pannage, or pawnage. (Mart.
Mill.) The same king made injuring or destroying trees penal; and those
who did so clandestinely were fined thirty shillings, the very sound of the
axe being sufficient conviction ; and the man who felled a tree under whose
shadow thirty hogs could stand incurred a double penalty, and was mulcted
to sixty shillings. (Hunter's Evelyn.) In a succeeding century, Elfhelmus
reserves the pannage of two hundred hogs for his lady, in part of her dower ;
and mast is particularly mentioned, about the middle of the eleventh century,
in a donation of Edward the Confessor. It appears from the Domesday Book,
that, in William the Conqueror's time, oaks were still esteemed principally
for the food they afforded to swine ; for the value of the woods, in several
counties, is estimated by the number of hogs they would fatten. The survey
is taken so accurately, that in some places woods are mentioned of a single
hog. (Mart. Mill.) The rights of pannage were greatly encroached on by
the Norman princes, in their zeal for extending forests for the chase ; and this
was one of the grievances which King John was obliged to redress in the
charter of the liberties of the forest. (Chron. Sax.)
The number of oak forests which formerly existed in Britain is proved by
the many names still borne by British towns, which are evidently derived
from the word oak. " For one Ash-ford, Beech-hill, Elm-hurst, or Poplar,"
Burnet remarks, " we find a host of oaks, Oakleys, Actons, Acklands, Aken
hams, Acringtons, and so forth. The Saxon ac, aec, aac, and the later ok,
okes, oak, have been most curiously and variously corrupted. Thus we find
ac, aec, degenerating into ak, ack, aike, ack, acks, whence ax, exe ; often, also,
aspirated into hac, hace, and hacks. In Hike manner, we trace oak, oke, ok,
oc, ock, ceck, ocke, oks, ocks,ockes, running into oax,ox, oxes, for ox, oxs, with
their farther corruptions, auck, uck, huck, hoke, and wok. As an example
of this lasf extreme, the town Oakingham, or Ockingham, is at this day
called and spelt indifferently Oakingham, Okingham, or Wokingham ; and
Oaksey or Oxessey are two common ways of writing the name of one
identical place. Oakham, Okeham, Ockham, and Wockham, Hokenorton on
the river Oke, Woking in Surrey, Wacton in Herefordshire and Norfolk, Okey
or Wokey in Somersetshire, Oakefield or Wokefield in Berkshire, and Old
or Wold in Northamptonshire, with the provincial Whom or Whoam, are
other similar corruptions." (Amcen. Quer., fol. 11.)
The history of the use of the British oak in building, carpentry, and for
naval purposes, is necessarily coeval with that of the civilisation of the British
islands. The timber found in the oldest buildings is uniformly of oak. Pro-
fessor Burnet possessed a piece of oak from King John's Palace at Eltham,
perfectly sound, fine, and strong, which can be traced back upwards of 500
years. The doors of the inner chapels of Westminster Abbey are said to be
coeval with the original building ; and if by this is meant Sibert's Abbey of
Westminster, which was founded in 611, they must be more than 1200 years
old. The shrine of Edward the Confessor, which must be nearly 800 years
old, since Edward died in 1066, is also of oak. One of the oaken corona-
tion chairs in Westminster Abbey has been in its present situation about 540
years. " In the eastern end of the ancient Chapel of St. Stephen, in the Castle
of Winchester, now termed the County Hall, is Arthur's round table, the chief
curiosity of the place. It bears the figure of that Prince, so famous in the old
romances, and the names of several of his knights, Sir Tristram, Sir Gawaine,
Sir Gerath, &c. Paulus Jovius, who wrote between 200 and 300 years ago,
relates that this table was shown by Henry VIII. to his illustrious visiter
the Emperor Charles V., as the actual oaken table made and placed there
by the renowned British Prince, Arthur, who lived in the early part of the
sixth century ; that is, about 1030 years ago. Hence the poet Dray ton
sings, —
'And so great Arthur's seat ould Winchester prefers,
Whose ould round table yet she vaunteth to be hers.'
5x3
1748 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
Some antiquarians, however, state that the tabulae rotundae were introduced
into this country by Stephen, and believe that the table in question was
made by him, which in that case would diminish its age 600 years ; leaving
it, however, above seven centuries to boast of; enough to render it a most
valuable and interesting monument. It has been perforated by many bullets,
supposed to have been shot by Cromwell's soldiers. (Grose and Hutchins.}
The massive tables, paneled wainscots, and ceiling of Morton Hall, Cheshire ;
the roofs of Christ-Church, Oxford, and Trinity College, Cambridge, are fine
specimens of old oak. In Gloucester Cathedral, also, are thirty-one stalls of
rich tabernacle work on cither side, little inferior in point of execution to the
episcopal throne at Exeter, or to the stalls at Ely ; erected in the reign of
Edward III., and allowed to be among the finest pieces of carving in wood
now remaining in England of that early date. (Britton.) Of about equal age
were the carved figures of Edward III. and his Queen Phillippa, in the colle-
giate church and hospital of St. Catherine, lately removed from the tower to
St. Catherine's newly built church and hospital, in the Regent's Park. The
screens, stalls, seats, &c., in the old church were all of oak, beautifully carved,
and very ancient ; the old oaken pulpit, also, which now adorns the new
structure, was the donation of Sir Julius Caesar, A.D. 1621. The rich carvings
in oak which ornamented the King's room in Stirling Castle were executed
about 300 years ago, and are many of them still in good preservation in the
collections of the curious. In digging away the foundation of the old Savoy
Palace, London, which was built upwards of 650 years since, the whole of
the piles, many of which were of oak, were found in a state of perfect
soundness, as, also, was the planking which covered the pile heads. (Trcdgold.}
BufFon mentions the soundness of the piles of the bridge which the Emperor
Trajan built across the Danube ; one of which, when taken up, was found
to be petrified to the depth of three quarters of an inch, but the rest of the
wood was little different from its ordinary state. And of the durability of oak
timber, the oldest wooden bridge of which we have any account, viz. that one
famous from its defence by Horatius Codes, and which existed at Rome in
the reign of Ancus Martius, 500 years before Christ, might be given as
another example. The piles which supported the buttresses, and immense
uncouth starlings which confined the waterway and so greatly disfigured
old London Bridge, were some of them of oak ; and I [Professor Burnet]
have a specimen of one, which is far from being in a rotten state : and the
still older piles on which the bridge piers rested were also in a very strong
and sound condition : nay, those stakes which it is said the ancient Britons
drove into the bed of the Thames to impede the progress of Julius Cresar,
near Oatlands, in Surrey, some of which have been removed for examination,
have withstood the destroyer time nearly 2000 years." (Amcen. Quer., fol. 7.)
In Cambden's time, the place where these stakes were found was called
Cowey Stakes. In the Vetusta Monumenta, vol. ii. pi. 7., is a sketch of
an old wooden church at Greenstead, near Ongar, the ancient Aungare, in
Essex. The inhabitants have a tradition, that the corpse of a dead king once
rested in this church ; and it is believed to have been built as a temporary re-
ceptacle for the body of St. Edmund (who was slain A. D. 946), and subse-
quently converted into a parish church. The nave, or body, which renders
it so remarkable, is composed of the trunks of oaks, about 1ft. 6 in. in dia-
meter, split through the centre, and roughly hewn at each end, to let them into
a sill at the bottom, and a plank at the top, where they are fastened by wooden
pegs. The north wall is formed of these half oaks, set side by side as closely
as their irregular edges will permit. In the south wall there is an interval left
for the entrance ; and the ends, which formerly were similar, have now to the
one a brick chancel, and to the other a wooden belfry, attached. The original
building is 29 ft. 9 in. long, by 14 ft. wide, and 5 ft. 6 in. high on the sides, which
supported the primitive roof. The oaks on the northern side have suffered
more from the weather than those on the southern side ; but both are still
so strong, and internally so sound, that, although " corroded and worn by
CHAP. cv. CORYLA'CE^E. QUE'HCUS. 1749
time," having been beaten by the storms for nearly a thousand winters, they
promise to endure a thousand more. (Ibid.)
The ancient Britons appear to have first used the oak for ship-building ;
the alder (see p. 1680.), the cypress, the pine, &c., having been previously
used for that purpose by the Romans. The Britons, indeed, appear to
have possessed a species of navy almost from the earliest period of their
existence as a nation. The ancient name of Britain, according to the
Welch bards, was Clas Merddin, " the sea-defended green spot ;" and we read,
that, before the invasion of Britain by Julius Caesar (52 ».c.), a naval engage-
ment took place between the Romans and the Veneti, aided by the Britons,
or Cymry, in which the vessels of the latter are said to have been so firmly
constructed, that the beaks of the Roman ships could with difficulty make any
impression on them. These vessels were built of oaken planks, their sails
were made of skins, and their anchors were attached to iron chains, or cables.
The Saxons, who settled in Britain about the middle of the fifth century, were
famed for their piracies at sea, and seem to have kept up a formidable marine.
Their vessels, we are told by Aneurin, a Welch bard, " were single-masted,
carrying one square sail. They had curved bottoms, and their prows and poops
were adorned with the heads and tails of monsters." (See Saturday Magazine,
vol. iv. p. 73.) King Alfred, who ascended the throne in 872, had nume-
rous vessels, some of which carried sixty oars ; and his enemies the Danes
were also celebrated for their ships. The English vessels, at this period, are
known to have been of oak ; and that the Danish ones were built of the
same timber is extremely probable. Professor Burnet, writing on this sub-
ject, says, " An ancient vessel was discovered, some years ago, in a branch of
the river Rothen, near the west end of the Isle of Oxney, in Kent, and about
two miles from the spot where formerly stood the Roman city of Anderida.
The timber of which this vessel was constructed is oak, perfectly sound, and
nearly as hard as iron ; and some persons believe it to be one of the fleet
abandoned by the Danes after their defeat in the reign of Alfred. This, how-
ever, is but conjecture : still, whether it be so, or whether it be a wreck of
some Danish pirates, it must have lain there many centuries. (Lit. Peg.)
Sir Joseph Banks records, in the Journal of Science (vol.i. p. 244.), the fol-
lowing account of an ancient canoe found in Lincolnshire in April, 1816, at
a depth of 8 ft. under the surface, in cutting a drain parallel with the river
Witham, about two miles east of Lincoln, between that city and Horsley
Deep. It seems hollowed out of an oak tree : it is 30 ft. 8 in. long, and mea-
sures 3 ft. broad in the widest part. The thickness of the bottom is between 7 in.
and 8 in. Another similar canoe was discovered in cutting a drain near
Horsley Deep ; but it was unfortunately destroyed by the workmen before it
was ascertained what it was. Its length was nearly the same as the former,
but it was 4^ ft. wide. Besides these, three other canoes, resembling the above
in construction, have been found in the same county : one in a pasture near
the river Trent, not far from Gainsborough ; and two in cutting a drain through
the fens below Lincoln. One of these is deposited in the British Museum.
Conjecture alone can be indulged with regard to the probable age of these
three canoes ; but the fact of their being hollowed out of the trunks of old
trees must carry them back to a very early date, and establish their extreme
antiquity. Long before the time of Alfred, the Britons were familiar with
ships regularly built : vessels such as these are found only amongst the rudest
people, and in the earliest stages of society ; and the epoch when any of the
European nations used such canoes must be remote indeed." (Ai/ucn. Qner.y
The fleet of King Edgar, however, appears to have consisted chiefly of boats ;
and, though that of William the Conqueror, amounting to 900 vessels, with
which he invaded England in 1066, is said to have consisted of ships, the
representations extant of them bear but little resemblance to our men-of-
war. William set great value on his navy, and was the monarch who first
gave exclusive privileges to the Cinque Ports. John was the first who as-
the exclusive right of the English to the dominion of the seas ; and, in
5x4
1750 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM, PART III.
1214, issued a mandate to his chief admiral, ordering him to arrest, seize, and
make prizes of all ships whatever found therein. In the reign of Edward I.,
the first admiral was appointed ; and, about 1380, cannons were first used on
board ships. The first three-masted vessel was built by Henry VII. ; and
Henry VIII. not only built many fine ships, but established the royal dock-
yards of Woolwich, Deptford, and Portsmouth ; and made laws for the planting
and preservation of oak timber. He was also the last English monarch who
employed foreign hired ships of war. Elizabeth and James greatly encouraged
the navy, and the planting of oak timber; and Charles I., in 1635-37, built
a magnificent vessel, called the Sovereign of the Seas, an oak used in con-
structing which produced four beams, each 44 ft. in length, and 4 ft. 9 in. in
diameter. This ship, which was afterwards called the Royal Sovereign, was
destroyed by fire at Chatham in 1696, after having been upwards of sixty years
in the service. ( See Sat. Mag. for 1 834.)
It is difficult to assign any exact date for the period when oak planta-
tions were first made for profit. According to popular tradition, William
Rufus was the first who is recorded to have planted oak trees, when, in 1079,
he formed the New Forest in Hampshire. But Gilpin appears to think that
it is much more probable that he merely thinned out chases in the woods
already existing, than that he planted fresh trees. The district of Ytene, in-
deed, appears to have been a forest in the time of the Saxons ; and, from the
poorness of its soil, to have been thinly populated. Henry of Huntingdon,
and the other monkish writers, who relate that William destroyed about fifty
parish churches, and as many villages, extirpating their inhabitants to make
this forest, were therefore probably guided more by their hatred to the Nor-
man monarch, than by a strict adherence to truth. Henry I. enlarged the New
Forest, enacting severe laws for securing the timber in that and other woods ;
and he appointed proper officers to enforce these laws, and to preserve the
royal forests from decay. In Henry II.'s time, England appears to have been
nearly covered with wood, consisting principally of oak trees ; and Fitzstephen
tells us that a large forest lay round London, " in the coverts whereof, lurked
bucks and does, wild boars and bulls." As civilisation advanced, these woods
became partially cleared away ; and those which remained were called the
Royal Forests, and were retained for the purpose of sheltering game for the
diversion of the kings. Henry II. gave a right to the Cistercian Abbey of
Flaxley, in the neighbourhood of the Forest of Dean, to erect an iron forge,
together with liberty to cut two oak trees weekly, to supply it with fuel. But
Henry III. revoked this latter grant, as being prejudicial to the forest ; and a
wood, called the Abbot's Wood, was gifted to the abbey in lieu of it. (See
Lander's Gilpin, vol. ii. p. 67.) An inquisition was held, in the reign of
Henry II., respecting Sherwood Forest, oy which it appears that the right of
hunting in it was then considered of great importance ; and an act was passed,
in the reign of Henry III. (1231), to define its boundaries. The Forest of
Salcey was also formerly one of great importance, and it is frequently men-
tioned in the forest laws of different English kings. The forest of Norwood,
and several others, were entirely of oak, and, of course, valuable as producing
naval timber ; but the two great forests for this purpose were the New Forest
and the Forest of Dean. Among all the laws that were passed at different
times for regulating the forests, as late as the reign of Henry VII., there ap-
pears to have been none enjoining planting ; the cares for the preservation of
the forests being chiefly confined to directions as to the proper age and season
for felling the trees. Forests, indeed, were so abundant, even in the j*eign of
Henry VII., that we are told by Polydore Virgil that they covered one third
part of all England ; and the efforts of the people must have been rather
directed towards clearing away trees than planting them. About the time of
Henry VIII., when, as we have already seen, the use of hired foreign ships of
war was discontinued, and several English vessels were built of large size,
the first fears respecting a scarcity of oak timber appear to have been felt.
Tusser, who wrote about 1562, complains that "men were more studious to
CHAP. CV. C'ORYLAXCE/E. ^UE'llCUS. 1751
cut down than to plant." The statute of Henry VIII., c. 35., appears to be
the first on record which enjoins the " replantation of forest trees, to cure the
spoils and devastations that have been made in the woods ;" and the plant-
ations thus made appear to have been enclosed, as Tusser says in his directions
for April, —
" Fence coppice in,
Yer hewers begin."
And again, —
" Sow acornes, ye owners that timber do love ;
Sow hay and rie with them, the better to prove :
If cattle or coney may enter the crop,
Young oak is in danger of losing his top."
In the reign of Elizabeth, a work was published on Forest Law ; in which its
author, Manwood, tells us that " the slender and negligent execution of the
forest law hath been the decay and destruction (in almost all places within
this realm) of great wood and timber ; the want whereof, as well in this
present time as in time to come, shall appear in the navy of this realm."
(Mamvood on Forest Law, c. ii. 6.) In consequence of this, or some previous
representations, fresh laws were enacted (13 Eliz.) for the preservation and
restoration of the royal woods. In the reign of James I. (in 1611), Arthur
Standish published his celebrated Commons' Complaint, wherein is contained two
.special Grievances ; the first of which is, " the generall destruction and waste of
woods in this kingdome, with a remedy for the same ; also, how to plant wood
according to the nature of any soyle," &c. To this work is appended a kind
of mandate : — " By the king, to all noblemen, and other our loving subjects
to whom it may appertain. Whereas, Arthur Standish, gentleman, hath taken
much pains, and been at great charges in composing and publishing in a book
some projects for the increasing of woods, the decay whereof in this realm is
universally complained of; and, therefore, we would be glad that any intention
might further the restoring thereof; we have therefore been pleased to give
allowance to his book, and to the printing thereof. And if the same shall be
willingly received of such of the gentlemen, and others of ability, who have
grounds fitting for his projects, it shall much content us ; doubting not but
that such as shall think good to make use of the book will deal worthily with
him for his pains. And we are also pleased, for the better encouragement of
the said Standish, hereby to declare, that our pleasure is, that no person or
persons whatsoever shall print any of the said books, but for and to the use
of the said Standish, and none others. Given under our signet at Andover,
the first day of August in the ninth year of our reign of England, France, and
Ireland, and of Scotland the five-and-fortieth. God save the king."
In the same reign (1612), another book was published, entitled " An Olde
Thrift newly revived; wherein is declared the manner of planting, preserving^ and
husbanding young trees of divers Kindes for Timber and Fuell; and of sowing
Acornes, Chesnuts, Beech-mast, the Seedes of Elmes, Ashen-keyes, &c." In
this work are given directions for planting acorns, and rearing and protecting the
young trees ; and the abuses in the management of the royal woods are pointed
out. The necessities of Charles I. induced him to make ruinous grants of
the royal woods to any person who would supply him with money ; and, in
the civil wars which followed, many of the forests were nearly destroyed. In
the reign of Charles II., an order was issued under the king's " sign manual to
Sir John Norton, woodward of the New Forest, to enclose 300 acres of waste,
as a nursery for young oak ; the expense of which was to be defrayed by the
sale of the decayed wood. This order bears date December 13. 1669. But,
though the enclosure here specified was trifling in itself, yet it had the merit
of a new project, and led to farther improvements." (Gilpin's For. Seen.,
vol. ii. p. 29.) These improvements, however, are not stated ; and no per-
manent regulation appears to have been made till the reign of William III.,
when a statute was passed (Will. 10.) empowering certain commissioners to
enclose 2000 acres in the New Forest for the growth of naval timber ; and
200 more every year for the space of 20 years. From this period, go-
1752 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 1JI.
vernment plantations of about 6000 acres of young trees have always, nomi-
nally at least, been kept up ; new pieces of ground being enclosed as the part
already planted became sufficiently advanced to be thrown open to the forest.
An act passed in 1800 remedied many previously existing abuses; and the
plantations are now in a flourishing state. (See Part IV.)
In France and Germany, the oak is one of the principal trees that have
been subjected to cultivation ; and, in the oldest accounts on record respecting
artificial plantations, the oak is mentioned as the object of especial attention.
In France it is more attended to than in Germany, on account of the fleet
which that country has possessed for many centuries. The timber for the
French navy has not only for many centuries been obtained from the oaks in the
national forests, but even to the present day there is a law by which every
private individual who possesses an oak tree of certain dimensions, considered
to be fit for constructing the larger kinds of ships of war, is obliged, when he
intends to cut it down, to make the first offer of it to government. In
Baudrillart's Dictionnaire des Eaux et Forets will be found numerous regu-
lations respecting the common oak, all proving how much its timber is valued
beyond that of all other trees in France. After having thus given what may
be called the economical history of the common British oak, we shall next
say a few words respecting its legendary history in the British Islands, and
its biography.
Legendary History. The oak appears to have been an object of worship
among the Celts and ancient Britons. The Celts worshipped their God Teut
under the form of this tree ; and the Britons regarded it as a symbol of their
god Tarnawa, the god of thunder. According to Professor Burnet, from Hu
(the Bacchus of the druids) came the word Yule ; but others derive it from
Baal, Bel, or Yiaoul, who was the Celtic god of fire, and was sometimes
identified with the Sun, and was also worshipped under the form of an
oak. Baal was considered the same as the Roman Saturn, and his festival
(that of Yule) was kept at Christmas, which was the time of the Satur-
nalia. The druids professed to maintain perpetual fire; and once every
year all the fires belonging to the people were extinguished, and relighted
from the sacred fire of the druids This was the origin of the Yule
log, with which, even so lately as the commencement of the last century, the
Christmas fire, in some parts of the country, was always kindled ; a fresh log
being thrown on and lighted, but taken off before it was consumed, and re-
served to kindle the Christmas fire of the following year. The Yule log was
always of oak ; and, as the ancient Britons believed that it was essential for
their hearth fires to be renewed every year from the sacred fire of the
druids, so their descendants thought that some misfortune would befall them
if any accident happened to the Yule log. (See Irving's Bracebridgc Half.)
The worship of the druids was generally performed under an oak ; and a heap
of stones was erected, on which the sacred fire was kindled, which was called
a cairn, as Professor Burnet says, from kern, an acorn. The mistletoe was
held in great reverence ; and, as it was not common on the oak, solemn cere-
monies attended the search for it. The druids fasted for several days, and
offered sacrifices in wicker baskets or frames ; which, however, were not made
of willow, but of oak twigs, curiously interwoven ; and were similar to that
still carried by Jack in the Green on May-day, which, according to Professor
Burnet, is one of the relics of druidism. When all was prepared for the
search (the mistletoe having been, no doubt, previously found by some of the
assistants), the druids went forth, clad in white robes, to search for the sacred
plant ; and, when it was discovered, one of the druids ascended the tree, and
gathered it with great ceremony, separating it from the oak with a golden
knife. The mistletoe was always cut at a particular age of the moon, at the
beginning of the year, and with the ceremonies already detailed under the head
of Ffscum (see p. 1022.); and it was only sought for when the druids had
had visions directing them to seek it. When a great length of time elapsed
without this happening, or if the mistletoe chanced to fall to the ground, it
CHAP. cv. CORYLA'CE^:. ^UE'RCUS. 1753
was considered as an omen that some great misfortune would befall the
nation. According to Davies's Celtic Researches and Inquiry into the Mytho-
logy of the Druids, the apple tree was considered as the next sacred tree to
the oak, and orchards of it were always planted near a grove of druids' oaks.
This was also favourable to the production of the mistletoe, as it grows abun-
dantly on the apple tree, and might be easily propagated by birds, or any other
accidental mode of transporting the seed. The well-known chorus of " Hey
dcrry down," according to Professor Burnet, was a druidic chaunt, sig-
nifying, literally, " In a circle the oak move around." Criminals were tried
under an oak tree ; the judge being placed under the tree, with the jury beside
him, and the culprit placed in a circle made by the chief druid's wand. The
Saxons also held their national meetings under an oak ; and the celebrated
conference between the Saxons and the Britons, after the invasion of the
former, was held under the oaks of Dartmoor. The wood of the oak was
appropriated to the most memorable uses : King Arthur's round table was
made of it, as was the cradle of Edward III., when he was born at Caernarvon
Castle; this sacred wood being chosen, in the hope of conciliating the feelings
of the Welch, who still retained the prejudices of their ancestors, the ancient
Britons. It was considered unlucky to cut down any celebrated tree : and
Evelyn gravely relates a story of two men who cut down the Vicar's Oak, in
Surrey ; one losing his eye, and the other breaking his leg, soon after.
Biography of the Oak. Several individual oak trees are connected with
historical facts or legends, or are remarkable for their age, size, or other cir-
cumstances ; and we shall now give a short account of the most celebrated in
each county, arranging the counties in alphabetical order.
Bedfordshire. The Abbot's Oak, at Woburn Abbey, which may be called an
English dool tree, is a low pollard-like tree, with nothing remarkable in its
appearance, though the associations connected with it are extremely interest-
ing. On the branches of this tree, according to Stowe and other historians,
exactly three centuries ago, the abbot and prior of Woburn, the vicar of
Puddington, and " other contumacious persons," were hanged by order of
Henry VIII. Dodds, in his Church History of England, states that Roger
Hobbs, the abbot of Woburn at that time, " nobly disdaining to compromise his
conscience for a pension, as most of his brethren did, and as many others who
do not wear a cowl do at the present day, resolutely denied the king's supre-
macy, and refused to surrender his sarcedotal rights. For this contumacious
conduct, he was, in 1537, together with the vicar of Puddington, in this county
[Bedfordshire], and others who opposed the requisition, hanged on an oak
tree in front of the monastery, which is standing in the present day [1742].
He was drawn to the place of execution on a sledge, as is the custom with
state prisoners." We saw this tree in September, 1836, and found it in perfect
health, though with few arms that would be considered large enough for the
purpose to which the tree was once applied. On a board nailed to the tree
are painted the following lines, written by J. W. Wiffin, Esq. : —
" Oh ! 't was a ruthless deed ! enough to pale
Freedom's bright fires, that doom'd to shameful death
Those who maintain'd their faith with latest breath,
And scorn'd before the despot's frown to quail.
Yet 't was a glorious hour, when from the goal
Of papal tyranny the mind of man
Daren to break loose, and triumph'd in the ban
Of thunders roaring in the distant gale !
Yes, old memorial of the mitred monk,
Thou liv'st to flourish in a brighter day,
And seem'st to smile, that pure and potent vows
Are breathed where superstition reign'd : thy trunk
Its glad green garland wears, though in decay,
And years hang heavy on thy time-stain'd bo'ughs."
The Leaden Oak, in Ampthill Park, so called from a large piece of lead having
been fixed on it many years ago, is remarkable for having been one of the
oaks marked in a survey made of the park in the time of Cromwell, as being
then too old for naval timber. It is 67 ft. high ; its trunk is 30 ft. 6 in. in
1754- ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 111.
circumference ; and the diameter of its head is 85 ft. The species is Q. sessi-
liflora.
Berkshire. Chaucer is said to have planted three trees, that formerly grew in
Donnington Park, near Newbury. The largest, or King's Oak, had an erect
trunk, 50 ft. in height before any bough or knot appeared, a very unusual cir-
cumstance in the oak ; and, when felled, cut 5 ft. square at the but end, all
clear timber. The second, or Queen's Oak, gave a beam 40 ft. long, of excellent
timber, perfectly straight in growth and grain, without spot or blemish, 4ft. in
diameter at the stub, and nearly 3 ft. at the top ; " besides a fork of almost
10ft. clear timber above the shaft, which was crowned with a shady tuft of
boughs, amongst which were some branches on each side curved like rams'
horns, as if they had been industriously bent by hand. This oak was of a
kind so excellent, cutting a grain clear as any clap-board, as appeared in the
wainscot that was made thereof, that it is a thousand pities some seminary of
the acorns had not been propagated to preserve the species." (Evelyn's Syhay
book iii.) Chaucer's oak, according to Evelyn, was somewhat inferior to its
companion ; " yet was it a very goodly tree." It has been confidently as-
serted, that the planter of these oaks, or, at least, one of them, was Chaucer ;
but Professor Burnet thinks " their size renders it more probable that they
owned a much earlier date ; and that, as then fine trees, they were the favourite
resort of the pilgrim bard." This opinion is corroborated by the legend told
by the country people, that Chaucer wrote several of his poems under the
oak that bears his name; and the fact, that Chaucer actually spent several of
the latter years of his life at Donnington.
In Windsor Forest, there are several celebrated oaks : one of these, the
King Oak, is said to have been a favourite tree of William the Conqueror,
who made this a royal forest, and enacted laws for its preservation. This oak,
which stands near the enclosure of Cranbourn, is 26 ft. in circumference at
3 ft. from the ground. It is supposed to be the largest and oldest oak in Wind-
sor Forest, being above 1000 years old. It is quite hollow : the space within
is from 7 ft. to 8 ft. in diameter, and the entrance is about 4£ ft. high, and 2 ft.
wide. " We lunched in it," says Professor Burnet, " September 2. 1829 :
dendron, pi. 29.) Queen Anne's Oak, says Professor Burnet, " is a tree of
uncommon height and beauty, under which tradition says that Queen Anne,
who often hunted in Windsor Forest, generally came to mount her horse."
The tree is marked by a brass plate ; and there is an engraving of it in Bur-
gess's Eidodendron, pi. 25. " Pope's Oak, in Binfield Wood, Windsor Forest,
has the words * Here Pope sang' inscribed upon it. Queen Charlotte's
Oak is a very beautiful pollard, of prodigious size, which stands in Windsor
Forest, in an elevated situation, commanding a fine view of the country round
Maidenhead. It was a favourite tree of Queen Charlotte's ; and George IV.
had a brass plate with her name fixed on it." (Amasn. Qucr., fol. x. ; and Eid.y
pi. 26.) Herne's Oak, in Windsor Park, has been immortalised by Shakspeare;
and the remains of its trunk were lately 24ft. in circumference. Herne was a
keeper in the forest some time before the reign of Elizabeth, who hanged him-
self on this oak, from the dread of being disgraced for some offence which he
had committed ; and his ghost was believed to haunt the spot. The following
account of this tree is given in that very entertaining work, Jesse's Gleanings :
" The next interesting tree, however, at Windsor, for there can be little doubt
of its identity, is the celebrated Herne's Oak. There is, indeed, a story pre-
valent in the neighbourhood respecting its destruction. It was stated to have
been felled by command of his late majesty, George III., about fifty years
ago (1784), under peculiar circumstances. The whole story, the details of
which it is unnecessary to enter upon, appeared so improbable, that I have
taken some pains to ascertain the inaccuracy of it, and have now every reason
to believe that it is perfectly unfounded. Herne's Oak is probably still stand-
CHAP. CV.
COUYLA^CE/E. QUE'RCUS.
1755
in" ; at least there is a tree which some old inhabitants of Windsor consider
M such, and which their fathers did before them — the best proof, perhaps, of
its identity. In following the footpath which leads from the Windsor road
to Queen Adelaide's Lodge, in the Little
Park, about half way on the right, a dead
tree (of which fig. 1588. is a portrait) may be
seen close to an avenue of elms. This is
what is pointed out as Herne's Oak ; I can
almost fancy it the very picture of death. Not
a leaf, not a particle of vitality appears about
it. The hunter must have blasted it. It
stretches out its bare and sapless branches,
like the skeleton arms of some enormous
giant, and is almost fearful in its decay. None
of the delightful associations connected with
it have however vanished, nor is it difficult to
fancy it as the scene of Falstaff 's distress, and
the pranks of the * Merry Wives.' Among
many appropriate passages which it brought
to my recollection was the following : —
' There want not many that do fear
In deep of night to walk by this Herne's Oak,'
Its spectral branches might indeed deter many from coming near it, * 'twixt
twelve and one.'
" The footpath which leads across the park is stated to have passed in former
times close to Herne's Oak. The path is now at a little distance from it, and
was probably altered in order to protect the tree from injury. I was glad to
find * a pit hard by,' where J Nan and her troop of fairies, and the Welch devil
Evans,' might all have * couch'd,' without being perceived by the * fat Windsor
stag' when he spake like * Herne the hunter.' The pit above alluded to has
recently had a few thorns planted in it, and the circumstance of its being near
the oak, with the diversion of the footpath, seems to prove the identity of the
tree, in addition to the traditions respecting it : —
' There is an old tale goes, that Herne the hunter,
Sometime a keeper here in Windsor Forest,
Doth all the winter time, at still midnight,
Walk round about an oak, with great ragg'd horns,
And there he blasts the tree.'
The last acorn, I believe, which was found on Herne's Oak was given to the
late Sir David Dundas of Richmond, and was planted by him on his estate
in Wales, where it now flourishes, and has a suitable inscription near it. I
have reason to think that Sir David Dundas never entertained
a doubt of the tree I have referred to being Herne's Oak, and
he had the best opportunities of ascertaining it. In digging
holes near the tree lately, for the purpose of fixing the pre-
sent fence round it, several old coins were found, as if they
had been deposited there as future memorials of the interest
this tree had excited." (Jesse's Glean, in Nat. Hist., 2d s.,
p. 117.) By others another tree was said to be Herne's Oak,
of which^g. 1589. is a portrait taken from nature some years ago. This tree,
which no longer exists, had been in a decaying state for more than half a
century before our drawing was made.
Buckinghamshire. The large oak at Wootton (Jig. 1 590.) is, probably, one of
the handsomest in England. Its trunk measures 25 ft. in circumference at 1 ft.
from the ground ; and at the height of 12 ft. it divides into four large limbs,
the principal of which is 15ft. in circumference. It is above 90 ft. high, and
covers an area of 150 ft. in diameter with its branches. The great beauty
of this tree is the breadth of its head, occasioned by the enormous size
of its limbs; which gives it so completely the character of the oak, that
1589
1756
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
->i
not even the most
superficial observ-
er could ever for a
moment mistake it
for any other tree.
The Chandos Oak
(see fig. 1601., in
p. 1763.), though
it has nearly as
large a head, has
more the charac-
ter of a spreading
beech tree; and
theTibbertonOak
(see fig. 1587. in
p. 1745.), though
hif her, is more like
an English elm. The Wootton Oak has all the attributes of beauty, dignity,
ami majesty, usually given to the oak tree ; it once formed part of the ancient
for 2st of Bern Wood, which was a favourite hunting ground of Edward the
Co.nfessor. " This forest was at that time infested by a wild boar, which was
at last slain by a huntsman named Nigel, whom the king rewarded for this
service by the grant of some lands, to be held by a horn ; a mode of livery
common in those days." {Lander's Gilpin, vol. ii. p. 69.) This horn is still
in the possession of the Aubrey family, to whom it has descended by the female
line from that of Nigel. " The Chenies Oak," Professor Burnet (Eidoden-
dron, pi. 2.) tells us, "is an old tree, which was going to decay in the reign
of Queen Elizabeth ; but, a farm-yard being established in its vicinity, it has
revived, from the manure having sunk down to its^roots, and has now several
healthy and flourishing branches. Tradition traces it beyond the Norman
Conquest." {Amcen. Quer., fol. 2.)
Cheshire. The St. James's Chronicle, No. 5038., states that an oak was felled,
a few days before, at Morley in Cheshire, which produced upwards of 1000 ft.
of measurable timber. It girted 42 ft., and one branch contained 200 ft. of solid
timber. Its existence could be traced back for 800 years ; and it was supposed
to be one of the largest trees in England. As a proof of this, it may be added,
that the hollow trunk had, for some years before it was cut down, been used for
housing cattle. It is said that Edward the Black Prince once dined beneath
its shade. {Mart. Mill., art. Quercus.) The Forest of Delamere, in this county,
contains many fine oaks. In this forest " Edelfleda, a Mercian princess,
founded a little town for her retirement, which obtained the title of the
Happy City. The site is still known by the name of the Chamber of the
Forest." {Gilpin.) The Combermere Oaks, at Combermere Abbey, near Nant-
wich, are very fine old trees. One of these (Q. pedunculata) is 71 ft. high,
and the trunk girts 37 ft. at 3 ft. from the ground ; and another (Q. sessili-
flora) is 65 ft. high, and has a trunk 28 ft. in circumference at 3 ft. from the
ground. The latter is quite hollow ; and the inside, which is fitted up as a
room, will hold twelve people. Both these trees were described as old trees
when the abbey and demesne were granted to an ancestor of the present Lord
Combermere, Sir G. Cotton, who was steward of the household to Henry
VIII., in 1633. There is another old tree on an island in the lake, which
is still in a growing state, and which is 80ft. high, girting 24ft.; and the dia-
meter of the head is 75ft.
Devonshire. The Forest of Dartmoor was formerly of great extent; and in
it, at Crockern Tor, was the seat of the Parliament of the Stanneries. The
forest has now nearly disappeared, but the moor still extends about 20 miles
by 1 1 miles, and wolves were found on it as late as the reign of Queen Eliza-
beth. The appearance of Dartmoor is rendered very picturesque, from the
abrupt eminences, crowned with huge piles of stones, and called Tors, which
CORYLANCE#:. ^UE'lU US. 175?
CHAP. CV.
are found in different parts of it. Crockern Tor, which we have mentioned
above, is one of the most remarkable of them, and is thus described by Car-
rington : —
" Not always thus
Have hover'd, Crockern, o'er thy leafless scalp
The silence and the solitude which now
Oppresses the crush'd spirits ; for I stand
Where once the fathers of the forest held
(An iron race) the parliament that gave
The forest law. Ye legislators, nursed
In laps of modern luxury, revere
The venerable spot, where simply clad,
And breathing mountain breezes, sternly sate
The hardy mountain council."
Near this spot, tradition says, were anciently some old oaks, under which
the Britons held their courts of judicature previously to the invasion of the
Romans ; and under which the conference between the Saxons and the Britons
took place, after which the latter gave up the kingdom, and retired into
Wales. The oak trees, though the place is still called Wistman's, or Welch-
man's, Wood, have long since been cut down, though there are still some
huge gnarled stumps amidst loose rocks of granite ; and on their decayed tops,
thorns, brambles, &c., are shooting forth, forming altogether a most grotesque
appearance. (See Mart. Mill., art. Wroods.) These distorted and stunted
remains, we are informed by Mr. Borrer, are all Q. pedunculata ; and some
idea may be formed of their appearance from the engraving given of them by
Burt, in his notes to the second edition of Carrington's Dartmoor. The trees
in this wood are now none of them above 7 ft. high, though their trunks are
more than 10 ft. in circumference. For the following account of this remark-
able wood we are indebted to W. Borrer, Esq. : — " Wistman's Wood is still
in existence. It is something more than a mile north of Two-Bridges, near
the centre of Dartmoor, where it forms a narrow stripe, a quarter of a mile at
least in length, along the western slope of a hill, at the foot of which runs a
mountain brook, one of the branches of the West Dart. On the ridge of
the hill are the Little Bee and the two Longaford Tors (the Great Longaford
being a building-place of the raven) ; and the Crockern Tor, interesting to
antiquaries, is on a lower part a little to the south-east. A few of the trees
are scattered ; but by far the greater part are packed, as it were, among the
low blocks of granite that lie in abundance on the hill side ; the gnarled and
twisted stems reclining in the spaces between the rocks, and formed into an
undistinguishable mass with them by a thick mat of mosses and lichens, of
which the Anomodon curtipendulum, bearing its very rare capsules in profu-
sion, contributes a large proportion. I did not observe stems of any large
size, but they display incontestable marks of great antiquity. The branches
rise a very few feet above the rocks, and 1591
their twigs are very short, yet I found on
them a tolerably vigorous crop of leaves
and acorns." (W. B.) Meavy's Oak (fig.
1591.) is also on Dartmoor. Our en-
graving is taken from a drawing (kindly
lent to us by W. Borrer, Esq.) which was
made in 1833. The tree (which is stag-
headed) is about 50ft. high; the trunk,
which is 27 ft. in circumference, is
hollow, and it has held nine persons
at one time. This oak is supposed
to have existed in the time of King
John. The Flitton Oak (fig. 1592.) stands singly on a spot where three
roads meet, on an estate belonging to the Earl of Morley, in the parish
of North Molton. It is supposed to be 1000 years old; and, within the
memory of man, it was nearly twice its present height, which is now about
45 ft. It is 33 ft. in circumference at about I ft. from the ground ; and at
about 7 ft. it divides into eight enormous limbs. The species is Q. sessiliflora.
1758 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
The Staple Hill Oak, in the same
county, on the property of the
Duke of Somerset, is of great age,
and has a trunk 37 ft. 6 in. in cir-
cumference. " At Weare Gifford, J
there is a curious old oak, the cir-
cumference of which, at 1 ft. from
the ground, is 27 ft. 9 in. ; and the
head of which covers a space the
diameter of which is 93ft. The 1 W ** 1592
height is now between 30 ft. and
40 ft. ; but, as the top has been broken off by storms, this affords no criterion
as to its original height. The trunk is hollow at the bottom ; and the tree
appears some centuries older than any other near it." ( E.)
Dorsetshire. Not far from Blandford, Gilpin observes, there " stood very
lately a tree known by the name of Damory's Oak. About five or six centuries
ago, it was probably in a state of maturity." It measured 68 ft. in circum-
ference at the ground, and 17ft. above it was 16ft. in girt. As this im-
mense trunk decayed, it became hollow, forming a cavity 15 ft. wide, and 17ft.
high, capable of holding 20 men. During the civil wars, and till after the
Restoration, this cave was inhabited by an old man, who sold ale in it. A
violent storm, in 1703, greatly injured this venerable oak, and destroyed many
of its noblest limbs ; however, 40 years after, it was still so stately a ruin, that
some of its branches were 75 ft. high, and extended 72 ft. from the bole. " In
1755, when it was fit for nothing but fire-wood, it was sold for 147." (See
Hutchins's Account of Dorsetshire, vol. i., with a print of the tree.) In this
county was White Hart Forest, so called from Henry IIL having here hunted
a beautiful white hart, and spared its life. The forest was afterwards called
Blackmoor ; and Losel's Wood, mentioned by Gilbert White in his History of
Selborne, which, he says, was on the Blackmoor estate, probably formed part
of it. Most of the oaks in this grove (Losel's Wood) were of peculiar growth,
and, for some purposes, of great value. They were tall and taper, like firs ; but
standing close together, they had very small heads, only a little brush, without
any large limbs. Many of these trees were 60 ft. long, without any bough, and
only 1 ft. in diameter at the smallest end. In the centre of this grove grew
the Raven Oak, " which, though shapely and tall on the whole, bulged out into
a large excrescence about the middle of the stem. On this oak a pair of
ravens had fixed their residence for such a series of years, that it was distin-
guished by the title of the Raven Tree. Many were the attempts of the
neighbouring youths to get at this eyry : the difficulty only whetted their
inclinations ; and each was ambitious of surmounting the arduous task ; but,
when they arrived at the swelling, it jutted out so in their way, and was so
far beyond their grasp, that the most daring lads were awed, and acknow-
ledged the undertaking to be too hazardous. So the ravens built on nest
after nest in perfect security, till the fatal day arrived when the tree was to be
felled. It was in the month of February, when the ravens usually sit ; and
the dam was upon her nest. The saw was applied to the but ; wedges
were inserted in the opening; the woods echoed to the heavy blows of the
beetle and the mallet, and the tree nodded to its fall : yet still the dam sate
on. At last, when the tree gave way, the bird was flung from her nest ; and,
though her maternal affection merited a better fate, she was whipped by the
boughs which brought her dead to the ground." (Brown's edit, of White's
Selborne, p. 6.)
The Great Oak at Stockbridge stands on part of the estate of Robert
Gordon, Esq., of Leweston, within a few yards of the turnpike-road. This
oak, though it has stood there several centuries, is in perfect health, with a
well-formed head. The trunk is 22 ft. in circumference, height 52 ft., and
diameter of the head 95 ft. One of the branches has been broken about 10 ft.
from the bole, apparently many years ago ; and the extremity, about 25 ft. or
CHAP. cv. CORYLA'CEJE. QUE'RCUS. J759
SOft. from the tree', now lies completely buried in the ground. The tree
stands singly in a very conspicuous situation, on rising ground, and attracts
the notice" of travellers. At Melbury Park, there is an old oak, called Billy
Wilkins, which is 50ft. high, spreads 60 ft., and has a trunk 8ft. high before
it breaks into branches, which is 30ft. in circumference at the smallest part,
and 37 ft. at the collar. It is a remarkably gnarled knotty tree, and is called
by Mitchell, in his Dendrologia, "as curly, surly, knotty an old monster as can
be conceived ;" though for marble-grained furniture, he adds, it would sell at
a guinea per foot.
Essex. The Fairlop Oak stood in an open space of Hainault Forest. " The
circumference of its trunk, near the ground, was 48 ft. ; at 3 ft. high, it measured
36 ft. round; and the short bole divided into 11 vast branches, not in
the horizontal manner usual in the oak, but rather with the rise that is more
generally characteristic of the beech. These boughs, several of which were
from 10ft. to 12ft. in girt, overspread an area 300ft. in circuit; and for
many years a fair was held beneath their shade, no booth of which was al-
lowed to extend beyond it. This celebrated festival owed its origin to the
eccentricity of Daniel Day, commonly called * Good Day,' who, about 17*20,
was wont to invite his friends to dine with him, the first Friday in July, on beans
and bacon, under this venerable tree. From this circumstance becoming known,
the public were attracted to the spot; and about 1725 the fair above mentioned
was established, and was held for many years on the 2d of July in each year.
Mr. Day never failed to provide annually several sacks of beans, which he
distributed, with a proportionate quantity of bacon, from the hollowed trunk
of the oak, to the crowds assembled. The project of its patron tended
greatly, however, to injure his favourite tree ; and the orgies annually cele-
brated to the honour of the Fairlop Oak, yearly curtailed it of its fair pro-
portions. Some years ago, Mr. Forsyth's composition was applied to the
decayed branches of this tree, to preserve it from future injury ; probably by
the Hainault Archery Society, who held their meetings near it." (Li/sons')
At this period, a board was affixed to one of the limbs of this tree, with this
inscription : — " All good foresters are requested not to hurt this old tree, a
plaster having been lately applied to his wounds." (See Gent. Mag. for
1793, p. 792.) Mr. Day had his coffin made of one of the limbs of this tree,
which was torn off in a storm; and, dying in 1767, at the age of 84,
he was buried in it in Barking churchyard. The persons assembled at the
fair frequently mutilated the tree ; and it was severely injured by some
gipsies, who made its trunk their place of shelter. But the most fatal injury
it received was in 1805, from a party of about sixty cricketers, who had spent
the day under its shade, and who carelessly left a fire burning too near its
trunk. The tree was discovered to be on fire about eight in the evening, two
hours after the cricketers had left the spot; and, though a number of persons,
with buckets and pails of water, endeavoured to extinguish the flames, the
tree continued burning till morning. (Gent. Mag., June, 1805, p. 574.)
" The high winds of February, 1820," Professor Burnet informs us, " stretched
this forest patriarch on the ground, after having endured the storms of per-
haps 1000 winters. Its remains were purchased by a builder; and from a
portion thereof the pulpit and reading-desk in the new church, St. Pancras,
were constructed : they are beautiful specimens of British oak, and will long
preserve the recollection of this memorable tree." (A»i(vn. Qiter.,fol. 15.)
In Hatfield Broad-Oak, or Takely, Forest, near
the village of Hatfield, stand the remains of an
old oak, from which the village and forest derive
their name of Hatfield Broad-Oak. This tree
(Jig. 1593.), in its present state, measures 42 ft. in
circumference at the base; but, in 1813, before a
large portion of the bark fell in, it was upwards of
60 ft. It seems to have been one of those stag-
headed trees, which are remarkable for the com- 1593
5 Y
3760 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
parative shortness of their trunk and branches, when compared with their
amazing strength and thickness. The exact age of this tree is not known ;
but it cannot be less than seven or eight centuries. (See Young's Essex,
vol. ii. p. 136.)
The Hempstead Oak, near Saffron Walden, is a pollard of great age, and
has a trunk from 50 ft. to 53 ft. in circumference.
Flintshire. The Shordley Oak (fig. 1594., from a
drawing sent to us by W. Bowman, Esq.) is a magni-
ficent ruin. It is evidently of very great age, and ap-
pears to have been at some time struck with lightning.
It is quite hollow ; and its bare and distorted branches
have completely the air of a " blasted tree." Its cir-
cumference, at 3ft. from the ground, is 40ft.; and at
5 ft., 33 ft. 9 in. It is 5 1 ft. high.
Gloucestershire. The most celebrated oak in this
county was the Boddington Oak. This tree grew in
a piece of rich grass land, called the Old Orchard
Ground, belonging to Boddington Manor Farm, lying near the turnpike
road between Cheltenham and Tewkesbury, in the Vale of Gloucester.
The sides of the trunk were more upright than those of large trees generally ;
and at the surface of the ground it measured 54 ft. in circumference. The
trunk began to throw out branches at about 12ft. from the ground; and
the total length of the tree was 45ft. In 1783, its trunk was formed into a
room, which was wainscoted. Marshall, writing in that year, states that
it appeared to have been formerly furnished with large arms, but that then
the largest limb extended only 24 ft. from the bole. The trunk, he adds, " is
" about 12 ft. in diameter; and the greatest height of the branches, by estima-
tion, 45 ft. The stem is quit* hollow, being, near the ground, a perfect shell,
and forming a capacious well-sized room, which at the floor measures, one
way, more than 16ft. in diameter. The hollowness, however, contracts up-
wards, and forms itself into a natural dome, so that no light is admitted except
at the door, and at an aperture, or window, at the side. It is still perfectly
alive and fruitful, having this year (1783) a fine crop of acorns upon it. It is
observable in this (as we believe it is in most old trees), that its leaves are
remarkably small ; not larger, in general, than the leaves of the hawthorn."
(PL and Rur. Or., ii. p. 300.) This oak was burnt down, either by accident or
design, in 1790; and in 1807 there was only a small part of its trunk remain-
ing, which had escaped the fire. (See Rudgc's Survey of Gloucestershire,
p. 242.)
At Razies Bottom, near Ash wick, says Professor Burnet, were growing, a
few years ago, three fine oaks, called the King, the Queen, and the Duke of
Gloucester. The King Oak was 28ft. 8 in. in circumference at the collar ; and
about 18ft. as the average girt to the height of 30ft., where the trunk began
to throw out branches. The Queen Oak, which girted 34 ft. at the base, had
a clear cylindrical stem of 30ft. high, and 16ft. in circumference all the way;
bearing two tree-like branches, each extending 40 ft. beyond the bole, and
girting at the base 8 ft. ; containing in all 680 ft. of measurable timber. The
Duke of Gloucester had a clear trunk, 25ft. high, averaging 14ft. in girt.
Hampshire. Gilpin gives the following account of some celebrated trees in
the New Forest. The first of these was the tree near which William Rufus
was slain, and from which, according to the legend, a druid warned him, some
years previously, of his fate: — " Leland tells us, and Camden after him, that
the death of Rufus happened at a place called Througham, near which a
chapel was erected." The chapel has perished, and the very name of the
place is not now to be found within the precincts of the New Forest. The
tree has also decayed; but, about the middle of the last century, to preserve
the memory of the spot, a triangular stone was erected on it by Lord Dela-
ware, who lived in one of the neighbouring lodges ; on the three sides of
which were the following inscriptions : — " Here stood the oak tree on which
C'ORYLA'CE.E. QUE'RCUS. 1761
an arrow, shot by Sir Walter Tyrrell at a stag, glanced and struck King
William II., surnamed Rufus, on the breast, of which stroke he instantly
died, on the 2d of August, 1100." "King William II. being thus slain,
was laid in a cart belonging to one Purkess, and drawn from hence to Win-
chester, and buried in the cathedral church of that city." " That the spot
where an event so memorable happened might not hereafter be unknown,
this stone was set up by John Lord Delaware, who has seen the tree growing
in this place." (Gil phi's Forest Seen., i. p. 167.) This stone was erected in
1745 ; and it is said that, in the reign of Charles II., the oak was paled round
by that monarch's command, in order to its preservation. This tree appears to
have blossomed at Christmas, like the Cadenham Oak, mentioned below.
The Cadenham Oak, about three miles from Lyndhurst, is another of the
remarkable trees of the New Forest. This tree, which buds every year at
Christmas, is mentioned by Camden. " Having often heard of this oak,"
says Gilpin, " I took a ride to see it on the 29th of December, 1781. It was
pointed out to me among several other oaks, surrounded by a little forest
stream, winding round a knoll on which they stood. It is a tall straight
plant, of no great age, and apparently vigorous, except that its top has been
injured, from which several branches issue in the form of pollard shoots. It
was entirely bare of leaves, as far as I could discern, when I saw it, and un-
distinguishable from the other oaks in its neighbourhood; except that its
bark seemed rather smoother, occasioned, I apprehended, only by frequent
climbing. Having had the account of its early budding confirmed on the spot,
I engaged one Michael Lawrence, who kept the White Hart, a small alehouse
in the neighbourhood, to send me some of the leaves to Vicar's Hill as soon
as they should appear. The man, who had not the least doubt about the
matter, kept his word, and sent me several twigs on the 5th of January, 1782,
a few hours after they had been gathered. The leaves were fairly expanded,
and about 1 in. in length. From some of the buds two leaves had unsheathed
themselves, but, in general, only one." (For. Seen., i. p. 171.) One of the
young trees raised from this oak at Bulstrode was not only in leaf, but had
its flower buds perfectly formed, on December 21. 1781 ; so that this property
of coming early into leaf had been communicated to its offspring. " The
early spring of the Cadenham Oak," Gilpin continues, " is of very short du-
ration. The buds, after unfolding themselves, make no further progress, but
immediately shrink from the season, and die. The tree continues torpid, like
other deciduous trees, during the remainder of the winter, and vegetates
again in the spring, at the usual season." When " in full leaf in the middle
of summer, it appeared, both in its form and foliage, exactly like other oaks."
(Ibid., p. 174.) Another tree, with the same property of early germination,
has been found near the spot where Rufus's monument stands. This seems
to authenticate Camden's account of the death of that prince ; for he speaks
of the premature vegetation of the tree against which TyrrelPs arrow
glanced; and this may be one of its descendants. (See Camden's Account of
the Xeiu Forest.)
The Bentley Oak, in Holt Forest, according to a letter from R. Marsham,
Esq., in the Bath Society's Papers, was, in 1759, 34ft. in circumference at
7 ft. from the ground, and was found, 20 years afterwards (viz. in 1778), to
have increased only half an inch. Mr. Marsham accounts for taking the
measure so far from the ground, by mentioning that there was an excres-
cence about 5 ft. or 6 ft. high/which would have rendered the measure unfair.
At Beaulieu Abbey, Gilpin observes, there was, some years ago, " a very
extraordinary instance of vegetation. The main stem of an oak arose in
contact with a part of the wall, which was entire, and extended one of its
principal limbs along the summit of it. This limb, at the distance of a few
yards from the parent tree, finding a fissure in the wall, in which there might
probably be some deposit of soil, shot a root through it into the earth.
Thence shooting up again through another part of the wall, it formed a new.
»tem, as large as the original tree; and from this proceeded another horizontal
5v 2
1762
AIIBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
1595
branch like the former. In a great storm, on the 27th of February, 1781, both
the wall and the tree were blown down together." ( Gilpin.)
Mr. South, in the Bath Society Papers, tells us that in the New Forest there
was an oak, which was felled in 1768, called the Langley Oak, the trunk of
which, after it was cut down and barked, measured 36 ft. in circumference at the
base, and 18 ft. in circumference at the height of 20 ft., which was the length of
the bole. The head was all knees and crooks, and the branches extended
about 40 ft. from the tree on every side. The timber was perfectly sound, and
the tree was in a growing state when it was cut down.
Isle of Wight. Nunwell Park affords examples of several oaks which
are supposed to have flourished, where they are now in a state of decay, at the
time the grant of the park was made by William the Conqueror to the ances-
tor of Sir William Oglander, one of the Norman in-
vaders, and from whose family the possession has never
lapsed. (Amcen. Quer., fol. 18.)
Herefordshire. The Moccas Park Oak (/g.1595.),'
on the banks of the Wye, is 36 ft. in girt at 3 ft. from
the ground. It is hollow in the trunk ; but its head,
though much injured by time and storms, is bushy and
leafy.
Hertfordshire. The Great Oak, at Panshanger (fig. 1596.), growing on the
estate of Earl Cowper, is, as Strutt observes, a fine specimen of the oak tree
in its prime. Though upwards of 250 years old, and
though it has been called the Great Oak for more
than a century, it yet appears " even now to have
scarcely reached its meridian : the waving lightness of
its feathery branches, dipping down to the very ground,
the straightness of its stem, and the redundancy of its
foliage, give it a character the opposite of antiquity,
and fit it for the sequestered and cultivated pleasure-
grounds in which it stands." (Sylv. Brit., p. 7.) The
huge oak near Theobald's, commonly called Goff's
Oak, is 32 ft. in circumference close to the ground.
It gives its name to an inn close by, from the door of which it assumes a
most imposing appearance. In one of the rooms there is the figure of this
oak, and stuck thereon the following printed account : — " This tree was
planted A. D. 1066, by Sir Theodore Godfrey, or Goffby, who came over
with William the Conqueror." (See Amcen. Quer., fol. 18.)
Kent. There are three fine oaks at Fredville, in the parish of Newington,
in this county. The Majesty Oak (fig. 1597.), at 8ft. from ground, exceeds
28 ft. in girt ; and it contains above 1 400 ft. of timber. Stately
(fig. 1598.) has a clear stem 70ft. high, and 18 ft. in girt at
4 ft. from the ground. Beauty
is not so high, and is only
16ft. in girt at 4ft. from the
S^ ground. Fisher's Oak, about
17 miles from London, on the
Tunbridge Road, is said by
Martyn to have been of enor-
mous bulk. The part of the
1597 trunk now remaining is 24ft.
in compass. When King James made a progress that way,
a schoolmaster in the neighbourhood, and all his scholars,
dressed in oaken garlands, came out of this tree in great
numbers, and entertained the king with an oration. There is a tradition at
Tunbridge Wells, that 13 men, on horseback, were once sheltered within this
tree. Sir Philip Sydney's Oak, at Penshurst (fig. 1599.), is thus mentioned
by Ben Jonson : —
" That taller tree, of which the nut was set
At his great birth, where all the Muses met."
1598
QUE'KCUS.
A report existing that this tree had been cut down,
we wrote to Lord De L'Isle on the subject, and
are informed by His Lordship that the tree is in
nearly the same state as when drawn by Strutt
(from whose plate our fig. 1599. is a reduced
ropy), with the exception of the loss of a large
bough. The circumference, at 3ft. from the
ground, is 30ft. Lord De L'Isle adds that he
has no doubt '* that the date of the tree is anterior
to the birth of Sir Philip Sydney, although it is
certain that this oak (which goes by the name of the Bear's Oak, from the
family bearings) is the one alluded to by Waller."
Merionethshire. The Nannau Oak, which was blown down in 1813, measured
27 ft. 6 in. in circumference, and had for centuries been celebrated among the
Welsh as the Hobgoblin's Hollow Tree, " Dderwn Ceubren yr Ellyll." This
celebrated tree was also known by the names of the Spirit's Blasted Tree,
and the Haunted Oak. The legend respecting it is, that Howel Sele, a
Welsh chieftain, and Lord of Nannau, was privately slain in a hunting
quarrel by his cousin Owen Glendower, and his friend Maddoc. The body,
in which life was not yet extinct, was hidden in the hollow trunk of this tree
by the murderers. Owen returned in haste to his stronghold, Glendewwrdry.
Howel was sought for, but in vain ,• and, though groans and hollow sounds
were heard proceeding from the tree, no one thought of looking in it. After
a lapse of years, Owen Glendower died, and on his deathbed enjoined his
companion Maddoc to reveal the truth : he did so, and the skeleton of Howel
was discovered upright in the hollow of the tree, and still, according to the
legend, grasping a rusty sword in its bony hand. A ballad on this subject,
by Mr. Warrington, is printed in the notes to Scott's
Marmion. This celebrated oak " stood on the estate of
Sir Robert Williams Vaughan, of Nannau Park, who, after
its fall, had a variety of utensils manufactured from its
wood, which was of a beautiful dark colour, approaching to
ebony ; and there is scarcely a house in Dolgelly that does
not contain an engraving of this venerable tree, framed in
its wood." (Sat. Mag., 1832, p. 50.) Fig. 1600. is a re-
duced copy of the engraving of this tree in the Saturday
Magazine, which is there said to have been taken from a
drawing made of it by Sir Richard Colt Hoare, only a few
hours before it fell.
Middlesex. The Chandos Oak (fig. 1601.) stands in the pleasure-grounds
at Michendon House, near Southgate, and is about 60 ft. high. The head
covers a space the diameter of
which measures about 118ft.;
the girt of the trunk, at 1 ft.
from the ground, is 18 ft. 3 in.
It has no large limbs ; but, when
in full foliage, " its boughs
bending to the earth, with .
almost artificial regularity of
form, and eouidistance from
each other, give it the appear-
ance of a gigantic tent." It
forms, indeed, " a magnificent
living canopy, impervious to the day." (Strut 7.)
Norfolk. The Merton Oak (fig. 1602.) stands on the estate of Lord Wal-
singham. It is 66 ft. high, and, at the surface of the ground, the circumference
of the trunk is 63 ft. 2 in. ; at 1 ft. it is 46 ft. 1 in. ; the trunk is 18 ft. 6 in. to
the fork of the branches; the largest limb is 18ft., and the second 16 ft. in
circumference. The Winfarthing Oak is 70 ft. in circumference ; the trunk
5 Y :}
1600
1601
1764? ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
quite hollow, and the cavity large enough to
hold at least 30 persons. An arm was blown
off in 1811, which contained 2 waggon loads
of wood. (Amcen. Q.ucr.y fol. 14.) A drawing
of this tree, of which fig. 1603. is a copy, was
sent to us by Samuel Taylor, Esq., of Whit-
tington, near Stoke Ferry, Norfolk, accom-
panied by the following observations : — "Of
the age of this remarkable tree I regret to be
unable to give any correct data. It is said to
have been called the ' Old Oak' at the time
of William the Conqueror, but upon what wmm -*»
authority I could never learn. Nevertheless, fetSL
the thing is not impossible, if the speculations
of certain writers on the age of trees be at all correct. Mr. South, in one of
his letters to the Bath Society (vol. x.), calculates that an oak tree 47 ft. in
circumference cannot be less than 1500 years old; and Mr. Marsham calcu-
lates the Bentley Oak, from its girting 34ft., to be the same age. Now, an
inscription on a brass plate affixed to the Winfarthing
Oak gives us the following as its dimensions : — " This
oak, in circumference, at the extremities of the roots,
is 70ft.; in the middle; 40ft. 1820." Now, I see no
reason, if the size of the rind is to be any criterion of
age, why the Winfarthing should not, at least, equal the
Bentley Oak ; and, if so, it would be upwards of 700 r
years old at the Conquest ; an age which might very well
justify its then title of the * Old Oak.' It is now a mere shell — a mighty
ruin, bleached to a snowy white ; but it is magnificent in its decay ; and I do
wonder much that Mr. Strutt should have omitted it in his otherwise satis-
factory list of tree worthies. The only mark of vitality it exhibits is on the
south side, where a narrow strip of bark sends forth the few branches shown
in the drawing, which even now occasionally produce acorns. It is said to
be very much altered of late ; but I own I did not think so when I saw it
about a month ago (May, 1836); and my acquaintance with the veteran is of
more than 40 years' standing ; an important portion of my life, but a mere
span of its own." (Gard. Mag., vol. xii. p. 586.)
Northamptonshire. This county is celebrated for its forests, which are said
to be sufficient in themselves to build more than twice the number of ships
which now compose the British navy. There are, also, a great number of old
trees in this county; probably because the inland situation of it rendered the
conveyance of timber to the coast too expensive. Some of the most inte-
resting of these trees stood in Yardley Chase, which was once a part of Salcey
Forest, though it has been long disforested, and is now the property of the
Marquess of Northampton. In Hayley's Life and Posthumous Writings of
William Cowper y at the end of the 'third volume, there is an interesting
poetic fragment, entitled " Yardley Oak," of which the following explanation
is given in a letter from Dr. Johnson, a kinsman of the poet: — "Among our dear
Cowper's papers, I found the following memorandum : — ' Yardley Oak, in
girt, feet 22, inches 6£. The oak at Yardley Lodge, feet 28, inches 5.' As
to the Yardley Oak, it stands in Yardley Chase, where the Marquess of North-
ampton has a fine seat [Castle Ashby]. It was a favourite walk of our dear
Cowper ; and he once carried me to see that oak. I believe it is five miles, at
least, from Weston Lodge. It is indeed a noble tree, perfectly sound, and
stands in an open part of the chase, with only one or two others near it, so as
to be seen to advantage. With respect to the oak at Yardley Lodge, that is
quite in decay ; a pollard, and almost hollow. I took an excrescence from
it in the year 1791 ; and, if I mistake not, Cowper told me it is said to
have been an oak in the time of the Conqueror. This latter oak is in the
road to the former, but not above half so far from Weston Lodge, being
CHAP. CV,
COUYLACKJE.
1765
160.5
only just beyond Killick and Dinglederry. This is all I can tell you about
the oaks : they were old acquaintances, and great favourites, of the bard.
How rejoiced I am to hear that he has immortalised
one of them in blank verse ! Where could these 1G1
lines be hid ? Till this very day, I never heard of their
existence, nor suspected of it." (See Monthly Review
for July 1804, p. 249.) The noble oaks, Gog and Magog
(figs. 1604. and 1605.), stand in the same demesne, and
are also the property of the Marquess of Northampton,
through whose kindness they were measured for us, in
August, 1836, by Mr. Munro, His Lordship's forester.
" Gog is a straight handsome tree, measuring, at 1 ft.
from the ground, 33 ft. 1 in., and at 6 ft., 28 ft. 5 in., in circumference. The
height is 72 ft., and the diameter of the head 83 ft. 1 in. Magog is 46 ft. 6 in.
in circumference at 1 ft. from the ground, and 30 ft. 7 in. at 6 ft. It is 66 ft.
8 in. high, and the head is 78 ft. in diameter. The
form of the head in both trees is irregular and much
dilapidated, particularly that of Magog. Some idea
may be formed of the size of the original head by the
fact, that, a few years ago, one of the branches ex-
tended horizontally 57 ft. from the bole of the tree.
Great part of this branch is now broken off. The
trunk of Magog is much thicker, in proportion to the
general size of the tree, than that of Gog, and it is
not so straight : indeed, Magog * wreathes his old
fantastic roots so high,' that it is difficult to distin-
guish them from the trunk. Both trees are still in a growing state, and,
though they have many dead branches, are yet nearly covered every year with
healthy deep green foliage." At the extremity of some of the living branches,
Mr. Munro found the average length of the current year's wood to be about
3^ in.; and from one of the excrescences (commonly called warts) on the
trunk of Magog he took a one year's shoot 12 in. long. Both the trees are
of the same species (Q. pedunculata). Mr. Munro adds that he does not
think that Mr. Strutt has done justice to Magog (fig. 1604.), which, he says, is
quite as vigorous a tree, and nearly as large, as Gog (fig. 1605.). Cowper's
Oak, or Judith, as it is sometimes called, from a legend that it was planted by
Judith, the niece of William the Conqueror, " stands close by the side of the
principal carriage drive round Yardley Chase, and must have been a favourite
with Cowper on account of its grotesque figure, rather than from its size or
beauty. Like many other old oak trees in this neighbourhood, it exhibits a huge
misshapen mass of wood, swelling out, here and there, in large warty tumours.
Its girt, at 1 ft. from the ground, is 30 ft., and at 6 ft., 24 ft. 1 in. ; height, 31 ft. ;
diameter of the head, 38 ft. ; length of last summer's young wood, 7 in., 8 in.,
and 10 in." The trunk leans so much to the south, Mr. Munro informs us,
" as almost to admit of a person walking up, with very little aid from the
hands, to the point where the branches diverge ; or, I rather should say, to
the point from which the branches did diverge, which may be about 13 ft.
from the ground. Here the remains of three huge branches are seen extend-
ing in opposite directions, to the length of about 10ft. or 12ft. from the
trunk. Not a vestige of bark is upon them, they are quite hollow, and, in
some parts, half of this crust has wasted away. On the south side, the trunk
has the appearance of having been cleft down the middle, from top to bottom ;
here is an aperture, or doorway, 9 ft. high, 2£ ft. wide at the bottom, and 3 ft.
wide at the top, which admits the visitor into the interior, or chamber, an
apartment extending from north to south 6ft. 6 in., and from east to west 4ft.
in one place, and 2 ft. 6 in. in another place. The remaining crust of the tree
is but a few inches thick in some places ; the wood, although it has been
dead probably for centuries, retains an astonishing degree of hardness, and is
thickly perforated by insects. There are only ten live boughs in the head, all
5 Y 4
1766
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART 111
1606
which are of small dimensions, and apparently of very recent growth; the
longest, probably, would not measure 8 in. in circumference. Visitors having
been in the habit of cutting out and carrying away small blocks or slices of the
sounder part of the wood as relics, or to manufacture into snuffboxes; to prevent
these depreciations, Lord Northampton caused the following notice to be painted
on a board, and nailed to the tree: — i Out of respect to the memory of
the poet Cowper, the Marquess of Northampton is particularly desirous of pre-
serving this oak:' since which, very little damage has been done." The
Salcey Forest Oak (fig. 1606.) Sir Thomas Dick Lander
describes as " one of the most picturesque sylvan ruins
that can be met with any where." It is supposed to
be above 1500 years old; and its trunk is so decayed,
as to form a complete arch, which is 14ft. Sin. high,
and 29ft. in circumference, inside. The tree is 33ft.
3 in. high, and about 47ft. in circumference on the
outside near the ground. (Strutt.} This fine ruin is still
standing; and, though it has latterly become much
wasted, it annually produces a crop of leaves and acorns.
At Pilckley, in this county, there was formerly an old oak, a large fork in
which had been the resting place of a pair of ravens for several generations;
and near Benefield there is a large stone set up, with an inscription on it,
" Near this place stood Bocawse Oak." (Gent. Mag., Dec. 1791, p. 179.)
Nottinghamshire. The most remarkable oaks in this county are those in
the Duke of Portland's park at Welbeck ; an excellent account of which was
published by Major Hay man Rooke, in 1790. The
Duke's Walkingstick (j%.1607.), the first mentioned
of these trees, was, in 1790, lllft. 6 in. high, the
trunk rising to the height of 70 ft. 6 in. before it
formed a head. The circumference of the trunk, at
the ground, was 21 ft. ; and at 3 ft. high, 14 ft. This
tree, we are informed by Mr. Mearns, the duke's
gardener, " was cut down soon after Major Rooke
published his description of it ; but there is an oak
at Welbeck, called the Young Walkingstick, about
110 years old, as clean nearly, and as straight, as the
mast of a ship ; and as perpendicular as if grown to a
plumb-line. It is about 95 ft. high ; or, the woodman
thinks, if nicely measured, it is quite 100 ft., and
girts, at 3ft. from the ground, 5ft." The Two
Porters are on the north side of Welbeck Park.
They are called the Porters, from a gate having been
formerly between them. The height of the Large
Porter, in 1790, was 98ft. 3 in.; but it is now (1837)
only 75 ft. The circumference of the trunk, at the
surface of the ground, is 38ft. ; and at 3ft., 27ft. :
the extent of the branches is 93 ft. The Little Porter,
in 1790, was 88ft. high, but is now only 74 ft. ; the circumference, at the ground,
is 34 ft. ; and at 3 ft. high, 27 ft. " At some far distant period," continues Mr.
Mearns, " they have been spreading, lofty, and noble trees ; and, as well as
many others at Welbeck, they are still grand in decay." Another remarkable
oak at Welbeck, mentioned by Major Rooke, was called the Seven Sisters,
from its having anciently had seven trunks issuing from a stool. These trunks
were all nearly of the same height; and the tallest, in 1790, measured 88ft.
7 in. The Gamekeeper's Tree is quite hollow, and is remarkable for having,
notwithstanding, a flourishing and vigorous head. " In this tree," says
Major Rooke, " the gamekeeper secretes himself when he shoots the deer ;
and there are small apertures on the side opposite the entrance for his gun :
on the inside is cut the date, 1711." The Greendale Oak (Jig. 1608., from
Strutt, and fig. 1609., from Hunter's Evelyn) has long been a very celebrated
CHAP. CV.
CORYLA CE1E. QUE RCUS,
1767
tree, and is probably but little altered during the last century.
The difference between the two engravings of it was so great,
that we wrote to the Duke of Portland to ascertain the pre-
sent state of the tree; and we have been informed by His Grace,
that Major Rooke's portrait still affords a correct representa-
tion of it. "In 1724, a roadway was cut through its vene-
rable trunk, higher than the entrance to Westminster Abbey,
1608
1609
the arch, 10ft. Sin.; width of the arch about the
middle, 6ft. 3 in. ; height to the top branch, 54ft."
Major Rooke's drawing, which is the same view of
the tree as that in Hunter's Evelyn, which we have
copied in fig. 1609., was made at the same time as
that of the Gamekeeper's Tree, viz. in 1779. Ac-
cording to Hunter's Evelyn, about 1646 this oak was
88 ft. high, with a trunk girting 33 ft. 1 in. ; the dia-
meter of the head 81 ft. " There are three great arms
broken and gone, and eight very large ones yet remain-
ing, which are very fresh and good timber."
The Parliament Oak (fig. 1610.) grows in Clip-
stone Park, and derives its name from a parliament
having been held under it, by Edward I., in 1290. The girt of this tree is
28ft. 6 in. Clipstone Park is also the property of the Duke of Portland, and
is supposed to be the oldest park in England, having been a park before the
Conquest, and having been then seized by
William, and made a royal demesne. Both
John and Edward I. resided, and kept a
court, in Clipstone Palace. In Birch land,
in Sherwood Forest, there is an old oak,
which measures, near the ground, 34ft. 4 in.
in circumference; and at 6ft., 31ft. 9 in.
" The trunk, which is wonderfully distorted,
plainly appears to have been much larger ;
and the parts from which large pieces have
fallen off are distinguishable. The inside
is decayed and hollowed by age; and 1
think," adds Major Rooke, " no one can 1610
behold this majestic ruin without pronouncing it to be of very remote an-
tiquity; and I might venture to say that it cannot be much less than 1000
years old." (p. 14.)
In Worksop Park, according to the record quoted in Hunter's Evelyn,
there were some noble trees about 1646. One of these, when cut down,
measured from 29 ft. to 30 ft. in circumference throughout the bole, which
was 10ft. long. Another tree had a head 180ft. in diameter, and was com-
puted to cover half an acre of ground. Other trees, 40 ft. in the bole, gave
2 ft. square of timber at the upper end. The Lord's Oak girted 38ft. 4 in.
The Shire Oak, which is still standing, had then a head 90ft. in diameter, which
extended into three counties (York, Nottingham, and Derby), and dripped over
777 square yards.
Oxfordshire. Of the Magdalen, or Great, Oak of Oxford, Gilpin gives the
following interesting notice: — " Close by the gate of the water walk of Mag-
dalen College, Oxford, grew an oak, which, perhaps, stood there a sapling
when Alfred the Great founded the university. This period only includes a
space of 900 years, which is no great age for an oak. It is a difficult matter
to ascertain the age of a tree. The age of a castle or abbey is the object of
history : even a common house is recorded by the family who built it. All
these objects arrive at maturity in their youth, if I may so speak. But the
1768 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
time gradually completing its growth is not worth recording in the early part
of its existence. It is then only a common tree ; and afterwards, when it be-
comes remarkable for age, all memory of its youth is lost. This tree, however,
can almost produce historical evidence for the age it boasts. About 500
years after the time of Alfred, William of Waynfleet, Dr. Stukely tells us, ex-
pressly ordered his college [Magdalen College] to be founded near the Great
Oak (Itin. Curios.) ; and an oak could not, I think, be less than 500 years of
age to merit that title, together with the honour of fixing the site of a college.
When the magnificence of Cardinal Wolsey erected that handsome tower
which is so ornamental to the whole building, this tree might probably be in
the meridian of its glory; or rather, perhaps, it had attained a green old age.
But it must have been manifestly in its decline at that memorable era, when
the tyranny of James gave the fellows of Magdalen so noble an opportunity of
withstanding bigotry and superstition. It was afterwards much injured in the
reign of Charles II., when the present walks were laid out. Its roots were
disturbed ; and from that period it declined fast, and became reduced to a
mere trunk. The oldest members of the university can hardly recollect it in
better plight ; but the faithful records of history have handed down its an-
cient dimensions. ( See Dr. Plots History of Oxfordshire.) Through a space of
16 yards on every side from its trunk, it once flung its boughs ; and under its mag-
nificent pavilion could have sheltered with ease 3000 men. In the summer
of 1788, this magnificent ruin fell to the ground. It then appeared how
precariously it had stood for many years. The grand taproot was decayed,
and it had a hold of the earth only by two or three rootlets, of which none ex-
ceeded a couple of inches in diameter. From a part of its ruins a chair has
been made for the president of the college, which will long continue its
memory." (For. Seen., i. p. 140.)
Shropshire. The Shelton Oak (fig. 161 1.), growing near Shrewsbury, mea-
sured, in 1810, as follows : — Girt, close to the ground, 44ft. Sin,; 5ft. from
the ground, 25 ft. 1 in. ; 8 ft. from the ground, 27 ft. 4 in. ; height to the prin-
cipal bough, 41ft. Gin. (Gent. Mag., Oct. 1810.) The ,
tree was very much decayed in 1813, and had a hollow at
the bottom sufficient to hold with ease half a dozen persons.
(Beauties of England and Wales ; Shropshire, 179.) This oak
was celebrated for Owen Glendower having mounted on it
to observe the battle of Shrewsbury, fought on June 21.
1403, between Henry IV. and Harry Percy. The battle had
commenced before Glendower arrived; and he ascended
the tree to see how the day was likely to go. Finding that
Hotspur was beaten, and the force of the king was overpowering, he retired
with his 12,000 men to Oswestry. We have received the following account
of the present state of this remarkable oak from John F. M. Dovaston, Esq.,
M.A., of Westfelton, near Shrewsbury : —
" To the numerous descriptions and histories of this venerable and venerated
tree there remains little more necessary to add, than that, of late years, it has
shown but slow tendency to farther decay ; and that it is now somewhat pro-
tected by having been taken within the grounds of a very chastely ornamented
house, built in the ancient fancy Gothic, by Robert Burton, Esq., whose very
pure taste, and extensive improvements, have made the elevated and conspi-
cuous village of Shelton one of the most beautiful in a county eminent for
the beauty of its villages. With regard to the far-famed tree itself, however,
there may be some who will think it has lost much of its grotesque and com-
manding wildness, now surrounded with shrubberies, dressed grass-plots, and
gravel walks ; since it towered with rude but majestic grandeur over groups
of gipsies, cattle, or casual figures, amid the furze, bushes, and wild-flowers
of a rough uncultured heath." It has lately received a poetical inscription
from the pen of Mr. Dovaston.
Staffordshire. The Royal Oak of Boscobel, in which Charles II. took re-
fuge after the battle of Worcester, was prematurely destroyed by an ill-judged
CHAP. CV.
QUE'RCUS.
1769
1612
passion for relics; " and a huge bulk of timber, consisting of many loads, was
taken away in handfuls. Several saplings were raised, in different parts of
the country, from its acorns, one of which grew near St. James's Palace,
where Marlborough House now stands ; and there was another in the Botanic
Garden, Chelsea. The former has been long since felled ; and of the latter
even the recollection seems now almost lost." (Mart. Mill.}
The Swilcar Lawn Oak (fig. 1612.), in Needwood
Forest, measure* 34- ft. in circumference near the ground,
though it is supposed to be 1000 years old, and is known
by historical documents to have been a large tree more
than 600 years : it is still in a growing state. Strutt
states that, about 1830, it measured, at 6 ft. from the
ground, 21 ft. 4^ in. in circumference ; and that 54 years
before, when measured at the same height from the
ground, it girted only 19ft. This oak is celebrated in
Muudy's poem of Ncediuood Forest, and by Dr. Darwin.
In Bagot's Park, near Blithefield, about four miles from Lichfield, there
are several very remarkable trees. Bagot's Park is the seat of Lord Bagot*,
who may be regarded as one of the greatest planters of oaks " in the kingdom ;
having planted two millions of acorns on his estates in Staffordshire and Wales."
(Strutt.) The Squitch Oak (fig. 1613.) has a
clear trunk 33 ft. high, which contains 660
cubic ft. ; one limb, 44 ft. long ; and 14 other
limbs containing altogether 352 cubic feet;
making a total of 1012 cubic feet of timber.
The total height is 61 ft.; the circumference, near
the ground, is 43 ft. ; and at 5 ft., is 21 ft. 9 in.
The Rake's Wood Oak is a very old tree, and
has lost many of its branches, and several feet
of its height. It is now about 55 ft. high, and
pretty nearly 30ft. in circumference at 5 ft. from
the ground.* The Long Coppice Oak is rather
smaller than the last : it is very old and un-
sound, and has lost many heavy branches, and many feet of its height. Bett's
Pool Oak is a bull oak ; that is, it is hollow, and open on one side. The
hollow is 9ft. in diameter; but the trunk is only about 8ft. high. The
Lodge Yard Oak is an old hollow tree,
capable of holding a dozen people,
33 ft. 6 in. in circumference at 3 ft.
from the ground. The Beggar's Oak
(fig. 1614.) is also in Bagot's Park,
and has a trunk 27 ft. 3 in. in circum-
ference at 5 ft. from the ground : the
height is about 60 ft. " The roots ri-
above the ground in a very extra-
ordinary manner, so as to furnish a
natural seat for the beggars chancing
to pass along the pathway near it;
and the circumference taken around
these is 68 ft. The branches extend about 50 ft. from the trunk in every
direction. This tree contains 877 cubic feet of timber ; which, including the
bark, would have produced, according to the price offered for it in 1812,
202/. 14s. 9f/." (Lander's Gilpin, i. p. 254.) We have been favoured with the
dimensions of the above trees by Messrs. Thomas and George Turner,
through the kindness of Lord Bagot. In Beaudesert Park there is a very
large oak, the trunk of which is now a mere shell, sufficiently roomy to allow
eight people to stand within it. The late Lady Uxbridge often sat within this
tree ; and there is a circular hole in the bark, through which she used to
place a telescope, in order to amuse herself bv looking at objects in the sur-
1613
1614-
1770 ARBORKTUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART III.
rounding country. Near Newee gate, in the same park, stands the Roan Oak,
the branches of which are almost all partially decayed, and distorted and twisted
into the most fantastic forms. One of these resembles a writhing serpent,
and another forms no bad representation of a lion cowering, and just ready to
spring on his prey. The trunk of this tree is 26ft. Sin. in circumference.
The Magii Oak, which is supposed by the country people to be haunted by
evil spirits, has a hollow open trunk, and is nearly 30 ft. in circumference.
Another, situated in a ravine, called the Gutter Oak, is also hollow, and has a
trunk nearly 40ft. in circumference. (See Gard. Mag., vol. xii. p. 312.)
Suffolk. The Huntingfield Oak. The following account of Queen Eliza-
beth's Oak {fig. 1615.) is copied from A Topographical and Historical De-
scription of Suffolk, published in 1829 : — " Huntingfield. An oak in the park,
which Queen Elizabeth was particularly pleased with,
afterwards bore the appellation of the Queen's Oak.
It stood about two bow-shots from the old romantic
hall ; and, at the height of nearly 7 ft. from the ground,
measured more than 11 yards in circumference; and
this venerable monarch of the forest, according to all
appearance, could not be less than 500 or 600 years
old. Queen Elizabeth, it is said, from this favourite 1615
tree shot a buck with her own hand. According to the representation of its
appearance in Davy's Letters, the principal arm, ' now dry with bald antiquity,'
shot up to a great height above the leafage ; and, being hollow and truncated
at the top, with several cracks resembling loopholes, through which the light
shone into its cavity, it gave an idea of the winding staircase in a lofty Gothic
tower, which, detached from the ruins of some venerable pile, hung tottering
to its fall." Mr. Turner, curator of the Botanic Garden, Bury St. Ed-
mund's, who sent us the above extract, has also obtained for us the following
statement of the present appearance of this venerable tree from his friend
Mr. D. Barker, florist, Heveningham Hall : — "It is decidedly Q. peduncu-
lata ; and, according to a historical account in my possession, it is now be-
tween 1000 and 1 100 years old. At this time (November, 1836), some parts
of the tree are in great vigour, having healthy arms 10ft, in circumference,
and one even larger. The boughs cover a space of 78 yards ; but the trunk
has long since gone to decay, it being now quite hollow in the interior.
The circumference of the trunk is 42 ft. at 5 ft. from the ground ; and the
height 75 ft." The great hall of the mansion, within " two bow-shots " of
which this oak grew, according to Davy's Letters, was remarkable for being
" built round six straight massy oaks, which originally supported the roof as
they grew. Upon these the foresters and yeomen of the guard used to hang
their nets, crossbows, hunting-poles, great saddles, calivers, bills, &c. The
roots had been long decayed," continues Davy, writing in 1772, " when I vi-
sited this romantic dwelling ; and the shafts, sawn off at the bottom, were
supported either by irregular logs of wood, or by masonry." (Letters, &c.,
i. p. 240.) No trace of this old hall is now remaining, the ruins having been
taken down about the end of the last century.
Surrey. The Grindstone Oak, near Farnham, was once an enormous tree.
Its circumference, near the ground, is still 48 ft. ; and at 3 ft. high, 33 ft. It is,
however, fast waning to decay. (Amcen. Quer.)
Sussex. The venerable oak at Northiam,
famed for its size, and for having given shelter to
Queen Elizabeth, who once breakfasted under its
extensive branches, on her way through the village
to London, was partially blown down in a storm
in 1816. (Gent. Mag., SuppL, 1816, p. 619.)
Warwickshire. The Bull Oak, in Wedge-
nock Park (fig. 1616.), is a remarkable spe-
cimen of an oak of this kind. It measures at
1 ft. above the ground 40ft., and 6ft. from the 1616
CHAP. CV.
CORYLA^CEJE. QUE'RCUS.
1771
1617
ground 37 ft., in circumference. The height of the trunk is
about 17ft before it throws out branches. The inside is
quite decayed; and, being open on one side, cattle are ge-
nerally found sheltering in it. The head is still in a vigorous
and flourishing state. The Gospel Oak (fig. 1617.) stands
nrur Stoneleigh Abbey ; and it derives its name from the
custom which formerly prevailed, when the minister and
other officers of the parish went round its boundaries in
Rogation Week, of stopping at remarkable spots and trees, to
recite passages of the Gospel.
Westmoreland. The Earl of Thanet's Hollow Oak, in Whinfield Park,
measured, in 1765, 31ft. 9 in. in circumference. (Bath Soc. Papers, vol. i.
p. 66.)
Wiltshire. In Savernake Forest there are many
large and noble oaks. The
King Oak (fig. 1619.) has a
trunk which is 24ft. in cir-
cumference, and is hollow:
this tree is very picturesque.
The Creeping Oak, in the same
forest (/g.1618.), is also a very
_^^ remarkable tree.
1618 ~ Yorkshire. The Cowthorpe 1619
Oak (fig. 1620.) is a very remarkable tree. The following are the dimensions
of this tree, as given in Hunter's Evelyn : — Close to the ground, it measured
78 ft. in circumference ; and at 3 ft. from the ground, 48 ft. The following
account was sent to us by a correspondent
in Yorkshire, in October, 1829:—" Cow-
1620
thorpe is a small village on the right bank
of the river Nidd, in the wapentake of
Clare, in the West Riding of the county
of York, and about a mile and a half on
the right of the great road from London
to Edinburgh, where it crosses the river
by Walshford Bridge. This stupendous
^oak stands in a paddock near the village
" church, and is the property of the Hon.
E. Petre of Stapleton Park, near Ferry-
bridge. On a stranger's first observing
the tree, he is struck with the majestic
appearance of its ruined and riven-look-
ing dead branches, which in all directions appear above the luxuriant foliage of
the lateral and lower arms of the tree. In 1722, one of the side branches was
blown down in a violent gale of wind ; and, on being accurately measured,
was found to contain upwards of five tons of wood. The largest of the living
branches at present extends about 48 ft. from the trunk ; and its circum-
ference, at about one yard from the giant bole, is 8 ft. 6 in. Three of the
living branches are propped by substantial poles, resting upon stone pedestals.
The diameter in the hollow part, at the bottom, is 9 ft. 10 in. : the greatest
height of the dead branches is about 56 ft. It is evidently of very great anti-
quity, as all tradition represents it as a very old tree."
The Wellbred Oak, on Kingston Hill, near Pontefract, is supposed to be
800 years old. Its height is 70 ft., and its trunk 33 ft. in circumference : it
is Q. pedunculata. The trunk is quite hollow, and open on one side ; and
the asses and other cattle grazing on the common often shelter in it.
Scotland. — Dumfriesshire. An oak at Lochwood, in Annandale, is men-
tioned by Dr. Walker, in his Essays, &c., as measuring, in 1773, 60ft. in height ;
with a trunk 14 ft. in circumference, at 6 ft. from the ground ; and a fine, spread-
ing,circular head, about 60ft. in diameter. Through thekindness of Hope John-
1772 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
stone, Esq., we are enabled to give the dimensions of this tree, as taken in No-
vember, 1836. Height, 49ft.; circumference of the trunk, 16ft. ; diameter of
the head, 68 ft. " This tree stands in a wood of oaks, in which the Castle of
Lochwood (the original residence of the Johnstone family) is situated. It is
quite vigorous ; but most of the other trees are in a state of decay. There are
the remains of larger oaks, the diameter of the trunk of one of which is 6 ft. ;
but little of its head remains." An oak at Barjarg, in Nithsdale, in 1796, mea-
sured 17 ft. in circumference. In the year 1762, Lord Barjarg was informed
by some very old people, that, about 90 years previous to that date, the tree
had been bored, with a view to ascertain if it were sound, which it was ; and
from the margin of the hole bored some branches proceeded, one of which
was then (1762) a considerable bough. QVaf/cer's Essays., p. 6.) The Blind
Oak of Keir, on the estate of W. H. Hunter, Esq., is mentioned in the title
deeds of the estate, about 200 years ago. In 1810, it measured 17ft. 2 in. in
circumference, at 4 ft. 6 in. from the ground.
Inverness-shire. In a very old oak wood on the north of Loch Arkeg, in
Lochaber, Dr. Walker mentions a tree which measured 24ft. 6 in. in circum-
ference at 4 ft. from the ground. In the same county, Sir Thomas Dick
Lauder found the remains of a " magnificent oak forest, not, as is commonly
the case, embedded in peat earth, but lying on the surface of the solid ground,
as trees would do that had been newly thrown down. Many years must have
elapsed since these trees were laid prostrate ; for there is now a very old and
beautiful birch wood growing on the ground they formerly occupied. We
measured one of these trunks, and found it to be 23 ft. long, without a branch;
16 ft. round the but end ; and 1 1 ft. in circumference towards the smaller end,
under the fork. With the exception of an inch or two of the external part,
which was weather-wasted, it appeared perfectly fresh. It lay within a yard
of the root on which it grew ; but it was not easy to determine, from appear-
ances, how it was severed from it. The stump remaining in the ground was
worn away in the centre, and hollowed out ; so that it now encircles a large
birch tree of more than 1 ft. in diameter, self-sown, and growing vigorously,
within the ancient shell of the oak." (Lander's Gilpin, i. p. 253.)
Renfrewshire. The Wallace Oak. (fig. 1621.) At ., . 91
Ellerslie, the native village of the hero Wallace,
there is still standing " the large oak tree," among
whose branches it is said that he and 300 of his
men hid themselves from the English. Its cir-
cumference at the base is 21ft.; and at 15ft.,
13 ft. 2 in. : its height is 67 ft. ; and the expanse of ^
its boughs is, E. 45 ft., w. 36 ft., s. 30 ft., N. 25 ft. ; ~
thus spreading over an extent of 19 English, or
15 Scotch, poles. This oak, we are informed by
Alexander Spiers, Esq., the proprietor of Ellerslie,
is still in the same state as when Strutt's drawing
was made, of which ours is a reduced copy. Ac-
cording to another legend, Wallace hid himself
among the boughs of this oak when his enemies were sacking his house at
Ellerslie. (See Miss Porter's Scottish Chiefs, &c.)
Roxburghshire. Near Jedburgh, on the estate of the Marquess of Lothian,
stands a remarkable oak, called the King of the Woods. " It is now (January
19. 1837) 16 ft. 6 in. in circumference, at 1 ft. from the ground ; its whole height
is 73ft. ; the height of the trunk, before it forms branches, is 43 ft.; and it is as
straight as, and something of the form of, a wax candle. It is, perhaps, the
finest piece of oak timber in Scotland ; and its beauty has probably saved it
from the axe, for it, and its neighbour, the Capon Tree, seem to be a century
older than any of the other old trees in the county. The Capon Tree is also
an oak ; but it possesses quite a different character from that of the King of the
Woods; the trunk, and every branch of it, being excessively crooked. At one
time, it must have covered an immense space of ground ; but, from being long
CHAP. cv. CORYLA^CE^:. QUE'RCUS. 1773
neglected and ill pruned, the size has been for many years diminishing, though
the marquess is now having every possible care taken to keep the tree alive.
The circumference of this tree, at 2 ft. from the ground (for it is all root under
that height), is 24 ft. 6 in. ; and the whole height is 56 ft. : the space the
branches overhang is above 92 ft. in diameter. This last tree is said to have
been the place where the border clans met in olden times ; and hence the
name of Capon, from the Scotch word kep, to meet. It stands in a haugh
(meadow) close by the side of Jedwater; and the King of the Woods on the
top of a bank, about 300 or 400 yards south of it, and both near the old Castle
of Ferniherst, and about a mile and a half above the burgh of Jedburgh."
We are indebted for the above account to Mr. Grainger of Harestanes, through
the kindness of the Marquess of Lothian, to whom he is agent.
Stir/ings/iire. Wallace's Oak, in Tor Wood, the dimensions of which are
given by Dr. Walker, is said by some to have been the tree under the branches
of which Wallace and 300 of his men concealed themselves, instead of the
oak at Ellerslie ; while others assert that Wallace concealed himself, after a
lost battle, among its boughs. Even in 1771, when Dr. Walker saw it, this
tree was in a state of great decay. It had separated in the middle, and one
half had mouldered entirely away. " The other half," continues Dr. Walker,
" remains, and is in one place about 20ft. high." The whole of this remnant,
Dr. Walker adds, was red wood, from the heart to the very bark, and was
" so hard, even in its putrid state, as to admit of a polish. In this ancient
Tor Wood it stands, in a manner, alone." Compared to it, even the oldest
tree near it " is but of very modern date. The memory of its having saved
Wallace has, probably, been the means of its preservation, when all the rest of
the wood, at different times, has been destroyed." Dr. Walker concludes by
stating his opinion, from the remains that existed in 1771, that the Wallace
Oak had once been about 22 ft. in circumference at 4 ft. from the ground.
" Its trunk has never been tall ; for at about 10ft. from the ground it has
divided into several large arms. The tree stands in coarse land, in a deep
wet clay soil." (Essays, &c., p. 9.)
Ireland. There are no very old trees in this country, though there are
some very large ones in a state of vigorous growth, as will be seen by our
Statistics. On the subject of the old or celebrated trees of Ireland, we have
received the following communication : — " Generally speaking, no timber is
suffered to attain any tolerable age now in Ireland ; which is much to be re-
gretted, as, judging from the remains found in great abundance in the bogs,
which now occupy the place of the ancient forests, the oak and Scotch pine
formerly grew to an enormous size here. I have been assured, by a person of
credit, that he has repeatedly found them 8 ft. in diameter, and hopes soon
to obtain a specimen of that size."
Celebrated Oaks in France. The Chapel Oak
of Allonville (jf%. 1622.) measures, just above the
roots, 35 ft. in circumference j and at 5 ft. or 6 ft ,
26 ft. A little higher up, it extends to a greater
size ; and at 8 ft. it throws out enormous branches,
which cover a great extent of ground with their shade.
The trunk is low, and quite hollow ; but the branches
produce abundance of leaves and acorns. The lower
part of the trunk has been, many years since, trans- 1622
formed into a chapel, carefully paved and wainscoted, and closed with
an iron gate. Above is a small chamber, containing a bed; and leading to it
there is a staircase which turns round the body of the tree. At certain
seasons of the year, divine service is performed in this chapel. The summit
of the tree has been broken off many years ; and over the cavity is a pointed
roof, covered with slates, in the form of a steeple, which is surmounted by an
iron cross. The cracks which occur in various parts of the tree are '
covered with slates. Over the entrance to the chapel there is an inscm,
stating that it was formed by the Abbe du Detroit, curate of Allonville, in th
1774? ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
year 1696; and over the door of the upper room is a label, dedicating it to
" Our Lady of Peace." Allonville is about a mile from Yvetot, on the road
between Rouen and Havre.
The following information we have received from our friend, the Abbe
Gosier of Rouen. In the first volume of the Archives annuclles de la Nor-
mandie, printed at Caen in 1824, there is an article on the oaks of Fournet,
in which, after mentioning that several of these oaks were of enormous size, the
following particulars are given of some of them : — The Goulande Oak near
Dourfront is about 30 ft. in circumference. The two oaks of Mayior, in the
canton of Calvados, are of very great size. The largest is above 42 ft. in cir-
cumference at the surface of the ground, and above 30 ft. in circumference at
the height of 6 ft. All these oaks have lost their leading shoots, and have
their trunks hollow. The oak called La Cave is a very remarkable tree. It
stands in the Forest ofBrothone. The trunk is 26ft. in circumference in its
smallest part j it is hollow ; and at a few feet from the base it divides into five
large branches or rather trees, which rise to a considerable height. The
trunk from which they spring has the appearance of a large goblet ; it is
hollow, cup-shaped, covered with bark inside, and nearly always filled with
water, which is seldom less than 5 ft. deep. " I visited this tree," says M.
Deshayes (who wrote the account which has been sent to us by the Abbe
Gosier), " on July 30th, 1825, and, though it was a season of extraordinary
drought, I found the water in the tree was 2 ft. 6 in. deep. I visited it some
months afterwards, and found the basin full." At Bonnevaux is an oak, in
the hollow trunk of which there is a circular table, round which 20 persons
have sate to dinner. {Letter from V Abbe Gosier.)
A large oak in the Forest of Cerisy, known under the name of the Quenesse,
at a little distance to the right of the great road to St. Lo, is supposed, by
comparing various data, to be 800 or 900 years old. In 1824, it measured
36 ft. in circumference just above the soil, and was about 55 ft. high. The
trunk is now hollow, and will hold 14 or 15 persons. (Athenceum, Aug. 20.
1836.)
An immense oak was, in May, 1836, felled on the road from Vitre to
Fougeres. It was 22 ft. in circumference, had a straight trunk 30 ft. long, and
weighed 24 tons. Ten pair of oxen and twenty horses were required to carry
it away. (Galignani.)
Large Oaks in Germany. The ancient Germans, history informs us, had
oak castles. In the hollow of one, we read that a hermit built his cell and
chapel ; and of some oaks of almost incredible bulk, which Evelyn says in
his time were " lately standing in Westphalia," one was 130ft. high, and re-
ported to be 30ft. in diameter; another yielded 100 loads of timber; and a
third " served both for a castle and a fort." (Amoen. Quer.) The following
extract is from Googe's Four Bookes ofHusbandrie (1586) :— " We have at
this day an oke in Westphalia, not far from the Castle of Alsenan, which is
from the foote to the neerest bowe, one hundred and thirtie foote, and three
elles in thickness ; and another, in another place, that, being cutte out, made
a hundred waine load. Not farre from this place there grew an other oke of
tenne yardes in thicknesse, but not very hie." (p. 101. b.)
Having now given what may be considered a county biography of cele-
brated British oaks, and enumerated a few remarkable foreign ones, we shall
next collect together, without reference to locality, the names of a few re-
markable for some peculiarity in their trunks or branches ; in their origin ; the
trees with which they grow; for the quantity of timber they have produced,
or their rate of growth ; and which, for the sake of distinction, may be called
the comparative biography of celebrated oaks.
Oaks remarkable for their Age. " If we consider," says Marshall (Plant, and
Rur. On.) '* the quick growth of the chestnut, compared with that of the oak,
and, at the same time, the inferior bulk of the trunk of the Tortworth Chestnut
to that of the trunk of the Cowthorpe, the Bentley, or the Doddington Oak,
may we not venture to infer that the existence of these truly venerable trees
CHAP. CV.
COKYLA'CEzE. QUE'RCUS.
1775
commenced some centuries prior to the era of Christianity?" We can readily
subscribe to this doctrine," says a writer in the Magazine of Natural History y
vol. iii. p. 379., " and feel, indeed, quite at a loss to set limits, under favourable
circumstances, to the natural duration of this monarch of the forest." Those
oaks in England which are reputed to be the oldest are, the Parliament Oak
(p. 1767.); Cowper's Oak (p. 1765.); the Winfarthing Oak (/g.1623.), which
is said to have been an old oak at the time of the Conquest (p. 1764.) ; the
Nannau Oak, which was a hollow oak in the reign of Henry IV. (see p. 1763.) ;
the Salcey Forest Oak (see p. 1766.) ; and the Bull Oak in Wedgenock
Park, which was made a park about the time of Henry I. (see p. 1770.). To
these might be added several others, perhaps of equal age, such as the Flitton
Oak (see p. 1757.), but which have not attracted public attention, in that
particular, so much as those above enumerated.
The largest Oaks on Record. The Rev. Abraham De la Pryme records, in
the Philosophical Transactions for 1701, that his friend Mr. Edw. Canby found
within his moors, beneath the level of Hatfield Chase, in Yorkshire, the solid
trunk of an oak tree, 120 ft. long, 36 ft. in circumference at the but end, 30 ft. in
circumference at the middle, and 18 ft. at the small end, where the trunk was
broken off; so that, by moderate computation, he says, this tree may have
been 240 ft. in height. Dr. Plot mentions an oak at Norbury, which was of
the circumference of 45 ft. ; an oak at Rycote, under the shade of which 4374
men had sufficient room to stand. The Boddington Oak, in the Vale of Glou-
cester (seep. 1760.), was 54ft. in circumference at the base; and Damory's
Oak, in Dorsetshire (see p. 1758.), was 68ft. in circumference within the
hollow.
The largest Oaks still existing. These appear to be, the Salcey Oak, in
Northamptonshire, with a trunk 46 ft. in circumference ; the Grindstone Oak,
in Surrey, 48 ft. ; the Hempstead Oak, in Essex, 53 ft. ; the Merton Oak, in
Norfolk, 63ft.; and the Cowthorpe Oak, in Yorkshire (fig. 1624.), 78 ft.
Oaks remarkable for their horizontal Expansion. The Three-shire Oak, near
Worksop, was so situated that it covered part of the three counties of York,
5z
1776
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART 111,
1624
Nottingham, and Derby, and dripped over 777 square yards. An oak
between Newnham Courtney and Clifton shaded a circumference of 560
yards of ground, under which 24-20 men might have commodiously taken
shelter. The immense Spread Oak in Worksop Park, near the white gate,
gave an extent, between the ends of its opposite branches, of 180 ft. It drip-
ped over an area of nearly 3000 square yards, which is above half an acre j and
would have afforded shelter to a regiment of nearly 1000 horse. The Oakley
Oak, now growing on an estate of the Duke of Bedford, has a head 110ft. in
diameter. The oak called Robur Britannicum, in the park at Rycote, is said
to have been extensive enough to cover 5000 men ; and at Ellerslie, in Ren-
frewshire, the native village of the hero Wallace, there is still standing " the
large oak tree" (see p. 1772.), among the branches of which it is said that he
and 300 of his men hid themselves from the English.
Size of Oaks, as compared with that of other Objects. " The circle occupied
by the Cowthorpe Oak," says Professor Burnet," where the bottom of its trunk
meets the earth, exceeds the ground plot of that majestic column of which
an oak is confessed to have been the prototype, viz. Smeaton's Eddystone
Lighthouse. Sections of the trunk of the one would, at several heights, nearly
agree with sections of the curved and cylindrical portions of the shaft of
the other. The natural caverns in Damory's and other oaks were larger
than the chambers alluded to, as horizontal slices of the trunk would be con-
siderably too large to floor any of them. The hollow space in Damory's Oak
was, indeed, 3 ft. wider than the parish church of St. Lawrence, in the Isle of
Wight. Arthur's round table would form an entire roof, or projecting capital,
for the lighthouse : indeed, upon this table might be built a round church, as
large as that of St. Lawrence, in the Isle of Wight, before alluded to, and
space to spare; so that, if the extent of the sap wood be added, or the ground
plot of the Cowthorpe Oak be substituted for Arthur's table, there would be
plenty of room, not only to build such a parish church, but to allow space for
a small cemetery beside it. Indeed," continues Burnet, "with reference to
CHAP. CV. C011YLAXCEA\ ^UE'llCUS. 1777
this last-named oak, and also to the German tree castles, and hermit's cell and
chapel, 1 would merely observe that St. Bartholomew's, in the hamlet of
Kingsland, between London and Hackney, which, beside the ordinary furni-
ture of a place of religious worship, viz. desks for the minister and clerk,
altar, staircase, stove, &c., has pews and seats for 120 persons (upwards of
100 have been in it at the same time; and, a few weeks ago, the author
(writing in 1829) made one of a congregation therein assembled of nearly
80 : 76 or 77 were counted ; when the pews were by no means crowded, and
plenty of room left vacant) : still this chapel is nearly 9 ft. less in width, and
only 17 in. more in length, than the ground plot of the Cowthorp Oak. In
fact, the tree occupies upwards of 30 square feet more ground than does the
chapel. The Duke's Walkingstick, in Welbeck Park, was higher than the roof
of Westminster Abbey. The long oaken table in Dudley Castle (a single
plank cut out of the trunk of an oak growing in the neighbourhood) measured
considerably longer than the bridge that crosses the lake in the Regent's Park ;
and the famous roof of Westminster Hall, the span of which is among the
greatest ever built without pillars, is little more than one third the width of
the Worksop Spread Oak ; the branches of which would reach over West-
minster Hall, placed on either side of its trunk, and have nearly 32 ft. to spare ;
and its extent is nearly 30ft. more than the length, and almost four times the
width, of Guildhall, in the city of London. The rafters of Westminster Hall
roof, though without pillars, have massive walls on each side to support them ;
but the tree boughs, of 16ft. more extent, are sustained at one end only.
Architects, who know the stress a staircase of even 8 ft. or 10 ft. in width has
upon the wall into which the side is built, can alone fairly estimate the excessive
purchase which branches on either side, spanning from outbough to out-
bough 180ft., must have on the central trunk." (Burgess's Eidodendron.) In
Hunter's Evelyn is mentioned, " the strange and incredible bulk of some oaks
growing in Westphalia, whereof one served both for a castle and a fort ; and
another there, which contained in height 130 ft., and, as some report, 30 ft. in
diameter." (vol. ii. p. 185.)
Timber produced by single Oak Trees. Bridge, in his History of Northampton-
shire, records that one of the rooms in the house of Sir John Dryden, at
Ashby Canons, 30 ft. long and 20 ft. wide, was entirely floored and wains-
coted from a single oak ; and the same is said to have been the case with a
loom, 42ft. long and 27 ft. broad, in the mansion at Tredegar Park. These
must have been noble trees, yet still inferior to the large Gelonos Oak, felled
in Monmouthshire, A.D. 1810; and which has been often cited as an example
of vast ligneous production. The bark, Burnet says, he has been informed
from a memorandum furnished to Mr. Burgess (the artist, and author of
Eidodendron), was sold by the merchant for the scarcely credible sum of
200/. This oak was purchased by Mr. Thomas Harrison for 1 00 guineas, as
stated in the Gentleman's Magazine for 1817, under the apprehension of its
being unsound; but Burnet tells us that it was resold, while still standing, for
405/. ; and that the cost of converting it was 82/. ; amounting altogether to
487/. : it was subsequently resold for 675/. There were at least 400 rings,
or traces of annual growth, within its mighty trunk. The above far exceeded
the contents of the oak felled in Lord Scarsdale's park, at Kedleston, in 1805
(an account of which is given in Farey's Derbyshire Refwrts) ; although that
was a very fine tree, containing 550 ft. of timber, and sold, with its 9 tons of
bark (green), top and lop, roots, &c., for upwards of 200/. And even the
great Middlesceugh Oak, the property of Sir F. Vane, Bart., was far inferior.
This tree was felled in 1821, and contained 670 ft. of solid wood : it yielded
a ton of bark, and was said to have required 13 waggons to move it." (Amcen.
(2t«'r., fol. 15.) The Gelonos Oak mentioned above, which was cut down in
1810, grew about four miles from Newport, in Monmouthshire. The main
trunk was 10 ft. long, and produced 450 cubic feet of timber; 1 limb, 355 ft. ;
1 ditto, 472 ft. ; 1 ditto, 1 13ft.; and 6 other limbs, of inferior size, averaged 93 fL
5 z 2
1778 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
each ; making a total of 2426 cubic feet of convertible timber. The bark was
estimated at 6 tons ; but, as some of the very heavy body bark was stolen out
of the barge at Newport, the exact weight is not known. Five men were
20 days stripping and cutting down this tree ; and two sawyers were 5 months
converting it, without losing a day, Sundays excepted. The main trunk was
9^ ft. in diameter ; and, in sawing it through, a stone was discovered 6 ft. from
the ground, above a yard in the body of the tree, through which the saw cut.
The stone was about 6 in. in diameter, and was completely shut in; but around
it there was not the least symptom of decay. The rings in the but were care-
fully counted, and amounted to upwards of four hundred in number ; a con-
vincing proof that this tree was in an improving state for upwards of four
hundred years ; and, as the ends of some of its branches were decayed, and
had dropped off, it is presumed that it had stood a great number of years after
it had attained maturity. (Literary Panorama for August, 1815; and Gent.
Mag. for October, 1817, p. 305.) The North wick Oak, Blockley, Worces-
tershire, which, when felled, was about 300 years old, had a girth, at 5 ft.
from the ground, of 21ft.; its smallest girth was 18ft.; height to the
branches, 30 ft. ; solid contents of the body, 234 ft. ; and of the arms, 200 ft.
(Gent. Mag., 1791, p. 612.) The oak which was felled in Withy Park, near
Wenlock in Shropshire, in 1697, spread 1 14 ft. : the trunk was 9 ft. in diameter,
exclusive of the bark. " It contained 24 cords of yard wood, 11J cords of
4ft. wood; 252 park pales 6 ft. long ; 1 load of cooper's wood; 6^ tons of
timber in the boughs ; 28 tons of timber in the body ; and all this besides fag-
gots, notwithstanding several boughs had dropped off in Mr. Wilde's father's
and grandfather's time. The stem was so wide, that two men could thrash on it
without striking each other. Several trees which grew at Cunsborough were
bought by a cooper at 101. per yard, for 9ft. or 10ft. high; and Ralph
Archdall felled a tree in Sheffield Park of 13 ft. diameter at the kerf; and
there was another, standing near the old ford, of 10 yards in compass." (Hunt.
Evcl., ii. p. 1 94.) In the hall in Goodrich Castle, Herefordshire, there is, says
Grose, a beam of oak, without a knot, 66 ft. long, and near 2 ft. square the
whole length. Evelyn mentions a large oaken plank, cut from a tree felled by
his grandfather's order, at Wootton, 5 ft. wide, 9 ft. 6 in. in length, and 6 in.
thick, all entire and clear ; and Dr. Plot notices a table in Dudley Castle hall,
already mentioned (p. 1777.), which was cut out of a tree which grew in the
park, all of one plank, above 75 ft. long, and 3 ft. wide throughout its whole
extent ; and which, being too long for the castle hall, 7 yards 9 in. were obliged
to be cut off. The mainmast of the Royal Sovereign, built in Charles I.'s time,
was 100ft. long, save one, and within 1 in. of a yard in thickness, all of one
piece of oak : several of the beams of the same ship were 44 ft. in length, 4 of
which were cut from an oak which grew in Framlingham, in Suffolk. Marcen-
nas states that the great ship called the Craven, which was built in France, had
its keel timbers 120 ft. long, and the mainmast 85 ft. high, and 12 ft. in diameter
at the base. An oak is mentioned as fallen in Sheffield Park, of so great a
girth, that, when the trunk lay flat on level ground, two men on horseback, on
opposite sides, could not see the crowns of each other's hats. Dr. Plot records
a similar circumstance as noticed of another immense oak at Newbury, which,
he says, was 15 yards in girth. The Lord's Oak, at Rivelin, was 12 yards
about, and the top yielded 21 cords of wood; its diameter, 3 yards 28 in.
The Lady Oak was 5 ft. square for 40 ft., contained 42 tons of timber, and
its boughs gave 25 cords of fuel ; and another, in the Hall Park, close by, gave
18 yards, without bough or knot; being 3ft. 6 in. square at top, and not much
bigger near the root. Arthur's round table must, as Gilpin observes, have
been cut from a tree of immense girth, as it measures, according to Grose,
18ft. in diameter. Now, this is 18ft. of solid heart wood ; and, if the depth of
sap wood, in which it must have been environed, be taken into the account,
we shall have the dimensions of a most enormous tree. Out of such oaks as
these must those ancient canoes, described by Sir Joseph Bankes as exhumed
CHAP. CV. COKYLA'CEJE. ^IJE'IICUS. 1779
in Lincolnshire, have been excavated. (Amcen. Qucr.) " It is recorded in the
Annual Register for 1796, that some labourers, while digging for a fish-pond
in the grounds of Lord Grenville, at Dropmore, discovered a great number of
oaks buried 10ft. or 12ft. deep in the earth, and averaging 50ft. long, all
perfectly sound timber. At Litchett Park, in 1740, an oak was discovered
3ft. under ground, which measured 53ft. in length, and gave 4ft. at the side
of the square : there were 33 ft. more of top raised afterwards ; so that the
whole oak was 86ft. long. In the year 1815, there was a part of an oak
drawn out of the Thames, near the ferry at Twickenham, with great difficulty,
by 24 horses. It measured 20ft. in circumference; and Philips says, it is
known to have lain in the river upwards of 150 years. Among the vast
quantities of bog timber annually raised out of the fens in Lincolnshire, a few
years ago one log was taken up, near Sleaford, that contained 300 solid feet of
timber ; and, in the year 1811, one was dug up that contained 400 solid feet."
(Ameen. Quer., fol. 15.)
Bull Oaks. These are all very old trees, and hollow ; and they are called
bull oaks, from bulls taking shelter within them, which they effect, not by
going in and turning round, but by retreating backwards into the cavity till
the head alone projects at the aperture. Mr. South, in the Bath Society's
Papers, 1783, describes an ancient hollow tree, in the middle of a pasture,
and bearing the most venerable marks of antiquity, which gives the name,
compounded of itself and its situation, to the farm on which it grows, viz.
Oakley Farm. The hollow part of this tree was long the favourite retreat of
a bull ; and 20 people, old and young, have crowded into it at one time.
A calf being shut up there for convenience, its dam, a two-years-old heifer,
constantly went in to suckle it, and left sufficient room for milking her. It is
supposed, adds he, to be near 1000 years old : the body is nothing but a shell,
covered with burly protuberances. The upper part of the shaft is hollow, like
a chimney. It has been mutilated of all its limbs ; but from their stumps arise
a number of small branches, forming a bushy head, so remarkable for fertility,
that, in years of plenty, it has produced two sacks of acorns in a season. It
measured in the middle, round the burls, 29 ft. 3 in. ; round the stumps of the
old arms, 31 ft. 6 in.; and in the smallest part, between 2 ft. and 3ft. from the
ground, it is 26 ft. in circumference. The aperture int6 the tree is a small
ill-formed Gothic arch, which appears to have been originally " hewn out or
enlarged with an axe ; and the bark," continues Mr. South, " now curls over
the wound ; a sure sign that it continues growing." (Bath Soc. Papers, vol. vi.
p. 45.) There are many bull oaks in different parts of the country; but that
in Wedgenock Park (Jig. 1625.) is, probably, one of the largest. It has been
long since fenced round with substantial posts and rails, and has had the two
extremities of its projecting limbs supported from beneath by strong pieces
of timber. (See Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. iii. p. 553.)
Boundary Oaks. Several of these might be mentioned. The Border Oak,
which stands on the confines of Wales and England, is more remarkable for
its situation than for its size : it forms the boundary between Shropshire and
the Principality, as the County Oak, about 30 miles from London, does
between Surrey and Sussex. The last-named tree is hollow, and contains
within it seats for nine persons. The Gospel Oak, Jig. 1628., is a boundary
oak dividing the parish of Stoneleigh in Warwickshire, from the parish of
Baginton. There are many Gospel Oaks in different parts of England, relics,
as the Rev. W. T. Bree observes (Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. iii. p. 553.), of the
religion of our ancestors : —
" Relligione patrum multos scrvata per annos." VIRGIL.
The custom, says Mr. Strutt, " of marking the boundaries of parishes, by the
inhabitants going round them once every year, and stopping at certain spots
to perform different ceremonies, in order that the localities might be impressed
on the memories of both young and old, is of great antiquity, and may be
5 z 3
1780
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
1625
PART III.
traced back to the time of the Romans, who observed a similar custom at
the annual festivals called Terminalia, held in honour of the god Terminus
who was considered as the guardian of fields and landmarks, and the promoter
of friendship and peace among men. It was introduced among Christians
about the year 800, by the pious Avitus, bishop of Vienna, in a season of
dearth and calamity, and has been continued since his time by the different
clergy ; the minister of each parish, accompanied by his churchwardens
and parishioners, going round the bounds and limits of his parish in Rogation
Week, or on one of the three days before Holy Thursday (the feast of our
Lord's Ascension), and stopping at remarkable spots and trees to recite
passages from the Gospels, and implore the blessing of the Almighty on the
fruits of the earth, and for the preservation of the rights and properties of the
parish." (Mag. Nat. Hist., iii. 558.) The Plestor Oak, described in White's
Selborne, was also a boundary tree, used to mark the extent of the Pleyitow,
or play-place for the children of the village. This oak is described by White
as having " a short squat body, and huge horizontal arms extending almost to
the extremity of the area; surrounded with stone steps, and seats above them,
the delight of old and young, and a place of much 1(527
resort in summer evenings ; where
the former sate in grave debate,
while the latter frolicked and
danced before them."
Oak Trees with conjoined Trunks.
The following instances of this
singular conformation are from
trees growing in Ryton Wood,
Warwickshire, the property of W.
.— Dilke, Esq. ; and we are indebted
d a a for them to the Rev. W. T. Bree.
Figs, 1626. and 1627. are illustrative of only four trees ; a and aa being two
CHAP. cv. CORYLA'CK/E. QUE RCUS.
1088
ITS I
views of the same trunk. A smaller tree, growing near this one, and repre-
sented by b, has the junction of the trunks nearer the ground. Another spe-
cimen, growing near a farm-house, is represented by d; and a fourth one by c.
All these oaks are within a short distance of each other; and Mr. Bree thinks
the trunks were probably joined artificially by some one who had a fancy for
such experiments. They are all of the species Q. pedunculata. The figures
are to a scale of 1 in. to 12ft.
Oaks conjoined with other Trees. The oak being a tree of great duration,
and its trunk, in the course of years, spreading wider than that of many
trees, not unfrequently grows round the stems of trees which grow close by
it; or, its trunk becoming hollow, and the head being broken off by storms,
other trees frequently spring up within it, and produce a flourishing head en-
cased with an oak trunk. Hence, we have an oak conjoined with an ash near
the lake at Welbeck, figured in Rooke's Remarkable Oaks, &c., pi. 6. This ash
grows out of the bottom of a large oak, "to which it adheres to the height of
about 6ft.; it there separates, and leaves a space of nearly 3ft. in height.
Here, as if unwilling to be disunited, it stretches out an arm, or little protube-
rance, to coalesce again with the fostering oak." At Bearwood, near Reading,
5z 4
1782 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
the seat of John Walter, Esq., M.P., there is a large oak with a beech growing
from its root. In Needwood Forest, there were, in 1806, many large hollies
growing out of oaks ; and nothing is more common in the New Forest, than
to see oaks and thorns growing apparently from the same root. In Kinmel
Park, Denbighshire, there is a sycamore, a large tree, growing out of a hollow
oak : and at Ribbesford, near Bewdley in Worcestershire, there is a yew tree,
with a trunk 2 ft. in diameter, completely cased in the trunk of a pollard oak ;
the hollow cylinder of the oak being filled up with the body of the yew tree,
to the height of 18ft. or 20ft.; after which the two trees entwine their
branches in the most friendly manner possible. On the river Loddon,
in Berkshire, not far from Forest Hill, there was, in 1818, a handsome oak
tree growing out of a pollard willow. Elders growing out of decaying oaks,
and also mountain ash, and other trees and shrubs which spring from berries
eaten by birds, are common. Dr. Plot mentions a thorn enclosed in an oak
at Drayton Basset, the branches of which seemed to pass through the trunk
of the oak in several places.
Oaks of remarkable Origin. In Deene Park, Northamptonshire, the seat of
the Earl of Cardigan, there is an oak growing in the pleasure-ground, which
was produced from an acorn found in the middle of a large piece of oak
timber, sawn in Woolwich dockyard ; and which was planted here, in 1757,
by the late Dowager Duchess of Buccleugh, when Lady Elizabeth Montague.
This tree, though nearly 100 years old, is of small dimensions, in consequence
of the very bad situation in which it is planted ; being near a sheet of water,
and on a sandy rock full of springs. Its extreme height is 55 ft., and the
diameter of the trunk, at 3ft. from the ground, is 1 ft. 4 in. The species is
Q. sessiliflora.
Curious Circumstances connected with Oak Trees. Major Rooke mentions
that, in cutting down some trees in the wood of Birkland, or Birchland, in
Sherwood Forest, letters, &c., were found within the wood of several oaks,
marking the king's reign. In one tree, cut down in 1786, were found J. R.,
supposed to signify James Rex ; and in another, W. M., with a crown, for
William and Mary ; and in a third, Joh. Rex, with several marks something
like the old crown in prints of King John ; but Major Rooke observes that
the crown is not sufficiently made out for him to insert it as a fact. The
letters were about 1 ft. within the tree, and above 1 ft. from the centre. Cruci-
fixes, images, &c., have been found in similar situations, enclosed in the like
manner. Often dead branches of trees, when small, are thus enclosed, and
grown over by the parent trunk. Professor Burnet observes that " Queen
Anne's and Queen Charlotte's Oaks in Windsor Forest, both of which have
had brass plates, with commemorative inscriptions thereon, fixed to them,
might be given as further illustrations. Over the edges of these plates the
yearly increasing bark has already made considerable encroachments, and, in
due course of time, will progressively enclose the whole. To this process do
we owe that more noted and variegated texture of the central parts of planks,
on which much of the beauty of heart wood depends ; for the small branches,
knots, and nodes of young trees, which detruded themselves near the ground,
being, in process of growth, broken off or destroyed, their relics or rudiments
are in like manner enclosed, and thus buried in the heart of aged trees. Sir
John Clarke mentions that the horn of a large deer was found embedded in
the heart of an oak, which was discovered on cutting down the tree ; and that
it was found fixed in the timber by large iron cramps : it seems, therefore,
that it had been first fastened on the outside of the tree, which, in growing
afterwards, had enclosed the horn." (Amain. Quer.)
Raining Oak Trees. All trees, especially those of great height, in insulated
situations, condense the watery vapour of the atmosphere; and, when this
is very abundant, it falls from the leaves in drops like rain. The elm and the
poplar (as already mentioned, p. 1667.), being tall trees, afford familiar illustra-
tions of this ; but the oak, also, occasionally exhibits the same phenomenon.
CHAP. cv. CORYLA'CE^. QUE'RCUS. 1788
White, in his Natural Ilisfory ofSdbonw (see Brown's edit., p. 195.), mentions,
in u letter to Mr. Pennant, an oak in Newton Lane, which, on a misty day in
October, 1775, dropped so fast, that the cart way stood in puddles, and the
ruts ran water, though the ground in general was dusty.
Progress of Oaks from the Acorn. An oak, sprung from an acorn set by Robert
Marshain, E!sq.,at Stratton Strawless, near Norwich, A. D. 1719, measured, in
the spring of 1743, when 24 years old, 1 ft. 7 in. in girt at 5 ft. from the ground ;
and in 1758, when 41 years old, its girt at the same height was 2 ft. 8£ in. ;
having increased 1 ft. 1£ in. in girt, and something more than 2ft. 3 in. in solid
contents, during 15 years. This oak,we are informed by Robert Marsham, Esq.,
the grandson of the planter of the tree, was, in December, 1836,13ft. in circum-
ference at 5 ft. from the ground, and 17 ft. at 1 ft. ; with a trunk 19 ft. long clear
of branches, and a remarkably handsome head ; it was 64 ft. high. Two oaks,
planted by Mr. Marsham in 1720 and 1721, in 1 743 measured 2 ft. 9f in., and 2ft.
1 1£ in. in circumference at 5 ft. high ; and had increased 1 ft. 1 1^ in. and 2 ft.
2 in. respectively in girt, and 9 ft. 1 in. and 10 ft. 3 in. in solid contents, during
15 years; while two oaks, about 60 or 80 years of age, which, in 1743, girted
6ft. 3|in. and 9 ft. 4^ in., measured, in the autumn of 1758, 7 ft. 8£ in., and
10 ft. 1 in. ; having increased only 1 ft. 5 in. and 8^ in., in their respective cir-
cumferences, in 15 years ; although their solid contents exceeded in increase
the younger trees, being, in the sixty -year oak, 12 ft. 1 in., and in the eighty-
year oak, 16 ft. 1 in. and upwards; the height of this tree in February, 1837,
Mr. Marsham inform us, was exactly 92 ft. An acorn, writes Dr. Plot, which
was set in a hedgerow, between Colton and Blithfield, by Ralph Bates, grew
to a stout oak, being 2 ft. square at the but end, within the life of its planter,
who outlived its felling. The first 10ft. were sawn into boards, and used for
building: it contained nearly a ton of timber. An oak which was planted at
Denham Rectory, Bucks, in 1750, girted, at its smallest part, 8 ft. in 1817,
being then but 67 years of age : the total height was 50 ft., and the diameter
of its head about 70 ft. In the garden at Sheffield Place, Sussex, stands a
fine oak, which was set in the year 1745; and in 1815, when 70 years old, its
trunk was 12ft. in circumference, its clear bole 10ft.; at which height it
divided into branches that overspread an area of 75 ft. in diameter. An
acorn was sown at Rickett, the seat of Lord Barrington, on the day of his
birth in 1717. In November, 1790, it contained 95ft. of timber, which, at 2s.
per foot, would sell for 91. 10s. The top was valued at about I/. 15*. The
girt, at 5 ft. from the ground, was about half an inch more than 8 ft. The
increase of the girt, in the two last years, was 4^ in. It grows in rich land,
worth I/. 5s. an acre. (Bath. Soc. Pap., &c.)
Rate of Growth of the Oak. An oak, in a good soil and situation, will, in
75 years from the acorn, contain a ton of timber. (South in Bath Soc. Pap.,
vi. p. 37.) The same oak, at 150 years of age, will contain upwards of 8 tons
of timber, or about 12 loads of square timber. (Id., p. 38.) An oak, planted
by Mr. Marsham in 1720, was, in 1794, 74 years afterwards, about 8ft. in
circumference at 14 ft. from the ground. The soil had been prepared and
manured. In the first 36 years of its growth, this tree gained Hin. in cir-
cumference yearly. The growth of a middle-aged oak is generally fro'm 1^ in. to
1 in. in circumference yearly ; between its twentieth and its hundredth year, it
sometimes exceeds this measure, and, in its second century, falls within it;
but, as the solidity of the shaft consists less in its length than in the square
of diameter in the girting place, a small addition to the diameter there en-
larges the square abundantly. Wherefore, though the circumference from the
100th to the 150th year may not increase so fast as it did to the 100th,
the solid contents will be increasing faster ; for, as the square of the diameter
(40= 1600) exceeds the square of 24=576, so will the contents in the 150th
year exceed the contents in the 100th, when its annual enlargement was £in.
greater. (Id., p. 50.) According to the Rev. Richard Yates, writing after
" a sedulous and active experience of 50 years," by choosing a deep loamy
1784 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
soil for the oak, by deeply trenching it, by planting acorns, and not plants ;
and by keeping them pruned till they arrive at a proper height, double the
quantity of timber may be obtained in about 50 years, that is now produced
in 100. Mr. Yates's mode of cultivation (for an account of which he received
a premium from the Society of Arts) will be found in a succeeding paragraph.
(See Gent. Mag., vol. ixxiv., for 1804, p. 626.)
The following table of the progressive growth of nine oaks in the New
Forest, was communicated by T.Davies, Esq., of Port way House, Wiltshire : —
The circumference taken in
inches at 6ft. from the ground.
1814. 1816. 1818. 1820. 1822.
5 TrPPQ niani i««.*. *"? «»t »"? »/t 003 I Average increase in 8 years, 3f in. per
a ^No. 3. 82* 85 85| 86* 87* i *«>e in circumference.
IAJ years. j No. 4. 41 42J 42i 42| 43f Increase of timber in 12ft. in length
j of trunk, 1 ft. 9 in.
fNo. 6. 28| 30i 32 &3f 35f ") Average increase in S years, 54 in. per
4 Trees planted, ) No. 7. 27£ 28| 29f 29f 32 ( tree in circumference.
60 years. I No. 8. 28£ 29f 30$ 31$ 32f f Increase of timber in 12 ft. in length
CNo. 9. 33| Sif 35| 37$ 39 Jof trunk, 1 ft. 7 in.
Aggregate 117|
Relative Growth of Oak Wood, as compared with that of other Trees. The result
of observations by Vancouver in Hampshire, as to the relative growth of wood
in that county, was, taking the trees at 10 years' growth, and fixing the oak
as a standard, as follows : — Oak, 10; elm, 16; ash, 18; beech, 20 ; white
poplar (P. alba), 30. It will thus appear that the oak, which is the slowest-
growing forest tree indigenous to Britain, increases only at the rate of one
third part of the white poplar, which is the most rapid-growing indigenous
forest tree in Britain.
The growth of the oak, as compared with that of the larch, is exemplified
in a tree of each growing at Wimbush, in Essex. In 1792, the oak, which is
called Young's Oak, at 5ft. from the ground, was 8ft. 5f in. in girt; and a
larch, at the same place, only 12 years old, at the same height from the ground,
girted 2 ft. 4 in. In 1805, 13 years afterwards, the oak had increased only
4^ in. in girt, while the larch had increased 2ft. 9 in. (Young's Essex, i\.
p. 151.)
Poetical Allusions. The most celebrated poetical description of the oak,
as well as, perhaps, one of the oldest, is that of Virgil in the second Georgic,
which has been thus rendered by Dryden : —
" Jove's own tree,
That holds the woods in awful sovereignty,
Requires a depth of lodging in the ground,
And, next the lower skies, a bed profound.
High as his topmost boughs to heaven ascend,
So low his roots to hell's dominion tend ;
Therefore nor winds, nor winter's rage, o'erthrows
His bulky body, but unmoved he grows.
For length of ages lasts his happy reign,
And lives of mortal men contend in vain.
Full in the midst of his own strength he stands,
Stretching his brawny arms, and leafy hands:
His shade protects the plains, his head the hills commands."
The following lines are from the Mneid : —
" As when the winds their airy quarrel try,
Jostling from every quarter of the sky,
This way and that, the mountain oak they bend,
His boughs they shatter, and his branches rend ;
With leaves and falling mast they spread the ground ;
The hollow valleys echo to the sound :
Unmoved the royal plant their fury mocks,
Or, shaken, clings more closely to the rocks ;
For as he shoots his towering head on high,
So deep in earth his fixed foundations lie."
VIRGIL. JEn., Dryden'* trans.
CHAP. CV. CORYLA^CE^E. QOE'RCUS. 1785
So many British poets have celebrated the oak ; and its beauty, dignity, and
strength have afforded so many fine similes; that we are compelled to make a
selection, and shall first give extracts from three of our oldest and most
popular poets ; viz. Chaucer, Spencer, and Shakspeare.
" And to a pleasant grove I 'gan to passe,
Long er the bright sunne uprise was ;
In which were okes great, straight as aline,
Under the which the grasse, so fresh of hew,
Was newly sprong, and an eight foot, or nine,
Every tree well fro his fellow grew,
With branches brode, laden with leves new,
That sprongen out agen the sunne shine ;
Some very red, and some a glad bright green." CHAUCER.
" There grew an aged tree on the green ;
A goodly oak some time had it been,
With arms full strong, and largely display'd,
But of their leaves they were disarray'd:
His body big, and mightily pright,
Thoroughly rooted, and of wond'rous height :
Whilome had been the king of the field,
And mochel masts to the husband did yield,
And with his nuts larded many swine;
But now the grey moss marr'd his rine;
His bared boughs were beaten with storms,
His top was bald, and wasted with worms.
For it had been an ancient tree,
Sacred with many a mystery." SPENSER'S Shepherd's Calendar.
" Under an oak, whose antique root peeps out
Upon the brook that brawls along this wood ;
Whose boughs'were moss'd with age,
And high top bald with dry antiquity." SHAKSPEARE.
To these we add extracts, relating to trees we have already described, from
Cowper's Yardley Chase, Mundy's Needivood Forest, and Carrington's Dart-
moor. For the Yardley Oak, see p. 1764?.
" Thou wert a bauble once, a cup and ball,
Which babes might play with ; and the thievish jay
Seeking her food, with ease might have purloin'd
The auburn nut that held thee, swallowing down
Thy yet close-folded latitude of boughs,
And all thy embryo vastness, at a gulp.
Time made thee what thou wert — king of the woods !
And time hath made thee what thou art — a cave
For owls to roost in ! Once thy spreading boughs
O'erhung the champaign, anjd the numerous flock
That grazed it stood beneath that ample cope
Uncrowded, yet safe-shelter'd from the storm.
No flock frequents thee now : thou hast outlived
Thy popularity, and art become
(Unless verse rescue thee awhile) a thing
Forgotten, as the foliage of thy youth !
Embowell'd now, and of thy ancient self
Possessing nought but the scooped rind, that soetns
A huge throat calling to the clouds for drink,
Which it would give in rivulets to thy roots :
Thou temptest none, but rather much forbid'st
The feller's toil, which thou couldst ill requite.
Yet is thy root sincere, sound as the rock :
A quarry of stout spurs and knotted fangs,
Which, crook'd into a thousand whimsies, clasp
The stubborn soil, and hold thee still erect.
Thine arms have left thee — winds have rent them ofF
Lone since ; and rovers of the forest wild
With bow and shaft have burnt them. Some have left
A splinter'd stump, bleach 'd to a snowy white;
And some, memorial none where once they grew.
Yet life still lingers in thee, and nuts forth
Proof not contemptible of what she can,
Even where death predominates. The spring
Finds thee not less alive to her sweet form,
Than yonder upstarts of the neighbouring wood,
So much thy juniors, who their birth received
Half a millennium since the date of thine." COWPER'S 1 ardlcy Chasf.
1786
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
The lines from Needwood Forest allude to the Swilcar Oak. (p. 1769.)
" First blush the hills with orient light,
And pierce the sable veil of night;
Green bends the waving shade above,
And glittering dew drops gem the grove :
Next shine the shelving lawns around,
Bright threads of silver net the ground ;
And down, the entangled brakes among,
The white rill sparkling winds along :
Then as the panting zephyrs breathe
The billowy mist recedes beneath ;
Slow, as it rolls away, unfold
The vale's fresh glories, green and gold ;
Dove laughs, and shakes his tresses bright,
And trails afar a line of light :
High midst the trees, with many a frown,
Huge Swilcar shakes his tresses brown ;
Outspreads his bare arms to the skies,
The ruins of six centuries." MCNDY'S Needwood Forest.
The following lines are descriptive of Wistman's Wood. See p. 1757.
" How heavily
That old wood sleeps in the sunshine — not a leaf.
Is twinkling — not a wing is seen to move
Within it ; but below, a mountain stream,
Conflicting with the rocks, is ever heard,
Cheering the drowsy noon. Thy guardian oaks,
My country, are thy boast— a giant race,
And undegenerate still ; but of this grove,
This pygmy grove, not one has climb'd the air
So emulously that its loftiest branch
May brush the traveller's brow. The twisted roots
Have clasp'd in search of nourishment the rocks,
And straggled wide, and pierced the stony soil
In vain : denied maternal succour, here
A dwarfish race has risen. Round the boughs
Hoary and feeble, and around the trunks,
With grasp destructive, feeding on the life
That lingers yet, the ivy winds, and moss
Of growth enormous. E'en the dull vile weed
Has fix'd itself upon the very crown
Of many an ancient oak ; and thus, refused
By nature kindly aid — dishonoured — old —
Dreary in aspect — silently decays
The lonely wood of Wistman." ' CARWINGTON'S Dartmoor, p. 56.
Through the kindness of His Grace the Duke of Bedford, we have re-
ceived the following additional information respecting this remarkable wood,
from Archdeacon Froude, vicar of Darlington, near Totness : — "I have been
told that there is an ancient record in the Duchy Office, which probably
refers to their existence, not long after the Conquest. On the bottom stock
of one of them, cut down partly for the purpose, I counted upwards of 250
concentric rings, when the farther evidence of annual formations in the exterior
circumference was too indistinct to be noticed. When first felled, the specific
gravity of the wood was more like that of tropical than English growth. The
extent of Wistman's Wood is about two acres."
Properties and Uses. In comparing the wood of Q. pedunculata and Q.
sessiliflora, the former is found the most easy to split, and the stiffest and the
easiest to break, and yet the most difficult to bend ; while the latter has the
advantage over the other in toughness and weight. The following comparative
view is from Hartig, as quoted in the Dictionnairc des Eaux ct Forcts.
Q. PEDUNCIILAVA.
The wood, when green, weighs
— half-dry .
— perfectly dry -
Its heating properties are, to the
Ib. 02.
76 13
65 9
52 13
beech,
- 1440 is to 1540
Its heating properties, compared
with those of the Q. sessiliflbra,
are as 1440 is to 1497
Its charcoal is, to that of the
beecTi, as 1459 is to 1600
Q. SESSILIFLO^RA.
Ib. oz.
80 5
67 12
51 10
The wood, when green, weighs
— half-dry
— perfectly dry -
Its heating properties are, to the
beech, as 1497 is to 1540
Its heating properties, compared
with those of the (I. peduncu-
lata, are as .... 1497 is to 1440
It thus appears that the wood of both species loses above a third of its
weight in drying ; but, as in the case of every other wood, that of the oak is
CHAP. CV. CORYL/SCEIE. QUE'RCUS. 1787
more or less watery, according to the soil and locality in which it grows, and
naturally weighs more from a warm climate and dry soil, and when the tree
has attained its maturity, than under contrary circumstances.
Tredgold observes that the wood of the Q. scssiliflora, which is of a darker
colour than that of the Q. pedunculata, is also heavier, harder, and more
elastic. To ascertain their relative value, he tried an experiment, and the fol-
lowing table exhibits the results : —
Specific gravity .......
Weight of a cubic foot In Ibs. .....
Comparative stiffness, or weight that bent the piece 7-20ths of an Inch
Comparative strength, or weight that broke the piece
Cohesive force of a square inch in Ibs. .
Weight of modulus of elasticity in Ibs. for a square inch
Comparative toughness ......
<l. PKDUNCU- d. HKSSILI-
LA*TA. FLO*RA.
•8(17 -H79
50-47 54-97
167 149
322 350
11592 12600
147 1256
81 108
" Each piece was lin. square, and sustained by supports 2ft. apart, the weight
being applied to the middle of the length. Both specimens broke short off with-
out splitting : the Q. sessiliflora bent considerably more at the time of fracture
than the Q. pedunculata. The strength, elasticity, toughness, and hardness of
the sessile-fruited 'oak would render it," he continues, " superior for ship-build-
ing, were it not so inferior in durability between wind and water, to the Q. pe-
dunculata, or stalk-fruited kind." The wood of Q. pedunculata, according to
Atkinson (Hort. Trans. , 2d ser., vol. i. p. 336.), splits clean, and is best adapted
for split paling, laths, barrel staves, dowels for flooring, and similar uses ; and
as it contains a greater quantity of the silver grain, or medullary rays, which,
when the wood is planed, the workmen call the flower in the wood, it
is more ornamental as furniture. The wood of Q. sessiliflora, on the con-
trary, contains so small a portion of the silver grain, or flower, that wood of this
species from old buildings has generally been mistaken for that of the sweet
chestnut. This discovery was simultaneously made by Fougeroux and Dau-
benton about the year 1780. (See Mem. Scien. Mathe. de VInstitut, &c., 1.
Trem. 1807, p. 307.) Atkinson adds that the wood of Q. pedunculata
is stiffer than that of Q. sessiliflora ; and, though it may be broken with a
less weight, yet it requires a much greater weight to bend it than Q. sessiliflora
does ; and it is, therefore, better calculated for beams, or to bear the greatest
weight in a building without bending. The wood of Q. sessiliflora, according
to Bosc and other French authors, though good for nothing for ship-building,
because it soon rots under water, is of such great duration when kept dry*
that the roofs of many of the old churches and cathedrals of France, which
are framed of it, have lasted many centuries, without being in the slightest
degree deteriorated. It also makes better fuel than that of Q. pedunculata.
Nichols appears to refer to Q. pedunculata, when he speaks of " the true
English oak, such as are standing about Rinefield Lodge," in the New Forest;
" finer trees, or better timber for ship-building, than which, I believe," he adds,
" are not to be found in the kingdom." Another oak, which, he says, " the
workmen in the forest call the durmast oak," and which, from his reference to
Miller's Dictionary, and his observations in another work, appears to be the
Q. sessiliflora, has the wood " not so strong, hard, or durable, as that of the
English oak," which, he continues, " is well known all over the world as prefer-
able for ship-building." The difference between the quality of these two kinds
of oak, he adds, was not known in the year 1700, when some of the enclosures
in the forest were planted with acorns taken from the durmast oak. (Obser-
vations on Oak Trees, $c., in a Letter to the Earl of Chatham, p. 26.) This
durmast oak, he describes (in a Letter on a new Way of planting Acorns,
&c., included in his Methods for decreasing the Consumption of Timber in the
Navy, &c.) as having " the acorns in clusters close to the twig, without
any footstalks ; and the leaves with short stalks, usually about half an inch in
length." (p. 67.) The acorns of the true English oak, on the other hand, he
says, " grow on fruit stalks, like cherries, from about 1 in. to 2 in. in length ;
1788 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
and the leaves sit close to the twig, without the intervention of any foot-
stalks." (p. 66.) This was published in 1793, a circumstance which we con-
sider worthy of notice, as proving that the superiority of the timber of Q.
pedunculata was known to practical men before that period. In 1827, an
experiment was made in the New Forest, Hampshire, with a piece of the best
oak timber grown in the forest that could be procured. It was reduced to
the dimensions of 5 in. square, and 1 1 ft. long, placed on two firm supports,
exactly 1 1 ft. apart ; and it was found that 4f tons 3 qr. 17 Ib. were required
to break the beam. The experiment was performed in the presence of Lord
Lowther, at that time First Commissioner of Woods and Forests, and other
government officers j and an account of it was laid before the Royal Institu-
tion in June, 1827.
Whatever may have been established theoretically respecting the compara-
tive properties of the wood of the two species, yet, practically, they are al-
most alike employed both in territorial and naval constructions and machinery.
The wood of the oak is more durable, in every state in which it can be placed,
than that of any other tree which abounds in large quantities in Europe. It is
hard, tough, tolerably flexible, strong, without being too heavy, not easy
to splinter, and not readily penetrated by water ; and hence its value in ship-
building. Some woods are harder, but they are more fragile ; and others are
more flexible, but do not possess so much toughness, hardness, and durability.
Where the grain is twisted, no timber is so well adapted for posts, either in
house-building or in setting up mills, engines, or large machines. No wood
lasts longer where it is subject to be alternately wet and dry ; and oak piles
have been known to endure many centuries. Shingles, pales, and laths
last longer of this wood than of any other; and casks, and every other descrip-
tion of cooper's work, are most durable, and best adapted for containing wines,
ales, and other liquors, when they are made of oak. Oak timber is particu-
larly esteemed Tor the spokes of wheels, for which the small slow-growing
oak of mountainous districts is greatly preferred to the more rapid-growing
and larger oak of the valleys. Oaks of from 15 to 30 years' growth make
the most durable poles. The young tree, when from 5 ft. to 10 ft. high, makes
excellent hoops, which, Evelyn says, we ought to substitute for those of hazel
and ash, as they are six times more durable : it also makes the very best walk-
ingsticks, and very good handles to carters' whips. Of the roots, Evelyn says,
were formerly made hafts to daggers, handles to knives, tobacco-boxes, mathe-
matical instruments, tablets for artists to paint on instead of canvass, and elegant
camleted joiners' work. Oak wood, every one knows, is preferred before all
others for ship-building, in the temperate regions of both hemispheres. The
Q. pedunculata (the chene blanc of the French), from its toughness, does not
splinter when it is struck by a cannon ball, and the hole made by a ball is con-
sequently much easier to plug up ; but it is said, on the other hand, that this
species, when it is grown in good soil, somewhat moist, contains a great deal of
white or sap wood, which soon begins to decay, and, proceeding rapidly, ulti-
mately destroys the heart wood. (Nich. Obs., &c., p. 44.) Secondat (Mem. du
Chene, p. 3.) attributes the property of not splintering, when pierced with
bullets, to the wood of Q. sessiliflora; which, he says, the English had a great
deal of formerly, and valued highly for the construction of ships, and which he
describes as a tree attaining a prodigious size and height, and only succeeding
in good soil : but, as these characters belong more to Q. pedunculata than to
Q. sessiliflora, at least according to Willdenow, Bosc, and other authors,
we conclude that Secondat has here mistaken the name of the kind to
which he has assigned these properties. The best oak for ship purposes,
according to Jaume St. Hilaire, is that which is grown in the south of
France ; and the best ships in the world, he says, are built in Toulon, or in
Spain. The worst oak for ship-building, according to this author, is that sent
to Britain from Dantzic, and other ports of the Baltic. The bark of both
species is indiscriminately used for tanning, though that of Q. sessiliflora is
CHAP. CV. CORYLA'CEJE. QUE'llCUS. 1789
said to be the best. The bark of either species affords a substance which has
been substituted for quinine ; and, according to Cullen and others, a decoc-
tion of oak bark has been used for diseases of the throat, &c. The bark which
contains the greatest quantity of tannin is obtained from those parts of the
branches or trunks which are of from 20 to 30 years' growth ; and hence the
bark of an oak coppice of 20 or 30 years' growth is worth more to the tanner,
than the same weight of bark taken from the trunk and branches of old trees.
Every part of the tree, however, abounds in astringent matter ; and even the
leaves and sawdust will tan leather, linen cloth, netting, or cordage, which
is to be much exposed to the weather. An infusion of the bark, with cop-
peras, dyes woollen of a purplish blue. The Highlanders, according to Light-
foot, dye their yarn of a brown colour with oak bark ; and the same thing is
practised in Sweden, and other countries, where, like the bark of the birch
and some other trees, it is made to perform the office of tanning and dyeing
at the same time. The acorns of both species are alike sought after for feed-
ing swine ; but, according to the French authors, they are produced in the
greatest quantities by the sessile-fruited oak, and of the largest size from the
pedunculated species. According to Evelyn, a peck of acorns a day, with a
little bran, will make a hog increase a pound weight per day for two months
together. Cato recommends acorns to be given to oxen, mixed with beans and
lupines. In British parks, acorns form an important part of the winter food of
deer ; and, were the tree substituted for the elm, the ash, and a number of others
which are planted in hedgerows, there would be a general supply throughout
the country for pigs, and also for game ; since it is certain that they are eaten
both by pheasants and partridges in England, and by turkeys in America.
Acorns are given raw or boiled to poultry ; and it is said to be easy to accus-
tom horses, cattle, and sheep to eat them. Acorns, roasted and treated like
coffee, are said to afford a liquor which closely resembles that beverage ; and
when sprouted acorns are treated like malt, they afford a liquor from which a
very strong spirit may be distilled. According to Bosc, this is practised in
various parts of the north of Europe. The leaves of both species, gathered
green, and dried, are said to furnish an excellent winter forage for sheep, goats,
deer, &c. The leaves, after they have dropped from the tree, are swept up,
and used in gardening as a substitute for tanner's bark, in producing heat by
fermentation in hot-houses, pits, &c.
The Use of the Oak in Landscape has been pointed out by Gilpin with his
usual force and effect. " It is a happiness," he says, " to the lovers of the
picturesque, that this noble plant is as useful as it is beautiful. From the
utility of the oak they derive this advantage, that it is every where found.
Many kinds of wood are harder, as box and ebony ; many kinds are tougher,
as yew and ash ; but it is supposed that no species of wood, at least no species
of timber, is possessed of both these qualities together in so great a degree as
the British oak. Almost all arts and manufactures are indebted to it; but
in ship-building, and bearing burdens, its elasticity and strength are applied
to most advantage. I mention these mechanical uses only because some of its
chief beauties are connected with them. Thus, it is not the erect stately tree
that is always the most useful in ship-building ; but more often the crooked
one, forming short turns and elbows, which the shipwrights and carpenters
commonly call knee-timber. This, too, is generally the most picturesque.
Nor is it the straight tall stem, the fibres of which run in parallel lines, that
is the most useful in bearing burdens ; but that which has its sinews twisted
and spirally combined. This, too, is the most picturesque. Trees, under
these circumstances, generally take the most pleasing forms. We seldom see
the oak, like other trees, take a twisted form from the winds. It generally pre-
serves its balance ; which is one of the grand picturesque beauties of every
tree. The oak, like other trees, shrinks from the sea air [see p. 195. fig. 1.] :
but this indicates no weakness ; for the sea air, like a pestilential disease,
attacks the strongest constitutions. A second characteristic of the oak is the
1790 ARBOIIETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
stoutness of its limbs. We know tree, except, perhaps, the cedar of Leba-
non, so remarkable in this respect. The limbs of most trees spring from the
trunk : in the oak they may be rather said to divide from it ; for they gene-
rally carry with them a great share of the substance of the stem. You often
scarcely know which is stem and which is branch; and, towards the top, the
stem is entirely lost in the branches. This gives particular propriety to the
epithet 'fortes,' in characterising the branches of the oak ; and hence its
sinewy elbows are of such peculiar use in ship-building. Whoever, therefore,
does not mark the ' fortes ramos' of the oak, might as well, in painting a Her-
cules, omit his muscle^. But I speak only of the hardy veterans of the forest.
In the effeminate nurslings of the grove we have not this appearance. There
the tree is all stem drawn up into height. When we characterise a tree, we
consider it in its natural state, insulated, and without any lateral pressure. In
a forest, trees naturally grow in that manner. The seniors depress all the
juniors that attempt to rise near them; but in a planted grove all grow up
together, and none can exert any power over another. The next character-
istic of the oak is the twisting of its branches. Examine the ash, the elm, the
beech, or almost any other tree, and you may observe in what direct and
straight lines the branches in each shoot from the stem ; whereas the limbs
of an oak are continually twisting here and there in various contortions, and,
like the course of a river, sport and play in every possible direction ; sometimes
in long reaches, and sometimes in shorter elbows. There is not a characteristic
more peculiar to the oak than this.
" Another peculiarity of the oak is its expansive spread. This, indeed, is a
just characteristic of the oak ; for its boughs, however twisted, continually
take a horizontal direction, and overshadow a large space of ground. Indeed,
where it is fond of its situation, and has room to spread, it extends itself
beyond any other tree ; and, like a monarch, takes possession of the soil.
The last characteristic of the oak is its longevity, which extends beyond that
of any other tree : perhaps the yew may be an exception. I mention the
circumstance of its longevity, as it is that which renders it so singularly pic-
turesque. It is through age that the oak acquires its greatest beauty ; which
often continues increasing even into decay, if any proportion exist between
the stem and the branches. When the branches rot away, and the forlorn
trunk is left alone, the tree is in its decrepitude — in the last stage of life,
and all beauty is gone." Gilpin concludes this characteristic description with
the following words : — "I have dwelt the longer on the oak, as it is confess-
edly both the most picturesque tree in itself, and the most accommodating in
composition. It refuses no subject either in natural or in artificial landscape.
It is suited to the grandest, and may with propriety be introduced into the
most pastoral. It adds new dignity to the ruined tower and Gothic arch : by
stretching its wild moss-grown branches athwart their ivied walls, it gives
them a kind of majesty coeval with itself; at the same time, its propriety is
still preserved, if it throw its arms over the purling brook, or the mantling
pool, where it beholds
• Its reverend imago in th' expanse below.'
Milton introduces it happily even in the lowest scene : —
• Hard by, a cottage chimney smokes
From between two aged oaks.' "
Some valuable remarks on the picturesque beauty of the oak, and on its deli-
neation,will be found in the Magazincof Natural Hislory, communicated by Mr.
Strutt, unquestionably the best delineator of trees in this or any other country.
" European trees," he observes, " may by the painter be divided into four
classes ; the round-topped, as the oak, chestnut, elm, willow, ash, beech, &c. ;
the spiry-topped, as the different species of the fir tribe ; the shaggy-topped,
comprehending those of the pine ; and the slender-formed, as the Lombardy
poplar and the cypress. In the first of these classes, foremost in dignity and
grandeur, the oak stands preeminent, and, like the lion among beasts, i,s the
1791
undoubted lord of the forest. Beauty, united with strength, characterises all
its parts. The leaves, elegant in their outline, are strongly ribbed, and firmly
attached to the spray, which, although thin and excursive, is yet bold and de-
termined in its angles ; whilst the abrupt and tortuous irregularity of its mas-
sive branches admirably contrasts with the general richness and density of its
clustered foliage. Even as a sapling, in its slender gracefulness it exhibits
sufficient firmness and indications of vigour to predicate the future monarch
of the wood ; a state, indeed, which it is slow to assume, but which it retains
per scecula longa ; and when at length it is brought to acknowledge the in-
fluence of time, and becomes* bald with dry antiquity,' no other production
1630
of the forest can be admitted as
its rival in majestic and venerable
decay. The general form of the
oak is expansive, luxuriant, and
spreading. Its character, both
with respect to its whole and
to its larger masses of foliage, is
best expressed by the pencil, in
bold and roundish lines, whether
as single trees, as groups (fig.
1630.), or as forming the line of
a distant forest (figs. 1629. and _.
1631.) ; although, when growing
more closely together, they assume a loftier and less spreading appearance
than the more solitary tree, such as Mason has so beautifully described in
his Camctacus : —
' Behold yon oak,
How stern he frowns, and with his broad brawn arms
Chills the pale plain beneath him ! ' "
1631
The sketches figs. 1632. and 1633., which are also drawn by Mr. Strutt,
will more distinctly exemplify his position ; exhibiting, in distinct distances,
the same general appearance in the contour of the trees. Of these sketches,
6 A
1792
ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART III,
1632
fig. 1632. is a scene in Savernake Forest, near Marlborough, in which the
Creeping Oak (see p. 1771.) is shown in the foreground; and fig. 1633. is
another scene in the same forest, in which the King Oak (see p. 1771.) forms
1 fi.33
the principal object. Fi«. 1634. is a sketch of a singularly picturesque oak
adopted by Mr. Strult as a vignette to his elegant work, DclicifT Syhwriim.
1793
" But while," continues Mr. Strutt, " as an entire object, these curved lines
arc sufficient to express the general peculiarity of the outline of the oak, as
well as the larger masses of its foliage, when we come to examine the tree
more closely, and in detail, we find that a greater variety of line must be
adopted to display its singular proportions, so indicative of energy and bold-
ness. The trunk and limbs are characterised by their amazing strength, and
by their comparative shortness and crookedness ; and the branches, by their
numerous contortions and abrupt angles, and by the great variety which they
exhibit of straight and crooked lines ; and by their frequent tendency to a
horizontal direction. These striking peculiarities are exemplified \nfig. 1635."
" Not unfrequently, however, the forms of the limbs and branches are en-
tirely concealed by the exuberancy of foliage, as is the case in the Bounds
Park Oak, and more particularly in that magnificent living canopy — nulli
penctrahUts astro, impervious to the day, — the Chandos Oak, at Southgate,
[see p. 1763.], which, although not exactly a painter's tree, is unquestionably
unrivalled for regular beauty and plenitude of shade. The oak, also, is oc-
casionally found to present an extremely graceful and pleasing figure, as is
6 A 2
1794
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III,
remarkably the case with the celebrated oak at Lord Cowper's [shown in^g.
14-80. in p. 1741.]. This tree, above a century ago, was well known as the
Great Oak at Pan- ^ ^ 1G36
s hanger. There is
also a beautiful tree
(fig. 1636.), of the
same description, at
Lord Darnley's seat
at Cobham, which,
being protected from
the depredations of
cattle, enjoys the
most perfect free-
dom of growth, ex-
tending its latitude
of boughs in every
direction, and droop-
ing its clustered fo-
liage to the very
ground." (Strutt in
Mag. Nat. Hist., vol.
i. p. 42.)
The Spray of the Oak has been described and illustrated by Gilpin, with his
usual felicity. " In the spray of trees," he remarks, " nature seems to observe
one simple principle ; which is, that the mode of growth in the spray corre-
sponds exactly with that of the larger branches, of which, indeed, the spray is
the origin. Thus, the oak divides his boughs from the
stem more horizontally than most other deciduous trees.
The spray makes exactly, in minia-
ture, the same appearance. It
breaks out in right angles, or in
angles that are nearly so, forming
its shoots commonly in short lines
[see figs. 1637. and 1638., from Gil-
pin; and/g. 1639., from Strutt];
the second year's shoot usually
taking some direction contrary to
that of the first. Thus the ru-
diments are laid of that abrupt mode of ramification, for which the oak is
1638
1637
CHAP. CV.
COKYLAVCE/E. QUE'RCUS.
1795
1639
1640
remarkable. [See fig. 1640., from Gilpin ; and fig. 1641., from Strutt.] When
two shoots spring from the same knot, they are commonly of unequal length ;
and one with large strides generally takes the head. Very often, also, three
shoots, and sometimes four,
spring from the same knot.
Hence, the spray of the oak
becomes thick, close, and in-
terwoven ; so that at a little
distance it has a full rich ap-
pearance, and more of the
picturesque roughness than
we observe in the spray of
any other tree. The spray
of the oak also generally
springs in such directions as give its branches that horizontal appearance
which they generally assume." (Gilp. For. Seen., vol. i. p. 111.)
In fig. 1639., Strutt observes, " it will be seen that the spray seldom shoots
from the lower or under side of the branches ; which, added to the roughness
and strength of their component parts, enables the branches to stretch out
and maintain their horizontal position, not unfrequently even to the very last
twig ; although sometimes, from the great weight of foliage, and, perhaps, from
some difference in the species of the tree, an oak may be found with pendent
boughs.
" The ramification of trees is of great importance to the painter. As well, it
has been observed by Gilpin (see p. 1790.), might an artist attempt to deli-
neate the figure of a Hercules without expressing any of the muscles in his
body, as to give the drawing of an oak tree without a scientific regard to the
anatomy of its form, in a just display of the various angles and tortuous irregu-
larities of its branches. The example shown in fig. 1641. is sketched from the
denuded boughs, to give a more uninterrupted view of their peculiar character.
- tt rpne foiiage of the oak is particularly suited to the pencil. In those por-
tions which are brought nearer to the sight, the form of the individual leaves
(fig. 1642.rt) may here and there be expressed, as shown in the sketch, which
also exhibits what is technically called the touch (b) necessary to express its
character as it recedes from the eye.
" The colouring of the oak, and, indeed, of all natural objects connected with
landscape, admits of so great a variety, that it is impossible to give any precise
rules on the subject : a diligent attention to nature will alone, in this respect,
avail ; for, besides the ordinary varieties induced by change of season, from
the tender and emerald hues of spring to the deeper bloom of summer, and
the rich and glowing tints of autumn, an astonishing diversity of colour is
6x3
1796
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
effected by accidental circumstances, dependent on the different aspects of
morning, noon, and evening; on sun and on shade; on the colours of the sky
and the clouds ; on the clearness or haziness of the atmosphere, and its con-
sequent powers of refraction; on opposition of colour; on the situation of
the spectator ; and on many other contingencies, all independent of the local
colour of the object, yet all" strongly affecting it. It is impossible, therefore, I
repeat, to give in any written description, with tolerable conciseness, sufficient
instruction for selecting the colours necessary to 'depict objects so constantly
varying in their hues. A few simple tints on the pallet, and an hour's study
in the forest, will be more instructive than a volume of remarks. The atten-
tion and minuteness with which a lover of nature will examine a favourite
object, and the truth with which he will consequently be enabled to describe
it, are strongly evidenced in the following passage, extracted from Gilpin's
Forest Scenery : — * I have often stood,' says Gilpin, * with admiration betbre
an old forest oak, examining the various tints which have enriched its furrowed
stem. The genuine bark of an oak is of an ash colour, though it is difficult to
distinguish any part of it from the mosses that overspread it ; for no oak, I
suppose, was ever without a greater or less proportion of these picturesque
appendages. The lower parts, about the roots, are often possessed by that
CHAP. CV. CORYLA'CE^:. QUERCUS. J 797
green velvet moss, which, in a still greater degree, commonly occupies the bole
of the beech, though the beauty and brilliancy of it lose much when in decay.
As the trunk rises, you see the brimstone colour taking possession in patches.
Of this there are two principal kinds; a smooth sort, which spreads like a
scurf over the bark ; and a rough sort, which hangs in little rich knots and
fringes. I call it a brimstone hue, by way of general distinction ; but it some-
times inclines to an olive, and sometimes to a light green. Intermixed with
these mosses you often find a species almost perfectly white. Before I was
acquainted with it, 1 have sometimes thought the tree whitewashed. Here
and there, a touch of it gives a lustre to the trunk, and has its effect : yet, on
the whole, it is a nuisance ; for, as it generally begins to thrive when the other
mosses begin to wither (as if the decaying bark were its proper nutriment), it
is rarely accompanied with any of the more beautiful species of itsjdnd ; and,
when thus unsupported, it always disgusts. This white moss, by the way, is
esteemed a certain mark of age, and, when it prevails in any degree, is a clear
indication that the vigour of the tree is declining. We find, also, another
species of moss, of a dark brown colour, inclining nearly to black ; another of
an ashy colour ; and another of a dingy yellow. We may observe, also, touches
of red, and sometimes, but rarely, a bright yellow, which is like a gleam of
sunshine ; and in many trees you will see one species growing upon another,
the knotted brimstone-coloured fringe clinging to a lighter species, or the
black softening into red. All these excrescences, under whatever name dis-
tinguished, add a great richness to trees ; and, when they are blended harmo-
niously, as is generally the case, the rough and furrowed trunk of an old oak,
adorned with these pleasing appendages, is an object which will long detain
the picturesque eye.' " (Strutt in Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. i. p. 246.)
The beauty of oak foliage is universally allowed ; but that of Q. sessiliflora
may be said to be most admired in single leaves, and that of the other species
in tufts of leaves. The difference between the two species, in this respect,
was first pointed out by the Rev. W. T. Bree. " The leaves of Q. pedunculata,"
he says, " are of a dark deep green ; and, though rather small (and small leaves
combine better than large ones), they are numerous, and grow close to the
spray, clustered together in dense masses, forming those lovely tufts, or ro-
settes, which constitute one of the characteristic beauties of oak foliage. When
the wind blows gently, it partially turns up, and displays their glaucous under
surfaces in harmonious contrast with the deeper tints of those above, and pre-
sents a study worthy of the pencil of Gainsborough. The leaves of Q. sessili-
flora, being of a large size, are fewer in number, and less thickly set ; consequently
they do not mass so well. One of the specific distinctions of Q. sessiliflora
is, that it bears its leaves on footstalks ; and this circumstance gives to the
foliage a loose and straggling appearance, and a want of depth and solidity,
which greatly detract from its general effect. For the same reason it is that
many of the fine American species of oak, beautiful as they are, must yield the
palm, in point of foliage, to the monarch of our British forests, Q. pedunculata."
(Card. Mag.,\o\. xii. p. 534.)
Soil, $c. Oaks, according to Nichols, " flourish best, and grow the quickest,
in a rich deep loamy soil; and I have found by experiments and general
observations, for more than 30 years, that the wood of such trees is of the
firmest and best texture, and I believe it will be so found in all the different
species of trees that grow the fastest." He agrees with Buffbn in ascribing
this to the increased thickness of the annual layers of fast-growing trees, in
comparison with those that grow slower. (Obs.,&c., p. 41.) Monteath, in his
Forester's Guide, 2d-edit., has " observed that the oak grows fastest, and
makes the best hearted-timber, in strong good clay soils." In proof of this,
he refers to oak trees on the estates of Alloa, Airthrey, and Alva, the two
latter on the face of the Ochil Hills. The trees on these estates, he says,
although " very rapid in growth," produce " most excellent timber. In a
tree from 2 ft. to 3 ft. in diameter, there will not be above three quarters of
an inch of white or sap wood ; and in the very heart of the topmost branch
6 A 4
1798 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
there is little or no white wood." (p. 365.) The oak, Sang observes, " will
grow, and even become timber of considerable size, in soils of very opposite
natures. It thrives best, however, in strong deep loam, incumbent on gravel
or dry rock ; but in all soils in which there is any considerable proportion of
loam it will thrive in a greater or less degree. In low situations, where the
soil is deep and moist, it grows rapidly, and attains a great size ; but in such
places it is found to decay sooner than it does in a more elevated situation,
with a drier soil. In light soils of little depth, although it grows slowly, it
becomes firm in texture ; and the timber, though smaller in size, acquires a
state of maturity sooner than that grown on more cool and retentive soils.
In deep cool sand, it will root firmly, and arrive at a great size. In clay,
incumbent on till, to which all other trees, except the beech and the sycamore
have an aversion, the oak will grow and produce useful timber." (Plant. Kal.,
p. 62.) Sir T. Dick Lauder, havingquoted the above passage, adds, " Our own
experience teaches us to corroborate Mr. Sang's opinion as to the variety of soil
in which the oak may be seen to thrive. As one example, we find it growing
vigorously on the banks of the river Findhorn, in every possible variety of soil,
and equally well in soil superincumbent on the stratified and on the primitive
rocks. It roots itself in the very face of the gneiss and granite precipices,
whence it shoots forth, in the wildest and most picturesque forms, over the
roaring rapids or deep abysses of the mountain stream ; and every now and
then we see that the slow but certain operation of the growth of its roots
within the fissures of the rock detaches huge masses of it, and hurls them into
the gulf below." (Laud. Gilp.y vol. i. p. 63.) " It is wonderful," says Evelyn,
" to consider how strangely the oak will penetrate to come to a marly bottom ;
so as where we find this tree to prosper, the indication of a fruitful and ex-
cellent soil is certain, even by the token of this natural augury only. Thus, by
the plantation of this tree and some others, we have the advantage of profit
raised from the pregnancy, substance, and depth of our land ; whilst by the
grass and corn (whose roots are but a few inches deep) we have the benefit
of the crust only." (Hunt. Evel., p. 91.) In Hampshire, in that part of the
New Forest called the Woodlands, wherever the oak tree clay, or yellow wood-
land clay, exists, its presence is more or less indicated by a spontaneous growth
of oak wood. "In all such situations," Vancouver observes, "this timber
may be cultivated to advantage ; but, where the natural soil of the oak tree
does not occur, it is as idle to attempt its cultivation, as to divert the laws of
nature in any other respect." (Agric. of Hamp.t &c., p. 308.)
Situation. Upland situations are generally considered the best for oak to be
grown in for ship-timber ; and hedgerows better than close woods for the same
purpose. The reasons, it is generally considered, notwithstanding the opinions
of Nichols and Monteath, above given, are to be found in the comparatively
slow growth of trees in dry soils fully exposed to the weather ; and to the
greater degree of perfection to which the timber of every tree must arrive,
when its leaves are exposed to the influence of the sun and air on every side,
and from the summit of the tree to its base. Oaks, says Pliny, grown in
valleys are more stately, tall, and spreading, than those grown on mountains ;
but the timber of the latter is far better and finer-grained, and, consequently,
more durable. Mitchell is of opinion that the best oak for ship-building is
produced from a calcareous soil, in rather an upland situation, such as the
Sussex chalk. (Dend., p. 31.) Indeed, it is generally considered that the best
oak timber in England is produced in the county of Sussex. (See p. 614.)
Propagation and Culture. The propagation and nursery culture of the oak have
been already treated of in our introduction to the genus (p. 1727.). The after-
culture of the common oak embraces the subjects of artificial shelter, pruning,
thinning, training, &c. No specific mode of pruning is applicable to the oak ;
except that, where the object is ship timber of the crooked kind, the trunks
ought not to be freed from branches for more than 12ft. or 15ft. in height, in
order to throw strength into the larger limbs. It may also be advisable, in
some instances, to stop the leading shoot for the same purpose. In general,
CHAP. CV. CORYLAVCE,E. QUE'llCUS. 1799
however, the oak, if planted in open situations, and if the stem be divested of
its side shoots only to a moderate height, will produce a sufficient number of
crooked arms and branches for every purpose in naval architecture. It is
almost unnecessary to observe, that, when the object is ship-timber, and timber
fit for making furniture, the acorns and plants of Q. pedunculuta should be
chosen, in preference to those of Q. sessiliflora.
Eliirihility of the Oak for planting with a View to Profit, as compared with
other Tn-cs. The slow growth of the oak is by many alleged as a reason
why plantations of it will prove less profitable than those of other trees. In
answer to this it may be stated, 1st, that, as the oak is almost in every case
planted among nurse trees, which are not cut down till they are of some value
as poles or timber, there can hardly be said to be such a thing as a young oak
plantation ; and, 2dly, that though the oak, in ordinary circumstances, is of a
slow growth while young, yet, after the trunk has attained a diameter of 6 in.
or 8 in., the oak grows as fast as almost any other hard-wooded tree, and cer-
tainly faster than some ; such as the beech and the hornbeam. The value of
the timber of the oak, even when of small size, the value of the bark, and, as
Matthew observes, the slight comparative injury of its shade to coppice-wood,
hedge-plants, grass, corn, or other crops, "should give a preference to this tree
for planting, wherever the climate and soil are suitable, over every other kind,
with the exception of the larch and willow, which, in particular soils, will pay
better."
For Hedgerow Timber, it is agreed by most writers that the oak is superior
to all other trees. It produces the most valuable timber and bark in that
situation, and does less injury to the hedge, and to the herbage or corn be-
neath it, than any other species, unless, perhaps, as Matthew observes, the
apple and the pear be excepted; because the horizontal roots do not run
near the surface, and the buds come later into leaf than those of any other
British tree. The general form, and the great variety of outline, of the
oak, as well as its colour, both in spring and autumn, also harmonise in a
superior manner with the general scenery of an enclosed country. To be
convinced of this, we have only to reflect on those parts of the country
where larches, pines, and Lombardy and other poplars prevail in hedgerows,
in which they are as bad in an agricultural, as they are in a picturesque, point
of view. " The disadvantages," Matthew observes, "attending the planting of
hedgerows with oaks are, that the removal of the oak, when young, is not in
general so successful as that of other trees, especially in this exposed dry si-
tuation ; also, that the progress of the plant, for a number of years, is but slow,
and that it is thus for a longer time liable to injury from cattle. Fair success
may, however, be commanded by previously preparing the roots, should the
plants be of good size ; transplanting them when the ground is neither too
moist nor too dry ; and, in autumn, as soon as the leaves have dropped or
become brown, particularly in dry ground ; performing the operation with the
utmost care, so as not to fracture the roots, and to retain a considerable ball ;
opening pits of considerable size for their reception, much deeper than the
roots ; and should a little water lurk in the bottom of the pit, it will be highly
beneficial, provided none stagnate so high as the roots ; firming the earth well
around the roots, after it is carefully shaken in among the fibres ; and, espe-
cially, keeping the surface of the ground, within 4ft. of the plant, friable and
free from weeds, by repeated hoeings during the first two or three summers.
Of course, if the plant is suffered to waver with the wind, or to be rubbed and
bruised by cattle, or by the appendages of the plough, it is folly to expect
success. On this account, stout plants, from 8 ft. to 12 ft. high, the branches
of which are more out of the way of injury, may, in sheltered situations, under
careful management, be of the most proper size. Much also depends on pro-
curing strong plants from exposed situations. We have," continues Matthew,
" experienced better success with hardy plants from the exposed side of a hill,
having unfibred carrot roots, much injured by removal, than with others from
a sheltered morass, having the roots most numerously fibred, and well extri-
1800 ARBORETUM AND FltUTlCETUM. PART III.
cated." (Matthew on Naval Timber, p. 38.) The experience of Mr. Matthew
agrees with that of Mr. Webster (Gard. Mag., vol. xii. p. 368.), and is, indeed,
consonant to reason. Several planters of experience have stated to us, that
they have found oaks of ten or twelve years' growth, taken up without any
preparation, and the heads closely cut in when transplanted, succeed much
better than oaks one, two, or three years from the seed bed, or even smaller
transplanted trees, in the same soil and situation. Alexander Milne, Esq.,
one of the Commissioners of Woods and Forests, informs us that this
was the case several years ago, when a number of oaks, from 15 ft. to 20 ft. in
height, were thinned out of a government plantation in the Forest of Dean,
closely cut in at root and top, and planted in the open common or forest,
being only guarded from cattle by a few thorn bushes tied round their steins.
The late Sir Uvedale Price was equally successful in transplanting oaks in
this manner, at Foxley.
Artificial Shelter, it is allowed by almost all writers on the culture of the oak,
is essentially necessary to insure the rapid progress of a young plantation.
This arises from the natural tenderness of the young shoots and early leaves
of the oak, which, even in the south of England, are frequently destroyed or
much injured by frost in May ; while, in elevated situations, it is found that
even .the bark does not so easily separate from the wood of standing trees
after'a cold night. Modern planters seem to be all agreed, that the best mode
of producing shelter for the oak is, by first covering the surface with Scotch
pine, larch, or birch ; the first being greatly preferred. After the nurse trees
have grown to the height of 4 ft. or 5 ft., openings should be cut in the plant-
ations thus formed, at the rate of from 300 to 500 according to some, and of
60 to 100 according to others, to the acre ; and in each of these openings an
acorn, or an oak plant should be inserted, the soil having been duly pre-
pared. This practice seems to have originated at Welbeck, in Nottingham-
shire, in the plantations made by the Duke of Portland, and to have been
first described by Speechly in Hunter's edition of Evelyn's Sylva ; but it
has since been recommended by Pontey, in his Profitable Planter (4th. ed.,
p. 213.); by Sang, in his edition of Nicol's Planter's Kalendar (p. 294.); by
Billington, in his Series of Facts, &c.; by Cruickshanks, in his Practical Planter;
by Davis, in communications to the Bath and West of England Society; and
by various others. It has also been extensively employed in the government
plantations in the New Forest, Hampshire, under the care of Mr. Robert
Turner, who, in 1819, was deputy surveyor of the New Forest; and to whom
the merit is due of having first applied this method systematically, and shown
the superiority of the Scotch pine, as a nurse plant for the oak, to all other
trees. The poplar is universally rejected as a nurse for the oak, on account
of the rapidity of its growth, and the very short period that elapses before it
fills both soil and subsoil with its roots ; and either covers the surface with its
branches, or, if these are pruned off, raises its head to such a great height, that
no plant of slower growth than itself can thrive near it. The elm, from the
rapidity of its growth, is almost as objectionable as the poplar ; and the same
may be said of the willow. The pine and fir tribe supplies by far the best nurses
for the oak, and, indeed, for all other hard-wooded timber trees ; not only
producing the most effective shelter, but the most profit when cut down. The
Scotch pine and the spruce fir are preferable to any other pines or firs, and
to the larch, because they are hardier, and grow more erect ; whereas the
pinaster and the maritime pine, though they will both stand the sea breeze,
and the larch, though it grows with great rapidity even on barren soils and
on mountains, almost always lean over to one side.
Speechly, in the extensive oak plantations made for the Duke of Portland
in Nottinghamshire, on the exposed hills of what was formerly Sherwood
Forest, found the birch the most suitable tree for shelter ; chiefly, we believe,
because it springs up every where naturally in that part of the country, and
seems to thrive in the light sandy surface soil there better than any other tree.
Mr. Speechly also found that sowing the poorer parts of the hills with furze was
CHAP. CV. CORYLANCEJE. QUE'RCUS. 1801
a very effective mode of sheltering the oak ; for though, he says, " it seems to
choke and overgrow the oaks for some time, yet after a few years we com-
monly find the best oak plants in the strongest beds of furze." {Hunt. Evcl.,
p. 93., note.) Marshall prefers broom to the furze, as, being less disagreeable to
work among. In the Welbeck plantations, the Scotch pine, and several sorts
of fir trees, were tried, as well as the birch and the furze ; but in that soil and
situation they did not grow so fast as the birch ; and, being evergreen, the
young oaks did not thrive under them so well as they did under the deciduous
trees. Mr. Speechly observes that he found that the seedling oaks were not
injured, but rather improved, by tall grass and large weeds growing among
them ; which seems contrary to the nature of plants, and is certainly a practice
that ought not to be generally followed, since these tall weeds and grass must
prevent the sun and air from producing their full influence on the leaves of
the seedling oaks. In this, as in similar cases, it may be laid down as a prin-
ciple, that, in all cultivation, every step in the process ought to be regulated
according to art and design, and nothing whatever, or, at least, as little as
possible, left to unassisted nature.
Pontey advises planting only 300 oaks on every statute acre, by which the
plants would stand at 12ft. apart every way. He plants in rows, somewhat
irregular, at 4 ft. apart ; every third plant, in each row, being an oak, and the
others being larches, spruces, and Scotch pines ; giving the preference to the
larch.
Sang first plants the ground all over with larches, at 3 ft. or 3ft. 6 in. apart.
After these have grown 2, 3, 4, or even 5 years, pits are formed from 4 ft. to
7 ft. apart, in which acorns are inserted. (Plant. Kal.y p. 195.) In this case,
the object is to produce an oak copse ; which, however, if thought desirable,
may at any future period be so thinned out as to produce an oak wood,
i :•-. Billington and Cruickshank proceed on the same principles as these planters ;
that is, they provide the shelter ' previously to planting the trees. All these
writers agree in thinning out the sheltering trees gradually, and in regulating
the number of oaks which are to stand on the acre by the fitness of the soil
to produce oaks, and by the relative value of oak copse and the wood of
larches and firs in a young state. Billington defers the thinning out of his
nurses as long as possible ; preventing them from whipping or shading the
young oaks, by shortening the side branches of the nurse trees which protrude
towards them.
Crukkshank's " new method of rearing the oak'* differs in nothing of im-
portance from that recommended by Mr. Sang ; as, indeed, the author ac-
knowledges (p. 209., note). He directs the ground to be first " well filled with
Scotch pines or larches ; " and, after these have risen to the height of about 4 ft.
from the ground, which, in Aberdeenshire, he says, will require from 4 to 7
years, he digs patches on which to sow acorns, at the rate of 400 patches to
a statute acre ; the object being, of course, an oak copse, similar to that of
Mr. Sang, at least in the first instance. The patches are prepared by digging
and manuring with lime ; and each is planted with 5 acorns, one in the centre,
and four around it. After 2 years' growth, all the plants are removed but one,
by cutting through their roots, 2 in. or 3 in. below the ground, with a sharp
chisel-like instrument with a long handle, made on purpose ; the plants re-
moved not being intended to be replanted. As soon as the nurses over-
shadow the oaks, the plants that do so, or their branches, are to be removed ;
but " all the Scotch pines and larches that will require to be taken out before
they are 16 years old," this writer says, " will not render the plantation
thinner than a thriving one of the same kind of trees would, for its own sake,
need to be at 20 years after planting*" (p. 234.) When the oaks are 5
years old, they are to be pruned for the first time, by cutting off the lower tier
of branches close to the stem ; and this operation is to be repeated every 2
years, till the oaks are between 30 and 40 years old. Two thousand of the
Scotch pines and larches," Cruickshank adds, " may be allowed to remain, not
only without injury, but with advantage, to the oaks, till they are 16 years
1802 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
old." Half of them may then be cut down, one half of the remaining 1000 at
25 years old, and the remaining 500 at from 30 to 35 years old. " To plant
nurses, therefore, is attended with very great pecuniary advantage. It will
not only return the whole expense laid out in making the plantation, but pro-
duce a very high rent for the land during the first 30 or 35 years ; whereas,
if oaks alone were planted, nothing could be gained during this period, ex-
cept by cutting them down when between 20 and 25 years old, for the sake
of their bark." (Pract. Plant., p. 225.) The most valuable part of this writer's
observations is what relates to the nature of the benefit to be derived from
the nurses in such a climate as that of Aberdeenshire; which is, by preventing
the first rays of the sun from suddenly thawing the frosts which have fallen
perpendicularly on the young oaks. " The deleterious effects of spring and
autumnal frosts arise chiefly from the leaves being subjected to a sudden
change of temperature, from the chills of the night to the strong rays of the
morning sun. When the thaw takes place gradually, the injury done is com-
paratively insignificant." (p. 222.) " If we wish, then, to preserve oaks from
frost, we can do nothing better than to shade them from the morning sun.
This we cannot do more effectually than by planting them, as above directed,
among trees that have already made some progress. By such management
the rays of the sun will not touch them till it has risen to a considerable
height above the horizon ; and thus time will be allowed for the frost to dis-
sipate, and the night dews to evaporate, by a slow and gradual process ; so
that the pernicious consequences arising to the young oaks from a sudden
change of temperature will be entirely prevented. It is not too much to say
that a plantation of young oaks, thus sheltered from the outset, will make
more progress in 5, than an unsheltered one will do in 10, years." These
observations may be considered as principally applicable to cold districts,
whether from elevation or latitude ; but they are also judicious even with
reference to plantations in the comparatively warm climate of the south of
England, as is evident by the practice of sheltering with Scotch pines in the
plantations made in the New Forest, where the oak is indigenous, and where
the soil is particularly well adapted to it.
Cobbett would plant oaks in rows 25 ft. apart, and 25 ft. apart in the row ;
placing the plants of one row opposite the middle of the intervals between the
plants in the next row. Then, he says, " I would have four rows of hazel at
5 ft. apart, and at 5 ft. apart in the row, between every two rows of oaks ; and
four hazel plants between every two oaks in the row itself. The hazel would
rather, perhaps, outgrow the oaks ; but it would shelter them at the same time ;
and where the hazel interfered too much with the oaks, it might be cut away
with the hook. By the time that the hazel coppices were fit to cut for the first
time, the oaks would have attained a considerable height ; perhaps 8ft. or 10ft.
This would give them the mastership of the hazel ; and, after the second cut-
ting of the hazel, there would begin to be an oak wood, with a hazel coppice
beneath ; and in the meanwhile the coppice would have produced very nearly
as much as it would have produced if there had been no oaks growing among
it. By the time that four cuttings of the hazel would have taken place, the
coppice would be completely subdued by the oaks. It would produce no
more hoops or hurdles ; but then the oaks would be ready to afford a profit."
( Woodlands, p. 434.)
Mr. Yates, a planter who received a premium from the Society of Arts,
having fixed on a proper soil and situation for a plantation of oaks, trenches
strips of 3 ft. in width, and 30 ft. apart centre from centre, from 3 ft. to 6 ft. in
depth ; it being his opinion that the oak derives its chief nutriment and strength
from the taproot. The intermediate space between the trenches may either be
employed for the growth of sheltering trees, pines or firs, or for hazel, or other
underwood, or kept in grass. A row of acorns, 2 in. apart, is dibbled in along
the centre of each trench ; the plants produced by which are thinned out in the
autumn of the year in which they come up, and every year afterwards, till they
stand at 30 ft. apart. Pruning goes on every year, by removing, " close to the
CHAP. CV. CORYLAVCE^E. QUE'RCUS. 1803
main stem, one year's growth of side branches, till the plants are arrived at a
stein of 40 ft., 50 ft., or 60 ft. ; and they may then be permitted to run to head
without further pruning." The thinnings, till the plants attain the height of
5 ft. or 6 ft., may be used for transplanting j after that they may be sold for
walkingsticks, hoops, or crate-ware ; at the next thinning, they may be cut
down in spring, and barked, and sold as poles and for fence-wood ; and, lastly,
they may be cut down in spring, and barked, and sold as small timber for making
posts and rails, for gates, and for various country purposes.
An the Ultimatum on the Subject of planting and sheltering Oaks, we give the
following abstract of the practice adopted by the government officers in the
national forests, and more especially in the New Forest, where, as we have
already observed, it was introduced by Mr. Turner. This abstract was pre-
pared by Alexander Milne, Esq., in answer to a question by Lord Hatherton,
who intended to plant oaks extensively, as to the best mode of proceeding ;
and a copy of it was kindly presented to us by Mr. Milne : — " When the new
plantations in the royal forests (now exceeding 40,000 acres) were first under-
taken, the opinions of the most extensive owners and growers of oak timber,
and of the most experienced nurserymen in various parts of the kingdom, were
resorted to, as to the most advisable methods of planting, and especially as to
the expediency of mixing Scotch pines in plantations the ultimate object of
which was oak ; and it is rather extraordinary, that the majority of the opinions
received were against such mixture. Accordingly, in the most favourable
soils and situations, oaks only were planted at first: but in spots where it was
thought doubtful if oaks would grow, Scotch pines were planted with a small
proportion of oaks intermixed ; and it was soon'found that in many of those
spots, even under the- disadvantages of inferior soil and greater exposure, such
was the benefit derived from the warmth and shelter of the pines, that the
oaks far outgrew their neighbours planted in more favourable soils, but
without the same protection. After this, the use of Scotch pines became
more general : strong belts were planted on the most exposed outsides of the
plantations, and also across, at intervals, in lines, towards the most prevailing
winds, and from these great benefit was found ; but in all cases where oaks
were planted actually amongst the pines, and surrounded by them, the oaks
were found to be much the best. The plan next pursued was to plant an
equal quantity of oaks and pines, planting both at the same time : the con-
sequence of which was, that the pines got on immediately, but the oaks
remained stationary for a few years, until the pines got sufficiently advanced
to afford them shelter ; and, in the intermediate time, a portion of the oaks
died, and some were choked by the high grass, briars, &c., with which they
might 'happen to be surrounded. For several years past, the plan pursued
has been, to plant the enclosures with Scotch pines only, as soon as they are
fen,ced in and drained (if draining is required) ; and when the pines have got
to the height of 5 ft. or 6 ft., which they will do in as many years, then to put
in good strong oak plants of about 4 or 5 years' growth, among the pines, not
cutting away any pines at first, unless they happen to be so strong and thick
as to overshadow the oaks. In about 2 years it becomes necessary to shred
the branches of the pines, to give light and air to the oaks; and, in about 2 or
3 more years to begin gradually to remove the pines altogether, taking out a
certain number each year, so that, at the end of 20 or 25 years, not a single
Scotch pine shall be left ; although, for the first 10 or 12 years, the plantation
may have appeared to contain nothing else but pines. The advantage of this
mode of planting has been found to be, that the pines dry and ameliorate the
soil, destroying the coarse grass and brambles which frequently choke and
injure oaks ; and that no mending over is necessary, as scarcely an oak so
planted is found to fail. It is not an expensive method of planting, especially
if the plants are raised on the spot. The pines are planted by raising the turf
with a Scotch planting spade. [See Part IV.] A man and boy may plant 500
in a day. For the oaks, good-sized holes must be made, and the making of
these will cost from 1*. to Is. 6rf. a hundred, according to the soil. — Office of
1804 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 111.
Woods, $c., Dec. 1836." (See also the Bath Society's Papers, vol. xv. p. 41— 67. ;
and an article entitled " Minutes on the Method adopted by Mr. Robert Turner
of raising Oaks, 8?c.f by T. Davis of Warminster, and G. Sturge of Bristol, in
the 13th volume of the Gardener's Magazine.)
Whether Oak Plants or Acorns ought to be used informing Oak Plantations is a
question, respecting the answer to which planters are not fully agreed ; though,
upon the whole, we believe, plants are preferred. A doubt, it is probable, would
never have been raised on the subject, had it not been found that, under ordinary
circumstances, the oak suffers more by transplanting than the elm, the ash, the
beech, and other similar trees ; which is partly owing to its natural delicacy, and
partly to its depending, when young, chiefly on its taproot, and from its not
producing, for some years, many lateral roots, unless forced to do so by art.
When, however, the oak has been two or three times transplanted in the nur-
sery before its final removal, it will produce a sufficient number of lateral roots
to insure its growth, if carefully removed; and, for this reason, we should, in
almost every case, prefer using strong transplanted plants to acorns. We
have already remarked that oaks, after they have attained a certain size, are
more successfully transplanted than seedlings of one or two years ; a fact
which will be found to hold good with all trees whatever which have taproots
of extraordinary dimensions when young. One reason which some give for
preferring acorns is, the alleged injury which oak plants sustain by the loss
of the taproot, which, it is said, they never regain. This opinion, however, is
well known to be erroneous ; it being as natural, in the case of seedling
oaks, for that part of the plant which is under ground to reproduce a leading
or tap root when that has been cut off, as it is for the part above ground to
reproduce a leading shoot after that has been removed. It is also equally well
known, that the taproot is only found, in oak and other trees, when in a young
state ; and that no oak or other tree, when cut down, was ever found to have
anything like a perpendicularly descending main root in any way comparable
to the perpendicularly ascending trunk of the tree above ground. The con-
sequence of sowing an acorn where it is to remain, and not cutting through
the taproot, is, that it remains a longer period before putting out any lateral
roots ; but whether these lateral roots are put out sooner or later, can have
very little influence on the growth of the tree under ordinary circumstances,
and certainly none on the value of the timber which it produces. It is easy to
conceive that, if the surface soil on which an acorn is planted is much richer
than the subsoil, something in rapidity of growth will be gained by cutting off
the taproot, so as to force the plant to send out lateral roots sooner than it
otherwise would do ; but, though something is gained by this, something, also,
will be lost ; because the supply of water, so essential to all plants which
have naturally taproots, in a very young state, will be considerably diminished.
In warm climates, therefore, and in all cases where a saving of first cost is an
object, we should prefer acorns to plants ; but in tolerably moist climates, and
in deep alluvial or marly soils, or where the surface soil is rich, and where the
object is to produce oak trees as soon as possible, we should recommend strong
plants.
The following judicious observations on the subject of the taproot were
communicated to the Bath and West of England Society by a planter and
manager of timber of very great experience, Thomas Davis, Esq., of Portway,
near Warminster. The taproots of young oak trees, Mr. Davis says, support
the trees during a given period, which may vary in the number of years from
various circumstances, soil, situation, &c., but is limited in effect by the ne-
cessities of the plant ; and so soon as as the lateral roots take firm hold of
the land, and are enabled to undertake the duty of support, from that time the
taproot ceases to be useful, and at no distant subsequent period ceases to in-
crease, and is very soon not distinguishable from the other roots. Mr. Davis
therefore concludes, — " 1st, That an oak seedling, or sapling, from 3 to 5
years old, planted out with the taproot cut off, will again root downwards ;
sometimes singly, sometimes forked. 2dly, That the practice of cutting off the
CHAP. cv. CORYLAVCE;E. QUE'RCUS. 1805
taproot gives the plant new vigour, and enables it, after a few years, to exceed
in growth the native tree. And, 3dly, That large oak trees, whether native
or transplanted, do, long before they become fit for naval purposes (I may
say before they are proper for carpenter's uses), lose their taproots altogether.
In .short, I would contend that all small oak trees have taproots, and all large
oaks have no taproots. I must, of course, be understood to speak in general
terms." (Bath Soc. Papers, vol. xv. p. 51.)
Sowing the Acorns where the Plants are finally to remain. Several writers
recommend sowing acorns broadcast, and along with them hazel nuts, haws,
&c., and allowing the whole to grow up together. The undergrowths, in
this case, shelter the young oaks during the requisite period ; after which they
cease to increase in height, and are by degrees gradually choked and destroyed
by the shade of the oaks. This, however, is merely growing oaks among
weeds of a larger and more permanent kind, and cannot be recommended as a
scientific mode of raising oak woods, or woods of any other kind ; though it
may be advisable to resort to it under circumstances where plantations of any
kind are better than none, and where there may be capital enough for pro-
curing the seeds, and committing them to the soil, though not enough for doing
so in a proper manner. This mode was also recommended by Sir Uvedale
Price, because, if no more oaks were sown than can stand on the ground as
full-grown trees, no thinning or future care of the plantation will ever be re-
quired by the planter. With a view to picturesque effect, such a mode is
judicious; but it is not so when either rapid growth or profit is the main
object.
X/chols, writing in 1793, says he finds by experience that bushes of white
and black thorns, holly, and brambles, are the best nurses and protectors of
young timber trees, especially oaks. He, therefore, invented a dibble, which
will be found described in the Encyclopaedia, of Arboriculture, in the chapter
on implements for dibbling acorns and other seeds into the heart of bushes,
and among underwood. He planted many acorns with this instrument, he
says, with the greatest success ; and he strongly recommends this mode as
bettor than any other for raising oak woods in the New Forest. (Methods, &c.,
,). 64.)
Marshall gives directions for raising oak woods; " oak," as he justly observes,
" being the only tree admissible in a wood, because no other tree will allow
copse to grow under it on land sufficiently sound and sufficiently level to
be cultivated conveniently with the common plough." (Planting and Rur.
Or., 2d eel., p. 128.) He prepares the ground by a naked or a turnip fallow,
as for wheat. At the proper season, he sows over the whole surface of the
future wood with corn or pulse broadcast, but rather thinner than usual. The
acorns he sows in drills across the lands, with intervening drills of temporary
trees and shrubs, to be removed as they advance in size, so as ultimately to
leave the oak trees 33 ft. apart every way. The details of this mode, being
applicable to the chestnut and other trees, as well as the oak, will be given in
the Encyclopaedia of Arboriculture.
To raise a grove of oaks, Marshall proposes to sow drills of acorns alter-
nately with ash keys, treating the plants produced by the latter as under-
growths, till the oaks have attained a sufficient size, when the ash trees are to
be grubbed up.
BUKngton'* opinion on this subject is decidedly in favour of using plants
rather than acorns. He says, the raising of oak woods from sowing the
acorn in the place it is to remain till the tree comes to matuiity has been
a favourite theory with speculative men for ages. The plan has been tried
upon an extensive scale in the Forest of Dean, and in the New Forest in Hamp-
shire, and in some other smaller forests belonging to government in different
parts of the kingdom. As the experiment was made upon an extensive scale
in these two principal forests, and was found impracticable, it may be useful to
those persons who still think that the oak will make a tree sooner or better from
the acorn than from a transplanted plant, to point out the reasons of the failure
1806 ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART III.
of that method; and the probability, or rather certainty, of a transplanted oak
making a tree as large or larger, and in less time, than a tree from the acorn
sown or planted in the place where it is intended finally to remain. In the
forests mentioned, the short-tailed, or field, mouse, the rooks, and various
vermin, took the acorns out of the holes, and caused a great deficiency in the
plants at first coming up ; but the destructive ravages of that little animal the
field mouse were not fully known till the third year from the commencement
of planting the acorns. Great quantities of the small oak plants from the
acorn were then found barked and bitten off, particularly where the grass was
thick; and nearly all the ash that had been planted in the wet and moist grounds
were barked all round the stem in the same manner as the oaks; only more
so, as the mice seemed to be fonder of the ash than of the oak bark. The hares
were first supposed to have done the mischief; but, on examining the plants
more minutely, quantities of the excrement of the field mouse were found near
every plant that had been barked or nibbled, except in the case of those
plants which were not surrounded by grass or herbage of any kind. All such
plants remained untouched by the mice; and the reason is, that, where the mice
had not the shelter of grass and herbage, they were exposed to their natural
enemies, the hawk, the owl, &c. Attempts were made to catch the mice by
" cats, dogs, owls, poison, traps, baits," &c., but with very little success ; till
at length it was discovered by accident that, when a mouse had got into a hole
in the ground with perpendicular sides, it could not get out again. In con-
quence of this discovery, holes about 18 in. deep, and somewhat wider at bot-
tom than at top, were dug, at 20 yards apart each \va.y, over a surface of about
3200 acres. " The holes were made from 18 in. to 2ft. long, 16in. or 18 in. deep,
about 10 in., or the breadth of a spade, wide at the top, 14 in. or 15 in. wide at
the bottom, and 3 in. or 4 in. longer at the bottom than the top : if the ground
was firm, so much the better. Some holes were made in a circular form ; but
this was only a work of fancy, which cost more trouble than the oblong holes,
as either sort answered, provided they were well made, the sides firm and even,
and that they were 3 in. or 4 in. wider every way at the bottom than at the top;
otherwise the mice would run up the sides, and get out again, if they could find
any footing. But, if the holes were well made, when the mice were once in,
they could not get out again ; and, what is very extraordinary, they would
really eat each other when left long in the holes." (Facts, &c., p. 42.) In wet
or stormy nights, the mice got into the holes in the greatest numbers; but in
calm, dry, or frosty nights, very few entered them. New holes were more
attractive to the vermin than old ones. Baits of various kinds were put into
them ; but the baited holes were never found to contain more mice than the
unbaited ones. Fifteen mice have been taken in a hole in one night. " Some-
times the holes were made in the bottoms of the drains, where there was not
a constant run of water, as the mice appeared to run along the drains; and a
great many were caught in these holes. The people who made the holes, of
course, looked after the mice, and were paid for them by the dozen. They
were obliged to attend to the holes to take the mice out very early in the
mornings, otherwise the crows, magpies, hawks, owls, weasels, and other ver-
min, attended very regularly, and made the first seizure. Several of these
depredators were caught in the fact, by the men dropping on them suddenly.
We soon caught upwards of 30,000, that were paid for by number, as two per-
sons were appointed to take an account of them, and see them buried or made
away with, to prevent imposition." (p. 43.) Mr. Billington found oak trees
cut down by the mice of 7 ft. and 8 ft. high, and 1£ in. in diameter at the place
bitten off, which was just at the root, within the ground, and, as it were, between
the root and the stem : in short, at what botanists call the collar. " When
examining for the thick part of the root, below where it was bitten off," he
says, " I never could find any part of it left ; so that it is very probable it must
have been eaten by them." (p. 45.) Mr. Billington also found the mice
pretty numerous, and very troublesome, in the royal forest at Chopwell; more
especially before the great snow in 1823, which destroyed many of them, and
CHAP. cv. CORYLA'CE^E. QUE'RCUS. 1807
no large oaks were bitten off for two years afterwards. From this relation of
what occurred in a place where mice were so abundant, it does not appear to
us that any general conclusion can be drawn against the use of acorns instead
of plants ; because, according to the same writer, the mice were equally effec-
tive in gnawing through trees 6 ft. or 8 ft. high, which, by a parity of reasoning,
would afford an argument against the use of oak plants. The relation, however,
is of great importance, as showing the numerous natural enemies of the seeds of
trees, and also of young trees, which the cultivator requires to guard against.
As neither the mice nor the other vermin mentioned are peculiar to the oak
tree, we shall not here enter on the different modes of deterring vermin from
injuring trees, or of destroying them, but refer our readers to this subject in
the Encyclopedia of Arboriculture.
Pruning and Training. The common oak, in the nursery, will not bear severe
pruning ; nor is this of much use with a view to training the plant to a single
stem, because, in almost every case of transplanting the oak to where it is finally
to remain, it is found to make the clearest stem, and the most rapid progress,
by cutting it down to the ground after it has been some years established. In
plantations, or in single rows, the oak, even when a considerable tree, does
not bear pruning and lopping so readily as the elm ; but still it may be trained
to a single stem, which should be of considerable height when the object is to
produce plank timber ; but short, when the object is to throw strength into
the head, in order to produce crooked pieces for ship-building. These crooked
pieces for ship timber are generally the result of accident ; but there seems
to be no reason why trees should not be trained by art to produce crooked
stems, as well as straight ones. We are informed that, in the government
plantations, in the Forest of Dean, there are some hundreds of acres of planted
oaks, which have never been pruned in the slightest degree, that have per-
fectly clear trunks from 50 ft. to 60 ft. in height. These trees were planted
thick, towards the end of the last century, and were gradually thinned out,
as they advanced in size ; and their side branches have died off, being
suffocated by the surrounding trees. We shall notice here the modes which
have been adopted or recommended for producing crooked, or what is called
knee, timber, in the case of the oak; and, in our chapter on training trees ge-
nerally, in our Encyclopaedia of Arboriculture^ we shall go into details.
Training the Oak for crooked, or Knee y Timber. Various schemes 'of training
and pruning the oak, so as to produce crooked limbs of large dimensions, have
been proposed by Marshall, Pontey, Billington, Matthew, and other writers.
South, in the Bath Society's Papers, thus accounts for the production of
crooked timber by natural means : — " Trees," he says, " dispersed over open
commons and extensive wastes, have hitherto produced the choicest timber."
Whoever traverses a woody waste, " with the eye of curiosity awake, must
remark that almost every thorn becomes a nurse for a timber tree. Acorns,
or beech mast, or sometimes both, dropped by birds or squirrels, vegetate
freely under the shade and protection of the bushes, till they rise above the
bite of cattle. Small groups and single trees are thus produced; their guar-
dian thorns, when overpowered, perishing. Then the timber trees having
open space for their roots to range in, their growth becomes rapid, their bodies
bulky, their limbs large and extensive ; cattle resort to them for shelter, enrich
the ground with their droppings ; and the timber, deriving advantage from the
manure, becomes productive of knees, crooks, and compass pieces, the chief
requisites in naval architecture." The French, this writer observes, have
endeavoured to form kneed timber artificially, " by suspending weights to the
heads of tender saplings, bowing them hastily to the ground ; which is not only
an expensive, but an inefficacious method ; for it injures the plant, by straining
the bark and rupturing the sap-vessels." (Bath Soc. Papers, vol. vi. p. 54.)
Preferring the natural method of producing crooked timber, Mr. South con-
tinues,— " Parks and pleasure-grounds might be rendered enchantingly beautiful
by being planted with clumps of quicksets, black thorns, hollies, &c., inter-
spersed here and there, for the protection of acorns purposed to be sown
1808 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 111.
among them. Under their protection, oak saplings, which delight in sheltered
places, would thrive exceedingly ; be safe from the browzing of cattle, without
the expense of fencing; and the lawns would become wooded with stately
timber. When oaks are planted in groups, one or other often gains the mas-
tery, or forces the rest to bend forward till they have room for ascent. Trees
in groups, when few in number, enjoy a liberty nearly equal to single ones :
each tree has a space where its roots may draw nutrition ; and, as these and
the branches usually follow the same direction, the leading roots of the exte-
rior trees will tend outwards ; and, finding nothing to obstruct their passage,
will furnish supply sufficient to'keep their trunks thriving, notwithstanding
superiority of their antagonists. Hence it is manifest, that any quick-growing
trees of small value may be used as instruments for forcing seedling oaks out
of their upright line. Cuttings of coppice withy (<Salix caprea) will, by the
freedom of their growth, overpower the saplings, bearing them down almost
to the ground for a time ; and, the purpose being effected, may, for relief of the
oaks, be cut down as often as requisite; till, as the oaks gain power, the withies,
in their turn, give way. Plants like these, which extract nutrition of a dif-
ferent nature, though they promote a crook, will not starve or check the oaks
beneath them. Trees growing out of a bank frequently take a favourable
turn : such are accepted by the king's purveyors as compass pieces, which
gain admission into the dockyards, though of less dimensions, and at a higher
.price than straighter timber. It may be proper, therefore, in new enclosures,
to throw up the banks high and broad ; to plant quicksets on the outer slopes,
and on the tops withies ; and, at due distances near the base of the inner
slopes, to dib in acorns, which in their future growth must incline forwards,
to avoid the projecting withies, and be some years before they can attempt a
perpendicular growth. In such cases the crook will be near the but end, in
the stoutest part of the timber, and the curve, thus formed in infancy, will
retain its shape as long as the tree endures." (Ibid., p. 59.)
Marshall has the following judicious observations on this subject : — "In
forests and other wastes, whether public or appropriated, especially where the
soil is of a deep clayey nature, oaks will rise spontaneously from seeds that
happen to be dropped, if the seedling plants should be in situations where they
are defended by underwood or rough bushes from the bite of pasturing ani-
mals ; and some few of the plants thus fortuitously raised may chance to take
the form desired by the ship carpenter; but this is all mere matter of accident.
By freeing the stems of young trees from side shoots, and by keeping their
leaders single, a length of stem is with certainty obtained ; and, by afterwards
checking their right growth, and throwing the main strength of the head into
one principal bough (by checking, not removing, the rest), a crookedness of
timber is with the same certainty produced ; and, what is equally necessary in
ship timber, a cleanness and evenness of contexture results at the same time.
The dangerous, and too often, we fear, fatal, defect caused by the decayed
trunks of dead stem boughs being overgrown and hidden under a shell of sound
timber (a defect which every fortuitous tree is liable to) is, by this provident
treatment, avoided : the timber, from the pith to the sap, becoming uniformly
sound, and of equal strength and durability." (Pl.andRur. Or., vol. i. p. 141.)
Billington produced crooked timber, in His Majesty's wood at Chopwell, in
Durham, by fastening oak trees, that were not too strong to be hurt in bending,
to larch trees, and keeping them " in a bent position for about two years.'*
He tied the oaks to the larches with twisted withs, tarred twine, or matting ;
but, as he does not inform us in what state the trees were eight or ten years
after having been subjected to this operation, his experiment may be considered
as having been only commenced. He gives directions, illustrated by wood-
cuts, for pruning off the smaller branches from the larger ones, so as to leave
the head of the tree with only three or four large arms, instead of a multitude
of branches ; and this operation, if commenced in time, and the side branches
cut off when not above 1 in. in diameter, promises to be of use. We have
heard nothing of these trees since, finding, on enquiry at the Office of Woods
CHAP. cv. CORYLAXCE;E. QUE'RCUS. 1809
and Forests, that the plan was merely a scheme of Mr. Billington's, carried
into execution on a limited scale, in the way of experiment.
Matthew says, " The easiest way to procure good oak knees is to look out
in hedgerow and open forest for plants which divide into two or four leaders,
from 5ft. to 10ft. ahove ground; and, should the leaders not diverge suf-
ficiently, to train them as horizontally as possible for several feet, by rods
stretching across the top, or by fixing them down by stakes." (On Naval
Timber, &c., p. 26.)
That timber trees should be trained according to the kind of timber which
it is desirable that they ought to produce, is as correct, as a general principle,
as that the different kinds of fruit trees ought to be trained in a manner the
most suitable for producing their respective kinds of fruit ; but the subject of
training forest trees is as yet in its infancy, and the circumstance that iron and
other metals can be substituted for crooked pieces, as Mr. Snodgrass, Sir
Robert Seppings, and others have shown, is at present rather against the pro-
gress of this department of the forester's art.
The Age at which Oak Timber ought to be felled, with a View to Profit,
must depend on the soil and climate in which the tree is grown, as well as on
other circumstances. Whenever the tree has arrived at that period of its
growth, that the annual increase does not amount in value to the marketable
interest of the money which, at the time, the tree would produce if cut
down, then it would appear more profitable to cut it down than to let it stand.
Perhaps it would not be difficult to construct a table, to show the proportion
between the annual increase of the trunk at a certain distance from the ground,
and the annual amount of timber added to the tree ; and, the price of timber
and bark being known, a calculation might thus readily be made of the total
value of the tree, and the total value of the annual increase. We are not
aware, however, that any such table has been calculated ; but the idea of it
may be useful to proprietors of trees, with a view to felling them. A writer in
the Gardener's Magazine states that Mr. Larkin, an eminent purveyor of
timber for ship-building, stated, when examined before the East India Shipping
Committee, that, in situations the most favourable for ship timber (the Weald
of Kent, for example), the most profitable time to cut oak was at 90 years
old; as, though the largest scantlings were produced at 130 years' growth, the
increase in the 40 additional years did not pay 2 per cent. (Gard. Mag.,
vol. xi. p. 690.) In Lord Melville's Letter to Spencer Perceval, Esq., when the
latter was prime minister, he says that, " for naval purposes, oak trees require
to be from 80 to 150 years of age, according to the quality of the soil in which
they are grown." (Letter, Sic., p. 3.) The Rev.W.T. Bree observes that, as the
oak, like all other trees, varies exceedingly in its growth, according to soil and
situation, &c., no one fixed period can be given for cutting it down, applicable
to all, or even to the generality of cases. A practised eye, he says, will be able
readily to decide when a tree is ripe for the axe. " There will no longer be any
vigorous shoots in the extremities of the branches; but, instead of this, a curling
or crinkling of the spray, with scarcely any perceptible growth : dead branches
or small ones will occasionally be seen towards the top ; and, above all, the
bark will cease to expand, and, of course, will no longer exhibit those light
red or yellow perpendicular streaks in its crevices, which are a certain
proof of its expansion, and of the consequent growth of the wood beneath."
As to the question at what age oaks should be cut down, so as to make the
best return in point of profit, this will depend mainly on the demand for oak
timber of this or that particular size and quality in 'each neighbourhood.
(Gard. Mag., vol. xi. p. 550.)
Felling the Oak for Timber. On account of the great value of oak bark, the
operation of felling is generally performed in spring, when the sap is up, in
order to admit of the bark being readily separated from the wood. It is
commonly alleged, that felling, at this season, must be highly injurious to the
timber ; but, when it is considered that the sap ascends only in the soft, or out-
side, wood, and that it may be evaporated from it by sufficient exposure to the
6 B 2
1810 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
atmosphere after the bark is removed, the iniury to even the sap wood must
be trifling if this evaporation is allowed to take place, and the hard wood can
sustain no injury at all. It has also been recommended to bark oak trees
before cutting them down, and to leave them standing for a year afterwards;
but this can be attended with no other advantage than that of evaporating the
sap from the outside wood more rapidly than would otherwise be the case ;
and this rapid evaporation is, in some seasons and situations, and especially in
warm climates, apt to produce rents and clefts in the trunk and boughs of the
trees. Nichols, who had great experience as a purveyor of oak timber for
the navy, found that, by divesting trees, before they are fully seasoned, of
their sappy coats, the exterior parts of the wood, or heart, by exposure to
the air, suddenly contract, and shut up their pores, so as to prevent the escape
of the internal juices : hence a fermentation soon begins, and rottenness is
the certain consequence. This does not happen when timber is seasoned
with its sap on ; the outward parts of the wood not being then suddenly con-
tracted, on accounted of being sheltered from the sun and wind by the coats
of sap which surround it, and the juices freely evaporating through the spongy
substance of the sap. (Meth.t &c., p. 45.) " Oak timber, cut into lengths, and
sided (squared on the sides), soon after it is felted," he says, " and laid
up in piles till wanted for use, is often found, in the dock-yards, very defec-
tive and rotten, particularly at the heart. The annual coats of wood of
which trees are composed, and which encompass them like hoops, and hold
them together, are in part cut off; and the juices flying off very quick, fre-
quently cause them to split or crack, and the cracks or fissures receive the
wet, which soon bring on rottenness." (Ibid.) " By long experience," he
continues, " it is unequivocally proved, that the best way hitherto known of
keeping or seasoning oak timber, previously to its being used in ship-building,
is in a rough hewed state, with its sap on ; not only on account of applying
it, when wanted, to the most profitable uses, but by lying in the sap for two,
three, or more years* it seasons gradually, and never splits or opens, as it
frequently does when the sap is taken off, by siding or cornering it when green,
and laying it in piles, and whereby it receives very considerable damage, and
very often is entirely spoiled. This is never the case if it be suffered to
season in the sap : for, though the sap is certain to perish and moulder away
in a few years, let it be treated in whatever manner it may with a view to
prevent its perishing, still the heart will be greatly improved by this mode of
treatment, and, I believe, will endure many years longer for it ; and certainly,
when it is connected, it will have the great advantage of not twisting and flying
about, as when worked green." (Ibid., p. 43.) With respect to the practice
of stripping oak trees standing, Mr. Nichols is clearly of opinion that it is of
little or no use in rendering the sap wood as good as heart wood. He relates
an instance of an oak which was stripped of its bark in the spring of 1784, and
felled in the spring of 1788. "The tree," he says, "appeared, by the num-
ber of its annual coats, to have been 110 years old at the time of its being
stripped; it contained 21 coats of sap, which were in a perishing state; so
that the notion which some have entertained, that the sappy parts of oak trees
become as hard or equal to the heart for strength and durability, by the ope-
ration of stripping them standing of their bark, and letting them remain till
they die before they are felled, is chimerical." (p. 73.) " The Count de
Buffon has incontestably proved, by his experiments, that, by stripping oak
trees of their bark standing, and letting them remain till they die, before they
are felled, the heart, or perfect wood, thereof will be considerably increased
in strength and density ; and it is also proved by experience, that the sappy
part, or imperfect wood, will not be much altered thereby ; at first, and while
it is green, it will be found harder and stronger than the sap of trees felled in
the usual way ; but after a little time, and as the juices evaporate and fly off,
it will perish and moulder away, as the sap of oak trees always will do, let
them be treated in whatever manner they may with a view to prevent it.
Every experienced ship-builder or carpenter well knows that wherever any
CHAP. CV. CORYLAVCE£J. QUE'RCUS. 1811
sap is worked with the heart of oak (as it sometimes is), it will ultimately
tend to weaken and injure the building wherein it is used ; for, however fair
and well it may appear at first, it will most assuredly decay in a short time."
(p. 75.) " For want of examining the original thickness of the sap [wood] of
oak trees, and the progress of its decay, and from finding so much of young trees
wasted by the decaying of their sappy coats (which generally occupy a consi-
derable space, particularly if the trees were very vigorous at the time of their
being felled), some have been led to imagine that, by trees lying for any
length of time, the sap [wood] increases in its thickness, or that part of the
heart is transformed into sap again, which is by no means the fact ; and, if any
part of the heart were subject to such change by so lying, there can be no
reason assigned why, in the process of time, the whole should not undergo
the like change : but this is absurd, and contradicted by experience; for, after
the sappy parts are once formed into perfect wood, it ever remains in that
state until it naturally decays." (p. 76.)
In felling oak trees the heads of which contain crooked pieces fit for par-
ticular purposes in ship-building, care should be taken either to cause the tree
to fall on a side that will not injure the crooks, or to separate the branches
containing these before cutting down the trunk. South mentions the Langley
Oak, which was felled in 1758, in the New Forest, and which had a large head,
full of knees and crooks. He thus describes the mode in which these were
preserved : — " The knees and crooks were cut off, one by one, whilst the tree
was standing, and lowered by tackles, to prevent their breaking. The two
largest arms were sawed off at such distances from the bole as to make first-
rate knees ; scaffolds were then erected, and two pit-saws being braced toge-
ther, the body was first cut across, half through, at the bottom, and then
sawed down the middle, perpendicularly, between the two stumps of arms that
had been left, at the end of one of which stood a perpendicular bough, bigger
than most timber trees. To prevent this being injured, a bed was made of
some hundreds of faggots, to catch it when it fell." (Bath Society's Papers,
vol. vi. p. 8.)
Oak Copse is cut down at various periods between J 5 and 30 years ; the rule
being, that the principal stems of the plants, at 1 ft. from the ground, should
not be less than 6 in. in diameter. In favourable soils in the south and west
of England, this size will be obtained in from 12 to 15 years ; as, for example, at
Moccas Court ; but in the colder climate, and in the inferior soil, of the High-
lands of Scotland, from 25 to 30 years are required. The cutting over of
copse is performed at the same season as that in which full-grown trees are
felled, when in both cases the bark is an object as well as the timber ; but, in
the cutting over of coppice trees, it is necessary to bear in mind, that the stools
are intended to shoot up again, so as to produce another crop. To facilitate
this, they require to be cut over smoothly, so as not to lodge water ; and close
to the ground, in order that the shoots for future branches may proceed at
once from the roots, and not at some distance over them ; in which case they
would be liable to be blown off. (See the chapter on coppice wood, in
the Encyclopaedia of Arboriculture.)
Disbarking the Oak. The season for disbarking the oak for the tanner is later
than that for disbarking the birch, the larch, the willow, or any other tree
the bark of which is sufficiently valuable to be taken off. In most of the trees
mentioned, the sap will be found sufficiently in motion towards the end of
April : but the oak, relatively to these trees, will always be found a month
later. As the mode of performing the operation, and managing the bark
afterwards, till it is sold to the tanner, is the same in all trees, we shall defer
giving it till we treat on the subject of arboriculture generally.
Accidents, Diseases, Insects, Epiphytes, $c. The British oak is not subject
either to many accidents, or to many diseases ; but, like every other plant,
it has its parasitical and epiphytical vegetation ; and it is infested by numerous
insects.
Accidents. Oaks are said to be more frequently struck by lightning than
CB3
1812 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
other trees, which Professor Burnet thinks may be owing to the imperfectly
conducting power of the dense mass which composes the head of this tree ;
for, though pines and firs grow higher, yet they are of lighter forms, and their
inferior conductibility, from the resinous nature of their wood, may in some
measure protect them. Some very remarkable instances of oaks being struck
by lightning are recorded in the Philosophical Transactions by Sir John Clark,
who thus writes: — " Being lately in Cumberland, I there observed two curi-
osities in Winfield Park, belonging to the Earl of Thanet. The first was a
huge oak, at least 60 ft. high, and 4 ft. in diameter, on which the last great
thunder had made a very odd impression ; for a piece was cut out of the tree,
about 3 in. broad and 2 in. thick, in a straight line from top to bottom ; and
the second was, that, in another tree of the same height, the thunder had cut
out a piece of the same breadth and thickness from top to bottom, in a spiral
line ; making three turns about the tree, and entering into the ground about
6 ft. deep." Professor Burnet saw, in July, 1828, the ruins of a very fine
oak at Pinner, Middlesex, which had the whole of its arms severed from
the trunk at their junction with it, and scattered on the ground. The
trunk, which was about 10 ft. in girt, was completely stripped of its bark,
and shivered from the summit to the root. Perpendicular clefts passed
into the heart wood, and rent through the trunk in many places, so that
splinters of 6 ft., 8 ft., or 10 ft. long, and Sin. or 4 in. thick, might be pulled
out; "one of which," adds the Professor, " I have." (Amain. Quer., fol. 9.)
The same year, and in the same month, we observed, close by St. Albans,
an oak tree by the road side, which had been struck by lightning the night
before, and from the trunk of which a narrow strip of bark had been torn
from the summit to the root ; the trunk being not otherwise injured, though
several branches were broken off. An oak in the New Forest " had nearly
one quarter of the tree forced away from the body, and several of the massive
limbs of the upper part driven from their sockets a distance of several feet.'*
(Brand's Journal.) " It is not improbable," says Professor Burnet, " that
the liability of the oak to be struck by lightning may have led to the dedica-
tion of that tree to the god of thunder."
Fig. 1643. represents an oak, growing in the parish ofWeston, in Nor-
folk, which was struck by lightning on the 26th of September, 1828. The
drawing was taken immediately after the accident, and represents correctly
the damage sustained, as it appeared at that time : but since then the
standing bough has fallen, and the tree is otherwise fast going to decay.
Not the slightest portion of bark was left upon the trunk, although not a
single bough was stripped, nor were the leaves torn off. The fissures
reached from the top to the ground, but not in connexion; gradually
decreasing downwards, except the lowest, which decreased upwards. Pieces
of bark were thrown to the distance of 90 yards. This was one of six trees
standing in a line, and not the tallest. In the summer of 1822, a fine oak
was struck by lightning, which was growing on Scottow Common, in the same
county ; but which, so far from being killed, continued to grow and flourish
till 1828, when it was felled, and proved to be a sound and good tree in most
parts. This tree was large and wide-spreading, affording shade in summer,
and shelter in the winter, to the stock turned out to pasture on the common ;
and, before it was injured by the lightning, often attracted attention from the
number of animals which were collected under it, and which it covered. From
the time of its being struck, 'however, not a head of cattle was ever seen near
it ; the animals not only refusing to avail themselves of its shade, but obviously
avoiding the tree, as if it were disagreeable to them. The above facts were
first communicated to the Magazine of Natural History (vol. ii.), by the Rev.
T. W. Salmon of Weston Rectory, and have been since sent to us, for this
work, by Mr. Girling of Hovingham, Norfolk.
The roots of the oak not being so liable to rot in the ground as those of the
elm, the beech, and other trees, full-grown oaks are, consequently, not so liable
to be blown down by high winds as the elm. The height of the oak being less
CHAP. CV.
CORYLAVCE;1'.
1813
in proportion to its breadth than that of most other trees, may be another reason
why it offers a firmer resistance to storms. Notwithstanding this, terrible de-
vastation has sometimes been effected among oak trees by the wind ; and one
of the most fearful instances occurred in October, 1831, when a destructive
hurricane ravaged a considerable portion of the park of Thorndon Hall, the
seat of Lord Petre, near Brentwood. The following account is abridged from
that sent to the Magazine of Natural History by J.G. Strutt,Esq. : — "The blast
came on about eight o'clock, and in less than four minutes the work of havoc
was completed. The wind came from the south-west, and entered the park
near the Lion's Lodge, where it threw down a small portion of the paling.
It then traversed the park in a varying sweep of about 150 yards' breadth.
Near the lodge, several oaks, 60 ft. high, were torn up by the roots, with
adhering masses of earth, 14ft. in length, and from 3ft. to 4ft. in thickness.
6 B 4
1814
ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM.
PART III.
The stems of many trees were torn off within a few feet of the ground ; and
others merely had the head or branches broken, without being entirely
detached. (Seej%. 1644.) Whole trunks, huge limbs and branches, with
immense masses of earth, were mingled on the ground in such a manner as to
give the idea of a battery of heavy artillery having been directed against the
trees in that part of the park. In some instances the stems exhibited " the
appearance of having been cut off, and in others they are rent from top to
bottom, or have had their giant limbs twisted off, as if they had been but so many
twigs." Lofty oaks were struck near their summits, and immense portions
of their upper limbs and branches were torn down, but not quite severed from
the trunk, and, with their heads resting on the ground, formed "a sort of tent of
foliage upwards of 30 ft. high .... Several oaiks had at least a dozen immense
branches torn off, while the bare and desolate-looking trunk was left standing ;
and, in many instances, the limbs and branches of standing'trees were twisted
CHAP. CV. CORYLAXCE^. QUE'RCUS. 1815
and interlaced in a variety of fantastic shapes. More than 300 trees were
torn up, or shattered so much as to render it necessary that their remains
should be felled. This park, during the war, furnished some of the finest
naval timber that could be procured in the kingdom." (Mag. Nat. Hist.,
vol. vi. p. 107.) We have also received from Henry Lee Warner, Esq., of
Tibberton Court, Herefordshire, an account of a hurricane which occurred there
in December, 1833, which destroyed a magnificent oak standing on his lawn.
This noble tree had a trunk 31 ft. high to the fork, where it divided into 12
large limbs, and 14 somewhat smaller branches; altogether forming an enormous
head. The circumference of the trunk was 1 9 ft. 8 in. at 4 ft. from the ground,
and 15 ft. 4 in. at the height of 26 ft. The tree was stag-headed, arid appeared
to have been for some time in a state of decay. After the tree had fallen, the
roots, on examination, were found in a decayed state. " The trunk, or body,
which, 20 years before, was perfectly upright, had been gradually losing its
perpendicularity, inclining more and more to the south-east, till it got without
the line of direction; and then with its immense head it fell by its own weight.
It is a curious fact, that, although the greater part of the roots had perished,
and the tree was stag-headed and the boughs without leaves, yet the body was
perfectly sound. The boards and quarters which the sawyers cut from it are
of the firmest and most beautiful texture. — H. L. W."
Diseases. There are few or no diseases peculiar to the British oak. The
honey dew, though very frequent on young oaks, is not peculiar to that
tree. The punctures of certain insects, which produce galls and other ex-
crescences, and which may be considered as diseases, will be hereafter
mentioned.
Vermin and Insects of different Kinds which feed upon the Oak. The wild
animals which live upon acorns, we have already observed (p. 1789.), are
numerous ; but those which are chiefly injurious to man are such as eat the
acorns after they have been planted, or the young trees. The insects which
live upon the oak are all more or less injurious to it ; and these are very
numerous.
rermin. The most general enemy to planted acorns, and also to young oak
trees, is the field mouse, an account of the ravages of which in the Forest of
Dean has already been given (p. 1806.). The water rat is also believed to
feed on the acorn, and the squirrel is known to depend principally on it for
its winter provision. Neither of these two animals, however, are generally
in sufficient numbers near nursery gardens, or extensive grounds about to be
planted, to be productive of any serious injury ; for the squirrel is never
found at a distance from full-grown trees, nor the rat from the banks of rivers
or streams. The mode of entrapping mice in the Forest of Dean has already
been given, and other modes of catching these, and other animals considered
as vermin relatively to trees, will be found in the Encyclopaedia of Arboriculture.
Insects. The British oak, probably both on account of its large size, and
the peculiar nature of its juices, is attacked by a far greater number of insect
enemies than any of the other trees of this country. Many of these insects
are, of course, confined to this tree, but many feed indiscriminately upon the
beech, birch, and hazel, as well as upon the oak : thus, as it would seem, says
Mr. Westwood, to whom we are indebted for this article, clearly proving, not
only the v£ry natural character of the order Amentaceae, but also the equally
natural distribution of the insects themselves into genera, consisting of spe-
cies, all of which are either generally amentaceous in their food, or are con-
fined to the oak or the birch alone. With respect to the number of species
which are found upon the oak, we have the authority of Mr. Stephens (who
must be considered as the most general practical collector fcf English insects)
for stating that nearly half the phytophagous insects of England are either
exclusively, or partially, inhabitants of the oak. Messrs. Kirby and Spence
have given a calculation, from which they adduce the opinion, that the
phytophagous and carnivorous insects are nearly equal in point of number of
species ; which would give about 2500 as half of the Phytophaga : but to this
1816 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETL'M. PART III.
number, as inhabitants of the oak, must be added the vast quantities of
/chneumonidre, and other parasites, which feed upon the phytophagous species
themselves. Perhaps the estimate here given may be found to be too great,
although every one accustomed to collecting knows that the oak furnishes by
far the greatest portion of his captures. Perhaps, if we give 2000 as the num-
ber of oak-feeders and their parasites, we shall scarcely run the risk of over-
rating the quantity. Lesser long ago said, "Le chene suffit a en elever
plusieurs centaines d'especes differentes." (Theologie des Insectes, torn. i.
p. 199.)
The solid Wood of the oak serves for the food of various insects, chiefly
whilst in the larva state. Amongst these, the goat moth (Cossus Ligni-
perda, p. 1386. fig. 1233.), the wood leopard moth (Zeuzera ae'soili, p. 887.
and fig. 636.), the small stag beetle (Z)6rcus parallelopipedus, p. 88G.
fig. 635. ; Gyll. Ins. Suec.y i. p. 67.), and the Sinodendron cylindricum
(p. 1225. fig. 1048.), are occasional inhabitants of the oak. Several other
species of lamellicorn and longicorn beetles are also inhabitants of this tree :
of these, the great stag beetle (Lucanus 6'ervus, fig. 1645.) is the most abun-
dant, as well as the largest. The larva of this insect (a) feeds upon the putrid
wood of the oak. (Gyllenhal Ins. Suec., i. p. 65.) It is a large, whitish, fleshy,
grub, like that of the cockchafer (Melolontha vulgaris) ; and it is furnished
with three pairs of legs, attached to the three anterior segments. In general, it
lies on one side, with the body curled up, so that the tail nearly touches the
head. The structure of the jaws of this larva is very similar to that of the
caterpillar of the Cossus ; although, in the perfect state, it is impossible to
discover two insects more completely unlike each other. When it has attained
its full size, it constructs a cocoon of chips of wood, agglutinated together,
within which it assumes the pupa state, in which the immense mandibles of
the imago are distinctly visible (6"). The female pupa is, of course, destitute of
these large jaws, these organs being but of comparatively small size in that
sex when arrived at the perfect state (c). The beetle seems to subsist entirely
upon fluids, which it laps up by means of its long pencil-like lower jaws
and lip.
Trichius variabilis is another lamellicorn beetle, the larva of which feeds upon
the wood of the oak. It is occasionally found in Windsor Forest, but is of great
rarity in this country. Its larva is very similar to that of the cockchafer.
A beautiful figure of the perfect insect, which is also found upon, and within,
the stumps of rotten oaks, is given by Curtis. (Brit. Ent.y pi. 286.)
The larvae of the longicorn beetles, on account of their generally large size,
are destructive to trees ; but they are comparatively of rare occurrence in this
country, if we except the musk beetle, found in willows. In tropical climates,
where the perfect insects attain a gigantic size, they must be as injurious as
the Cossus larva. These large wood-feeding larvae, or some of them, at least
(and it is not clearly proved which), were considered by the Romans as great
dainties, and are still greedily devoured by the negroes in many tropical
climates. We will not quarrel with the tastes of these Acrid6phagi and
Campophagi, because there can be no reason why a larva, which feeds upon
wood, should not be as nutritious as an oyster or a shrimp ; but we will
quote a short passage relative to the subject, from the observations of the
celebrated African traveller, Smeathman : — "The larvae of all the beetles that
feed on decayed wood seem to be rich and delicate eating ; so that every forest
in the torrid zone affords a man plenty of very wholesome and hearty nourish-
ment, who has an instrument strong enough to cut in pieces the decayed
trees. This knowledge might have saved the lives, perhaps, of many seamen
who have been shipwrecked on desert equinoctial snores, which are generally
covered with thick woods. The very best kind of vegetable food is but poor
nourishment for the labouring Europeans, if not accompanied with animal
flesh, or, at least, with animal or vegetable oils ; and such food as seamen in
distress meet with, as above mentioned, have oftentimes very acrimonious
qualities, and are dangerous, even in small quantities, to those who eat them
CHAP. CV.
QUE RCU8,
1817
161.0
at intervals ; whilst these kinds of insect foods, abounding with a very rich
and delicious oil, are, consequently, the most wholesome and nutritious which
men in the situation above described could possibly procure ; requiring no
other preparation than roasting in any manner." (Drury Introd., vol. iii.)
Of these longicorn beetles, several British species inhabit the oak, especially
Prionus coriarius, which is the largest species found in this country, and of
which the larva is not much smaller than that of the t'ossus. The body is long,
fleshy, and of a pale whitish colour ; the head is rather small and flat ; the
anterior segments of the body the broadest, the remainder becoming gradually
narrower to the tail ; the legs are very minute; the body is not bent in the
same manner as that of the larva of Z/ucanus. Clytus arcuatus and Leptura
scutellata are also found upon the oak, as well as several species of the coleop-
terous families Elatcridrc and Tiilidae, including Aplotarsus quercus and Elater
1818
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
sangufneus. In the Magazine of Natural History (iv. p. 265.), Mr. Dale states
that he found the latter insect " in plenty, both in larva and pupa, on rotten
oak stumps, in the New Forest. Tillus unifasciatus and ambulans also feed,
in the larva state, on the rotten oak ; and the latter was captured and bred
by Mr. Dale. (See Mag. Nat. Hist., iv. p. 266.) But the most destructive
insects to oak timber are the species of the family Lymexyl<5nidae, which,
although common in Sweden and some other parts of the Continent, are,
fortunately, of great rarity in this country. Lymexylon ctermestoides is about
i in. in length, and is found in the trunks of the oak, and some other
trees; whilst Lymexylon nasale Fab. (6Tantharis navalis
Linn.t and our fig. 1646.) appears to be exclusively
confined to oak timber, which it perforates, and com-
pletely destroys. (Gyllenhal Ins. Suec., i. 317.) So
great, indeed, was the injury caused in the royal dock-
yards of Sweden by this insect, that the greatest alarm
was entertained for the safety of the shipping ; nor did it
subside until Linnaeus, at the desire of the king of Sweden, had traced out the
cause of the destruction ; and had, having detected the lurking culprit under
the form of the beetle above mentioned, by directing the timber to be immersed
during the time of the metamorphosis of the insect and its season of oviposi-
tion, furnished a remedy which effectually secured the wood from its future
attacks. (Smith's Introduct. to Bot., pref., p. xv., quoted by Kirby and Spence
Intr., i. p. 237. ; Bechstein and Scharffenburg Forstins., vol. i.)
Tinea ramella Lin. feeds within the branches of the oak. (Syst. Nat., ii.
p. 887.)
Insects which live under the Bark. There are also many species of insects
(chiefly small Coleoptera) which reside beneath the bark of the oak, without
boring into the solid wood. Of these, the Sc61ytus pygmaerus, already alluded
to in p. 1390., as having recently caused the destruction of ,50,000 young oaks
in the Bois de Vincennes, near Paris, is the most redoubtable. (Annales de la
Soc. Entomol. de France, 1836, p. xxx.) Tomicus villosus, 7'ps 4-guttata,
Hypulus quercinus, Cerylon pilicorne, Rhyzophagus dfspar, Silvanus uniden-
tatus, and Bitoma crenata, are also subcortical beetles, the first-named species
being one of the typographer beetles. (See Pinus.)
Insects which feed on the Leaves. It is, however, upon the leaves of the oak
that the greatest proportion of its insect population finds its support; and it
is chiefly amongst the caterpillars of lepidopterous insects that the greatest
number of the leaf-feeders
are found. Of these, the
Tttrtrix viridana Lin. (fig.
1647.), a very small, pretty,
green species, is by far the
most obnoxious; entirely ff\ ^, -^ll^i^tilP^ 1647
stripping the oaks of their
foliage, as we have more than «^ \\i\i / vumB
once observed at Coombe ^W X
Wood, in Surrey. " Even
the smaller sorts of cater-
pillars become, from their
multiplicity, sometimes as
destructive as those which
are of considerable magni-
tude. During the summer of 1827, we were told that an extraordinary
blight had suddenly destroyed the leaves of all the trees in the Oak of
Honour Wood, Kent. On going thither, we found the report but little
exaggerated ; for, though it was in the leafy month of June, " there was
scarcely a leaf to be seen on the oak trees, which constitute the greater
portion of the wood. But we were rather surprised when we discovered, on
examination, that this extensive destruction had been effected by one of the
CHAP. CV. CORYLA^CE^E. tfUE'RCUS. 1819
small solitary leaf-rollers (Tttrtrix viridana Haworth) : for one of this sort
seldom consumes more than four or five leaves, if so much, during its exist-
ence. The number, therefore, of these caterpillars must have been almost
beyond conception ; and that of the moths, the previous year, must also have
been very great; for the mother moth only lays from 50 to 100 eggs, which
are glued to an oak branch, and remain during the winter. It is remarkable,
that, in this wood, during the two following summers, these caterpillars did not
abound." (Insect Transform., p. 203.) The moth (c) varies in the expansion of
its wings from 7 to 13 lines : the anterior wings are pale green, with a whitish
margin in front ; and the posterior wings brownish. It is so extremely abun-
dant, that, towards the end of the month of June, when it first appears, it
may be shaken from the trees in perfect showers. The caterpillar (a) of this
moth rolls up the oak leaves in a very ingenious manner, so as to form a very
commodious retreat; in which, indeed, it ordinarily resides, the centre of the
roll being open : its diameter is proportionable to that of the body of the
insect; and the roll is secured by various little packets of silk attached to the
body of the leaf, and to the adjoining part of the roll, as represented in
fig. 1647. at b. Reaumur, in the second volume of his Memoires, has given a
very detailed account of the manoeuvres employed by the caterpillars in the
construction of these leafy rolls. These caterpillars were so numerous in
Kensington Gardens in May and June, 1832, that "the excrementitious matter
from them kept falling and tinkling on the grass below, so frequently as to
give the idea of a sprinkling of rain being then falling." (Mag. Nat. Hist., v.
p. 671.) Millions of small lead-coloured caterpillars, tinted with green, and
slightly hairy, were then some of them half an inch long, and depending on
threads stretching to the length of 7 ft. or 8 ft. In some cases, a colony of
fifty or a hundred of these insects appears to set off all at once from some point
in a branch, and each to make the best of his way to the earth, the threads
diverging into numerous different lengths, apparently according to the age and
vigour of the caterpillar. At Haslemere, in 1830, 1831, and 1832, the ravages
committed by this insect were so great, that whole woods of oaks were stripped
of their leaves, and looked as if blighted by lightning. Each tree was " covered
with the remains of skeleton leaves, curled up, and surrounded with a filmy
web : its trunk and branches had a misty appearance, as if enveloped in white
gauze ; while here and there hung suspended a long web, or a caterpillar that
had not yet found a habitation for itself in which to undergo its final change."
(Ibid., p. 670.) This insect is the same as that noticed in Brown's edition
of White's Selborne, p. 31 1., in a note of the late Mr. Markwick. In the
Gardener's Magazine for 1829 (vol. v. p. 610.), a writer, describing the ravages
of this insect on the oak woods in Wales, says the coppices appeared to be
all alive with them, so immense were the masses they formed. These insects,
notwithstanding their numbers, appear, in their moth state, to have many
enemies. White says that he saw a flight of swifts busily employed in
" hawking them ;" and, in the Magazine of Natural History (vol. v. p. 670.), it
is stated that the 1^'mpis livida, an insect of something less than their own size,
fixes on them, " something in the manner that a stoat would on a hare or rab-
bit," and flies about with its victim, but never lets it go till it has destroyed it.
Amongst the Butterflies, Thecla queVcus, or the purple hair-streak, is the
only species which feeds upon the oak in the larva state : its caterpillar is
small, and bears considerable resemblance to a woodlouse, being one of the
onisciform larvae. One which M. Lyonnet (Recherch. sur PAnat., $c., de differ.
Espcces d'Insectes, 2rac part. pi. 36.) reared ceased to eat on the 1st of June;
it then assumed a rounded form, and in three days arrived at the chrysalis
state, without spinning any cocoon ; and on the 27th of the same month
the butterfly appeared. In its final state, it is an active elegant insect,
sporting about the highest twigs of the oak. It is about 1£ in. in the
expansion of the wings, which are of a bluish black on the upper side in the
males ; but in the females they are black, with a rich glossy blue disk. Owing
to their smaller size, and more brilliant colouring, the females have been by
1820 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
the majority of authors mistaken for individuals of the opposite sex ; but Dr.
Horsfield (Lcpid. Javanica) detected the error, by carefully investigating the
structure of the insects. In the sixth volume of the Magazine of Natural
History, p. 227., are several notices of this insect. Mr. Conway observes that,
in Monmouthshire, individuals of this species present a very beautiful sight,
while sporting about the tops of the oaks just at sunset, the brilliant blue of
their beautiful wings catching the light as they fly, and then the whole
disappearing among the foliage. These insects are very pugnacious, and
frequently destroy their beauty by pursuing each other through the trees.
They are, however, easy of capture ; for, when once they alight on the
foliage, they may be approached closely without being disturbed. (Ibid.,
p. 544.) Before appearing in their pupa state, they are said to retire into the
earth. (Ibid., p. 189.) A correspondent of the same magazine (vol. v. p. 67.),
speaking on the planting of certain trees, as a means of attracting the insects
and birds which feed on them, mentions that, having made some oak plant-
ations near his dwelling, he was agreeably surprised to find near them Thecla
quercus, and Melitaex« Euphrosyne, pearl-bordered fritillary; insects which
he had previously never seen within some miles of the spot.
In the following list, the lepidopterous insects marked thus* feed on
other trees as well as upon the oak ; and the lepidopterous insects marked
thus f feed exclusively on the oak.
Amongst the S/;Awzgidae, the caterpillar of *Smerinthus tfliae Linn., or lime
hawk-moth occasionally feeds upon the oak; but amongst the Linnaean
Tlombyces, the number of oak-leaf feeding species is very considerable, in-
cluding *Pygaevra bucephala (the buff-tip moth), *Stauropus fagi (which,
from the singular form of its caterpillar, has been named the lobster-moth),
*Lophooteryx camelina, the species of Chaonia Steph., including f C. roboris,
fdodonea, and f quernea, all of which feed exclusively upon the oak;
*Petasia cassfnea (the sprawler), -f-Peridea,serrata, *Saturnia Pavonia (the
emperor moth), and *S. tau (the tau emperor), *Lasiocampa quercus, and
*roboris. fCnethocampa processionea (or processionary moth) is a very
interesting species, common in France and Germany, but not yet ascer-
tained to be an inhabitant of this country. The larvae construct a common
temporary nest upon the branches of the oak, the situation of which they
change from time to time, until they are about two thirds grown. They are
hairy, and varied with grey and ashy brown stripes, and yellow spots on the
back, and are nearly allied to the caterpillar so common upon fruit trees,
the moths of which, from the striped appearance of the caterpillars, have been
called lackey moths; some time before they attain their full size, they unite,
and construct a general nest upon the trunk. " This nest, when completed, is
about 1 ft. 6 in. long, 6 in. broad, and composed of a grey silk, resembling
the surface of the tree ; but the most curious fact in their history is, the extra-
ordinary regularity with which the larvae proceed, towards sunset, in search of
food. At their head is a chief, by whose movements the procession appears
regulated ; and he is followed by three or four in a single line, the head of the
second touching the tail of the first, &c. Then comes an equal series of pairs,
next of threes, and so on as far as fifteen or twenty, forming a band several feet
in length. Sometimes the order is rather different, the leader being followed
by two, then three, and so on ; but at all times the procession moves on with
an even pace, each file treading upon the steps of those which precede it,
through all the sinuosities made by the chief. They do not invariably return
to their nest before morning, but may sometimes be found during the day
assembled in irregular masses, heaped upon each other." (jSteph. I/lust.
Haust.y ii. p. 47. note; Reaumur Memoircs, torn. ii. mem. 4., with 2 plates;
Nicholai Die Wander odcr Prozcssions Raupc, &c. Berlin, 1833, 8vo.) Accord-
ing to Reaumur, it is dangerous to approach the nests of this insect, especially
at the period of the moulting of the caterpillars, on account of the irritating
effects of the hairs, which at that time float about in the atmosphere. Some
ladies who accompanied Reaumur in his observations were much affected,
CHAP. CV. CORYLA^CE^E. QUE'llCUS. 1821
and found their necks full of troublesome tumours ; whilst he himself suffered
for several days from having handled them. In these respects, they are very
similar to the celebrated Pityocampa of the ancients, and which is the cater-
pillar of another species of this genus, which feeds upon the fir. *Pcecilo-
campa populi, *IIypogymna dispar (the gipsy moth), *Psilura monacha
(the black arches), *Dasychira fascelina (the dark tussock), * Psyche fusca,
and f Limacodes Testudo. Amongst the Lithoslida;, *Callimorpha miniuta,
*Lithosia complana (the common footman), *L. quadra (the four-spotted
footman), *Gnophria rubricollis.
Amongst the ^octuidcc, * Semiophora gothica, f Orthosia instabilis, *O.
gracilis, *O. munda, *O. cruda, *O. stabilis, *Glae'a satellitia, -f-Amphipyra
pyramidea, f Xylina rhizolitha, *X. petrificata, *Miselia aprilina (the beau-
tiful marvel du jour moth), f Polia seladonia, *Apatela aceris, f Diphthera
Orion, *D. ludifica (British ?) -f-Ceropacha diluta, -j-C. ridens, -j-Cymatophora
O^o, *C6smia trapezina, -j-Xanthia croceago, and -j-X. rufina, -j-Catephia
Ieuc6melas, *Catocala fraxini (the great blue under-wing moth, similar to
C. elocata, p. 1484. fig. 1293., but 4 in. in expanse, and having the ground
of the under wings blue instead of red), f Catocala pacta, f C. sponsa,
and fC. promissa, three very beautiful, but small, species of this genus, with
the ground colour of the under wings scarlet), and *Brepha notha.
Amongst the Geomctridce are, f Anisopteryx leucophearia, *Hybernia capreo-
laria and *H. defoliaria (which are occasionally very destructive in oak copses),
*Phigalia pilosaria, *Biston prodromarius (the great oak beauty), * B. betu-
larius (the peppered moth), * Himera pennaria, * Crocah's elinguaria, several
species of thorn moths (several of which are figured in all their states, and
in a most admirable manner, by M. Lyonnet, in his Posthumous Memoirs,
rec(
am
tana,
and
punctaria, * Eurymene dolabraria. Amongst the Platyptericidce, Pi/rdlida;,
Tortricidce, Tinad&y and other remaining lepidopterous families, composed
,•< • _ r> it •__ i _c *.- •* __i. r_ _ j • i i«
f Phycita roborella, Adela Geerella (Lyonnet Mem. Posth., pi. 19. f. 17—25.;
Tinea sequella (Id., pi. 19. f. 26.), the cocoon of which is an exceedingly
interesting geometrical construction, described in detail by Lyonnet.
Amongst the Leaf-feeding Species, the majority are external feeders, neither
concealing themselves in cases, nor rolling themselves up in leaves ; but some,
especially amongst the smaller species, do not agree with these in their habits,
and adopt various methods of defence, which render an examination of the
different inhabitants of this tree an object of the greatest interest. Of these
some roll up several leaves into a ball of considerable size (Reaum. Mem., torn. i.
pi. 15. f. 3., and pi. 32. f. 4, 5.), which latter represents the habitations of
the scarlet under-wing moths above mentioned ; others, again, construct their
boat-shaped cocoons of strips of oak leaves (Ibid., pi. 38. fig. 7.) ; others,
again, roll up the leaves in various directions (as JVSrtrix viridana, above men-
tioned, p. 1818.; Reaum., torn. ii. pi. 13, 14, 15, 16.); others feed upon the
parenchyma of the leaf, raising, as it were, large circular blisters, the upper
and under surfaces of the leaf remaining unconsumed. (Rcaum., torn. iii. pi. 3.)
Some form tortuous labyrinths within the leaf, similar to those of the rose-
leaf miners ; and some live in little cases of leaves, or silk, which they carry
about with them. (Ri'anin., torn. iii. pi. 7.)
Amongst the Coleopterous Insects, the common cockchafer (^carabae^us
vl/elolontha Lin.t .Melolontha vulgaris Fab., fig. 1648. a), is the most obnoxious
of the leaf-eating species. The egg of this terrible devastator is white, and is
deposited in the ground, where it soon changes into a soft whitish grub with
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICLTUM. PART III.
a red head, and about l£in.
long. In this state it con-
tinues four years, during
which time it commits the
most destructive ravages on
the roots, not only of grass,
but of all other plants and
young trees. When full
grown, the larvae dig in the
earth to the almost incredible depth of 5 ft. or 6 ft., spin a smooth case,
and then change into a chrysalis. In this state they remain till the fol-
lowing spring, when the perfect insect comes from the ground, and com-
mences an immediate attack on the leaves of trees ; and, according to
Salisbury, the leaves of the oaks in Richmond Park were, during one sum-
mer, so eaten by it, that scarcely an entire leaf was left. The most remarkable
account of the ravages of these insects is, however, given by Molyneux, in
one of the early volumes of the Philosophical Transactions, in which their ap-
pearance in the county of Gal way, in Ireland, in 1688, is narrated. They
were seen in the day-time perfectly quiet, and hanging from the boughs' in
clusters of thousands, clinging to each other like bees when they swarm ; but
dispersing towards sunset, with a strange humming noise, like the beating of
distant drums ; and in such vast numbers, that they darkened the air for the
space of two or three miles square ; and the noise they made in devouring the
leaves was so great, as to resemble the distant sawing of timber. In a very
short time the leaves of all the forest trees, for some miles were destroyed,
leaving the trees as bare and desolate in the middle of summer as they would
have been in winter : they also entered the gardens, and attacked the fruit
trees in the same manner. Their multitudes spread so exceedingly, that they
infested houses, and became extremely offensive and troublesome. They were
greedily devoured by the swine and poultry, which watched under the trees
for their falling, and became fat on this unusual food : even the people adopted
a mode of dressing them, and used them as food. Towards the end of the
summer they disappeared suddenly, and no traces were perceived of them the
ensuing year. (Phil. Trans., xix. p. 743., &c.) About the middle of the last
century, 80 bushels of these beetles were gathered on one farm near Norwich.
(See Encyc. ofAgri., ed. 2., p. 1116.) The best method of destroying these
insects is to shake the branches on which they hang at noonday, when they
are in a state of stupor, and then to sweep them up and carry them away; or,
torches may be held under the trees, which will stupify the beetles, and
occasion them to fall. Birds are very useful in destroying these noxious insects.
In the Magazine of Natural History, vol. v. p. 65., a story is told of a gentle-
man, who, finding his oak trees stripped of their leaves in the middle of sum-
mer, suspected some rooks of having destroyed them. " That the oaks were
nearly bare was beyond dispute ; and he had himself seen the rooks settling
on them, and pecking away right and left with their bills. War was therefore
declared against the rooks; but, fortunately, before hostilities were commenced,
the gentlemen was convinced, by some one who knew more of natural history
than himself, that the rooks were not in fault : on the contrary, they had only
flocked to the trees for the sake of devouring the myriads of cockchafers, and
of the larvae of moths, which were the real depredators." Blackbirds act in
the same manner ; and the Rev. W. T. Bree relates an instance of these birds
stocking up the grass to find the larva? of the cockchafer, in a garden where
there was plenty of ripe fruit. ( See Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. vi. p. 518.) The leaves
are also devoured by the larvae of one of the species of flea weevil (Orch^stes
quercus). A'grilus viridis, Cryptorhy ncus quercus, and Acalles roboris are also
coleopterous insects found among the leaves of the oak. Aleyrodes proletella,
a minute but very interesting homopterous insect, also feeds upon the leaves
of the oak. (Reaumur, Memoires, tom.ii. pi. 25.)
The young Stems and Suds of the Oak are also infested by various species of
CHAP. CV. CORYLANCE,E. (^UE'llCUS. 1823
insects, chiefly belonging to the order Hemfptera of Linnaeus (Hom6ptera
Latr.), and furnished with an elongated rostrum, which they introduce with-
out difficulty into the soft substance of the young parts, and thereby imbibe a
sufficient supply of nourishment. Amongst these are to be mentioned, Psylla
quercus, Eriosoma quercus, Avphis quercus, and Avphis roboris. Coccus
quercus Linn, is a species about the size of a pea, which attaches itself
to the branches at the base of the young stems. Another insect of the
same genus, of a species not yet determined, is more injurious, as we learn
from a communication made by M. Victor Audouin to the Entomological
Society of France, on the 6th of April last (1836), by whom a portion of the
bark of an oak, of about thirty years' growth, was exhibited, entirely covered
with specimens of a coccus about the size of a pin's head. These insects were
of a greenish or orange yellow colour, and were females, destitute of motion,
adhering to the tree by means of their rostrum, which had pierced the bark.
The oak had been in a languishing state, and was condemned to be cut down
by the director of the Bois de Bologne, having, as M. V. Audouin judges,
been brought into this state by the presence of many millions of these insects,
which covered the entire trunk from 6 in. above the ground to the top,
completely altering the natural colour of the tree, as from 50 to 100 might be
counted in the space of a square inch.
The Acorns are devoured by the larvae of a small weevil belonging the genus
Balaninus (B. glandium), and very nearly related to the nut weevil ; as well
as by the larva of T^nea Pomonella (according to GeofFroy).
Galls. The various parts of the oak are also subject to the attacks of dif-
ferent species of hymenopterous insects belonging to the Linnaean genus Cy-
nips (fern. Cynipidae Westiv.), Diplolepis Ofiv. and Leach, or gall flies, so named
from the various excrescences which they produce upon the leaves, stems, &c. ;
and which are designed by nature to protect the delicate ova and larvae of
certain insects. Entomologists say that the tumours on the leaf stalks, and
those on the fruit stalks, are produced by different species of Cynipidae ; that
the galls on the branch are produced by a distinct fly from that which pro-
duces the gall on the leaf; and it has also been ascertained, that the gall flies
on the oak leaf are of at least three different kinds. There are also distinct
kinds of gall flies for the root, bark, bud, and acorn cup, independently of the
kermes and gall nut. The various species have been named, C. quercus folii
Linn., C. q. baccarum Linn., C. q. inferus Linn., C. q. petioli Linn., C. q.
ramuli Linn., C. q. corticis Linn., C. q. gemmae Linn., C. q. pedunculi Linn.,
C. q. calycis, C. q. terminals Fab., &c. (See also M. d'Anthoine's Cynipcdo-
logie du Chene rouge in the Nouv. Journ. de Physique, t. i. p. 34 — 39.)
There is another circumstance, also, connected with this subject, of con-
siderable interest in a physiological point of. view (independently of the man-
ner in which the gall, consequent upon the puncture of an insect is formed),
and which is thus alluded to by Dr. Johnston of Berwick : — " We observe that
the irritation caused by the deposition and evolution of the egg will produce
growth of the most curious kind ; and differences in the irritation, too slight
to be traced, will occasion very remarkable differences in the appearance of
the growth. Thus, in the oak leaf, one insect irritation produces a globular
smooth ball ; and another, a depressed tumour, covered with a hairy scarlet
coat. The first is seated on the substance of the leaf, and cannot be removed
without destroying the texture of the part; the other seems almost placed on
the leaf, and can be detached with facility. Examples equally remarkable
will occur to every one who has paid any attention to this curious subject ;
and
Tl
of Q. infectoria ; but, like the galls of commerce, those British galls are said to
be the best from which the insect has not escaped. The largest species of
British galls is generally called the oak apple, or oak sponge (^pongia ^uercina
of the ancients). These are produced by C. q. terminalis Fab. (Reann/.
6c
1824 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
Mem., torn. iii. pi. 41. f. 1 — 5.) : they are astringent, like the gall nuts, and may
be used, like them, for dyeing black ; but the colour produced, though more
beautiful, is said to be less durable. These oak apples are much sought after
annually on the 29th of May, that day being the anniversary of the Resto-
ration of Charles II., and commonly known about London as Oak Apple
Day. In Yorkshire, it is kept as a half-holiday at the schools, and is known
by the couplet, —
" Twenty-ninth of May,
Royal Oak Day."
The oak apples are, also, still occasionally consulted as auguries by the
superstitious, as they were in the time of Gerard, who says, " The oke apples
being broken in sunder about the time of their withering, doe foreshew the
sequell of the yeare, as the expert Kentish husbandmen have observed by the
living things found in them ; as, if they finde an ant, they foretell plenty of
graine to ensue; if a white worm, like a gentill or magot, then they prognos-
ticate murren of beasts and cattell ; if a spider, then (say they) we shall
have a pestilence, or some such like sickenesse to follow amongst men. These
things the learned, also, have observed and noted ; for Matthiolus, writing
upon Dioscorides, saith that, before they have an hole through them, they
containe in them either a flie, a spider, or a worme : if a flie, then warre
insueth ; if a creeping worme, then scarcitie of victuals ; if a running spider,
then followeth great sickenesse or mortalitie." (Herb., 1341.)
Extravagant as are the inferences deduced, the observations of Gerard, for
the most part, are correct ; for diversity of season will affect the developement
of these excrescences ; and, if it be retarded, the egg, the larva, or perfect
cynips, may be detected ; and often, instead of the true gall insect, the larva,
pupa, or imago, of an ichneumon (or, more commonly, one of the family
Chalcididae belonging to the genus Callimome Sp'mola) is found within the
tumour : not that this fly has subsisted on the substance of the gall, but the
parent ichneumon, or callimome, having deposited an egg within the gall
while soft, the egg, or larva, of the cynips is preyed on by the parasite, and
the interloper becomes possessed of the other's abode. When full grown, the
oak apple is nearly as large as a moderate-sized dessert apple, and is of a
pretty appearance, ornamented with yellow and pink. It is not quite spherical,
but is irregularly depressed in various parts. Its surface is smooth and shining ;
and, when broken open, in its interior are found a great number of cells, each
containing a fleshy grub, pupa, or perfect insect, according to the period of
the year ; the substance of the gall being fleshy, with numerous fibres running
in the direction of the stems. The perfect insect is of a pale reddish butt'
colour, with immaculate wings. It is figured
by Panzer Faun. Ins. Germ., 88. t. 13.;
and, notwithstanding the large size of the
gall, is much smaller than some other oak
Cynfpidae.
Besides the oak apple, and that species
emphatically styled " the gall," or " gall
nut," several other excrescences on the
oak, from their beauty, or their partial pre-
valence, deserve enumeration. The small
round currant gall (fig. 1649.), of which
several are frequently scattered through-
out the length of the ament thread, or
rachis, giving it the appearance whence
they derive their name (Reaum. Mem,,
torn. iii. p. 40. f . 1 — 6.), is produced by
the C . quercus pedunculi ; the perfect
insect of which is of a greyish colour, the wings being marked with an
elongated cross. " There is a remarkable fact accompanying the deposition
of the eggs on the dangling stalk of the catkins. The mnle flowers are
CHAP. cv. i OIJYLAHIEA:. ^UE'RCUS. 182.5
destined to wither and drop oft' as soon as their office of shedding the pollen
is terminated; but if, before they have done so, they are seized and appro-
priated by the fly, they become permanent, and remain so until the maggot
within the gall ceases to feed. From this circumstance, it is evident that the
flow of the sap is in the proportion to its consumption; that ' bursting buds,
lengthening shoots, expanding leaves, swelling fruit,' or swelling galls, equally
attract currents of sap, and, in the last instance, even into a foreign channel ;
proving what Du Petit Thouars, and other botanists, have long ago advanced
as their opinion ; viz. that the growth of a tree is not caused by the motion
of the sap, but the movement of the latter
is caused by the distension of the various
members." (J. Main in Gard. Mai*., vol.
xii. p. 708.) The artichoke gall, or oak
strobile (fig. 1650.), is probably the " oak
nut " of the ancients : it is about the size of
a filbert, and, from its closely imbricated
scales somewhat resembling a fir strobile or
an artichoke, it has so been termed. (Reaum.
Mem., torn. iii. pi. 43. f. 1—12.) It is
produced by the Cynips quercus gemmae,
and is a most beautiful foliose gal! ; for the
developement of the bud, although per-
verted, not being wholly prevented, the
leaves are gradually evolved. " These galls,"
says Professor Burnet, " throw much light
upon the natural metamorphoses of plants,
especially on the transition from leaves to flowers, by the abortion of
the axis of the bud, and the leaves hence becoming whorled; and, when
the axis of each leaf (that is, its petiole and midrib) becomes in like manner
curtailed, the gall assumes a still more florid form. Occasionally, in the
oak, but more frequently in the willow, the gallic acid changes the'ordinary
green colour of the abortive leaves into a bright red, giving the preter-
natural growth very much the appearance of a rose ; and hence Salix //elix,
in which this occurs, has been not inaptly called the ' Rose Willow.' The
bedeguar, or hairy gall (Galla capillaris of the ancients), is a peculiar and
very beautiful species, though rather scarce, for which reason it was formerly
much esteemed. In structure it is very similar to the bedeguar of the rose*;
and it is usually situated in the axils of the leaves. It is considered excellent
as a styptic. Whether the ' oak wool,' flocks of which were once so famed
as wicks for lamps, but which, as Parkinson shrewdly observes, will not burn
* without oyle or other unctuous matter, as Pliny saith it will,' was the same
as our cottony or woolly gall, the description *of the ancient Galla lanata
renders doubtful ; for the flocks of wool are said to have been enveloped in a
hard case; which structure is rather more analogous to that of our clustered
galls, usually about six or seven in a group, and each the habitation of a
separate grub ; as in them the little hard galls containing the insects are
included in a soft and spongy, though not woolly, material, and arc defended
externally by a hard ligneous case: these may by some, however, be es-
teemed the oak nuts, rather than the strobile one before alluded to." (Amcen.
Quer. in Eidoden.*)
The oak berries, described as " sticking close to the body of the tree,"
were, doubtless, the galls produced by the Cynips quercus ramuli, or C. q.
corticis ; and the UVae quercinae, or oak grapes, were, not improbably, the
aggregation of similar galls, which are occasionally found upon the roots, 01-
at the line of demarcation between root and stem, and which are produced by
the Cynips quercus radicis. We have been favoured by the Rev. W. T,
Bree with a very fine specimen of this gall, which he discovered, on the 22d
of February, 1837, on the root of an oak tree (just at the surface), and which
was at that time inhabited by a number of the Cynips quercus radicis in the
6c 2
1826
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
winged state, ready to take advantage of the first warm day to burst forth
from their prison. This gall, which is the largest excrescence that we have
hitherto seen formed by any cynipideous insect, is irregularly oblong, and nearly
5 in. in length : it is 1 £ in. in diameter in the thickest part, the general thickness
being about 1 in. : its appearance is that of a piece of very fine-grained sponge.
On making a section l|in. long by 1 in. broad, between 60 and 70 cells,
closely packed together, and of an oval form, were discovered, each containing
a single cynips. Taking the size of the entire gall into consideration, it
must contain, at the lowest calculation, upwards of a thousand individuals, the
produce, probably, of a single female cynips. The perfect insect is of a pale
brownish colour, with a shining red abdomen, having two small dorsal black spots
at the base. This gall was unknown to Reaumur, having been first described and
figured by Bosc. (Journ. de Physique, 1794.) A figure, apparently of the same
gall, is given in the Insect Architect., p. 385. ; but it is there erroneously
stated that the inhabitant is identical with the cynips of the oak apple (C.
quercus terminalis) ; and this is supposed to be accounted for by the observa-
tion, that the root galls are " probably formed at a season when the fly
perceives, instinctively, that the buds of the young branches are unfit for the
purpose of nidification." Numerous other excrescences, and some most
curious distortions, seem to be the result of the attacks of insects on the
buds or branches of the oak in their embryo or infant state, of which the
coadunate stems and witch knots are among the most remarkable ; but it is
doubtful whether many of these monstrosities are not idiopathic diseases of
the tree.
The oak leaves, also, are occasionally observed covered with numerous
galls of small size, and evidently belonging to different species, being of dif-
ferent forms, of some of which the insect has not
yet been discovered. Several of them are figured
by Reaumur. (Memoires, torn. iii. pi. 35. fig. 3,
4. and 6., pi. 40. f. 13—15.) Some of these
are of a larger size (fig. 1651.) ; not more than
three or four being found upon a single leaf
(Rosel Ins. Belust. Suppl., tab. 69.); whilst
others, which are as large as a boy's marble,
and perfectly globular, are often found singly
upon the leaves ; the last being produced by C.
quercus folii. (Reaum. Mem., torn. iii. pi. 39.
fig. 13—17., pi. 37. fig. 10, 11., pi. 40. fig. 8.)
It is a curious circumstance connected with
these large globular galls (and which is also
observed in the gall nut), that, notwithstanding
the large size of the galls, only a single insect is
enclosed therein ; so that a very small portion
only of the centre of the gall is consumed, the
eynips arriving at its perfect state within its
small central prison, out of which it has to cut
its way through a great portion of the solid sub-
stance of the gall. The surface of the majority of these galls is smooth ;
some, however, are imbricated, and others are clothed with a woolly kind of
down, similar in its nature to the outside of the bedeguar of the rose. A gall
of this kind is figured in the Insect Architecture, p, 388., found upon the twig of
an oak; and in Dr. Nees von Esenbeck's collection of minute Hymenoptera,
at present in Mr. Westwood's possession, there is a similar gall, of small size,
upon an oak leaf, with the cynips by which it is produced (C. quercus lanata
Nees MSS.).
Oak Spangles. Amongst the excrescences found upon the leaves of the oak,
are to be noticed the reddish insular scales on the under side of the oak leaves
mentioned by Mr. Lowndes (Card. Mag., vol. xi. p. 691.), and supposed by
him to be parasitic plants. When full grown, they are about one eighth of an
CHAP. CV.
6'ORYLAVEiE. QUE'RCUS.
1827
inch in diameter, smooth on the surface next to the leaf, but hirsute and red
on the outside : they are nearly flat, the thickest portion being the centre,
where the point of attachment to the leaf is placed on the inside. This stalk,
or funicular attachment, as it may be called, is very short, so that the excres-
cence nearly lies flat upon the leaf. (See fig. 1652. a.) The Rev. W. T. Bree
(CrVm/. Jfftg., vol. xii. p. 496.) calls them oak spangles, considering them to be
the work of an insect. They are mentioned by several authors; but Mr. West-
wood cannot find that their history has been satisfactorily traced by any writer
upon the economy of insects. Nees von Esenbeck observes of these oak
spangles, " Mirum tamen, gallas esse, quas etiamsi frequentissimas omnium,
nemo hucusque incola sua faetas invenerit, vel quomodo oriantur cognoverit."
(Hymen. Monogr., ii. p. 266.) Reaumur has described and figured them
(Mem., torn. iii. mem. 12. pi. 42. f. 8. 10.) under the names of galles en
champignon, from their resemblance to a flat mushroom. He was never,
however, able to discover any appearance of an internal cavity ; but he adds, " II
faut pourtant qu'il y en ait dans le milieu de quelques unes, car M. Malpighi
assure 1'avoir observe." He, however, discovered that the space between the
under side of the excrescence and the leaf was the residence of a small worm,
of an oblong form and yellowish amber colour, with two small points on the
front of the head. Under some of these galls one or two only were found,
but as many as a dozen under others. Fabricius, without alluding to these
worms, gives the excrescences as the galls of Cynips longipennis, or Diplolepis
lenticulatus of Olivier, with the observation, " Habitat in galla parva depressa,
monothalama Gallias. Mus. Bosc. ;" and Coquebert has figured this species of
cynips from the Boscian cabinet with two specimens of the galls, which are,
however, represented so small, and so unsatisfactorily, that it is doubtful
whether they be identical with Reaumur's galles en champignon. But in
the collection of C'halcldidas formed by Dr. Nees von Esenbeck, above
mentioned, are contained specimens of this excrescence, accompanied by a
specimen of the Eurytoma signata ; and in this author's Monog. Hymen. Ichn.
Affin., vol. ii.p. 43., is the remark : " Observavi etiam, Septembre mense, hujus
specie! feminam, cum gallam illam orbiculatam depressam lenticularem umbo-
natam basi arete appressam rubram hirsutam, quas in pagina foliorum quercus
inferior! frequens occurrit, ictu vulneraret. Non causa igitur hujus speciei,
sed parasita incolae ejus, videtur." This inhabitant, on the authority of
Geoffrey (who is, however, silent on the subject) and Fabricius, he doubt-
ingly considers to be the Cynips longipennis Fab. But the real habit of this
Eurytoma, as he had previously ascertained, is to deposit its eggs in the gall
produced by Cynips quercus gemmae above described. The puncturing of
the gall by the parasitic Eurytoma is not a proof of there being any internal
inhabitant; because, as we learn
from Reaumur, one or more
worms take up their abode be-
neath the excrescences ; and it
might be these which the Eury-
toma endeavoured to pierce
with its ovipositor Mr. West-
wood has, at the end of the
month of September, disco-
vered many of the minute larvae
mentioned by Reaumur, but
never more than a single spe-
cimen under each. In fig. 1652.
b shows the insect of the na-
tural size; c,rf,thegalls reversed,
and rather magnified, with dif-
ferent-sized larvae ; ct larva
magnified. It was chiefly under the larger-sized and more hairy excrescences,
the margins of which were deflexed, that he discovered these larvae, which
6c 3
1652
18C28 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III-
varied in size : it did not, however, appear that they had eaten any part of the
under side of the excrescence. The larvae found beneath the excrescence
were destitute of legs, slightly hairy at the sides, and narrowed towards the
head : they were depressed and fleshy, with two points at the mouth and at
the extremity of the body : they were evidently the larvae of some dipterous
insect ; and it does not appear that they had any actual connexion with the
origin of the excrescence in question. At the same time, he opened some of the
same excrescences, which seemed younger, without pubescence, and of a green
colour, with the margins reflexed, and found in the centre a minute fleshy
white mass, of a thickened and curved form, and without any appearance of
articulation, which he is inclined to regard as the young embryo of one of
the Cynipidae.*
Other Insects found on the Oak. It still remains to notice the attachment of
several .species of insects to the oak, which do not obtain subsistence therefrom,
but take up their abode either from some partiality to the tree itself, or for
the purpose of feeding upon the different insects which live on it. The
purple emperor butterfly (Apatura Prb Fabr.) belongs to the former class.
The caterpillar of this most splendid of the English Lepidoptera feeds upon
the broad-leaved sallow ; but the purple emperor himself " invariably fixes his
throne upon the summit of a lofty oak, from the utmost sprigs of which, on
sunny days, he performs his aerial excursions ; and in these ascends to a much
greater elevation than any other insect I have ever seen, sometimes mounting
higher than the eye can follow ; especially if he happens to quarrel with
another emperor, the monarch of some neighbouring oak : they never meet
without a battle, flying upwards all the while, and combating with each other
as much as possible ; after which they will frequently return again to the
identical sprigs from which they ascended." (Haworth Lep. Brit., p. 19.) Of
the latter class, the numerous tribes of /chneumonidae, C'halcididae, and other
parasitic Hymenoptera, which keep in check the hosts of oak-feeding cater-
pillars, are especially to be mentioned; but it would be impossible to enter
into any detail of their individual habits, or to enumerate the species. Some
of the lace-winged flies (Hemerobii) which feed upon the A'phides are also to
be found upon the oak ; as well as their curious eggs, placed in clusters at the
extremity of long and very slender footstalks, giving them the appearance of
minute fungi. $flpha 4-maculata, a coleopterous insect, also frequents the
oak, in order to feed upon caterpillars; as do also splendid, but rare, species
of Calosoma, C. inquisitor and C. sycophanta, the latter of which, both in the
larva and perfect state, is especially observed, on the Continent, to attack the
larvae of the processionary moths described above. M. Bosc has observed
(Diet. d'Agricult., art. Chene"), and the observation affords an example of
many admirable compensations so common in the economy of the animal
kingdom, that this beetle is always more abundant in those seasons when
the processionary caterpillars (which are extremely destructive to the oak)
are also most abundant. (Marquis, Essai sur les Harmonies Vcgctales et Ani-
males du Chene ; Magas. Encyclop., 1814, torn, v.) Dr. H. Burmeister has
published a valuable memoir upon the natural history and anatomy of the
larva of Calosoma sycophanta, in the first volume of the Transactions of the
Entomological Society of London. *
Oak Barnacles. Among the many curious opinions entertained by the
ancients respecting the oak, those relating to the oak barnacle are, perhaps,
the most extraordinary. The following quotation, from Professor Burnet's
elaborate article on the oak in Burgess's Eidodendron, contains some of the
fables believed by the ancients respecting them ; and we shall add all that we
have been able to collect from other sources. " The word bairnaacle
is from bairn, a child or offspring, and aacle or acle, the aac, or oak ;
signifying the child or offspring of the oak. Munster, in his Cosmography,
* Since this sheet was prepared for press, a memoir has been read at the Entomological Society, by
Mr. W. Smith, giving an account of the discovery of winged specimens of a species of Cynips in these
oak spangles. It is not, however, until the month of Mnrcb, and longafter the oak leaves have fallen
to the ground, that the developement of the Cynips takes place, which accounts for the previous
non-observance of the economy of the species by which the spangles arc produced.
CHAP. CV. CORYLA'CE^E.' ^UF/RCUS. J829
states ' that certain trees grow in Vomonia, near Scotland, towards the
north, whose fruit, falling into the water, is turned into a bird.' Guadaguigua,
an Italian author, affirms the like of the leaves of another tree; and Ruillius,
in the 38th chapter of the 1 2th book of his History of Plants, mentions trees
that ' bear cockles of which birds are produced.' This fable has been va-
riously reported ; and, among the Philosophical Conferences of the Virtuosi of
France, the subject is formally discussed, and many authorities cited, * con-
cerning those trees of the Hebrides ; the wood whereof, being rotted in the
sea, is turned into birds like ducks.' ^Eneas Sylvius, in his History of Eu-
rope, says that he asked ' James VI. of Scotland touching those tree birds
reported to be bred there ; and learned from word of mouth of that learned
king, that those trees grew not there, but in the Orcades; whereupon ^Eneas
truly and handsomely replied, Miracula fugiunt.' Our countryman, Gerard,
however, gives an excellent version of this story; and his testimony shall be
preferred, as being that of an eyewitness ; for his statement, he expressly
declares, was drawn lip in chief part from actual observation." (Amcen. Quer.,
fol. 20.) The quotation from Gerard is as follows: — " There are found in the
north of Scotland, and islands adjacent called Orchades, certain trees whereon
do grow certain shells tending to russet, wherein are contained little living
creatures ; which shells, in time of maturitie, do open, and out of them do grow
those little living things, which, falling into the water, do become fowles,
which we call barnakles ; in the north of England, brant geese ; and in Lanca-
shire, tree geese ; but the other that do come fall upon the land, perish, and
come to nothing. Thus much from the writings of others, and also from the
mouths of people of those parts, which may very well accord with truth."
He then subjoins the following account of what he solemnly affirms he had
not only seen, but touched : — " There is a small island in Lancashire, called
the Pile of Foulders, wherein are found the broken pieces of old and bruised
ships, some wtereof have been cast there by shipwracke ; and also the trunks
and bodies, with the branches, of old and rotten trees, cast up there likewise;
whereon is found a certain spawn, or froth, that in time breaketh into certain
shells, in shape like those of the muskle, but sharper-pointed, and of a whitish
colour, wherein is contained a thing in form like a lace of silke, finely woven
as it were together, of a whitish colour, one end whereof is fastened unto the
inside of the shell, even as the fish of oisters and muskles ; the other end is made
fast unto the belly of a rude mass, or lumpe, which in time cometh to the
shape and form of a bird. When it is perfectly formed, the shell gapeth open,
and the first thing that appeareth is the foresaid lace, or string; next come
the legs of the bird hanging out ; and, as it groweth greater, it openeth the shell
by degrees, till at length it is all come forth, and hangeth only by the bill :
in short space after it cometh to full maturitie, and falleth into the sea, where
it gathereth feathers, and groweth to a fowl bigger than a mallard, and lesser
than a goose, having black legs, bill, or beake, and feathers black and white,
spotted in such a manner as our magpie ; called in some places a pie-annet ;
which the people of Lancashire call by no other name than a tree goose ; which
place aforesaid, and the parts adjoining, do much abound therewith, that one
of the best is bought for three halfpence. For the truth hereof, if any doubt,
let them repaire to me, and I shall satisfie them
by the testimonie of good witnesses." (Her-
ball, p. 1588.) Gerard gives a curious cut of
the barnacle, with the head of the goose peep-
ing out. This extraordinary fable took its
risefrom a mollusc (Z/epas anatffera^gs. 1653.
and 1654.) being frequently found attached
to pieces of oak wood that had fallen into
the sea, and which animal had a kind of 16.53
fibrous beard, something like the feathers of a
bird. Fig. 1655., which represents a species of
.Lepas, supposed to be new, that was taken
6c 4
1830
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
1654
from a log of wood washed on shore near Liverpool, in November, 1830, shows
the manner in which the shells are found attached to the pieces of wood. In
the Amulet for 1830 is a very interesting paper by Dr. Walsh, in which he
speaks of the goose, which was
anciently supposed to be pro-
duced from the Lepas anatifera.
" This bird, which is commonly
called the barnacle goose (J'nser
Bermcla Willd.), is found in great
abundance on the coast of Ire-
land, and particularly in the Bay
of Bannow. It feeds on the tu-
berous roots of an aquatic grass,
which is full of saccharine juice;
and from this food, instead of
ttye rank taste of other sea-fowl
which feed partly on fish, the
bird has a delicate flavour. The
strange story of its springing
from the shell of the Z/epas was
first broached by Giraldus Cam-
brensis, who accompanied the
early invaders to Ireland; and
who, finding abundance of these
delicate-tasted geese on the coast,
and also seeing abundance of
shells, attached at one end by
a fleshy membrane to a log of
wood, and having at the other a
fibrous beard, like the feathers of a fowl, curling round the shell, fancied the
rest of the story, which was readily believed from that natural appetite for
the monstrous which prevails wherever the great mass of people are in a state
of ignorance." Before the Reformation,
Dr. Walsh tells us, the fishy origin of
this bird was so firmly believed, that the
question was warmly and learnedly dis-
puted as to whether it might not be
eaten in Lent.
Parasites and Epiphytes. The enume-
ration of the parasitic and other plants
which live on the common oak, and
which cease to exist when the tree
ceases to live, would form, says M. Mar-
quis (Essai sur les Harmonies Vegetales
et Animales du Chene), "a long cata-
logue." Besides these, there are many
which grow on the ground near the tree,
and which are nourished by its decay-
ing leaves. Among the plants which are
found on the trunk and branches of the
common oak, are various fungi, and nu-
merous lichens, which cover the trunk
with green, brown, white, or yellowish
spots, till it often happens that, at a
little distance, it resembles marble. Va-
rious kinds of ferns also grow upon the
base of the trunk ; and mosses, and
other terrestrial plants, grow in the de-
caying bark.
The terrestrial plants, which are found rooted into the decaying bark of old
CHAP. CV.
C'OKYI.A'CE/E. QUE'RCUS,
1*4*
\&
\5
oak trees, are chiefly mosses ; and, in very moist climates, PolypodFftm vulgure,
and some other ferns. It is proper to state, however, that these plants can-
not be considered as peculiar to the oak ; but that they are merely found on
that tree more commonly than on any other, on account of the denseness of its
shade during summer. Some oak trees, among the hills A,
of Westmoreland and Cumberland (for example, in Leven's f£o
Grove, and in the grounds of the poet Wordsworth at
Kydal), have the trunks and main branches quite green,
with the foliage of P. vulgare j and others covered with a
mossy envelope of different species of //ypnum. The
mosses most commonly found on trees are, //ypnum den-
ticulatum Eng. Bot.,t. 1260., and our fig. 1656, H. tenel-
lum, H. serpens, H. lutescens Eng. Bot., t. 1301., H.
Pohl/, H. curvatum, H. confertum, and H. cupressiforme
Eng. Bot., t. I860., and our fig. 1658., Leskea incurvata,
L. /richomanoides, and L. complanata Eng. Bot., t. 1492., and our fig. 1657.,
DaltomVz heteromalla, Neckera crispa, N. pinnata, and various others ; but
none of these can be considered as exclusively confined
to the oak.
The mistletoe is the only truly parasitic plant which
grows on the oak ; but it is so rarely found on it in Eng-
land, that many persons have doubted the fact of that
. ,_ tree ever having been its habitat.
The mistletoe of the oak is, how-
ever, so intimately connected
with all the traditions of the
druids, that we cannot doubt
the fact of its having been ac-
tually found by them ; especially
as we are told that its being discovered was so rare an
occurrence, as to be attended by rejoicings. We also
find that the apple tree was considered a sacred tree, and
that apple orchards were always appended to the oak 1658
groves of the druids. (See Davis's Celtic Researches, &c.) Now, as we know
that the mistletoe grows very freely on the apple tree, the seeds of the mistletoe
might very naturally be conveyed from the apple orchard to the adjoining
oaks, and some might vegetate on them. After numerous enquiries on this
subject, we succeeded in March, 1837, in learning from Mr. D. Beaton, gardener
at Haffield, near Ledbury, that Mr. Pitt, a small farmer in that neighbourhood,
recollected seeing it on an oak tree near Ledbury, adjoining to which there
was a willow tree loaded with mistletoe, from which the oak was supposed to
have been supplied. This oak was cut down in 1831. Through the kindness
of Mr. Moss, gardener to Earl Somers, at Eastnor Castle, Mr. Beaton received
an account of an oak tree growing near the castle, on which there are several
plants of mistletoe, one of which is of great age, and its branches occupy a
space nearly 5 ft. in diameter. The mistletoe on the oak grows with greater
vigour, and has broader leaves, than that which has grown on the apple ; and
its stem does not form that swelling at its junction with the oak, that it does
on most other trees. Of these facts we had ocular demonstration from a
large and handsome specimen of mistletoe growing from an oak branch, sent
to us in March, 1837, by Mr. Beaton ; and which, in order that the fact of
the mistletoe growing on the oak might no longer be doubted by botanists or
gardeners, we exhibited on April 4th, 1837, at the meetings of the Horticul-
tural Society, and of the Linnsean Society, held on that day. (See Gard. Mag.,
vol. xiii. p. 206.) Subsequently, Mr. Brackenridge, a Scotch gardener, who
is just returned from Berlin, has informed us that he saw the mistletoe on
several oak trees, near Lobsens, in the Duchy of Posen, about 1 1 miles on
the south side of the town of Posen, near to an old cloister, the property of
M. Ebers, to whom Mr. Brackenridge was, for a short time, gardener. Lo-
ranthus europaeus, a parasite closely resembling the Tiscum album, is fre-
.«*
1832
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART 111.
quently found on the oak in the neighbourhood of Vienna, and is supposed
by some to be the mistletoe of the druids. (See our art. Ffscum, p. 1021.)
The principal Lichens that are found on the oak are what are vulgarly called
the lungs of the oak, and its moss. The lichens sold under the name of the lungs
of the oak are, Sticta pulmonacea and S. scrobiculata;
and they are still much in demand in Covent Garden
market, and other places, as a cure for consumption,
and all disorders of the chest. S. pulmonacea Ach.y
syn. Lichen pulmouarius Soiv. Eng. Bot., t. 572.,
and our fig. 1659., is most plentiful in the northern
or mountainous countries, where it clothes the trunks
of old oaks " with a rich leafy garment. The fronds
grow a little imbricate, but are considerably raised
from the bark, into which their leaves are inserted.
They are leathery, green, deeply divided, irregularly and bluntly lobed, strongly
pitted ; the interstices forming a kind of network, which, towards the margin
of the frond, is powdery or woolly." The under side is downy, blistered, and
pale, with a corresponding network of brown veins. The shields are, " for the
most part, marginal, but not always : they are nearly sessile, flat, chestnut-
coloured, with an elevated, smooth, green border. They are found at all times
of the year, and in tolerable plenty." (Eng. J3ot., t. 572.) A decoction of
this lichen is used with milk, to cure all diseases of the lungs. It is bitter,
astringent, and mucilaginous, and promotes expectoration. It was first em-
ployed to cure coughs, Sowerby tells us, because its figure resembled that
of the lungs. It is supposed to possess nearly the same properties as the
celebrated Iceland moss (Cetraria islandica Ach.J. The .^^ IGGO
name of Sticta (that is, dotted) was given to this genus
from the numerous little pits that are found on the
under surface of the fronds. S. scrobiculata Ach.t syn.
.Lichen scrobiculatus Sow. Eng. Hot., t. 497., and our
fig. 1660., is found on the trunks of oaks in the
mountainous parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland,
but not frequently. " The fronds spread loosely over
each other, and are rather leafy than coriaceous, cut
into round lobes, and obtusely notched. Their upper
side is glaucous, full of irregular pits, smooth towards the base or centre ; but
towards the margin they are sprinkled with grey mealy warts. The under
side is downy, brown, paler towards the edge, and spotted all over with
irregular bare white spots. The shields are so rare, that Dillenius never saw
them, but copied them from Micheli, in whose figure (t. 49.) they are drawn
without any margin. After the examination of many hundred specimens,"
continues Sowerby, " we have found only two in
fructification. In these the shields are about the
size of mustard seed, of a tawny brown, flat, with
an elevated, inflexed, downy (not mealy) margin,
of the colour of the frond." (Eng. Bot.t t. 497.)
The lichen figured by Gerard, as the " oke and
his mosse," is U'snea plicata Ach. : syn. Lichen
plicatus Lin.Sp.Pl., 1622., Sow.,Eng.Bot., t.257.,
and our fig. 1661.; Jfuscus arboreus, &c., Ran
Syn., 64. ; U'snea vulgaris, &c., Dill. Muse., 56.
t. 1 1 . f. 1. ; Usnee, Fr. " The whole plant is from
1 ft. to 2 ft., or even more, in length, forming a
thick entangled mass of branching fibres, which
are cylindrical, all more or less divaricated and
undulated, none of them straight. They are of
a uniform greenish freestone colour ; the surface
very smooth at first, but in the older parts rough with minute warts, supposed
to be the male flowers. The main stems often crack here and there, discover-
CHAP. CV.
CORYLA'CEjE. QUE'RCUS.
1833
1663
ing in the interstices a very tough white
central fibre, which pervades the whole
plant. The shields (a) are now and then
to be found at the divarications of the
principal branches, and nearly of the same
colour : their margins radiate with rigid
pointed fibres. This moss was formerly
used as a styptic." (Eng. Bot., vol. iv.)
The other lichens that grow on the oak,
says Mr. Borrer, are generally those that
occur on other trees under similar circum-
stances of age, size, and situation. If a few of them have been observed on
the oak, or on oak wood only, they are among the most obscure, and on that
account extremely liable to have been overlooked elsewhere : such as Calicium
microcephalum Eng. Sot., t. 1865. ; C. hype-
rellum Ach., Eng. Bot., t. 1832.; Spiloma
punctatum Eng. Bot., t. 2472. ; S. fuliginosum
Brit. Fl., syn. S. microclonum Eng. Bot.,
t. 2150., and our Jig. 1662, but not of Ach.;
Lecidea cornea Brit. Fl., syn. Lichen corneus
Eng. Bot., t. 965., and our fig. 1664. ; Ope-
grapha lyncea Brit. Fl., syn. Lichen lynceus Eng. Bot., t. 809.; and the
doubtful Opegrapha microscopica Eng. Bot,, t. 1911. ; and Verrucaria ana-
lepta Ack., syn. Lichen analeplus Eng. Bot., t. 1848., and our fig. 1663.
Fungi. Among those that are found on the wood are : .dgaricus fusipes
Bull., syn. A. crassipes Sow., t. 129.; A. erinaceus Fries, syn. A. lanatus
1665
1666
1667
Sow., t. 417.; A rfryinus Pers., syn. A. dimidiatus Schceff., t. 233., and our
Jig. 1665.; A. palinatus Bull., Sow., t. 62., and our Jig. 1666. ; A. ostreatus
Jacq., Sow., t. 241., and our Jig. 1667. ; A. stipatus
Pers.; A. papyraceus Pers., syn. J.membranaceus
Bolt. Fun., 1. 1 1 . ; Merulius la-
crymans Schum., syn.ifoletm
lacrymans Sow., t. 113., the
dry rot; B. arboreus Sow., t.
346. ; Daedalea ^uercina Pers.,
Grev. Crypt., t. 238., Sow.
t. 181., and our fig. 1668. ;
D. biennisFr., boletus biennis
Sow.,t.l9l.; Polyporussqua-
mosus Fiies, Grev. Crypt., t. 207., and our fig. 1669.; P. lucidus Fr., syn.
J?oletus lucidus ,SW>., t. 134.; P. sulphureus Fries, Grev. Crypt., t. 113.;
P. hispidus Fries, Grev. Crypt., t. 14., syn. boletus
velutinus Sow., t. 345., and our /g. 1670. ; and P.
dryadeus Pers., syn. .Boletus pseudo-igniarius Bull.,
t. 458., the false amadou. This species is not common
in England ; but it has been found on oak trees in Rag-
ley Park near Alcester, at Himley near Dudley, and
in Rockingham Forest. It is of a cinnamon colour
when young, and whitish when old, changing, when
bruised, to a reddish brown. When fresh, it distils drops of moisture from the
1G69
1834-
ARBORETUM AND FKUTICETUM.
PART 111.
1G71
1673
edge, which are sometimes glutinous.
(Eng. Ft., v. p. 144.) It was from this
species that Bracconet obtained the bo-
letic acid. (See Encyc. of Plants, p. 1007.)
P. fomentarius Fries, syn. B. fomentarius
L., and our Jig. 1672. ; and P. igniarius
Fries, syn. B. igniarius L., and our fig.
1671. ; are both used for making amadou,
or vegetable tinder ; the former being considered the best. P. fomentarius
is also the agaric de chene, or agaric des chintrgiens, of the French drug-
gists. To make the amadou, the outer covering is peeled off, and the
interior part, which is soft and full
of fibres, is boiled in a lie of wood-
ashes. It is then dried, and beaten
with a hammer till it becomes flat ;
after which it is again boiled in a
solution of saltpetre. In this state,
it makes excellent tinder, igniting
with the slightest spark. The agaric
des chirurgiens is prepared in the same
manner, but not boiled in the solution
of nitre. ( See Marquiss Essai, &c. ; Diet. Classique d'Hist. Nat. ; Thickness' s
For. Veg.) The Laplanders are said to cure a violent pain in any part of the
body by laying a piece of P. fomentarius on the part, and igniting it. (Eng.
FL, vol. v. p. 4.) P. vulgaris Fr. and P. molluscus Fr. are common on
fallen branches. An account of a curious deformed fungus (fig. 1673.),
apparently a species of Polyporus, was sent to us in the year 1828. This
fungus grew for 10 years on the oak
from which it was taken, and was
composed of an aggregate mass of
tubercles, disposed in an irregular
form : the pores were oval. (Mag.
Nat. Hist., 5. p. 289.) Fistulina
hepatica With., Grev. Crypt., t. 240.,
and our fig. 1674., is an eatable;
_ fungus ; and it is much esteemed in 'tf^ 1575
Austria as an article of food ; though the taste is rather acid, and the texture
tough. It is sometimes found of enormous size. Mr. Graves found a specimen
upon an ash pollard that weighed 30 Ib. On the oak it 1677
is generally very small, .ffydnum
l&inaceus Bull., t. 34., and our
fig. 1675., is found occasionally
upon the oak ; but it is rare in
Britain. Thele'phora rubiginosa <
Schrad., syn. Auricularia ferru-
le ginea Sow., t. 26. ; T. spadicea
Pers., syn. Auricularia tabdcina Sow. T. ^uercina Pers. Syn., p. 573.,
Grev. Crypt., t. 142., and our fig. 1676., syn. Auricularia corticahs Bull.,
ear. It is generally found on fallen oak branches,
in woods, and is very common. T. hirsuta W.
1678 1679
t. 436. f. I., was formerly called oak ear, or oak-
bark ear, from some fancied similarity to the human
( fig. 1677.) is an allied species, and is equally common. Peziza aurantia Pers.
Syn., p. 637., Grev. Fl. Ed., p. 418., syn. P. cocci nea Sow., t. 78., and our
1674
CHAP. CV.
1835
IfiSl
1682
Fl., v. p. 212.)
fig. 1678., is of a beautiful clear orange-
colour within. It grows generally on the
stumps of fallen oaks. P. bfcolor Jin//.,
t. 410. f. 3., and P. cassia Pens. Syn.,
p. 657., are found on fallen oak branches ;
and P. acicularis Peru., syn. P. aguricifor-
mis, and our fig. 1679., grows in old hol-
low trees. Bulgaria fnquinans Fries, Pe-
ziza inquinans Pert. Syn., p. 631., P.
polymorpha Sow., t. 428., and our fig. 1680., is a curiously shaped fungus,
and of a pitch-black colour. It is not uncommon on old stumps and pollard
oak trees ; and is very tough and elastic. B. sarcoidcs Fries, and OUT fig. 1681.,
is also found on old stumps. Cenangiurn (/uercinum
Fries, syn. Hysterium ^uercinum Pcrs. Syn., p. 1 10.,
and our fig. 1682., is extremely com-
mon on the small dead branches
which remain attached to the tree.
When young, it bears a close re-
semblance to a worm burrowing
beneath the smooth bark. (Eng.
Stictis radiata Pers. Syn., p. 674., and our fig. 1683., is
found occasionally on the bark. Tremella mesenterica Retz, and our fig. 1684.,
of a bright orange colour; and T. intumescens Smith Eng. Sot., t. 1870.,
and our fig. 1685.; are found on trunks and branches.
The latter is " in perfection in very wet weather only,
when it forms numerous soft and pulpy clusters, twisted
and twined like the intestines of some animal ; of a
darkish dull brown, but with a shining surface, obscurely
dotted." (Smith.) Exidia auricula Judas Fries, Peziza
auricula Lin., and our fig. 1686., grows on living trees.
The " upper surface is corrugated ; and the plants branching from the middle
part, where they are strongest, are somewhat convoluted, so as to give the
idea of a human ear. When the plant grows on a perpendicular stump or
tree, it turns upwards." (Smith.) This fungus is found on the j^,;
oak, the elder, and many other trees. Exidia glandulosa Fries,
syn. Tremella flaccida Eng. Sot., t. 2452., and our fig. 1687.,
vulgarly called witches' butter, is a curious drooping fungus,
found on the bark. Sclerotium guercfgenum Berk, grows on
felled oaks ; Sphae'ria botryosa Fries, on hard oak wood ; S.
mutabilis Pers., on indurated stumps tossing about in woods ; S. aspera Fries,
on oak branches ; S. uda Pers., on oak wood in moist places ; S. coronata
Hojf., S. taleola Fries, and S. quercina Pcrs., on living branches ; and S.
leiphaevmia Fries, on dead branches. S. niicula jFVj'ro, and
Hysterium Carmichaelianum Berk., syn. H. varium Grev.,
are found on oak bark. H. rugosum Fries is produced on
the smooth branches of the oak, and a variety occurs on
the beech ; H. pulicare, on the rotten wood of the oak ;
and Helminthosporium subulatum Xccs on oak branches.
Oidium aureum Link, of a beautiful golden orange colour,
was found in the hollow of the Fairlop Oak; and Psilonia
gilva Fries, more frequent on the stems of the larger herbaceous plants,
growing on the flat surface of a felled oak.
Besides these, which all grow on the trunk and branches of the trees, the
following are found on the roots: — Agaricus aurantiaco-ferrugfneus With.;
and Polyporus frondosus Fries, Schceff., t. 127., which is reported excellent for
food, sometimes attains the weight of 30 Ib. ; and, in Hungary, has been found
2 ft. high, and 3 ft. broad. When gathered, it smells like mice. Sclerodernm
citrinum Pers., Bolt. Fun., t. 116., and our fig. 1688., also grows on the roots.
Amongst the fungi which grow on the ground under the shade of the oak
1836
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
1689
are the eatable boletus and the truffle (the latter of which
we shall treat of under the art. .Fagus), both of which are
excellent in cookery. The eatable boletus, or cepe, or ceps,
comprises three species, viz. : — boletus edulis Bull. t. 60.
and t. 495., Dec. Fl. Fr., p. 330., Sow., t. 111., Roqucss Hist,
des Champ., p, 61. t. 4. f. 2. and t. 5. f. 1, 2, and 3., and our
fig. 1689., syn. B. esculentus Pers. Obs. MycoL, i. p. 23.,
the ceps ordinaire of the French markets ; B. aevreus Bull.,
t. 375., or ceps noir ; B. aurantiacus Bull., t. 236., the gyrole rouge, or roiissite,
of the French, a variety of B. scaber Bull., t. 132. Besides these names,
the different kinds of ceps are called, in the different provinces of France,
bruquet and potiron ; and in Italy, porcino and ceppatello
buono. The ceps resembles a mushroom in appearance,
with a large pileus, or cap, covered with a yellowish or
brownish skin ; and the lower surface consisting of slightly
attached half-round tubes, in the same situation as the
gills are in the common mushroom. These tubes, which
are, in France, vulgarly called lefoin, are removed with the
skin and stalk, and only the solid part of the cap is eaten.
(See Diet. Classique d'Hist. Nat., torn. ii. p. 390.) The
flesh of the solid part is white, firm, and extremely de-
licate, particularly when young; and it is applied in cookery,
not only to all the purposes of the common mushroom, but it is eaten raw
with salt and pepper, or made into soup. In Roques's Histoire des Champignon,'!,
4to, several receipts are given for preparing it ; and the following observations
are added on its history and culture : —
All the varieties of ceps are delicate. The flesh is fine, of a delicious
flavour, an agreeable smell, and snowy whiteness ; particularly in the voung
plants, which ought always to be preferred. A great quantityof this fungus
is consumed in the south of France, particularly at Bordeaux and Bayonne,
where it is frequently called champignon Polonais, the Polish mushroom ;
" because it was the Poles in the suite of Stanislaus Leczinski who taught
the French that it might be eaten without danger." It is also much used in
Hungary, and other parts of central Europe, and in Russia. " The best ceps
grows on the banks of copse woods, planted with the oak or sweet chestnut;
or on heathy ground, rather hilly, and shaded with oak trees. In the south
of France, the first gathering of this fungus is in May, when the skin of the
ceps is yellowish, and the flesh white, with a faint tinge of rose colour, and
extremely delicate. The second gathering is in July, August, and Septem-
ber, when the skin becomes of a dark brown, and the flesh acquires a
higher flavour. The last gathering is in November and December, if the
weather continues open ; but the flesh has then become soft, and nearly
insipid. These fungi, which are extremely wholesome and nutritious, grow
sometimes so large, that one or two will suffice for the repast of several
persons." (Hist, des Champ., p. 61.) The Rev. M. J. Berkeley, speaking
of this fungus, in the fifth volume of the English Flora, says': "Though
neglected in this country, it appears to be a valuable article of food. It
resembles in taste the common mushroom, and is quite as delicate ; and it
might be used to much advantage, as it abounds in seasons when a mush-
room is scarcely to be found. Like that, it can be cultivated, but by a
much more simple process; as it is merely necessary to moisten the ground
under oak trees, with water in which a quantity has been allowed to ferment.
The only precaution requisite is, to fence in the portion of ground destined
for the production of the fungus, as deer and pigs are very fond of it."
(Eng. Fl., v. p. 153.)
Several fungi grow on the leaves, some of the most remarkable of
which are: ^garicus r/ryophyJlus Sow., t. 127., very fragile, and difficult to
gather without breaking, or rubbing off the skin ; A. ^6rreus Fr., syn.
A. alliaceus Sow., t. 81., remarkable for its strong and abiding smell of
CHAP. CV.
CORYLA'CE^E. QUE'KCUS.
1837
1691
garlic ; A. pelianthinus Fr., syn. A. denticulatus Bolt., t. 4. f. 1.,
distinguished by the purple spiculae scattered over and fringing
the gills, like those on the lip of O'rchis fusca; A. androsa-
ceus L., Bolt. Fung., t. 32., Sow., t. 94., and our fig. 1690.;
A. pterigenus Fries, a variety of the fern agaricus, with a
lemon-coloured stem ; Clavaria^'uncea Fr., syn. C. fistulosa
Bull., t. 463. H., an interesting species, lately discovered in
Northamptonshire; Sphaevria bifrons Schmidt, Sow., t. 373.
f. 4. ; S. punctiformis Pers. ; Phacfdium coronatum Grcr. 1690
Crypt., t. 52., and our fig. 1692.; P. dentatum Schmidt; Phoma pi'istula
Fries ; Hysterium folifcolum 7 maculare Berk., syn. H. maculare Grcr.,
t. 129. f. 2., not H. maculare Fr. ;
Sclerotium ^uercinum Pers., Grev.
Crypt., t. 77., and our fig. 1691.; Fu-
sidium candidum Lk. ; Diderraa glo-
bosum Pers. ; D. deplanatum Fries ;
and Lrredo Quercus Brondeau, which
appears to be very rare in this country.
It has hitherto been found only in the
neighbourhood of Bungay, by Mr. D.
Stock, in a single locality.
Statistics. The British Oak in the Environs of London. At Whitton Place, Twickenham, it is
75ft. high, with a trunk 15ft. in circumference. At Ham House, Essex, it is 70ft. high ; the dia-
meter of the head is 77ft. ; and the trunk is 14ft. 6 in. in circumference. On Laleham Common,
about half-way between that village and Ashford Brook, near two large elms called the Brothers,
stands a sound, vigorous, and noble oak. The girt, at 1 ft. from the ground, is 22 ft. 10£ in. ; and at
3 ft. , 16 ft. (See Burnet's Amcen. Over., fol. 14.)
The British Oak South of London. In Cornwall, at Penllergar, there are two oaks ; the largest of
which measures about 60ft. in height : it has a trunk 18 ft. high before it throws out branches, and
girts 13 ft. 6 in. at 4ft. from the ground. It contains about 514 cubic feet of timber. The other is
12ft 9 in. in circumference at the same height from the ground, and contains about 366 ft. of timber.
In Devonshire, at Bicton, it is 102 ft. high, the diameter of the head 97ft, and the trunk girts
nearly 20ft ; at Lucombe, 33 years planted, it is 51 ft. high ; at Endsleigh Cottage, 15 years planted,
it is 35ft. high; at Stevenstone Park it is 80ft. high, the diameter of the head 71 ft., and the cir-
cumference of the trunk 16ft. 6 in. ; at Grilston, near South Molton, it is 64ft. high, with a pyra-
midal head 58 ft. in diameter, the trunk is 9 ft. 1 in. in circumference, and the tree is in a growing
state. The Ashton Oak (fig. 1693.) stands about four miles from Chudleigh. The beautiful drawing
from which our engraving was made, was taken for us by J. Gendall, Esq., artist, Exeter, who
observes that "the Ashton Oak has more the appearance of an ash than an oak, from the extra-
ordinary cleanness of its trunk and limbs. It stands at the foot of a bold slope, which seems to have
been a copse wood for many years. About 30ft. from the lower roots of the tree, on one side, there
is a considerable brook, and the limbs on this side have a tendency downwards, whilst on the other
side, towards the slope, they all turn up. Beyond the brook is the village of Ashton, backed by
Haldon Hill." (J. Gendall. Cathedral-yard, Exeter, April 3. 1837.) The height of the tree to the
fork, where there is a decayed branch, is 75 ft. ; and the trunk, at 4 ft. from the ground, measures
17 ft. 6 in. in circumference. We received the first account of this tree through the kindness of
John Collier, Esq , M.P., who forwarded to us the following extract from a letter which he had
received respecting it : — " In the year 1805, while on a visit at Chudleigh, I was induced to walk to
Ashton, about 4 miles, to see the celebrated oak, from which I had heard that a plank 60 ft in length
could be cut. We measured the tree at 4 ft from the ground, and found its girt to be 16 ft, and at
the surface of the ground 20 ft From its loftiness and its being devoid of lateral branches, I believe
that the information I had received was correct, and that a plank of 60ft. in length might have been
procured from it The Ashton estate was part of the property of Sir John Chudleigh, of
Haldon House, who was of the same family as the celebrated Duchess of Kingston, she, I believe,
being his niece. On the death of Sir John his property was divided among his four sisters, and the
Ashton estate was afterwards sold to Lord Exmouth, who had property on the other side of the
river ; but some disputes as to the title threw the affarr into Chancery." (James White. Dec. 5. 1836.)
In March last (1837) our attention was directed, by His Grace the Duke of Bedford, to a
paragraph respecting this tree in the Western Times, from which it appears that this oak, " which
is considered the finest in the county, has been sold for 60 guineas, and will be felled as soon
as the barking season commences. About 30 years since it was sold for 100A, but a chancery
suit saved it from the feller till the present period. 70A were offered for it several years back."
The oaks known as Wistman's Wood, of which fig. 1694. is a portrait copied" from Carrington's
Dartmoor, have been long celebrated, as already noticed (p. 1757. and p. 1786.) In Dorsetshire,
at Melbury Park, 300 years old, it is 60ft. high, the diameter of the head 68ft., and the girt of
the trunk 33ft.; at Compton House, 200 years old, it is 80ft high, and the girt of the trunk
21ft. In Hampshire, at Strath fieldsaye, it is 90ft. high, the diameter of the head 89ft, and
girt of the trunk 19 ft ; at Hursley Park are many fine specimens, one of which contains nearly
14 loads of timber ; at Hackwood Park, three oaks were felled in 1836, which measured 101 ft., 115 ft,
and 116ft. in length, and 8 ft. 4 in., 9ft. 4 in., and 10ft 4 in., in girt ; at Sharfield, near Basingstoke,
on another estate of Lord Bolton's, there is a fine growing oak, 12 ft. in girt at 3 ft from the
ground, 80 ft. high, and with branches projecting 30 ft. from the trunk ; in the New Forest there are
12 oaks, called the Twelve Apostles, which are fine sound trees, though somewhat stag-horned in the
branches, the largest has a trunk measuring 22 ft. 6 in. in circumference. In Kent, at Cobham Hall, are
many fine specimens, with trunks 24ft. in circumference. The Bounds Park. Oak, near Tunbridge
Wells, is figured in the folio edition of Strutt's Sylva Britannica : — " At 2 ft above the ground, it is
'-'•J ft. in circumference; its trunk is straight and uniform ; it throws out a great number of limbs, and
AKBORETUM AM) I FlU TU F.TUM.
lLl>t
CHAP. CV.
CORYLA CEJE. tfUE'RCUS.
1839
13 ft. 8 in. in circumference, and has attained a good height ; the branches spread in the form of a dome
and nearly touch the ground, in all parts of the circle sheltered by the luxuriant foliage of this
splendid specimen ; the diameter of this circle is 95 ft." In Wiltshire, at Longleat, 250 years old,
it is 60 ft. high, the diameter of the head 75 ft., and girt of the trunk 19 ft. 6 in. ; at Wardour Castle,
200 years old, it is 50ft. high, the diameter of the head -15 It., and girt of the trunk 25 ft. ; at Long-
ford Castle it is 60 ft. high, the diameter of the head 80ft., and girt of the trunk 15 ft. ; in Savernake
Forest there are many large and noble oaks, besides those mentioned in p. 1771. and p. 1792.
The British Oak North of London. In Bedfordshire, at Woburn Abbey, Q. peduncu&ta is 75ft.
high, and the circumference of the trunk is 18ft. 6 in. ; Q. sessiliflbra is 90 ft. high, the diameter of
the head is 63 ft, and the girt of the trunk 21 ft. 6 in. Near Bedford, on an estate also belonging to
the Duke of Bedford, stands a remarkably fine growing tree, called the Oakley Oak, which girts 15 ft.
9 in. at 2 ft. from the ground ; the height is 75 ft, and the diameter of the head, from the extremities
of the branches, is 116ft. In Howe's Park, Q. pedunculatais 85 ft. high, and the girt of the trunk
15 It ; and Q. sessiliflora is 90 ft. high, and the circumference of the trunk '29 ft. At Flitwick House
there is an old oak 6()ft. high, which girts 18ft. ; it has a straight trunk about 35 ft. high before it
forms any branches; there is also a young oak, planted in 1818, which, in 1836, was 30ft. high, and
2 ft. 5$ in. in circumference. At Ampthill Park there are two fine old oaks : the first (Q. pedunculata)
is 59ft. high, and the trunk girts 25ft.; the second (Q. sessiliflbra) is 60ft. high, girting 24ft,
and with a head 100 ft. in diameter. In Breconshire, the largest oak is one (now in a state of decay)
which girts 25 ft. at 5 ft. from the ground : it grows with some other fine trees near the old mansion
of Pantycored, near Brecon, and belongs to Dillwyn Llewelyn, Esq. In Buckinghamshire, at Claydon
House, the seat of Sir Harry Verney, are two very fine oaks : the circumference of the trunk of the
largest is 27 ft., and the diameter of the head 120 ft. : the circumference of the trunk of the other tree,
at the smallest part, is 21 ft. At Harleyford is an oak 16ft. in girt, and dividing into two enormous
limbs, each from 9ft. to 12ft. in circumference. Waller's oaks, near Beaconsfield, are about 100ft.
high, and 8ft. in circumference: they were planted by Waller in 1730. In Caermarthenshire, at
Golden Grove, are many fine oaks, supposed to be about 300 years old, above 80 ft. high, and with
trunks from 15 ft. to 18 ft. in circumference. In Cambridgeshire, at Wimpole, is an oak 75 ft high,
with a trunk 13 ft. in girt, which is clear to the height of 50 ft. In Cheshire, at Combermere Abbey,
there is a pollard oak SO ft. high, the circumference of the trunk 24ft., and diameter of the head
75 ft. ; there are also some oaks in a growing state, about 70 ft. high, with heads from 75 ft. to 80 ft. in
diameter, and trunks girting about 12ft. (For other oaks at Combermere see p. 1756.) At Buckland
Hill, according to Mitchell, there is an oak with a trunk 24ft. in circumference at 5ft. from the
ground, and which, at 8 ft., branches out into four large limbs, about 60ft. high, and spreading over
a diameter of 120 ft In Derbyshire, the approach to Kedleston House, the seat of Lord Scarsdale,
is through one of the finest oak groves in the kingdom. We have received the following account of
these trees from the Honourable and Reverend Frederick Curzon : — " The largest oak, called, par
excellence, the ' King Tree,' measures in girt, at 6ft. from the ground, 24 ft. ; it has a noble trunk
of 60ft. without a single branch, and appears in a healthy and growing state. The late Lord Scars-
dale refused 300 guineas for it about 20 years ago, when he sold a tree standing near it for 'j(>4
guineas. There are about a dozen more trees in the same grove, with trunks girting from 19 ft to
20 ft. each." In Durham, at Ravensworth Castle, there is an oak which is supposed to be the largest
in the county : it is 70ft. high, with a trunk 18ft, 4 in. in circumference at 1 ft from the ground,
and 17 ft. at 9 ft. ; the head is 80 ft. in diameter. In Essex, the Lawn Oak, at Writtle Park,
according to Burnet, is 2.~>ft. in girt at 5ft. from the ground; and the great Northfield Oak, in
the same park, girts 31 ft. 6 in. at the same height At Hempstead, near Saffron Walden, is an old
oak, the trunk of which, we are informed by J. Pease, Ksq. M.P., girts from 50ft. to 53ft. In
Flintshire, at Grcdlington, the- sc-at of Lord Kenyon, there are two oaks, one of which is 96 ft. high,
and girts 13ft. 9 in. ; and the other is 83ft high, and girts 15 ft. In Glamorganshire are several
fine trees ; and among others the Sketty Oak. We have received the following account of this tree
from that excellent British botanist and ardent lover of trees, I/. W. Dillwyn, Esq., M.P. : " This
tree grows at Lower Sketty, about 2 miles from my house. When I first came into this neigh-
bourhood, in 1802, it was a magnificent tree ; but, a few years afterwards, it was much damaged by
lightning ; and one of the main branches, within these 3 or 4 years, has been torn oft' by a storm.
The trunk is quite hollow, with a circumference of 37 ft. 9 in. at the base ; and it measures 24 ft. 2 in.
at 4 ft. 6 in. from the ground, before any of the enlargement occasioned by the branches begins."
We have received the following account of the Lanelay Oak, also, from Mr. Dillwyn: — " It grows
about a mile and a half from Lantrissant; and my friend the Rev. J. M. Traherne has sent me its
dimension* as follows : — ' 38 ft. 6 in. round the base, and 27 ft. 2in. at 3 ft. from the ground.' This
tree is in a much more shattered state than the one at Lower Sketty : one side of the hollow trunk
6 D
1840 ARBORETUM AND FRUTJCETUM. PART III.
is greatly decayed, if not altogether dead ; and the few remaining branches on the other side are BO
overloaded with ivy, as greatly to endanger their safety in every storm." At Abcr{>erg\vm, the
seat of Wm. Williams, Esq., there is a fine growing tree, 25ft. in girt near the ground, and 15ft.
at the height of 3 ft. In Gloucestershire, at Doddington Park, is a growing tree 75 ft. high, with a
trunk 12ft. in girt, and a head 90ft. in diameter. In Herefordshire, at Croft Castle, it is 120ft.
high, diameter of the trunk 4 ft., and of the head 75 ft. ; another is 75 ft. high, diameter of the trunk
8 ft., and of the head 96 ft. ; another, a remarkably regular and handsome tree, 72 ft. high, diameter
of the trunk 10ft., and of the head 104ft. ; and another, an old pollard, 56ft high, diameter of the
trunk 12ft. 8 in., and of the head 81 ft. At Eastnor Castle, 18 years planted, it is 30 ft. high. AboutS,
miles from Moccas Court is the Eardisley Oak, a fine old tree, having an immense head, wider than
that of the Cowthorpe Oak : the trunk is" 18 ft. high, and 30ft. in girt at 3 ft. from the ground ; with a
hole at the ground, which, in warm weather, serves as a retreat for pigs and sheep. The Nun-Apton
Oak, near Brinefield, has a trunk 33ft. in girt at 5ft. from the ground. The Moccas Court Weeping
Oak (fig. 1568. in p. 1732.) is 75 ft. high ; the circumference of the trunk is 13ft. 6 in., and the diametei
of the head, in one direction, is 100 ft. In Tibberton Park there is an oak (Jig. 1587 in p. 1746.) which,
as we are informed by its proprietor H. Lee Warner, Esq., has reached the astonishing height of 127 ft. ;
the trunk 27 ft. 6 in. in height before it divides into branches ; its circumferences averages about 18 ft.
In Hertfordshire, at Hatfield, are many fine specimens: one, with a trunk 36ft. in circumference,
and clear to the height of 30ft, contains 270 cubic feet of timber. In Lancashire, at Holker Hall,
there is an oak 75 ft. high, with a trunk girting 21 ft. : the diameter of the head is 66 ft. The Broad
Oak, atWinwick Hall, is only 30ft. high ; but the circumference of the trunk, at 1 ft. from the ground, is
17 ft., and the diameter of the head 90 ft. : at 10 ft. from the ground, there are 8 branches, which grow
in a horizontal direction ; and at 10 ft. from those are 6 more branches, spreading in a similar manner.
In Leicestershire, at Donnington Park, 80 years old, it is 68 ft. high, the circumference of the trunk
12 ft., and the diameter of the head 81 ft. ; another, very old, is 64ft. high, the diameter of the head
66 ft, and the trunk 33 ft. in circumference. At Gopsall, at the seat of Earl Howe, Q. pedunculuta is
70ft. high ; circumference of the trunk 18 ft., and diameter of the head 77 ft. In Montgomeryshire,
in the park at Powis Castle are many fine oaks : one of these is 90 ft. high, with a trunk girting
21 ft. at 3 ft. from the ground ; the diameter of the head 93 ft. : it contains about 1335 cubic feet ot
timber. "The handsomest oak I ever saw," says Marsham, " was in the Earl of Powis's noble park,
by Ludlow, in 1757 ; though it was but 16 ft. 3 in. in circumference at 5 ft. from the ground ; but it
ran quite straight and clear of arms (I believe, full 60 ft. high), and had a large fine head." (Bath
Soc. Papers, vol. i. p. 66.) Possibly this may be the tree mentioned above. In Monmouthshire, at
Tredegar Park, 175 years old, it "is 85ft. high; the circumference of the trunk is 18ft, and the
diameter of the head 75ft. In Norfolk, at Merton Hall, is an oak with a trunk 63ft. 2 in. in gilt.
(Sec Jig. 1602. in p. 1764). It is said that, some years ago, a still |larger oak, in the same park, was
blown down. Another oak at Merton measures 25ft. in circumference at 5 ft from the ground.
There are many oaks in the wood with trunks varying from 12 ft. to 24 ft. in circumference. One of
these has a clear trunk 22 ft. 10 in. in height, averaging a girt of about 13 ft., and perfectly straight.
This is a magnificent tree, with a very handsome head. In Northamptonshire, at Shipley House, it
is 350 years old, the circumference of the trunk 27ft., and the diameter of the head 171ft; at
Easton Park is one 26 ft. in girt at 1 ft. from the ground ; and in Chase Park is one 26 ft. 3 in. in
girt at 1 ft. from the ground. In Yardley Chase are many fine oaks, besides those already mentioned
in p. 1765. : one, a growing tree, is 70ft. high, with a trunk 12 ft. in circumference, and 28 ft high to
the first branch ; another has a trunk 26ft. 3 in. in circumference; and several have trunks varying
from 15 ft. to 20 ft. in circumference. At Strelly Hall, the seat of Thomas Webb Edge, Esq., is the
Strclly Broad Oak, which was measured in 1739, after its main arms had been blown off'; when it
contained 560 cubic feet of timber, and its head was 180ft. in diameter. It is now a tnere shell ;
but its trunk still measures, at 3 ft. from the ground, 18 ft. in circumference. At Deene Park, the
seat of the Earl of Cardigan, there are several large old oaks, one of which is 45 ft. high, with a trunk
girting about 14 ft. 6 in. at 3 ft. from the ground, and a head 81 ft. in diameter. A pollard oak, in the
same park, has a trunk which girts 17ft. Sin. at 3ft from the ground. In a wood at Corby is
an oak 70 ft. high, with a trunk girting 16ft. An oak on the Pascoe estate, in the samecounty, has
a trunk 25 ft. 6 in. in girt, which rises (averaging about 15 ft.) to the height of about 22 ft. or 24 ft. ;
when it forms what may be called an apple-tree head. In Northumberland, at Hartburn, 83 years
planted, it is 74 ft. high ; the circumference of the trunk is 12 ft., and the diameter of the head 60 ft. ;
this trunk is without boughs to the height of upwards of 50ft. In Nottinghamshire, at Clumber
Park, it is 58 ft. high, the circumference of the trunk 13 ft. 6 in., and the diameter of the head 72 ft. :
at Thoresby Park, it has a trunk, clear of branches, 4 "> ft. high, though only 7 ft. 6 in. in circumference,
and is a fine young tree. In Oxfordshire, at Blenheim, is a fine oak, nearly 30 ft. in girt. In Cornbury
Park, Q. pedunculata is 48ft. high, with a trunk 34ft. 3 in. in circumference near the ground, and
22 ft. 3 in. at the height of 17 ft. : the diameter of the head is about GO ft. In Pembrokeshire, at Stackpole
Court, d. sessilifl6ra is 100 ft. high, with a head 60 ft in diameter, and a trunk 13 ft. Gin. in circum-
ference. At the height of 13 ft., it divides into three branches, forming a handsome and well-pro-
portioned head. It is difficult to name the age; but 150 years ago it was designated the Large Oak
at Stackpole. In Radnorshire, at Maeslaugh Castle, it is 50 ft. high; the diameter of the head is
97 ft., and the circumference of the trunk 17 ft. 3 in. In Rutlandshire, in Normanton Park, there is
an oak 65 ft. high, diameter of head 90ft, girt of the trunk, at 3 ft from the ground, 14 ft 3 in. :
the species is <i. peduncul&ta. Another oak, in the same park (Q. sessiliflora), measured 1G ft. in
circumference at 3 ft. from the ground. Its height, and the diameter of its head, are nearly equal to
the preceding. They arc standing some 30 yards distant from each other, and within 50 yards of a
bog. The latter is widely different from the former in its general appearance ; and its straggling
branches and pallid leaves give it a very naked aspect. The other, on the contrary, with its deeply
jagged dark green leaves, and robust habit, has a sombre appearance. In Shropshire, at Porkington,
is an oak 50ft. high, with a trunk nearly 20ft. in circumference, and a head 90 ft. in diameter; and
another, in the same park, 100ft. high, has a trunk 18ft. in girt to the height of 18ft., and a head
65 ft. in diameter : at Hardwicke Grange, 10 years planted, it is 25 ft. high : at Willey Park, 15
years planted, it is 39ft high ; at Kinlet there is a growing oak 112ft. high, the girt of the trunk
16 ft. 6 in., and the diameter of the head 84 ft. ; also many fine specimens, from 80 ft. to 100 ft. high, with
trunks from 15 ft. to 24 ft. in circumference, and the branches extending from 80 ft. to 1 10 ft. In the
natural woods adjoining Kinlet are numerous trees both of Q. pedunculata and of Q. sessiliflbra.
In Staffordshire, at Trentham, there is an oak 60ft. high, the circumference of the trunk 21 ft., and
the diameter of the head 70 ft. At Bagot's Park, there is a twisted oak, about 56 ft. high; circumference
of the trunk, at 3ft. from the ground, 27 ft. 2 in., and containing 720 cubic feet of nearly all crooked
timber. This is an old tree, and has lost much of its height and many of its boughs. In the same
park arc six noble trees, called the CliffOaks, in a healthy growing state, and perfectly sound. The
largest of these, which is called the King Tree, is 100 ft. high, with a trunk 18 ft. 7 in. in circumference
at 3ft. from the ground, and containing Gi>0 cubic feet of timber: the others vary in height from
< MAP. cv. < oHvi.A < i i;. </UF/K( us. 1841
80 ft. to !*) ft., ami the circumference- of the trunk from 1.0 il. to 18 ft. : only one of these is showing any
• \inptonis of decay. For the other remarkable trees in Hanoi's I'ark, see p. 1769. In Suffolk, in the
Bury Botanic Garden, H years planted, it is from 20ft. to ;;nft. high ; at Fin borough Hall, HX) years
old, it is 75 it. high, the circumference of the trunk IS ft., and the diameter of the head 82ft.
In Warwickshire, at Coombe Abbey, 600 years old, it is 70 ft. high, the circumference of the trunk
-I it., and the diameter of the head 101 ft: at Springfield, 20 years planted, it is 35 ft. high : at
Allesley Rectory, Q. pedunculata, 26 years planted, is 32ft. high ; and (J. sessilifl6ra, of the same age, is
"9 ft. high, with a trunk 2 ft. 3 in. in circumference at 2 ft. from the ground : at Merivale is a mag-
niticent forest of oaks, many of which have trunks GO ft. high, and of nearly the same diameter at
the top as at the bottom. In Worcestershire, at Haglcy, is a noble oak, with a trunk 22ft 9 in. in
circumference, and the extent of the branches 105ft : atCroome, Q. pedunculata is 85 ft. high, with
a trunk 19ft. in circumference, and a head 105 ft. in diameter j another tree has a head 114ft. in
diameter; (f. sessilillora is 80ft. high, with a trunk 18ft. in circumference. There are numerous
other oaks at Croome, of both species, varying from 70ft. to 80ft. in height, and with trunks
from 15ft to 1H ft in diameter. In Yorkshire, at Castle Howard, it is 90ft. high, the circum-
ference of the trunk 15 ft., and diameter of the head 90 ft ; at Ackworth, Q. pedunculata is
120ft. high, circumference of the trunk lift, diameter of the head 74 ft. ; at Woodthorne, an oak,
supposed to be 1000 years old, is 60 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 33 ft., and of the head 66 ft.,
the trunk of this tree is a mere shell. At Hovingham Hall, the King Oak is 91 ft. high ; the circum-
ference of the trunk, at 1 ft. from the ground, is 24ft. ; and at 32 ft, where it breaks in branches,
12 ft. 9 in. the diameter of the head is 71 ft The Queen Oak is about 70ft. high, and 24 ft in cir-
cumference at 1 ft. from the ground : the diameter of the head is 94ft. Both are sound trees, from
250 to 300 years old. In Studley I'ark, in this county, are some of the noblest oaks in Europe, per-
fectly sound, and most of them in a growing state. The largest of these (Q. sessilifldra) is 118 ft.
high, with a trunk 33 ft. 6 in. in circumference at 1ft. from the ground, and 20ft at 5 ft. from the
ground ; and a head 96 ft. in diameter. (See^g. 1585. in p. 1744.) The largest Q. pedunculata is !4 ft.
high, with a trunk 22 ft. 4 in. in circumference, and rising 21 ft to the fork ; another Q. peduncnlata
(seejig. 1581. in p. 1742. ; which is a portrait by H. W. Jukes, Esq., made, along with those of above
twenty other trees figured in this work, at the expense of Mrs. Lawrence), is 80 ft high, with a trunk
'J4 ft. ti in. in girt at 1 ft. from the ground, and 22ft. 8 in. at the smallest part ; and a head 91 ft. in
diameter. There arc many other tine oaks in Studley Park, varying from 80 ft. to 90 ft. high, with
trunks from 20 ft. to 30 ft. in girt, and clear of branches to the height of from 20 ft. to 40 ft
The British Oak in Scotland. In the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, there is an oak, in Dalmeny
Park, 70 ft high, with a trunk 15 ft. 6 in. in circumference, diameter of the head <»6 ft. ; another oak,
70ft. high, has a trunk only 6ft. 5 in. in circumference, but carries nearly that thickness to the
height of 30 it. before it throws out branches. At Barnton Hall is an oak 80 feet high, with a trunk
ll ft. in circumference, and a head 8'2ft. in diameter : the trunk is sound, and without branches to
the height of 20 ft.; but the head is stag-horned and much decayed. At Hopetoun House is a
growing tree, 75ft. high, with a trunk lift, in circumference. At Melville Castle is an oak, 70ft.
high, with a trunk 18ft. in girt at 4 ft. from the ground, and a head 90ft. in diameter. — South of
Edinburgh. In Ayrshire, at Kilkerran, it is 50 ft. high ; the girt of the trunk is 12 ft. 6 in., and the
diameter of the head is 90ft In Haddingtonshire, at Ycster, is an oak 89ft. high, with a trunk
12ft. in girt, and a head 70 ft, in diameter. In Renfrewshire, at Bothwell Castle, is an oak 59ft.
high, with a trunk 14 ft. in circumference, and a head 98 ft. in diameter. In Roxburghshire, at Minto,
are several oaks, about 200 years old, which arc 70 ft. high; the girt of the trunk about 12 ft., and
the diameter of the head 63ft. For other remarkable trees in this county, seep. 1772. — North of
Edinburgh. In Abcrdeenshire, at Fintray House, are four oaks, with trunks varying from 5ft 6 in.
to 5ft. 10 in. in circumference. The oak docs not ripen its acorns, and rarely its young wood, in
this county. In Banffshire, at Gordon Castle, is an oak 66ft high, with a trunk'about 10 ft. in
girt, and a bead 66ft. in diameter. In Cromarty, at Coul, there is an oak 162 years old, which
is 80 ft. high ; the circumference of the trunk 12 ft., and diameter of the head 60 ft. In Fifeshire,
at Danibrutle Park, it is 70ft. high, with a trunk about lift, in girt, and 40ft. clear of branches ;
diameter of the head 45 ft. At Largs is an oak 100 ft. high, with a trunk 9 ft. 6 in. in circumference,
and 35 ft. clear of branches ; and a head 53 ft. in diameter. In Forfarshire there is an oak, on the
estate of Lord Gray, at Gray House, which was 68 11. high, the circumference of the trunk 17 ft. 6 in.,
and the diameter of the head 90 ft., when it was measured, in June, 1836, by Mr. Robertson, His Lord-
ship's gardener. The same oak, when measured in 1821, was, we are informed by Mr. Robertson, then
only 16 ft. in circumference ; and, consequently, it has gained 18 in. since that period : it is Q. pedun-
culata, and is in great health and vigour. In Perthshire, at Taymouth, is a growing oak, 45 ft high,
with a trunk 14 ft. in girt, and a head 72ft. in diameter. The tree stands in the park, in a loamy
soil on a dry subsoil, and is about 100 years old. In Ross-shire, at Brahan Castle, is an oid oak, 80 ft.
high, with a long straight trunk 12 ft. in circumference, and a head 90ft. in diameter. In Stirling-
shire, at Blair Drummond, is a growing oak, 120 years old, 86ft high, with a trunk 20 ft. in the bole,
and 14ft. in circumference; diameter of the head 60ft. There are many fine oaks at Blair Drum-
mond, from 15 tl. to 50 ft. in the bole, but no other is quite so much in circumference. In Callender
Park, Q. sessiliilora is 50 ft. high, the circumference of the trunk 15 ft. 6 in., and diameter of the head
58 ft. In Sutherland, at Dunrobin Castle, is an oak 80 ft. high, the diameter of the head 47 ft., and
the xirt of the trunk about 11 ft.
The British Oak in Ireland. Near Dublin, at Cypress Grove, it is 50 ft. high; girt of the trunk
V It., and the diameter of the head 50 ft. — South of Dublin. In the county of Carlow, at Oak Park,
the seat of Colonel Bruen, is an oak 58 ft. high, with a trunk 23ft. in girt, and a head 90 ft. in
diameter; also another, at Garry Hudon, 75ft. high, diameter of the head 85ft, and girt of the
trunk 22 It. : both are single trees, growing in a loamy soil. At Borris House it is 61 ft. high, with a
trunk 12 ft. 6 in. in girt, and a head S3 ft. in diameter. In the county of Cork, at Moor Park, the seat
•of the Earl of Mount Cashel, <}. peduncuHttaia76ft high, girt of the trunk 18ft., and diameter of the
head to ft. ; and (}. sessilillora is Wi ft. high, with a trunk 24 ft. in circumference, and a head 85 ft. 6 in.
in diameter. In King's County, at Charlevillc Forest, it is 110ft. high, the girt of the trunk 18ft.,
and diameter. of the head 128ft. This noble tree grows on the lawn, in a brown loamy soil on a
calcareous gravelly subsoil : it is a young tree in a growing state. Another is 85 ft. high, with a
clear trunk 28 ft high, and averaging 16 ft. in circumference ; diameter of the head 102 ft. At 28 ft.
from the ground, the tree divides into 11 large arms, which rise nearly in a perpendicular direction ;
and from these spring 135 smaller arms, or branches, some of which droop within 4 ft. of the ground.
A beautifully spreading oak, in the same forest, is only 56ft. high, with a trunk 16ft. in circum-
ference, and a head 115ft. in diameter. This tree begins to throw out branches, or rather large
horizontal limbs, at 2ft. from the ground, terminating in a kind of sugarloaf head. There are many
other fine oaks in Charleville Forest, but these are the most remarkable. In Kilkenny, at Mount Juliet,
Hie -eat of the Earl of Carrick, it is 6<t ft. high, with a tiunk 25ft. clear of branches, but only 7ft. in
circumference. — North of Dublin. In the county of Antrim, at Belvoir I'ark, near Belfast, stands
CD 2
AltBORETUM AND I'llU TICl.TUM.
w hat is probably the largest oak in Ireland ; since it measures 2S ft. in circumference at(i ft. from the
ground. It is much decayed, and has lost much of its height and many branches. At Shane's
Ca.-lle, the seat of Karl O'Neill, <j. i>eduueulata is to ft. high, with a trunk 15 It. in girt at 4 ft. from
the ground, and a head 84ft in diameter; and tf. se.-silirl.'.ra is tls ft. high, Itift. tiin. in girt, and
the head !«i ft. in diameter. Both arc >oung trees in a healthy growing state; and ^.sessiliilora,
in particular, in the years lx>5 and Is.ki, made a general growth throughout its branches of from
I'm. to 1 ft. S in. In the county of Down, at HdL-lx>rotigh Castle, it is 70 ft. high, with a trunk
nearly 22 ft. in circumference, and clear of branches to the height of 25 ft ; at Moira, it is tioft. high,
with a trunk about Itift. in circumference, and a head (is ft. in diameter. In Fermanagh, at
1'lorence Court, it is 70 ft. high: girt of the trxmk 15ft. and diameter of the head Soft.: at
Castle Coote, a young oak is 75 ft. high, with a trunk 12ft. 8 in. in girt, it is a thriving tree;
another, much shattered, by lightning, is i.HH'1. high, with a trunk loft, (i in. in circumference. In
Ixnith, at Dundalk, is an ou'k tiU ft. high ; circumference of the trunk, at 1 ft. fioiu the ground, 15 ft. ;
at l!'ft., loft. ; diameter of the head 84ft. In the county of Sligo the oaks are Miiall, but remark-
able for the closeness and fineness of the grain of their timU-r. One at Mackree Castle is .JO ft. high,
with a trunk about 7 It. in circumference, and a head 75ft. in diameter. In \Vistmeath, at I'aken-
bam Hall, the seat of the Earl of Longford, <l. pedunculata is 80 ft. high, with a trunk i>eifectly
clear from knots or branches for ol ft. ; girting 12 It. at 1 ft. from the ground, and tift. at ;>1 ft.,
just below the swelling of the branches. The trunk is perfectly straight, and the tree, which is in
a healthy and growing state, is about JHi years old.
The British Oak in Foreign Countries. " In l-'rancc, at Toulon, in the Botanic Garden, IS years
planted, it is tioft. high; the girt of the trunk 12ft. In Brittany, at Harres, on the estate of M.
Vilmorin, <J years planted, it is 15ft. high. In the Botanic Garden at Avranches, <l. ses.-ilifbli.i,
40 years planted, is ;]<> ft. high ; the circumference of the trunk 8ft., and the diameter of the
head 2Sft. In Saxony, at \Vorlitz, <}. sessilit olia, ^JO years old, is 70 ft. high, with a trunk tf ft. in
circumference. In the Grand-Duchy of Nassau,
near \Veisbaden, is a very remarkable weep-
ing oak, of which we have been furnished with
a sketch (from which our fig. lti!)5. is reduced),
by the Honourable Mrs. YVrightson, of \Varns-
w'orth Hall, near Doncaster, daughter of Lord
\Valsingham: — " It is a large handsome tree,
the great peculiarity of which is, that all the lower
branches are very long, slender, and pendulous,
more like those of a weeping birch than of oaks in
general. It is a solitary tree, with no other oaks
near it ; and it stands on grass by the side of the
road. There is a legend attached to the tree, that
two lovers, while taking shelter under it, were
struck by lightning, and that the tree has wept
eversince." In Bavaria, at Munich, in the English
Garden, 20<l years old, it is 40ft. high, circum-
ference of the trunk 7 ft. C> in., and diameter of the
head 40 ft. ; in the Botanic Garden, another (Q.
peduneuluta , 84 years old, is 20ft. high, and
the girt of the trunk 21 in. ; and <). se»silirlbra,
also 84 years old, is IS ft. high, and the circumference ot the trunk 1ft. <> in. In Austria, near
Vienna, at Briick on the Leytha, ISO years old, it is 84 ft. high, with a trunk 15 ft in circumference,
and a head 80ft. in diameter. In Prussia, at Berlin, in the Pfauen Insel, KM) years old, it is SO ft.
high, with a trunk 12 it. in circumference, and a head ;5<> ft. in diameter. In Sweden, at Lund, in
the Botanic Garden, it is 5ti ft. high ; ;the circumference of the trunk 4 ft. tiin., and the diameter of
the head :>ift. In Hussia, in the Government Garden at Odessa, 12 years planted, <l. sessihfl.'.ra is
Itift. high, and the girt of the trunk 15 in. ; and (i. peduiiculata is 17 ft. high, girt of the trunk
12 in. In Italy, in Lombardy, at Moiiza, 50 years old, Q. sessilitlora is to ft. high, the circumference
of the trunk 7 'ft., and the diameter of the head 4H't. ; and (I. pedunculata is tR) ft. high, girt of the
trunk 7 ft., and diameter of the head loft.
Commercial Statistics. Acorns, in London, are from 2s. (\d. to 3.v. (></. per
bushel. Plants (two-years-old seedlings), l().v. per thousand; transplanted,
and from 2 it. to 3 it. high, l().v. per thousand. At Bollw \ller, acorns of the
species are from 2 to 3 francs per bushel ; and plants of the varieties are from
1 franc to 3 francs each. At New York plants are i() cents each.
* 3. (i. I'YKKNA'icA ll'iltd. The Pyrencan Oak.
Llentijication. \Villd., No. f>7. ; N. Du Ham., 7. p. 17!'.; Kees's Cycl., No. 75.
Synont/mes. (}. Ttiuzin I'ers. Syii , 2 p. 571.; (I. nigia Thure Chlor. I. unit., ;iSl. ; <i. T>'Sa Bosc
Journ. Hist. Nat., 2. |). 155. ; <t. stolonifera Lajieyr. I'l. J'yr., 58-'. ; Chene noir Seeuintat.
Engravings. Secondat Mem. du Chene, t. 2. anil t. 5. ; N. Du Ham., 7. t. 5ti. ; Bosc Journ. Hist.
Nat., 2. t. :>L i. '.',. ; and our Jig. ItiiKi.
Sjicc. C'/ifir.y <$'c. Leaves oblong, pinnatifid, stalked; downy beneath ; some-
what heart-shaped and unequal at the base; lobes obtuse, slightlv toothed.
Fruit stalked, (ll'i/ld.) A low tree, a native of the Pyrenees. Introduced
in \*22. 'Ibis species forms a smaller tree than (£. pedunculuta or (•£.
sessiliilora; from both of \\hich it is distinguished by its roots, which run
chiefly near the surface, ami throw up sinkers. The trunk seldom attains
a greater circumference than from (i it. to !> it. The bark is dark-coloured
and chapped. The leaves are petiolatcd ; and the acorns are borne on
short peduncles, generally two together. The tree is readily known, from
its infancy upwards, from every other oak, in spring, by the dense covering
CHAP. CV.
CORYLA'CE;E. QUE'RCUS.
1843
1696
of woolly down that is spread over its young leaves,
which, on their first appearance (in the climate
of London, three weeks later than those of the
common oak), are of a reddish tinge. The tree is
found, in France, in the Lower Pyrenees, and in
every part of the west, as far as Nantes, almost
always on poor sandy soil. In the Landes, it is
known under the name of chene noir, tauzin, or
tauza. At Angers, and at Nantes, it is called
chene doux ; at Mons, chene brosse ; and among
the nurserymen in these countries, chene Angou-
mois. The Basques call it amenza, or ametca.
Bosc says that there is a plantation of it in the
Park of Daumont,atthe back of the Forest of Mont-
morency, some of the trees in which ripen acorns
annually ; and that he had sown a great many of them in the government
nurseries at Versailles. Secondat, who appears to have been the first to
bring this species of oak into notice, considers it as the true QueYcus R6-
bur of the ancients, as already noticed, p. 1722. He says that this oak grows
well in the poorest soil, in which its roots extend close under the surface to
a great distance, here and there throwing up suckers. The wood is of great
hardness, toughness, and durability; and it is chiefly used for the construction
of wine casks. Bosc adds that the wood weighs 60 Ib. per cubic foot,
and that it is very apt to warp ; but that the bark furnishes the best of all tar.
In the Journal a" Hist. Nat., torn. ii. pi. 32., he has figured a gall fly (Diplole-
pis uinbraculus Oliv., Cy nips querciis tojae Fab.), and the gall produced by it,
peculiar to this tree. The gall (fig. 1697.) is spheroidal, fungous within, and
1697
almost ligneous without; smooth, but crowned with from 8 to 12 tubercles,
separated by indentations. The gall fly resembles the Cynips gleehomas
Lin. ; but differs from that species in having the abdomen as downy as the
thorax. In the Nouvcau Diet. d'Agric., it is said that, in the Landes, the
acorns of the Q. Tauzin are much more sought after for feeding swine, than
those of Q. sessiliflora or Q. pedunculata. The young shoots of Q. pyre-
naica are more flexible than those of Q. sessiliflora and Q. pedunculata, and,
consequently, make better hoops. The leaves and young shoots are much
more bitter than those of the other species, and are often rejected by cows
GD 3
ARBORETUM AND FKUT1CETUM.
MKT 111.
and sheep; while those of the common species, in the same pasture, are
eaten. The wood makes excellent fuel. There are plants in the Horti-
cultural Society's Garden, which, in spring, when their leaves are expanding.
are of very great beauty and singularity ; and the species, on that account,
well deserves culture as an ornamental tree. There are some small trees,
in the Horticultural Society's Garden, 6ft. or 8ft. high. In France, in
Brittany, at Barres, 8 years planted, it is 10ft. high. In Germany, at
Brlick on the Leytha, near Vienna, 15 years from the acorn, it is C ft. high.
In Italy, at Monza, 16 years planted, it is 14° ft. high. There are some
plants at Messrs. Loddiges's ; and, in the catalogue of the Kensington Nur-
sery for 1834, seedling plants are marked at 50*. per thousand. At present
we are not aware of plants being in any nursery, except a few at Messrs.
Loddiges's ; but acorns may be had from Paris or Bourdeaux in abundance ;
and there is scarcely a species of the genus more deserving of culture, for
the beauty of its spring foliage.
Varieties. In the Nouveau Du Hamel three are mentioned : — 1. With large
acorns, on peduncles, axillary and terminal ; 2. With axillary acorns of a
middle size ; and, 3. With small acorns, on long racemes. Desvaux, in the
Journal de Botanique for 1808, mentions Q.. Tauzin laciniata, having jagged
leaves; and Q. T. digitata, having digitate leaves. Bosc speaks of a dried
specimen in his possession, which he thinks may belong to the true chene
Angoumois; which, he says, is often confounded with Q. Tauzin and Q.
ferris. To this specimen he has given the name of Q. Ligeris, or chene
ligerien. In the London Horticultural Society's Garden there is an oak
which was received from M. Schammes of Pesth, in Hungary, under the
name of Q. conferta, which appears to belong to Q. pyrenaica ; but, not
having seen the fruit, we cannot be quite certain of this.
^ 4. Q. APENNI'NA Lam. The Apennine Oak.
Identification. Lam. Diet. Encycl., 1. p. 725. ; N. Du H am.,
7. p. 177. ; Bosc M£m. sur les Chenes.
Synonymes. Q conglomerate Pers. ; Ch&ne hivernal, Fr.
Engravings. N. Du Ham., 7- t 53. ; and our fig. 1698.
Spec. Char., SfC. Loaves oval-oblong, petiolated, sinuatcd, pu-
bescent beneath, bordered with obtuse lobes, somewhat
angular. Acorns oval, disposed along a short peduncle.
(Lam.) The leaves are exceedingly woolly beneath ; the
acorns small, almost globular, and sometimes borne to the
number of 8 or 10 on one peduncle, not above 1 in. in
length. The tree does not attain a large size, seldom ex-
ceeding thejheight of 20 ft. According to the Nouveau Du
Hamel, it is intermediate between Q. sessilifldra pubescens
and Q. pedunculata. Bosc says it is very distinct from g.
pedunculata, and from every other species of Qudrcjus. He
found it in abundance, he says, on the mountains in the
neighbourhood of Lyons ; and it is also indigenous to Italy
and to the Levant. It is always found in dry places, on
sandy or stony soils. There are plants in Paris and at
Versailles, and in the Bois de Boulogne. The name is in
British catalogues j but no year is given for its introduction,
nor have we ever seen or heard of a plant of it. Acorns
might, doubtless, be obtained through M. Vilmorin ; and,
being of small size, it would appear to be a most desirable
tree for a suburban garden, or to represent the European
division of the genus Qudrcus in a miniature arboretum.
5f 5. Q. J^'SCULUS L. The Esculus, or Italian, Oak.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1414. ; Willd., No. 63. ; Ait., No. 22. ; N. Du Ham., 7. p. 176. ; Rees's
Cycl., No. 70.
Synonymes. Phagus J?'sculus, mas et'foem, Dalech. Hist., 5. ; Chene grec, Fr.
Derivation. From esca, food. The £'sculus of the classics is by some taken for the beech tree ; but
the Q. ^E'sculus of Linnajus is now believed to be thePhagos of Theophrastus, which he expressly
says is a kind of oak.
Engravings. Our figs. 1699. and 1700.; and the plate of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char.y fyc. Leaves ovate-oblong, sinuated, smooth ; paler beneath ;
segments bluntish, somewhat angular at the base. Fruit nearly sessile.
Calyx scaly, hemispherical. (Smith.) A native of the south of Europe ;
from 20 ft. to 30 ft. high. Cultivated by Miller, in 1739; and flowering in
May. Acorns have been produced on the trees of Q. l?'sculus in the Hor-
1698
CHAP. CV.
1845
1699
1700
ticultural Society's Garden. " So little attention,"
says Sir J. E. Smith, " has been paid to this species
by botanical writers, that we can find no certain de-
scription or figure of it, except in Dalechamp's Hist.
Plant. We even doubt whether the plant intended
in the first edition of the Hortus Kewcnsis be the true
one; yet this seems what Willdenow describes as
such. What Linnaeus briefly describes, in his Man-
tissa (496.), under the name of J^'sculus, seems to be
Q. Cerris ; with which latter the description copied
by Willdenow, and the specific character extracted
therefrom, well agree ; but not at all with the original
and authentic specimen of Q JS'sculus in the Lin-
naean herbarium." (Rees's Cycl.) Sir James next describes the Linnsean spe-
cimens ; and his descriptions agree remarkably well with the trees bearing
this name in the Horticultural Society's Garden : — " The branches angular,
furrowed, and smooth. Leaves scattered, aggre-
gate at the top from 2 in. to 3 in. long, and
l£in. at most in breadth. Footstalks nearly
Tin. long; destitute of the long, linear, tufted,
stipulaceous scales, or ramenta, found in Q.
Cerris, Q. JE'gilops, and Q. austriaca. Young
acorns axillary, nearly sessile, solitary, or in
pairs; the cup scaly; the size of small peas.
Dalechamp represents the full-grown acorns as
about 1 in. long, embraced by a hemispherical
scaly cup, about one third that length. He
says that they are sweet and eatable ; and that
they are brought to table roasted by the Spa-
niards, as well as by the rustic Italians ; but
that they are sometimes found to affect the
head like darnel." (Ibid.) It is singular, that
very little is known respecting this tree even in
France. Bosc says that it is cultivated in the
garden of the Museum ; but that, as far as he
knew, it had never produced fruit. The tree
in the Horticultural Society's Garden, which
is upwards of 20 ft. high, has produced fruit
three or four seasons. The tree in the Hackney arboretum has also, we
believe, produced fruit. Figs. 1699. and 1700. are sprigs taken from the
tree in the Horticultural Society's Garden. Plants, in the London nur-
series, are 3s. Gd. each.
Varieties. The leaves of this species vary considerably (see/g. 1 701., all of
which grew on
the same tree);
and, if it were
desirable, several
varieties might be
selected from a
bed of seedlings,
and continued by
grafting. There is a tree in the Fulham Nursery with decidedly pendulous
shoots, which, being a free grower, forms a very ornamental object.
Statistics. In the environs of London, at Ham House, it is 15 ft. high ; the diameter of the head
2 ft., and of the trunk 11 in. In Staffordshire, at Trentham, it is 26 ft. high ; the diameter of the head
23ft., and of the trunk 13 in. In Ireland, in the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, 35 years planted, it is
30 ft. high ; the diameter of thc head 18 ft., and of the trunk 1 ft. In Germany, at Bruck on thc
Leytha, 44 years planted, it is 34 ft. high ; thc diameter of the head 15 ft., and of the trunk 9 in.
6 D 4
184-6
ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM.
PART III.
N. Du
Q. 7/aliphlce\>s Juss. in Hort. Par.; Q.
c., Lob. Icon., 2. 15fi., Dod. Pcmvt., 831.,
§ ii. Cerris. Mossy-cupped , or Turkey ', Oaks.
Sect. Char. Leaves lobed and sinuated, or dentated; more or less persistent;
in some varieties, subevergreen, or evergreen ; always dying off of a dirty
white, or paper brown ; never with any tinge of red or yellow. Buds
furnished with linear stipules. Fructification generally biennial. Cups
echinate, ramentaceous, or scaly, squarrose.
¥ 6. Q. CE'RRIS L. The bitter, or mossy-cupped, Oak.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 1415. ; Willd., No. 75., Baumzucht, p. 350 ; Ait , No
Ham., 7. p. 182. ; Rees's Cycl, No. 83.
Synonymes. Q. crinita « and /3, Lam. Diet., 1. p. 7
burgundiaca, &c., Baith. Pin., 420. ; Q. Cerris Plin
Ger. Emac.,1345. ; Cirrus Dalcch. Hist., vol. 1. p. 6.'; the Turkey ' Oak;" the Iron, or
Oak : Chene Cerris, Chene chevelu, Chene de Bourgogne, Fr. ; Burgundische Eiche, Cerr-eiche,
(rtr.
Derivation. The specific appellation Haliphlceos was applied by Pliny to an oak with very bitter
acorns : but it may be derived from halts, enough, and phloios, bark : in reference to the tendency
to corkiness in the bark. The Iron Oak alludes to the weight of its wood, which is much heavier
than that of the common oak. The term Wainscot Oak refers to its suitableness for lining the
walls of rooms, from the Dutch words, ward, a wall; and schorten, to suspend.
Engravings. N. Du Ham., 7. t. 57. ; our fig. 1702. j and the plates of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves on very short stalks,
oblong, deeply and unequally pinnatifid ;
hairy beneath ; lobes lanceolate, acute,
somewhat angular. Stipules longer than
the footstalks. Calyx of the fruit hemi-
spherical, bristly. (Smith.) A tree attain-
1702
1703
ing the same height as the British oak,
but of much more rapid and vigorous
growth. A native of France, Italy, Spain,
Austria, and the Levant. Introduced
into Britain in 1735, and not uncommon
in plantations. It flowers in April, and
ripens its acorns, in the climate of London, in October of the second year,
and sometimes in the autumn of the first year.
Varieties. There is a great tendency in this species to sport ; so that many
varieties may be selected from every bed of seedlings. It also appears to
hybridise with facility, especially with Q. Suber ; and from this cross the
numerous race of varieties known as the Lucombe, or Exeter, oaks have
been raised. There are also some varieties of Q. Cerris which appear to
owe their origin to geographical circumstances ; such as Q. C. austriaca,
and Q. C. crinita. The varieties cultivated in British nurseries may, for
practical purposes, be arranged as deciduous, subevergreen, and evergreen.
CHAP. CV.
CORYLA'CEJE. QUE'RCUS.
1847
1704
* Foliage deciduous.
a. Leaves pinnatifid or sinuated. Cups of the Acorns mossy.
Q. C. 1 vulgdris, Q. C. frondosa Mill.
Diet., ed. 5. (see fig. 1702., and the
plates of this tree in our last Volume),
lias the leaves pinnatifidly sinuated, and
the cups covered with soft moss. Of
this variety there is an endless number
of subvarieties. Fig.1702. may be con-
sidered as the normal form : fig. 1704.
has the leaves more deeply sinuated :
fig. 1703. is from a specimen of great
beauty, sent us by Thomas Brooks,
Esq., of Flitwick House : and fig. 1705.,
copied from the figure given in Olivier' s
Travels, is the Q. crinita var. t, Lam.
Diet., i. p. 718., Smith in Rees's Cycl.y No. 82.; Q. Tournefort/i
Willd., No. 74., N. Du Ham., vii. p. 183.; Q. orientalis latifolia, &c.,
Tourn. CV., 40., Voy.,\\. p. 172.; Q. C'eYris Oliv. Voy.,\. p. 221.,
Eng. ed., ii. p. 5. and t. 12.; and Q.. Ha\i-
phlcevos Bosc Mem. sur les Chenes. This
oak was originally gathered by Tournefort
in valleys and plains near Tocat, in Armenia.
Olivier says it is met with throughout great
part of Asia Minor and Syria. The timber
is brought to the arsenal of Constantinople
from the southern shores of the Black Sea,
and is commonly employed in ship-build-
ing, and also for the framework of houses.
The tree grows to a considerable height, and
furnishes excellent wood. In British plant-
ations, it is one of the most ordinary forms
in which the species rises from seed. From
the acorns of any one of these subvarieties, all the others, and many
more, will seldom fail to be produced in the same seed-bed, and,
indeed, sometimes on the 1706
same tree, or even on the
same twig. J<%.1706. shows
portraits of three leaves,
taken from a specimen of
Q. Cerris vulgaris, gathered
in the arboretum at Milford,
in 1835, and there errone-
ously named Q. lusitanica.
We have observed a similar
diversity of appearance in the leaves of an old tree of Q. Cerris in
the grounds at Buckingham Palace.
Q. C. 2 pendula Neill in Lauder's Gilpin, vol. i. p. 73. The pendulous,
or weeping, Turkey Oak. — There is a specimen of this variety
in the experimental garden of the Caledonian Horticultural Society,
which was procured from the Botanic Garden, Amsterdam ; but the
handsomest tree of the kind in Britain, or perhaps in Europe, is pro-
bably that at Hack wood Park, from a specimen of which fig. 1707.
was taken. This tree, which was planted in 1800, was, in 1836, nearly
40 ft. high, with a trunk clear of branches to the height of 8 ft. 9 in.,
which, at the surface of the ground, was 2 ft. 9f in. in circumference.
The branches not only droop to the ground, but, after touching it,
they creep along the surface to some distance, like those of Sophora
1705
184-8
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PAR I JI1.
1707
japonica pendula. The largest
branch is about 17 ft. in length
to where it touches the
ground, and it extends about
4ft. or 5ft. more along its
surface. This variety seems
remarkably distinct, and well
deserving of culture. The
tree produces acorns, some of
which have been kindly sent'
to us by Lady Bolton, which
we have distributed.
Q. C. 3 variegdta Lodd. Cat.,
ed. 1836, only differs from
the species in havingthe leaves
variegated.
b. Leaves dentate. Cups of the Acorns bristly.
Q. C. 4 austnaca ; Q. austriaca Willd., No. 76., N. Du Ham., vii. p. 183.,
'Reefs Cycl., No. 84-. ; Q. Cerris Host Syn., 520. a and 0; No. 28. ;
Q. crinita 7 Cerris Lin., Lam. Diet., i. p. 718.; Q. calyce hispido,
&c., Bauh. Pin., 420. ; Cerrus Clus. Hist., i. p. 20. ; 6'crri minoris ra-
mulus cum flore Ger. Emac., 1346, with Clusius's figure; Cerris
Pliniz minore glande Lob. Ic., ii. p. 156., Ger. Emac., 1345.; ^B'gilops
minore glande Dod. Pcmpt., 831.; Haliphlce\>s, Cerrus foe'mina
Dalech. Hist., i. p. 7. ; ourjtfg. 1708. ; and the plate of this tree in our
last Volume. — Leaves on longish stalks, ovate-oblong, slightly, but
copiously, sinuated; downy and hoary beneath ; lobes short, ovate,
l.HAP. CV. roilYLA'ciwK. ^1/E'llCUS. 184-9
acute, entire. Stipules shorter than the footstalks. Calyx of the
fruit hemispherical, bristly. (Smit/t.) Sir J. E. Smith observes that
this tree is " generally mistaken for Q< C'erris, from which nothing can
be more certainly distinct;" we admit their distinctness, but no one
who has seen the two trees together in the Horticultural Society's
Garden can, we think, doubt their being only different forms of the
same species. This variety is a native of Austria, Hungary, Carniola,
Italy, and other parts of the south of Europe, in stony mountainous
places. It forms the common oak of the indigenous woods in
the neighbourhood of Vienna, where it is considered by M. Ro-
senthal, an excellent practical botanist, as nothing more than a
variety of Q. C'erris. The tree from which our portrait is taken
is in the arboretum of the London Horticultural Society. In the
University Botanic Garden at Vienna there is a tree, 60 years planted,
which is 40 ft. high.
¥ Q. C. 5 cdna major ; Q. cana major Jfr jJJET 1 709
Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 (jto. 1609.); the
hoary-leaved bitter, or Turkey, Oak;
resembles Q,. austriaca in the form
of its leaves; but they are much
more downy beneath. There i.s a
vigorous-growing handsome tree of
this variety in the arboretum of
Messrs. Loddiges, which, in 1836,
was 35ft. high. The name cana
(hoary) was originally given to this
variety in the Hammersmith Nur-
sery, but whence the tree was ob-
tained is uncertain.
If Q. C. 6 cdna minor, Q. cana minor Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836, resembles the
preceding kind, but has narrower leaves. There is a tree at Messrs.
Loddiges's, 25 ft. high.
¥ Q. C. 7 Ragnal; Q. Ragnal Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836. The Ragnal Oak.
-This variety has rather narrower and more deeply cut leaves
than Q. C. cana major ; but, in other respects, scarcely differs from
that variety. It is a tree of remarkably vigorous growth ; but we
have only seen one plant, which is in the arboretum of Messrs.
Loddiges. Miller mentions a large tree of this variety growing at
Ragnal, near Tuxford, in Nottinghamshire, " which makes a most
elegant appearance ; the leaves being shaped like those of the common
oak, but ash-coloured underneath, which renders it very beautiful.
It produces acorns, some years, in great plenty; but, unless the
autumns prove favourable, they do not ripen so as to grow." (Mi//.
Diet., ed. 3., App., No. 12.) We have written to a number of per-
sons in Nottinghamshire respecting the Ragnal Oak; and we find
that the tree was cut down upwards of 50 years ago, but what be-
came of the timber is unknown. There are trees bearing the name
of the Ragnal oak in the plantations at Welbeck Abbey, of which
His Grace the Duke of Portland has kindly sent us specimens ;
but, as the plants have probably been seedlings, they are very dif-
ferent in foliage from the tree bearing the same name at Messrs.
Loddiges's. There was a tree of the Ragnal oak for many years in
the Fulham Nursery; but the late Mr. Whitley, a very short time
before his death in 1835, told Mr. Osborne, jun., that it had died a
few years before. Judging from the trees at Messrs. Loddiges's, we
have no hesitation in saying that (1. C. cana major and minor, and
Q. C. Ragnal, are merely slight variations of the same form. They
all differ, however, from the Fulham oak, and from what is called
the old Lucombe oak, in not being in the slightest degree sub-
1850 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
evergreen ; though the leaves, after withering, generally remain on
the tree through a great part of the winter. However slight the
difference may be between these subvarieties, those who collect
oaks cannot do wrong in procuring plants of each of them ; all of
them forming trees of free growth, and of very great beauty, as may
be seen by the speimens referred to in the arboretum of Messrs.
Loddiges.
** Foliage subevergreen. Leaves dentate. Acorns with bristly Cups.
The leaves remain on the tree through a great part of the winter, retain-
ing their vitality and greenness. In mild winters, the leaves do
not begin to drop till March or April ; and even in severe winters,
a part of them, on the sheltered side of the tree, continue green till
near the end of that month.
2 Q. C. 8 fulhamensis ; Q. C. dentata Wats. Dend. Brit., t. 93. ; Q. C.
hybrida var. dentata Swt. The Fulham Oak. See Jig. 1710., and
the plates of this tree in our last Volume. —
Leaves alternate, ovate-elliptic, largely dentated;
the dents obtuse-angular, their sides excurved, and
their vertices shortly mucronate. (Wats.) This
is a fine broad-leaved subevergreen variety, of
which there is a magnificent specimen in the Ful-
ham Nursery. The plates of the Fulham oak in our
last Volume are portraits of this tree ; the one
taken in November, 1836, and the other on May
1. 1837. It is 75ft. high; the diameter of the
space covered by the branches 54 ft., and the
diameter of the trunk, at 3 ft. from the ground,
3ft. 10 in. There is a tree of the same variety
at Mamhead, near Exeter, planted by Mr. Lu-
coinbe (the originator of the Lucombe oak, and
the grandfather of the present Mr. Pince of the
Exeter Nursery), when he was gardener at Mam- IP* 1710
head, which is 80ft. high, with a trunk 4 ft. 6 in. in diameter at
from the ground. (See Gard. Mag., vol. xi. p. 128.) There is a
great similarity between the foliage of this tree and that of the Ful-
ham oak, as will be seen by fig. 1711.; in which the right-hand
figure is a fac-simile outline, of the natural size, of a leaf of the Fulham
oak ; and the left-hand figure is the outline of a leaf of the Exeter, or
old Lucombe, oak, also of the natural size. But, however alike the
trees may be in foliage, they are very different in their habits of
growth ; the Fulham oak being a branching tree, with a round head,
and a comparatively smooth, though still somewhat corky, bark ; and
the old Lucombe oak growing with a straight erect trunk, regularly
furnished with branches, and forming, both in its young and old
states, a conical spiry-topped tree, with a more rough and corky bark
than the other. In the Fulham Nursery there is a full-grown tree
of the old Lucombe oak, as well as one of the Fulham oak, of both
of which portraits are given in our last Volume, which strongly dis-
play the characteristic difference between the two trees. The age
and origin of the Fulham oak are unknown; but Mr. Smithers, an
old man who has been employed in the Fulham Nursery from his
youth, and who remembers the tree above 45 years, says that
it always went by the name of the Fulham oak, and that he under-
stood it to have been raised there from seed. We have examined
the tree at its collar, and down to its main roots, several feet under
ground ; and, from the uniform texture, and thick corky character
of the bark, we feel satisfied that it is not a grafted tree. In fine
seasons, this variety produces abundance of acorns, from which many
CHAP. CV
<'ORYLANCE;E. <JUK'KCUS
1711
1851
plants have been raised. These plants, though they have the leaves
more frequently broad and dentate, than narrow and sinuate, or
pinnatifid, yet vary so exceedingly, that they could hardly be sold
as the genuine Fulham oak. Hence, that variety can only be pro-
pagated by grafting ; and the stock ordinarily used is the common
oak, on which the Fulham oak takes as freely as the apple does on
the crab. Messrs. Osborne have lately selected a seedling with
leaves broader and less dentate than usual ; and this they are now
propagating under the name of Q. C. fulhamensis latifolia. We
prefer the designation of Q. 6'. fulhamensis to Watson's name of
Q. C. dentata; because the latter will apply equally to several
varieties, and is as characteristic of the Lucombe oak as of the Ful-
ham oak.
It Q. C. y Lucombcan-d ; Q. Lucombeana Swt. ; Q. exoniensis Lodd. Cat.y
ed. 1836. The Lucombe Oak, the evergreen Turkey Oak, the Devon-
shire Oak, the Exeter Oak. (fig. 17H.,and Jigs. 1712, 1713.) —
J852
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III
1712
Qudrcus Cerris Lucombc&na, in its deciduous state, in the Exeter Nursery.
Height 75ft. ; diameter of trunk 6ft. ; diameter of the head 65ft.
This variety is subevergreen : it was raised by Lucombe, nurseryman
at Exeter, from seeds of the species, sown about 1762. The acorns
had been saved from a tree of Mr. Lucombe's own growth ; and,
when the plants came up, he observed one amongst them that kept
its leaves on throughout the winter, to which he paid particular
attention, and propagated some thousands of it by grafting. In an
account of this variety published in the 62d volume of the Philo-
sophical Transactions, dated 1772, it is described as " a tree,
growing as straight and handsome as a fir, with evergreen leaves,
and wood in hardness and strength exceeding that of all other
oaks. It makes but one shoot in the year, viz. in May ; but this
continues growing throughout the summer, not being interrupted,
about midsummer, by the pause which occurs between the produc-
tion of the first and the second shoots, in the case of the com-
mon oak. The tree grows so rapidly, that the original specimen,
at 7 years old, measured 21 ft. high, and 1 ft. 8 in. in circumference: at 6
years old, a grafted tree was 2.3 ft. high; and a tree 4 years grafted was
16 ft. hiirh." Tho shoots arc, in general, from 4ft. to .0 ft. in length;
CHAP. CV. rOHYI.A CErtS. #UE'RCUS.
i ? I :j
Quercus Corn's LvcombekOM, fnJUlftluige* in tlic Exeter Nursery.
and the tree, in Devonshire, Cornwall, and Somersetshire, where
great numbers of'it have been planted, attains the height of from 60 ft.
to 80 ft., or upwards, in from 30 to 40 years. Hayes, in 1794, found,
by an accurate measurement of a Lucombe oak, made in the 27th
year of its growth from the graft, its height to be 60 ft. : its trunk, at
4ft. from the ground, was 4ft. 6^ in. in circumference; and, at the
place of grafting, 6 ft. in circumference. The " fairness " of the
growth of this tree, he says, and the verdure and long continuance
of its leaves, are sufficient motives to induce every planter to wish
for some plants of it on his demesne : " but the goodness of the
timber yet remains to be proved." (Prac. Treat., p. 172., note.)
From a specimen of the wood sent to us by Mr. Pince, which we have
compared with the wood of the British oak, and also of the Fulham
oak, it appears decidedly closer-grained and heavier than that of either.
On writing to Messrs/Lucombe and Pince of the Exeter Nursery
for the history of the old Lucombe oak, we received the following an-
swer. We may premise that the present Mr. Lucombe is in his 85th
\ car, and that he perfectly recollects his father raising the Lucombe
1854
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART 111.
17H
oak in his own nur-
sery, as described
above from the Phi-
losoph. Transactions,
in 1772. "Quercus
Lucombeawa," Mr.
Pince informs us, "is
a hybrid produced
between Q.<Suberand
Q. Cerris; the latter
species being the
female parent. It
was raised by the
late Mr. Lucombe,
who was founder of-
the Exeter Nursery,
from seeds gathered
by him off a speci-
men tree of Q. Cer-
ris, which grew in his
nursery, near to one
of Q,. iSuber, which
accounts for its hy-
brid origin ; the blos-
som of the Turkey
oak having doubtless been impregnated by the farina of the cork tree.
Mr. Lucombe first noticed it about 75 years ago, and extensively
propagated and sold it all over the kingdom. When the original
tree had attained 20 years' growth, and was about 3ft. in circum-
ference, Mr. Lucombe, being then far advanced in years, had it cut
down, for the purpose of making his coffin out of it. He, however,
lived so much longer than he had anticipated, that several years be-
fore his death, he had another much larger and older tree cut down,
sawn into planks, and carefully deposited under his bed, in readiness
for the above purpose ; and inside those planks, over which for many
years he had reposed, he was at last put to rest, at the advanced age
of 102 years. The largest and finest specimens of the old Lucombe
oak now existing are growing at Killerton, the beautiful residence
of Sir Thomas D. Acland, Bart., near Exeter, where, in 1834, a
tree, 80 years planted, was 73 ft. high; diameter of the trunk 3ft. 5 in.,
and of the head 62 ft. At Castle Hill, the splendid demesne of Earl
Fortescue, near South Molton ; and at Carclew, the seat of Sir
Charles Lemon, Bart., near Falmouth, in Cornwall ; are other very
fine trees : one at the latter place, in 1834, 70 years planted,
being 82 ft. 4 in. high ; diameter of the trunk 3 ft. 3 in., and of the
head 40 ft. The old Lucombe oak differs most materially from the
Fulharn oak ; more especially in the general outline of the tree, and
its habit of growth, as will be seen by the accompanying sketches.
(Jigs. 17 12. and 1713.). Its bark is also much more corky than that of
the Fulham oak. The old Lucomhe oak cannot be propagated, with
any degree of certainty (being strictly a hybrid), from acorns, al-
though these are produced rather freely sometimes, and vegetate
well ; but the produce differs entirely from the parent ; and we there-
fore perpetuate it by grafting it upon stocks of the Quercus Cerris,
to which it freely unites, and flourishes amazingly ; frequently mak-
ing shoots from 5 ft. to 6 ft. high the first season from grafting.
The wood is of a close texture, and beautiful grain. The growth of
the tree is rapid, and its whole appearance extremely beautiful.
Sketch No. 1., by Mr. Tucker (fig. 1712.), represents the old Lu-
CHAP. cv. CORYLA'CE,E. QUF/RCUS. 1855
combe oak in the Exeter Nursery, as it appears in its deciduous
state, from January to May ; showing faithfully the stately erect
growth of the bole, and the graceful disposition of the branches.
This tree has been only 35 years planted : its height is 50 ft. ;
the circumference of the trunk, at 1 ft. from the ground, is 8 ft. 6 in.,
and the diameter of the head is 38 ft. Sketch No. 2. (our /g. 1713.)
represents the same tree in full foliage, as it appears from May to
January.— Robert T. Pince. Exeter, April 4. 1837."
Statistics. Q. C. Lucombcana. In the environs of London, in the Fulham Nursery, it is
60 ft 6 in. high ; at Syon, it is 65 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 7 in., and of the head
37ft; in the Mile End Nursery, it is 45ft. high, with a trunk 5ft. 6 in. in girt— South of Lon-
don. In Cornwall, at Carclew, near Penryn.it is 82ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 3ft.,
and of the head 40ft. In Devonshire, at Killerton, 80 years planted, it is 73 ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk 3 ft. 6 in., and of the head 62 ft. ; at Bystock Park, 24 years planted,
it is 40ft. high ; in the Exeter Nursery, 52 years planted, it is 60ft. high, diameter of the
trunk 3ft 6 in., and of the head 4 (ft. In Dorsetshire, at Melbury Park, 25 years planted,
it is 55 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 3 ft., and of the head 25ft. In Somersetshire,
at Leigh Court, 50 years planted, and 80 ft high ; 14 years planted, it is no less than 50 ft.
high, circumference of the trunk 3ft 6 in., and diameter of the head 20ft.: at Nettle-
combe, 80 years planted, it is 59 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 3 ft, and of the
head 46ft. : at Hestercombe, it is 56 ft. high, and the trunk 6ft. 10 in. in circumference.
In Wiltshire, at Wardour Castle, 40 years planted, it is 50 ft. high, the diameter of the
trunk 2ft 6 in., and of the head 54ft. — North of London. In Berkshire, at White
Knights, 26 years planted, it is 27ft. high, with a trunk 5ft. in circumference. In
Cheshire, at Eaton Hall, 13 years planted, it is 20ft. high. In Essex, at Audley End,
68 years planted, it is 40 feet high, the circumference of the trunk 6ft. 6 in., and diameter
of the head 51 ft In Lancashire, at Latham House, 27 years planted, it is 43 ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk 13 in., and of the head 32ft. In Nottinghamshire, at Clumber
Park, it is 50 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 10 in., and that of the head 50 ft.
In Oxfordshire, in the Oxford Botanic Garden, 30 years planted, it is 30ft. high. In
Norfolk, at Merton Hall, it is 66 ft, high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft., and that of the
head 46ft. In Pembrokeshire, at Stackpole Court, 30 years planted, it is 48ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 6 in., and that of the space covered by the branches 30 ft. In
Warwickshire, at Berkswell, 50 years planted, it is 48ft high, the diameter of the trunk
3ft. 9 in., and of the head 22ft. In Worcestershire, at Croome, 55 years planted, it is
79ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft, and of the head 50 ft. ; another tree, 30 year*
planted, is 45 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk is 2ft., and of the head 30ft— In Scot-
land. In Ayrshire, 'at Doonside, 40 years planted, it is 40ft. Jhigh, the diameter of the
trunk 2 ft., and of the head 39 ft. In the Stewartry of Kircudbright, at St Mary's Isle'
it is 49 ft high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft., and of the head 36ft. In Renfrew-
shire, at Erskine House, 23 years planted, it is 28ft. high, the diameter of the trunk
7 in. In Cromarty, at Coul, 20 years planted, it is 32ft. high, the diameter of the trunk
13in., and of the head 18 ft. In Forfarshire, at Kinnaird Castle, 55 years old, it is 45ft.
high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft 6in., and of the head 36ft In Perthshire, in Dick-
son and TurnbulPs Nursery, 40 years old, it is 54 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft.,
and that of the head 26 ft.— In Ireland. In the environs of Dublin, at Castletown, 50 ft.
high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 6 in., and that of the head 38 ft In the county of
Cork, at Castle Freke, it is 39ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft., and of the head
30ft. In Fermanagh, at Castle Coole, it is 46 ft high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft.
6 in., and that of the head 57 ft. In Louth, at Oriel Temple, 60 years planted, it is 67 ft.
high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft., and of the head 46 ft.
**# Foliage evergreen, or very nearly so. Leaves varying from dentate
to sinuate. Cups of the Acorns bristly.
This section consists entirely of subvarieties of the Lucombe oak,
which differ from the parent in being nearly evergreen ; and respecting
which the following observations have been obligingly sent to us by
Mr. Pince : — " These subvarieties were all raised by the present Mr. Lu-
combe, from acorns gathered from the old Lucombe oak, about 45 years
ago (1792). Of the first three of these, there are large specimens in the
Exeter Nursery; being the original trees selected by Mr. Lucombe, and
from which the plants exposed for sale are propagated. These fine
trees," Mr. Pince continues, "which are the admiration of all who visit
the Exeter Nursery, differ in many very material respects from their
parent, but in nothing so much as being evergreen. There is a peculiarity
in these trees, however, as evergreens, which deserves to be noticed. It
is, that in the month of May, when the young leaves burst forth, the old
ones, which are still quite fresh and green, are entirely and simul-
taneously cast off, so that the tree appears bare ; but BO rapid is
the change, that a few days suffice to clothe it afresh in full verdure.
Therefore, although these varieties are, to a great extent, decidedly
evergreen, they cannot strictly come under that denomination. The
bark is very corky, and the leaves are of a glossy blackish green
6 E
1856
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
colour. The new evergreen Lucombc oaks are exceedingly rapid in
their growth, and very hardy: they are most ornamental trees; and,
for producing an immediate and permanent effect in parks, and on
lawns, &c., they have no equal. I have seen several instances of their
growing vigorously in bleak exposed situations, where the common oak
and elm will not succeed : in the vicinity of the sea they grow with
great luxuriance ; and, in such situations, are equally valuable with the
Q. /Mex. I send you dimensions and specimens of our large trees of
each of the three varieties. We propagate them by grafting, in the same
manner as we do the old Lucombe oak. — Robert T. Pince. Exetei-
Nursery, April 4. 1837."
Mr. Pince remarks, in a subsequent letter, which accompanied some
specimens of bark of all these varieties : — " I wish particularly to call your
attention to the specimens of bark of the varieties of the new evergreen
Lucombe oaks, which I send you herewith. You will observe that they
are very corky. The produce of hybrids often assimilates to one parent
more than to another : and thus, in the varieties of the new Lucombe
oak alluded to, there is a great assimilation to the male parent, Q. Suber, in
the thickness and texture of the bark, the density of the wood, and the
dark green, almost black, evergreen foliage ; whilst, in the conical shape
of the tree, and its rapid growth, the habits of the female parent are
retained. — Id. April 20."
1 Q. 0. 10 L. ciispa, Q. Lucombedna
crispa Hort., the new Lucombe Oak,
(fig. 1715.) has the leaves somewhat
curled at the edges, and the bark
1715
1716
corky. Fig. 1717. c shows the form
of the leaf, in its natural size ; and
Jig. 1718. is a portrait, by Mr. Gendall
of Exeter, of the specimen tree in the
Exeter Nursery ; which, 45 years planted, is 63 ft. high ; and the
diameter of the trunk, at 1 ft. from the ground, is 3 ft. The bark,
from the specimens sent to us, bears a close external resemblance to
that of the cork tree, and is above 1 in. thick.
Q. C. 11 L. suberosa, Q. L. suberosa Hort.t (fig. 1717.«) has the leaves
somewhat longer, and the bark double the thickness of the preceding
variety ; the specimen sent us measuring 2 in. in thickness. The
CHAP. ( V.
1857
1717
specimen tree in the Exeter Nursery is 45 ft. high ; and the trunk, at
the base, measures 7 ft. 6 in. in circumference.
f Q. C. 12 L. incisa, Q. L. incisa Hort.y (fig. 1717.6) has the leaves
longer, and somewhat more deeply cut, than those of the preceding
varieties. The tree in the Exeter Nursery is 45 ft. high ; and the
circumference of the trunk, at the base, is 7 ft.
1 Q. C. 13 L.dentdta, Q. L.dentata Hort.y (fig. 1716.) is a fine large-leaved
evergreen variety, lately raised in the Exeter Nursery, and of which
there will be plants for sale in the autumn of 1837.
J Q. C. 14 heterophylla, Q. L. heterophylla Hort.t (fig. 1719.) has very
variable foliage, and is also a recent production of the Exeter Nur-
sery. Of these two new seedlings, Messrs. Lucombe and Pince inform
us that they have a great opinion.
Other Vaiicties. Q. C. bulldta, the blistered, or rough-leaved, Turkey
oak, is mentioned by Miller; and he probably meant it to apply to Q. C. cana,
which has rougher leaves than any other variety that we are acquainted
with. In the Fulham Nursery there is a variety of the Fulham oak pro-
pagated, Q. C. dcntdta pendula, which is said to have pendulous shoots ;
but we have never seen a plant large enough to enable us to determine
whether it is sufficiently distinct to be recorded as such. To the varieties
mentioned above some dozens might be added, by selecting specimens with
widely different-shaped leaves, and continuing them by grafting. In short,
6 E 2
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM
Qtitrcus Corn's Lucombckna. crispn, in the Exeter Nursery.
Height 63 ft. ; girt of the trunk 9 ft. ; diameter of the head 48 ft.
with the exception of the Lucombe and the Fulham oaks, and the pendu-
lous-branched Turkey oak, we think that the varieties of Q. C'erris arc
scarcely worth keeping apart, since equally interesting ones may at any time
be obtained by raising a number of plants from the acorn. In proof of this
we may refer to any plantation containing a number of Turkey oaks which
have been raised from seed ; and one that just occurs to us is a small
avenue of these trees in the Zoological Gardens in the Regent's Park.
Description, Sfc. The Turkey oak is a free-growing tree, with straight vigo-
rous branches, which take a much more upright direction than those of the
British or common oak ; and both branches and twigs are, in every stage of
the tree's growth, wholly free from the tortuous character of those of that
species. The trunk is also straightcr ; but the branches, at their junction
CHAP. CV.
CEA:. QUE HCUS.
1859
with it, being remark- 1719
able for an unusual
degree of expansion,
as shown in fig.
1720., the trunks of
middle-aged trees, as it
is observed in the Dic-
lionnmre des Eaiur ft
ForetSy often appear
gibbous. The bark is
comparatively smooth
and dark when young,
but corky as it crows
old; and it is reckoned
less liable to chap and
crack than that of the
common oak. The leaves
are of a beautiful bright
shining green, somewhat
glaucous or hoary be-
neath; and they vary
so exceedingly in size
and shape in different
trees raised from seed,
that almost every in-
dividual, if described
from the leaves alone, might be constituted a distinct species: they have
short footstalks, and are most readily distinguished from those of oaks of every
other section by their small buds, and the numerous linear persistent stipules
which proceed from them. The acorns are sessile,
or on very short footstalks ; and they are easily
known by the bristly or mossy clothing of their
cups. They are remarkably bitter and austere; a
circumstance noticed by Pliny, who says, "Glans cerro
tristis, horrida, echinato calice, seu castanese." (See
Secondaf, &c., p. 1 5.) In the climate of London, young
plants make snoots, in one season, of from 1 ft. 6 in.
to 3 ft. or 4 ft. in length ; and, in ten years from the
acorn, in good soil, they will attain the height of from 25ft. to 35 ft. Even
in the comparatively cold climate of Knedlington, near Howden, in Yorkshire,
plants, seven years from the acorn, have attained the height of 12ft. (See
Gard. Mag.t vol. xi. p. 251.) The duration of the tree does not appear to
be nearly so great as that of the British oak ; and the timber, after 50 or 60
years' growth, is apt to get shaky. There are very fine specimens of this
tree in the neighbourhood of London, at Syon, Muswell Hill, and Fulham
Palace; of the first two of which there are portraits in our last Volume.
Geography, History, tyc. The range of the ^uercus C'erris, as we have seen
under the head of Specific Character, is limited to the middle and south of
Europe, and the west of Asia. The tree, though known to Pliny, has been
very little noticed by modern botanists, even on those parts of the Continent
where it is indigenous ; and in England, Sir J. E. Smith, only a few years
ago, had never seen the acorns. In the catalogues, it is indicated as having
been brought into cultivation by Miller, in or before 1735, as it is first
mentioned in the Appendix to the third edition of his Dictionary, published
in that year. It had existed in the country, however, long before that period ;
because, in the same edition of the Dictionary, the Ragnal Oak, already noticed
among the varieties (p. 1849.), is described as a large tree.
Properties and Uses. The wood and bark of the Turkey oak are by some
considered as having the same properties as those of the British oak ; but, as it
6 E 3
1720
1860 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
is only about a century since the tree was introduced into this country, very
few specimens have attained a sufficient size to be cut down for timber, and
very little experience has been obtained on the subject. One of considerable
dimensions, felled, a few years ago, in a part of the Mile End Nursery which
was given up for building on, and employed as posts and boarding in a stable,
is said to have decayed with extraordinary rapidity. Mr. Atkinson, who has
made several experiments with the wood of the common oak (see p. 1787.),
wished to try some with that of Q. Cerris, but was only able to obtain one
specimen of sufficient age grown in England. This was about 1826, when
two trees were cut down at East Ilampstead, in Berkshire, a seat belonging
to the Marquess of Downshire ; and the wood was made into doors for the
principal rooms of the mansion. The wood of this tree, Mr. Atkinson says, " is
much finer in the grain than that of our British oak, or foreign wainscot : it
takes a better polish, and is more beautiful, than any other oak that I have
ever seen. From only a single specimen, which I had broken, it was not so
strong as our native oak, but equal in toughness ; but my specimen being
rather cross-grained, it was not a correct experiment, and I suspect it is
equal in strength to our oak. For all ornamental purposes, where the
wood has to be polished, it is superior ; and must be a profitable tree to
plant, as it grows much quicker than our common oaks ; and I have seen it
thrive rapidly in poor land." (Hort. Trans., 2d series, vol. i. p. 338.) On
application to the Marquess of Downshire, in March, 1837, to ascertain the
present opinion entertained at East Hampstead respecting the wood of the
Turkey oak, we have been informed that the wood is not much inferior to
that of the English oak if kept quite in the dry ; but that it will not stand in
water, or in situations where it is alternately wet and dry, so well as that spe-
cies : that if the tree is allowed to grow to the ordinary age at which the
British oak is felled, the wood is very apt to get shaky at the heart : and
that Turkey oaks require to be felled as soon as any dead twigs are seen in
the topmost boughs ; or in about 60 or 80 years after planting. Mr. Richard-
son, who has witnessed the rapid growth of the Q. Cerris at Lady Tankerville's
villa at Walton on Thames, where he has been gardener for upwards of 40
years, says that, in deep sandy soil, it grows much faster, and makes a taller
straighter tree, with more timber in the trunk in comparison to what is con-
tained in the branches, than either the common oak, or any other species of
the genus. ( See Gard. Mag.y vol. x. p. 336.) In the Dictionnaire des Eaux
ct Forets, the wood is said to be very solid, and very good both for civil and
naval purposes ; more especially that which is grown in the south of France ;
which, from the warmth of the climate, is found to be harder and more durable
than that grown in the north. Bosc, and also the writers of the article on
(^uercus in the Nouveau Du Hamel, say that the wood is preferred for ship-
building in the south of France ; and also that the tree attains a larger size on
poor sandy soil than the common oak. In Olivier's Travels, it is stated that
the wood of Q. Cerris is brought to Constantinople from the southern shores
of the Black Sea, and employed both in ship-building and in the framework
of houses. Whatever may be the properties of the wood of the Turkey oak
in the south of Europe or the Levant, the experience of it in Britain, hitherto,
can hardly justify our recommending it for other purposes than those of
cabinet-making and joinery, The tree, however, is one of very great beauty,
both in point of form and foliage ; and, being of great rapidity of growth, it is
equalled by few for ornamental plantations. The foliage of some varieties is
persistent, like that of the beech and the hornbeam : and of others, supposed,
as we have seen (p. 1855.), to be hybrids, it is subevergreen, or so near being
completely evergreen, as to be retained on the trees till May.
Promulgation and Culture. The species, and most of the varieties, ripen
acorns in England, from which plants are raised with great facility; but the
varieties, like those of every qtfaer oak, being very liable to sport, can only
be continued by grafting or by layers. The stocks employed may be either
those of Q. Cerris, or of the common British oak j and the grafting may be
CHAP. cv. CORYLA\:EJE. QUE'RCUS. IS61
performed in the whip manner, with as great certainty of success as in graft-
ing common fruit trees. Some nurserymen find the new evergreen varieties
of the new Lucombe oak to take by grafting more readily than the old Lu-
combe oak ; and others prefer stocks of Q. pedunculata to those of Q,. Cerris.
In the nursery, the plants ought to be annually removed ; because scarcely
any species of oak suffers so much from transplanting as the different varieties
of Q. Cerris. Purchasers of these varieties, therefore, would do well to
bespeak them from the grower a year before they require them to be taken
up ; or to purchase them in spring, on condition of their being immediately
taken up, pruned, and replanted, preparatory to their being taken up and re-
moved to their final destination in the succeeding autumn. It is much better
for a purchaser to pay double the usual price for plants properly treated in
the nursery, than to have one half, or, as we have known sometimes, two
thirds, of them entirely fail from nursery mismanagement.
Statistics. In the environs of London, at York House, Twickenham, 50 years planted, it is 50 ft.
high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft 6 in., and of the head 20 ft. ; at the Priory, at Stanmore, it is 53 ft.
high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 10 in., and of the head 32 ft ; at Syon, it is 70 ft high, the dia-
meter of the trunk 2 ft. 8 in., and that of the head 73 ft. ; at Muswell Hill, 72 years old, it is 62 ft.
high, the diameter of the head 50 ft. — South of London. In Cornwall, at Carclew, it is 74 ft. high,
the diameter of the trunk 3 ft. 9 in., andof the head 64 ft In Devonshire, at Mamhead, there are three
trees, the largest of which is 100ft high, and the others 90ft. and 80ft. respectively ; the circum-
ference of the trunk of the first is 12ft, of the second 15ft., and of the third 14ft 1 in. ; the probable
age of these trees is between 70 and 80 years, having been planted by Mr. Lucombe : at Killerton,
34 years planted, it is 67 ft high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft., and of the head 43ft. : at Bystock
Park, 18 years planted, it is 50ft. high ; and at Endsleigh Cottage, 15 years planted, it is 40 ft. high.
In Dorsetshire, at Melbury Park, 44 years planted, it is 70ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 3ft.
9 in., and of the head 40ft. In the Isle of Wight, in Wilkins's Nursery, 30 years planted, it is 40ft.
high. In Kent, at Cobham Hall, 13 years planted, it is 36ft. high. In Somersetshire, at Nettle-
combe, 68 years planted, it is 74ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 4 ft., and that of the head 71 ft.
In Surrey, at Deepdene, 10 years planted, it is 24 ft. high. ; at Nutfield Blechingley, 21 years planted,
it is 34 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk is 2ft. 10 in., and of the head 27ft. In Wiltshire, at
Longleat, 50 years planted, the species is 60 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft. 6 in., and of the head
46ft. ; at Longford Castle, it is 60 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 3 ft. 6 in., and of the head 66ft. — North
of London. In Bedfordshire, at Woburn Abbey, specimens 24 years old are from 30ft to 40ft. high ;
at Ampthill, 85 years planted, it is 80 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 3 ft, and of the head 50 ft. In
Denbighshire, at Kinmel Park, 20 years planted, it is 32 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 1 ft., andof the
head 18ft.; at Eaton Hall, 14 years planted, it is 30 ft. high. In Lancashire, at Latham House,
27 years planted, it is 37 ft high, the diameter of the trunk 16 in., and of the head 32ft. In Leices-
tershire, at Whitton House, 30 years planted, it is 46 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 10 in.
In Nottinghamshire, at Clumber Park, it is 53 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft 10 in., and of
the head 52ft. In Northamptonshire, at Wakefield Lodge, 10 years planted, it is 26 ft. high. In
Shropshire, at Hardwicke Grange, 10 years planted, it is 32ft high, the diameter of the trunk Sin.
In Warwickshire, at Allesley, 26 years planted, it is 48 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 17 in. ; at
Springfield, 30 years planted, it is 34 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 11 in. In Worcestershire,
at Croome, it is 80 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 9 in., and of the head 80 ft. In Yorkshire, at
Kipley Castle, 16 years planted, it is 34 ft high, the diameter of the trunk 10 in., and of the head
}'2 ft. ; at Knedlington, 7 years from the acorn, it is 12 ft high. — In Scotland. In the environs of Edin-
burgh, at Hopetoun House, it is 50 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft. 3 in., and of the head
52 ft. — South of Edinburgh. In Renfrewshire, at Erskine House, 25 years planted, it is 36 ft high,
the diameter of the trunk 11 in. — North of Edinburgh. In Cromarty, at Coul, 20 years planted, it is
38 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 13 in., and of the head 30 ft. In Ross-shire, at Brahan Castle,
it is 50ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft, and that of the head 35 ft— In Ireland. In the
environs of Dublin, in the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, 35 years planted, it is 35 ft high, the
diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 4 in., and of the head 25 ft. ; at Cypress Grove, it is 70 ft. high, the dia-
meter of the trunk 2ft., and of the head 50ft. In King's county, at Charleville Forest, 10 year*
planted, it is 24ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft., and of the head 14ft. In Fermanagh,
at Florence Court, 38 years planted, it is 70ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft 6 in., and of the
head 56 ft
In Foreign Countries. In France, in Brittany, at Barres, 12 years planted, it is 30 ft. high. In
Hanover, at Gottingen, in the Botanic Garden, 25 years old, it is 30ft. high, the diameter of the
trunk 8 in., and of the head 20ft. In Bavaria, in the Botanic Garden, Munich, 20 years old, it is
15ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 6 in. In Austria, at Vienna, in the University Botanic
Garden, 20 years old, it is 25 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 9 in., and of the head 12 ft. ; at Bruck
on the Lejtha, 50 years old, it is 36ft high. In Prussia, at Berlin, at Sans Souci, 50 years old, it is
40ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft., and of the head 18 ft. In Italy, in Lombardy, at Monza,
- 1 years planted, it is 35 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk I ft 8 in., and of the head 32 ft
Commercial Statistics. Acorns, in London, 10s. per bushel; one year's seed-
ling plants, 105. per thousand; two years' seedlings, 50s. per thousand; two
years' seedlings, one year transplanted, 20*. per thousand. The Lucombe
and Fulham oaks, from 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. each. Q. ferris, at Bollwyller, is 2
francs a plant; at New York, 50 cents, and the Lucombe oak 1 dollar.
¥ 7. Q. ^'GILOPS L. The ^Egilops, or Vahnia, Oak.
Llcnnfication. Lin. Sp. PL, 1414.; Willd., No. 61. ; Ait, No. 20. ; Mill. lc., t. 215.; Oliv. Trav.
Eng. cd., vol. 2. p. 44. ; N. Du Ham., 7. p. 175. ; Smith in Rces's Cycl., No. 58.
Synunymcs. Q. oricntalis, &c., Town. Cor., 40.; Avgilops sive Ccrrus mas C. Bauhin, Second at ;
6 E 4
1862 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
Vel&ni Tourn. Voy., 1. p. 128. ; Glans Cerri Dalech. Hist., 1. p. 7., the great prickly-cupped Oak ;
Chene Velani, Fr. ; Chene Velandde Base; Knopper Eiche, Ger.
Engravings. Mill. Ic., 2. t 215. ; Oliv. Travel., t 13. ; N. Du Ham., 7. t 51. ; our fig. 1721. ; and the
plates of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves ovate-oblong, with bristle-pointed tooth-like lobes ;
hoary beneath. Calyx of the fruit very large, hemispherical, with lanceo-
late, elongated, spreading scales. (Smith.} A tree, a native of the islands
of the Archipelago, and throughout all Greece ; at-
taining, according to Tournefort, the dimensions of
the common oak, in favourable situations in the Le-
vant; but not growing even so high as the Turkey
oak, according to Olivier. It was introduced in
1731, but has never been extensively cultivated.
Leaves stalked, about 3 in. long, bright green ; a little
downy at the back ; their edges very coarsely and
acutely serrated, rather than lobed; each tooth tipped
with a bristly point. Acorn large, short, and a little
hollow at the top. Cup sessile, woody, 2 in. or 3 in. in
diameter, from the projection of its numerous, long,
oblong, reflexed, petal-like scales. The tree, accord-
ing to Olivier, is not so lofty as the Turkey oak; nor
is the wood much esteemed, except in cabinet-work.
Miller observes that this is " one of the fairest 1721
species of oak in the world;" that it thrives very well in the open
air in England, and is never injured by frost. The fruit, according to
Martyn's Miller, is called velani ; and the tree, velanida, by the modern
Greeks ; but, according to Olivier, the name velani is applied to the tree,
and velanida to the fruit. The cups and acorns are annually brought to
Europe, where they are in great demand for tanning, being said to contain
more tannin in a given bulk of substance than any other vegetable. Ac-
cording to M'Culloch, these acorns, which are commonly called valonia,
form a very considerable article of export of the Morea and the Levant ;
averaging, in 1831 and 1832, nearly 150,000 cwt. a year, and being sold at
from 12/. to 15/. per ton. " The more substance there is in the husk, or
cup, of the acorn, the better. It is of a bright drab colour, which it pre-
serves so long as it is kept dry ; and dampness injures it, as it then turns
black, and loses both its strength and value. It is principally used by tan-
ners, and is always in demand. Though a very bulky article, it is uniformly
bought and sold by weight. A ship can only take a small proportion of her
register tonnage of valonia; so that its freight per ton is always high."
(M'Cull. Diet., p. 1203.) We agree with Miller in considering Q. .^'gilops
as one of the most splendid species of the genus, and we would strongly
recommend it to every lover of fine trees. A kind of gall is found on this
tree, somewhat similar to that found on Q. infectoria, and which is employed
in the same manner. These galls are rugose, and of an angular form ; and
are either the fruit itself, distorted by the puncture of the insect, or merely
the scaly cup, which is enlarged into a gall. The insect which pierces it is,
according to M. Van Btirgdorf, Cynips quercus calycis. It is found in
Greece, and in the islands of the Mediterranean Sea. (Burmeister Handb.
der Ent., sect. 310.) In British nurseries, Q. JE'gilops is not very common,
though there can be no difficulty in procuring acorns from the Continent.
There is a tree at Syon, 22 ft. high, which bears fruit annually, and even
the small tree at Messrs. Loddiges's, of which a portrait is given in our last
Volume, bears fruit.
Varieties.
¥ Q. M. 2 pendula has drooping branches. There is a small tree of this
variety in the Fulham Nursery.
t Q. JE. 3 latifolia Hort. has leaves rather broader than the species.
There is a tree of this variety in the Horticultural Society's Garden.
I
CHAP. CV.
CORYLA'CEJE. QUE'RCUS.
1863
Statistics. In the environs of London, at Syon. it is 22ft. high, diameter of the trunk 1 ft., and of
the head '24ft. : in Denbighshire, at Llanbede Hall, 20 years planted, it is 35ft. high, the girt of
the trunk 2ft. 8 in., and the diameter of the head 14ft. : in Suffolk, at Finborough Hall, 30 years
planted, it is 4()ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 8 in., and of the head 30ft. In Ireland, in
Louth, at Oriel Temple, t>0 years planted, it is 55ft. high. In France, at Toulon, in the Botanic
Garden, 10 years old, it is 19ft. high. In Bavaria, at Munich, in the English Garden, 30 years old,
it is 10ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 3 in., and of the head 4 ft. In Italy, at Monza, 24 years old,
it is 23ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 6 in., and of the head 18 ft.
Commercial Statistics. Plants, in the London nurseries, are 7*. Qd. each ; of
the pendulous-branched variety, 3s. Qd. each : at Bollwyller, plants are 3 francs
each.
Q. Turneri, Q. austrdlix, and some other sorts, may possibly belong to the
section ferris; but, as there are great doubts on the subject, we have thought
it better to include them in an Appendix.
§ iii. Alba. White American Oaks.
Sect. Char. Leaves lobed, and sinuated, not mucronated; broadest at the
upper extremity; dying off more or less shaded with a violet colour. Bark
white, or whitish brown, cracking and scaling off in thin laminae. Fructifi-
cation annual. Cups imbricate or echinate. Nut oblong, generally large.
The American oaks being generally propagated in Europe by acorns im-
ported from America, we shall here give a comparative view of the acorns of
some of the common kinds. Fig. 1122. represents acorns of the natural size,
of all the kinds that were imported by Mr. Charlwood, seedsman, of London,
in the year 1836 ; but that year being unfavourable for the ripening of acorns
in America, fewer sorts were imported than usual, and the nuts of these few
are under the average size. In this figure, a is the acorn of Quercus alba ;
b, that of Q. macrocarpa, with the cup on ; c, that of Q. obtusfloba ; d, Q.
Prinus tomentosa ; e, Q, P. pumila ; /, Q. tinctoria ; g, Q. nigra; //, Q. Phellos;
and f, Q. palustris.
We may here observe that most sorts of the American oak in Messrs.
Loddiges's collection (the most complete in Europe) can be propagated by
grafting on the common oak, close to the ground ; and largely earthing up
the grafts afterwards, so as to leave only the points of the scions exposed to
the air. This earthing up not only preserves a uniform degree of moisture
round the graft ; but the earth empfoyed being taken from the adjoining sur-
face, and consequently having been heated by the sun, produces an imme-
diate increase of temperature round the graft, which gives an impulse to the
rising sap, and so accelerates vegetation.
It may be proper to notice that the specimens of American oaks in the
Horticultural Society's Garden are in general stunted, and by no means ex-
hibit the average growth of such trees in the climate of London. The reason
1864 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
is, they have for the most part been planted in clumps along with elms ; which,
being vigorous, rapid-growing trees, have robbed the soil of moisture, and
overshadowed and stunted the oaks. In any of the London nurseries where
the American oaks have been allowed to stand 6 or 8 years in the same place,
they will be found of twice the height of those in the Chiswick Garden ;
and, instead of being crooked, stunted, and unhealthy, they are straight and
vigorous. We may refer to a few which are generally to be found in the
Hammersmith and Fulham nurseries ; but we wish, in a particular manner, to
direct attention to the specimen trees of American oaks in Loddiges's arbo-
retum, and to some hundreds of plants which they have for sale in their
adjoining nursery ground. Among the latter, we observed on May 5th, 1837,
above 100 plants of Quercus palustris, the hardiest, the most rapid-growing,
and, in our opinion, the most beautiful, of all the American oaks ; which, at
7 years from the acorn, were from 15 ft. to 20ft. in height. In the Ley ton
Nursery, near Stratford-le-Bow, there were, till the sale of the stock of that
nursery in the autumn of 1836, a great variety of American oaks, selected by
the late Mr. Hill from seed-beds, and planted across the nursery in rows in
different directions, for shelter. The variety and beauty of these oaks ex-
ceeded anything of the kind we ever before saw : in spring, when they were
coming into leaf; in summer, when they were in full foliage; and in autumn,
when they were dying off of every shade of brilliant scarlet, yellow, red, and
purple. The plants were mostly from 10 to 12 years from the acorn; were
transplanted into these rows, after making 2 years' growth in the seed-beds ;
and, with the exception of Q. Banisten, and two or three other low-growing
kinds, they were all from 20 ft. to 30 ft. in height. The portrait of Q. palustris
in our last Volume, taken from a tree in the Leyton Nursery, will give an idea
of the progress made by that species there. In the London Horticultural
Society's Garden, though about the same age, it is not half that height. (See
Q. palustris.)
¥ 8. Q. A'LBA Lin. The American white Oak.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 1414; Banist. Cat. Stirp. Virg. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 449. ; Pursh, vol. 2.
p. 633. ; Michx. Quer., No. 4. t. 5. ; N. Du Ham., 7. p. 175. ; Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 69.
Simonvmes. Q. &lba virginiana Park. Thcat. Bot., Cat. Carol., I. t 21. f. 2. ; Q. a. pinnatffida
Walt: Carol, p. 230., No. 10., Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer.,<L p. 195. ; Q. palustris Marsh., p. 120. No. 3.;
Chene Wane de 1'Amerique, Fr. ; weisse Eiche, Get .
Engravings. Cat. Carol. ,'1. t. 21. f. 2. ; Michx. N. Amer. Syl., vol. 1. 1. 1.; our figs. 1723. and 1726.;
and the plate of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves oblong, pinnatifidly serrated ; pubescent underneath ;
lobes linear-lanceolate, obtuse, entire, attenuated at the base. Fruit pedun-
culated. Calyx somewhat cup-shaped, warty, and flattened at the base,
Acorn oval. (Willd.) A native of North America, where it grows to the
height of 60ft., or upwards, and flowers in April. Introduced in 1724.
Varieties. The elder Michaux gives the two following forms of this species,
the leaves of both of which are shown in fig. 1723. copied from Michaux's
Histoire des Chenes Ameriques : —
¥ Q. a. 1 pinnatifida Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., ii. p.
\S5.yHist. des Chenes Amer., t. 5. f. l.,and our
fig. 1723. a; Q. alba Ban. Cat. Stirp. Firg.; Q.
virginiana Catcsb. Carol. y i. p. 21. t. 21.; and
Q. a. palustris Marsh., p. 120. No. 3. — This is
the usual form of the species, and is common
in North America, from Canada to Florida.
Fig. 1726. is a sprig and acorn of Q. alba pin-
natifida, taken from Michaux's North American
Sylva, vol. i. t. 1. ; and the acorn without its
calyx is shown in^g. 1722. at a.
% Q. a. 2 rcpanda Michx. 1. c., Hist, des Chenes, t.5. f. 2., Du Roi, t.5. f.5.,
and our fig. 1723. A, which is found wild in the forests of Carolina,
and which sometimes occurs in seed-beds of Q. alba in Europe. Fig.
CHAP. CV.
CQRYLANCE*. QUE'RCUS.
1865
1724
" /ff/9 ™II1IHHWH) / W ^*$^
sprig apparently of this variety, grown in the Hor-
y'a Garden, under the name of Q. alba. In Messrs.
172-i. is from a s|
tlClllturi.il Society a \jcuucu, uiiuci 11 n_; name in >^. <uuti. AH XTJ.I.OOI o.
Loddiges's arboretum is an oak named Q. squamosa, from a spe-
cimen of which fig. 1725. was taken. This tree, which is 20 ft.
1725
high, has exactly the appearance, bark, and habit of growth of Q.
alba, and as it only differs from it in the shape of the leaves, it may
probably be a variation of this variety.
Description. The American white oak, according to Michaux, bears most
resemblance to Q. pedunculata, which is sometimes called the white oak in
Europe. Q. alba, in the American forests, is often 70 ft. or 80 ft. high, and
with a trunk 6 ft. or 7 ft. in diameter ; but its proportions vary with the soil
and climate. Cobbett says that it is " amongst the least curious and beautiful
of the American oaks." The leaf, he adds, " is small, and the shape and colour
not very handsome." According to Michaux, the leaves are regularly and ob-
liquely divided into oblong rounded lobes, destitute of points or bristles ; and
the indentations are the deepest in the most humid soils. " Soon after their
unfolding, the leaves are reddish above, and white and downy beneath ; when
fully grown, they are smooth, and of a light green on the upper surface, and
glaucous underneath. In the autumn they change to a bright violet colour."
(y. Antcr. #///., i. p. 19.) Michaux adds that this is the only American oak
that retains some of its withered leaves till spring The acorns are large, oval,
ami very sweet; and they are contained in rough, shallow, greyish cups. They
arc borne singly, or in pairs, on long peduncles," attached, as in all the species
with annual fructification, to the shoots of the season." The fruit is rarely
1866
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
FART III.
abundant; and sometimes not above a handful of
acorns can be found in a large forest. The acorns
have a very thin and brittle shell: they ripen
early, and, according to Cobbett, germinate so
easily, that, " if warm rains come on in the month
of November, which they very frequently do in
America, the acorns still clinging to the trees
actually begin to sprout before they are shaken
down by the winds." (Woodlands, § 542.) Some
trees produce acorns of a deep blue colour ; but
Michaux had seen only two specimens of this
variety ; one in the grounds of Mr. Hamilton, _
near Philadelphia, and the other in Virginia. The
bark of this tree is white (whence the species de-
rives its name) ; and, though it is often variegated
with large black spots, it has such a silvery hue,
that the tree may be easily distinguished by it
even in winter. The bark is scaly ; and, on young
trees, it appears divided into squares, but, on old trees, into plates laterally
attached. The wood is reddish, somewhat resembling that of the British oak,
but lighter, and less compact. The rate of growth of this tree, in British gar-
dens, where the soil is good and the situation sheltered, may be considered as
nearly equal to that of the common oak ; but without shelter, even in a good
soil, the tree has a stunted appearance for many years, as is evident from a
tree of 20 years' growth in the Hackney arboretum, and several in the Horticul-
tural Society's Garden, of two of which/g. 1727. presents portraits. The largest
1727
1726
trees that we know of are between 60 ft. and 70 ft. high ; and, both at York
House near Twickenham, and at Muswell Hill, they have ripened acorns.
Geography. Q. alba is found as far north as Canada, N. L. 46° 30'; and
thence it was traced by the two Michaux, as far as Cape Canaveral, N. L. 28° ;
and westward, from the ocean to the country of Illinois; a distance of above
1200 miles from north to south, and nearly as much from east to west. It
is not, however, equally distributed over this extensive tract of country, being
found either in very dry and sandy, or in very rich, soils. The white oak is
in the greatest abundance in those parts of Pennsylvania and Virginia that lie
CHAP. (V. CORYLA^CEA\ tfUE'llCUS. 1867
between the Alleghany Mountains and the Ohio, in a yellow soil, composed
of clay with a mixture of calcareous stones, which produces excellent wheat.
History. The white oak, according to the elder Michaux (Hist, des Cileries'),
was the first American oak known in Europe ; and it is not only mentioned,
but a figure of a single leaf of it is given, in Parkinson's Herbal, printed in
1640. Parkinson having just described Q. .E'sculus, adds, " They have in
Virginia, a goodly tall oke, which they calle the white oke, because the barke
is whiter then others ; whose leafe, because it so neerely resembleth this
sweet oke, I have joyned with it. The ackorne, likewise, is not only sweeter
then others, but, by boyling it long, it giveth out an oyle, with which they
keep supple their joynts." (p. 1387.) The leaf figured bears a very close re-
semblance to those of the Q.. alba given by the two Michaux. Catesby, writ-
ing, probably, about 1728, says that the Q. alba virginiana of Parkinson closely
resembles the common British oak. He adds that the bark is white, and that
the grain of the wood is very fine; also, that there is a variety of it called the scaly
white oak, which is found in Virginia. (Catesb. Carol., i. p. 21.) Kalm, in his
Travels, about the year 1740, says that the white oak is the kind of tree
which is found in greatest abundance in good ground near Philadelphia. It
is stated in the Hortus Kcwcnsis to have been introduced in 1724; and it is
not only included in the list published by the Society of Gardeners, in 1730
(see p. 77.), but is one of the oaks enumerated by Catesby, as being " then
growing at Mr. Fairchild's." (Catesb. Carol., p. 22.) The tree has never been
much planted in Britain, from the difficulty of bringing over the acorns.
About the year 1820, when Cobbett returned from America, and commenced
nurseryman, he strongly recommended the tree, and raised and sold several
thousand plants of it, though he acknowledged that he had great difficulty in
bringing the acorns in a sound state to England.
Properties and Uses. Pursh calls the white oak one of the most abundant
and useful of its genus in America. The elder Michaux states that it is pre-
ferred to all other oaks, both for house and ship building, in that country ; and
Michaux the younger informs us that, in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and nearly
all the towns in the middle states, the framework of all the well-built houses,
whether of wood or brick, is of the timber of this tree. It is seldom, however,
he adds, used for the floors or outer covering of wooden houses, from its lia-
bility to warp and split. The wood of young trees is very elastic, and capable
of such minute division, that it is used for many of the purposes of the willow
or the bamboo, or even whalebone; such as basket-making, carpet-brooms,
seats and backs for chairs, the rims of sieves, the bottom's of riddles, and
carter's whips, which are made in the following manner : — " A tapering piece
of the wood is cleft in nine, from the small end to within 1 ft. of the other end,
which is left solid for the hand. These nine spleets are then twisted by threes,
and the threes again twisted together; the whole is then sewed in a case of black
leather, and a silken thong added, which completes the whip." (Birkbcck's
Notes, &c., p. 7 1 .) The wood is also used, in America,for milk-pails, the handles
of axes, and numerous other rural purposes. " Of all the species," says the
younger Michaux, " that grow east of the Mississippi, the white oak alone
furnishes staves for casks, proper for containing wines and spirituous liquors.
The domestic consumption for this purpose is immense ; and vast quantities are
exported to the West Indies, Great Britain, and the Islands of Madeira and
Teneriffe." (N. Anier. Syl., i. p. 22.) The bark is employed for tanning the
leather for saddles, and other articles which require to be of a fine texture ;
but the bark of the white oak is so much thinner than that of the red, that it
is rarely used for the purposes of ordinary tanning. The acorns are sweet,
and are eaten by the Indians.
Propagation and Culture. (See p. 1727.) We may here repeat, as applicable
to all the oaks of this and the succeeding sections, that the acorns may be
brought over with perfect safety, if bedded in moist live moss (Sphagnum).
They will require no attention during the voyage ; but, as they will have ger-
minated by the time of their arrival in Britain, they should be immediately
planted, with or without pinching off the extremities'of such of the radicles as
1868
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
may have pushed above 1 in. in length. Cobbett recommends gathering the
acorns before they are quite ripe, drying in the sun, and packing in dry sand ;
but by this mode, we think, the vital principle would not be so well preserved
as by packing them in Sphagnum.
Insects. In America, the white oak is infested with numerous insects, some
of which are figured in Abbott and Smith** Insects of Georgia. Phalsevna
(? PygaeVa) albifrons (t.80., x 1728
and our Jig. 1728.), the white-
tip moth, is by no means a
common kind. The cater-
pillar, which is of a pinkish
colour, striped with yellow,
white, and black, has a fine
polish, as if glazed or var-
nished. The whole brood
feeds together, especially
when small. One observed
by Abbott spun itself a thin
white web,between the leaves
of the oak, on October 28th,
and came out on the 18th of
February. The chrysalis is
of a reddish brown, and the
perfect insect of a dull brown,
tinged with yellow. Phala3vna
(Notodonta) Aurora (Abb.
and SmUh,t. 87., and our fig.
1729.), the pink and yellow
prominent moth, was taken
by Abbott on the white oak. " The caterpillar went into the ground,
and enclosed itself in a thin case of dirt, on July 15th, appearing on the wing
on August 7th. Sometimes this species buries itself in the autumn, and remains
till spring, at which season the moth may now and then be observed sitting
on the oak branches."
Statistics. In the environs of London, at Fulham Palace, a tree bearing this name, between 100
and 120 years old, is 60 ft. high, but it appears to us to be nothing more than Q. peduncuh\ta ; at
York House, Twickenham, it is 50 ft. high; at Muswell Hill, 72 years old, it is 61ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk 6 ft. 6 in., and of the head 70 ft. In France, in Brittany, at Barres, 8 years
planted, it is 9ft high. In Austria, at Vienna, in the park at Laxenburg, 10 years planted, it is
20ft. high. In Bavaria, at Munich, in the English Garden, 10 years old, it is 7 ft. high. In
Italy, in Lombardy, at Monza, 24 years planted, it is 30ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 8 in., and
of the head 10 ft.
Commercial Statistics. The name of the white oak does not occur in any
of the London nursery catalogues of the present day, with the exception of
that of Messrs. Loddiges; neither is it in the Bollwyller catalogue. In that
CHAP. CV.
CORYLA CEJE. (JUE HCUS.
1HG9
1750
of Prince, of New York, for 1829, Fox's white oak (a variety of which we
know nothing) is mentioned as being 37$ cents a plant.
t 9. Q. OLIVJEFO'RMIS Michx. The OYive-sli'Ape-fruited American Oak.
Identification. Michx. Arb., 2. p. 32. ; N. Amer. Syl., 1. p. 32. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept, 2. p. 632.
N. Du Ham. ,7. p. 181.; Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 81.
Sunonume. The mossy-cup Oak, Amer.
Engravings. Michx. Arb., 2. t. 2. ; N. Amer. Syl., 1. t. 3. ; and OUT fig. 1730.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves oblong, smooth ; glaucous beneath ; deeply and un-
equally pinnatifid. Fruit elliptic ovate, on short footstalks. Calvx cup-
shaped, fringed, and nearly covering the acorn. (Michx.t adapted.) This
tree grows, in America, to the height of from
60 ft. to 70 ft. ; and, according to Michaux,
it has a spreading head, and an imposing
aspect. " The bark is white and laminated ;
but the tree is chiefly remarkable for the form
and disposition of its secondary branches,
which are slender and flexible, and always
inclined towards the earth. This peculiarity
alone," continues Michaux, u would render
it a valuable acquisition for parks and gar-
dens." (N. Amer. Syl., i. p. 33.) The leaves
are of a light green above, and whitish be-
neath : they resemble those of the white oak
in colour, but differ from them in form ; being
larger, and very deeply and irregularly lacini-
ated, with rounded lobes, so different in
shape, that it is impossible to find two leaves
that are alike. The acorns are of an elon-
gated form, and are about three parts en-
closed in deep oval cups, the scales of which
are prominent and recurved, except near the
±, where they terminate in slender flexible filaments. From this pe-
.rity, Michaux called the species the mossy-cupped oak. This oak
is very rare in America, being only found, according to Michaux, on the
banks of the Hudson above Albany, and in Genessee : but Pursh found
it on iron ore hills in Pennsylvania and Virginia. Pursh adds that, in
general appearance, it resembles Q. macrocarpa. Michaux thinks that
the wood, though " not better than that of Q. alba, is far superior to that of
Q. rubra ;" but it does not appear that it has been yet applied to any econo-
mical uses. It was introduced into England in 1811, but is seldom found
in plantations, or even in the nurseries. There are seedling plants of it in
the Horticultural Society's Garden ; and in some private collections.
5t 10. Q. MACROCA'RPA Willd. The large-fruited American Oak.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 433. ; Pursh, 2. p. 632. ; Michx. Quer., No. 2. ; N. Du Ham., 7.
p. 182. ; Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 80.
Synonymes. The over-Cup white Oak, Bur Oak, Amer. ; Chene a gros Glands, Chene frise, Fr.;
gross-fruchtige Eiche, Ger.
Engravings. Michx. Quer., No. 2. t. 2,3.; N. Amer. Syl., 1. t. 4. ; our Jig. 1731.; and the plate
of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves downy beneath, lyrate, deeply and sinuately lobed; the
lobes obtuse and spreading, and the upper one much dilated. The calyx deep,
cup-shaped, scaly, and fringed with bristles. Acorns thick and ovate. ( Willd.)
This, according to Michaux, is " a beautiful tree, more than 60 ft. high, laden
with dark tufted foliage. The leaves are larger than those of any other oak
in the United States, being frequently 15 in. long, and 8 in. broad : they are
notched near the summit, and deeply laciniated below. The acorns, which
are also larger than those of any other American species, are oval, and en-
closed for two thirds of their length in a thick rugged cup, which is generally
bordered along its upper edge with fine, long, flexible filaments. The bark
1870
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
of the young branches is frequently
covered with a yellowish corky
substance, like that which is found
on the liquidambar, and some
kinds of elm." This oak is found,
according to Michaux, in the great-
est abundance beyond the Alle-
ghanies, in the fertile districts of
Kentucky and West Tennessee;
and in Upper Louisana, near the
Missouri. According to Pursh,
it is found within the mountains,
on dry slate or limestone hills ; and
in Kentucky, Tennessee, and the
country of the Illinois; and also on
the banks of the Mississippi and the
Missouri. The wood, according
to Michaux, is inferior to that of the white oak, and is little esteemed in
the United States ; but, according to Pursh, the wood is excellent. There
are trees in the Horticultural Society's Garden, and at Messrs. Loddiges's.
The portrait in our last Volume is from the latter.
¥ 11. Q. OBTUSI'LOBA Michx. The blunt-lobed-/«zm/, or Post, Oak.
Identification. Michx. Quer., No. 1. t. 1.; Pursh, 2. p. 632.; Michx. Arb. Am., 2. p. 36.; Smith
in Rees's Cycl , No. 78.
Synonymes. Q. stellata Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 452., Ait., No. 26., Wangh. Amer., 78. t. 6. f. 15., N.
Du Ham., 1. p. 180., Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; Iron Oak, Box white Oak, American Turkey Oak (so
called, because the acorns, which are sweet, are eaten by the wild turkeys), upland white Oak,
Amcr.
Engravings. Michx. Quer., No. 1. t. 1. ; Arb. Amer., 2. t. 4. ; N. Amer. Syl., 1. t 9. ; Wangli.
Amer., t. 6. f. 15. ; our fig. 1732. ; and the plate of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves oblong, slightly pubescent beneath, sharply wedge-
shaped at the base; lobes obtuse, the lower ones deeply sinuated, and the
upper ones dilated, and slightly bilobed. Calyx hemispherical. Fruit oval,
and rather smal 1. (Michx., adapted
The height of this tree, according to
Michaux, rarely exceeds 40 ft., with
a trunk not more than 15 in. in dia-
meter, and a head disproportion-
ately large ; owing to the " early
division of the trunk into limbs,
with which the secondary branches
form more acute angles than is
usual with other trees. The
branches are, also, bent into elbows
at certain distances, which renders
the tree easily distinguishable, even
when the branches have fallen."
The bark is thin, and of a greyish
white. The wood is yellowish, and
with no tinge of red. The leaves
are on short petioles, and so deeply lobed as to have almost a star-like shape,
whence Wangenheim called it Q. stellata. The upper lobes are much broader
than the lower ones ; and the leaf is attenuated at its base. The texture is
coriaceous, and the colour is a dusky green above, and greyish beneath.
In autumn, the ribs assume a rosy tint, but never that purplish red which is
observable in those of the scarlet oak. The acorns, which are produced
in abundance, are small, oval, and three parts covered with a slightly rugged
greyish cup : they are very sweet, and form a delicious food for squirrels
and wild turkeys ; whence the tree is, in America, often called the turkey
oak. " In New Jersey, near the sea, and in the vicinity of Philadelphia,5'
1732
CHAP. CV.
QUE'RCUS.
1871
says Michaux, " this species is thinly disseminated in the forests, and has
hitherto been considered as a variety of the white oak. In Maryland, and
a great part of Virginia, where it abounds, it is called the box white oak, and
sometimes the iron oak, and the post oak. The last denomination only is
used in the Carolinas, Georgia, and East Tennessee." The steep banks of
the Hudson, near New York, form its most northern boundary ; and even
here, Michaux observes, it is only preserved by the influence of the sea air,
which somewhat moderates the severity of the winters. It thrives but in a
dry, sandy, or gravelly soil, not far from the sea; but it attains its largest size
near Baltimore. The farthest point at which it was found to the west, was
about 150 miles from Philadelphia, on the road to Pittsburg. It is most
abundant in Virginia and Maryland, between the Alleghanies and the sea.
" Growing in a less humid soil, its timber is less elastic, but finer grained,
stronger, and more durable, than that of the white oak : hence it is pre-
ferred, in America, for posts, and is used with advantage by wheelwrights
and coopers." (Michx.) In ship-building, it is employed principally for the
knees, as it seldom produces planks large enough for the sides. The pre-
ference given, in the West Indies, to the staves for casks procured from
Baltimore and Norfolk is due, in a great measure, to their being made, in
those districts, of the post oak. (Michx.) Pursh calls this species the
upland white, or iron, oak; and says that it is a spreading tree, from
50 ft. to 60 ft. high, the timber of which is of great value in ship-building.
It was introduced into England in 1819; and there are plants of it in the
Horticultural Society's Garden, and at Messrs. Loddiges's.
± 12. Q. LYRAVTA Walt. The lyrate, or over-Cup, Oak.
Identification. Walt. Carol., 235. ; Willd., No. 72. ; Ait., No. 27. ; Pursh, 2. p. 632. ; Michx. Quer. ,
No. 3. t. 4. ; N. Du Ham., 7. p. 181. ; Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 79.
Synonymes. Swamp Post Oak, Water white Oak, Amer.
Engravings. Michx. Quer., No. 3. t. 4. ; and our figs. 1733. and 1734.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves subsessile, glabrous, ly-
rately sinuated ; much contracted in the middle,
but dilated at the summit, and attenuated at the
base ; lobes angular ; the upper part of the leaf
divided into three lobes, which are tricuspidate
at their extremities. Calyx globular, rough, and
almost covering the acorn. (Michx.} The over-
cup oak, according to the younger Michaux,
forms a noble tree, of which he has seen spe-
cimens, on the banks of the Savannah, more than
80ft. high, with a trunk from 8ft. to 12ft. in •* ^^ 1733
circumference. The elder Michaux, however, states its ordinary height to
be between 50ft. and 60 ft. The leaves are from 6 in. to 8 in. long, smooth,
narrow, lyre-shaped, deeply sinuated, and
borne on short petioles. The lobes, espe-
cially the upper ones, are somewhat trun-
cated; and, from the resemblance in this
respect to those of the post oak, this species
has obtained the name of the swamp post oak.
The foliage is thick, and of a light agreeable
tint ; and the bark is white. The acorns are
broad, round, and depressed ; and the cups,
which are nearly closed over them, are thin
and scaly, each scale being terminated by a
short firm point, or bristle. (Michx.) Pursh,
speaking of this tree, says that it is only from
8* ft. to 15ft. high; but, as all the other
writers who have mentioned it describe it as
a large tree, with a majestic appearance, and &/r* 1734
most luxuriant vegetation, Pursh's account of its height is probably a mis-
6 F
1872 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 111.
take. Indeed, the tree of this species in Loddiges's arboretum was upwards
of 15ft. high in 1834. Q. lyrata is a native of the southern states of
North America ; where, according to the younger Michaux, " it is never seen
in the long narrow marshes which intersect the pine barrens, but is found
exclusively in the great swamps on the borders of the rivers, which are often
overflowed at the rising of the waters, and are inaccessible during three
quarters of the year." It is not mentioned by Catesby,and appears to have
been first described by Walther, in his Flora Cnroliniana. It was introduced
into England in 1786, but is seldom met with in collections. The wood,
though inferior to that of the white and post oaks, is more compact than
would be supposed from the swampy nature of its native habitat : it will,
however, grow on dry soil ; and the elder Michaux states that, even in loose
sandy soil, it grew faster than any other oak in his nurseries. (Hist, dot
Chimes, No. 3.) The younger Michaux says that " this species is the largest
and most highly esteemed among the oaks that grow in wet grounds. The
acorns I sent to France, though sown on uplands, have produced flourishing
plants, which bear the winter of Paris without injury." (North Amer. Syl.t
i. p. 42.)
§ iv. Prmus. Chestnut Oaks.
Sect. Char., $c. Leaves dentate, dying off of a dirty white, or of a yellowish
orange. Bark white, rough, and scaly. Fructification annual. Cup im-
bricate. Nut oblong, generally large.
¥ 13. Q. PRIMUS L. The Prinus, or Chestnut-leaved, Oak.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 1413. ; Willd. Sp., 4. p. 439. ; Ait. Hort. Kcw.,5. p. 290. ; N. Du Ham.,
7. p. 164. ; Michx. Fl. Bor. Amcr., 2. p. 195.
Spec. Char.y $c. Leaves oblong-oval, more or less pointed, nearly equally
toothed. Cup somewhat scaly; nut ovate. (Michx. Fl. Bor. Amcr., ii.
p. 195.) Trees, varying in height from 20ft. to 90 ft.; and one of the
varieties a low shrub. In the climate of London the trees grow freely,
and promise to attain a considerable size. In general form, they are as
handsome as any of the American oaks ; but their foliage dies off with very
little colour, what there is being generally of a whitish or brownish yellow.
Varieties. These are by some authors treated as species; but they are so
obviously alike in their leaves and bark from their infancy upwards, that
there does not remain a single doubt in our minds of their being only
varieties. However, for the sake of those who think otherwise, and also to
mark the peculiarities of each variety, we shall give the identifications,
synonymes, and descriptions to each.
¥ Q. P. 1 palustris Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., H. p. 196., Quer., No. 5. t. 6.,
Lodd. Cat.,ed. 1836; Q. P. palustris Michx. N. Amer. Syl., i. p. 46.
t. 8., our Jig. 1735., and the plate of this tree in our last Volume ;
Q. Prinos L. Sp. PL, 1413., Willd. Sp. P/., p. 439., Alt. Hwt.
Keiv., v. p. 290., Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., ii. p. 633., N. Du Hmn., vii.
p. 164., Smith' in Rees's Cycl., No. 47. ; Q. castaneeefdliis, &c., Pluk.
Aim., 309., Phyt., t. 54., Cat. Carol., i. t. 18. The Swamp Chestnut
Oak, the Chestnut white Oak ; and, near Philadelphia, the white
Oak. — Leaves on longish footstalks, obovate. Fruit very large. Cup
moderately hollow, distinctly scaly. (A. Michx.} This tree, accord-
ing to the younger Michaux, is, in the southern states of North
America, generally from 80 ft. to 90 ft. high, with a straight trunk,
rising clear of branches, and of nearly the same thickness to the
height of 50 ft. ; then spreading into a broad tufted head ; and
forming altogether one of the most beautiful and majestic trees of
the American forests. The leaves of Q. P. palustris are of a shining
green above, and whitish and somewhat wrinkled underneath; they
have rather long footstalks; and are from 8 in. to 9 in. long, and from
4 in. to 5 in. broad; obovate, and terminating in an acute point.
CHAP. CV.
QUE'RCUS.
1873
1735
They arc somewhat wedge-
shaped, and are deeply den-
tated with blunt lobe-like
teeth from the summit to
the base. The acorns are
of a bright clear brown,;
oval, and larger than those
of any other kindof Ameri-
can oak, except Q. macro,
carpa : they are borne on
very short "peduncles, and
are contained in shallow
scaly cups : they are sweet,
and are sometimes pro-
duced in great abundance. The swamp chestnut oak is found occa-
sionally within a few miles of Philadelphia ; but it is in the greatest
abundance in the maritime parts of the Carolinas, Georgia, and East
Florida. It grows only in the large swamps which border the rivers,
or that are enclosed in the forests, and " always in spots that are rarely
inundated, and where the soil is loose, deep, constantly cool, and luxu-
riantly fertile." (Ar. Amer. Syl.) In the Carolinas and Georgia, it is
usually accompanied by t/'lmus americana and U. alata, MagnohYz
grandiflora and M. tripetala, the beech, poplar, hickory, &c." It was
the first of the chestnut oaks observed by European botanists,
being supposed to be that described and figured by Plukenet in 1691,
and by Catesby in 1731. There appears, however, some discre-
pancy between their descriptions ; Plukenet stating that his oak had
red veins to the leaves, which Catesby says his oak had not. It was
introduced before 1730, as it was included in the catalogue of the
gardeners published in that year (see p. 68.) ; and it was one of
the oaks stated by Catesby to be, in his time, "growing at Mr. Fair-
child's." There are trees of this oak at Messrs. Loddiges's, and in
the Horticultural Society's Garden. The wood of this tree is
considered, in America, to be inferior to that of Q. alba, Q. obtusf loba,
and even Q. macrocarpa, though it is superior to the wood of the
American oaks comprised in the division Riibrae. It is too porous
for casks to contain wine or spirituous liquors ; but it is used by
wheelwrights, and for other works which require strength and some
durability. " As it splits in a straight line, and may be divided into
fine shreds, it is chosen by the negroes for baskets and brooms."
As posts and rails, it will last about 12 or 15 years, which is one
third longer than the wood of the willow oak will remain unde-
cayed, when applied to similar purposes. In Georgia, the wood of
the swamp chestnut oak is considered to make the best fuel. The
acorns are extremely sweet, and, in the American woods, are
greedily devoured by deer, cows, horses, and swine. The principal
merit of the tree, however, according to the younger Michaux, con-
sists in its noble and majestic appearance, and in the extraordinary
beauty of its foliage.
Q. P. 2 monticola Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., ii. p. 196., Quer., No. 5. t. 7.,
and our/#. 1736., Lodd. Cat., ed. 183<3; Q. P. monticola Michx. fit.
N. Amer. Syl., i. p. 49. t. 9., Q. montana Willd. Sp. PL, iv. p. 440.,
Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., ii. p. 634., N. Du Ham.,\\\. p. 165., Smith in
Reefs Cycl., No. 49., Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; Q. Prinus Smith in Abb.
lux. ofGeor., ii. p. 163. t. 82. The Rock Chestnut Oak. — Leaves
on short footstalks, rhomboid-oval. Fruit rather large ; cup top-
shaped and rough ; nut oblong. (Michx.) The beautiful appearance
of this tree, according to the younger Michaux, " when growing in a
fertile soil, is owing equally to the symmetry of its form and the
6 F 2
1874 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
luxuriance of its foliage." It
is sometimes found 60 ft. high,
with a trunk about 3ft. in
diameter ; but, as it generally
grows in poor rocky soil, it
very seldom attains these di-
mensions. In open elevated
situations, it spreads widely,
and forms a head like that of
an apple tree. The bark on
old trees is hard, thick, and
deeply furrowed; and the Hs3»>
outer bark is equally good for f ^\
tanning as the inner bark. f
The wood is reddish, like that
of the white oak; and, though its pores are more open, its specific
gravity is greater, a piece of its wood sinking in water, while a piece
of the same size of Q. alba will swim. The leaves, in America, are
5 in. or 6 in. long, and Sin. or 4 in. broad; oval, and uniformly den-
tate, with the teeth more regular, but less acute, than those of Q. P.
palustris ; the leaf terminating in a point. When beginning to unfold
in spring, the leaves are covered with a thick white down, and they
appear somewhat wrinkled ; but, when fully expanded, they are per-
fectly glabrous, smooth, and of a delicate texture. The petiole,
which is rather short, is yellow, and the colour becomes brighter
and more conspicuous in autumn. The acorns are long, of an
oblong-oval shape : they are produced in pairs, on a short peduncle,
and are enveloped for about one third of their length in pear-shaped
cups, covered with loose scales. They are sweet, and of a clear
light brown colour. This oak, according to the younger Michaux,
is not one of those which grow promiscuously with other trees in
forests ; but it is found in small patches, in particular habitats, only
on high grounds, thickly strewed with stones, or covered with rocks.
" Thus it is often seen on the steep and rocky banks of the Hudson,
and on the shores of Lake Champlain; and still more frequently on
the Alleghanies, in Pennsylvania and Virginia." On these moun-
tains, it is sometimes found where the soil is so meagre, that the
trees do not exceed 20ft. or 25ft. in height, and their trunks 8 in.
or 10 in. in diameter. In Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland,
this species is known by the name of the chestnut oak; while on
the banks of the Hudson it is called the rock oak; and the younger
Michaux, combining the two names, calls it the rock chestnut oak.
It was introduced in 1800; and there are trees in the Horticultural
Society's Garden, and at Messrs. Loddiges's. The wood, though
too porous to be used as staves for casks to contain spirituous
liquors, is esteemed, in New York, next to that of the white oak for
the construction of ships. It is employed for the knees and frames ;
pieces adapted for which are rarely to be obtained from the white
oak; while the rock chestnut oak, "growing up," as Michaux says,
" in a continual controversy with . tne winds," produces a great
number of twisted and crooked branches, or large limbs, perfectly
well adapted for the purpose. It is also considered superior to any
other species, except the live oak, for fuel. The bark, at New York
and in Pennsylvania, is esteemed the best for tanning; but only that
of the secondary branches, and of the trunks of young trees, is em-
ployed. Michaux suggests that the tree might grow in exposed
rocky places in Europe, where the acorns might be dropped in
crevices in the rocks, or planted in barren places, where the soil
appears incapable of other cultivation.
CHAP. CV. CORYLA^CE/E. QUE'RCUS. 1875
t Q. P. 3 acuminata Michx. Fl, Bor. Amer., ii. p. 196., Quer., No. 5. t. 8.,
and our fig. 1737.; Q. P. acuminata Michx. fil. N. Amer. Syl., i.
p. 51. t. 10.; Q. Castanea Willd. Sp. PI., iv. p. 441., Pursh Fl. Amer.
Sept., ii. p. 634., N. Du Ham., vii.
p. 167., Smith in Rees's Cycl., N. 51.,
Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836. The yellow
Oak. — Leaves on long footstalks ;
obtuse at the base, sharply serrated.
Fruit of moderate size ; cup hemi-
spherical. (Michx.) The yellow oak,
according to the younger Michaux,
is a fastigiate-growing tree, from
70 ft. to 80 ft. high, and with a trunk
about 2 ft. in diameter. The bark is
whitish, very slightly furrowed, and
sometimes divided into plates. The
wood is yellowish; but the tint is
not sufficiently bright to entitle it 1637
to rank among the ornamental woods. The leaves are lanceolate,
obtuse at the base, and ending in a sharp point, regularly toothed,
of a light green above, and whitish beneath. The acorns are small,
roundish-ovate, and contained in shallow slightly scaly cups : they
are considered sweeter than those of any other kind of oak in the
United States. It is generally found in the middle and western
states, taking the banks of the Delaware for its northern boundary,
and those of the Savannah for its southern. It is, however, very
thinly disseminated, and is frequently lost sight of for several days'
journey, even in those states where it is most plentiful. From its
comparative rareness, it does not appear to have been applied to any
uses in the arts ; and Michaux says that the pores in its wood are
so irregularly disposed, and so numerous, that the wood would pro-
bably possess very little of either strength or durability. The tree
is, however, very ornamental from its beautiful foliage, and fastigiate
habit of growth. It was introduced in 1822; and there are plants at
Messrs. Loddiges's.
* Q. P.4<pumla Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., ii. p. 196., Quer., No. 5. t. 9. f. 1. ;
Q. P. Chinquapin Michx. fil. Arb., ii. p. 65. t. 10., N. Amer. Syl.,
i. p. 55. 1. 11., and our fig. 1738.; Q. Chinquapin Pursh Fl. Amer.
Sept., ii. p. 634., Smith in Rees's Cycl., No.
48.; Q. prinoides Willd. Sp. PL, iv. p. 440.,
-ZV. Du Ham., vii. p. 166. The Chinquapin,
or Dwarf Chestnut, Oak. — Leaves on shortish
petioles ; somewhat lanceolate ; glaucous be-
neath. (Michx,) The dwarf chestnut oak is
one of the smallest of the genus, as, according
to the younger Michaux, it rarely exceeds
30 in. in height ; though Pursh says it grows to
the height of 3 ft. or 4 ft. The leaves are oval-
acuminate, regularly, but not deeply, dentated,
of a light green above, and whitish beneath.
The acorns are enclosed, for about one third of
their .length, in scaly sessile cups : they are of
the middle size, somewhat elongated, similarly rounded at both ends,
and very sweet. Nature seems to have sought to compensate for the
diminutive size of this shrub by the abundance of its fruit : the stem,
which is sometimes no bigger than a quill, is stretched at full length
upon the ground by the weight of its thickly clustering acorns.
( N. Amer. Syl., i. p. 56.) This shrub grows most abundantly in the
northern and middle states of North America, and is usually found
6F 3
1876 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 111
in particular districts of very poor soil, where, alone or mingled
with the bear oak (Q. Banisteri), it sometimes covers tracts of more
than 100 acres in extent. It was introduced in 1823; but is rarely
to be met with in plantations. Pursh states that it is highly orna-
mental when in full bloom; and Michaux observes that it" might
probably be cultivated along with Q. Banisten for its fruit, which,
as before observed, is very sweet. From the small size of the plant,
this variety is well deserving of culture for suburban or small
villa gardens, and miniature arboretums.
"t Q. P. 5 tomentosa Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., ii. p. 1 96., Quer., No. 5. t. 9.
f. 2. ; Q. P. discolor Michx. fit. Arb., ii. p. 46. t. 6., N. Amer. Syl.,
i. p. 43. t. 7., and our fig. 1739., Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; Q. bicolor
Willd. Sp. PI., iv. p. 440., Pursh Fl.
Amer. Sept., ii. p. 633., N. Du Ham.,
vii. p. 165., Smith in Rees's CycL, No.
50.; Q. MichauxiNutt. The Swamp
white Oak. — Leaves almost sessile,
obtusely oval, bluntly toothed;
downy beneath. (Michx.) The
swamp white oak, in America, says
the younger Michaux, is a beautiful
tree, more than 70 ft. high, of a
vigorous habit of growth, and with
luxuriant foliage. The leaves are
from 6 in. to 8 in. long, and 4 in.
broad; entire towards the base,
which is attenuated and wedge-
shaped; but dilated and coarsely
toothed for two thirds of their length.
The tree is distinguished, when full grown, by the remarkable
appearance of its leaves, which are on the under side silky, and
and of a silvery whiteness; while the upper side is smooth, and of a
bright green. It was from this striking contrast that Dr. Miihlen-
berg gave this tree the specific name of discolor. The acorns are
sweet, but seldom abundant; they are long, of a clear chestnut
brown, and contained in rather shallow scaly cups, edged with
short slender filaments. These cups are " more downy within than
those of any other oak;" and they are borne in pairs, on peduncles
of from 1 in. to 2 in. in length. The bark is scaly, and of a greenish
white. With the exception of the district of Maine, and the mari-
time parts of the southern provinces, Michaux informs us that this
oak is diffused throughout the whole of the United States. " In
comparison, however, with several other species, it is not common,
being found only on the edges of swamps, and in wet places exposed
to inundations, and not in the forests at large." It generally grows in
company with Q. palustris, Jvcer rubrum, Nyssa aquatica, and Carya
alba ; and, in British plantations, would thrive in the same situations
as the alder and poplar. This species appears to have been dis-
covered by the elder Michaux, who has figured a leaf of it under
the name of Q. P. tomentosa; but when it was introduced into
Britain is uncertain, though, in all probability, it would be about the
same time as Q. P. montfcola, viz. in 1800. The wood is strong,
elastic, and heavier than that of the white oak. In full-grown trees,
the grain is fine and close, and the pores are not visible to the naked
eye : it splits easily, and in a straight line ; and, according to Michaux,
it is esteemed next in quality to the American white oak, though,
from its rareness, it is but seldom employed for economical pur-
poses. There is a tree of this species in the arboretum at Messrs.
Loddiges's, and one in the Horticultural Society's Garden, under
CHAP. CV.
CORYLA'CE*;.
1877
the name of Q. bicolor, of which the plate of this tree in our last
Volume is a portrait.
§ v. Riibrce. Red American Oaks.
Sect. Char. Leaves deeply lobed, sinuated, multifid, and mucronated. Hark
dark, and not scaling off. Fructification biennial. Nut ovate, with a per-
sistent style. Cup imbricate, large in proportion to the nut. Trees, varying
from 80 ft. or 90 ft. to 15 ft. or 20ft. in height ; remarkable for the bright
red, deep scarlet, or dark purple, of their foliage, when it dies off in autumn.
Perhaps most of the kinds in this section might be reduced to two or three
species ; but, as they come up tolerably true from seed, we have considered
it more convenient for the cultivator to treat them as distinct. The har-
diest and most rapid-growing, and at the same time the most elegant and
ornamental, tree of the section is Q. palustris, which, with its spreading
drooping branches, and its straight erect trunk and spiry top, is, indepen-
dently of its lively scarlet, orange, and red colours in spring and autumn, in
our opinion, the most graceful of all oaks, either European or American.
¥ 14. Q. RU'BRA L. The red, or Champion, Oak.
Identification.
Fl. Amur. Sept, '2. p." 630. j Michx.
p. 170. ; Smith in Ilees's Cycl., No. 60.
Si/noni/me. Q. fi'sculi divisura, £c., Pluk. Phi/t,, t 54. f. 4.
Engravings. Pluk. Phyt, t. 54. f. 4. ; Michx. Quer., t 35, 36. ; North A
1740. to 1744. ; and the plates of this species in our last Volume.
Lin. Sp. PI., 1413. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 445. ; Ait. Hort. Kew., 5. p. i>!>2. ; Pursli
- ' ' "uer., No. 20. ; Smith in Abb. Ins., 2. p. 105.; N. Du Ham., 7.
jr. SyL, 2. t. 28. j our figs.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves smooth, oblong, sinuated, on long stalks ; lobes acute
sharply toothed, bristle-pointed. Calyx of the fruit flat underneath.
Nut ovate. ( Willd.) A tree 80 ft. or 90 ft. in height. Introduced in 1739.
Varieties. Alton, in the Hortus Kewensis, 2d ed., mentions two varieties : Q.
rubra latifolia, the champion oak, which is the Q. rubra of Linnaeus ; and Q.
rubra montana, the mountain red oak.
Description, fyc. The red oak is, in America, a tall widely spreading tree,
frequently more than 80 ft. high, and with a trunk 3 ft. or 4 ft. in diameter.
The bark is comparatively smooth, of a dark colour, very thick ; and, though in
old trees it cracks, yet it never scales off as in the sections A'lbaeand /^rinus.
The wood is reddish and coarse-grained ; and its pores are often so large as
to admit the entrance of a hair. The leaves, when they first come out in spring,
arc of a fine sulphur colour; when fully expanded, they are smooth and
shining on both sides, large, deeply laciniated, and sometimes slightly rounded
at the base, especially on old trees ; and, before they fall, they turn of a
deep purplish red. According to the younger Michaux, the leaves on old
1740
1741
trees ol'tcn nearly resemble those of Q. falcata. The leaves of Q. falcata
are, however, always downy beneath; while those of Q. rubra are smooth.
6F 4
1878
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
1742
PART III.
The leaves of Q. rubra die off of a more purplish red than those of most of
the other kinds in this section ; but they often become yellow before they fall.
They vary much in shape, from the age of the plant, or the soil and situation
in which it has grown. Fig. 1740., copied from the elder Michaux's Histoire
des Chenesy shows the leaves of a seedling a year old;iy%. 1741., from the
same work, those of a tree bearing acorns ;^g. 1742. shows several leaves
gathered from trees in England of four or five years' growth j fig. 1743. is
drawn from a specimen taken from a tree in the Horticultural Society's
Garden ; and Jig. 1 744. is a leaf from the splendid full-grown tree in the Fulham
Nursery, of which there is a portrait in
our last Volume. By comparing the
plates of the trees of this species in
1743
our last Volume, it will be seen how
exceedingly the leaves vary. The
acorns are sessile, or on very short
peduncles ; they are large, and are produced in great abundance ; they are
rounded at the summit, and compressed at the base; and they are contained in
flat very shallow cups, covered with narrow compact scales/ The red oak is
one of the most common species in Canada, and the whole of the north of the
United States. In the states of New York, New Jersey, part of Philadelphia,
and along the whole range of the Alleghanies, it is nearly as abundant as Q.
coccinea and Q. tinctoria; but it is much less common in the more southern
states, its perfect developement requiring a cool climate and a fertile soil.
The red oak was introduced into France about 1740, and was first planted
on the estate of Du Hamel, at Pittriviers. In England, the first notice that
we find of the red oak is, that it was cultivated by Miller in 1739. Since
CHAP. CV.
QUE'RCUS.
1879
that time it has, perhaps, been more generally planted than any other of the
American oaks, though full-grown specimens of it are not very numerous.
The largest which we know of near London, is at Syon, where it is 57 ft.
high ; and the largest in England is at Strathfieldsaye, where it is 100 ft. high.
Several trees in the neighbourhood of London, and particularly one at Purser's
Cross which is upwards of 40 ft. high, ripen acorns, from which young plants
have been raised. The wood is so coarse and porous as to be of scarcely any
use in the arts. It is, however, employed in America for the staves of flour and
sugar casks, or to contain
any kind of dry goods. The
bark contains a large pro-
portion of tannin, and is
very extensively used by
tanners in the United
States. The acorns are
voraciously eaten by wild
animals, and also by the
cows, horses, and swine that
are allowed to range in the
woods after the herbage has
perished. Papilio (Thecla)
FavonhwAbb.and Smith, t.
14., and our j%. 1745., the
brown hair-streak butterfly,
feeds on the leaves of this
species.
Statistics. In the environs of London, at Syon, it is 57 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft.,
and of the head 55ft. ; in the Fulham Nursery, and at Purser's Cross, it is 40ft high. There are
various other trees of nearly similar dimensions ; but as, from the description sent to us, we have
been unable to determine whether the tree belongs to Q. rubra or Q. coccinea, we have not
inserted them under the statistics of either species. In Hampshire, at Strathfieldsaye, it is above
100ft. high, with a trunk 3ft. 6 in. in diameter; it grows in a deep rich loam, on the flat bank of
the river Loddon : in Wiltshire, at Longleat, 70 years planted, it is 50 ft. high ; the diameter of the
trunk 2ft. 2 in., and of the head 54ft: in Radnorshire, at Maeslaugh Castle, 44ft. high; the
diameter of the trunk 3 ft., and of the head 45 ft. In Scotland, in Aberdeenshire, at Gordon Castle,
20ft. high, with a trunk 6 in. in diameter. In Ireland, at Castletown, 30ft. high, the diameter of
the head 38 ft. ; in Fermanagh, at Florence Court, 30 years planted, it is 32ft. high, the diameter
of the head 30ft. In France, at Rambouillet and other places, are many fine trees, varying
from 40ft. to 60ft. in height, both of Q. rubra and Q. coccinea. (See Card. Mag., vol. xi. p. 42.)
Bosc mentions a superb tree at the Petit Trianon, of which, however, we have not been able to
procure the dimensions. In Brittany, at Barres, 14 years planted, it is 14ft. high; near Nantes,
90 years old, it is 40ft. high, with a trunk 4ft. in diameter. In Saxony, at Worlitz, 60 years old,
it is 50 ft. high, with a trunk 2 ft 6 in. in diameter. In Austria, at Vienna, at Laxenburg, 26 years
old, it is 25 ft. high ; diameter of the trunk 10 in., and of the head 18 ft. In Prussia, at Berlin, in
the Botanic Garden, 50 years old, it is 60ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk 3ft., and of the head
28 ft. In Italy, in Lombardy, at Monza, 24 years planted, it is 50 ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk
6 in., and of the head 24 ft.
£ 15. Q. COCCI'NEA Willd. The scarlet Oak.
Identification. Wang. Forst., p. 44. ; Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 2. p. 199. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. 446. ;
Ait. Hort Kew., 5. p. 292. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 630. ; Michx. Quer., No. 18. ; N. Du Ham.,
7. p. 171. ; Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 61.
Sunonyme. Q. rubra (3 Ait., ed. 1., 3. p. 357.
Engravings. Wang. Forst., t. 9. ; Michx. Quer., t. 31, 32. ; N. Amer. Syl., 1. t. 25. ; our Jigs. 1746,
1747, and 1748. ; and the plate of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char. $c. Leaves smooth, oblong, deeply and widely sinuated, on long
stalks ; lobes divaricated, acute, sharply toothed, bristle-pointed. Calyx of
the fruit turbinate, half as long as the nut. (Willd.) A tree, 80ft. high.
Introduced in 1691.
Description, fyc. The scarlet oak is, in America, a tree of more than 80 ft.
high, with a trunk 3ft. or 4 ft. in diameter. The tree is of a more rigid habit
of growth than Q. rubra, the branches of which are very flexible. The bark
is dark-coloured, entire, and very thick ; and the wood is reddish and coarse-
grained, with very open pores. The leaves, which have long petioles, are
of a beautiful green, shining on both sides; and, on old trees, laciniated in
a very remarkable manner, having usually four deep sinuses on each side, very
broad at bottom. The leaves begin to change with the first cold, and, after
1880
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
1746
1748
several successive frosts, turn to a brilliant scarlet, /X_ I M7
instead of the dull red of those of Q. rubra. These
leaves differ very greatly
in shape at different stages
in the growth of the tree.
When quite young, they
are scarcely lobed at all,
as may be seen by fig.
1746., which is taken from
Michaux's Histoire ties
Chcnes, and represents a
seedling a year old. Fig.
1747. is a leaf taken from
a tree in the Horticultural
Society's Garden ; and
j%.1748., a sprig and acorn
from an old tree copied
from Michaux. Amidst
all the varieties, however,
in the shape of the leaf of
the scarlet oak, it may always be distinguished from that of Q. rubra by the
different hue which it assumes in autumn; the colour of Q. coccinea being
alwavs a bright scarlet, or yellowish red, of more or less intensity; and that of
Q. rubra a dull crimson, or purplish
red. The leaf is also larger, and the
indentations in old leaves rounder.
The acorns are large, somewhat
elongated, similarly rounded at both
ends, and half-covered with scaly
top-shaped cups. As the fruit of
this tree varies in size with the
quality of the soil, it is difficult to
distinguish it from that of Q. tinc-
toria : the only constant difference
is, that the kernel of the nut is
always yellowish in Q. tinctoria, and
always white in Q. coccinea. The
difference between the scarlet oak
and the red oak appears to be about
as great as that which exists between
two very distinct varieties of apple and pear : for example, the nonpareil and
the golden pippin, or the jargonelle and the summer bergamot. These oaks
are not, however, on that account the less worthy of being kept quite distinct ;
for it must always be recollected, that some of 'the finest plants in every de-
partment of culture are the varieties of species, and not the species themselves.
The scarlet oak, in the climate of London, and in Europe generally, may be
considered as of equal hardiness and rapidity of growth with the red oak.
The largest tree of it which we have seen, and know to be certainly of the
scarlet oak, is at Syon, where it is 77 ft. high, with a trunk 2 ft. 9 in. in
diameter.
Geography, History, $c. The scarlet oak, says the younger Michaux, is first
seen in the vicinity of Boston ; but it is most abundant in New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, and the upper part of the Carolinas and Georgia. In the northern
states, it is often confounded with Q. rubra, and in those of the south with Q.
falcata. The scarlet oak was one of those discovered by Banister, and included
in his catalogue dated 1680. It was probably sent hereby him to his patron,
Bishop Compton (see p. 44.) ; as we are informed, by the Horlus KctvcHsis,
that there was a plant of it in the bishop's garden in 1691. It was, at first, sup-
posed to be only a variety of Q. rubra, and it is mentioned as such in the first
CHAP. cv. C-ORYLA'CE^E. QUE'RCUS. 1881
edition of the Hortus Kcwensis (iii. p. 357.). Wangenheim was the first author
who tlistinguished it as a species. It was one of the plants sent to France by
the elder Michaux in 1786, and formed part of the plantations at Kambouillet ;
where, we are informed by the younger Michaux, there was a tree of it which,
about 1819, was 45 ft. high. (See p. 141.)
Properties and Uses. The wood of the scarlet oak is of very little value in
the arts, and it makes very poor fuel. It decays rapidly, and is too porous to
contain wine or spirits. The principal use made of it in America is for staves to
make casks for dry goods. The bark is employed in tanning, but is not equal to
that of the Q. rubra. This tree produces galls, which, in America, are applied
to the same purposes as the European galls of commerce. In landscape-gar-
dening, the scarlet oak, like most of the other kinds of this section, is parti-
cularly adapted for planting in the margins of woods or groves on a flat sur-
face ; or for scattering in irregular masses throughout a wood on a declivity,
the surface of which is seen from below. For small groups near the eye it is
also well adapted ; though the beauty of the foliage of young trees must be
acknowledged to be inferior to that of Q. rubra and Q. falcata. The long
footstalks of the leaves, and the absence of deep sinuosities in the leaves of
young trees, give, with reference to picturesque effect, Q. coccinea the same
relation to Q. rubra that Q. sessiliflora has to Q. pedunculata,
Statistics. In the environs of London, at Syon, 77 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 9 in.,
and of the head 44ft. ; at Kenwood, Hampstead, 38 years planted, it is 50ft. high, the diameter of
the trunk 1 ft 11 in., and of the head 40 ft. In Devonshire, at Bystock Park, 22 years planted, it is
25 ft. high : in Hampshire, at Strathfieldsaye, it is 90 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 3 ft 4 in., and
of the head 54ft. : in Somersetshire, at Hurton House, 15 years planted, it is 20ft. high ; at Mam-
head, 30 ft. high, with a trunk 2ft. 3 in. in diameter; some leaves of this tree which were sent to us
measured 8£in. across, and 14 in. in length : in Surrey, at St. Ann's Hill, 30 years planted, it is 56ft.
high, the diameter of the trunk 7 ft, and of the head 48ft. ; at Oakham, 42 years planted, it is 60ft.
high ; and at Deepdene, 10 years planted, it is 18 ft. high: in Sussex, at Kidbrooke, 25 years planted, it
is 14ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 6 in., and of the head 16 ft: in Wiltshire, at Wardour
Castle, 30 years planted, it is 45 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 2 ft , and of the head 30 ft. ; at Long-
ford Castle, it is 60 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 3 ft 6 in., and of the head 77 ft : in Hertfordshire,
at Olderiham, 34 years planted, it is 50ft high, the diameter of the head 20ft. : in Lancashire, at
Latham House, 30 years planted, it is 36ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 16 in., and of the head
36ft. : in Pembrokeshire, at Stackpole Court, 30 years planted, it is 20 ft. high, the diameter of the
trunk 1 ft. 6 in., and of the head 15 ft. : in Warwickshire, at Combe Abbey, 60 years planted, it is
70ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft 9 in., and of the head 61ft.; at Springfield, 30 years
planted, it is 29 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 7 in. ; and at Allesley, 26 years planted, it is 40 ft.
high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. : in Worcestershire, at Croome,75 years planted, it is 90 ft. high,
the diameter of the trunk 2 ft, and of the head 30 ft. : in Yorkshire, at Ripley Castle, 16 years planted,
it is 28 ft high, the diameter of the trunk 9 in., and of the head 10 ft. ; at Knedlington, near Howden,
10 years from the acorn, it is from 14ft. to 16ft high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft 6 in., and of the
head 11 ft. In Scotland, in Ross-shire, at Brahan Castle, it is 55 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk
1 ft 8 in., and of the head 30ft. In Germany, in Cassel, at Wilhelmshoe, 50 years old, it is 6 ft. high.
In Austria, at Vienna, in Rosenthal's Nursery, 17 years old, it is 24ft. high ; the diameter of the
trunk 11 in., and of the head 23 ft. In France, at Rambouillet, it is 50ft. high. In Italy, in Lom.
bardy, at Monza, 16 years planted, it is 16ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 4 in., and of the
head 10ft.
$ 16. Q.. AMBI'GUA Willd. The ambiguous, or grey, Oak.
Identification. Michx. Arb., 2. p. 120.; North Amer. Syl., 1. p. 98.; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2.
p. 630., not Humboldt
Synotu/fne. Q. borealis Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 1. p. 98.
Engravings. Michx. Arb., t 24., N. Amer. Syl., 1. t 26. ; our fig. 1749. ; and the plate of this tree
in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves sinuated, glabrous, acute at the base ; sinuses some-
what acute. Cup somewhat shield-shaped. Nut roundish-ovate. (Michx.)
A tree, varying from 40 ft. to 60 ft. high. Introduced in 1800.
Description, fyc. The grey oak, according to the younger Michaux, forms, in
America, a tree from 40 ft. to 60ft. high, and with a trunk 1 ft. 6 in. in diameter.
It bears a close analogy to the red oak in its foliage, and to the scarlet oak
in its fruit ; whence Michaux has given it the specific name of ambigua. It
has also another peculiarity, in blossoming every year, though it takes two,
three, and, in very cold climates, four years to mature its fruit. The leaves
are large, smooth, and deeply sinuated ; the indentations being sharper and
more angular than those of the leaves of Q,. coccinea. The acorns are of
the middle size, rounded at the end, and contained in scaly top-shaped cups.
The grey oak is found farther north than any other American species. The
ddur Michaux found it on the St. Lawrence, near Quebec, in N. lat. 47° 50'.
1882
ARBORETUM AND FRUTJCETUM.
PART HI.
174-9
Under that parallel, and at Halifax, in Nova Scotia, it is only 40 ft. high ;
but it increases in size as it gets farther south, till, on the shores of Lake
Champlain, it often attains the height of 60 ft. It was first described by the
younger Michaux, and was introduced into England by the Messrs. Fraser,
in 1800. From its geographical range, it is evidently fitter for the colder
parts of Europe than either the preceding or following sorts. Plants, in the
neighbourhood of London, grow vigorously; and, from their very large foliage,
make a fine appearance, even when young. This kind must not be confounded
with the Q. amblgua of Humboldt, which is a native of Mexico, and a totally
different plant (see App. viii. Mexican Oaks) ; nor with a tree marked (in 1836)
Q. ambfgua in the Horticultural Society's Garden, which is intermediate be-
tween Q. sessiliflora and Q. pedunculata, and may be called Q. Robur am-
biguum, as this may be called Q. rubra ambfgua. There are trees of the true
North American kind in the Horticultural Society's Garden, of one of which
the plate of this species in our last Volume is a portrait. The wood is as
coarse and open in its pores as that of the red oak ; but it is stronger and
more durable ; and, though unfit for wine casks, it is sometimes employed,
in Canada, for the knees of schooners, and other small vessels, and by
wheelwrights. As a tree to introduce occasionally in hanging woods in the
Highlands of Scotland, along with the British oak, no species can be more
desirable than Q. ambfgua.
% 17. Q. FALCA^TA Michx. The sickle-shaped, or Spanish, Oak.
Identification. Michx. Quer., No. 16.; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 631. ; N. Du Ham., 7. p. 169. :
Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Synonymes. Q. discolor Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 1., 3. p. 358.; Q. elongata Willd. Sp. PA, 4. p. 444.,
Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 2., 5. p. 291., Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 57. ; Q. lyrata Lodd. Cat., 1836; Q.
cune^ta Wang. ; Q. triloba Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 443., Michx. Quer., 14. No. 26.; Q. cuneata
Wang. Forst.: the downy-leaved Oak.
Engravings. Michx. Quer., t 28. ; N. Amer. SyL, 1. t. 23. ; and out. figs. 1750. and 1751.
Spec. Char.t fyc. Leaves downy beneath, sinuated, with three or more some-
what falcate bristle-pointed lobes ; the terminal one elongated and jagged.
Calyx hemispherical. (Willd.) A tree, varying from 30ft. to 80 ft. high.
Introduced, under the name of Q. elongata, in 1763 ; and again, under that
of Q. triloba, in 1800.
Description, $c. This oak is a very remarkable one, from the great differ-
ence which exists in its leaves and general appearance, in different climates.
This difference is so extraordinary, that nearly all the botanists who have
written on the American oaks have supposed it to be two species. In the south-
. cv.
CORYLA'CEJE. QUE'RCUS.
"^
•
1QC
1883
ern states, it forms a noble tree, 80 ft. high, with
a trunk 4ft. or 5ft. in diameter; while in New
Jersey the tree is never above 30 ft. high, with
a t, -link only 4 in. or 5 in. thick. The bark is
thick, black, and deeply furrowed ; and the
wood is reddish and coarse-grained, with open
pores, like that of the red oak. The leaves are
also extremely different : on the trees in the
south, they are falcate, like those in Jig. 1750.,
copied from the plate of this tree in the North
American Sylva, i. t. 23. In New Jersey, the
leaves are three-lobed (like those shown in^g.
1751., from the Histoire des Chenes), except a
few on the summit, which are slightly falcated.
Generally, the lower branches of all trees of
this species, growing in moist and shaded situations, have their leaves trilobed ;
while those on the upper branches are falcated, with their lobes even more
arched than those shown in Jig. 1750. This remarkable difference led the elder
Michaux to describe the specimens which he
found growing in very cold bad land as Q.
triloba ; and on the young shoots of these spe-
cimens he frequently found leaves deeply den-
ticulated or lobed, like those of Q. rubra or
Q. coccinea, as represented at a in Jig. 1751.
The stumps of trees that have been felled, also,
frequently send up shoots bearing leaves deeply
denticulated at right angles to the main rib.
Amidst all these changes, however, the leaves
of Q. falcata preserve one striking character-
istic ; which is, that there is always " a thick
down upon the under side of the leaves, and
upon the young shoots to which they are
attached." The acorns are small, round, brown,
and contained in slightly scaly, shallow, top-
shaped cups, supported on short peduncles :
they resemble those of Q. Banisteri, and, like
them, preserve the power of germination for a
long time. The growth of this tree, according
to the elder Michaux, is extremely rapid and vigorous, even on the worst
soils. The most northern boundary of Q. falcata is the neighbourhood
of Allentown, in New Jersey, about 60 miles from Philadelphia. Even at
this distance, says the younger Michaux, the leaves are smaller than in the
immediate vicinity of the city, where they begin to assume their appropriate
form. Farther south, Q. fulcata is constantly found among the most com-
mon trees in the forests ; but it is less frequent near the mountains, and
in the country beyond. " In Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, it is known
by the name of the Spanish oak ; and, in the Carolinas and Georgia, by that
of the red oak." Michaux adds that, in an old English work which he found
in " the library at Charleston, it is said to have been called the Spanish oak
by the first settlers, from the resemblance of its leaves to those of Q. Velani,
which grows in Spain." If Q. ./f^'gilops is the oak meant, the resemblance
must have been very slight. The name of the red oak was probably derived
from the great analogy between the wood of this species and that of Q. rubra.
The wood of the Spanish oak is, however, better than that of the latter, though
it is, also, too porous to contain wine or spirits; and, from its want of dura-
bility, it is considered greatly inferior to that of the oaks belonging to the
section A'lbse. " The principal merit of the Spanish oak," says the yortnger
Michaux, " consists in its bark. This is preferred for tanning coarse leather,
which it renders whiter and more supple; it is consequently sold, at Phila-
1881
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
1752
PA RT
mam
delphia and Wilmington, a fourth dearer than that of either the red or the
scarlet oak : the leather is said to be improved by the addition of a small quan-
tity of the bark of the hemlock spruce." (N. Amcr. Syl.,1. p. 80.) This species
of oak is used in New Jersey to form hedges. The elder Michaux says that, for
this purpose, the acorns are sown on a raised bank ; and that they must be
carefully defended, during the first winter, from rats and moles, which are fond
of them. The young plants must be kept clear of weeds, and earthed up
during the two following years ; and, in the course of the fourth, they will
form a very thick and strong hedge ; the young shoots and branches crossing
and intertwining with each other. If kept properly pruned and weeded,
and the gaps filled up by young plants raised in boxes, a hedge of this kind
will last more than a century. {Hist, des Chenes, No. 14.) This species ap-
pears from the Hortus Kcwensis, 2d ed., to have been introduced, under the
name of Q. elongata, by Mr. Murdock Murchison, in 1763; and to have been
reintroduced, under the name of Q. triloba, by the Messrs. Fraser, in 1800.
There are plants at Messrs. Loddiges's, under the name of Q. lyrata, as well
as that of Q. falcata ; and there is a tree at Trentham called Q. falcata, which
is 20 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 1 1 in., and of the head 18 ft. Phalae'na
(Dryocampa Harris) stigma Abb. and Smith, t. 56. and our^g. 1752. ; J?6mbyx
stigma Fab. Ent., 4. p. 424. ; the orange white-spot moth ; feeds upon the
leaves of this oak and Q. tinctoria. In a young state the whole brood of cater-
pillars keep together, but disperse as they grow larger. It is very seldom
seen on the wing. One observed by Abbott went into the ground on the 20th
of September, and came forth on the 16th of June. Both the larva and imago
are of a bright orange colour.
± 18. Q. TINCTO^RIA Willd. The Quercitron, or Dyer's, Oak.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 444. ; Ait. Hort. Kew., 5. p. 291. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2.
p. 629. ; N. Du Ham., 7. p. 170. ; Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 58.
Synonymes. Q. virginikna, &c., Pluk. Phut., t. 54. f. 5. ; «. discolor Willd. Arb.t 274., Smith in Abb.
Ins., 2. p. 111. ; the black Oak, Amer. ; Chene des Teinturiers, Fr.
CHAP. CV.
CORYLAOE/E.
1885
Engravings Michx. Quer., t. St. ; N. Amcr. Syl., 1. t. 24. ; our fig*. 1753. and 17*4. ; and the plate of
this tree in our last Volume.
tec. Char., <$r. Leaves downy beneath, obovate-oblong, dilated, widely
siniuited ; lobes short, obtuse, slightly toothed, bristle-pointed. Calyx of
the fruit flat underneath; nut globose. (Willd.) A tree, varying from
80 ft. to 100ft. high. Introduced in 1800.
n-iftifs. Michaux, in his Flora Borcalis Americana, gives
the two following forms of this species : —
¥ Q. t. 1 angulosa Michx. ; Q. nigra Pursh Arb. Am.,
p. 120. ; Q. americana Pluk. Aim., p. 309. ;
1753 & Q- velutina Lam. Diet.; Q. tinctoria Bart.
Trav., p. 37. ; and our figs. 1753, 17.54. —
Leaves smooth, lobed with angular lobes.
Cup top-shaped. Nut globose, and de-
pressed at the summit. A native of the
shoresof Lake Champlain, in Pennsylvania,
and of high mountains in Carolina and
Georgia.
* Q. t. 2 shiuosa Michx.; Q. nigra Wang.; and our figs. 1755, _ 1756,
and 1757. — Leaves deeply sinuated. Cup flat and turbmated.
Nut ovate. Native of South Carolina and Georgia.
Description, fyc. This
oak, according to the
younger Michaux, is the
loftiest oak in America,
being from 90ft. to 100
ft. high, with a trunk
from i ft. to 5 ft. in dia-
meter. The trunk is
straight, and is covered
with a deeply furrowed
bark of middling thick-
ness, but always black,
or of a very deep brown
colour; whence, pro-
bably, the tree derives
its common name in
America; viz. the black
oak. The dark hue of
the bark easily distin-
guishes this tree from Q.
rubra, Q. coccfnea, and
Q. ambigua, in the
northern provinces; but,
in the southern ones, \15fi
Q. fulcata having bark of the same colour, Q. tinctoria can only be dis-
tinguished by its buds, which are longer, more acuminate, and more scaly,
than those of the former species. The inner bark of Q. tinctoria, if chewed,
is very bitter, and gives a yellow tinge to the saliva, which is not the case with
the bark of Q. falcata. The wood is reddish, coarse-grained, and porous,
like that of all the red oaks. The leaves are large, deeply laciniated, and
resemble those of Q. coccinea, but they have fewer lobes, never exceeding
four or five ; while the leaves of the old trees of Q. coccinea have from five
to seven : they are also less openly and roundly sinuated, less shining, of a
duller green, and, during a part of the summer, have their surfaces roughened
with small glands, which are visible to the eye and sensible to the touch ; and
which are also found on the young shoots. In autumn, the leaves of young
trees turn to a dull red ; but those on old trees become yellow, or of a yel-
1886
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III,
lowish brown, beginning with
the petiole. This oak is nearly
as extensively distributed in
North America as the white
oak ; and, except in the district
of Maine, and the northern
1757
1756
part of New Hampshire, Ver-
mont, and Tennessee, this spe-
cies is found throughout the
United States, on both sides
of the AHeghanies ; and it is
everywhere called the black
oak, except in some parts of
New England, where, according to Dr. Brown (Syl. Amer.), it is called the
yellow oak. It flourishes in Maryland, and in some parts of Virginia, where
the soil is lean, gravelly, and uneven ; and it generally will grow in a poorer soil
than the white oak. This oak was one of those enumerated by the elder
Michaux, as being advisable to introduce into France, and of which he sent
seeds to that country in 1786 (see p. 142.); notwithstanding which, it does
not appear that there are any large specimens in France; and the plants
raised by Michaux were probably lost during the revolution of 1789, when
a great part of the plantations of Rambouillet were destroyed. It was in-
troduced into England in 1800, by the Messrs. Fraser, but has been but very
little cultivated, though it is a tree of great regularity and beauty, and, even in
this country, might possibly become of use for its bark.
Properties and Uses. The wood, though coarse-grained and porous, is
much more esteemed for strength and durability than that of any other Ame-
rican oak of biennial fructification. In Philadelphia, it is employed in building ;
and, in most parts of the northern states, it is used as a substitute for the
white oak, whenever that tree is scarce ; and a large proportion of what are
called the best red oak staves, which are used, in Canada and the West Indies,
to form casks for flour, salted provisions, and molasses, are made of the wood
of this tree. The bark is extensively used in tanning; for which it is well
adapted, as it is produced in great abundance, and is rich in tannin. The only
inconvenience is, that shoes made of leather tanned with it are apt to impart
a yellow tinge to the stockings. This colour, however, may be discharged by
subjecting the leather to a particular process, when it is thought worth while
to incur the expense. The most useful product of this oak is the quercitron,
which is much used in both America and England for dyeing ; and which is
not only equal to woad in the brilliancy of the yellow produced, but is so much
stronger, that Dr. Bancroft states that one part of quercitron yields as much
colouring matter as 8 or 10 parts of woad. The colouring matter is con-
tained in the inner bark, a- decoction of which forms a brownish yellow dye,
which may be rendered deeper by alkalies, and lighter by acids. A solution of
alum causes a small portion of the colouring matter to fall in a deep yellow
precipitate ; and solutions of tin afford a more abundant precipitate, of a
brighter huei To dye wool, it is sufficient to boil the quercitron with an equal
CHAP. CV.
C'ORYLAVCEA:. QUE'RCUS.
1887
weight of alum : to dye silk, the proportion is 1 Ib. of the quercitron to 12 Ib. of
silk. The quercitron is chiefly exported from Philadelphia. According to
M'Culloch, the average quantity imported for three years, ending in 1831, was
25,015 cwt. a year; and the price of this varied, according to the quality, from
I2.v. 6d. to 15«. per cwt., including Is. each for duty. Dr. Bancroft first dis-
covered and applied the dyeing properties of the quercitron ; and he obtained
a patent for his invention in 1775 ; but, the American war breaking out soon
after, he reaped little profit from his discovery, though it has been of great
advantage to the arts and manufactures of both England and America. (Com.
Diet., art. Bark.)
Statistics. In England, in the environs of London, the largest plant we know of is at Messrs. Lod-
diges's, where there is a tree 20ft. high, of which a portrait is given in ourjlast Volume. In Stafford-
shire, at Trentham, 26 years planted, it is 24ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 8 in., and of the
head 10ft.; in Worcestershire, at Croome, 40 years planted, it is 45 ft. high, the diameter of the
trunk 20 in., and of the head 40 ft. In the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, 10 years planted, it is 10 ft.
high. In France, in Brittany, at Barres, 8 years planted, it is 12ft. high. In Austria, at Briick on
the Leytha, 30 years old, it is 12ft. high. In Italy, in Lombardy, at Monza, 6 years planted, it is
10ft. high.
ft 19. Q. PALU'STRIS mild. The Marsh, or Pin, Oak.
Identification. Du Roi Harbk., 2., t. 5. f . 4. ; Wang. Amer., t. 5. f. 10. ; Michx. Quer., No. 19.;
Arb,2 p. 123. t. 25. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 44ti. ; Ait. Hort. Kew., 5. p. 192.; Pursh Fl. Amer.
Sept 2 p. 631. ; N. Du Ham., 7. p. 172. ; Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 63. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Synonymcs. Q. montfcna Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; «. Banister/ Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Engravings. Michx. Quer., t. 33, 34. ; N. Amer. Syl., 1. t. 27. ; our Jigs. 1758. and 1/59. ; and the
plate of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves smooth, oblong, deeply and widely sinuated, on long
stalks ; lobes distant, parallel, acute, sharply toothed, bristle-pointed ; forks
of the veins densely woolly beneath. Calyx of the fruit flattened; nut
nearly globose. (Willd.} A tree, 80 ft. high. Introduced in 1800.
Description, fyc.
The pin oak, accord-
ing to the younger
Michaux, is a tall
tree, rising, in marshy
ground, to the height
of 80 ft., with a trunk
3 ft. or 4- ft. in diame-
ter. " Its secondary-
branches are more
slender and numerous
than is common on so
large a tree, and are
intermingled, so as to
give it,at a distance,the
appearance of being
full of pins. This sin-
gular disposition ren-
ders it distinguishable
at first sight in winter,
and, is perhaps, the
cause of its being call-
ed the pin oak." (N.
Amer. Syl., i. p. 101.)
The tree, when young,
assumes an agreeable pyramidal shape ; and its far-extending drooping
branches, and light and elegant foliage, render it, in our opinion, the most
graceful of all oaks. The bark on the oldest trees of Q. palustris is scarcely
ever cracked : on young trees it is perfectly smooth. The wood is coarse-
grained, and resembles that of the red oak. In the climate of London, the
tree is remarkably hardy ; and its rate of growth is much more rapid than that
of every other American oak, with the single exception of Q.ambfgua. This may
6 G
1758
1388
ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM
PART HI
be rendered obvious at a glance,
by inspecting the line of oaks at
Messrs. Loddiges's, where there
are three trees, marked Q. palus-
tris, (2. Banfsteri, and Q. montuna,
(all of which are the Q. palustris of
Michaux,) which are above 30 ft.
high, which is several feet higher
than all the others, with the single
exception of Q. ambfgua. A tree
(fig. 1761.) of this species in the
Horticultural Society's Garden,
which had been overtopped with
elms, in the manner already men-
tioned (p. 1864-.), has lost its
leader, and has more the appear-
ance of a stunted bush than a tree.
It is not one third of the size of
those at Messrs. Loddiges's, of one
of which the tree in our last Vo-
lume is a portrait. The leaves are
much smaller than those of all the
other species of this section : they
are smooth, of a pleasing green,
supported on very long petioles, and, on old trees, are very deeply laciniated.
On young trees, they are much less so, as will be seen by jig. 1760. copied
from Michaux's Histoirc des Chenes, in which a is a seedling of one year old,
and b a leaf from a tree two years old. The acorns are small, round, and
contained in flat shallow cups,
of which the scales are closely
applied one upon another. The
1761
wood, though stronger and more
tenacious than that of either the
red or the scarlet oaks, has the
pores still larger and more open
than those of either of these woods. It is used for the axles of mill-
wheels, when white oak of sufficient dimensions cannot be procured ; and
sometimes, though rarely, it is made into staves for casks for dry goods.
For small groups, and especially in moist rich soil, we cannot sufficiently
recommend this tree. Its growth is rapid, and the disposition of its branches
is singularly graceful from its infancy upwards. A few years ago, there were
a great many trees of it in the Leyton Nursery, which were taken up and
burnt for want of sale. The most beautiful small specimen we know is in the
CHAP. CV.
CORYLA'CEJE. QUE'RCUS.
1889
1762
Goldworth Arboretum. The specimen trees at Messrs. Loddiges's, and one
in the Milford Arboretum, were equally beautiful before they were severely
cut in, to give more room to the surrounding plants.
It 20. a. CATESBJSV Willd. The barren Scrub Oak.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PI.. 4. p. 446. \ Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., it p. 630. ; Michx. Quer., No. 17. ;
N. Du Ham., 7. p. 172. ; Smith in Ilees's Cycl., No. 62.
Synanymet. Q. rilbra 3 Abb. and Smith Ins., 1. p. 27. } Q. JJ'sculi divlsClra, &c., Cat. Car., 1. t. 23.
Engravings Michx. Quer., t. 29, 30. ; Cat. Car., 1. t. 23. ; and ourfigi. 1762, 176i
Spec. Char.y $c. Leaves smooth, oblong, wedge-shaped at the base, deeply
and widely sinuated, on short stalks j lobes 3 or 5, divaricated, acute, 2- or
3-cleft, bristle-pointed. Calyx of the fruit turbinate, half as long as the
nut. (Willd.) A shrub or low tree, from 15ft. to 30ft. high. Introduced
in 1823.
Description, $c. The general appearance of this tree is stunted : its trunk
is crooked, dividing into branches at 2 ft. or 3 ft. from the ground, and covered
with a thick, blackish, deeply furrowed bark. The foliage is open, and its
leaves are large, smooth, thick, and cori-
aceous towards the close of summer,
deeply and irregularly laciniated, and
supported on short petioles. " With
the first frost, they change to a dull red,
and fall the ensuing month. The acorns
are pretty large, of a blackish colour,
and partly covered with a fine grey dust,
which is easily rubbed off between the
fingers : they are contained in thick
cups, swollen towards the edge, with the
upper scales bent inwards. The oldest
trees alone are productive, and their
fruit never exceeds a few handfuls."
(N. Amcr. Syl.t i. p. 86.) According
to the younger Michaux, this oak is confined to the lower part of the
Carolinas and Georgia. It grows in soils too meagre to sustain any other
vegetation, where the light movable sand is wholly destitute of vegetable
mould. It is the only species multiplied in the pine barrens ; and from this
circumstance, and its scrubby habit of growth,
it has probably obtained the name of the barren
scrub oak. The elder Michaux says that it is
sometimes found from 30ft. to 40ft. high.
The leaves vary very little, as will be seen by
fig. 1763., in which a represents a seedling of
one year's growth, and b a leaf from a plant
two years old. This oak, though not intro-
duced till 1823, is supposed to be the one
figured in Catesby's Carolina, which he calls the
red oak with small pedunculated acorns, and
describes as follows : — " Bark dark, thick, and
strong, preferable for tanning. Wood coarse
and spongy. The acorns vary much in shape ;
and the leaves retain no certain form, but sport
into various shapes, more than those of other
oaks." (Catesb. Carol., i. p. 23.) He adds that the wild pigeons assemble
in such numbers on this oak, that they sometimes break down the branches,
and leave their dung some inches thick under the trees. The elder Mi-
chaux says that Catesby has confounded this tree with Q. rubra ; which
is probably the case, as his description accords much better with that species,
than this tree. The wood of Q. Catesbtz^' is considered excellent as fuel ; and
it bears a higher price than that of any other oak in America for that purpose.
6 G 2
1765
1890 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
We are not aware of there being any trees of this oak in the neighbourhood
of London; but we believe there are plants of it in the Edinburgh Botanic
Garden, raised from acorns brought over by Mr. M'Nab, jun., in 1834. (See
p. 182.)
§ vi. Nigra. Black American Oaks.
Sect. Char., $c. Leaves wedge-shaped, or imperfectly lobed ; mucronated, but
the mucros generally dropping off when the leaves have attained their full
size. Leaves dying off of a blackish green, and in America frequently per-
sistent. Bark black, and not scaling off. Fructification biennial. Nut
ovate, with a persistent style, and sometimes marked with dark lines. Trees,
from 20 ft. to 40 ft. high ; and one of them, a miniature tree, often not
exceeding 3 ft. in height. Rate of growth less rapid than in the preceding
sections.
¥ 21. Q. NI'GRA L. The Black Jack Oak.
Identification. Cat. Carol., 1. 19. ; Lin. Sp. PL, 1413. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 442. ; Ait. Hort. Kew.,
5. p. 291. ; Pursh FL Amer. Sept., 2. p. 629. ; Sm. and Abb. Ins., 2. p. 115. ; Michx. Quer., No. 12. ;
N. Du Ham., 7. p. 168. ; Sm. in Rees's Cycl., No. 53.
Synonymes. Q. marylandica, &c., Raii\ «. ferruginea Mich*. N. Amer. Syl.t 1. p. 79. t. 20. ; Q.
aquatica Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; Barrens Oak, Amer.
Engravings. Abb. Ins., t. 58. ; Michx. Quer., t. 22, 23. ; Cat. Carol., t. 19. ; and our fig. 1764.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves wedge-shaped, somewhat heart-shaped at the base ;
dilated, abrupt, and very slightly 3-lobed at the end; the middle lobe shortest,
smooth above, rusty beneath. Calyx hemispherical, with membranous
scales. Nut roundish-ovate. ( Willd.) A tree, 20 ft. or 30 ft. high. Intro-
duced before 1739.
Description, $c. The Black Jack oak, according to the younger Michaux,
is sometimes 30ft. high, and Sin. or 10 in. in diameter, but commonly does not
exceed half these dimensions. Its trunk is generally crooked ; and it is co-
vered with a very hard, thick, and deeply
furrowed baik, which is black on the
outside, though the inner bark is of a
dull red. The head of the tree is broad
and spreading, even in the midst of the
woods. The leaves are of a very re-
markable shape, being dilated towards
the summit, like a pear, and armed,
when young, with 3 or 5 bristle-like
points, which fall off when the leaf has
attained its full size. Fig. 1765., from
Michaux's Histoire des Chenes, shows
these mucros on seedlings of one year's
and two years' growth. The leaves are
yellowish, and somewhat downy, at their
first unfolding in spring ; but, when fully
expanded, they become of a dark green ff ^ 1 764
above, and rusty beneath : they are also
thick and leathery in their texture. In autumn, they turn of a blackish red,
and fall with the first frost. The oldest trees bear only a few handfuls of
acorns, which are large, and half-covered with very scaly cups. Michaux
observed this species for the first time in some forests in New Jersey, about
60 miles east of Philadelphia. It is commonly found upon soils composed
of red argillaceous sand, mingled with gravel, and so meagre as scarcely
to bear cropping. The greater part of Maryland and Virginia, from Balti-
more to the borders of North Carolina (a distance of 400 or 500 miles), is,
according to the younger Michaux, composed of this kind of soil ; and here the
Black Jack oak is found in the greatest abundance. The whole of this in-
terval, with the exception of the valleys and the swamps, with their surround-
ing acclivities, is covered with forests impoverished by fire, and by the cattle
CHAP. CV.
CORYLA CE/E. QUE'RCUS.
1891
i 765
which subsist in them during the greater part
of the year. They are composed principally of
the Pinus palustris, Quercus obtusiloba, Q.
nigra. Q. tinctoria, and Q. coccinea. In the
Carolinas and Georgia, where the soil gradually
improves in retiring from the shore towards the
mountains, the Black Jack oak forms a band
15 or 20 miles broad, between the pine barrens
and the forests of nobler trees. In Kentucky
and Tennessee, the Black Jack oak is only seen
in the savannahs, where it is widely diffused ;
and where, preserved by the thickness of its
bark, and its insulated position, it survives the
conflagrations that almost every year consume
the grass ; the fire, driven forward by the wind,
having only time to devour its foliage. In the
pine barrens, this oak grows chiefly on the
edges of the branch swamps, where the soil is
little stronger than is necessary for the pines. With Q. cinerea and Q. Cates-
b«Nz,it possesses itself of the pine lands that have been cleared for cultivation,
and afterwards abandoned on account of their sterility ; and in these situations it
becomes larger than in the forests. (JV. Amcr. Syl., i. p. 80.) In New Jersey
and Philadelphia, this species is called the barrens oak ; and in Maryland and
the more southern states, the Black Jack oak. The specific name of nigra was
given to it by Linnaeus, from the blackness of its bark and general appearance ;
but Michaux preferred the name of ferruginea, not only because the under
surface of the leaves is of a rusty brown, but because Q. tinctoria, in America,
is generally known by the name of the black oak. The wood is heavy and
compact ; but it decays so rapidly, when exposed to the weather, that it is not
used in the arts : it makes excellent fuel, and is sold in Philadelphia for only
a little less than hickory, and for one third more than every other kind of wood.
Notwithstanding the
leathery texture of
the leaves of this
tree, they are attacked
by the larva of Pha-
lae^na lucida Sm. and
Abb. Ins., t. 58., syn.
Dryocampa lucida
Hariis, P. virgin iensis
Dru. Ins., 2. t. 13. f.
2., and our fig. 1766.,
the transparent-wing-
ed white-spot moth.
The caterpillar of this /3
moth is pink, streak- V
ed with a yellowish
green; and the perfect
insect pink, brown,
arid yellow. The ca-
terpillar buries itself
in the ground, but
remains there only a
short time ; one ob-
served by Abbott bu-
ried itself on the 1 2th
of July, and the moth
appeared on the 26th. The larva of P. quernaria Sm. and Abb. Ins., t. 93.,
the American oak beauty, also feeds on the leaves of this species. There are
Q G 3
1766
1892
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
plants of the Black Jack in the Horticultural Society's Garden, and a tree
in the arboretum of the Messrs. Loddiges, under the name of Q. aquatica.
¥ 22. Q. AQUA'TICA Soland. The Water Oak.
Identification. Soland. in Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 1., 3. p. 357., ed. 2., No. 11. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p.441.}
. Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 628. ; Michx. Quer., No. 11. ; N. Du Ham., 7. p. 167. ; Smith in
Rees's CycL, No. 52.
Synonymes. Q. fdliis cuneiformibus, &c., Gron. Virg. ; Q. folio non serrato, &c., Cat. Carol., l.t. 20. :
Q. nlgra Willd. Sp. PL, 1«3. ; «. uliginosa Wangh. Amer., t. 6. f. 18.
Engravings. Michx. Quer., t 19, 20, and 21. ; Cat. Carol., t. 20. ; and ova fig. 1767.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves wedge-shaped, smooth ; tapering at the base ; dilated
and obscurely 3-lobed at the end; the middle lobe largest. Calyx nearly
hemispherical. Nut roundish. (Willd.) A tree, from 40 ft. to 60 ft. high.
Introduced before 1723.
Vaiieties.
2 Q. a. 2 ndna ; Q. aquatica Smith and Abb. Ins., ii. p. 117. t. 59. ; Q. a.
elongata^#. Hort. Kew., v. p. 290.; Q. dentata Bart. Trav., p. 14.
and 28. ; Q. nana Willd. Sp. PI., iv. p. 443., Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., ii.
p. 628., N. Du. Ham., vii. p. 169., Smith in Sees' s Cycl., No. 55. ; the
Dwarf jagged Oak ; is of much lower stature than the species, and
has the leaves nearly sessile, and more distinctly lobed.
¥ Q. a. 3 mantima Michx. Quer., No.
11. t.20. f. 2.; Q.hemisphffi'rica
Willd. Sp. PI., iv. p. 443., Sort.
Trav., p. 320., Pursh Fl. Amer.
Sept., ii. p. 628., N. Du Ham.,
vii. p. 169., Smith in ReeisCycl.,
No. 65. ; has persistent leaves.
Other Varieties. There is no Ame-
rican oak, not even Q. falcata, of which
the foliage is so variable as of this tree.
On full-grown trees, the leaves are
smooth, shining, and heart-shaped ; or
broad and rounded at the summit, and
terminating in a point at the base, as
in^g. 1767.; and on young trees, or
on shoots from the root of old trees,
the leaves are oval, toothed, oblong,
and, in short, of all the different forms
shown in fig. 1768., taken from the Histovre des Chenes. In the Hortus
Kewensis, five varieties are enumerated, only differing in the shape of the
leaves ; but tha elder Michaux as-
serts that they cannot be propagated A ^£$1 . M . 1768
with certainty even by grafting ; and
that all the different kinds may be
found on one tree. Even the two
we have given under distinct names,
though they are made species by some
authors, are rather variations than
varieties.
Description, $c. The water oak
rarely exceeds 40 ft. or 45 ft. in height,
with a trunk from 1 ft. to 1 ft. 6 in. in
diameter ; though it is sometimes found
50 ft. or 60 ft. high. The bark, on the
oldest trees, is smooth, or very slightly
furrowed. The acorns, which are of a
dark brown, and are small and ex-
tremely bitter, are contained in shallow
slightly scaly cups. They are not
1767
CHAP. CV.
abundant, as the largest tree seldom yields more than a few pints. This oak
varies 'very much from soil and climate. In Virginia, which is its most
northern habitat, the tree is only 40ft. or 45ft. high; and its leaves, which
vary exceedingly, but are generally wedge-shaped, drop at the first frost. In
the inland parts' of the southern states, the tree attains its largest size; but
on the sea coast it becomes dwarfish, and the leaves persistent ; they frequently
remaining on the tree for two or three years. In the Carolinas, Georgia, and
East Florida, it is most abundant ; and it is always found in the stagnant pools
and narrow swamps enclosed in the pine barrens. It is one of the Ame-
rican oaks mentioned by Catesby, and was cultivated in Fairchild's Nursery
before the year 1723. As a
useful tree, it has no recom-
mendations : the wood is
tough ; but it decays so soon,
that it is never used in Ame-
rica, where it is not esteemed
even for fuel. The bark con-
tains some tannin ; but it is
considered so inferior to that
of other oaks, that it is never
used by the tanners ; and the
acorns are so bitter, that even
pigs will not eat them. When
young, the tree is frequently
attacked by the larva of a
moth, considered by Abbott
and Smith as identical with
the English Phalai'na (Clisio-
campa) neustria L.Syst.Nat.,
818., Smith and Abb. Ins., t.
59.; and our Jig. 1769. This
insect is extremely abundant
both in Europe and America ;
and in the latter country it is often found in such quantities in the larva state
as entirely to strip the oak on which it feeds of leaves. There are trees of Q..
aquatica in the Horticultural Society's Garden ; and numerous young plants for
sale in the nursery ground occupied by Mr. Charlwood of Covent Garden
Market.
» 23. Q. /LICIFO'LIA Wang. The Holly-leaved, or Bear, Oak.
Identification. Wang. Amer, 79. t. 6. f. 17. ; Willd. Sp PL, 4. p. 447. ; Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 2., 5-
p. 292. ; Smith in Rees's CvcL, No. 66.
Synonymcs. Q. Banisteri Michx. Quer., No. 15., N. Du Ham., 7. p. 173., Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept.,
2. p. 631.;; ? Q. aquatica Abbott and Smith Ins., 2. p. 157. ; Black Scrub Oak, Dwarf red Oak, Amer.
Engravings. Wang. Amer., t. 6. f. 17. ; ? Abb. Ins., 2. t. 79. ; N. Amer. Syl., 1. p. 21. ; and our
fig. 1770.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves obovate-wedge-shaped, with 3 or 5 deep bristle-
pointed lobes, entire; downy beneath. Fruit stalked, in pairs.
A shrub, or low tree, from 3 ft. to 10 ft. high. Introduced in 1800.
Description, $c. This very remarkable little tree is generally found about
3 ft. or 4 ft. high : but, in favourable situations, it is sometimes found to reach
the height of 8 ft. or 10 ft. " It usually grows in compact masses, which are
traversed with difficulty, though no higher than the waist. As the individuals
which compose them are of a uniform height, they form so even a surface,
that, at a distance, the ground appears to be covered with grass, instead of
shrubs." (iV. Amer. Syl., i. p. 83.) The trunk, which is much confined, is co-
vered, like the branches, with a polished bark. It has more strength than
would be supposed from its size, which is rarely more than 1 in. in diameter.
The leaves are of a dark green on the upper surface, whitish beneath, and
regularly divided into 3 or 5 lobes. The acorns are small, blackish, and lon-
6 G 4
189*
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
gitudiually marked with a few reddish lines; and
they are so abundant as sometimes to cover the
branches. The bear oak is common in the northern
states, also in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsyl-
vania. It is never found insulated, or mingled with
other trees and shrubs in the forest; but always in
tracts of several hundred acres in extent, which it
covers almost exclusively, a few specimens of the
chinquapin oak (Q. Prinus piimila) only breaking its
uniformity. The presence of this oak is considered
a sure indication of a barren soil ; and it is usually
found on dry sandy land mingled with gravel. This
oak was first observed by Banister, after whom it
was named by some authors ; it was not, however,
till 1800, that it was brought to this country by the
Messrs. Fraser, to whom we owe the introduction
of many species of American oaks. The tree is too
small for the wood to be of any use ; but the acorns
afford an abundant supply of food to deer, bears, and
swine, which, from the low stature of the plant, can " reach them by lifting their
heads, or rising on their hind feet." The younger Michaux saw it used for
hedges ? and he suggests that it might be planted as copse-wood, as it would
afford food, as well as an excellent shelter, for game ; also, that, as it will grow
in the most sterile soil, and resist the most impetuous winds, it might serve as
a nurse to plantations in exposed situations, such as the dykes in Holland.
The larva of Phalge'na (Orgyia) leucostigma Sm. and Abb. Ins., t. 79., the pale
vapourer moth, feeds on the leaves of this species.
¥ 24. Q. HETEROPHY'LLA Michx. The various-leaved, or Bartram's, Oak.
Identification. Michx. Amer. Syl., 1. p. 75. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept, 2. p. 627.
Engraving. Michx. Amer. Syl., t. 18.
Spec. Char. Leaves on long footstalks, ovate-lanceolate or oblong, entire or unequally toothed.
Cup hemispherical. Nut roundish. (Michx.} A tree, 30 ft. high.
Description, 8fc. It is a remarkable fact, that, notwithstanding the apparent distinctness of this
oak, only one specimen of it has been found in a wild state, and that was discovered by Michaux, in
a field belonging to Mr. Bartram, on the banks of the Schuylkill, 4 miles from Philadelphia. This
was a flourishing tree, 30ft. high, with a trunk 12 in. in diameter. The leaves are of an elongated
oval form, coarsely and irregularly toothed, smooth above, and of a dark grceiv beneath. The acorns
are round, of a middle size, and contained in shallow cups, lightly covered with scales. It is said to
have been introduced, but we do not know where it is to be obtained.
* 25. Q. AGRIFONLIA Willd. The prickly-leaved American Oak.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 434. ; Nees in Ann. des Scien. Nat., 3. p. 271. ; Fisch. Misc. Hisp.,
1. p. 108.; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. (527. ; N. Du Ham., 7. p. 156. ; Smith in Rees's Cycl.,
No. 29.
Engraving. ? Pluk. Phyt., 1. 196. f. 3.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves roundish-ovate, somewhat heart-shaped ; smooth on both sides, with spinous
teeth. Fruit axillary, sessile. Scales of the calyx lax. Nut ovate. (Willd.} A native of the
western coast of North America, near Nootka Sound. It has not been introduced.
§ vii. Phellos. Willow Oaks.
II
LJfc
Sect. Char.) Sec. Leaves quite entire and lanceolate, dying off without much
change of colour, in England ; but, in America, sometimes persistent for
two or three years. Young shoots straight, spreading, and wand-like.
Bark very smooth, black, and never cracked. Fructification biennial. Cup
imbricate. Nut roundish, and very small. Large trees and shrubs, the least
beautiful in their foliage of the oak family.
If 26. Q. PHE'LLOS L. The Willow Oak.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 1412. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 423. ; Ait. Hort. Kew., ed.2.,5. p. 287. ; Pursh
>. cv.
CORYLA CEJE. QUE'RCUS.
1895
FI. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 625. ; N. Du Ham., 7. p. 150. ; Smith and Abb. Ins., 2. p. 181. ; Michx. Quer.,
No. 7. ; Smith in Recs's Cycl., No. 1.
Sunontintes Q. virgintf.na, £c., Pluk. Aim., p. 180. ; Q. Tlex marylindira liaii Hist. PI.
Engravings. Catcsb. Carol., 1. 1. 16. ; Abb. Ins., 2. t. 91.; Michx. Quer., t. 12. ; Pluk. Aim., t.4U.
f. 7. ; our fig. 1774. ; and the plates of this tree in our last Volume.
S/>c, . Char., $c. Leaves membranaceous, linear, lanceolate ; tapering at each
end, entire, smooth, with a small point. Nut roundish. (Smith and Willd.)
A tree, GO ft. or 70 ft. high, in some soils and situations ; and in others a
shrub of diminutive growth.
1771
Q. P. 1 sylvaticus Michx. Hist, des Chenes, No. vii. t. 12.; Wang.
Amer., t. 5. f. 11.; and our fig. 1774.; has the
leaves long and narrow on old trees, and tri-
lobed on seedlings, as mfig. 1771.; and persis-
tent, or deciduous, according to soil and situ-
ation. A tree, growing to the height of about
60 ft. Introduced in 1723. There is a tree in
the Hackney arboretum 22 ft. high.
Q. P. 2 latifotius Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; and the
plate of this tree in our last Volume. — A tree,
with the leaves rather broader than those of
the preceding form. There is a plant at Messrs. Loddiges's 15ft.
high.
Q. P. 3 hiimilis Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., ii. p. 625., Catesb., i. t. 22., Wangh. Amer., t. 5.
f. 12., has shorter leaves, which are deciduous. A shrub of low straggling growth.
Q. P. 4 sericeus ; Q. Phellos Smith and Abb. Ins., ii. t. 51. ; Q. P. piimilus Michx. Hist, des
Chtnes, t. 13. f. 1. and 2. ; Q. humilior salicis foliisbrevior ; the Highland Willow Oak ;
Q. sericea Willd. Sp. PI., iv. p. 424., Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., ii. p. 626. ; N. Du Ham., vii.
p. 150., Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 3. ; Q. pumila Michx. N. Amer. Sy!., i. t. 17. ; and
our Jig. 1772. The running Oak. — This curious little oak is. the smallest of the genus,
being only 20 in., or at most 2ft., in height. The leaves are entire, smooth, or of an
elongated oval shape, and about 2 in. long : they are of a reddish tint in spring, turning
green as the season advances, and are deciduous. The acorns are small, and round ;
and they are few in number, because the stem of the plant is burnt down to the ground
almost every spring, by the fires kindled in the forests to consume the dead grass ; and,
as this oak belongs to those whose fructification is biennial, the acorns are destroyed
before they reach maturity. This plant is confined to the maritime parts of the Caro-
linas, Georgia, and the Floridas ; and it springs in the pine barrens, amid the numerous
varieties of whortleberry and other plants which overspread the ground, wherever there
is a little moisture in the soil, and the layer of vegetable mould is a few inches thick.
* Q. P. 5cinereus; Q. P. -y Lin. Sp. PI., 1412. ; Q. P. ft cinereus Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 1.,
iii. p. 354.; Q. hiimilis Walt. Carol., 234. ; Q. cinerea Willd. Sp. PL, iv. p. 425., Ait. Hort.
Keio., ed. 2.,v. p. 288. , Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., ii. p. 626., N. Du Ham., vii, p. 151., Smith
1772
in Rces's Cycl., No. 6., Michx. N. Amer. Syl., i. 1. 16. : and our fig. 1773. The Upland
Willow Oak. — This kind varies so much, both in height and general appearance, that
individual plants have frequently been taken for distinct species. It is only found in the
maritime parts of the southern states, where it is little multiplied in comparison with
many other species ; and is dispersed in small groups in the forests of white pine
1896 ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART III.
(Ptnus Strobus). It Is found also upon the sea shore, and in the pine barrens. In the
latter situation, it is frequently from 18 ft. to 20 ft. high, with a trunk 4 in. or 5 in in dia-
meter; with entire leaves, 2 in. or Sin. long, silky, and whitish beneath. In drv or
sandy, places, it is only 3ft. or 4 ft. high, with denticulated leaves only 1 in. in length,
which persist for 2 years. These changes are, however, not permanent, as F. A. Michaux
found both kinds of leaves on the same tree. The upland willow oak is also often
found in pine forests that have been dewed for cultivation, and afterwards abandoned
on account of their sterility. In these places, as in the pine barrens.it is about 20ft.
high ; and its trunk, crooked, and covered with a thick bark, begins to ramify at about
a third of the height of the tree from the ground. In spring, it is distinguished by the
reddish colour of its leaves and male catkins. The acorns, which are contained in shal-
low cups, are round and blackish, with the base of a bright rose colour, when fresh Iv
exposed. It is rare to meet with a tree that yields a quart of fruit, (ilichx.) The bark
of this tree, like that of (2. tinctbria, dyes yellow ; but the tree is so rare in America,
that no use is made either of its bark or wood.
Q. P. 6marttimusM\ch\. Quer., No. 7. ; Q. maritima Wind. Sp. Pi., iv. p. 424., Pursh
Fl. Amer. Sept., ii. p. 62a, N. Du Ham., vii. p. 150., Smith in Itces's Cycl., No 2 —A
low shrubby plant, from 3 ft. to 8 ft. high, according to Pursh ; a native of the sea coast
of Virginia and Carolina, The leaves are shorter than those of the species, and are per-
sistent It is sometimes called the evergreen willow oak.
Description, $c. Q. Phellos, in America, is seldom found above 50 ft. or
60 ft. high, with a trunk 2 ft. in diameter ; but in England, according to our
Statistics, it attains the height of 70 ft. and upwards. The trunk, even at an
advanced age, is covered with a smooth bark.
The leaves are 2 in. or Sin. long, of a light
green, smooth, narrow, entire, and very similar
to those of the willow; whence the name of the
willow oak, by which this species is known
throughout the greater part of America. The
shoots are straight, long, slender, wand-like, and
not crossing one another so much as in most of
the other kinds of oaks ; so that the tree is almost
as much like the willow, in its shoots as its leaves.
The acorns, which are rarely abundant, are
small, round, bitter, and of a dark brown co-
lour: they are contained in shallow cups, slightly
coated with scales ; and, if kept in a cool place,
they will preserve the power of germination for
several months. The most northern boundary
of the willow oak is Philadelphia; but it is
more common, and of a larger size, in Virginia, v jre^ 1774
the Carolinas, and Georgia, where the mild-
ness of the climate is evidently favourable to
its growth. " It is seen, however, only in the
maritime parts of these states, and is a stranger to the inland districts, where
the surface is mountainous, and the climate more severe." (.Afiofcr.) The
willow oak generally grows in cool moist places ; and, with Nyss« aquatica,
Magnolia glauca, yTcer rubrum, Laurus carolinensis, and Quercus aquatica, it
borders the swamps in the lower part of the southern states. But, though
the willow oak generally grows in moist places, it is sometimes found, along
with the live oak, " near the sea, in the driest and most sandy soils. At a
distance, it resembles the live oak in its shape and in its foliage, which, in those
situations, persists during several years ; but, on a closer examination, it is
easily distinguished by the form of its leaves, which are shorter and narrower,
and by the porous texture of its wood." (Id.) Catesby calls this oak Q.
/Nlex marylandica, after Ray; and mentions that, in 1723, it was growing in
the garden of Mr. Fairchild. He adds that this tree is the favourite resort
of the large white-billed woodpecker, which feeds upon the insects found in
its bark, and injures the tree so much in dislodging them, that the ground
under the tree is often covered with small chips. From this circumstance,
the Spaniards call the birds carpcntcros. (Catesb. Carol., i. p. 16.) Michanx
adds that the wood is reddish and coarse-grained, and so porous, that its
staves are classed with those of the red oak. From the comparative rareness
of the tree, however, they are seldom in the market. In some of the lower
parts of Virginia, the wood of Q. Phellos is found to possess great strength
CHAP. CV. COn^LjCcEJE. QUE'RCUS. 1897
and tenacity, and to split less easily than that of the white oak ; hence, after
having been thoroughly seasoned, it is employed for the felloes of wheels. In
Georgia, fences are sometimes made of this oak; but they do not last longer
than eight or ten years. As fuel, the wood of this tree sells at the lowest
price. Several of the varieties mentioned have been introduced into Britain ;
but we have never seen any of them except one, which has the leaves rather
broader than those of the species, but which is hardly worth keeping distinct.
It is highly probable that, in our soil and climate, all those differences in the
magnitude of the plant, and in the character of the foliage, produced by the
geographical and geological circumstances by which the tree is accompanied
in America, disappear, or, rather, are never produced. The tree, in England,
is one of the hardiest and most rapid-growing of American oaks; and it
may be also characterised as the least beautiful, its foliage being light in
colour, thinly spread over the tree, and dying off, in autumn, with very little
change.
Statistics. In the environs of London, at Syon, it is 64 ft high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 6 in.,
and of the head 47 ft. (see the portrait of this tree in our last Volume) ; in the Mile-End Nursery it
is 34ft. high; at Whitton Place it is 70ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft. Gin. ; at Ken-
wood, Hampstead, 60 years planted, it is 40ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft. 4 in., and
of the head 44 ft In Devonshire, in the Exeter Nursery, 53 years planted, it is 26ft. high, with
a trunk 1 ft. 6 in. in diameter ; in Surrey, at Pepper Harrow, it is 70ft. high; in Wiltshire, at
Longleat, 65 years planted, it is 38 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 7 in., and of the head
14ft; in Worcestershire, at Croome, 40 years planted, it is 35ft. high, the diameter of the trunk
10 in., and of the head 15 ft. In France, at Toulon, in the Botanic Garden, 36 years planted, it is
20 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 7 in. In Austria, near Vienna, at JBruck on the Leytha,
20 years old, it is 7 ft. high. In Lembardy, at Monza, 24 yeara planted, it is 44 ft. high, the diameter
of the trunk 9 in., and of the head 20ft
Commercial Statistics. Plants, in the London nurseries, are 2s. 6d. each,
and acorns 5s. per bushel. Seedling plants of one year are 10*. per hundred ;
one year transplanted, 25s. per hundred. At Bollwyller plants are 3 francs
each ; and at New York plants are 37£ cents each.
It 27. Q. (P.) ZAURIFOXLIA Wild. The Laurel-leaved Oak.
Identification. Wiltd. Sp. PI., 4, p. 427.; Ait, Pursh FI. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 627.; Michx. Quer.,
No. 10. ; N. Du Ham., 7. p. 153. ; Smith in Rees's CycL, No. 14.
Synonymes. The Laurel Oak, Swamp Willow Oak.
Engravings. Michx. Quer., t 17. ; and our Jig. 1776.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves obovate, entire, smooth, nearly sessile ; tapering at
the base. Nut roundish, even. (Smith.) A tree, 50ft. or 60ft. high; a
native of South Carolina and Georgia. Introduced in 1786.
Variety.
4 Q. (P.) 1. 2 hybrida Michx. Quer., No. 10. t 18., and pur fig. 1775.; Q. /. 2 obtisa Ait.
Hort. Kew., ed. 2., v. p. 288., Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., ii. p. 627. ; has rather more obtuse
leaves than the species. This variety is supposed, by the elder Michaux, to be a hybrid
between Q. aquatica and Q. /aurifolia;
because the shape of its leaves resembles
the former species, while the general cha-
racter and habit of growth of the tree
resemble those of Q. Jaurifblia. It grows
1775
on the banks of the rivers in the pine
barrens, where the soil, at a little distance
from the water, is only a dry sand.
Description, 8fc. This oak, which rises
to the height of 50 ft., or 60 ft., is said by
the elder Michaux to be very nearly allied to Q. Phellos. He adds that its timber
is very valuable, resembling that of the live oak, which is considered preferable
1898 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III,
to that of any other American oak for ship-building. According to the second
edition of the Hortus Knvensis, it was introduced by Mr. John Fraser, in 1786.
It is not mentioned by the younger Michaux, probably, as Ptirsh conjectures,
because he considered it only a variety of Q. imbricaria, from which it differs
principally in the value of its wood. As, however, the American oaks are
found to vary very much, according to the soil and climate in which they
grow, these two kinds may possibly be the same ; Q. /aurifolia being only
found in South Carolina and Georgia, and Q. imbricaria on the Alleghany
Mountains. The whole of the American oaks belonging to the section Phel-
los are remarkable for retaining their leaves, in particular soils and situations,
for two, three, and in some cases even four, years, without their changing
colour ; differing in this respect, both from evergreens, which change their
leaves in the spring of every year ; and from those deciduous trees which re-
tain their leaves in a withered state during winter. There is a tree of the
species in the Hammersmith Nursery, which is upwards of 20 ft. high ; and,
from its habit of growth and wand-like shoots, independently of any similarity
in the leaves, we are strongly inclined to believe it only a variety of Q. Phellos.
2 28. Q. IMBRICARIA Wttld. The Shingle Oak.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 428. ; Ait. Hort. Kew., 5. p. 288. ; Pursh FI. Amer., Sept., 2.
p. 627. ; Michx. Quer., No. 10. ; N. Du Ham. ; 7. p. 154. ; Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 15.
Synonymes. Q. latif blia Hort. ; Laurel Oak, Filed-Cup Oak, Jack Oak, Black Jack Oak, Amer. ;
Chene S Lattes, Fr.
Engravings. Michx. Quer., 1. 15, 16. j N. Amer. Syl., 1. t. 15. ; and our fig. 1777.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves elliptic-oblong, acute at each end, entire, almost
sessile ; downy beneath. Nut nearly globose. (Smith and Willd.) A tree,
a native of the Alleghanies, 40ft. or 50ft. high. Introduced in 1786.
Description, $c. The shingle oak is from 40 ft. to 50 ft. high, with a trunk
from 1ft. to 1 ft. 3 in. in diameter. Its trunk, even when old, is covered with
"a smooth bark; and, for three fourths of its height, it is laden with branches.
It has an uncouth form when bare in winter,
but is beautiful in summer, when clad in its
thick tufted foliage. The leaves are long, lan-
ceolate, entire, and of a shining green." (N.
Amer. SyLy i. p. 70.) Michaux adds that the
trunk is branching, and often crooked; and
the wood, though hard and heavy, has open
pores, like that of Q. rubra. East of the Alle-
ghanies, this species is rare ; but west of the
mountains it is more multiplied, and better
known. Its most northern boundary is the
neighbourhood of Philadelphia ; but it is found
in the greatest abundance in Kentucky and
Tennessee ; also in the country of the Illinois,
where it is called by the French chene a lattes,
or the lath oak. " In the western parts of
Pennsylvania and Virginia, small lawns, covered
only with tall grass, are frequently seen in the
forests, around which this oak forms entire
groves : insulated trees are also found in cool
humid situations. It is, probably, from its
flourishing in open exposures, that it is most abundant in the country of the
Illinois, which consists of immeasurable savannahs, stretching in every direction,
to which the forests bear no sensible proportion." (Michx.) This tree was
brought to England in 1786, by Mr. John Fraser, but is rare in collections.
According to the younger Michaux, it has no merit but in its foliage, the wood
being even inferior to that of the willow oak, which it greatly resembles ; and
so crooked, as to be fit only for fuel. The elder Michaux, however, says
that, in the country of the Illinois, it is used for shingles. There is a tree
of this species in the Horticultural Society's Garden.
CHAP. CV.
COTLYLACEJE. QUEXRCUS.
1899
B. Leaves evergreen.
§ viii. l^lex. Holm, or Holly, Oaks.
SitU
a. Natives of Europe.
Sect. Char. Leaves ovate or oval, sometimes lanceolate, entire or serrated ;
with or without prickly macros ; downy beneath. Bark smooth and black,
or rough and corky. Fructification biennial. Cups imbricate. Nut ovate,
acuminate ; sometimes very long in proportion to the cup. Low trees, or
shrubs, of great commercial interest, from including the oaks which produce
cork, the kermes insect, and edible acorns.
£ 29. Q. 7rLEX L. The common evergreen, or Holm, Oak.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1412. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 433. ; AiL HorL Kew., 5. p. 289. ; N. Du
Ham., 7. p. 156. ; Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 32.
Sytwnymes. /"lex arbbrea Bauh. Hist., 1. p. 95. ; 1'Yeuse, or Chene vert., Fr. ; Stein Eiche, Ger. ;
Elice, Ital. ; Encina, Span.
Engravings. Blackw. Herb.,t. 186.; N. Du Ham., t 43, 44.; Dend. Brit., t 90.; our Jig. 1781.;
and the plates of the tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves ovate-oblong, acute, coriaceous, entire or serrated ;
hoary beneath. Bark even. Nut ovate. (Willd. and Smith.) A large shrub,
or low or middle-sized tree, according to soil and situation ; a native of
the south of Europe, the north of Africa, and of Cochin-China, and other
parts of Asia ; in cultivation in British gardens from a very remote period ;
flowering in May, and ripening its acorns the second year.
Varieties. These are very numerous, and
frequently very distinct ; and, as in the
case of every species of oak, they might
be greatly increased by selecting from
beds of seedling plants.
f Q. I. 1 integrifblia Lodd. Cat., ed.
1836; Smilax Dalech., Bauh.
Hist.,i. p. 101. j Suber secun-
dus Matth. Valgr., i. p. 188., as
to the figure ; has the leaves
lanceolate, entire.
f Q. I. 2 serratifolia Lodd. Cat.,
ed. 1836; /Mex Matth. Valgr.,
i. p. 186., Du Ham. Arb., \. t.
123.,andour.^g.l778.; has the
leaves lanceolate, serrated.
1 * Q. I. 3 fagifolia Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; Phellodrys Matth. Valgr.,
i. p. 189., as to the figure; /Hex, No. 3., Du Ham.,
Arb.,i. t. 224-., and our^g. 1779. ; has broader and
less rigid leaves, which are more or less undulated,
and sometimes slightly serrated.
f a Q. I. 4 crispa Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836, has the leaves
wrinkled at the edges.
1 tf Q. I. 5 latifolia Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; Q. I. ob!6nga
Hort.; and our^g. 1780. ; has broad leaves, nearly
entire. There is a magnificent specimen of this
variety at Purser's Cross, some of the leaves of
which, on the lower part of the tree, are upwards
of 5 in. long, and nearly 3 in. broad. The leaves
of Q. /./agifolia often attain nearly the same size ;
but they differ in being undulated, and sometimes slightly serrated at
the edges.
1778
177!)
1900
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART II f.
17 ft
f a Q. I. 6 longifolia Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; Q.
I. *alicifolia Hort. ; has long and very narrow
leaves. There is a fine tree at Sawbridge-
worth, from which plants have been pro-
pagated in the nursery of Messrs. Rivers.
f * Q. I. 7 variegdta Hort. has the leaves va-
riegated with white. This variety was
brought into notice in 1836, by Mr Veitch
of the Killerton Nursery.
Other Varieties. Q. I. lustidnica Lodd. Cat., ed.
1836, we have not seen, the plant being dead. Q-
lusitanica Lam. is thought by Captain S. E. Cook
to be identical with the Q. Ballota of the nurseries ;
and, if so, these two alleged species must be only
varieties of Q. /'lex ; which, indeed, we believe to be the case. Q. rigida
Willd. is probably also a variety of Q. / Nlex j as appear to be Q. castilidna
Cav., Q. prdsina Pers., Q. rotundifolia Lam., and some others ; but, not feel-
ing perfectly confident on the subject, we shall treat them as uncertain kinds
in our Appendix of European Oaks. Messrs. Lucombe and Pince inform
us (while this is going through the press), that they have a new variety,
which they call Quercus l^lex ilicifdlia ; but we have not seen a specimen.
Description. In favourable situations, in the south of France, Spain, and
Italy, and also in the warmest parts of England and Ireland, the Q. /Hex
forms a bushy evergreen tree, exceeding the middle size. The trunk is
generally furnished with branches from the ground
upwards ; and, being concealed by the dense mass of
foliage borne by these branches, the general character
of the species, even when fully grown, is that of an
immense bush, rather than that of a timber tree.
When judiciously pruned, or drawn up by other
trees, however, it forms a handsome well-balanced
head on a straight trunk, and with graceful pendent
branches. The roots descend to a very great depth,
altogether disproportionate to the height of the
trunk ; for which reason this oak is never found indi-
genous to soil with a wet bottom. The bark is
black, thin, hard, and even ; sometimes slightly fur-
rowed, but never corky. The leaves vary exceedingly in shape and size,
from 5 in. in length and nearly 3 in. in breadth (as in Q. /. latifolia and Q.
/./agifolia), to 1 in. in length and £ in. in breadth (as in Q. /. erf spa) ; or ^ in. in
breadth and 3 in. in length, as in Q. I. salicifolia. In some plants, the leaves
are prickly, like those of the holly ; and, when this is the case, the most prickly
are nearest the ground ; a circumstance beautifully exemplified in a fine tree at
Purser's Cross. The colour of the leaves is a dark green ; and, being convex
above, and quite smooth, they have a fine shining appearance. Their edges
are either revolute and entire, irregularly notched and serrated, furnished
with mucros, or wavy and spiny-toothed, like the holly. Beneath, they are
more or less hoary or downy ; and in some varieties, such as Q. I. /agifolia,
they are on the under side very distinctly feather-nerved. The footstalks
are from J in. to f in. in length, and generally downy. The male flowers are
disposed in catkins 1| in. in length, which come out from the axils of the leaves
of the preceding year, and towards the extremities of the branches. The
calyx is campanulate, and the stamens 6, with filaments twice the length of
the divisions of the calyx. The female flowers are from 4 to 8, sessile, and
scattered along a common peduncle, which is from 1 in. to 2 in. in length, and
is placed in the axils of the leaves of the current year. They are succeeded
by acorns, which are oval, smooth, and contained in a cup of from a third to
a half of their length, covered with very slender scales, very closely imbricated,
1781
CHAP. cv. CORYLAXCE;E. QUE'RCUS. 1901
and downy. It seldom happens that more than one or two of these acorns
arrive at perfection on one peduncle. Some trees of this species produce
acorns which are sweet and eatable; others produce only such as are bitter.
Both bitter and sweet acorns are sometimes found on the same tree : and this
important difference in taste and quality is accompanied by no difference
whatever in their external appearance. According to the observation of M.
De la Peyrouse, the sweetest acorns are found on trees which grow in warm
dry situations. In the climate of London, seedling plants grow with consi-
derable rapidity; attaining, in good loamy soil, from 15ft. to 20ft. in height
in 10 years from the acorn. As they become larger, they grow slower; and,
after they have attained the height of 30 ft. or 40 ft., they increase in width
nearly as much as in height. The tree attains a great age, remaining in a
growing state for several centuries. Bosc states that, when this species is cut
down, it never grows up again as a tree, but forms a bush ; which corresponds
very well with the habit and character of the plant : but art, in the case of this
tree, as in that of every other that stoles, might, doubtless, form a tree from a
shoot produced by a stool, by bestowing proper attention on the selecting of
a leading shoot, and on its future pruning and management.
Geography. The (^uercus /Mex is a native of the south of Europe and the
north of Africa. It is very common in Spain and Italy; and is indigenous,
to France, as far north as Nantes and Angers. According to Bosc, it never
grows in masses like forests ; but it is dispersed here and there among other
trees, more especially on hilly grounds, and near the sea. Captain S. E.
Cook says that it grows in the first, or low and humid, region of Spain ; and,
alone, serves to indicate the difference of climate of that part of the Peninsula.
In Sicily, it abounds on the hills all along the coast, and ascends Mount Etna
as high as the Rocca dello Capre, which is 3200 ft. above the level of the sea,
and within 800ft. of the height to which Q. C'erris is found. (Comp. to Bot.
Mag., i. p. 91.) Both in its native country, and in Britain, it grows remarkably
well close by the sea shore, where no other European oak will thrive.
History. This tree was well known to the ancients. Pliny mentions some
holm oaks in existence when he wrote, which, according to his statement,
must have then been, at the lowest computation, 1400 or 1500 years old.
One tree, he says, grew in the Vatican, and was older than Rome itself. It
had brazen letters, in the ancient Etruscan ^characters, fixed upon its trunk ;
from which it would appear, that, before* the city was founded, or even
the Roman name was known, this oak was a sacred tree. Three other ilexes,
he records, were also then extant on the site of the ancient city of Tibur.
The Tiburtines, he adds, were a more ancient people than the Romans, and
their city, Tibur, was founded ages before Rome : yet these oaks were older
even than Tiburtus, who built it ; for tradition asserts that they were the
sacred trees on which that hero beheld an omen, which he regarded as a warrant
from the gods as to the spot on which to found his city. Now, Tiburtus
was the reputed son of Amphiaraus, who died at Thebes 100 years before
the Trojan war ; and how long these oaks outlived Pliny, who flourished in
the latter half of the first century of the Christian era, we have no record.
(See Anucn. Quer., fol. 18.) The ilex is frequently mentioned by Virgil,
who, in the third Gcorgic, introduces a whole grove of them : —
" Aut sicubi nigrum
Ilicibus crebris sacra nemus accubet umbrd."
He also mentions the acorns in the fourth Georgic, p. 81. Horace also speaks
of the"iligna nutritus glande." (Lib. ii. sat. 4/1. 40.) Cato and Columella
recommend the leaves of the ilex as a litter for sheepcotes, when straw cannot
easily be procured ; and Pliny states that the Romans sometimes made their
civic crowns of it. The earliest notice which we have of the Q. 7vlex in Bri-
tain is by Gerard, who, writing in 1597, says that "it is a stranger in England,
notwithstanding there is here and there a tree thereof that hath been procured
from beyond the seas." Johnson, in his edition of Gerard, published in 1C36,
says that Clusius, in 1581, " observed two trees; one in a garden about the
1902 ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART 111.
Bridge, and the other in the private garden at Whitehall, having lesser leaves
than the former. The latter of these," he adds, " is yet standing, and every
year bears small acorns which I could never observe come to any maturity."
(Ger. Emac.y p. 1343.) Parkinson, in 1640, mentions the same tree as
standing "in the king's privie garden at Whitehall;" and Evelyn, in 1678,
speaks of it as a" sickly imp of more than fourscore years' growth." Gerard
calls it the great skarlet oke ; but Parkinson corrects him, and applies the
name of the scarlet holm oke only to the true species, Q. coccifera, or, as
he calls it, Q. coccfgera. Q. 7vlex was called the holm oak on account of
the resemblance of the leaves of some of the varieties to those of the holly ;
though this term is more applicable to Q. gramuntia. Evelyn seems to have
been one of the first to recommend the planting of this tree generally for
hedges and standards ; but the most extensive planter of the ilex was, doubt-
less, "that curious gentleman, Robert Balle, Esq., F.R.S., of Mamhead, in
Devonshire," who raised some thousands of these trees from acorns, and
transplanted them with so much success and judgment, that Bradley, writing
about the beginning of the last century, says that some of them, in a few
years, " had grown to a considerable greatness of stature." Some account of
these trees will be found in the Gardener's Magazine, vol. xi. ; by which it
appears that the largest of them, which grows in a red loamy soil, on a sub-
stratum of redstone conglomerate, about 600 ft. above the level of the sea,
was, in 1835, 85ft. high, with a trunk lift, in circumference; another
was 70 ft. high, with a trunk 14 ft. in circumference ; and a third was 55 ft.
high, with a trunk 22 ft. in circumference. The Q. /Hex has ripened fruit
at Marino, and other places, in the vicinity of Dublin ; and it has attained
a considerable size in Scotland, as will appear by our Statistics. It is much
planted in France ; and is by far the commonest evergreen in Italy, where the
monotonous character which it gives to many of the celebrated gardens in
the neighbourhood of Rome and Florence has obtained for it from Forsyth
the appellation of " the eternal ilex." In the north of France, and in Ger-
many, it is seldom met with except in green-houses ; and it is also a green-
house shrub in New York.
Poetical and historical Allusions. Most of the ancient writers, as well sacred
as profane, appear to make a difference between the ilex and the common
oak. According to Lowth, the teil tree mentioned by Isaiah (vi. 13.) was an
ilex. Goodwyn, in his Jewish Antiquities, p. 75,, observes that tne holm
oak was an object of worship among the Etruscans. Modern poets, particu-
larly those of the south of Europe, also make occasional allusions to this
tree. In Spain, Garcilasso says, —
— " Hast thou forgotten, too,
Childhood's sweet sports, whence first my passion grew ;
When from the bowery ilex I shook down
Its autumn fruit, which on the craig's high crown
We tasted, sitting chattering side by side ?
Who climb'd trees swinging o'er the hoarse deep tide,
And pour'd into thy lap, or at thy feet,
Their kernel'd nuts, the sweetest of the sweet ?" WIFFEN'B Garcilasto, p. 216.
Garcilasso, in another poem, mentions both the oak and the ilex : —
" But, in calm idlesse laid,
Supine in the cool shade
Of oak or ilex, beech or pendent pine,
Sees his flocks feeding stray,
Whitening a length of way,
Or numbers up his homeward tending kino." Ibid., p. 198.
Properties and Uses. The sap wood of the Q. /xlex is whitish ; but the
heart, or perfect, wood, is of a brown colour, very close-grained, heavy, and
very hard ; so much so, indeed, that, according to Parkinson, it is " not easie
for an axe, but for a saw, to cut it." (Theat. Bot.y p. 1394.) It weighs 70 Ib. to
the cubic foot, and takes a fine polish ; but twists and splits a great deal in
drying, like most other hard and heavy woods. It is of great duration, and
also of considerable flexibility ; for which reason, in Lancuedoc, helves of
hatchets and other instruments are made of it, and are found to preserve their
CORYLA'CEAS. QUE'RCUS.
1903
1782
flexibility, even when dry. Du Hamel observes that the great weight of
this wood ought not to be considered a defect, even in the construction of
vessels ; because, if it is employed in the bottoms, it will serve instead of
ballast; and, if it is employed on the upper parts, as it is much stronger than
the common oak, it may be used of small dimensions. He recommends using
it in preference to that of every other species of oak, wherever it can be ob-
tained of sufficient size ; more especially in cases where it has to resist friction.
Evelyn says the wood of the ilex is serviceable for many uses ; particularly
for handles to tools, mallet heads, mall-balk, chairs, axletrees, wedges, beetles,
pins, and palisadoes in fortifications. It supplies almost all Spain with the
best and most lasting charcoal. Bradley and others recommend the wood for
knee-timber for ships ; and it has been strongly recommended for all these
purposes, in a pamphlet by Isaac Weld, Esq. (See Gard. Mag., vol. vi.
p. 580.) Boutcher recommends the tree for making warm and lofty hedges,
40 ft. or 50 ft. high, in a short time ; but he does not approve of planting them
near a house, on account of the litter made by the leaves, when these
are dropped in April and May. In Cornwall, Q. 74ex is considered preferable
to every species of the genus for planting near the sea coast, either as an
ornamental tree there, or for sheltering plantations of the common, or of the
mossy-cupped, oak. The ilex has been strongly recommended for both these
purposes by Mr. Rutger (see Gard. Mag., vol. ix. p. 544.), who refers to St.
Michael's Mount (fig. 1782.), which was planted with pinasters, and clothed
with those trees for about 30 years, when they all began to decline ; and, at
40 years from the time they were planted, there was scarcely a vestige of them
left. About this time, plants of Q. JMex were substituted for the pines;
and these, which have now been planted about seven years, make a very fine
appearance. In Spain, Captain S. E. Cook informs us, the encinas, or
evergreen oaks, produce the best timber in the southern and middle regions
of the Peninsula ; but it is, he says, heavy, and unfit for most uses. " It is
now, unfortunately, the only fire-wood in most parts of Castile, which is hourly
diminishing the scanty stock that yet remains. The mode of cutting increases
the evil ; the practice of the peasantry being almost invariably to level the
whole tract which they attack. The consequence is, that there is a tolerably
vigorous spring from the stocks. This is soon cut, when a more feeble spring
6 H
1904- ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
takes place ; after which operation being repeated a few times, every remnant
is annihilated, and the country reduced to the open waste it now exhibits."
(Sketches in Spain, vol. ii. p. 251.) In landscape-gardening, the ilex is of the
greatest value, both as a tree and a shrub : in both characters, it forms very
handsome single objects, or small groups ; and, in both, it is a most desirable
underwood in plantations of European oaks. It thrives better than most
other evergreen trees in the immediate vicinity of cities, even where coal
smoke abounds ; and hence it is a most desirable tree for public parks and
gardens, though there is not one in Hyde Park, the Regent's Park, or Green-
wich Park. (See Gard. Mag., vol. xiii. p. 155.)
Soil, Situation, $c. A dry deep soil, calcareous or sandy rather than
clayey, and a situation low rather than elevated, best suit the ilex. It is
exceedingly difficult to propagate, otherwise than by the acorn ; and no tree,
according to Boutcher, is more difficult to transplant ; " as the roots of it,
when not interrupted, run as straight down into the earth as a carrot, and
with as few fibres ; so that for hedges, or large plantations," Boutcher recom-
mends the acorns " to be put into the places where they are designed to re-
main." (Treat., &c., p. 168.) We agree in this advice; but, as it cannot
always be followed, the next best mode is, to have the plants raised in small
pots, one in a pot, as is generally practised in the London nurseries. So
reared, the plants might be sent to any distance without the slightest injury ;
and, when they are turned out of the pot into the open ground, if the soil
and situation be suitable, they will grow with amazing rapidity. In the year
1824, we turned a one-year's seedling out of a pot No. 60. into our garden
at Bayswater, and it is now upwards of 20 ft. high, and has for three years
past borne acorns.
Accidents and Diseases. The toughness and solidity of the wood of this
tree, with the compact form of its head, render it less liable to be injured by
wind or lightning than any other species of oak ; while its coriaceous leaves
are very seldom attacked by insects, at least in Britain.
Statistics. In the environs of London, at Fulham Palace, 150 years old, it is 45ft. high, the dia-
meter of the trunkSft. 9in., and of the head 40ft. ; at Syon it is 67 ft. high, thediameter of the trunk
2 ft. 1 in., and of the head 26 ft, A great many seedlings appear to have been planted here about the
middle of the last century ; and these now exhibit so great a diversity in their foliage, that many
persons have been, till lately, in the habit of considering them as distinct species. At the Priory, at
Stanmore, it is 44ft. high, diameter of the trunk 2ft., and of the head 32ft. ; and at Mount Grove,
18 years planted, it is 28 ft high, the diameter of the head 20ft. — South of London. In Cornwall,
at Carclew, it is 40 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 7 in. In Devonshire, at Bicton, 25 years
planted, it is 14ft. high j in the Exeter Nursery, 60 years old, it is 34 ft. high, the diameter of the
trunk 2 ft. 6 in., and that of the head 44 ft, ; at Killerton, 70 years planted, it is 50 ft high, the dia-
meter of ;the trunk 3 ft., and of the head 52 ft. : at Mamhead, it is 85 ft. high, circumference of the
trunk 11 ft. ; another is 55 ft. high, with a trunk 22ft. in circumference : in Bystock Park, 22 years
planted, it is 20ft. high ; at Endsleigh Cottage, 18 years planted, it is 30 ft. hig'h. In Dorsetshire, at
Melbury Park, 40 years planted, it is 30ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 3ft, and of the head 27 ft.
In the Isle of Wight, in Wilkins's Nursery, 10 years planted, it is 20 ft. high. In Kent, at Cobharn
Hall, it is 60 ft. high, with a trunk 3 ft. 6 in. in diameter. In Somersetshire, at Leigh Court, 14 years
planted, it is 28 ft. high ; at Nettlecombe, 40 years planted, it is 31 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk
2ft., and of the head 32ft. ; at Hinton House, 20 years planted, it is 27ft. high, the diameter of the
trunk 1ft 6 in., and of the head 20ft In Surrey, at Farnham Castle, 50 years planted, it is 35 ft
high; at Oakham, 30 years planted.it is 30ft. high. In Wiltshire, at Wardour Castle, 50 years
planted, it is 50ft high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft 10 in., and of the head 51 ft _ North of London.
In Berkshire, at Ampthill, 16 years planted, it is 36ft. high, diameter of the trunk 8 in., and of the
head 24 ft. ; at Bear Wood, 12 years planted, it is'n ft. 6 in. high. In Cambridgeshire, in the Cam-
bridge Botanic Garden, it is 35ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 6 in., and of the head 33 ft
In Cheshire, at Tabley Hall, 70 years old, ft is 36 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft., and of the
head 132ft. In Denbighshire, at Kinmel Park, 24 years planted, it is 20ft. high, diameter of the
trunk 1 ft., and of the head 24 ft In Lancashire, at Latham House, 60 years planted, it is 31 ft. high,
., and of the head 54 ft. In Middlesex, at Hareficld
, . ,
diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 6 in., and of the head 54 ft. In Middlesex, at Hareficld Place, are some
remarkably large trees, supposed to have been planted in the days of Evelyn, and by his suggestions.
(See Gard. Mag., vi. p. 580.) In Northamptonshire, at Wakefield Lodge, 14 years planted, it is
20ft. high. In Nottinghamshire, at Wollaton Hall, are several immense ilexes, one has the trunk
15ft. Gin. in circumference at 1 ft from the ground, and the diameter of the head is 67 ft ; there are
two others, of nearly the same size : they are supposed to be of the same age as Wollaton Hall,
which was built by Thorp in the time of Elizabeth, and consequently to be nearly 300 years old. (See
an engraving of this remarkable mansion in Gard Mag., vol. ii. fig. 130. In Oxfordshire, in the
Oxford Botanic Garden, 12 years planted, it is 20 ft high. In Pembrokeshire, at Stackpole Court,
100 years old, it is 78ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft 6 in., and of the head 50ft. In
Radnorshire, at Maeslaugh Castle, 50 years planted, it is 36 ft. high the diameter of the trunk.
1ft. 9 in., and of the head 34ft. In Staffordshire, at Trcntham, 15 yearsjplanted, it is 29ft.
high. In Suffolk, in the Bury Botanic Garden, 60 years planted, it is 45 ft. high ; at Bungay,
it is 50ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 8ft., and of the head 60 ft. ; at Great Livermerc, 9 years
planted, it is 15 ft. high. In Westmoreland, at Holker Hal), it is 58ft. high. In Worcestershire,
at Croome, 80 years planted, it is 70ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 4ft, and of the head
CHAP. CV. CORYLANCE«. QUE'RCUS. 1905
90ft.— In Scotland, In the environs of Fxlinburgh, at Newbattle Abbey, it is 45ft. high, the diameter
of the trunk t It. <» in., and the head 70 ft. ; at Hopctoun House, it is 40 ft. high, the diameter of the
trunk 2 ft. S in., and of the head 30 ft. ; at Dalhousie Castle, 15 years planted, it is 1 1 ft. high, raised
from acorns gathered by Lord Dalhousie, while he rode over the field of battle at Salamanca ; and
sent home in 1812. — South of Edinburgh. In Ayrshire, at Fullerton, it is 40 ft, high, the diameter of
the trunk 2 ft., and of the head 26ft. ; another. 120 years old, is 40 ft. high, and the diameter of the
trunk is ,3ft. In the stcwartry of Kircudbright, at St. Mary's Isle, it is 48ft. high, the diameter of
the trunk 1 ft, 9 in., and of the head 35ft. ; at Bargally is one with a trunk 11 ft. Sin. in circumference ;
-it '•assincarrie, it is 40ft. high, with a trunk Oft. 6 in. in circumference. — North of Edinburgh. In
Aberdeenshire, at Gordon Castle, it is 32 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft., and of the head 39 ft.
In BanfFshire, at Cullen House, it is 37 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. (i in., and of the head
30 ft. In Cromarty, atCoul, it is 30ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 10 in. In Fifeshire, at Raith
House, it is 35 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 6 in., and of the head 23ft, In Ross-shire, at
Brahan Castle, 20ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 10 in. In Stirlingshire, at Braham Castle,
26 ft. high, the girt of the trunk 2 ft.6 in., and the diameter of the head 20ft — In Ireland, in the environs
of Dublin, in the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, 35 years planted, it is 24 ft. high, the diameter of the
trunk 1 ft. ; at Castletown, it is 35 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 3ft. 6 in., and of the head 54 ft.
— South of Dublin, in the county of Cork, at Castle Freke, 26 years planted, it is 36 ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk 1 ft., and that of the head 33 ft In Kilkenny, at Borris, it is 49 ft high, the
circumference of the trunk 11 ft., and the diameter of the head 54ft. — North of Dublin. In theicounty
of Antrim, at Echlinville, 37 years planted, it is 39 ft. high, the circumference of the trunk 8 ft., and
the diameter of the head 43 ft. In Down, at Moira, it is 45ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft 6 in.,
and that of the head 35ft. In Fermanagh, at Castle Coole, 33ft high, the diameter of the trunk
1 ft., and of the head 21 ft— In France, in the Jardin des Plantes, 40 years planted, it is 24ft. high,
the diameter of the trunk 1 ft., and of the head 20ft ; another, 130 years old, is 42ft high, with a
trunk 5 ft. in circumference ; at Sceaux, 30 years old, it is 30 ft. high, with a trunk 1 ft. 6 in. in diame-
ter, and the diameter of the head 20ft. ; in the Botanic Garden at Avranches, 40 years planted, it
is 39 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft. 6 in., and of the head 28ft— In Austria, near Vienna,
at Kopenzel, 30 years planted, it is 25 ft. high.
Recorded Trees. At Wilton House, Q. Tlex, in 1816, had a trunk 10 ft. in circumference ; and one
at Chichester, planted by Colonel Brereton, in 1766, had a trunk 7ft, high, and 7 ft. 6 in. in circum-
ference. Goodwood Park Lodge, near Chichester, is covered by a screen of evergreen oaks, in the
form of a square, 10ft. thick, and 30ft high. (Mitch. Dend., p. 224.) In Scotland, at Bargally in
Galloway, Q. /Mex, measured in 1780, was 50ft, high, with a clear trunk of 12ft, which measured
if ft. 3 in. in circumference at 4 ft. from the ground : it had at that time many acorns on it ( Walker.")
In Ireland, at Mount Asher, there we<-e some evergreen oaks, which, in 1794, had trunks from 6ft. to
8 ft. in circumference. At Kilruddery, the Q. -Tlex grows as well as in Italy ; and there are very
large trees of it. (Id., p. 124. and 132.)
Commercial Statistics. Plants, in the London nurseries, from 1 ft. to 2 ft.
high, in pots, are 75*. per hundred ; or single plants from 6d. to 2s. each,
according to their size; and acorns are 20.?. per bushel. At Bollwyller, where
it is tender, plants are I franc and 50 cents ; and at New York, where they
are 1 dollar each, they are noticed in Prince's Catalogue as requiring protec-
tion in winter.
« 30. Q. BALLO^TA Desf. The sweet Acorn Oak.
Identification. Desf. Atl., 2. p. 350. ; Hist des Arb., 2. p. 506. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 432. ; N. Du
Ham., 7. p. 157. ; Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 31.
S?/nonymcs. ? /Nex major Clus. Hist., 1. t. 23. ; Chene a Glands doux, Chene Ballote, Fr.
Derivation. The term Battbta seems to be a modification of the Spanish word bellota, which means
acorns generally.
Ensraufngs. Our figs. 1783. and 17S4., the latter being a sprig, and the former a leaf of the natural
size, both taken from a specimen of the original tree, planted by Desfontaines in the Jardin des
Plantes, at Paris.
Spec. Char.y fyc. Leaves elliptical, coriaceous, denticulated, or entire; downy
beneath. Bark even. Nut cylindrical, elongated. (Desf. and Smith.') A
tree, growing 20 ft. or 30 ft. high, with a trunk from 3 ft. to 6 ft. in circum-
ference. The branches are covered with a bark
somewhat furrowed, of a brownish grey; and the
general form of the head of the tree *is oval, or
roundish. The leaves are coriaceous, with short j
footstalks, generally rounded at the summit, rarely
pointed ; smooth above, and cottony and white be-
neath ; entire or denticulated in their margins. The
female flowers are solitary, or in clusters, in the
axils of the young shoots. The acorns are sessile,
or on short peduncles ; the fruit is from 8 to 20 lines
in length, and from 4 to 6 lines in breadth. The
nuts are enclosed at the base in a hemispherical cup, covered with obtuse
scales, which are cottony, numerous, and very closely imbricated. This
oak was discovered by Desfontaines, in Barbary, and it is said to be closely
allied to Q. 7vlex ; from which, however, it differs in its leaves being more
white and cottony beneath, and of a more coriaceous texture; and in its
6 H 2
1906
ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM.
PART III.
1784
acorn being of double the length of that of Q. 7vlex, and in
having a mild and agreeable taste. The tree varies much,
according to the soil and situation in which it grows. In
some individuals, the leaves are small and orbiculate; and
in others elliptic ; and sometimes they are lanceolate and
pointed. It flowers in May, and ripens its fruit in the
autumn of the second year. (Ar. I)n Ham., vii. p. 157.) Q..
Bftllola, according to Desfontaines (Jour, dc Physique ; torn.
xxxviii.,for 1791), grows in great abundance in the kingdoms
of Algiers and Morocco. There are vast forests of this
tree on the mountains ; but it is only found in small quanti-
ties on the plains. The Moors eat the acorns raw, or roasted
in ashes : they are found very nourishing, and are not bitter. They are
regularly sold in the market-places ; and, in some districts, an oil is ex-
pressed from them, which is nearly as good as that of the olive. We have
no doubt that this kind of oak is merely a variety of Q. /Mex,
though the specimen sent to us from Paris shows it to be very
distinct. Indeed, if we were to judge entirely from that specimen,
we should say that Q. Ballota was much more likely to be a
variety of Q. gramuntia than of Q. /Mex; and, in short, it may
be identical with it, because Q. gramuntia is not described by
Desfontaines. Captain S. E. Cook, who paid great attention to
the oaks of Spain, mentions only the term bellotas as a name
for acorns generally ; and he considers the Q. Ballota of the nur-
series to be the Q. valentina of Cavanilles, which has
bitter acorns. The Q. Ballota of the Horticultural So-
ciety's Garden, and of some of the British nurseries (see
our ^£.1785), of which a leaf of the natural size is shown
in Jig. 1786., is a totally different plant from either the
Q. Ballota of Paris, or the Q. valentina of Cavanilles,
and in short, is nothing more than a Q. /Mex ; so that the
1785 true Q. Bain>ta of Desfontaines may be the Q. gramiintia,
which we suspect it is. Bosc observes that, in the Paris gardens, it requires
to be taken into the conservatory in winter : but it is to be recollected that
the Q. /Mex requires similar protection in that part of France ; and, there-
fore, there can be little doubt but Q. Ballota, if it is different from Q.
gramuntia, would be hardy in the neighbourhood of London.
1 » 31. Q. GRAMU'NTIA L. The Holly-leaved Grammont Oak.
1786
suggests
Q. hispanica would be the most suitable name for this species, which may be considered as forming
the natural oak of Spain ; whereas the term gramuntia was applied to it by Linnaeus, from its having
been found in the remnant of a wood on the estate of Grammont, near Montpelier, where, ac-
cording to De Candolle, the species no longer exists.
Engravings. Our fig. 1787., from the tree at Purser's Cross ; fig. 1788., an acorn of the natural size,
traced from one that was sent to us by Capt. Cook ; and the plate of the tree at Purser's Cross in
our last Volume.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves roundish-elliptical, nearly sessile, undulated, with
deep, spinous, divaricated teeth ; densely downy beneath ; heart-shaped at
the base. Native of the wood of Grammont, near Montpelier ; and of Spain.
Cultivated in England in 1730. It blossoms in June, and ripens its fruit in
the autumn of the following year. This is rather a small straggling tree, with
numerous round grey branches, downy when young. Leaves scarcely 1 in.
long, rigid, broadly elliptical, often nearly orbicular ; very much undulated
at the margin, their deep, broad, spinous teeth pointing every way, like those
of the holly; the upper surface dark green, rather glaucous, besprinkled
with minute starry hairs ; the under surface densely clothed with white
entangled down. (Smith.) In the Nouveau Du Hanicl, great doubts are
expressed as to whether this species is identical with the Q. rotundifolia of
CHAP. CV.
co UYLACL: A:.
1907
Lamarck ; and whether both sorts may not be
merely varieties of (2. /Mex. Sir J. E. Smith jfiiL l«s?
says Linnaeus confounded a variety of Q. /Mex,
which he had received from Magnol's herba-
rium, with Q. gramuntia, which Smith, as quoted
above, has correctly described, apparently from
a living plant. From a tree bearing this name at
Purser's Cross, which produces fruit annually,
this oak certainly appears to be closely allied to
Q. /Mex ; but it is, nevertheless, very distinct, and
is, doubtless, as well entitled to be considered a
species as many others recognised as such by
botanists. Captain S. E. Cook, who paid great
attention to this oak when in Spain, has the
following remarks on it : — " This species is
quite distinct from the Q. /Mex, its nearest con-
gener. The leaves are thicker, more rounded at
the point, of a dull glaucous green, and the tree
altogether is of a more compact and less grace-
ful form than the Italian ilex. The great and essential difference, however,
consists in the acorns, which are edible, and, when in perfection, are as good
as, or superior to, a chestnut. To give this sweetness, they must be kept ;
as, at first, they have a considerable taste of the tannin, like those of the
other species, which disappears in a few days, and accounts
for the scepticism of some writers, who assert that both
sweet and bitter are the produce of the same tree, and that
their sweetness is no character. These are the edible acorns
of the ancients, which they believed fattened the tunny fish
on their passage from the Ocean to the Mediterranean ; a
fable only proving that the acorns grew on the delicious
shores and rocks of Andalusia, which, unhappily, is no longer
the case. Remains of them may, however, still be traced in
the west ; and they fattened the swine which produced the
celebrated salted meats of Malaga and that vicinity. These
are the bellotas, which Teresa, the wife of Sancho Panza,
gathered herself in La Mancha, where they grew in the
greatest perfection, and sent to the duchess, wishing, instead
of their being only the best of their kind, they were the
size of ostrich eggs. I have frequently seen them produced
by individuals, and offered to the company, as bon-bons are in some
countries, with a sort of apology for their small intrinsic value, from their
size and flavour. This species is, beyond question, very hardy ; I believe
even more so than the ilex of Italy. It ascends the sides of the sierras
in the inclement region of the centre of Castile; and, in Arragon, is seen
within the limits of the Pinus sylvestris and P. uncinata ; as also in the
cold and wintry valley of Andorre. The widest forests of it are now in
Estremadura, where the best sausages, and other salted meats, are made
from the vast herds of swine which are bred in them. This species ought
to be denominated Q. hispanica, instead of a weak and obscure name from
a wood (which, 1 have heard, no longer exists), where the tree may possibly
not have been a native, although the climate and soil of Lower Languedoc
very much resemble that of the two regions of Spain to which this tree is
confined." (Sketches in Spain,t\o\. ii. p. 246.) As a proof of the hardiness
of this tree, Dralet mentions that he found it growing on the crest of the
mountains of the Andorras, where the snow covers the surface for several
months during the year ; and this circumstance, he says, explained to him
the reason why the kings of Spain had succeeded in getting it to grow in
the park at the Prado, near Madrid, where they had tried in vain to cultivate
the olive. (See Traite, £c., p. 176.; see, also, Gard. Mag.,\o\. iv. p. 69.)
6 u 3
1788
1908
ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM.
PART III.
In the climate of London, this tree is perfectly hardy; as a proof of which it
may be mentioned that the specimen already referred to, at Purser's Cross,
which is upwards of 40 ft. high, and of which the plate in our last Volume
is a portrait, ripens its fruit every year. From the leaves of this tree, and
those of the specimen of Q. Ballota sent to us from Paris, we are strongly
inclined to think, as we have already stated (p. 1906.), that the latter was a
variety of Q. gramuntia, rather than of Q. 7Nlex ; and this is also the
opinion of M. Dralet. The rate of growth of Q. gramuntia is much slower
than that of Q. /vlex. There are plants in the Horticultural Society's
Garden, at Messrs. Loddiges's, and in the London nurseries. Small plants,
in pots, are from Is. 6d. to 3s. 6d. each.
32. Q. COCCI'FERA L.
Identification. Lin.
N. Du Ham., 7. p. 1
The Kermes, or berry-bearing, Oak.
PJ., 1413. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 433. ; Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 2., 5. p. 289.
. ; Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 34. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836.
1*789
. ., . . . ., . . . , . .
Synonymes. /'lex coccifera Cam. Epit., 774. ; 7. aculekta cocciglandifera Garid. Aix., p. 245., Nis-
folle in Mem. Acad.Scien. for 1714, p. 435. ; /. coccigera Ger. Emac., p. 1342., Parkinson T/teat.
Sot., p. 1395. : Chene aux Kermes, Fr. ; Kermes Eiche, Ger.
Engravings. Garid. Aix., t. 53. ; Mem. Acad. Scien., 1744, t. 17, 18. ; N. Du Ham., 7. t. 46. ;
Wats. Dend. Brit, t. 91. ; and our Jig. 1789. from the N. Du Ham., fig. 1790. from Watson, re-
duced to the usual scale, andfigs. 1791. and 1792. of the natural size.
Spec. Char.y $c. Leaves elliptic-oblong, rigid ; smooth on both sides, with
spreading, bristly, spinous teeth. Fruit on peduncles ; nut ovate. Calyx
with spreading, pointed, somewhat recurved scales. {N. Du Ham.) A low
bushy shrub, a native of the south of
Europe and the Levant; flowering in
May. The whole plant resembles a
holly in miniature ; but the leaves, are
of a paler green. It varies exceedingly
in the magnitude of the leaves, as may
be seen by comparing fig. 1791. with^g.
1792., both of the natural size; the
former from a plant in the Goldworth
Arboretum, ana the latter from one in
the Epsom Nursery. The leaves in the
one specimen are nearly four times the
length of those in the other. This oak was cultivated in Britain previously
to 1683, and is well known as producing the kermes, or scarlet grain, of com-
merce. This shrub divides at the ground into a great number of tortuous
spreading branches, so as to form a bush of from
8 ft. to 5 ft. in height. The leaves are oval, on
short petioles, coriaceous ; shining above, glabrous
on both sides; sometimes quite entire on their
margins, but more frequently bordered with scat-
tered spiny teeth, like the leaves of the common
holly. The male flowers are on long slender
peduncles: the female flowers are sessile, from
3 to 7 in number, on a rachis from 8 to 15 lines
in length : only two or three of these flowers come
to maturity. The fruit is but of a very small size
the first year, and does not attain maturity till the
end of the second. The nuts are oval, and are
enveloped for half their length in a cup furnished
with rough scales terminating in rough points,
which are almost woody, spreading, and a little recurved. (/</., vii. p. 160.)
Bosc, in his Memoirc sur Ics Chcncsy says that he has seen this species cover-
ing entire hills in Leon and Old Castile, and in other parts of Spain, where
it greatly injures the cattle, and especially the sheep, which can only eat
the very young shoots. The bushes, he says, are only employed as fuel,
though they would be useful in the tannery, or for dyeing. There is now,
he says, little demand for the kermes, because it cannot be afforded so
1790
CHAP. CV.
QUE'RCUS,
1791
cheap as the cochineal ; and, therefore, only very small quantities of it are
brought to market. This species is not unfrequent in British collections,
where, however, it is somewhat tender, and of very slow growth. It is
propagated from the acorns, which are received from the Continental nur-
serymen; and small plants, in pots, are from Is. 6d. to 3s. 6d. each.
The Kermes. The specific name of coccifera has been applied to this species
in consequence of its affording nourishment to a species of Coccus, or scale
insect (Coccus ilicis Lin. Syst. Nat., 2740., No. 6.) ; though the student of the
Systema Natures will at once perceive the impropriety of the Linnaean applica-
tion of these names, Coccus and Chermes, the latter being applied to another
totally distinct genus of minute homopterous insects allied to the plant lice, to
which, from their saltatorial powers, Geoffroy gave the name of Psylla, with
much greater propriety ; employing, however, both Coccus and Chermes as
generic names of insects belonging to the family Cdccidae. The insect in
question is also known under its
Arabian name, Chermes or Kermes ;
Scharlachbeeren, Ger. ; Grein Schar-
lakbessen, Dutch', Grana Chermes,
Cremese, or Cocchi, Ital.\ Grana -
Kermes, or Grana de la Coscoja,
Span.; and Alkermes, Persian;
and, previously to the discovery of
the New World, was employed to a
very great extent in dyeing, pro-
ducing a very permanent and rich
blood-red colour. It will be seen,
from the accompanying figure (fig.
1793.), that this parasitic insect has
all the appearance of a berry or
seed, affording not the slightest indi-
cation of its insect nature; being
immovably affixed in clusters to the
branches of the oak, upon which it
subsists, by introducing into the
substance of the stem a long and delicate haustellum. It is only, however, at
the close of its existence that it assumes the form of a seed. Mr. M'Culloch,
indeed, states that it is in the process of drying that this form is acquired ; but
this is not correct, since, although the insect is provided with legs, and, when
6 H 4
1793
1910 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III*
young, possesses locomotive powers, yet, after impregnation, it greatly increases
in size, and the eggs are deposited beneath the body ; so that, by degrees, as the
eggs are excluded, the two surfaces of the body come together, and form a
covering for the eggs : hence, it will be observed that it is only the females
which are collected ; the males, in the perfect state, being minute, active, two-
winged flies, totally unlike their inert partners. This production has been
in use amongst the Eastern nations from the earliest ages. It was known
to the Phoenicians, before the time of Moses, under the name of tola, or
thola (s^n); to the Greeks, under that of coccus (eoincoc;) ; and, to the
Romans, under that of coccum, or coccus baphica; whence the origin of the
terms coccus and coccinum, which were given to cloth dyed with kermes ;
whilst persons wearing this kind of cloth were said by the Romans to be
coccinati (Mart., lib. i. epig. 97. lin. 6.) From the peculiar character of
this production, it is not surprising, that its real nature was long unknown.
By some of the early naturalists, it was regarded as the fruit of the tree upon
which it was found ; and by others, who discovered the real organs of fructifi-
cation of the tree, that it was a vegetable excrescence similar in its nature to
the galls caused by the punctures of the Cynipidae. This opinion was main-
tained even in 1711, by M. De Marsigli, in a dissertation written at Bologna,
and addressed to M. Vallisnieri. In 1714, however, M. Cestoni addressed a
letter to the same philosopher, in which he clearly traced the identity of the
nature of the kermes, and that of the scale insects of the orange and other
trees. This letter is printed in the collection of the works of Vallisnieri,
with a short preface by the latter, who appears to have hesitated in adopting
the opinion of M. Cestoni. Very shortly afterwards, however, the entire
history of the insect was traced by Messrs. Garidel and Emeric, correspond-
ents of the Academy of Paris ; who, prompted by M. Tournefort, by
daily examinations of branches infected with the kermes, made themselves
fully acquainted with its history, and proved it to be a species of Coccus.
(Garid. Air. Env.y 250., t. 53. and 2.) Reaumur has also given a full account
of it in his Memoires, torn. iv. mem. 1. pi. 5. In its natural state, the
kermes is of a shining appearance, and of the colour of a plum covered with
a whitish bloom. In the state in which it is brought into the market, it
appears of a dull reddish brown ; which is not, of course, the natural colour
of good kermes, but is imparted to it by steeping it in vinegar. The inha-
bitants of the countries where the kermes is obtained, distinguish three
different stages in its existence. In the Provencal language, they call it
" le ver," and say of it, when it is in its earliest state of activity, " Le ver
couve;" subsequently, in the month of April, when the kermes becomes
stationary, and begins to attain its fullest size, they say, " Le ver commence
d'eclore ; " and, in its last state, in the middle or towards the end of May, the
insect is found reduced to a skin, covering its brood of eggs, to the number of
1800 or 2000. The crop of kermes is more or less abundant, according to
the state of the preceding winter ; when, therefore, there has been no frost,
and the weather has been generally mild, a good crop is expected, which is not
obtained every year ; and, as there is no trouble in planting or attending to
the growth of the kermes, and as no other instruments are required than long
nails to the fingers, it may be easily supposed that the harvest is a very unex-
pensive one. Females are employed in collecting the kermes in the morning,
before the dew is off the ground ; at which time the leaves and the prickles of
the plants are less to be dreaded. Experienced persons will thus collect a
couple of pounds* weight per diem. Belon (Observations des Singularites, liv. i.
p. 19.) has given considerable details respecting the gathering of the crops of
kermes ; and states that the price decreases considerably during the gather-
ing, in consequence of the latest-collected kermes being lighter than those
first obtained, owing to the young ones having escaped. The merchants who
purchase the kermes immediately steep them in vinegar, and then expose
them to the action of heat sufficient to destroy any remaining vitality in
the young : this process considerably alters the colour of the insect, and
CHAP. cv. CORYLA'CEJK. QUE'IICUS. 1911
gives it that red hue for which it has been so long celebrated ; and which is of
so very permanent a nature, that, according to M'Culloch (Diet., art. Kermcs),
the old tapestries of Brussels, and other parts of Flanders, although manu-
factured more than a couple of centuries, have lost none of their richness of
tint. Beckmann has introduced in the account of this production given in his
Jlififon/ of Inventions, voL i. p. 171 — 191., first edit, trans., all that was known
of it in his time. Since the discovery of America, the Coccus cacti (or co-
chineal) has, however, in a great degree supplanted the Coccus ilicis. Mr.
M'Culloch erroneously states that the kermes is of the same species as the
true Mexican cochineal. The kermes, nevertheless, is still extensively pre-
pared in some parts of Spain, India, and Persia; and Dr. Bancroft (On Per-
manent Colours, i. 303 — 409.) states that, with the solution of tin, which is
used with the cochineal, the kermes is capable of imparting a scarlet quite as
brilliant as that dye ; and perhaps more permanent. At the same time,
however, as 10 or 12 pounds contain only as much colouring matter as one
of cochineal, the latter, at its ordinary price, is the cheaper. — J. O. W.
* »33. Q. PSEU^DO-COCCI'FERA Dcsf. The false berry-bearing Kermes, or Oak.
Identification. Desf. All., 2. p. 349. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 432. ; N. Du Ham., 7. p. 160. ; Smith in
Rees's Cycl., No. 35.
Synanymes. Chene a faux Kermes, Fr. ; Stechernde Eiche, Ger-
Engravings. N. Du Ham., t. 48. f. 1. ; and our Jig. 1794.
Spec. Char., tyc. Leaves elliptic-oblong, rigid, smooth on both sides, with spiny serra-
tures. Nut ovate. Calyx with flat slightly spreading scales. (Detf.) " Observed by
Desfontaines at Algiers and about Mount Atlas. At Tunis it is called the " meal-
bearing oak," probably from the use of the acorns as food. It forms a tree from 15 ft.
to 20ft. high, with round branches, clothed with rusty down when young. The leaves
are twice or thrice as long as those of Q. coccifera, thicker, and less wavy, with much
smaller and shorter spinous serratures, rather than teeth. Calyx clothed with nume-
rous, flat, short, slightly spreading scales. Nut ovate, pointed. In the Nouvcau Du
Hamcl, it is supposed" to be a native of Provence, as well as of Algiers. From the
engraving in that work, of which Jig. 1794. is a reduced copy, it appears to be interme-
diate between Q. .Tlex and Q. coccifera. A plant bearing this name in 1837, in the
Horticultural Society's Garden, is considered by Dr. Lindley as a different species.
(See App. i.)
1 34. Q. SU'BER L. The Cork Tree.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1413. ; Willd. Sp. PL. 4. p. 433. j Ait. Hort. Kew, 5. p. 289. ; N. Du
Ham., 7. p. 159. ; Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 33.
Synonymes. Suber Cam. Epit., 115. ; S. Prlnus Matth. I'algr., 1. p. 127. ; S. Iatif61ium, &c., Du Ham.
Arb.y 2. p. 291., Ger. Etnac., 1347. ; Chene Liege, Fr. ; Kork Eiche, Ger. ; Alcornoque, Span.
Engravings. Hunt. Evel. Syl., t. in p. 362.; N. Du Ham., 7. t. 45.; Dend. Brit., t. 89. ; our
Jigs. 1797. and 1798. ; and the plate of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves ovate-oblong, bluntish, coriaceous; entire, or
sharply serrated; downy beneath. Bark cracked, fungous. (Willd.) A
tree, growing to the height of 20 ft. or 30 ft. in the south of Europe and
north of Africa ; well known as being the only tree producing that impor-
tant article, cork, in sufficient quantities for commerce. It was introduced
in or before 1699, by the Duchess of Beaufort ; and, being readily pro-
pagated by acorns, which are received from France and Spain, and some-
times ripened in England, it is not unfrequent in collections ; and, in some
gardens, it forms a very handsome tree.
Varieties. These, we have no doubt, are as numerous as the varieties of Q.
/Mex, in countries where the tree is indigenous. None are in cultivation
in British gardens under any particular name : but their leaves, in different
places, the cork trees having been all raised from seed, will be found to vary
in magnitude, in length relatively to breadth, and in the character of their
margins, which are either wavy, serrate, or dentate, The most striking
variety which we have seen is at Muswell Hill, and is represented atjig.
1796. of the natural size ; fig. 1795. representing a specimen of the species,
also from a tree at Muswell Hill. This variety differs so remarkably from
the species, that some consider it as Q. Pseudo-tfiiber : but that species,
according to Bosc, the Nouveau Du Hamcl, and the plants in the Horticul-
tural Society's Garden and at Messrs. Loddiges's, is decidedly deciduous ;
and, in its buds and mossy cups, has more the character of Q. Cerristhan of
Q. £ubcr. We acknowledge, however, that the leaves of the plant at
1912
ARBORETUM AND FftUTICETUAf.
PART in
1793
1796
Muswell Hill bear a considerable resemblance, both in form and size, to the
figure of Q. Pseudo-/Suber given in the Nouv. Du Hamel, and of which Jig.
1801. is a reduced copy. The tree at Muswell Hill has ripened acorns, but
not lately, and the character of their cups is forgotten ; otherwise we should
at once be able to decide to which section it belongs. The trunk is covered
with a corky bark, which has exactly the appearance of that of the
true cork tree in the same garden ; but the cork is only 2 in. or 2^ in. in
depth, while in the true cork tree it is more than 3 in. deep. Whether this
is a variety or a species, it is, at all events, so decidedly distinct in the
foliage, and, as the plate in our last Volume will show, forms such a very
handsome evergreen tree, that it well merits a place in collections. When
we saw the trees (May 5. 1837), both were in full foliage; but we were
informed that the variety lost its leaves generally before the other. Our
CHAP. CV.
CORYLACE;E. QUE RCUS.
1913
drawings of the two trees were taken nearly a month afterwards, when they
had exactly the appearance shown in our last Volume. In order that the
variety may be kept distinct by propagators, we have given it a name among
the others, as below.
1 Q. S. 2 latijulium, Suber latifdlium, &c., Bank. P;».,424, Du Ham. Arb.
2. p. 291. t. 80., has the leaves rather broader than the species, and
either serrated or entire. The tree at Muswell Hill, between 30 ft.
and 40 ft. high, figured in our last Volume, we may suppose to be of
this entire-leaved subvariety.
-t Q. S. 3 angustifolium, Suber angustifolium Bauh. Pin., 424., Du Ham.
Arb., 2. p. 291. t. 81. — The portrait in our last Volume of a tree in
the Fulham Nursery, 27 ft. high, and of which there is a botanical
specimen given in Watson's Dend. Brit., t.89., and our jig. 1798.,
may be considered as belonging to this variety.
1 Q. S. 4 dcntdtum, the Q. Pseudo-Suber of Muswell Hill, has the
leaves large, and variously dentate, as in jig. 1797. The tree of
this variety at Muswell Hill, figured in our last Volume, is between
50ft. and 60ft. high.
Description, $c. The cork tree bears a general resemblance to the broad-
leaved kinds of Q. /Mex ; of which species some authors consider it only a
variety : but, when full grown, it forms a much handsomer tree; and its bark
alone seems to justify its being /\
made a species. It would appear
to be rather more tender than the
ilex; since the severe winter of
1709 killed to the ground the
greater part of the cork trees of
Provence and Languedoc ; and the
frost of 1739-40, one of the original
trees in the Chelsea Botanic Gar-
den. Like the ilex, it varies ex-
ceedingly in the magnitude, form,
and margins of its leaves, and also
in the size of its fruit. The nut,
according to Bosc, is more sweet
than that of the ilex, and may be
eaten as human food in cases of
necessity. Swine, he says, are exceedingly greedy of these acorns, and get
rapidly fat on them, producing a firm and very savoury lard. The Spaniards
eat the acorns roasted, in the same manner as they do those of Q. gramuntia,
and as we do chestnuts. The outer bark, the great
thickness and elasticity of which is owing to an
extraordinary developement of the cellular tissue,
forms the cork ; which, after the tree is full grown,
cracks and separates from it, of its own accord.
The inner bark remains attached to the tree, and, I
when removed in its young state, is only fit for tan-
ning. Both outer and inner bark abound in tannin ;
and the former contains a peculiar principle called
suberine, and an acid called the suberic. The tree
is found wild in dry hilly places in the south of
France, in Italy, in great part of Spain, and in the
north of Africa. In Spain, according to Captain
S. E. Cook, it is most abundant in Catalonia and
Valencia. The wood of the cork tree, which weighs 84 Ib. per cubic foot, is
used for the same purposes as that of Q. /Mex ; but it is never found of suffi-
cient size to be of much consequence. By far the most important product,
however, which this tree yields, is its outer bark. This, which is the cork of
1914- ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
commerce, appears to have been applied to useful purposes, even in the time
of the Romans ; since Pliny mentions a kind of buckler lined with cork,
and that the Roman women lined their shoes with it ; the latter being a
practice which is common all over the civilised world at the present day.
Both Greeks and Romans appear to have used it occasionally for stoppers to
vessels, " cadorum obturamentis " (Plin. Hist. Nat.y lib. xvi. cap. 8.) ; but it was
not extensively employed for this purpose till the 1 7th century, when glass
bottles, of which no mention is made before the 15th century, began to be
generally introduced. (See Beckmanrts Hist, of Invent. , vol. ii. p. 114- — 127.,
Eng. ed.) In modern times, besides the employment of cork for stoppers
to bottles, and bungs to vessels of various kinds, and for lining the soles of
shoes, and sometimes other articles, it is used by fishermen for supporting
their nets, and by anglers for trolling and other kinds of fishing. It is em-
ployed in the construction of life-boats, and also for what are called life-
jackets, to enable those to float who cannot swim. In Evelyn's time, cork
was much used by old persons for linings to the soles of their shoes; whence
the German name for it, pantoffelholtz, or slipper-wood. The Venetian
dames, Evelyn says, used it for their choppinges, or high-heeled shoes ; and
" the poor people in Spain lay planks of it by their bedside to tread on, as
great persons use Turkey and Persian carpets, to defend them from the floor.
Sometimes, also, they line the inside of their houses built of stone with this
bark, which renders them very warm, and coirects the moisture of the air."
This last use may afford a valuable hint to the constructors of covered seats,
water-closets in the open air, summer-houses, or fishing-houses. In Spain, and
also in Barbary according to Desfontaines, and in the Canary Isles according
to Webb and Berthelot, it is used for making bee-hives. For this purpose,
the bark of young trees is chosen, rolled into a cylinder, and made fast by
sewing, or by hoops. There are various other uses to which the bark of the
cork tree is applied in its organic state; and it is burned in close vessels, to
make the powder which is sold in the colour-shops under the name of
Spanish black. At the celebrated Cork Convent at Cintra, several articles of
furniture are made of this tree, which strangers who visit the convent are
requested to lift, in order that surprise may be excited at their extraordinary
lightness. The most valuable property of the cork, and that which is almost
peculiar to it, is its imperviousness to any common liquid; while, at the same
time, it is light and porous, and, consequently, one of the best non-conductors
of heat. Add to these properties its compressibility and elasticity, and we
have a substance which can scarcely be equalled either in nature or by art.
Its non-conducting properties, flexibility, and elasticity render it suitable for
lining articles of dress, or the walls or floors of rooms; its lightness, and its
imperviousness to fluids, fit it in a superior manner for life-preservers, either
in the form of boats, or articles to be attached to the body; and its compressi-
bility, joined to its elasticity, taken in connexion with its imperviousness to
liquids and its great durability, render it the best of all known substances
for forming stoppers to bottles. For this latter purpose, as Bosc observes, it
forms an article of commerce throughout the civilised world. There is
nothing peculiar in the culture of the cork tree, except that young trees
should be pruned, so as to have a clear stem of 10 ft. or 12 ft. in height, on
which the cork is to be afterwards produced.
Mode of detaching and preparing the Cork. It is observed by authors, that
the bark of the cork tree which separates from it naturally is of little value
compared with that which is removed by art; and the reason, doubtless, is, that
in the latter case it has not arrived at that rigid, contracted, and fractured
state, which is the natural consequence of its dropping from the tree. When
the cork tree has attained the age of about 15 years, according to Du Ilamel,
or of about 20, according to Bosc, the bark is removed for the first time ;
but this first bark is found to be cracked, and full of cells and woody
portions, and is therefore only fit for burning, or being employed in tanning.
The bark is separated by first making a circular cut round the trunk, imme-
CHAP. cv. CORYLA'CE^. QUF'RCUS.
1915
diatcly under the main branches, and another at a few inches above the sur-
face of the ground. The portion of bark intervening between the two cuts is
then split down in three or four places ; care being taken, both in making the
circular cuts, and also the longitudinal ones, not to penetrate the inner bark.
This operation is commonly performed in July, or in the beginning of August,
when the second sap flows plentifully. The tree is now left for 8 or 10 years,
when it is again disbarked as before ; but the bark has not even now attained
the desired perfection for the manufacture of corks; and, therefore, it is sold to
the fishermen for their nets, and for different other inferior uses. At the end
of 8 or 10 years more, a third disbarking takes place, when the cork is found
to have the requisite thickness and quality. From this time, while the tree
exists, which, according to Bosc, may be two or three centuries, and, according
to Du Hamel and Poiret, 150 years or more, its disbarking takes
place regularly every 8, 9, or 10 years; the quality of the bark im-
proving with the increasing age of the tree, which is not in the
slightest degree injured by its removal. (Nouv. Du Hamelyv\\. p. 188.;
and Poirefs Hist. Phil, des Phntcs, vii. p. 419.) The instrument by
which the bark is cut and separated from the tree is a sort of axe
{fig. 1799.), the handle of which Is flattened into a wedge-like shape
at the extremity; and this serves to raise the bark after it has been
cut : in short, the instrument is not unlike that used in Britain for
taking the bark off the common oak. The cork, when first removed
from the tree, is in laminae, more or less curved, according to their
breadth, and the diameter of the tree from which they have been,
taken. To make them lose this curved form, after being scraped
on the outer surface to remove the coarser parts of the epidermis, 1<9y
and any epiphytes or other extraneous substances, they are held over a
blazing fire till the surface becomes scorched; after which they are laid
flat on the ground, and kept in that position for some time by large stones.
This gives them a set, or form, which they retain ever afterwards ; and thus
they become in a fitter state, not only for packing and transportation, but for
being manufactured. The slight charring which the scorching produces has
the effect of closing the pores of the cork, and giving it what the cork-cutters
call nerve. The best cork is not less than 1£ in. in thickness : it is supple,
elastic, neither woody nor porous, and of a reddish colour. Yellow cork is
considered of inferior quality ; and white cork, which has not been charred
on the surface, as the worst. The duty on manufactured cork, M'Culloch
tells us, is prohibitory ; and on the raw material it is no less than 8/. a ton.
The average annual importation is from 40,000 cwt. to 45,000 cwt. ; and the
price, including duty, is from 207. to 70/. per ton. It is imported from the
south of France, Italy, and Barbary, as well as Spain ; but Spanish cork is
the best, and fetches the highest prices. If the cork which is removed from
trees at the first and second disbarkings were admitted duty free, it would be
found of great use in lining the walls and roofs of cottages, and for covering
their floors, and various other uses, which would contribute much to the com-
fort of the poorer classes, independently of lining the summer and fishing
houses of the rich, as already suggested.
The tree attains as large a size in Britain as it does in Spain, and might
probably produce cork for the above purposes, if it were fairly tried, in the
warmest parts of England. Michaux strongly recommends its introduction
into the United States, observing that it could not fail to thrive wherever
Q. virens exists ; as, for example, on the southern coast, and its adjacent
islands. Captain S. E. Cook laments the destruction of the cork trees in
Spain, as Bosc does their neglect in France. A contract, Captain Cook
observes (writing in 1834), has lately been made for the extraction of a quan-
tity of the finest bark from the Sierra di Morena, in the neighbourhood of
Seville ; and the contractors were compelled to take the inner bark as well
as the outer, the stripping off of which is known to kill the tree. The inner
bark, being of no use but for tanning, was found an incumbrance to the con-
1916
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
tractors, who had no demand for it. Thus the government, for a temporary
gain, occasioned a national loss of a prodigious number of valuable trees.
(Sketches, &c., vol. ii. p. 248.) The oldest cork tree in the neighbourhood
of London is in the grounds of the Fulham Palace; one of the handsomest,
though a much smaller tree, is that in the Fulham Nursery, of which the
engraving in our last Volume is a portrait. In the garden of the London
Horticultural Society, the rate of growth may be stated as 6 ft. or 8ft. in 10
years ; but, with extraordinary preparation, it would grow with double that
rapidity. The largest cork tree in Britain (perhaps in the world) is one in
Devonshire, at Mamhead, about 8 miles from Exeter. In 1834, the circum-
ference of the trunk of this tree, at 1 ft. from the ground, was 12 ft. 6 in. The
height of the trunk, before it branched off, was 10 ft., and the total height of
the tree about 60 ft. It stands in the middle of the park, quite detached and
exposed, at an elevation of about 450 ft. above the level of the sea, in a soil
of fine rich red loam, on a substratum of red stone conglomerate. It is only
3 miles distant from the sea, and is exposed to the sea breeze from the east.
The head is oval and compact, and its grand massive branches, each of which
would form a tree of noble dimensions, are covered with rugged corky bark,
resembling richly chased frosted silver, wjiich is finely contrasted with the
dark green luxuriant foliage. Near this tree stands another, 50 ft. high, with
a trunk 11 ft. 3 in. in circumference. (Gard. Mag., vol. xi. p. 127.)
In Ireland, in the neighbourhood of Cork, on the estate of Sammerstown
there is a cork tree of unknown age, and which is thought by some to have
stood there for several centuries. Several generations ago, it must have been
a remarkable tree, for the then proprietor, when letting the land on which the
tree stands, introduced a clause into the lease, by which the tenant incurred
a penalty of 20/., if he cut down or injured the tree. Fig. 1800. is a portrait
1800
of this tree, to the scale of 1 in. to 10ft., which was sent to the Magazine of
Natural History in 1828 ; and the following are the dimensions of the trunk and
principal branches : — Girt of the trunk at 3 ft. from the ground, 8 ft. 10 in. ;
height of the trunk before it divides, 9 feet ; girt of each of the two principal
branches, 6ft. 10 in.; girt of the second-rate branches, 5 ft. 4 in. ; diameter of
the head, 36 ft. ; the thickness of the cork, or outer bark, on the trunk, is
about 3 in. The height of this tree was not sent to ue ; but, judging from
the drawing, it appears to be between 25 ft, and 30 ft.
CHAP. cv. CORYLAXCE;E. QUETICUS. 1917
Poetical Allusions. There are very few. Lord Byron speaks of
" The cork trees hoar that crown the shaggy steep,"
in his Childe Harold ; and Southey describes their appearance in the gleam of
a traveller's fire, in his Roderick, the Last of the Goths: —
" Bright rose the flame replenish 'd : it illumed
The cork tree's furrow'd rind, its rifts and swells,
And redder scars, and, where its aged boughs
O'erbower'd the travellers, cast upon the leaves
A floating, grey, un realising gloom."
Statistics. In the environs of London, at Ham House, Essex, the cork tree is 27 ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 10 in., and of the head 23 ft. ; at Kenwood, Hampstead, 60 years planted,
it is 35 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft., and of the head 40 ft ; at J ulham Palace, 150 years
old, it is 40 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 3ft. 6 in., and of the head 24ft. ; in the Mile End
Nursery, it is 28 ft. high, the circumference of the trunk 4 ft. 4 in. — South of London. In Devonshire,
at KilliTton, 34 years planted, it is 57ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft., and of the head 41 ft. ;
at Brochill, 45 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 3ft., and of the head 46ft. In Somersetshire,
at Nettlecombe, 60 years planted, it is 30ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 10 in., and that
of the head 28ft. In Suffolk, at Campsey Ash, it was 26ft. high, with a trunk 2ft. Sin. in
diameter. This tree, we are informed, is since dead. In Surrey, at Farnham Castle, 50 years
planted, it is 30ft. high : at Claremont, it is 40ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 3ft. 6 in., and
that of the head 50ft— North of London. In Cheshire, at Eaton Hall, 8 years planted, it is 10 ft. high.
In Denbighshire, at Llanbode Hall, 15 years planted, it is 22 ft. high. In Pembrokeshire, at Stack-
pole Court, 100 years old, it is 40ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft., and of the head 40ft. In
Suffolk, at Finborough Hall, 16 years planted, it is 12 ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk 8 in., and
of the head 10 ft. In Warwickshire, at Coombe Abbey, 60 years planted, it is 64 ft high, the
diameter of the trunk 2ft. 8 in., and of the head 20ft In Worcestershire, at Croome, 40 years
planted, it is 35ft. high, the diameter of the trunk lOin., and of the head 15ft. — In Ireland, in the
Glasnevin Botanic Garden, 30 years planted, it is 15 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 10 in., and of
the head 12ft. ; at Cypress Grove, it is 45ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 6 in., and of the
head 27 ft. ; at Castletown, it is 28 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 8 in., and of the head 24 ft.
—In Switzerland, at the scat of M. Gaussen, Bourdigny, near Geneva, it is 3 ft 4 in. in circumference.
— In Italy, in Lombardy, at Monza, 14 years planted, it is 12 ft. high, the circumference of the trunk
1 ft., and the diameter of the head 10ft
* 35* Q. PSEU'DO-SU'BEH Desf. The False-Cork Oak.
Identification. Desf. Allan., 2. p. 348. ; Spreng. Antiq. Bot., p. 16. t. 1. ; N. Du Ham., 7. p. 174. :
Wiild., No. 60. ; Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 67.
Rynonymes. Chenc faux Liege, Chene de Gibraltar, Fr. ; Unachte Kork-Eiche, Ger. Bosc states
'that he possesses a leaf of ft. Turnert, which was brought to him from Kew by L'Heritier, and
that it is identical with & Pseudo-Suber ; but the leaves of Q. Ttirneri are not in the slightest
degree hoary or glaucous beneath, nor has it a corky bark.
Engravings. SanU Viagg., t 4.: Spreng. Antiq. Bot, t. 1.: N. Du Ham., 7. t. 48. f. 2.; and'our
/K. 1801.
Spec. Char.,, $c. Leaves ovate-oblong or lanceolate, sinuated, dentated or
serrated ; hoary beneath. Bark fungous, cracked. Nut ovate. Calyx mu-
ricated, with lax, recurved, linear scales. (Desf.) Native of the mountains
of Tuscany, Spain, and Barbary. Desfontaines ga-
thered it on Mount Atlas, and the Abbe" Durand, near
Tangier. A tree, 50 ft. or 60 ft. high ; the bark of
which is corky, though less so than that of Q. 5uber.
Young branches downy or hoary ; sometimes smooth,
striated. Desfontaines describes the bark as fungous
as very thick, and as being, without doubt, capable of
replacing the cork of Europe. I'he leaves are oval-
oblong, dentated or serrated ; smooth above, and pu-
bescent beneath. He adds that the leaves do not
drop during winter ; while in the Nouvcau Du Hamcl, in Bosc, and under
the article Q. Pseiido-Suber in Rces's Cyclopedia, they are described as
deciduous. Bosc, indeed, states that the leaves remain green a part of
the winter ; so that the tree may be considered as forming the connect-
ing link between the evergreen oaks and the deciduous ones. A tree of
Q. Pseudo-^iiber was planted in the garden of M. Lemonnier, near Ver-
sailles, by M. A. Richard, in 1754, which is stated to have proved quite
hardy, ami of vigorous growth, though, in 1820, it had not produced fruit.
We have not been able to get any account of the present state of this tree ;
but we can easily conceive that" it may be evergreen on the shores of the
Mediterranean, and only subevergreen in the neighbourhood of Paris or
London. The specimens of this tree in the Horticultural Society's Garden
(lately, 1837, dead), and at Messrs. Loddiges's, have always appeared to us
1918 ARBORETUM AND FRUTJCETUM. PART III.
to be closely allied to Q. Turner* : but, the leaves of the former will always
be found to be somewhat downy beneath ; while those of Q. Turneri are
perfectly smooth, and of the same colour on both sides. Neither sort
appears to show the least indication, at present, of corkiness in the bark ;
though trees of Q. Suber in both places, standing near them, have the
bark decidedly corky. Unless, therefore, we could see the tree at Versailles,
we cannot decide whether the plant in British gardens is that discovered
by Desfontaines, or not. If it is, it certainly appears much more nearly
allied to the group Cerris than to that of 7vlex. The tree in Loddiges's
arboretum is 7ft. high, and, in February, 1837, had lost every leaf; as had,
with the exception of a very few, that in the Horticultural Society's Garden,
in 1835, when it was of about the same age and size. After all, we
think it extremely probable, that the tree at Muswell Hill is the Q. Pseiido-
(Suber of Desfontaines ; but as we have not seen the acorns, either of that
tree, or of the Q. Pseudo-Suber in the Horticultural Society's Garden, or
at Messrs. Loddiges's, we should not consider ourselves justified in deciding
on the point. We may possibly be able to do so in our Supplement.
b. Natives of North America.
§ ix. Virentes. Live Oaks.
Sect. Char. Leaves oblong-lanceolate ; dentate, and variously cut when
young; but, on full-grown trees, quite entire. Bark smooth, black. Fruc-
tification biennial. Cup imbricate. Nut long. Low trees, or shrubs; rather
tender in Britain, and not attaining a timber-like size north of London.
1 36. Q. VINRENS Ait. The green, or Live, Oak.
Identification. Ait. Hort Kew., ed. 1., 3. p. 356., ed. 2., 5. p. 287. ; N. Du Ham. 7. p. 151. ; Willd.
Sp. PI., 4. p. 425. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., p. 626. ; Michx. Quer., No. 6. ; Smith in Rees's Cycl.,
No. 5.
Si/nonymes. Q. Ph£llos /3 Lin. Sp. PI., 1412. ; Q. sempervlrens Banister and Walt. Car., 234.
Engravings. Michx. Quer., 1. 10, 11. ; N. Amer. Syl., 1. t 12 ; our figs. 1802. and 1803 ; and the plate
P, of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves coriaceous, elliptic-oblong, revolute, entire, point-
less; obtuse at the base; clothed with starry down beneath. Fruit stalked.
Nut oblong. ( Willd. and Smith.)
Description. The live oak is commonly 40 ft. or 45 ft. high, with a trunk
from 1 ft. to 2 ft. in diameter; but it is sometimes much larger; and a hollow
tree of it was felled at Charleston, which had a trunk 24 ft. in circumference.
" Like most other trees," says Michaux, " it has, when insulated, a wide and
tufted summit. Its trunk is sometimes undivided for "18 ft. or 20 ft. ; but it
often ramifies at half this height, and, at a
distance, has the appearance of an old apple
or pear tree." (N. Amer. Syl., i. p. 58.) The
bark is blackish and hard. The wood is
heavy, compact, fine-grained, and of a yellow-
ish colour, which deepens as the tree advances
in age. The number and closeness of the
concentric circles evince the slowness of its
growth, and the probability of its great dura-
tion, from the much larger proportion of
fibrous than of cellular tissue in its compo-
sition. The leaves are oval, coriaceous, of
a dark green above, and whitish beneath :
they persist during several years, but are par-
tially renewed every spring. On old trees,
growing wild in the forests, they are always
entire, as shown in fig. 1802.; but, on seed-
lings of 2 or 3 years old, they are very dis-
tinctly toothed, as in^g. 1803. On trees growing in cool soils, or reared in
plantations, they are one half larger than those on the trees usually found in a
CHAP. CV.
CORYLA'CEjE. QUE'RCUS.
1919
wild state, and are often denticulated
even on old trees. The acorns are of
an elongated oval form, nearly black,
and are contained in greyish pedun-
culated cups. The fruit is sometimes
very abundant, and it germinates with
such ease, that, if the weather is rainy
at the season of its maturity, many
acorns are found on the trees with
the radicle unfolded. In British gar-
dens, this tree is no where found
higher than a large shrub, itjrequiring
rather a warmer climate to attain a
timber-like size. There is a tree at
Kew, between 40 ft. and 50 ft. high ;
and a handsome small tree at the
Duke of Devonshire's, and some in
the Hackney arboretum. In the
neighbourhood of Paris, the live oak and Q. aquatica, Bosc informs us, are
the only two American species that are found to be tender.
Geography and History. The live oak is confined to the maritime parts
of the southern states of North America, where it is known by the name of
the live oak. Its most northern boundary is Norfolk, in Virginia. " From
Norfolk it spreads along the coast for a distance of 1500 or 1800 miles, ex-
tending beyond the mouth of the Mississippi. The sea air seems essential to
its existence j for it is rarely found in forests upon the mainland, and never
more than 15 or 20 miles from the sea." (Michx.} It is most abundant, and
of the best quality, on the shores of the bays and creeks of the southern
states ; and on the fertile islands, which lie in great numbers scattered along
the coasts for several hundreds of miles. " I frequently saw it," says Michaux,
" upon the beach, or half-buried in the movable sands upon the downs, where
it had preserved its freshness and vigour, though exposed during a long lapse
of time to the fury of the wintry tempest, and to the ardour of the summer's
sun." (N. Amer. Syl., i. p. 58.) The live oak was one of those discovered
by Banister, and it was by him called Q. sempervirens. Catesby, in his
Natural History of Carolina, p. 17., describes it as a pyramidal tree, 40 ft. high,
in the salt marshes of Carolina. He adds that the acorns are remarkably
sweet, and were used by the Indians to thicken their venison soup, and for
expressing an oil, which was very much like the oil of sweet almonds. The
first record of this tree that we have in England is, that it was in cultivation
by Miller in 1739 ; but it does not appear to have been much planted, as we
have not received an account of any old trees of this species now existing in
England. In America, there is said to be a very large live oak at Goose
Creek, near Charleston, which measures 45 ft. in circumference close to the
ground, and 18ft. Gin. at its smallest part: its largest limb is 12ft. 6 in. in
girt. A modern traveller, Mr. Stuart, in his Three Years in North America,
published in 1833, thus speaks of the live oak, whilst describing his journey
from Georgetown to Charleston : — "On this day's journey, I first saw, and
in great numbers, the most valuable of the American trees, the Quercus
virens, the most durable of oaks. It flourishes most on lands adjacent to salt
water. It is almost as heavy as lignum vita3 (Guaiacum officinale). Its trunk
is generally not long ; but its crooked branches frequently spread over more
than a quarter of an acre of ground. The wood of this tree is almost incor-
ruptible. It was on account of the abundance of this tree in Florida, fit foi
building ships of war, that the Americans showed the great anxiety, which
was at last gratified in 1819, to add Florida to their extensive territories, and
which has led the general government, since its acquirement, to lay out very
large sums in the preservation and establishment of live oak plantations in
Florida. Indeed, I have heard of the formation of plantations on a large scale
6 i
J920 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. TART III.
nowhere but in Florida." The object of the American government being to
provide for the establishment and maintenance of a powerful navy, the culti-
vation of the live oak, which is almost the only oak they have suitable for
ship timber, is an object of national importance.
Properties and Uses. According to Michaux, and all authors who have
written on the oaks of America, the wood of the live oak is much stronger,
and incomparably more durable, than that even of the white oak, and is more
esteemed for ship-building than any other wood in the United States. " From
its great durability, when perfectly seasoned, it is almost exclusively employed
for the upper part of the frame. To compensate its excessive weight, it is
joined to the red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), which is extremely light, and
equally lasting. The live oak does not afford large timber ; but its wide and
branching summit makes amends for this disadvantage, by furnishing a great
number of knees." (Michx.) " The vessels built at New York and Philadel-
phia, with the upper frame of red cedar and live oak, and the lower timbers
of white oak, are as durable as those constructed of the best materials in
Europe.'* (Id.) The best trenails used formerly to be made of the wood
of the live oak; but they are now made of locust wood, and of the heart wood
of Pinus palustris. In the southern states, the live oak is used for the naves
and felloes of heavy wheels, and for screws and the cogs of mill-wheels ; for all
which purposes it is far superior to the white oak. The bark is excellent for
tanning ; but it is so hard and thin, that it is seldom found in sufficient quan-
tities. From the acorns, which, though not sweet, are eatable, Michaux says
that the Indians still extract an oil which they use in cookery. A great
many trees of this species were raised and sold by Cobbett; the acorn not
losing its vitality during the voyage from America to Europe ; but we never
hear of the trees attaining any size ; and, as we have already observed, the
climate is against them. As a low evergreen tree or large shrub, the live oak
well deserves a place in collections, forming an interesting bush, as shown in the
portrait, given in our last Volume, of the tree at the Duke of Devonshire's villa
at Chiswick. In France, near Nantes, 80 years planted, it is 40 ft. high ; the
diameter of the trunk being 4 ft. In Lombardy, at Monza, 20 years from the
acorn, it is 20ft. highj diameter of the trunk 5 in., and of the head 14ft.
Abundance of young plants and of acorns may be had from Mr. Charlwood,
at 105. per hundred, or 5s. per bushel. At Bollwyller, plants are 5 francs per
dozen ; and at New York, where, according to Prince's Catofagne, it requires
protection during winter (a fact that speaks volumes against its ever becoming
a profitable timber tree in this country), plants are 50 cents each.
? i 37. Q. A/YRTIFOXLIA Willd. The Myrtle-leaved Oak.
identijicntton. WilKI., No. 4. ; Pursh, No. 4. ; N. Du Ham., 7. p. 151. ; Rees's Cycl , No. 4.
Spec. Char.,S(C. Leaves coriaceous, oblong, entire, -smooth ; acute at each end. A native of Carolina,
according to Willdenow, who alone has noticed this species. Pursh has admitted it into his work.
The branches are round and brown ; the leaves 1 in. or more in length, coriacoous, evergreen,
oblong, somewhat acute at the base; entire and slightly revolute at the margin ; shiny above;
opaque, but smooth, beneath ; on short footstalks. The form of the leaves is much like those of the
common broad-leaved myrtle. The flowers and fruit are unknown. (Willd., ai quoted in Rees's
Cycl.)
c. Natives of Nepal.
§ x. Lanatte. Woolly or downy -leaved Oaks.
Serf. Char. Leaves oval-oblong or lanceolate, serrated or dentated, but
tlot sinuated or lobed; woolly beneath. Trees, natives of Nepal ; and only
half-hardy in the climate of London. They may be propagated by cuttings,
which foot without much difficulty ; and the plants require the protection
of a wall.
J 38. Q. LANA^TA Smith. The woolly-leaved Nepal Oak.
Identification. Recs's Cycl., No. 27.
Synonymet. Q. l.inuginosa D. Don Prod. Fl. Nep., p. .77., and Lodd. Cat., cd. 183fi; Q. Jl&nja
Ham. MSS. ; ? Q. oblong&ta D. Dan, 1. c. ; ? Q. ino&na Roi/lc I/tusf., p. 341.
Knffraving. Our.///;'. 1S()4., from the tree at Kew.
CHAP. cv. CORYLA'CE/E. QUF/RCUS. 1921
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves elliptic-oblong, sharply serrated, coriaceous ; densely
woolly beneath. Fruit in axillary solitary spikes. Calyx scaly, without
prickles. (Smith.} " Native of the mountains of Upper Nepal ; flowering
in April, (liurhanan.) The Parbutties call it Hfiuza, or Banjn ; the
Nawars, Soshi stringrtli. This is a /7~v .
tree of vast dimensions, with a 'St^L
scaly bark, and rigid, brown, warty
branches, clothed, when young, with
dense white down. Leaves alter-
nate, somewhat 2-ranked, stalked,
elliptic-oblong; sometimes rather
obovate, pointed; from Sin. to
5 in. in length, and 2 in. or more
in breadth; strongly and sharply
serrated, except at the very base,
which is more or less rounded, and occasionally unequal; the upper surface
green, shining, and naked (except when young), but not quite smooth to the
touch ; the under clothed with fine, dense, uniform, brownish, woolly pubes-
cence, and marked with prominent, parallel, but not very crowded,
obliquely transverse veins. Footstalks stout, downy, scarcely 1 in. long.
Stipules ovate, membranous, deciduous. Male flowers in short, dense,
hairy spikes, at the base of the young shoots, as they protrude from the bud.
Calyx with 5 or 6 teeth. Anthers about 6, sessile. Female flowers, as
far as Dr. Buchanan could observe, on a separate tree, in very short, soli-
tary, axillary spikes. Acorns either solitary, or several crowded together ;
small, ovate, hairy, half-covered by their scaly unarmed cups." (Smith in
Rees's Cycl.j Professor Don, in his Prodromus Flora? Ncpalensis, had de-
scribed Q. lanuginosa and Q. oblongata as two species ; but he has since
informed us that the specimen which he had of Q. oblongata being very
imperfect, he is now disposed to refer it to Q. lanata. Dr. Royle, in his
Illustrations of the Botany, $c., of the Himalayas, observes that the lofty
summits of these mountains are covered with snow until May and June.
" The snow not melting until the sun has reached its most northern limit,
the increase of temperature is great and sudden, and the vegetation propor-
tionably rapid." (p. 20.) " In ascending the Choor Mountain, on the 9th
of May, at first the ordinary Himalayan trees, such as Rhododendron arbo-
reum and Quercus lanata, were met with ; the pines then made their appear-
ance* Every thing looked like the revival of spring : some of the trees and
shrubs were putting forth new leaves, and others were in full flower. Higher
up, patches of snow were seen; and beyond this every thing had a wintry
aspect : the snow lay in masses, though detached, having melted away from
round the trunks of many trees and the blocks of gneiss rock. At first, the
Conlferae and other trees were intermixed with oaks ; but, latterly, the oak
grew alone. Q. semicarpifolia formed the forest. On emerging from this, there
is only a short ascent to the peak." (p. 21.) Q. lanata was introduced about
1818,' and was first planted at Kew. There are now (1837) plants of it
10 ft. high against the walls in the Horticultural Society's Garden, and in
front of one of the stoves at Kew, which produce acorns. In the arboretum
of Messrs. Loddiges, and in that at Flitwick, plants of this species have
stood out, without any protection, in the open garden for several years;
but they are annually killed down within a short distance of the ground.
There are small plants in pots, at Messrs. Loddiges's, which bear acorns.
* 39. Q. ANNULA^TA Smith. The nng-cupjied Oak.
Identification. Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 22.
Synonyms/;. Q. PhulUMa Ham. MSS., D. Don Prod. Fl. Ncp., p. Z~t. ; ? 0. Kamroopii D. Don, !. c. ;
Q. glauca Lodd. Cat., ed. 183fi; ? Q glauca Thunk. ; ? Q. acumin^ta llort.
En«nti>ing. Out fig. 1805.
Sfirr. Char., $c. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, pointed ; dentately-serrated, except
towards the base; somewhat glaucous and downy beneath. Fruit spiked.
Ci 2
1922
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
1805
Nut oblong. Calyx furrowed concen-
trically. (Smith and Don.) " Gathered by
Dr. Buchanan (who afterwards took the
name of Hamilton), at various places in
Upper Nepal, bearing fruit, in December,
1802. A very large tree, whose wood is
excellent. The branches, 2 or 3 together,
smooth. Leaves evergreen, rigid, exactly
like those of Q. glauca Thunb., but some-
what silky beneath, and less glaucous ;
the young ones very silky. Stipules
linear, hairy, longer than the footstalks,
deciduous. Male flowers in pendulous,
hairy, yellowish, shortish spikes, spring-
ing from the buds below the leaves,
whose scales are imbricated in 5 rows.
Female, from 3 to 6, in solitary, axil-
lary, upright, stalked, smooth spikes,
about the length of the footstalks. Calyx
of the female flowers globose, smaller
than hempseed ; composed of several
concentric imbricated layers, of which
the outermost is smooth and notched, the rest downy and entire. Germen
globose. Style very short and thick. Stigmas 3, obtuse. Acorns quite sessile
on the common flower stalk. Cup rather smaller than that of our British
oaks; entire and even at the edge; composed of 7 or 8 concentric, annular,
imbricated, crenate scales, externally silky. Nut ovate, acute, smooth, and
even, twice as long as the cup. The Parbutties call this tree Phullaat ; the
Nawars, Gushi, or Paca stringali. We find great reason to think it may be, as
Dr. Buchanan suspected, the same species with Thunberg's Q. glauca. The
leaves of his specimen show a slight degree of pubescence about the veins,
but have not the minute silkiness of ours." (Smith in Rees's Cyclopaedia.)
Professor Don has given us the same information respecting Q. Kamroopw
(which he is now disposed to refer to Q. annulata) as he did respecting the
referring of Q. oblongata to Q. lanata. In both cases, his specimens were
imperfect. He had named Q. Kamroopw in honour of " Kamroop, or, more
properly, Kamrup, a Brahmin, and a zealous collector for Dr. Wallich in
Gurwhal, or Garnwhal, a country situated to the north-west of Nepal."
There are plants of this species 10ft. high, against a wall in the Horticul-
tural Society's Gardens, and also in the front of a stove at Kew ; and,
under the name of Q. glauca, at Messrs. Loddiges's. Mr. Smith of Kew
informs us that it is decidedly hardier than Q. lanata.
App. i. Oaks in British Gardens, not referable, wilh certainty,
to any of the above Sections.
¥ 40. Q. TU'RNER/ Willd. Turner's Oak.
Identification. Willd. Enum., 975. ; Baumz., p. 339.
Synonymes. Q. h^brida Hort. ; Chene de Turner, Fr. ; Turnersche Eiche, Ger.
Engravings. Willd. Baumz., t. 3. f. 2. ; and ourftg. 1806., from a specimen taken from the tree in
the Horticultural Society's Garden.
Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves oblong, mucronate, dentate ; glabrous on both sides ;
somewhat wedge-shaped at the base. Branchlets hairy. ( Willd.) A tree,
growing to the height of 40 ft. or 50 ft. in 40 years, and retaining its foliage
till April or May, like the new Lucombe oaks. It is stated in Willdenow's
Baumzucht to be a native of Thibet ; but we have ascertained from Messrs.
Loddiges that it is a hybrid, which was raised about 1795, or before, by
Mr. Spencer Turner, in the Holloway Down Nursery, Essex, which was
founded by him about 1787, and which now no longer exists; and that the
plant at Berlin, which is kept in the conservatory there, was sent to Will-
CHAP. CV.
CORYLANCE^1. QUE'RCUS.
1923
denow by the late Mr. Conrad Loddiges, 1806
under the name of Q. Turneri. It appears
to be a hybrid between Q. pedunculata and
Q. /Mex; and, indeed, the leaves of some va-
rieties of /Mex, such as fig. 1807., which is
from a plant in Messrs. Loddiges's collection,
have exactly the same bluish green colour
as those of Q. Turneri, and are nearly equal
to those of that species in length, as is shown
by fig. 1808., which is from the tree at Messrs.
Loddiges ; both figures being of the natural
size. The leaves vary considerably in size
(see fig. 1809., to our usual scale), but not
much in form, or in the character of their
margins. Mr. Rivers, jun., of Sawbridge worth,
whose father recollects the tree being originated by Mr. Turner, and who
has propagated it extensively, says, " It takes readily by grafting on the
common oak, from which, in summer, it can scarcely be distinguished, as
its branches and leaves are so similar ; but, in winter, its thick, glossy, and
strictly evergreen foliage has a fine effect." On the whole, it is an exceed-
1807
1808
ingly distinct and very handsome species, by no means liable to vary in the
form of its foliage, like what may be called the natural species of European
and American oaks. It is rather more tender than Q. Cerris Lucombeana,
but, nevertheless, it retains its foliage nearly as long as that species ; and, as
it appears from a tree of each, of the same age and size, and planted at the
same time, perhaps thirty years ago, in the Hammersmith Nursery, it grows
with nearly equal rapidity. At the same time, it is right to state that Mr.
Rivers, jun., considers it rather slow-growing; a tree in the Sawbridge-
61 3
1924
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART II J.
worth Nursery, which has been 40 years planted, being only
from 22 it. to 25 ft. high, with a trunk 1 ft. 8 in. in circum-
ference at 5 ft. from the ground. Two trees in the Hammer-
smith Nursery, about the same age, are rather higher. Trees
in nurseries, however, are seldom fair specimens, as they
are kept there for the purpose of supplying scions for bud-
ding or grafting. The tree in the Horticultural Society's
Garden has attained the height of 12 ft, in 10 years ; and one at Ham
House was, in 1834, 42 ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 6 in., and
of the head 18 ft. Neither this tree nor that in the Sawbridgeworth Nursery,
nor any other that we have heard of, has yet flowered.
t 41. Q. HY'BRIDA NAVNA. The dwarf hybrid Oak.
Synonymes. Q. h^brida Lodd. Cat., 1836; Q.. " a hybrid between Q. peduncu&ta and Q. /xlex, in
the Horticultural Society's Garden ;" Q. humilis Hort. ; Q. nana Hort.
Engravings. Our jigs. 1810. and 1811.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves ovate or oblong, obtusely dentate, smooth, and of the
same colour on both sides. Footstalks short. Found about 1825, in a bed of
seedling oaks in the Bristol Nursery, where the original plant, in May, 1837,
was between 8 ft. and 9 ft. high, with a trunk 8 in. in circumference at 1 ft.
from the ground. Propagated by grafting on the common oak. It is a
1811
decidedly subevergreen bush, and not a tree j whence has arisen the
popular name of humilis. In summer, the leaves, at a distance, bear a
considerable resemblance to those of the common oak ; but, on a nearer
inspection, they appear as in fig. 1811. or in fig. 1810.: the first from the
specimen tree in the Hackney arboretum, and the second from the arboretum
at Milford. Towards the autumn, those shoots which have continued
growing, exhibit leaves on their extremities so exactly like those of Q.
Turner*, that it is altogether impossible to make any distinction between
them This is so very strikingly the case
at Messrs. Loddiges's, that, if it were not
from the totally different habit of Q.
Turner/ and Q. hybrida nana, we should,
from the appearance of the leaves, which
remain on, in both species, at the points
of the shoots, after all the others have
dropped off, consider them to be the same
species. Fig. 1812. exhibits leaves taken
from the extremities of the shoots, in different parts of the same plant,
in the Horticultural Society's Garden, in May, 1837.
1812
CHAP. CV.
CORYLA'CEA:. QUE'RCUS.
1925
1813
¥ 42. Q. FONTANE'S// Guss. Desfontaine's Oak.
Identification. A dried specimen, named by Gusson himself, in Dr. Lindley'* herbarium.
Synonyms. (I pseudo-coccifera of Catros of Bordeaux, and of the Hort. Soc. Garden, in May 2837-
Engraving. Our Jig. 1813.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves oval; obtusely sinuated, and bluntly dentate;
downy beneath. Fruit on peduncles. This oak was received from M.
Catros of Bordeaux, under the name of Q. pseudo-
coccifera, but it does not at all agree with the de-
scription given of that species in the Nouveau Du
Hamel, where it is said to be evergreen, with leaves
resembling those of Q. coccifera ; while the plant in
the Horticultural Society's Garden is deciduous.
Dr. Lindley informs us that it is the Q. Fontanes/j
of Gussone ; a native of Calabria, and also found in
Palestine ; it being identical with a specimen in the
doctor's herbarium, named by Gussone himself.
Gussone considers it as identical with the Q. Pseudo-
Suber of Desfontaines ; which is somewhat singular, as
Desfontaines describes his plant as an evergreen.
The tree in the Horticultural Society's Garden is
12 ft. high, and the bark and buds are like those of Q. Cerris.
1 43. Q. ? AUSTRA'LIS Link. The Southern Oak.
Description. " A noble species of oak," Captain S. E. Cook observes,
'* is associated with the Q. Suber in the neighbourhood of Gibraltar ; where
I met with it in ascending through a forest to the left of the common
route to Cadiz, above Los Barrios. This species," he continues, " which is
one of the finest of European trees, and which has not found its way into
our nurseries, was pronounced by Dr. Lindley to be the Q. australis of Link.
The leaf is very large, and
ovate [Captain Cook, who
has seen this account of his
oak since it was in type,
says it should be " obo-
vate "], with small inden-
tures. The acorns might
be easily procured, in Oc-
tober or the beginning of
November, from Gibral-
tar." (Sketches, &c., vol.
ii. p. 249.) The acorns
were so procured for the
London Horticultural So-
ciety,through the influence
of government, and plants
were raised from them, in
1 835, in the garden of the
Society. Fig. 1814. is a re-
presentation of part of one
of these plants of 2 years'
growth, taken in March,
1837. The species appears
to be a decided evergreen ;
and we think it is allied
to Q. sessiliflora. The
Q. australis of Link, as
quoted by Sprengel, fyst.
Veg. Qucr., No. 59., which Ts the Q. hybrida of Brotero, is thus described :
— Leaves ovate-elliptic, somewhat obtuse, sinuated, toothed, coriaceous,;
shining above, pubescent beneath. Fruit almost sessile. Scales of the cup
(j i 4
1814
ARBORETUM AND Flit TICLTUM.
PAKT JI1.
closelv adpressed. (Spreng.) " A tall tree, a native of Portugal, in the south
of Beira, and on the hills near Coimbra ; flowering in Mav. It appears to
be a hvbrid between Q< A'obur and Q. pubescens. It is not found in any
of the mountainous parts of the north of Portugal; but there it is probably
changed to (2. A'obur." (Brotcro's Fl. Lus., ii. p. 31.) The (£. australis of
the Horticultural Society's Garden has the leaves glaucous beneath. What-
ever species this oak may turn out to be, it promises to be a very handsome
evergreen, as hardy as (2. /'lex; and we hope it will soon be generally in-
troduced into collections.
1 44. Q. COOVK//.
Description. Leaves evergreen ; oval or
with recurved teeth ; sessile, and green and glabrous on both side*
Captain Cook's Oak.
oval or lanceolate-elliptic
dentate,
( Sec
by the Horticultural Society
181.5
Jig. 1815.) Among the acorns procured
from Gibraltar appear to be some of a
species different from (>>. australis; or,
possibly, it may be only a variety of
Q.. gramuntia. As there are only two-
sears' seedling plants in the country, very
little can be said about it ; but we have
ventured to apply to it the specific name
above given, in honour of Captain S. E.
Cook of Carlton, near Darlington, who
was the means of its introduction, who
is an enthusiastic arboriculturist, and
who has kindly and liberally supplied us
with valuable information respecting
(^uercus, Pinus and other genera.
5f 45. (*>. FALKENUKUGKNsis Booth. The Falkenberg Oak.
Description. Allied to the section Robur, but with leaves short, and ser-
rated like those of Q. Cerris. Fruit small and roundish, and reproducing
plants with the same characters as the parent. Discovered about 1832, on
the Falkenberg in Hanover, near Hamburgh, and introduced into England
by the Duke of Bedford in 1837. (Booth, in letter; and Forbes's llort. Tour.,
p.o.)
App. ii.
''^iD'opcan Kinds oj Oaks not ijct introduced.
Dulfclt. Hist.,l2~>. : and our Ji». ISIii.,
from the .ipi-cmu'ii in tin- Liiin:(>;tii
hi-rlianuiii. IA-.IVCS on .-hort downy
toot-talk-, obovatc, with ninucrou- uni-
t'orm -hallow lol.o; downy l)cncath ;
Mimrwhat hcart-'-hapcd and unequal at
the base. 1'ruit -c--ilc. Sntttlt.. Native
ol Spain and the south of Franre.
(.hovatc, very slightly sinuated, or,
more properly spcakinK, coarsely tooth-
ed ; the lol>e>, beinj,' very hhort, e<|ual,
and obtu.-e; the upper' side polished
ai,d smooth; the under white and
downy. Footstalks downy. Kruit ses-
sile. ' \ViWl., In the Linna'an lier-
banuin are s])ecimens gathered liy
liaron Al-trci-mer in Spain, whicli
an-wcr extremely well to the aliovc
deM-ription.and not amiss to the figure
ol Uali champ, which Lamarck cites with hesitation
acute, and the upper Mirl'.icc covered with ininuti
recurved, ramentaceous stipules, tli.it are KOMI dei
Lamarck'.- plant at least, and probably WiUdcnow's.
o •,i-^il,,j,it\,hn I'ers Syn. 'J, p. .~0. ; N. I)n Ham,
',,,. , ( hene a I'euillc- d'i;-ilops Hu
these, however, the lobes, or teeth, art1
-tarry hairs. There art- also lonj;, linear,
duous. We do not scruple to consider this
,,\>/n/ft in AYc.v'.v Ci/il.
'. p. \H. ; ({. hinpanica ,-:. l.mn. Did. I'.nn/.,
ha* oval, --inuated, and dentated leave-, the teeth o»
CHAP. CV. C'ORYLANCEjE. tfUE'RCUS. 1927
which are close together and almost obtuse ; green above, and downy beneath. The acorns are
pedunculated, and half-enclosed in a smooth cup. The bark is cracked, but not corky. It is a native
of Spain; and, according to Bosc, there is a plant at Trianon, raised from seed brought from Gib-
raltar by M. Richard in 1734.
Q. Brossa Bosc Mtm. sur les Chines, p. S19.; Chene Brosse at Nantes ; Chene nain Bonami ; bears
so great an analogy to Q. pyrenaica (see p. 1842.), that, according to Bosc, it may possibly be only a
variety of that species : the leaves are, however, smaller and less velvety; the divisions are larger, wider
apart, and more obtuse ; and the margins are less frequently denticulated. The leaves are cordiform,
and slightly unequal at the base. The acorns (which Bosc had only seen when young) are borne n've
or six together on a long peduncle : the scales of their cups are broad and long. Bosc found this oak
in great abundance between Perigueux and Bordeaux. De Candolle found it near Mons, Angers,
and Nantes, where it was known by the name of Chene Brosse. It grows in the most arid soil, where
it is a low shrub, and appears to be the same that Bonami called the chene nain. In good soil it
grows much larger, and, Bosc observes, has probably been confounded with a variety of Q.. sessiliflora,
and Q. apenn'ma, under the name of chene a trochets.
Q. vimindlis Bosc Mem. sur les Chenes, p. 316. ; Chene Saule, Chene Osier, Chene de Haie, Fr.
(see p. 1737.) ; is found in the departments in the east of France. It is common on the Jura, and'on
the mountains of the Yosges. It seldom grows higher than 6 ft or 8ft., with a grey bark ; leave*
resembling those of Q. peduncul&ta, but much smaller, of a brighter green, and always very smooth.
The fruit is sessile, and the nut is deeply buried in the cup. The wood is white, and so pliant, that it
is extremely difficult to break it. Excellent hedges are made of this species in the countries where it
is indigenous, because it produces its shoots constantly from the collar, and, consequently, forms a very
thick mass of branches, which cross each other, and often form natural grafts. When these hedges
are cut down, the larger pieces of the wood are used for fuel, and the smaller shoots made into baskets,
which are of very great duration. The stools throw up strong, straight, flexible shoots, 5ft. or 6ft.
in length, which are excellent for all the purposes of wickerwork. According to Bosc, this species
does not change its nature by transplanting ; as a tree at Versailles has exactly the same aspect which
those have which grow between Langres and Dijon, where, he says, the species is well known to the
inhabitants as being quite distinct. So desirable a kind ought certainly to be introduced into Britain ;
and plants may, doubtless, be obtained from Dijon, or from Messrs. Audibert, at Tarascon.
Q. uspera Bosc Mem. sur les Chenes, p. 328. ; le Chene apre, Fr. ; has the leaves petioled, cori-
aceous, of a medium size, elongated irregularly, but not deeply lobed; the lobes broad, pointed, and
mucronated. The upper surface of the leaf is studded with small tubercles, beset with stiff' bristle-
like hairs, disposed in stars, which are very rough to the touch ; the under surface is downy. This
species does not attain any great height. Bosc states that this oak stands the open air in the neigh-
bourhood of Paris ; from which circumstance it may possibly not belong to Q. /'lex, which requires
protection there during winter.
CAtne Lezermien Bosc Mem. sur les Chenes, p. 328., is nearly allied to the preceding kind ; but
the leaves are sessile, oval, and simply, though broadly, dentated : they are mucronated and rough
above, and downy beneath. Bosc does not mention any Latin name to this oak, but states that he
gave its French name in honour of the director of the nursery in which it grew. He adds, " I have
received a specimen of this species under the name of chene Turner ; but, as I have stated before,
I think that name belongs to the chene de Gibraltar (Q. Pseudo-Suber)." Like the preceding sort, the
chene Lezermien is said to be hardy in the neighbourhood of Paris.
Ch&ne Castillan Bosc Mem. sur les Chines, p. 32S., has the leaves oval, pointed, slightly to-
mentose beneath, with unequal teeth, each terminated by a sharp turned up point. The acorns
are borne three or four together on short peduncles. Bosc found this oak in great abundance in
Spain, on the sandy mountains of Old Castile. He observes that it has been probably confounded
with Q. &spera and the chene Lezermien, to which it is very nearly allied ; and adds, " I have
never seen specimens of it more than 10ft. or 12 ft. high. Its wood appears to be very hard. Its
acorns are eaten both raw and cooked, as are those of the two above-named kinds. Their taste is very
inferior to that of the chestnut ; but it is not disagreeable. The consumption of these acorns in Spain
is considerable, if I may judge from the quantities of them that I saw in the market at Burgos, when
I passed through that town. This oak grows in the poorest soils." From the above description, it
appears to us not improbable that the chene Castillan may be the Q. gramuntia L.
Q. lusitdnica Lamb. Diet., 1. p. 719., Willd., No. 32., N. Du Ham., 7. p. 162., Smith in Rees's
Cycl., No. 39. ; Q. valentina Cav. Ic., 2. p. 25. t. 129., and our fig. 1817. ; /fbbur 4., Clust. Hist., p. 18.,
and «ubur 5. p. 19. ; Galla, sive /ibbur majus Ger.
Emac., 1348., and G. minor Ger. Emac., p. 1349. ; the
Portuguese Gall Oak ; Chene du Portugal, Fr. ; has
the leaves elliptical, with deep pointed serratures;
downy beneath. Fruit racemose. Calyx hemi-
spherical. Nut oblong. (Willd.} A shrub, or low
tree, somewhat resembling Q. infect6ria ; a native of
Portugal, said to have been introduced into England
in 1824. Lamarck says that this species consists of
several varieties, all very low shrubs, subject to bear
galls ; their branches copious and slender ; their
leaves small, intermediate in form between the ever-
green and the ordinary oaks of Europe. Willdenow
descrites the leaves as 1 in. long, oblong, obtuse, and
rigid ; their serratures somewhat pointed ; the upper
surface polished and smooth ; the under hoary with
slender, starry, crowded hairs. Footstalks short. Fruit racemose, or, rather, on a sort of spike
Willdenow adds that the figure of Cavanilles scarcely answers to the plant in question ; and, indeed,
that author describes his species as a tree taller than Q. /Mex, with deciduous leaves, and large
solitary acorns. (See fig. 1817., reduced from the figure of Cavanilles, and which shows a gall on one
of the leaves.) Bosc says that this species is cultivated in the PepiniSre du Roule, where it was a
shrub from 5 ft. to 6 ft. in height, and retained its leaves till the end of winter. It flowered freely,
but did not produce any fruit, and could only be propagated by inarching. Capt. Cook, as we have ^-
seen p. 1906. thinks this species the Q. Ballota of Valencia, and the same as the Q. BaUbta Qf""^
which he saw plants some years ago at Messrs. Malcolm's. >^ O N
Q.^pnisina Pers. Syn., 2. p. 568., N. Du Ham., 7. p. 161. t. 44. f. 1., and our fig. 1818 ; Q. gfauca\^ >*>
Bosc Mem. sur les Chines, p. 26. ; has the leaves persistent, oval-oblong, dentated, and rather spiny ;
very smooth, and glaucous; acorns on peduncles. This oak does not attain a great height; but,
according to the Nouveau Du Hamel, it partakes more of the character of a tree than of a shrub.
From a specimen in the Jardin des Plantes, it appears that the full-grown tree would-'probably be
about 15ft. or 20 ft. high, with numerous, slender, spreading branches, perfectly smooth/ The leaves
1928
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUAI.
PART III.
are of a glaucous green, quite glabrous on both sides ; on rather long
footstalks, of an oblong oval form, with the indentations generally ter-
minating in a short bristly spine. The flowers are generally produced
two or three together at the extremity of the branches, on a peduncle
about 6 lines long. This oak is said to be a native of Portugal.
Q. calyclna Poir. Diet. Encyc. Suppl., 2. p. 216., N. Du Ham. 7. p.
159., has oval-elliptic leaves, cottony and yellowish beneath. Nuts
ovate-oblong, in a long pubescent calyx. This oak, according to M.
Poiret, greatly resembles the ilex. It is of middling size, with nume-
rous unequal branches, covered, when young, with an ash-coloured
down. The leaves are oval, and slightly pointed at the apex ; about
1 in. long, entire, or slightly dentatcd with a few small teeth ; smooth
and shining above, except when quite young; cottony and rather
yellowish beneath, with downy petioles. The acorns are oval, very
long, and borne on short, thick, axillary peduncles. The nut is en-
long, and borne on snort, thick, axillary peduncles. The nut is en- ^NK <£?\
veloped for three quarters of its length in a very deep pubescent calyx, $$$ |\
often 8 or 9 lines long, covered with very closely set scales, and warty. *p3 U
1818
This tree is a native of France, having been found near Orange, in
the department of Vaucluse, by M. De Bressieux, who sent specimens of it to M. Poiret.
Q. expdnsa Poir. Diet. Encyc. SuppL, 2. p. 217., N. Du Ham., 7. p. 158., has the leave* oval, and
slightly dentated ; white and cottony beneath ; acorns oval on peduncles, with very large, pubescent,
bell-shaped calyxes. This oak differs very slightly from Q. calycina, and is a native of the same
habitat. It is about 12 ft. or 15 ft. high ; dividing into numerous branches, which are downy when
young. Its leaves closely resemble those of Q. calycina,' except in being rather shorter, and that
their downy pubescence beneath is white, instead of being yellowish. The acorns are shorter, and
thick ; and the calyx is nearly flat, and bell-shaped. Poiret mentions two forms of this species
differing slightly in the calyx.
Q. rotundifblia Lam. Diet, ). p. 723., Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 434., N. Du Ham., 7. p. 158., Rees's
CycL, No. 37. ; the round-leaved Spanish Oak ; Chene a Feuilles rondes ; has persistent leaves, which
are obovate-oblong, with spinous teeth, heart-shaped at the base, smoothish above, and downy
beneath. This oak is very imperfectly known, as neither Lamarck nor Willdenow had seen either
its flowers or fruit. The acorns are said to be sweet and eatable. It is a native of Spain, whence it
was brought to France; and there is a small plant in the Jardin des Plantes. In the Nouveau Du
Hameltitis said to be possibly a variety of/Mex; but Bosc supposes it to be either closely allied
to, or identical with, Q. gramuntia. There are numerous plants of it, he says (writing in 1806), in
the Paris gardens.
Q. hitmilis Lam. Diet, 1. p. 719., Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 435., Ger. Emac., 1340., N. Du Ham., 7.
p. 161., Rees's CycL, No. 38.; Q. pexlem vix superans Bauh. Pin., 420.; .Rdbur 7.,sive Q. pumila,
Clus. Hist., 1. p. 19. ; the dwarf Portuguese Oak ; Chene pygmee, Fr. ; has the leaves obovate, with
spiny teeth at their apex, and rather heart-shaped at the base ; downy beneath. Calyx of the fruit
flattened. Nut oblong. This curious little shrub was found by Clusius, in barren sandy ground near
Lisbon, very abundant The whole plant is rarely more than 1 ft high when wild ; though
Lamarck says that, by cultivation, it may be made to attain the height of 3ft. or 4 ft. The leaves
strongly resemble those of the ilex. They are about lin. or IJin. long, on very short footstalks;
smooth and shining above, downy and hoary beneath ; the larger veins straight and parallel, and
the smaller ones reticulated. The acorns are sessile ; the nut is oblong, and more bitter than that
of the common British oak, with a very shallow, and rather flattened, calyx. This is still common
in sandy soil in PortugaL The Q. humilis of the London gardens, noticed in p. 1924., is a very
different plant from that here described.
App. iii. African Oaks which have not yet been introduced.
Q. obtecta Poir. Diet. Encyc. SuppL, 2. p. 218., N. Du Ham., 7. p. 163., has the leaves nearly oval,
slightly toothed, glabrous, shining. Acorns on peduncles, nearly solitary. Nut hidden in the cup.
The branches of this species are ash-coloured, glabrous, and extremely flexible. The leaves are
entire, or bordered with a few spiny teeth. The cup only opens a little at the extremity, and is
closely imbricated ; the upper scales being looser than the others, and somewhat recurved at the
point.
App. iv. Oaks of Asia Minor and Persia not yet introduced.
p. 253. t 14,
- Oil Ham.,
No. 40. ;
Q. cariensis Willd. : Chene '& Galles/Fr. ; Farber Ei'che, Ger. ;
and our figs. 1819. and 1820.; the first
f. om Olivier, and the second from
Du Hamel. Leaves ovate-oblong,
very smooth on both sides, deeply
taothed, somewhat sinuated,decidu-
ous. Fruit sessile ; ripening the
second year. Calyx tessellated. Nut
elongated, nearly cylindrical, (Sm.
and mild.) This oak, according to
TNfcX Olivier, seldom attains the height
9 of 6 ft. ; and the stem is crooked,
with the habit of a shrub, rather than that of a tree. The
leaves are about 1 in. or 1$ in. long, deciduous, bright green,
smooth on both sides, but paler beneath ; their serratures are
deep and broad, not acutely pointed. Fruit solitary, nearly ses-
sile. Cup slightly downy ; its scales not very distinct. Acorn two or three tunes longer than the
cup, smooth, nearly cylindrical. Olivier observes that this plant, besides producing the galls of
commerce, bears a number of different kinds of this excrescence, which are neglected as useless.
The tree, according to Bosc, has been long in the Jardin des Plantes at Paris, where it bears the
winters quite well in the open air, losing its leaves in the autumn. He has no doubt that it may
be propagated in abundance in the south of France ; but considers it doubtful whether the insect.
could be introduced and multiplied there with equal facility. According to the catalogue*, this
Q. infectkria Oliv. Voy. dans 1'Emp. Ottom., 1. p. 25£
15., Oliv. Trav., Eng. ed. 2., p. 42. t 14. and 15., N. Du
7. p. 162. t. 49. f. 1., Willd., No. 33., Rees's CycL, N<
si ,,„*.;/...•,,.;., TJV//J . /^I»A«« >. /'..u,.,, r» . T7'.:»u»H v;/.it,i
1820
CHAP. CV.
C'OIIYLACEA:.
specie* wa» introduced into England in 1X'A> ; but we have never teen it, and we are not aware that
there ik a living plant of it in the neighbourhood of London.
The gall fly of Q. infectoria
belongs to the family Cvni-
pidse Westw. (Diplolepariae
Latreille.) Amongst the
excrescences, or galls, pro-
duced by the punctures of
the different species of this
family of insects, the galls, or
nut galls, of commerce (in
French, galles and noiv de
guile; in German, gall-apfd;
in Italian, galle and galluzze ;
in Latin, gal/a; in Arabian,
afis; in Hindostanee, mayu-
plial ; and in Persian, mayer)
are by far the most valuable, being much employed in the manufacture of ink,
as well as occasionally for medicinal purposes. These galls, which, when full
grown (fig. 1821.), are of the size of a boy's marble, of
a rounded form, and rather uneven surface, are at-
tached to the slender stems of the branches of Q. in-
fectoria, and are produced by the Diplolepis, or, more
properly, Cynips Galla? tinctoriae Oliv. Enc. Meth.y
vi. p. 281.; Cynips scriptorum Kirby and Spence Intr.t
i. p. 319. This insect (fig. 1822. rf) is of a pale
brown colour, and may often be found enclosed in the
galls sold in the shops of the druggists, &c.; these
galls having been collected before the insect had made
its escape. Fig. 1822. a is a section of one of these
galls. The natural history of this family of insects
may be stated in a very few words, although the phy-
siological nature of the changes which take place in
the action of the juices of the plants attacked by them, whereby galls of a
very great diversity of form are produced, has not been ascertained. The
female Cynipidae are furnished with an instrument, or ovipositor, of a curved
form, and, for the most part, concealed within the abdomen, the extremity only
1822
1930 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
being slightly exposed. After impregnation, the eggs are deposited by means
of this boring instrument, which is exsertile, within the leaves or twigs of
various plants ; shortly after which the galls are formed on the outside of the
attacked part, the eggs being forced from the place where they were originally
deposited, and occupying the centre of the newly formed gall, which is gene-
rally of a fleshy nature, and serves as food to the young grub (fig. 1822. 6),
when hatched; the pupa state (fig. 1822. c) succeeds, and is passed either
within the gall, as in the insect now under consideration, or in the earth ;
the larva having previously to its change eaten its way out ; soon after which,
the insect assumes its imago state. Hence, it will be at once obvious, that a
gall, from which the insect has escaped, must necessarily contain less astringent
principle than one which has its interior less consumed by the insect, which
still remains enclosed therein; and hence it is that there are two kinds of gall
nuts known in commerce : those which still contain the insect, and which are
known in the trade under the names of black or blue galls and green galls, and
termed yerli by the natives of the countries where they are collected ; and
those from which the insect has escaped, and which are called white galls.
The latter contain not more than two thirds of the astringent qualities of the
former, and are of a pale brown or whitish colour, less compact, and not so
heavy. (Oliv. Voy. dans F Empire Ottoman; and Travels in Egypt, vol. ii. p. 61.)
Mr. M'Culloch states that these galls "are principally exported from Aleppo,
Tripoli, Smyrna, and Said : those brought from the first come chiefly from
Mosul, on the western bank of the Tigris, about 10 days' journey from Aleppo.
The real Mosul galls are unquestionably the best of any : but all that are
gathered in the surrounding country are sold under this name. Those from
Caramania are of very inferior quality. The gall nuts met with in India are
carried thither from Persia by Arabian merchants." (Com. Diet., p. 595.)
General Hardwicke, however, states that he discovered the tree upon which
they are found in the neighbourhood of Adwuanie. (Asiat. Rep.y vol. vi.
p. 376.) " The price of galls, in the London markets, varies from 65s. to
85*. per cwt. The duty is 5*. per cwt." (M'Cull. Com. Diet., art. Gall.) The
white and blue galls are generally sold mixed together in about equal propor-
tions, and are then called galls in sorts ; and occasionally fraud is attempted
by dyeing the white galls with a blue dye, but their lighter weight will render
it easy to detect them at once.
The chief use made of these galls is in the manufacture of common writing
ink, which is made by adding an infusion of the gall nut to sulphate of iron dis-
solved in water. A very fine precipitate is thrown down, the speedy subsidence
of which is prevented by the addition of a proper quantity of gum arabic. This
is usually accounted for by the superior affinity of the gallic acid ; which, com-
bining with the iron, takes it from the sulphuric acid, and occasions it to fall
down. Logwood is also a useful ingredient in ink, its colouring matter uniting
with the oxide of iron, and rendering it not only of a very dark colour, but less
liable to change from the action of acids, or the external air. The application
of heat is also necessary; because by its action the galls are almost entirely
soluble in water, which is not the case when they are simply macerated.
Gallic acid may be obtained from the infusion, merely by sublimation. The
solution also contains a large quantity of tannin, as it gives a very copious
precipitate with solution of gelatine. The proportion of these ingredients in
815 grains of solid matter are, according to Sir Humphry Davy, as follows : —
130 of tannin, 31 gallic acid, 12 saline and earthy matter, and 12 supposed to
be mucilage and extractive matter. Gall nuts are also very extensively used
in dyeing ; and, being the most powerful of vegetable astringents, " they are fre-
quently used with great effect in medicine, both externally and internally, in
the form of powders, infusions, tinctures, or ointments ; as in long protracted
and obstinate diarrheas, intestinal haemorrhages, and intermittents; and,
when judiciously combined with tonics and aromatics, have been found useful.
Much caution is, however, required in administering so powerful a medicine ;
and the dose should not exceed 10 grains or a scruple three times a day. An
CHAP. CV.
CORYLA'CE^E. QUE'RCUS.
1931
1823
infusion, made with 2 drachms of bruised galls to 12 ounces of boiling water,
may be used as an injection ; and, in conjunction with a small portion of spirits
of wine, forms a good gargle for relaxation of the uvula." (Stephenson and
ChurchUCs Medical Botany, vol. iv. pi.
152.) M. Robiquet (as quoted in the
Athencciim for April 15. 1837) has been
making various experiments on the tan-
nin and gallic acid contained in gall
nuts. One of the most remarkable re-
sults obtained by him is, a knowledge
of the great difference of time which it
takes to transform pure tannin into
gallic acid, and to produce it from the
entire nut. Eight months will not com-
plete the former operation, while one
month is sufficient for the latter ; a
proof that the gall nut contains princi-
ples, perhaps gum or rather mucilage,
which facilitate fermentation. Another
important result is a confirmation of the opinion of M. Polongcr, that gallic
acid is to be derived from tannin.
The Dead Sea Apple. Olivier informs us that Quercus infectoria also pro-
duces another sort of
gall (fig. 1823. from
copy furnished us by
Mr. Westwood ; and
fig. 1824. from the fi-
gure given by Oliver,
1. 1 5.), of a much larger
size than the common
gall nut, of a spongy
substance, very light,
of a brownish red
colour, covered with \18K BP / ^ — ^\
a resinous coat, and Illl Wl /^T «•"*
furnished with a cir-
cular row of tuber-
cles, placed round
the centre. Olivier
does not, however,
appear to have been
aware of the identity
of these galls with the
far-famed apples of
the Dead Sea, the
nature of which has
so greatly perplexed
naturalists,and which
are mentioned, both
by Tacitus and Jose-
phus, as being beauti-
ful to the eye, but crumbling at the touch to dust and bitter ashes. By some
writers, the existence of these vegetable productions has been entirely doubted.
Pococke supposes them to be pomegranates left for two or three years upon
the tree; Hasselquist pronounced these " Poma sodomitica," as they have
been called, to be the fruit of the Solanum Me/ongena (the egg plant, or mad
apple) ; Seetzen considered them to be the fruit of a species of cotton tree ;
Chateaubriand the fruit of a shrub ; and Captains Mangles and Irby have no
doubt that they have discovered them in the oskar plant. Mr. Conder, how-
1932 ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART III.
ever, (Mod. Trav. : Palestine.) who has collected the opinions of all these
authors, doubts the correctness of all of them ; observing, " If it be anything
more than a fable, it must have been a production peculiar to that part of
Palestine, or it would not have excited such general attention. It is possible
that what they (Tacitus and Josephus) describe may have originated, like the
oak galls in this country, in the work of some insect*" A. B. Lambert, Esq.,
having received some of these far-famed apples (" Mala insana") from the
mountains east of the Dead Sea, whence they had been brought by the Hon.
Robert Curzon, read an account of them before the Linnaean Society, proving
them to be galls of a species of oak containing an insect. No description is
given by Mr. Lambert of the insect ; but Mr. Westwood, who furnished this
article, states that it belongs to the family Cynipidae, and is infested para-
sitically by a species of the family /chneumonidae. Mr. Lambert, by some
accident, was led into the supposition that the Dead Sea apples are identical
with the galls of commerce (Linn. Trans., xvii< p. 446<) ; but
this is not the case. Olivier, in speaking of this insect, and the ^^
gall produced by it, says that both differ from those of the
tauzm oak (Q. pyrenaica : see fig. 1697. p. 1842.); and that 1825
the insect (fig. 1825.) has a body of brown and fawn-colour mixed, with the
antennae blackish. (Trav., Eng. ed. 2., p. 43.)
Q. Libdni Oliv., t. 49. f. 2., N. Du Ham., 7- p. 167. t. 49. f. 2., and
our fig. 1826., has the leaves on petioles, oblong, smooth, shining, and den-
tated, with mucfos at the points of the teeth. The acorns are of a round-
ish oval, a little hollow at the summit. The scales of the calyx are placed
close together, and scarcely imbricate. The branches are of a reddish
brown, and perfectly glabrous. This oak, which bears some resemblance
in its leaves to those of the chestnut, was discovered on Mount Lebanon by
Olivier, who sent home specimens of it to Desfontaines. The leaves are
perfectly glabrous on both sides, shining, and of a lively green above;
and the teeth are distinctly marked by a sharp and conspicuous mucro.
The acorns are sessile, or on very short peduncles ; the nut is large, de-
pressed, rather hollow at the summit, and enveloped for more than
half its length in a cup, the scales of which are rather soldered together
side by side, than imbricated : the centre of each only is a little pro-
minent, like those of the cones of some kinds of pine. (N. Du Ham.)
It does not appear that living plants of this species have ever been
brought to Europe. The figure in the Nouveau Du Hamel, of which
ours is a reduced copy, was taken from a dried specimen in the herbarium of Desfontaines.
From the appearance of the cup, this would seem a very distinct species.
Q. rigida Willd. Sp. PI., 4. j>. 434., N. Du Ham., 7. p. 161., Rees's Cycl., No. 36.; ? /'lex acu-
leata, &c., Tourn. Cor., 40. Leaves oblong, undivided, with spinous serratures, smooth ; glaucous
beneath; heart-shaped at the base. Footstalks bearded at the summit. Scales of the calyx rigid,
spreading, (mild.} A native of the coast of Caramania, in Asiatic Turkey. The branches are
pale brown, dotted. The leaves are oblong, 1 in. or more in length, rigid, with spiny serratures ;
deep green and shining above; glaucous beneath ; heart-shaped at the base. Footstalks very short,
smooth, but furnished on each side with a line of brownish hairs, which is carried on up the midrib
of the leaf. The acorn is sessile ; and the calyx is beset with rigid, woody, lanceolate, spreading scales.
Q. ibtrica Stev. in Mem. Soc. Imp. Nat. Mosc., 4. p. 70. M. a., Bieb. Fl. Taur.-Cauc., 2. p. 402.
No. 1913., 3. p. 620. Leaves ovate-oblong, downy beneath, sinuated ; lobes short, blunt, somewhat
serrated ; serratures blunt. Fruit almost sessile. Scales of the cup mucronate. (Eichwald Planter
Caspico-Caucasicar, 2. p. 40. t. 38.) A native of Georgia and Imiretia. Bark smooth, not corky,
greyish. Petioles 2 — 4 lines long, somewhat down-y or glabrous, semicylindrical. Leaves from
1 in. to 1 1 in. long, and from 2 in. to 3 in. broad ; obovate-oblong, acute ; truncated at the base, some-
what arrow-shaped ; glabrous above ; densely covered with white tomentum beneath ; sinuated ; lobes
short, somewhat ovate, obtuse, or rather acute, somewhat serrated ; serratures blunt. Male flowers
disposed in aggregate catkins, 2 — 5 springing from one bud ; lateral, slender, interrupted. Rachis
thread-like, pubescent. Perianth deeply 5 — 6-cleft; the divisions linear, ciliated. Stamens 5 — 10.
Female flowers unknown. (Ibid., 2. p. 41.)
Q. castane&fdlia C. A. Meyer. Bark smooth. Leaves on footstalks, oblong-lanceolate ; hairy
beneath; thickly serrated ; serratures somewhat mucronate. Cups sessile, solitary, hemispherical.
Scales linear-lanceolate, thickly imbricated the contrary way. Nut oblong-cylindrical. A tree, a
native of Mazanderan, near the town of Balfrush. A very distinct and beautiful species. Bark of
the branches and twigs membranaceous (never corky), yellow, warted. Petioles J in. to 1 in. long,
slender, somewhat glabrous ; flat above, convex beneath. Smaller leaves 2$ in. long, and 9 to 10 lines
broad ; larger ones 4 in. to 4J in. long, and 1| in. to 1£ in. broad ; all of them oblong-lanceolate, round,
and frequently unequal, at the base, more or less pointed, thickly serrated ; serratures blunt, pointed
with small mucros (scarcely j a line long) ; shining above, rarely covered with stellate down ; hairy
beneath from minute stellate down, ash-coloured ; veins parallel, prominent, having long hairs at
their axils. Male flowers not seen. Cups lateral or terminal, sessile, hemispherical, 8 to 10 lines in
diameter; clothed in the inside with copious, soft, simple hairs; externally, with numerous, downy,
linear-lanceolate scales, about 3 lines long ; and, towards the base, 1 line broad, all of them more or
less pointed, rigid, imbricated the contrary way. Nut l$in. long, cylindrical, 3 or 4 times as long as
the cup ; thickish at the base, blunt at the apex ; mucronate, smooth, reddish brown. (EickwaU
Plantce Caspico-Caiicasicte, I. p. 9. t. 1. ; and our fig. 1827.)
Q. mongolica Fisch. A rare species, indigenous to the banks of the Argun in Tartary, and
apparently of diminutive growth. There have been plants since 1835 in the Flotbeck Nursorie*,
which appear perfectly hardy. (77<w///.) We trust that in 1838, or even before, this spocies will be
introduced into England.
CHAP. CV.
CORYLA'CE*:. QUF/RCUS.
1933
A pp. v. Himalayan Oaks not yet introduced.
It is observed by Dr. Royle, that the Himalayan oaks vary much in appearance, and that, in all
probability, the number of kinds at present enumerated as species will hereafter undergo "some
reduction." It has also been suggested to us by Professor Don, that several of the Nepal and Japan
oaks described by authors under different names are probably the same.
Q. spicnta Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 12., D. Don in Prod. Fl. Nep., p. 5G., \Vallich PI. As. Rar.
Catkin* long and slender, erect, axillary, solitary, in terminal fascicles. Fruit in fascicles, upon a very
long spike. Nut roundish, smooth, terminated by anoint. Cups very small, lamellar. (H'alltcli.
1934
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
FART III.
t. 46., and our fig. 1828. ; Q. squamata Ror. Hort. Seng., p. 68. ; Q. A'rcula Ham. MSS. Leaves
elliptic-lanceolate, quite entire, very sharply pointed ; acute at the base; sometimes obtuse, smooth.
" This is one of the largest, as well as the commonest, sorts of oak in Nepal, where it attains the most
gigantic size. The wood is exceedingly like the English oak in colour, and, most probably, equals it in
other respects ; but the mountaineers do not esteem it much, owing, as they say, to its speedy decay;
a circumstance owing, no doubt, to their employing it in its green state. A similar prejudice
prevails in that country against the other species. I am unable to distinguish it," Dr. Wallich adds,
" from Dr. Roxburgh's Q. squamata, which is a native of the mountains bordering on the district of
Silhet. It flowers in April and May, and the fruit is ripe in October." (Wall.) " Female flowers on
a separate tree [probably accidentally], crowded 3 together in sessiie groups along the spikes. Acorns
eatable, but not very good ; the size and shape of a large filbert, even-pointed, dark brown ; their cups
short, scaly." (Smith in ftees's Cycl.)
Q. obtusifblia D. Don Prod. Fl.'Nep., p. 56. Leaves heart-shaped, oblong, quite entire ; tomentose
beneath, rounded at the apex. Cups urceolate, campanulate, nearly sessile, extremely scaly, tomen-
tose. Nuts globose, blunt A tree, a native of Nepal.
Q. grandifdlia D. Don, Lamb. Gen. Pin., 2. t. 8., and our fig. 1829. The Magnolia-leaved Oak.
Branchlets round, glabrous. Leaves obovate-oblong or elliptic, quite entire, almost sessile ; naked and
shining on both sides ; auriculate at the base. Fruit terminal, in clusters. Cups sessile, rugged. Nuts
roundish, having small mucrones. (D. Don.) A native of the woods of Nepal, where it was discovered
by the collectors sent out by Dr. Wallich. A large tree. Leaves from 9 in. to 1ft. 6 in. long, and
from 4 in. to 6 in. broad above the middle ; its fine green foliage (vying, in this respect, with the
American magnolias), and sessile glomerated
fruit, distinguish it from every other known
species. (Lamb. Gen. Pin., t.8.)
Q. velutma Lindl. in Wall. PI. As. Rar., 1. 150.,
and our fig. 1830. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, ser-
rated, glabrous, shining; of the same colour on
both sides ; quite entire and wedge-shaped at the
base ; petioled ; veins disappearing in the mar-
gin ; veinlets inconspicuous. Cups solitary, on
short peduncles, somewhat top-shaped, velvety;
composed of scales forming closely imbricatc-d
concentric layers, which surround the nut. Nut
velvety, having 6 styles, depressed, bossed, a little
longer .than the nut. Branches covered with
small glands. (Lindl. MSS.) A native of Tavoy,
on the shore of Tenasserim ; and bearing fruit
in October. Branches slender, cylindrical, densely
marked, with innumerable callous dots; yellow,
shining, and glabrous. Buds small, roundish,
villous. leaves about 4 in. long, approximate
towards the point of the branchlets. Inflores-
cence not seen. Fruit axillary, solitary, almost
sessile. (Watt. PI. As. Rar., t. 150.)
Q. lamellbsa Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 23.,
Wall. PI. As.Rar., t. 149 , and ourfig. 1831.; Q. im-
bricata Ham. MSS., D. Don Prod. ft. Nep., p. 57.
Leaves elliptic or ovate, serrated, flat, glabrous,
acute, on long footstalks; obtuse at the base;
glaucous beneath ; the veins continued to the ser-
ratures; veinlets raised. Cups solitary, sessile,
depressed, downy ; composed of scales forming
loosely imbricated, undulated, concentric layers,
which surround the nut. Nut tomentose, bossed,
depressed, shorter than the cup. (Lindl. MSS.) A
native of the mountains of Nepal ; ripening its
CHAP. CV.
QUE'RCUS.
1935
1831
fruit towards the end of the year. The following are Dr. Wallieh's observations on this
—"This noble oak has been so well described by Sir J. E. Smith in Jtccs's Ct/cloi>a.-tlia, that I have
very little to add :in this place.
The young branches are thick,
cyliiidric, and glaucous. Buds
terminal, fascicled, or axillary
and solitary ; ovate, obtuse, with
many rounded, villous, anc1
silky scales. Leaves very hand-
some, of a firm and leathery
texture, sometimes Ift.long, and
as much as fj in. broad ; smooth
and glossy above ; more or less
mealy, sometimes nearly white,
underneath. The fruit is re-
markably large, being as much
as 2 in. in diameter." (Wall.
Plan. As. liar., t. 149.) Smith
mentions that it was discovered
by Dr. Buchanan (Hamilton)
in the remote woods of Nepal,
bearing fruit, in December, 1802.
O. scmicarpifulia Smith in
Rees's Cycl., No. 20., Wall. PI.
As. Ran, t. 174. ; and our Jiff.
1832. ; Casstna Ham. MSS., D.
Don Prod. Fl. Nep. Leaves
ovate-oblong, blunt, undivided,
entire, undulated, retuse at the
base ; covered with starry down
beneath ; the nerves and the
midrib very prominent. Fruit
axillary, terminal, solitary or
in pairs, almost sessile. Nut
ovate, bossed, smooth. Cup scaly, imbricated, half the length of the nut (Wallich.} A native
of Nepal, flowering in April, and producing its fruit in September. This tree, Dr. Wallich observes,
" inhabits the summit of lofty mountains, constituting, together with the common Nepal rhodo-
dendron, the chief forests of the country, and [attaining a gigantic size. It measures frequently
from 80 ft. to 100 ft. in height, with a girt of the trunk, at 6 ft. above the ground, of 14 ft. to 18 ft.
I have met with individuals of far greater
dimensions on the summit of Sheopur.
The wood is much esteemed by the natives,
who employ it for various purposes of build-
ing, and for making bedsteads. The acorns
are axillary and terminal, mostly solitary,
though sometimes geminate, oval, shining
brown, smooth, about 1 in. long, termi-
nated by a short columnar style, and sup-
ported by hemispherical cups, about half
their size ; each having a sharp and entire
circular orifice, with the outer surface
densely tomentose, and covered with nu-
merous, small, lanceolate, acute, imbricate
scales. All the young parts, as well as the
male inflorescence, the under surface of
the leaves, and the cup, are covered with a
copious, stellate, loosely attached tomen-
tum. The leaves, in young trees, are more
or less spinous-dentate." (Wall. Plan. As.
Ear., t. 174.) This oak would be a most
desirable species to introduce, as it appears
from Dr. Royle's Illustrations of the Bo-
tany of the Himalayas, to be much hardier
than Q. lanata. (See p. 1921.) He adds
that y. semicarpifblia generally forms the
forests at their highest limits, at from
10,000 ft. to 12,000 ft. of elevation : it is
found higher than any of the pines. At
about 10,000 ft. on the mountain of Kedar-
kar.ta, the encampment was formed in " an
open glade, surrounded with magnificent
trees of ^'bies (Picea) Weblw'dna, and
Quercus semicarpifblia ; among which Tfho.
dodendron campanulatum for/ned a large
straggling shrub, in full flower, even in the
midst of the melting snow." (Illust., p. 22.) Dr. Royle also mentions that the inhabitants of the
mountains stack the leaves of GrfewiYi, U'lmus, and Quercus, as a winter food for cattle (p. 19.) ; and
that he found a new £uercus in the valleys of the mountains, at an elevation of about 12,000 ft.
App. vi. Oaks of Japan, Cochin-China, and China, which have
not yet been introduced.
Q. gttbra Thunb. Jap., 175., Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 427., N. Du Ham., 7. p. 152., has the leaves ob-
long-lanceolate, glabrous, acuminate, narrowed at the base, and yellowish beneath. A tree, a native
of Japan, with rugged, knotty, slightly spreading branches, generally growing two or three together ;
with alternate leaves, entire on the margin, and feather-nerved ; glabrous on both sides j shining
6 K
183'^
1936
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART HI,
above, and yellowish beneath. The flowers are disposed in two or three cottony spikes at the ter-
mination of the branches.
Q. concentrica Lour. Coch., 2. p. 572., Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 427., N. Du Ham., 7. p. 153., Smith in
Rees's Cycl, No. 10. Leaves lanceolate-ovate, pointed, incurved, entire. Calyx lax, very short,
furrowed concentrically. (Willd.) A large tree, a native of the lofty forests of Cochin-China; with
ascending branches, and comparatively few leaves, which are stalked, and smooth on both sides.
The acorns are oblong-ovate, and borne on peduncles ; the nuts are smooth, red, pointed ; and the cupg
short and lax, marked externally with several parallel circular furrows.
Q. aciita Thunb. Jap., 175., Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 429., N. Du Ham., 7. p. 154., Smith in Rees's
Cycl., No. 17., has the leaves oblong, entire, and terminating in a sharp cuspidate point; rounded
at the base ; glabrous above, but downy beneath when young. The branches of this oak are knotty,
smooth, except near their extremities, which are downy. The under sides of the leaves are, also,
covered with a ferruginous down, when young, as are the spikes of flowers. A native of Japan.
Q. serrdta Thunb. Jap., 176., Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 4ol., N. Du Hani., 7. p. 155., Smith in Rees's
Cycl., No. 25., has the leaves oblong, serrated, velvety, and downy beneath, when young, with parallel
veins. The trunk of this oak is divided into alternate, and rather knotty, brandies, which are of a
greyish colour, with white spots. Found on the mountains of Japan.
Q. glauca Thunb. Jap., 175., Banks lc., Kaunpf, t. 17., Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 427., N. Du Ham., 7.
p. 159., Rees's Cycl., No. 21. ; Kas no Ki, Ktempf. Amcen., p. 816. ; has the leaves obovate, pointed,
serrated towards the extremity, and glaucous beneath. The nuts are roundish and pointed ; and
the calyx, which is shallow, is marked with concentric lines. Kaempfer calls this oak an " ilex, with
short thick acorns, of which there are two kinds." Thunberg found it near Nagasaki, in Japan. He
describes it as a very large tree, with spreading branches, somewhat resembling the ilex, or cork tree ;
but with very large, broad, pointed leaves, smooth above, and very glaucous or mealy, and feather-
nerved beneath. Smith supposes it to be the same as his Q.annulata, Q. Phulluta Don. (See p. 19*22.)
Q. cuspidata Thunb. Jap., 176., Willd. Sp. PI., p. 430., N. Du Ham., 7. p. 159., Smith in Rees's
Cyc!., No. 24. ; Sui, vulgb Ssi no Ki, Ktempf. Amcen., 816. Leaves ovate, pointed, serrated, smooth.
Calyx prickly. (Thunb.) Ksempfer calls this " Mgus fblio Fraxini," a beech, or beech-like oak, with
the leaves of an ash : but Thunberg describes it as only differing from Q. cocci'fera in its leaves being
cuspidate, and their teeth not spiny. The leaves are small, and very glabrous; and the acorns,
which are as large as a common walnut, have bristly cups. A native of Japan.
Q.dentdta Thunb. Jap., 177., Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 45'2., N. Du Ham., 7. p. 180., Rees's Cycl.,
No. 26. ; Koku, KeEmnf. Amcen., 816. Leaves ovate-oblong, obtuse, deeply toothed ; downy beneath.
(Thunb.) A tree, with thick, erect, furrowed, knotty branches ; cottony at the summit of the tree.
The leaves are produced in tufts at the extremity of the branches, on very short petioles: they are
soft to the touch, very lax and pliable, velvety on the upper surface, and covered with a very white
cottony down beneath. Kannpfer calls this tree the white ilex, and says that the wood is also
white. Thunberg states that it is a native of the hills of Japan.
The oaks of China have been enumerated, as far as they are known, in p. 177. The following have
been described : —
Q. chinensis Bunge Mem. Acad. Scien. Petersb., 2. p. 135. Leaves ovate-oblong, elongated, acumi-
nated, mucronato-serrate ; hoary beneath. Cups axillary, twin. Scales lanceolate, hoary ; exterior
ones squarrose, longer than the globose nut. A tree, a native of mountainous places in China ; flower-
ing in April, and ripening its fruit the following year. It has exactly the habit and leaves of
Castanea vtsca, and is probably the C. chine"nsis of Sprengel, with 1-seeded fruit. C. vesca is a very
common tree in the north of China, with fruit always 2 — 3-seeded, and very like those of Europe; and
the Chinese deny that there is any other species.
Q. obovuta Bunge Mem. Acad. Scien. Petersb., 2. p. 136. Leaves obovate, nearly sessile, thickly
sinuated ; lobes round, quite entire, covered with rough dots above ; tomentose beneath, as are the
young branches. Fruit terminal, aggregate, sessile. Outer scales of the cup ovate-oblong, blunt,
silky ; inner ones elongated, linear, acute, bent back, longer than the roundish nut. A tree, a native
of mountainous places near Pekin ; flowering in March and April. Bunge observed a third species,
on the mountains in Pan-Schan, very similar to Q. mongolica Fisch. (see p. 1932.;; but nothing
certain.can be determined respecting it, from the imperfection of the specimens.
App. vii. Oaks of Java, Sumatra, and the Molucca Isles, not yet
introduced.
Q. sundaica Blume Fl. Jav., t. 2. and 3. ; and our figs. 1833. and 1834. The Sunda Oak. Leaves
elliptic, acuminate; narrowed towards the base ; glabrous above, somewhat glaucous beneath ; veins
covered with down. Catkins solitary. A tree, attaining the height of 80 ft. and upwards, with
smooth bark. It is not unfrequent in the woods of Western Java, in low grounds, and on the
CHAP. CV.
0ORYUOC&& QUE'RCUS.
1937
banks of rivers. It is nearly allied to Q. molucca Rumph. The wood, although more fibrous and
less compact than that of the common oak of Europe, is fit for building, more particularly when
in water. (Blutnc.}
Q. pruindsa Blume Fl. Jav., t. 1. ; and our fig. 1836. The frosty Oak. Leaves ovate or oval-
oblong, acuminate ; roundish at the base. Branchlets and leaves covered beneath with small yellowish
scales. Fruit aggregate, in short spikes. Cup concave, covered with small scales. Nuts roundish,
ovate. A beautiful tree, from 50 ft. to 60 ft. high, with a thick bark. A variety of this species has
the leaves oval-oblong, and acute at each end ; and the midrib and branchlets downy. Common
in woods upon mountains. (Blume.)
1833
1836
Q. angust&ta Blume FL Jav., t.7. ; and our fig. 1835. The narrow-leaved Oak. Leaves oblong,
lanceolate ; acute at each end ; shining above, glaucous beneath. Catkins axillary, terminal,
elongated. Cups flattish, rough with small scales. Nuts roundish-ovate. A large spreading tree,
80 ft. high, with compact wood. Common in the mountains of Ged£, at elevations of 4000 ft. and
5000ft. (Blume.) A most desirable species, which would probably prove hardy in the climate of
London.
Q.pdllida Blume Fl. Jav.,
t. 4. and 5. ; and our figs.
1837. and 1838. The pale
Oak. Leaves oval. oblong,
very much pointed ; acute
at the base, quite entire ;
glabrous; pale-coloured be-
neath. Catkins terminal,
dioecious ; the male catkins
branched, fastigiate ; the
female ones simple. A tree,
from 50 ft. to 60 ft. high ;
flowering in June and July.
Found by Blume near the
sources of the river Tji-
barrum, in the mountains
ofGedt-. (Blume.)
Q. elegants Blume Fl. Jav.,
t. 10. ; and our fig. lf«9.
The elegant Oak. Leaves
obovate, or oval .oblong,
bluntly acuminate, narrow-
ed into the petiole, glabrous.
Fruit in long spikes. A
magnificent tree, with a
thick trunk, frequently at-
taining the height of 60ft.
A native of the woods of
the province of Bantam, and in mountainous places. (Blume.)
g. placentaria Blume Fl. Jav., t. 9. ; and our fig. 1840. The placenta-CK/>/*>rf Oak. Leaves ovate-
oblong, bluntly acuminate; roundish at the base; coriaceous, glabrous. Fruit in clusters. Cup
covered with small tubercles. Nuts roundish, depressed. A tree, about 40 ft. high, found on the
volcanic mountain of Gede, at an elevation of 6000 ft. The wood is rarely used, although very hard
ami capable of taking a fine polish. (Blume.) This species would probably bear the climate of
London.
6 K 2
1837
1938
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUW.
'ART III,
18to
18*2
Q. glabtrrima Bourne Fl. Jav., t. 8. ; and our fig. 1842. The smooth cst.fcrtmi 'Oak. Leaves elliptic-
oblong, bluntly acuminate ; obtuse at the base: very glabrous. Fruit in dense oval or roundish
spikes. A beautiful tree, from 25 ft. to 30ft. high, with leaves from 4 in. to 7 in. long, and from
1$ in. to 3 in. broad. It is found upon the volcanic mountain of Ged£, as well as on those surrounding
it, at elevations of 4000 ft. or 5000 ft. It is somewhat allied to Q. squamata Smith ; which, however,
has the spikes much more elongated. (Blume.) This appears also a desirable species for introduction.
Q. costdta Blume Fl. Jav. t. 13, 14. ; and our figs. 1841. 1843. The ribbed-cupped Oak. Leaves
oblong, acuminate; acute at the base; glabrous; glaucous beneath. Catkins branched. Fruit
peduncled. Nuts flat above, round beneath, immersed in the cup. Cups without teeth, surrounded
by circular.ribs. A tree, 70ft. high, found in mountainous places. It is easily distinguished from
all the others by the singular form of its cup.
Q. rotundata Blume Fl. Jav., t. 11.; and our fig. 1844. The round-fruited Oak. Leaves ob-
long, acuminate; attenuated at the base; glabrous; glaucous beneath. Fruit in short one-sided
spikes. Cups hemispherical, scaly at the margin, but without teeth at the base. Nuts plano-convex
on their upper part, rounded beneath. A tree, 70ft. high, with compact heavy wood. It is found
on high mountains, and flowers in August. (Blume.)
Q. platycdrpa Blume Fl. Jav., 1. 15. ; and our fig. 1846. The broad-fruited Oak. Leaves oval-
oblong, acute; somewhat wedge-shaped at the base; glabrous; shining above, glaucous beneath. Fruit
peduncled, in short spikes. Cups surrounded beneath by hollow rings. Nuts round, depressed. A
large tree, a native of the woods in the south of the province of Bantam. (Blume.)
Q. daphnotdea Blume Fl. Jav., t. 16.; and our fig. 1845. The Daphne-like Oak. Leaves oblong-
lanceolate; sharp at both ends, quite entire, smooth ; somewhat glaucous beneath. Fruit in long
slender catkins, almost solitary. Cups surrounded by concentric rows of tubercles. Nuts ovate,
sharp-pointed. A tall tree, a native of Bantam. (Blume.)
Q. racemosa W. Jack. Hook. Comp. Bot. Mag. 1. p. 255. ; Punning Punning Bunkars, Mala;/.
Leaves broad lanceolate, quite entire ; glabrous. Male spikes paniclcd. Fruit spiked. Nut umbili-
CHAP, f V.
. QUE'KCUS.
1939
1843
cate, depressed. Cup tuberculated. A large tree, with brownish bark ; a native of Sumatra.
Branches smooth. Leaves alternate, short-petioled, acuminate, attenuated to the petiole ; nerves
well marked, and reddish beneath, 6 in. to 8. in. long. Stipules small, linear. Male spikes numerous
panicled, terminal ; and, from the axils of the upper leaves, which are crowded round the thickened
extremity of the branch, slender, hoary; flowers sessile, aggregated. Female spikes at first termi-
nal, becoming afterwards lateral by the shooting up of the branch : flowers numerous, dense, sessile.
Males : calyx 6-parted, segments acute; stamens 15—20. The centre of the flower is occupied by
a densely villous disk. Female : calyx rugose, turbinate, umbilicate ; ovary 3-5 celled ; each cell con-
I8iG
taming 2 ovula, attached by a thread to its summit Acorns large, depressed, umbilicate, with a
short mucro. Cup flat, embracing the nut for about half its height ; nearly 1 in. in diameter ; rough,
with angular imbricated tubercles, which are large towards the base, and become small towards
6 K 3
1940
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
the edge. This is a very splendid species, from the great size of its racemes and acorns. Punning
Punning is the generic appellation of the oak in Malay: in the Rajang dialect it is called
Pasang.
Q. gemelliflora Blume Fl. Jav., t. 17. ; and our fig. 1847. The twin-flowered Oak. Leaves oblong-
lanceolate, sharp at both ends, remotely serrated, glabrous ; glaucous beneath. Female peduncles
generally 2-flowered. A middle-sized tree, a native of the lofty mountains of Salak and Kandang.
The wood is very compact, and excellent for building purposes. (Blume.)
1847
1848
1849
Q. induta Blurae Fl. Jav., t. 12. ; and our fig. 1848. The cloth-cupped Oak. Leaves oval-oblong,
acuminate ; acute at the base ; glabrous ; downy beneath. Cups tuberoled, without teeth. Nuts de-
pressed and hemispherical. A handsome tree, 100ft. high, found on Mount Gede. (Blume.)
Q. urceplaris W. Jack. Hook. Comp. Bot Mag., i. p. 236. Leaves elliptic-oblong, long and slender
at the point, quite entire, glabrous. Fruit spiked. Cup somewhat hemispherical, with a spreading
limb. A tree, with rough bark, a native of Sumatra. Leaves .alternate, petiolate, terminated by a
long slender acumen ; coriaceous, pale beneath ; 8 in. to 9 in. long. Fruit.on lateral racemes. Acorns
rounded and flattened at top ; umbilicate in the centre, and mucronate with the three persistent
styles ; rather perpendicular at the sides, half-embraced by the calyx, which is cup-shaped, marked
on the outer surface with small acute scaly points, concentrically arranged, and whose margin expands
into a spreading, nearly entire, waved limb. The ovary is three-celled, each cell containing two
ovula, and is lodged in the bottom of the large funnel-shaped calyx. The acorn contains a single
exalbuminous seed, placed a little obliquely. The spreading limb of the cups forms a good distinctive
character, and renders this a very remarkable and curious species.
Q. Pseitdo-molAcca Blume Fl. Jav., t. 6. ; and
our fig. 1849. The false Molucca Oak. Leaves
elliptic-oblong, acuminate ; acute at the base ;
glabrous ; shining above, glaucous beneath. Cat-
kins almost terminal. Cups not much hollowed,
covered with small scales. Nuts hemispherical.
A very branchy tree, found in the forests of the
west of Java. (Blume.)
O.moluccaUn. Sp. PL, 1412., Willd., No. 11.,
Rumph. Arab., 3. p. 85., N. Du Ham, 7. p. 153.,
Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 11. The Molucca Oak.
Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, entire, acute at each
end, smooth. Nut roundish, furrowed. (Smith.)
" Native of the Molucca Isles. A large and lofty
tree, the wood of which is hard and heavy ;
lasting long under water. Leaves 6 in. or 8 in. long,
and 3 in. broad, on short stalks, with 8 or 10 irre-
gular lateral veins. Acorns short and roundish,
furrowed in their upper part; the cup short,
warty. By Rumphius's account, there seem to
be more species than one comprehended under
the chapter above cited ; but he does not give
us sufficient marks to define them specifically."
(Smith in Rees's Cycl.)
Q. turbinata Blume Fl. Jav., t. 18.; undourfig. 1850. Thetop-shapcd-cK/J/vrfOak. Leaves oblong-
lanceolate, sharp at both ends, sharply serrated towards the apex, glabrous. Cups top-shaped. A
in u». rv.
1941
hand some tree, from 40 ft.
to 50 ft. high ; found on
the mountain of Salak. It
is nearly allied to Q. glaura
Thunb. ; but the leaves
are broader, less acute at
the base, and not glau-
cous beneath. (/>///>»<•.)
The acorns are of a very
singular shape, and arc en.
closed in the cup.
O. lincata Blume Fl.
Jav., t. 19. ; and our Jig.
1851. The parallel-veined
Oak. Leaves oblong-lan-
ceolate, sharp at both
ends, serrated or entire ;
glabrous above, glaucous
and downy beneath. Nuts
small, scarcely reaching a
line above the cup ; crown-
ed at the tip by a long
umbo. A large tree, at-
taining the height of 80 ft.
and upwards. A native of
the west of Java, in woods,
at elevations of 5000 ft. to
6000ft. (Blume.)
1851
App. viii. Mexican Oaks not yet introduced.
The first 22 of the following oaks are described and figured in Humboldt and Bonpland's magni-
ficent work on the plants of Mexico, entitled Plantce JEquinoctiales. The 14 that follow these are
taken from Nees, as quoted in Rees's Cyclopaedia ; and many of them are probably indenttcal with
those of Humboldt.
Q. xalapdnsis Humb. et Bonp. PI. JEquin., t. 75., and our./?/?. 1852., Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 1.
p. 109. ; Roble de Duela, Span. Leaves on long footstalks, oval-lanceolate ; acute at each end,
remotely toothed with bristly teeth, quite glabrous. Fruit almost solitary, sessile. (Humb. et Bonp.)
A tall tree, glabrous in every part, except the cup. Branches alternate ; younger ones covered with
round tubercles. Leaves crowded towards the tips of the branches, 3 in. to 4 in. long, somewhat
leathery. Petioles 1 in. or 1J in. long ; a little thickened towards the base, slender. Female
flowers axillary, almost solitary and sessile. Cup goblet-shaped, closely imbricated. Scales oval,
membranaceous; covered on the outside with a peculiar down, scarious on their margins, and
blunt at their apex. Nut ovate, obtuse, terminated by the persistent style. Very common in the
forests near Xalapa, in New Spain, at an elevation of about 4000 ft. (677 toises). From the wood,
which much resembles that of Q. Rbbur, the Spaniards have given it the name of Roble de Duela,
that is, the Timber Oak ; a name which indicates that this oak is applied to the same uses as
Q. .Robur. This is a valuable tree, and it will one day become of such great importance in Mexico,
that the inhabitants ought to take more pains to increase it. Michaux describes it as a very lofty
tree, with a trunk 2ft. in diameter. It bears abundance of acorns, which, though they soon ger-
minate, might, with proper care [packed in moist Sphagnum], be sent to England.
18.53
Q. glaucescenn Humb. et. Bonp. PI. ^Equin., t. 78., and our fig. IMS., Michx. N. Amer. Syl.,
111. Leaves on short footstalks, wedge-shaped, obovate ; entire at the base ; slightly repand anti
6 K 4
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
toothed towards the top ; glaucous, and quite glabrous. Fruit racemose, (llumb. ct Bonp.} A very tall
straight tree, quite glabrous ; younger brandies angular. 1 -eaves 3 in. to 4 in. long, membranaceous.
Petioles about £ in. long, thickish. Male flowers beneath the female, in aggregate axillary catkins.
Female racemes axillary. Flowers sessile. Male flower: calyx bell-shaped, hairy on the outside
limb unequally dentate; stamens 5 to 8. ; anthers 2-celled, erect, opening longitudinally. Female
flower: ovary globose, small; style 1, very short; stigmas 3, spreading, thickish. A native of
the warm parts of Mexico, between La Ven{a de la Mojonera and La Ycnta de Acaguisocla ;
where it forms forests, at an elevation of above 2300 ft. (397 toises) above the level of the sea.
The wood is of great value to the inhabitants, from its supplying the greatest part of the charcoal
consumed in Mexico.
Q. obtushta Humb. et Bonp. PI. JEquin., t. 76., and our fig. 1854., Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 1. p. 112.
Leaves oblong; blunt at each end, unequal at the base, wavy at the margin, very veiny beneath,
and somewhat downy. Fruit race-
mose (Humb. et Bonp.} A native of
New Spain, near Ario, at an ele-
vation of about 6000 ft, (994 toises).
A lofty tree, with a trunk from 3 ft.
to 4ft. in diameter, covered with
a very thick deeply cracked bark.
Branches covered with tubercles ;
younger ones leafy, dow«y. Leaves
from 5 in. to fi in. long, leathery,
glabrous and shining above. Petioles
| in. long. Cups somewhat globose.
Scales closely imbricated. Nut sphe-
rical, nearly covered by the cup.
This oak is called Q. obtusata, be-
cause the base, the tip, and the di-
visions of the leaves are blunt, and
without any point. The wood is
very compact, susceptible of taking
a fine polish, and of resisting a great
force. The tree is remarkable for
its height, the thickness of its trunk,
the glaucous colour of the scales of
the cup, and, above all, by the scales
being imbricated the contrary way ;
that is to say, the point of each
scale is turned towards the peduncle.
This and Q. lanceolata are the only
Mexican species that are known to
have all the scales in the cup of
the acorn imbricated from the nut
to the peduncle. According to Michaux, this species is very tall, with a remarkably straight trunk ;
and is found in the elevated and dry parts of New Spain, near Ario, where it flowers in September.
Q.pandurdta Humb. etBonp. Pl.JEquin.,t. 77.,
and our figs. 1855. and 185d, Michx. N. Amer.
Syl., 1. p. 111. Leaves oval-oblong, somewhat
J
1855
18.56
fiddle-shaped ; acute at the point, unequally cor-
date at the base, wavy and slightly sinuate on the
margin, downy beneath. Fruit racemose. (Humb.
ct Bonp.} Found in the same habitat as the pre-
ceding. A tree, from 18 ft.
to 24 ft. high. Branches
alternate, glabrous ; the
| younger one* coveredwitb
short hairs, visible to the
naked eye. Leaves alter-
nate, from 3 in. to 5 in.
long ; glabrous above,
downy beneath. Petioles
1 in. long. Scales of the
cup closely imbricated, ex-
ternally convex, glaucous.
Nut ovate, half-covered by the cup. This oak is
closely allied to Q. obtusata, but differs in size,
in the form of the leaves, and the disposition
of the scales of the cup. Humboldt is of opinion
that the wood is lighter, and less compact, than
that of Q. obtusata
Q. repdnda Humb. et Bonp. PI. ^quin., t. 79., and our fig. 1857. , Michx. N. Am. Syl., 1. p. 108.
Leaves oblong-oval, on short footstalks ; downy beneath, glabrous above; slightly repand; recurved
at the margin. Fruit racemose. (Humb. et Bonp.} A shrub, 2 ft. high, branched from the very base,
procumbent or erect. Branches alternate, round, quite smooth ; younger ones covered with white
down. Leaves 1| in. long, leathery ; younger ones lanceolate, downy on both sides, quite entire.
Stipules linear awl-shaped, persistent, downy. Male flowers inferior, in aggregate axillary catkin;.
Female flowers superior, axillary, and sessile. Male flower : calyx campanulate, limb unequally den-
tate ; stamens 5 to 7, three times as long as the calyx, erect. A native of New Spain, in moist shady
places, between Real del Monte and Moran, at an elevation of above 7700 ft. (1^91 toises). It is the
smallest of all the species of oak in Mexico, forming extended masses, and having the branches
of one interlaced with those of another. The young shoots of Q. repanda agree with the description
of Q. microphy"lla given by Nees in the Anales de las Cienc. Nat., iii. p. 264. ; but Humboldt had
not seen Nees's plant, and, therefore, could not determine whether they were the same.
Q. latirina Humb. et Bonp. PI. ^Equin., t. 80., and our Jig. 1858., Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 1. p. 108.
Leaves oval-lanceolate, sharply acuminated, quite glabrous: some area little ; 3- pointed at the tip.
Fruit axillary, almost sessile. (Humb. et Bonp.} A tall tree, with the habit of .Laiirus nobilis,
glabrous in all parts, Leaves 2 in. to 3 in. long, leathery. Petioles about J in. in length. Female
flowers axillary, almost sessile, and solitary. Scales of the cup ovate, obtuse, membraimreous,
covered externally with a peculiar down, like powder. A native of the woods in the temperate parts
CHAP. CV.
QUE'llCUS.
1857
18.08
of New Spain, near Moran. It was only found by Humboldt on the mountain Cerro de las Nahajas,
at an elevation of 4800 ft. (800 toises). It is on this mountain that the stones (obsidians) are found, in
great quantities, of which the Mexican Indians make the heads of their arrows ; and they are said,
also, to make razors and knives of them. The wood is very hard, and much esteemed by the Mexicans.
<J. si<icr6xyla Humb. et Bonp. PI. /Equin., t. 85., and our Jig. I860., Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 1.
p. 10y. Leaves wedge-shaped, oblong ; obtuse at the base ; mucronate and dentate towards the tip;
white with down beneath. Fruit sessile. (Humb. ct Bonp.} A lofty tree, with thick rugged bark,
and very hard wood. Leaves crowded, on short footstalks ; 1| in. long, rigidly coriaceous ; glabrous
above. Female flowers generally twin, upon very short footstalks, in the axils of the leaves. Cups
globose, closely imbricated. Scales membranaceous, roundish-oval, obtuse ; covered externally with
powdery down ; scarious and naked on the margin. Nut ovate, twice as long as the cup. A native
of the temperate regions of New Spain, near Villalpando, in dry and arid places, at an elevation of
8600 ft. (1440 toises). This is one of the most valuable species of oaks furnished by New Spain. It
attains a great height; its wood is very compact, and capable of taking a fine polish ; and it has
another property, as rare as valuable, viz. that of hardening when exposed to moisture, or entirely
plunged in water, and never decaying in such a situation. For this reason, it is preferred for subter-
raneous works, by the miners, to every other.
IS <j*)
Q. mericdna Humb. et Bonp. PI. .Equin., t. 82., and our fig. 1861., Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 1.
p. 107. Leaves oblong, blunt, with a very minute point ; somewhat wavy on the margin •
downy beneath. Acorns slightly stipitate. A tree, from 18 ft. to 20 ft high. Younger branches
downy. Leaves about Sin. long; white beneath with stellate down, glaucous above, shining,
leathery ; younger ones lanceolate, downy on both sides, quite entire. Male flowers inferior, in
axillary aggregate catkins; female nearly sessile, in the axils of the leaves, almost solitary. Male
flower : one concave roundish scale, instead of a calyx ; stamens constantly 7, very short Cup
goblet-shaped. Scales oval, obtuse, flat, membranaceous ; covered externally with a powder-like
down. Nut ovate, terminated by the persistent style. Very common in Mexico. The wood is
white, and neither strong nor compact ; but it is much sought after for making charcoal. The young
leaves have all the characters of Q. microph^lla. (Nees.)
Q. crdssfney angusttfolia Humb. et Bonp. PI. j£quin., t 84., and our fig. 1859., differs from Q. cras-
he leaves being narrowed, and more diminished towards the point Found, along with
sipes, in th
(I. craasipes, ne.ir Ario, in the interior of Valladolid.
Q. crt'tssipes Humb. et Bonp. PI. ^Equin., t 83., and our fig.
., Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 1.
1944-
ARBORETUM AND PRUTICETUM. PART III.
1861
p. 107. Leaves somewhat lanceolate-oblong ; obtuse at the base, quite entire; downy beneath. Fruit
on short thick stalks. (Humb. et Bonp.) A tree, from 25 ft. to 30 ft. high. Branches round, covered
with minute tubercles ; younger ones somewhat hairy. Leaves about 2 in. long, leathery ; glabrous
above ; covered with pale down beneath. Petioles about 2 lines long. Female flowers in the axils
of the leaves, almost solitary, on short thick pedicels. Cups somewhat top-shaped, closely imbricated.
Scales oval, covered externally with a powdery down, acute. Nut ovate, terminated by the elongated
style. A native of the low mountains of New Spain, near Santa Rosa. Humboldt called this species
Q. crassipes, from the extreme thickness and shortness of the stalks of the acorns. Its leaves ter-
minate in a mucro.
Q. lanceolata Humb. et Bonp. PI. ^quin., t. 81., and our fig. 1863., Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 1.
p. 107. Leaves lanceolate, quite entire, wavy ; the axils of the veins bearded beneath shinin above.
Fruit sessile. Scales of the cup turned backwards.
1863
(Humb. et Bonp.} A tree, from 30 ft. to 40 ft. high.
Branches alternate, covered with small tubercles,
glabrous ; younger ones, and the petioles, clothed
with stellate down. Leaves 2 in. to 3 in. long, and
1 in. broad ; shining on both sides, leathery. Petioles
about A in. long. Female flowers axillary, nearly
sessile, and solitary. The cup is in the shape of a
goblet, with the scales turned the contrary way ; oval,
glabrous, and convex on the outside. Nut ovate,
twice the length of the cup. A native of the tem-
perate regions of New Spain, between Moran and
Santa Rosa : where it forms immense forests, at an
elevation of 5400 ft. (900 toises). The wood is very,
hard, and will last a long time when driven into the
earth, or exposed to wet ; on which account it is
much esteemed by the Mexicans, and is used in the
works of the mines. This oak is remarkable for its
leaves, which are entire and wavy on the margin ; for
the goblet-shaped cups of its acorns, the scales of
which all point towards the tree, instead of from it ;
and the property which is possessed by its wood of
resisting decay in water.
Q. reticulata Humb. et Bonp. PI. JEquin., t. 86.,
and our fig. 1865., Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 1. p. 110.
leaves oboval ; emarginate at the base ; slightly
toothed towards the tip, rugged ; reticulately veined
and minutely downy beneath. Fruit sessile, on a
pedunculated raceme. (Humb. et Bonp.) A very lofty
tree; younger branches downy. Leaves 2 in. long, a
little emarginate at the base. Female flowers in ax-
illary solitary spikes, about the length of the leaves
Cup campanulate, closely imbricate. Scales membranaceous, lanceolate, externally downy, attenuated
on both margins, somewhat recurved. Nut ovate, twice as long as the cup ; terminated by the per-
sistent style. A native of arid mountains in New Spain, between Guanajuato and Santa Rosa,
forming considerable forests, at an elevation of about 6700 ft. (1450 toises). It attains a great height,
and the trunk is straight, and of great diameter. The wood is used in building.
Q. chrysophljlla Humb. et Bonp. PI. .flSquin., t. 87., and our fig. 1864., Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 1.
p. 108. Leaves oblong ; obtuse at the base ; 3— 5-pointed at the apex ; yellow beneath. Female flowers
in many-flowered pedunculated clusters. (Humb. etBonp.} A tall tree; younger branches furrowed,
as if with a powdery down. Leaves alternate, on long footstalks, 2 in. long, membranaceous ; shining
CHAP. CV.
1945
Male catkins a^regate, situated beneath the
tainens fi.
QHs\ua fWArivl with fine vellow tomeutum beneath, i»j.m t<»iixm.-> t.,,f,.-n— .-,
fe,ntk> floweVs Male flower : calyx f.-toothed, stamens fj, anthers ovate, pollen yellow Fe-
,n -5e flowe« £>, sessile, on the apexof a pedunde about * in. 'long. Female flower : ovary globose ;
styes or stij-nas 5, red, thick. A native of New Spain, between Moran and Pachuca. «. chr>;"-
pltfHa as well as the preceding species, is found forming entire forests between Moran and 1 a-
chuca, at an elevation of 8400ft. (1400 toises). It is re-
markable, on account of the position of its female flowers,
which are placed under the male flowers ; and also for the
beautiful golden colour of the under surface of the leaves ;
a peculiarity which distinguishes it from every other de-
scribed species of oak. Michaux mentions that this tree
is remarkable for the thinness of its foliage.
Q pulcfidlla Humb. et Bonp. PI. JEquni., t. 88., and
our tie. 186U, Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 1. p. 110. Leaves
oblong, obtuse ; emarginate at the base ; covered with
white down beneath; teeth short, mucronate. Fruit ses-
sile almost solitary. (Humb. et Bonp.} A shrub from 12 ft.
to 18 ft high, with a trunk about 2 ft. in circumference, and a smooth bark. Branches alternate,
round, covered with tubercles, or callous dots. Leaves crowded towards the tips ot the branches ;
Uin to Sin long, on longish footstalks, leathery, wavy on the margin; shining above, reticu-
* lately veined and co- ^
vered with white
down beneath. Fe-
male flowers axil-
lary, solitary,or twin.
Cup spherical. Scales
roundish-oval, close-
Jy imbricated; ex-
ternally downy on
the back, membrana-
ceous. Nut ovate,
scarcely longer than
the cup. A native of
the mountainous re-
gion of New Spain,
between Guanajuato
and Santa Rosa, at
an elevation of 8400
ft., (1400 toises). It
has considerable af-
finity with Q. side-
roxyla (p. 1943.1; but
it differs in its height
and habit of growth ; in the form and consistency of its leaves ;
in their being cut in their petioles, and, lastly, in the size of
its fruit, which are larger than in Q. sideroxyla. 1867
Q. spicuta Humb. et Bonp. PI. vEquin., t. 89., and our fig.
1867., Michx. N. Amer., 1. p. 111. Leaves elliptic or
obovate, emarginate at the base, remotely toothed, downy be-
neath. Female spike on a long footstalk. (Humb. et Bonp.}
A tall tree, from 30ft. to 40ft. high. Branches and young?
leaves covered with clusters of down. Leaves on short foot-
stalks, somewhat wedge-shaped, oboval, or for the most part
elliptic ; roundish. obtuse ; glaucous and shining above, to-
mentose beneath ; and, in some, reticulately veined, downy. Female flowers in spikes or sessile
racemes, distinct. Cup hemispherical. Scales closely imbricated, oblong, blunt, externally convex,
downy. Nut ovate. A native of shady situations in the mountain of Nabajas, in Mexico, at an
elevation of 9000 it. to 9500 ft. (1487 to 1590 toises). It appears allied to Q. el liptica, described by
Nee in the Annies de Ins Ciencias Nalurales, 1801. The leaves are not entire, but are denticulated
in the upper half: they are furnished with short thick footstalks, membranaceous, and not cori-
aceous ; and, instead of being almost sessile, they are supported on long footstalks.
Q. stfpul&ris Humb. et Bonp. PI. /Equin., t. 90., and our fig. 1868., Michx. N. Amer. Syl, 1.
p. 109. Leaves oboval, sharply toothed towards the point; teeth terminated by mucros ; covered on
I860
1946
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
the under surface with woolly tomentum. Stipules persistent. Fruit sessile, almost solitary. (Humb.
et Bonp.} A tree, about 50 ft. high. Branches downy ; younger ones brownish. Leaves about 3 in.
long ; younger ones downy above ; adult ones thick and rigidly coriaceous ; glabrous above, covered
with yellow down beneath ; obtuse and somewhat emarginate at the base, acute at the apex ; distinctly
toothed on the upper part. Petiole £ in. to £ in. long, thick, tomentose. Stipules linear-lanceolate,
persistent. Female flowers axillary, sessile, solitary or twin. Cup composed of roundish, membrana-
ceous, downy scales. A native of the mountains of Mexico, near Actopan ; forming entire forests,
at an elevation of 7900ft. (1330 toises). It has a great affinity with Q. magnoU<z>/6/ia Nee, and Q.
lutea Nee (see p. 1949.) ; but differs in the fruit being sessile, and disposed singly or in pairs in the
axils of the leaves; while, in Q. magnoMtefuKa and Q. lutea, the fruit is in racemes. It is easily known
from every other species of oak by its large persistent stipules. Michaux describes it as remarkable
for the thickness of its foliage.
1868
Q. crassifblia Humb. et Bonp. PL ^Equin., t. 91., and
our fig. 1869., Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 1, p. 110. Leaves
wedge-shaped, oboval ; emarginate at the base, remotely
toothed, repand ; downy beneath. Peduncles short, bear-
ing 1-3 acorns. (Humb. et Bonp.} A tree, from 40ft. to
50ft. high. Branches downy, angled. Leaves from 3 in.
to 4 in. long, thick, and rigidly coriaceous ; covered with
yellow down beneath ; teeth blunt, terminated by a mucro.
Cups sessile on the tips of short thick peduncles. Scales
roundish, downy. Nut spherical, very small, covered by
the cup. A native of New Spain, near Chilpancingo. It
is closely allied to Q. magno\i<efblia and Q. Ihtea Nee;
which two kinds Humboldt considers as forming only one species. Michaux mentions that it has
very thick heavy-looking foliage ; and that it is found in stony and mountainous places.
Q. depressa Humb. et Bonp. PI. JEquin., t. 92., and our Jig. 1871., Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 1.
1869
1871
1870
p. 108. Leaves oblong-oval, acute, entire, rarely mucro-
nate ; dentate, evergreen, quite glabrous. Fruit nearly
sesssile, and solitary. (Humb. et Bonp.} An evergreen
shrub, from 1ft. to 2ft. high. Branches alternate, ap-
proximate, about the thickness of a goose-quill ; younger
ones covered with a peculiar powdery down. Leaves 1 in.
to 11 in. long ; glabrous on both sides, shining, rigid, on very short petioles. Catkins downy. Calyx
small, 4_5-toothed, downy. Stamens 7-11, three times as long as the calyx, erect. Anthers ovate,
CHAP. CV.
C'ORYLA'CEA:.
1947
1872
2-celled. Female flowers axillary, nearly solitary, sessile or on very short stalks. Scales of the cup
roundish, covery with powdery" down. Ovary globose. Styles '->. A native of the mountains of
Mexico, in moist shady situations, and frequent near Moran, an elevation of 18,000ft. (3000
toises) ; where it covers whole hills. It is remarkable for its small size, evergreen leaves, and long
downy catkins of male flowers. Humbolt called it Q. depressa, because its branches are always
close to the ground.
Q. ambigua Humb. et Bonp.
PI. jEquin., t. 93., and our fig,
1870., Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 1.
p. 111. Leaves oblong-oboval,
wavy ; obtuse at the base ;
reticulately veined beneath,
somewhat hairy. Female
spike pedunculated. (Humb.
et Bonp.} A tree, 40ft. high.
Branches and twigs round,
glabrous. Leaves Sin. long,
on short footstalks, somewhat
membranaceous ; sometimes
emarginate ; glabrous and
shining above, green and
downy beneath. Spikes of fe-
male flowers axillary, often
twin, on long stalks, 5 — 6-
flowered. Flowers downy. A
native of Mexico, near Moran,
at an elevation of above 9000
ft. (1500 toises.) It is closely
allied to' Q. ellfptica Nee. (See p. 1918.) It differs very little
from Q. elliptica Nee, and Q. spidlta Humb. et Bonp., but its
leaves -are narrower towards their lower extremity, slightly
sinuated on the margin, glaucous, and always reticulately 1873
veined and hairy beneath ; and the spikes of female flowers
are generally axillary, and in pairs. Our readers must not confound this Q. ambigua with the one
in cultivation in British gardens, described p. 1881. Doubtless, this plant, as having had the name
applied to it after the other, will receive an unappropriated name from some botanist who may
revise the genus.
Q. confertifolia Humb. et Bonp. PI. .Equin., t. 94., and our fig. 1872., Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 1.
p. 106. Leaves evergreen, linear-lanceolate, mucronated, recurved at the margin, quite entire ;
downy beneath. Fruit sessile. (Humb. et Bonp.} An evergreen shrub, from 15ft. to 20ft. high.
Branches short, crowded, and leafy. Leaves 3 in. long, on short stalks, somewhat leathery ; obtuse at
the base, surrounded with a cartilaginous recurved line; glabrous and shining above, downy and
transversely veined beneath. Fruit sessile on the branches below the leaves, often twin. Scales of
the cup oval, closely imbricated, membranaceous. A native of the temperate and mountainous
regions of New Spain, between the town of Guanajuata and Santa Rosa. This evergreen shrub, or
low tree, would be a great ornament to our gardens, where it would form constantly green and thick
masses of foliage ; and, from the temperate and mountainous climate of which it is a native, it would
probably stand in the open air perfectly well in the climate of London.
O. trulcns Humb. et Bonp. PI. JEquin., t. 96., and our fig. 1873., Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 1. p. 107.
Leaves oblong, retuse at the base, generally broader towards the apex, 3-dentate; teeth terminated
by bristly points ; downy beneath. Spikes of female flowers almost sessile. (Humb. ct Bonp.} A
shrub, about 10ft. high, with round smooth branches. Stipules deciduous, narrow, linear. Leaves
about 1| in. long, membranaceous ;
downy and slightly tomentose beneath,
covered with stellate down above, some-
times entire ; narrowed towards the base.
Male flower : calyx 6 — 7-parted, sta-
mens 8. Spikes of" female flowers axil-
lary, almost sessile, 3 — 5-flowered. A
native of New Spain, and common in the
vicinity of Moran. The name Q. trldens
has been applied to this species, from
the circumstance of the leaves being al-
most constantly furnished with 3 teeth at
the apex, although otherwise entire. It
is found at an elevation of 7800ft. (1300
toises.) F. A. Michaux mentions that it
is sometimes found 20ft. high.
Q. acutifblin Willd., No. 57., Nee in
Anal. Cien. Nat, 3. n. 267., Fisch. Misc.
Hisp., 1. p. 102., N. Da Ham., 7. p. 173.,
Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 64., Humb. et
Bon]). PI. ^quin., t. 95., and our fig. 1874. ;
Michx. N. Amer. Syl, 1. p. 109. Leaves
cordate, lanceolate, very finely pointed ;
beset on the margin with large mucronate
teeth ; brownish beneath ; tomentose near
the veins. Spikes of female flowers on
short peduncles. (Humb. ct Bonp.) A tall
and valuable tree, with a trunk about the
thickness of a man's body, covered with
cracked bark. Leaves on longish foot-
stalks, blunt; somewhat lobed at the
base; glabrous above; covered beneath
with brown woolly tomcntum ; 5 in. to 6 in.
long, and 1 in. to 2 in. broad. Calyx of the
male flowers constantly 5-toothcd, exter-
nally downy. Stamcns.T — 7, twice as long as the calyx. Female flowers in a spike, upon a short
Q. circ
N. Du I
1948 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
peduncle. Calyx 5 — 8-parted. Ovary globose. Style very short. Stigmas 3 — 4, spreading and
recurved. A native of New Spain, between Venta de Acaguisocla and Mojonera, on the road from
Acapulco to Mexico. Nee states that it is considered one of the largest oaks in New Spain ; and that
it has a dense head of innumerable branches. The acorns are s arcely bigger than a pea, and nearly
covered by the cup, which is clothed with blackish scales, (bee, as quote in Rees's Cycl.) Hum-
boldt calls it one of the most majestic trees of New Spain; and it if as remarkable for the
beauty and singularity of its leaves, as it is for the grandeur and nobleness of its general appearance.
Q. elliptica Willd., No. 14., Nee in Anal. Cien. Nat, 3. p. 278., Fisch. Misc. |Hisp., 1. p. 117.,
N. Du Ham., 7. p. 154., Smith in Rees's CycK, No. 16. Leaves ellip''cal, entire, coriaceous, nearly
sessile; rounded at each end; roughish beneath. (Willd.) Gather d by Louis Nee, but without
flowers or fruit, in the kingdom of Mexico, by the road from Ixmiquilpan to Cimapan, as well as
between Tixtala and the river Azul. The trunk is thick, 12 ft. high, with a grey bark. Branches
horizontal ; the smaller shoots erect ; all very leafy. Leaves 3 in. long, and 1 in. broad ; slightly revo-
lute ; smooth above, roughish and veiny beneath ; the veins forked. Footstalks thick, and very short.
(Nee, as quoted in Rees's Cycl.) Humboldt considers this species as allied to his Q. spicata (p. 1945.)
and Q. ambfgua (p. 1947.) ; but differing from both principally in the leaves.
Q. mucronata Willd., No. 34., N. Du Ham., 7. p. 162., Smith in Kees's Cycl., No. 41 ; Q. Castanea
Nee in Anal. Cien. Nat., 3. p. 276., Fisch. Misc. Hisp., 1. p. 114. Leaves oblong, lanceolate, with
pointed awned serratures; polished above, downy beneath; heart-shaped at the base. (Willd.)
Found by Louis Nee, without flowers or fruit, in New Spain, between Ixmiquilpan and Cimapan.
This tree is 12 ft. high, with a straight trunk, covered with a brittle dark-coloured bark. Branches
erect, alternate, smooth, much subdivided. Leaves 3 in. long, and 1 in. broad, acute: abrupt and
heart-shaped at the base ; their serratures awned ; the upper surface green and smooth, the under
clothed with fine yellow down. Footstalks 2 lines long. Stipules none. (Nee, as quoted in Rees's Cycl.)
Q. toHientbsa Willd., No. 35., N. Du Ham.,7. p. 163., Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 42 ; Q, peduncul&ris
Nee in Anal. Cien. Nat., 3. p. 270., Fisch. Misc. Hisp., 1. p. 106. Leaves oblong-ovate.with tooth-like
notches ; densely downy beneath. Fruit racemose. Nut globose, nearly covered by the calyx. ( Willd.)
Native of New Spain, in the road from Mexico to Acapulco, beyond the river Mescala. A tree, 20 ft.
high, with an upright trunk, and grey brittle bark. Branches numerous, alternate, clothed with
dense reddish wool. Leaves 5 in. long, hardly 2 in. wide, crowded ; obtuse at the base ; pointed at
the end ; bordered with tooth-like notches ; green and smooth ish above, downy with prominent
veins beneath. Footstalks downy, very short. Female flowers on an axillary solitary stalk, 3 in.
or 4 in. long. Acorns but little bigger than peppercorns, each almost concealed in its scaly, downy,
reddish cup. (Nee.)
rcinata Willd., No. 36., Nee in An. Cien. Nat, 3. p. 272., Fisch. Misc. Hisp., 1. p. 109.,
Ham.,7. p. 163., Smith in Rees's Cycl, No. 43. Leaves ovate, crenate, undulated ; acute
at each end ; downy beneath. Nut scarcely larger than the calyx. (Willd.) Native of New Spain,
between Tintala and Chilpancingo. A tree, 20 ft. or 25 ft. high. Trunk erect. Bark brittle, ash-
coloured. Branches horizontal ; the young ones erect, furrowed, villous. Leaves alternate, from
Bin. to 7 in. long, and Sin. broad; green and shining above; more or less downy, and flesh-
coloured or reddish brown, beneath ; their edges turned towards the point of the leaf. Fruit sup-
ported by a very short common stalk. Calyx hemispherical, the size of chick peas (Qcer arietlnum) ;
its scales acute at the point. Nut but little larger than the calyx. Plukenet's t 53. f. 4. in some
measure resembles the species before us; but is said to have a large fruit, and is quoted by authors
as Q. Prinus. (Nee, as quoted in Rees's Cycl.)
Q. splendens Willd. No. 37., Nee in An. Cien. Nat, 3. p. 275., Fisch. Misc. Hisp., 1. p. 113., N.
Du Ham., 7. p. 164., Rees's Cycl., No. 44. Leaves oblong.ovate, bluntly toothed ; slightly downy above ;
densely silky beneath. (Willd.) Native of New Spain, near Taxala. Trunk erect, much branched,
15 ft. high. Branches partly horizontal, partly erect, clothed with red shining down. Leaves
scattered, crowded, 3 in. long, 1 in. broad; green, with a thin downy coat, above ; thickly clothed
beneath with shining pubescence, the midrib only being prominent ; the edges bluntly and unequally
toothed. Footstalks very short, with an awl-shaped villous stipule at each side. Flowers and fruit not
observed. (Net. as quoted in Rees's Cycl.)
Q. rugdsa Willd., No. 38., Nee in An. Cien. Nat, 3. p. 275., Fisch. Misc. Hisp., N. Du Ham., 7.
p. 164., Rees's Cycl., No. 45. Leaves ovate-oblong, coriaceous, rugose ; toothed towards the end;
heart-shaped at the base ; downy and rusty beneath. ( Willd.) Native of the woods of Huifquilica- and
Ociula, in the way from Mexico to Santo Christo de Chalma. A middle-sized tree, having numerous,
alternate, round, grey branches, rough with minute prominent points. Leaves 3 in. in length, hardly
2 in. in breadth ; thick and coriaceous ; rugged, green, and shining on the upper side ; brown and
downy at the back ; heart-shaped at the base; the margin toothed from the middle to the extremity.
Footstalks 2 lines long, thickened at their base. Female flowers in scaly axillary clusters. (Nee, as
quoted in Rees's Cycl.)
v /«•«-•/ i/,«.y.*« ,,,lld., No. 39., Nee in An. Cien., Nat, a p. 274. Fisch. Misc. Hisp., 1. p. 111.,
N. Du Ham., 7. p. 164,, Rees's Cycl., No. 46. Leaves obovate, crenate; tapering and heart-shaped at
the base ; downy beneath. Fruit spiked. ( Willd.) Found by Louis Nee in the districts of Chilpan-
cingo and La Curva, and on the mountain of Quirapon, in New Spain. This is a tree, 30 ft. high, with
an upright trunk, and dense head. The principal branches are horizontal ; the rest upright, furrowed
when young. Leaves 1 ft. long, and 7 in. or 8 in. broad ; rounded at the end, gradually tapering
down to the emarginate, or heart-shaped, base, where they measure only 4 lines across; their upper
surface green and shining; the under yellowish, clothed with very minute down; the margin crenate
and wavy. Footstalks very short and thick. Female flowers sessile on a common stalk, and encom-
passed with downy bracteas. (Nee, as quoted in Rees's Cycl.)
Q. diversifdlia Willd., No. 21., Nee in An. de las Cien. Nat., 3. p. 270., N. Du Ham., 7. p. 155., Rees's
Cycl., No. 28., Fisch. Misc. Hisp., 2. p. 107. Leaves ovate, undivided or deeply toothed ; yellow and
downy beneath. Fruit spiked, globose. (Smith.) Found by Louis Nee between the villages of Chalma
and Santa Rosa, in New Spain. A shrub, from 10 ft. to 14 ft. high ; its trunk seldom straight ; the
bark cracked, dark-coloured ; the branches alternate. Leaves li in. long and undivided or 2J in., and
deeply toothed; smooth and shining above; downy and dull yellow beneath. Footstalks hardly a
line in length. Stipules oblong, reddish, membranous, contracted at the base, deciduous. Acorns 4
or 5, sessile, on a thread-shaped axillary stalk, 2 in. long. Cup the size and shape of a pea, covered
with scales. Nuts scarcely projecting above a line beyond the cup. (Nee.)
Q. cdndicans Willd., No. 58., Nee in An. de las Cien. Nat, 3. p. 277., Fisch. Misc. Hisp., 1. p. 115.,
N. Du Ham., 7. p. 173., Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 65. Leaves ovate, sinuated ; white and downy
beneath ; lobes toothed, bristle-pointed. (Willd.) Native of New Spain, in sandy ground near Tixtala.
A tree of middling size, with a dense head of upright branches. Leaves 9 in. long, 4 in. wide ; tapering
at each end, sinuated, with bristle-pointed teeth; green and smooth above; white and downy
underneath. Footstalks 4 lines in length. Flowers and fruit not observed. (Ncc, as quoted in
Rees's Cycl.)
CHAP. cv. CORYLA'CEJE. F^GUS. 1949
Q. microphylla Willd., No. 7., Nee in An. Clen. Nat., 3. p. 264., Fisch. Misc. Htsp., 1. p. 99.,
N. Du Ham. ,7. p. 152., Rees'sCycl., No. 7. Leaves lanceolate, pointed, entire, villous; downy beneath.
Calyx of the fruit villous. Nut roundish. (Willd.} Found by Louis Nee in the hills of Arambaro, in
New Spain. A shrub, from 3 ft. to 5 ft. high, with a rough ash-coloured bark. Leaves on short
stalks, scattered, numerous, from 4 to 6 lines long, scarcely 2 lines broad; veiny, revolute, wavy,
pointed, reddish grey ; villous above, densely downy beneath ; those about the extremities of the
branches opposite. Stipules awl-shaped, falling off at the end of summer. Acorns in axillary pairs
about the ends of the branches, ovate, the size of a large pea, half-covered by the villous cup, which
is invested with unequal sides. (Nee, as quoted in Rees's Cycl.) Humboldt compares the young leaves
of his (i. mexicana to this species. (See p. 1943.) He also states that the young shoots of Q. repftnda
(p. 1942.) agree with the description of those of (£. microphy'lla ; but he adds that he had not seen
Nee's plant.
Q. lobdta Willd., No. 70., Nee in Ann. Cien. Nat, 3. p. 237., Fisch. Misc. Hisp., 1. p. 116., N.
Du Ham., 7. p. 180., Rees's Cycl., No. 76. Leaves obovate, wedge-shaped, sinuated, smooth ; lobes
toothed. (Willd.) Native of New Spain. Branches furrowed, alternate. Leaves 4 in. long, 2£ in.
wide, smooth, alternate; orbicular towards the extremity ; wedge-shaped at the lower part; sinuated;
the lobes rounded, obtuse, toothed. Footstalks slender, 3 or 4 lines in length. (Nee, as quoted in
AY* •>•'.•> Cycl.)
y. •MMoOcAlia Willd., No. 16., Nee in An. Cicn. Nat., 3. p. 268., , Fisch. A/J'.VC. ///*p., 1.
p. 103., N. Du Ham.,1. p. 154., Smith \nRccs's\Cycl.,'$o. 18. Leaves ovate-oblong, coriaceous, entire,
shining; downy beneath ; somewhat emarginate at the base. Fruit racemose. (Willd.) Found by
Louis Nee in the kingdom of Mexico, between Chilpancingo and Tixtala, and about the river Azuf.
This is an elegant tree, 20 ft. or more in height. Trunk thick, with a dark-coloured bark, full of
fissures. Branches horizontal ; younger ones furrowed, and dotted with white. Leaves 6 in. or 8 in.
long, and 3 in. broad ; ovate, rigid ; sometimes emarginale at the base ; green and shining above ;
downy beneath, with the larger veins prominent, and the smaller reticulated. Footstalks thick, a
line in length. Stipules crisped, downy, deciduous. Female clusters solitary, axillary, 2 in. long ; the
lower ones alternate, upper opposite. Acorns ovate, half.covered by a hemispherical cup, which is the
size of the seed of Clcer arietlnum, and has "its scales scarcely at all imbricated. (Neet as quoted in
Rees's Cycl.) This is closely allied to Q. lutea, which, indeed, Humboldt considers as the same species ;
and to (2. crassitVilia Humb. ct Bonp., p.1946. It has also a great affinity with Q. stipularis (p.1945.) ;
but differs in the disposition of its fruit.
Q. liitea Willd., No. 17., Nee in An. Cien. Nat, 3. p. 269., Fisch. Misc. Hisp., 1. p. 105., N.
Du Ham., 7. p. 155., Smith in Hees's CycL, No. 19. The yellow-A.viwrf Mexican oak. Leaves obovate,
entire, shining ; somewhat heart-shaped at the base ; downy and yellow beneath. Fruit racemose.
(Willd.} Native of Mexico. This agrees with Q. magnolf<?/o/ui in its growth and fructification ;
insomuch that it may be thought a variety : yet the leaves are very different They are of a larger
size, broader towards the end, and contracted towards the footstalk ; as well as more deeply emar-
ginate at the base ; and their under side is covered with ochry yellow pubescence. (Rees's Cycl.)
Humboldt considers this the same species as Q. magnotitcfdlia, and very closely allied to his Q.
crassi folia (p. 1940.).
Q. salicifdlia Willd., No. 8., Nee in An. Cien. Nat, 3. p. 265., Fisch. Misc. Hisp., 1. p. 101., N.
Du Ham., 7. p. 152., Uees's Cycl., No. 8. The Willow-leaved Mexican Oak. Leaves oblong-lanceolate,
entire, smooth ; the forks of the veins villous and brown beneath. Nut oblong. (Willd.) Found by
Louis Nee in the kingdom of Mexico, near Acapulco. A tre& 28 ft. high, with alternate branches ;
the young ones somewhat furrowed, and clothed with brownish red hairs. Leaves from 5 in. to 7 in.
long, 1 in. wide, scattered on short stalks, rather coriaceous, smooth, veiny, entire, wavy, pointed ;
reticulated and green above ; yellowish beneath, with tufts of hairs, as big as a pin's head, in the
forks of the veins. Acorns nearly sessile, in axillary pairs, the size of a hazel nut ; downy, half-covered
by the hemispherical, greyish, villous cup; beset with very thin scales. (Nee, as quoted in Rees's
Cycl.}
GENUS II.
FAVGUS L. THE BEECH. Lin. Syst. MonceVia Polyandria.
Identification. Lia Gen., No. 1072.; Reich., 1170.; Schreb., 1448.; Gaertn., t 37- ; Juss., 409. ;
Tourn., 351 ; Willd. Sp. PI., 1694. ; N. Du Ham., 2. p. 79. ; Ait. Hort Kew., 5. p. <J!'7.
Synonymes. According to Bauhin, the Fagus of the Romans, and the Oxua of the Greeks ; Castanca
Tuurn., 352., Mill. Diet., f. 84. ; Hetre, Fr. ; Buche, Ger. ; Beuke, Dutch ; Bog, Dan. ; Bok, Swcd. -,
Buk, Rttss. and Pol. • Faggio, Hal. ; Haya, Span. ; Faya, Port.
Derivation. From phago, to eat ; because the nuts were used as food in the early ages.
Description, $c. Large and handsome deciduous trees ; natives of Europe,
and of North and South America, and Australia. The wood is used for
various purposes; but more especially in cabinet-making, joinery, and turnery.
The fruit affords food for swine, and supports squirrels and various wild ani-
mals : it also yields a valuable oil. Plants are almost always raised from
seed, except in the case of varieties. Linnaeus united the genus C*astanea with
Fagus, which was not done by any botanist before his time, and which has
not been adopted by many of the moderns. The distinctive characteristics of
the two genera are, that Castanca has the male flowers on very long cat-
kins, with the seeds farinaceous; while Fagus, on the contrary, has the male
flowers on globular catkins, and the seeds oily. M. Mirbel, who has revised
the generic character of the beech, so as to include in it the South Ameri-
can and Australian species, has arranged them in two sections, which arrange-
ment we shall here adopt.
1950 ARBORETUM AND FllUTICETUM. PART III.
A. Cupule nntricale, capsutiform. Ovaries included. Young leaves plicate.
Natives of Europe, and of North and South America.
a. Species in Cultivation in British Gardens,
t 1. F. SYLVA'TICA L. The Woo.d, or common, Beech.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1416. ; Hort. Cliff., 447. ; Fl. Suec., 785. 871. ; Roy. Lugcttx, 79. ;' Mat.
Med., 203. ; Du Roi Harbk., 1. p. 203. ; Pollich. Pall, No. 910. ; Willd. Arb., 113. ; Willd. Sp. PI.,
4. p. 459.; Hoftm. Germ., 339. ; Roth.'Germ., 1. p. 409., 2. p. 489 ; Pall. Ross.. 2. p. 5. ; Vill. Dauph.,
3. p. 796.; N. Du Ham., 2. p. 79. ; Br. FL, 1. p. 408. ; Eng. Bot., t 1846.; Eng. FL, 4. p. 152.;
Hook. Br. FL, ed. 3., p. 411. ; Mackay Fl. Hibern., p. 254. ; Lindl. Synop., p. 239.
Synonymes. Castanea Fagus Scop. Cam., No. 1188.; Fagus Bauh. Pin., 419., Cam. Epit., 112.,
Matth., 205., Dod., 832., Ger., 1255., Ger. Emac., 1444., Park. Theat., 1403., Bauh. Hist., 1.
p. 118. Rait Hist., 1381., Synop., 439.; F. sylvestris Michx. N. Amer., 3. t. 107., Oxya, Greek ;
Fagus, Lot. ; Hetre commun, Fr. ; gemeine Buche, Ger. ; Rood-beuke, Dutch.
Engravings. Eng. Bot., t 1846. ; N. Du Ham., 1 24. ; and the plate of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char.,, $c. Leaves ovate, glabrous, obsoletely dentate ; ciliate on their
margins. (Willd.) A tree, varying from 60ft. to 100 ft. in height; wild in
various parts of Europe; and one variety in North America.
Varieties.
* F. *. ^purpurea Ait. Hort. Kew., v. p.297.,Lodd. Cat.,ed. 183G; F.
s. 2 atro-rubens Du Roi ; Hetre noir Fr. ; the purple Beech ; has the
buds and young shoots of a rose colour. The leaves, when half-de-
veloped, are of a cherry red ; and, when fully matured, at midsummer,
of so dark a purple, as to appear almost black. It is to be observed
of this variety, that the bark, not only of the young shoots, but even
of the old wood, and of the trunk of the tree, partakes strongly of the
same dark colour as the leaves. In early spring, when the leaves of the
purple beech are agitated by the wind, during bright sunshine, their
clear red gives the tree the appearance of being on fire ; an effect,
Bosc observes, so truly magical, that it is scarcely credible by those
who have not seen it. The red or purple colour of this variety
varies in degree of intensity in different individuals ; partly from these
having been raised from seeds, and partly from the influence of soil
and situation. The purple beech is a native of Germany, where it
was discovered by accident in a wood, according to some, between
the middle and the latter end of the last century ; and the original
tree is said to be still standing. From this tree all the purple beeches
in Europe have been produced; partly from seeds (see Gard. Mag.,
vol.x. p. 180.), but chiefly by grafting. The seeds, in general, come
up tolerably true ; though in some the shade of purple is very faint,
and in others the leaves are quite green. The different shades of
purple have given rise to several subvarieties, which are kept distinct
by some nurserymen ; but none that we have seen are worth notice,
except what is called the copper-coloured beech. In general, the
purple beech is propagated by budding or grafting on the common
beech ; but sometimes it is increased by layers, which require two
years to become properly rooted, and, it is said, never make such
vigorous trees as grafted ones ; doubtless, from the greater vigour of
the stock in the latter case. Michaux the younger informed Bosc
that there was a purple beech in Belgium which ripened seeds, and
that from these seeds several subvarieties had been produced, and,
among others, the copper beech, before mentioned. The largest
specimens of the purple beech are, probably, in Germany; though we
hare not been able to hear of any on the Continent higher than
between 30 ft. and 40 ft., with the exception of two ; the one at
Harbke, in Brunswick, which, in 1835, was 70ft. high, with a trunk
2 ft. 6 in. in diameter, and had been planted upwards of 60 years.
It produces on an average, 20 Ibs. of mast yearly, which sells at 2
dollars per Ib. The other tree is near Antwerp, in the garden
of M. Smetz, at Deurne, and is thus described in NeilPs Hor-
ticultural Tour, as seen by the Deputation of the Caledonian
CHAP. cv. C'OUYLAVCI:A:. .FAMOUS. 1951
Horticultural Society, in the autumn of 18 17. This tree had been
grafted on a common beech stock, about Sit. from the ground.
The place of grafting is marked by the stock being larger than the
graft on every side; so that the stem of the purple beech seems as if
it hud been merely set down flat on the stock. " At 1 ft. from the
ground, the trunk of the stock, or common beech, measures 10ft.
lOin. in circumference; and, immediately at the place of grafting,
the trunk of the purple beech measures only 9ft. Gin. in circum-
ference" From the ground to the first branch is about 12ft. The
total height of the tree is between 50ft. and GO ft., and the diameter
of the head is 45 ft. It was planted in 1752, and was, consequently,
when seen by Dr. Neill, about G5 years old. It is altogether, says
the doctor, " a very handsomely formed well-balanced tree. To a
spectator standing directly under it, the leaves appear nearly of the
usual green colour; and they are but slightly tinged with purple as
far as they are excluded from the sun : as they approach outwards,
they get a stronger purplish hue ; and on the very exterior they are
of a deep purple ; insomuch that the tree, when seen from a dis-
tance, appears clothed in black;" and hence the name which it bears
in Belgium, of swartze beeckenboom, the black beech tree. This tree
every year ripens seeds, from which numerous young plants have
been raised, the greater part of which have purple leaves ; and, in a
young hedge in M. Smetz's garden formed of seedling plants from
this tree, the deputation " observed every variety of hue in the
foliage, from green to purple ; yet no individual was completely green,
and none completely purple." (p. 107.) This tree, in all probability,
is the same as that alluded to by Bosc. On writing to Dr. Somme,
Director of the Botanic Garden at Antwerp, in May, 1837, he
informs us that the trunk, at 7f in. above the graft, is 15ft. 10 in. in
circumference; but that at G ft. 7 in. above the graft the circumfe-
rence is 3 ft. 10 in. less. The diameter of the head is 72 ft., and the
total height of the tree is 72 ft. The handsomest purple beech in
England is at Enville; and, when we saw it in 1831, it was between
60ft. and 70ft. high, clothed with branches to the ground, where
it extended over a space above 60 ft. in diameter. It stands on
a small lawn in the pleasure-grounds, and is, consequently, pro-
tected from cattle. The loftiest purple beech in England is at Syon,
where, in 1834, it was 71ft. high; the diameter of the trunk 2ft.
10 in., and of the head 61 ft. It flowers, and occasionally ripens seed,
from which, however, we believe, no plants have yet been raised.
¥ F. s. 3 cuprca Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836, the copper-coloured Beech, above
alluded to, as a subvariety of F. s. purpurea, has the young shoots
and leaves of a paler colour than those of the purple beech. It
makes a splendid appearance in the sunshine, and when the leaves
are gently ruffled with the wind ; but, in a state of repose, and on a
dark cloudy day, it can hardly be distinguished from the common
green-leaved beech.
¥ F. s. 4 foliis varicgdtis Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836, has the leaves variegated
with white and yellow, interspersed with some streaks of red and
purple. This variety is handsome in spring, when the leaves first
make their appearance ; but, in the course of the summer, their
variegation is in a great measure lost, and the leaves assume a dirty
unhealthy aspect. There are also varieties with the leaves striped or
blotched with white only, and others with only golden-striped leaves.
3t F. s. 5 heterophylla ; F. s. laciniata Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; F. s. aspleni-
folia Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; F. s. incisa Hort.; F. s. salicifolia Hort.;
Hetre a Feuilles de Saule, Fr.\ the various, or cut, leaved Beech; has the
leaves variously cut, as in Jig. 1875.; sometimes in narrow shreds, fco
as to resemble a fern, as in Jig. 1876.; and, at other times, in shreds of
6 L
1952
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM,
PART II
1875
1876
greater breadth, like the leaves of a willow. This variety, which may
be designated as more curious than beautiful, is very apt to return to
the normal form. There were, in 1834, handsome small trees of
this variety in the Horticultural Society's Garden; and there are
plants at Messrs. Loddiges's, and in other London nurseries. In
Berkshire, at White Knights, this variety, 25 years planted, is 22 ft.
high; in Durham, at Southend, it is between 40ft. and 50ft. high.
In the Perth Nursery, 20 years planted, it is 22 ft. high. At Oriel
Temple, in Ireland, 20 years planted, it is 22 ft. high.
F. s. 6 cristdta Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; F. s. crispa Hort. ; Hetre Crete
de Coq, Fr. ; the crested, or curled-leaved, Beech] our fig. 1877.;
and the plate of tthis tree
in our last Volume. — This
variety is a monstrosity,
with the leaves small, and
almost sessile, and crowded
into small dense tufts,
which occur at intervals
along the branches. The
tree never attains a large
size, as may be expected
from its deficiency in foli-
age. The wood of this va-
riety, as shown in Sepps's
Icones Lignorum, t. 3. f. 2.,
is quite different from that
of the common beech;
being dark, and curiously
curled and veined. There
is a specimen of this variety
in the Glasnevin Botanic
Garden, 31 years planted,
which is 20 ft. high.
F. J. Ipendula Lodd. Cat.,ed.
1836; Hetre Parasol, Fr. • the weeping Beech. (Seethe plate of
this tree, which is a portrait, taken in 1835, from one still standing
in the Kensington Nursery, in our last Volume.)— When this
variety is grafted standard high, it forms a very singular and highly
beautiful object, well deserving a place in collections of weeping
1877
CHAP. CV. COHYLA'CE/E. FANGUS. 1953
trees. There is a specimen at Oriel Temple, in Ireland, 33ft. high,
diameter of the head -J4ft. The Rev. M. J. Berkeley informs us,
in a letter dated June 2. 1837, that in "one of the plantations
bordering Milton Park, the seat of Earl Fitzwilliam, in Northamp-
tonshire, there is a beautiful accidental weeping variety of the beech.
The trees have been cleared round it, and it is a very flour^hing
young tree. The branches are beautifully pendent, and even the
last six feet of the top bend down. Mr. Henderson, the very in-
telligent gardener, has propagated it by grafts. The height is 50 ft.,
and the girt 3 ft. at 1 ft. from the base, by measurement just made
for the purpose." So splendid a variety will, we trust, soon find its
way into the public nurseries.
Other British Varieties or Variations. In some beech woods, trees are
found with a rough and somewhat chapped bark ; and these are called the
hay beech by the woodmen in Buckinghamshire and Gloucestershire ;
but we have not heard of the kind having been propagated either by seeds
or grafting. There is also what joiners call the red, or the yellow, beech,
and the white beech ; the former having dark-coloured wood, and the latter
having the wood white. These two varieties are commonly considered as
being produced by the locality, the darker wood growing in the better soil.
According to Mathews, " the yellow beech grows faster and straighter, and
is cleaner and freer of black knots, and also more pleasantly worked than
the white; but it corrupts much sooner in the bark when cut down. This
variety of beech, when properly trained," he continues, " is, probably, the
most profitable hard wood that we can raise : when planked, it bends plea-
santly under the shipwright to the curvature of the vessel's side. The tree
is also much superior in size and grace of outline to the white." (On Nav.
Tim., p. 49.) This variety ought to be sought out in beech woods, or in
plantations, and the mast collected from it for propagation : it ought also
to be propagated by grafting or budding, as an experiment to try whether
the colour of wood can be continued without reference to the soil on which
the stock grows. Mitchell says there are two sorts of beech, the black and
the white wooded ; but he knows no sort of botanical distinction between
them. He never met, he adds, " with five trees of the black beech on any
estate," and, therefore, concludes that the colour of the wood is merely a
variation resulting from soil.
It F. s. 8 amcricdna ; F. sylvestris Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 3., t. 107. ; white
Beech, Amer.; is generally considered by botanists as identical with the
common European beech. This it very probably is ; but, from the
figure in Michaux, and the description given by him of the wood, it
appears to us somewhat different from the species. In North Ame-
rica, it forms one of the tallest and most majestic trees of the forest,
abounding in the middle, western, and southern states; but most
abundant in the middle and western states, and composing large
masses in Genessee, Kentucky, and Tennessee, in deep moist soil,
and in a cool atmosphere. The trunks of the trees are frequently
8ft., 9ft., and 11 ft. in circumference, and more than 100ft. high.
The tree is less branchy than the F. ferruginea, or red beech of
America ; and the perfect wood bears but a small proportion to the
sap, frequently occupying only 3 in. in a trunk 1 ft. G in. in diameter.
The wood of the white beech is little valued in America, even for
fuel; and the bark is used for tanning, but is little esteemed; and,
therefore, in point of utility, the tree cannot be recommended for
culture in Europe : but, if it should prove distinct from the common
beech, it well deserves introduction as an ornamental variety.
Description. The European beech is a handsome umbrageous tree, com-
bining magnificence with beauty; and being, as Mathews observes, at once
the Hercules and Adonis of our sylva. It has a smooth thin bark, which is
6 L 2
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white when fully exposed to the air. The leaves are shining, thin, changing
to a brown or russet colour in autumn; and, on soil somewhat moist, or in
wet autumns, remaining on the tree throughout the winter. On young trees,
and on trees planted in hedgerows and pruned, the leaves are more certain
of remaining on during the winter, than on large, old, and detached trees.
The head of the beech is, in general, so dense, that plants do not readily grow
under it ; which is also partly owing to the leaves requiring a long time to
decay after they fall. The branches of the beech, whether in old or young
trees, generally take an upright direction, and form acute angles with the
stem; though, in old trees, the lower branches are often horizontal, and some-
times bent down in the middle, and curving upwards at the extremity. The
branches are very numerous, and the smaller shoots much divided ; but the
direction both of the branches and spray is always more or less straight, as
compared with that of the branches and spray of the oak, the ash, and some
other trees. The roots do not descend deeply into the soil, but extend to a
considerable distance close under the surface. The rootlets and fibres are
not nearly so numerous as in the ash and the elm. The barren flowers are
in round, stalked, drooping heads, or catkins, of a light brown colour,
and 3 or 4 in each head. The fertile ones are placed above them on the
branch, and are solitary, and on stouter stalks than the male catkins. The
calyx of the fruit is 4-cleft, clothed with simple pliant prickles. The
stigmas are 3 in each flower; spreading, acute, and downy. Nuts 2, with 3
equal very sharp angles, and crowned with the inner calyx. The flowers
appear in May, and the fruit ripens in October. The fruit, when ripe, opens
at the upper extremity, in four divisions ; and, after a short time, the nuts
frequently drop out, leaving the calyx, or cup, which contained them, attached
to the tree. The nut contains a white oleaginous substance, agreeable to eat.
The seedlings of this tree, Sir J. E. Smith observes, when newly sprung up,
with their pale cotyledons, look not unlike some kinds of fungus. The
plants, under nursery culture, do not grow so rapidly as those of the ash and
the elm ; but, under favourable circumstances, they will attain the height of
10 ft. in 5 years, and 20ft. or 25 ft. in 10 years. The height of the tree, when
full grown, and in a situation where it is allowed to spread, may be considered
as from CO ft. to 80 ft. In Germany, according to Wilidenow, it is from 50 ft.
to 60 ft. ; but, when drawn up by other lofty-growing trees, it sometimes
attains the height of from 100 ft. to 120 ft., as may be seen in the figures of the
King and Queen Beeches, at Ashridge, given in our Statistics, in a future page.
A spreading beech, at Studley Park, of which Jig. 1878. is a portrait to a
scale of 30 ft. to 1 in. (drawn for us by H. W. Jukes, Esq., by the permission
Mrs. Lawrence), is 114ft. high, and exhibits, in respect to general form
and ramification, the common character of the tree when growing detached
from all others. The life of the beech tree, in its native habitats in Ger-
many, according to Wilidenow, extends to 200 years, and upwards. The
oldest beech tree in England is probably that in Windsor Forest, which
is supposed to have been in existence before the Norman Conquest, and
will be hereafter figured and described. In general, the tree attains its
full growth, in England, in 60 or 80 years, when it is fit to be cut down for
timber purposes ; and, on good soils, it is more than doubtful whether it will
live much more than 100 or 150 years. When the tree is cut, the wounds
heal quickly over, so as to leave but very slight scars ; and, when branches are
cut off close to the trunk, it is not liable to throw out fresh shoots. Accord-
ing to German authors, the beech, when treated as coppice-wood, will continue
to send up shoots till it has attained the age of 30 or 40 years, but seldom to
a greater age; and, hence, it is not well adapted either for coppice or under-
wood. The tree, when under a course of nursery culture, and before it is
removed to its final destination, suffers severely from the removal of any of its
branches ; but, when once established as a hedge, it bears pruning as well as
any other tree. The branches of the beech, particularly in woods, being much
crowded, and having a smooth bark, lire particularly liable to cross and grow
CHAP. CV.
. FA'GUS.
1955
1878
into each other, and, as it were, inosculate ; and hence, according to some, it
was this tree that gave the first idea of grafting. A curious example will be
found under the head of Accidents and Diseases.
Geography. The common beech is a native of the temperate parts of
Europe, from the south of Norway to the Mediterranean Sea, and from
England to Constantinople. It is also found in Palestine, Asia Minor,
Armenia, and Mazanderan. In Norway, it is found as far north as 59°, in
favourable situations ; and, in Sweden, to 58°. According to Pallas, it is
plentiful in the southern provinces of Russia, and in Caucasus ; but it is not
common in the plains ; and it is nowhere to be found in the northern pro-
vinces. It abounds in the forests of Poland, and in Lithuania. The line of
beeches on the Alps rises to the elevation of 5132 ft., between lat. 45i° and
46£° ; the snow line being 3848 ft. higher. ( Von Buck, as quoted by //. C.
Watson.) In Switzerland, the beech occupies the south sides of the moun-
tains, where it rises as high as the raccfnium Titis idaeva, and where the silver
fir clothes the north side. (Nat. Hist. Jorat., vol. i. p. 9.) In France, it is
found on the sloping sides of mountains, and on calcareous hills; but almost
always on the south side. According to some, the European beech is also a
native of America, where it is known under the name of the white beech ; but,
as we are inclined to doubt whether this may not be something different from
the European beech, we have treated it as a variety, and given its geography,
when speaking of it, as such. (See p. 1953.) In Great Britain, the beech is
found in forests, supposed to be indigenous, in various parts of the central die-
6 L 3
1956 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
tricts of England, especially on chalky hills. Some, as we have seen (p. 21.),
are disposed to consider the tree as not aboriginal ; but with this supposition
we cannot agree. It abounds on the great ridge of chalk hills which passes
from Dorsetshire through Wiltshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, and Kent ;
branching out into Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Hertfordshire ; and it is
also found on the Stroudwater and Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire, and
on the bleak banks of the Wye in Herefordshire and Monmouthshire. It
is particularly abundant in Buckinghamshire, where it forms extensive forests,
of great magnificence and beauty. It is seldom found mixed with other trees ;
its own dense head suffocating most other species, even when they are coeval
with it in point of age. Nothing, says South, will grow under the beech but
the holly and the truffle. It is rarely found in soil that is not more or less
calcareous; and it most commonly abounds on chalk. In some parts of
Hertfordshire, where the soil is a calcareous clay full of flints, the beech
attains a large size. The tree is not indigenous to Scotland or Ireland.
History. The beech was known to both the Greeks and Romans ; though
some doubts have arisen as to the names by which it was designated by these
nations. By Theophrastus it was called Oxua, and by Dioscorides Phegos.
Theophrastus also describes a tree under the name of Phegos; but he places
it among the oaks ; and it is now generally supposed to be the Quercus E's-
culus L. Doubts have also arisen as to whether our beech was the l<agus of
the Romans, from the assertion of Caesar, in his Commentaries, that he found
no -Fagi in Britain (see p. 21.) ; but that the T^agus of Pliny and Virgil was the
same as that of Linnaeus, is thus proved by Fee, in his Flore de Virgil. " Pliny
(lib. xvi. cap. 6.) says, * Fagi glans, nuclei similis, triangula cute includitur.'
(The mast of the beech is like a nut, included in a triangular case.) The
epithets applied to this tree by Virgil are all applicable to our beech. It is
spreading: — ' Tityre, tu patuke recubans sub tegmine fagi.' (Ed. i. 1.)
It has dense tufted foliage ; and, consequently, its branches afford a shade im-
pervious to the rays of the sun : — ' Tantum inter densas, umbrosa cacumina,
fagos' (Eel. ii. 3.); and, as it lives nearly as long as the oak, it is well
entitled to the epithet of old : Aut hie ad veteres fagos. (Eel. Hi. 12.) It is
also one of the loftiest trees of the European forests : — * Caeditur et tilia
ante jugo laevis, altaque fagus.' (Geor. i. 173.) It thus appears that the
.Fagus of Virgil agrees in every respect with the beech tree of the moderns."
(Fl. de Virg., p. 54.) The ancients seem to have set considerable value on the
beech mast as an article of food. Pliny speaks of the mast (glandem) of the
beech as being the sweetest of all (dulcissima omnium) ; and states that, at
the siege of Chios, the besieged lived for some time entirely on beech mast.
Vessels made of beech wood were used in the Roman sacrifices; and the nut
was in repute as a medicine. Pliny and Virgil both tell us that the beech
was grafted on the chestnut ; a circumstance which has called forth much
discussion among commentators. Servius thinks it absurd that a barren
beech, as he calls it, should be engrafted on a fruitful chestnut ; and fancies
that there is an error in the text. Grimoaldus thinks that the poet means a
wild sort of chestnut, which might be used as a stock on which to graft the
beech ; and Dr. Trapp highly approves of this reading. These, and other
commentators, Martyn observes, proceed on the supposition that chestnuts
were esteemed, in Virgil's time, as much superior to beech mast as they are
now ; the contrary to which, he says, might easily be proved. Pliny men-
tions chestnuts as a very inferior kind of fruit, and seems to express surprise
that nature should take such care of the nuts, which he calls " vilissima,"
as to defend them with a prickly husk ; while the mast of the beech was reck-
oned a very sweet nut, and was in use both as food and medicine. Pliny
frequently mentions the beech in his Natural History. In one place, he says
that " there was a little hill called Corne, in the territory of Tusculum, not
far from the city of Rome, that was clad and beautified with a grove and tufts
of beech trees, which were as even and round in the head as if they had been
curiously trimmed with garden shears." He adds : — " This grove was, in old
CHAP. CV. CORYLAXCE^E. FAMOUS. 1957
times, consecrated to Diana, by the common consent of all the inhabitants of
Latin m, who paid their devotions to that goddess there. One of these trees
was of such surpassing beauty, that Passienus Crispus, a celebrated orator, who
was twice consul, and who afterwards married the Empress Agrippina, was so
fond of it, that he not only delighted to repose beneath its shade, but fre-
quently poured wine on the roots, and used often to embrace it.'* Beechen cups
were used by the Latin shepherds ; and this custom is frequently alluded to
by the poets. The oldest British writers on rural affairs mention the beech
as one of the four indigenous timber trees of England. Its timber, however,
was considered inferior to that of the three other timber trees, viz. the oak,
the ash, and the elm. The mast of the beech has been, from the earliest times,
valued as food for swine; and, in some parts of Buckinghamshire, where the
tree abounds, swine are still driven into the beech woods in autumn. About
1721, Aaron Hill, the poet, proposed a scheme for paying off the national
debt with the profits of the oil to be made from beech nuts; but his
scheme fell to the ground. Other plans for making beech oil have been sug-
gested, but always" without success. Indeed, it is probable that the mast
requires to be ripened in a warmer climate than that of Britain to make it
produce oil in sufficient quantities for profit; as Linnaeus expressly states
that, in Sweden, scarcely any oil at all can be expressed from it. The useful-
ness of the beech, at the time when forests were chiefly valued for the number
of swine that they could support, together with the facility with which the
tree is raised from seed, must have rendered it one of the first trees propagated
and planted by art. Accordingly, Gerard, in 1597, speaks of the excellent
effect which the nuts had in fattening swine, deer, and pigeons ; and Par-
kinson, writing in 1640, says that the beech is planted in parks, forests, and
chases, to feed deer; but, in other places, to fatten swine, " whose fat," he adds,
" will be softer than theirs that are fattened with acorns." The beauty of this
tree, the density of its shade, and the classical associations connected with it,
independently altogether of the uses of its fruit, occasioned it to be early
planted as an ornamental tree, both in Britain and on the Continent. We
find both Evelyn and Cook recommending it for shady walks, avenues, and
hedges ; for which latter purpose, where it is desired to enclose and warm
gardens, Boutcher observes, this tree has hardly an equal. Between 1790 and
and 1800, some trunks of beech trees were found at a considerable depth
below the surface, in St. Leonard's Forest, Hampshire. They had evidently
been squared with proper tools ; and are supposed to have lain there ever
since the time of the Romans. The beech, Dr. Walker observes, was not
much planted in Scotland till between 1540 and 1560; and many of the trees
then planted at Hopetoun House, Arniston, Inverary, and Newbattle, still
exist, and are the oldest in the country. The beech was probably planted in
Ireland about the same time that it was introduced into Scotland ; and it
attains an enormous size on the calcareous loams and the sloping sides of hills
of that country. The first planted beeches in Ireland are believed to be those
at Shelton Park ; but the largest is in Charleville Forest. The most
extensive planter of the beech tree in Scotland has been the Earl of Fife,
who, in the latter half of the last century, planted many thousand beech
trees in the county of Moray, for which he received the gold medal of
the Society of Arts. In England, after the Revolution of 1688, when
William III. introduced the Dutch style of gardening, the beech was much
planted for hedges, both for shelter in gardens and nurseries, and for form-
ing the clipped sides of alleys in geometrical plantations. Extensive plant-
ations of beech for timber were made, between 1784? and 1788, at Belmont in
Staffordshire, and by the Bishop of Llandaff near Ambleside. The tree still
continues to be planted ; but, now, more for ornamental purposes than for the
value of either its timber or its fruit. Between 1680 and 1690, Lord Scar-
borough, according to Mitchell, had an avenue cut through Stanstead Forest,
in Sussex ; and within the Park, on each side of the entrance of the avenue,
there were about 10 acres planted with beech, which, in 1827, were from
6 L 4
]958 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART II f.
80 ft. to 90 ft. high, with clear trunks of from 30 ft. to 4Oft. ; and from 8 ft.
to 14ft. in circumference at 4ft. from the ground. We saw some of these
magnificent trees in 1831, and can bear testimony to the amplitude of their
dimensions, and to their being apparently in good health ; though, we believe,
some of those alluded to by Mitchell have been cut down since his time.
Poetical and legendary Allusions. The poetical allusions to the beech,
among the Latin poets, are very numerous : Virgil frequently mentions it,
several instances of which have been quoted in p. 1956. ; but, among the most
celebrated, are the well-known lines, —
" Tityrc, tu, patulrc recubans sub tcgmine fagi,
Sylvestrem tenui musam meditaris avena.".
" Beneath the shade which beechon boughs diffuse,
You, Tityrus, entertain your sylvan Muse." DRYPEN'S 1'irgil.
And the following : —
" Or shall I rather the sad verse repeat
Which on the beech's bark I lately writ ?" DRYPEN'S J'irgt'I.
In the third Eclogue, Virgil makes his shepherds boast of their beechcn bowls.
Tibullus says, —
" No wars did men molest,
When only beechen bowls were in request."
In more modern times, we may quote the well-known lines from Tasso's
(lerusalemme Libcrata : —
" Nella scorza de' faggi e degli allori
Segnc) 1' amato nome in mille guise."
" On the smooth beechen rind the pensive dame
Carves in a thousand forms her Tancred's name.'1 HOOLH'S Tasso.
Garcilasso, the Spanish poet, has several allusions to this tree : —
" Under the branches of the beech we flung
Our limbs at ease, and our bent bows unstrung.
Thus idly lying, we inspired with zest
The sweet fresh spirit breathing from the west." WIFFEN'* Garcilasso,
" The sun, from rosy 'billows risen, had ray'd
With gold the mountain tops, when at the foot
Of a tall beech romantic, whose green shade
Fell on a brook, that, sweet-voiced as a lute,
Through lively pastures wound its sparkling way,
Sad on the daisied turf Salicio lay." Ibid.
" Not a beech but bears some cipher,
Tender word, or amorous text :
If one vale sounds Angelina,
Angelina sounds the next." DON Lms DE GONGORA.
Among the English poets, we may find numerous allusions to, and descrip-
tions of, the beech ; and of these we shall give a few. Milton says, —
" In beechen goblets let their bev'rage shine,
Cool from the crystal spring their sober wine."
Beaumont and Fletcher, in the Faithful Shepherdess, allude to Pan, —
" That sleeping lies in a deep glade,
Under a broad beech's shade."
Leigh Hunt, in a translation from Theocritus, says, —
" I ran to meet you, as the traveller
Oets from the sun under a shady beech."
The most generally quoted lines in English, on the beech tree, are, however,
those of Gray, Campbell, and Wordsworth, all of which we shall give below.
Gray says, —
" There at the foot of yonder nodding beech,
That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high,
His listless length at noontide he would stretch,
And pore upon the brook that bubbled by." GRAY.
Campbell's lines are entitled " The Beech Tree's Petition :"—
I
CHAP. CV.
co RYLACE**.
1 9/59
" Oh, leave this barren spot to me I
Spare, woodman, spare the boechen tree!
Though bud and flow'ret never prow
My dark unwartning shade below ;
Nor summer bud perfume the dew,
Of rosy blush, or yellow hue ;
Nor fruits of autumn, blossom born,
My green and glossy leaves adorn ;
Nor murmuring tribes from me derive
Th' ambrosial amber of the hive ;
Yet leave this barren spot to me :
Spare, woodman, spare the beechen tree!
" Thrice twenty summers I have seen
The sky grow bright, the forest green ;
And many a wintry wind have stood
In bloomless, fruitless solitude,
Since childhood in my pleasant bower
First spent its sweet and sportive hour ;
Since youthful lovers in my shade
Their vows of truth and rapture made,
And on my trunk's surviving frame
Carved many a long forgotten name.
Oh ! by the sighs of gentle sound,
First b'reathed upon this sacred ground ;
By all that love has whisper'd there,
Or beauty heard with ravish'd ear ;
As Love's own altar, honour me :
Spare, woodman, spare the beechen tree!
CAMPBELL.
The lines of Wordsworth are the following : —
- " A single beech tree grow
Within the grove of firs ; and in the fork
Of that one beech appear'd a thrush's nest ;
A last year's nest, conspicuously built,
At such small elevation from the ground,
As gave sure sign that they who in that house
Of nature and of love had made their home,
Amid the fir trees all the summer long,
Dwelt in a tranquil spot."
The finest beech trees in Britain are said to grow in Hampshire ; and there
is a curious legend respecting those in the Forest of St. Leonard, in that
county. This forest, which was the abode of St. Leonard, abounds in noble
beech trees ; and the saint was particularly fond of reposing under their shade;
hut, when he did so, he was annoyed during the day by vipers, and at night
by the singing of the nightingale. Accordingly, he prayed that they might be
removed ; and such was the efficacy of his prayers, that, since his time, in
that forest,
" The viper has ne'er been known to sting,
Or the nightingale e'er heard to sing."
Properties and Uses. The beech, in a state of nature, affords food to wild
pigeons and other birds, and to squirrels, deer, wild swine, and other
animals, in autumn ; but, in spring and summer, its leaves are eaten but
by very few insects. It affords shade to cattle, who do not readily eat
either its leaves or branches ; but, by the density of its foliage, it destroys
the grass, and almost every other plant that grows beneath its shade,
except the holly, and sometimes the box, and the truffle and some other fungi.
Subjected to man, the beech is chiefly valued for its timber, which is ap-
plied to a great variety of purposes, though to none of much importance either
for house or ship building. The wood, which, when green, is harder than
that of any of our British timber trees, weighs, when in this state, 65 Ib.
13 oz. per cubic foot ; half-dry, it weighs 56 Ib. 6 oz. ; and quite dry, 50 Ib. 3 oz.
The wood, when the tree has grown in good soil, and on plains, has a some-
what reddish tinge ; but in poor soils, and on mountains, it is whitish. Its
transverse fibres are very obvious; sometimes forming distinct and rather
dark lines, and at other times showing shining dense laminae, of a darker
colour than the rest of the wood. In quality, it is hard, brittle, and very apt
to be devoured by insects ; and, though in beech forests, where the trees have
been drawn up by one another, beams may frequently be had 100ft. in length,
they are seldom, if ever, employed in carpentry. The durability of the wood
is said to be increased by steeping it in water ; and, according to some, by dis-
1960 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
barking the tree while standing. Mathews, who always writes from experience,
says that the timber of the beech " soon corrupts, if it be not speedily dried,
or kept in water after being cut down;" and that it is equally liable to cor-
ruption in the tree, when deprived of life by wounds or other injury. The
beech has, he says, " a matured and a sap wood, although they are not very
distinguishable, being nearly of one colour. The former has considerable
durability when kept dry ; but the latter is speedily consumed by worms."
(On Naval Timber, etc., p. 49.) Mathews recommends the beech with yellow-
coloured wood, found on good soil, as superior in durability to that with white
wood, which is only to be found on light soils. The grain of the wood is not
sufficiently homogeneous to receive a very high polish. The uses of the wood
of the beech, notwithstanding all its faults, arc more extensive than those of
almost any other tree. The keels of vessels are often made of it ; and Mathews,
as we have seen (p. 1953.), says that a tree, when properly trained, affords,
probably, the most profitable hard wood that we can raise for planking the
sides and bottoms of vessels. Beech wood is employed in making pile.s,
ringing mill-wheels (in which situation, according to South, it has stood un-
injured for more than 40 years), for weirs, sluices, flood-gates, and, in general,
for all works which are to be constantly under water. Before cast-iron wheels
;ind pinions became general, beech was much used for making the cogs of
wooden wheels. In England, at the present time, the beech is principally
employed in making bedsteads and chairs; and it is also in great demand for
panels for carriages, and for various purposes in joinery, cabinet-making, and
turnery. Screws, wooden shovels, peels for bakers' ovens, and rims for
sieves, are also made of it. In Scotland, the branches and spray are distilled
for producing the pyroligneous acid ; and the wood is used there not only for
the^same purposes as in England, but also for making herring barrels ; and
the wood, the branches, the chips, and the spray are much used for smoking
herrings, in the Highlands, along the sea coast. The bedsteads, and other
articles of furniture, made of the beech, are stained in imitation of mahogany ;
and the chairs are either stained or painted. For various minor uses, such
as handles to jugs, teapots, &c., it is stained in imitation of ebony; and, ac-
cording to Evelyn, it is blacked and polished with a mixture of soot and urine,
to imitate the walnut : but the colour thus produced does not last. In
France, it is used as a substitute for walnut as gun stocks. In Germany,
the carriages of cannon are frequently made of it, particularly at sea ports ;
it being found to last longer where the atmosphere is humid and saline, than
the wood of the elm. It is also used there, and in many other parts of the
Continent, for the felloes of wheels, and for bowls, porringers, salt-boxes,
screws, spindles, rollers, spinning-wheels, pestles, presses, and bellows. It is
in very common use for tables, and for the framework and boards of beds ;
for wardrobes, chests of drawers, desks, hames for horses' collars, frames for
saddles, hoops for sieves and riddles, bushel and other measures, eases for
drums, and for a great variety of other purposes. Sawn into thin boards, it
forms a great variety of boxes and packing-cases, also scabbards for swords,
and cases of various kinds. It is used by the German bookbinders, instead of
pasteboard, for forming the sides to thick volumes, which were originally
called books, from the German name of this wood, buch. According to
Bory St. Vincent, it is the best of all wood for forming the upper board of
that kind of press (for pressing and drying plants) which, in France, is called
a coquette. (See Diet. Class, d'Hist. Nat., art. Hetre; and Annalcs d(s Sr'n-ii.
Nal., t. iv. p. 504.) It is used for making cricket-bats both in France and
Germany, as the willow is in England ; and in both countries, also, the socks
of the old heavy wooden ploughs are made of it. Baudrillart informs us that,
in some parts of France, little boats are hollowed out of the trunks of large
beech trees, for using in small rivers, and in fishing-ponds ; and he adds that
it is preferred to all other woods for the oars of galleys. But the most im-
portant manufacture of beech wood on the Continent, and especially in France,
is that of the wooden shoes called sabots. These sabots are rather more
CHAP. CV. CORYLA^CE^E. FAMOUS. 1961
brittle than those of the walnut and of alder; but they have the property
of not absorbing water, and surpass the sabots of all other wood, except
only those made of the walnut, which are, of course, much dearer, from the
demand for that wood for other purposes. The consumption of beech sabots
in the mountainous districts of France, according to Bosc, is immense. " They
are -mule of wood which has been cut only a few months, and is, consequently,
nearly green ; but which the manufacturers dry rapidly, with the smoke pro-
duced by burning the chips which are formed in making the sabots. This
smoke, containing a great deal of moisture, or steam, along with the heat, does
not crack the sabots which are exposed to it ; while the pyroligneous acid
which is evolved (and which is produced in a greater quantity by the wood of
the beech than by that of any other tree) penetrates the sabot, and renders
it not liable to be attacked by insects. The sabots so treated are always of
a brownish colour, the effect of this process. Bosc suggests the idea of im-
pregnating rafters and planks, to be used in house-building, with pyroligneous
acid, by smoking them with the spray and chips of the beech, so as to in-
crease their durability ; an operation which is found to have that effect on
the rafters of all kinds of wood used in those cottages in Scotland and Ireland
which are without ceilings. At St. E'tienne, in France, the wood of the
beech is used to make the handles to those cheap knives that are sold all over
France at 2 sous a piece, and which are called Eustache Dubois, from the
name of their inventor; but for this purpose the wood is hardened after it has
To render the wood of the beech more durable, and to prevent it from being
attacked by the worm, it is recommended by some authors to fell the tree
in the commencement of summer, while it is full of sap ; to allow it to re-
main untouched one year ; and afterwards to cut it up into planks or beams,
and to immerse these for several months in water. The French allege that it
is by these means that the English are enabled to use the beech so exten-
sively in planking ships, and in forming their keels. It is difficult to reconcile
this recommendation to allow the tree to remain one year after it has been
felled with what we before stated from Mathews (p. I960.), and which is, doubt-
less, the result of his own experience ; viz. that the timber of the beech soon
decays, if it be not immediately dried, or immersed in water on its being cut
down. Baudrillart states that, in England, the beech, after being cut in the
beginning of summer, and suffered to lie a year, is sawn into planks, &c. ; and
that these are submitted to the flame of the chips and faggot- wood of the tree,
till the surface of the wood is somewhat charred ; and that after this it is im-
mersed in water for 4 or 5 months. The cabinet-makers, the same author
states, prevent it from being attacked by worms, by varnishing it, or by keeping
it for a certain time in boiling water, or in boiling oil. On enquiry in various
directions, we have not been able to have the French reports of the English
practice confirmed ; but we find that there is at present a very great demand
for beech, as sleepers or bearers for the rails of the numerous railways that
are now existing. The beech used in this way in England is Kyanized ; but
the practice has not yet found its way into Scotland. In Hampshire, we are
informed by Mr. Davis, the beech is a good deal used for barn floors ; and,
where these are kept free from damp, by a thorough ventilation underneath
them, they are said to last many years.
As Fuel, the wood of the beech is superior to that of most other trees. It
is consumed to an immense extent for this purpose both in France and Ger-
many ; but more especially in Paris, where there are more open fires than in
any other Continental city. It is considered to burn rather rapidly ; but it
throws out a great deal of heat, and makes a clear bright flame. The green
wood is generally preferred to that which is dry, because it burns slower,
though it does not give out so much heat ; and hence, in many places, the tree
is frequently cut down in the summer season. According to the experiments
1962 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
of M. Hartig, there are only the sycamore, the Scotch pine, and the ash, which
produce more heat and light in burning than the beech. It is superior to the
oak in this respect, in the proportion of 1540 to 1197; and its charcoal is
superior to that of the oak, as 1600 is to 1459. Charcoal is made in great
quantities from the beech, in Buckinghamshire, for the manufacture of gun-
powder. The beech, burnt green, produces heat and light relatively to the
beech burnt dry, as 1181 is to 1540. These experiments of M. Hartig are,
however, considered by some as not quite correct. The ashes of the beech
are said by Bosc to be rich in potash ; but this is doubted by Baudrillart.
Werneck found experimentally, that, out of 73 species of trees, there were 47,
the ashes of the wood of which yielded more potash than the ashes of that of
the beech. He found that 100 Ib. of beech wood, burnt green, gave 1 Ib. 4 oz.
7 grains of this salt; but that 100 Ib. of the bark and spray gave 1 Ib. 10 oz.
The bark, both in America and in Britain, is used for tanning, though it is con-
sidered of no great value for that purpose. Monteath ranks it in the fifth place,
along with that of the birch ; both of which, he says, are considerably weaker
than that of the Spanish chestnut, and not nearly equal to that of the oak.
Evelyn says, " Of old, they made their vasa vindemiatoria and corbes messoria?,
as we our pots for strawberries, with the rind of this tree. Nay," he adds,
" and vessels to preserve wine in ; and that curiously wrought cup, which the
shepherd, in the Bucol'tcks, wagers withall was engraven by Alcimedon upon
the bark of the beech." (Hunt. EveL, i. p. 135.) The leaves, gathered green,
and dried, were formerly used in Britain, and still are in various parts of the
Continent, for filling beds. Evelyn says that, " being gathered about the fall,
and somewhat before they are much frost-bitten, they afford the best and the
easiest mattresses in the world, to lay under our quilts, instead of straw ; be-
cause, besides their tenderness and loose lying together, they continue sweet for
seven or eight yearslong; before which time, straw becomes musty and hard: they
are thus used by divers persons of quality in Dauphine; and, in Switzerland, I
have sometimes lain on them to my very great refreshment. So as, of this tree it
may properly be said, ' Silva domus, cubilia frondes.' Jnv. The wood as house,
the leaves abed." (Ibid., i.p. 137.) "We can," says Sir Thomas Dick Lauder,
after quoting this passage, "from our own experience, bear testimony to the truth
of what Evelyn says here, as to the excellence of beech leaves for mattresses.
We used always to think that the most luxurious and refreshing bed was that which
prevails universally in Italy, and which consists of an absolute pile of mattresses
filled with the elastic spathe of the Indian corn ; which beds have the advantage
of being soft, as well as elastic ; and we have always found the sleep enjoyed on
them to be peculiarly sound and restorative. But the beds made of beech
leaves are really no whit behind them in these qualities, whilst the fragrant
smell of green tea, which the leaves retain, is most gratifying. The objection
to them is the slight crackling noise which the leaves occasion, as the indivi-
dual turns in bed : but this is no inconvenience at all, or, if so in any degree,
it is an inconvenience which is much overbalanced by the advantages of this
most luxuriant couch." (Laud. Gilp., \. p. 103.) As beech leaves are very
long in decaying, they are valuable in gardening, for protecting herbaceous
plants from frost, or mulching round the stems of half-hardy trees and
shrubs.
The Catkins of the male Flowers, after they have dropped from the tree,
are, at Claremont in Surrey, and some other places where the tree abounds,
gathered by gardeners, dried, and laid up in a dry loft for packing fruit in, which
is to be sent to a distance. They are also used for stuffing pillow-cases,
cushions, &c.
The Fruity the nut of which is called beech mast in England, and la fame in
France, has a taste somewhat approaching to that of the hazel nut. It forms
an excellent food for swine ; but the flesh of those that have been fattened on
it does not keep so well as that of swine which have been fed on acorns. The
fat, also, is more oily, and, when boiled, is apt to waste in the pot. Beech mast
is much sought after by wild animals, particularly by badgers, which it fattens
CHAP. cv. CORYLA'CEA:. FAMOUS. 1963
in a most extraordinary manner ; and by squirrels and dormice, which last,
Evelyn says, " harbouring in the hollow trees, grow so fat, that, in some
countries abroad, they take infinite numbers of them, I suppose to eat. What
relief they give to thrushes, blackbirds, fieldfares, and other birds, every body
knows." (//««/. Evel.y i. p. 137.) It is said greatly to improve the flavour
of wild pigeons. In France, beech mast is much eaten by pheasants and
partridges ; and turkeys and other kinds of poultry are fattened by it in a
very short time. In Britain, the only use, at present, made of this mast is
by turning swine, deer, and poultry, into beech woods, to pick it up ; but, in
France, it forms a most important article of domestic consumption, for
making oil. Beech oil is considered not only excellent for burning in lamps,
but also for cooking, and especially for frying fish. The French cooks put a
crust of bread into the pan with the oil, which they take out when it is suffi-
ciently hot to put in the fish. The oil fries a fine brown; and, if it burns, does
not produce a disagreeable smell, like that of other oils. The forests of Eu
and of Crecy, in the department of the Oise, it is stated in the Nouveau Du
]I(i>/ic/,hi\ve yielded, in a single season, more than 2,000,000 bushels of mast;
and Michaux adds that, in 1779, the forests of Compiegne near Verberie,
department of the Somme, afforded oil enough to supply the wants of the
district for more than half a century. In some parts of France, the nuts are
roasted, to serve as a substitute for coffee.
Mode of making Beech Oil. When required for the table, this oil is pre-
pared with great care, and is thought very little inferior to that of the olive.
The nuts are first cleared from their shells by shaking them in sieves, and
then winnowing them : they are next spread out to dry in some airy place, as
the least mouldincss or appearance of germination in the nut will' spoil it.
The best time for extracting the oil is between December and March. The
nuts are separated from their outer brown skin by heating in an oven, or
before the fire, and then rubbing them with the hands ; or by slightly bruising
them in a mill, and then winnowing them. If labour is cheap, they may also
be deprived of their inner skin, a very thin pellicle, which is very acrid. When
blanched, they should, as soon as possible, be reduced into a paste by pound-
ing them in a mortar, or by grinding them in a mill made on tb.e principle of
a coffee-mill. In either case, the implements employed must be perfectly
clean, as the least particle of rancid oil will spoil the whole. Hot water is
not sufficient to clean them, but alkaline ashes must be employed; after which
they must be rinsed several times with pure water. When the nuts are reduced
to a paste, a little water is put to them, which may be either cold or warm,
according to the quality of the oil reqmred ; and they are then put into per-
fectly clean linen or hair cloths, and pressed very slowly, to prevent the oil
from becoming clogged. When a very fine oil is wanted, cold water is used,
and a low temperature ; but, where it is wished to obtain a greater quantity,
warm water is used, and the press is kept in a moderately warm temperature.
After the first pressing, the mass, or tourteau, as it is called in France, is
again bruised, and, more water being added, it is again pressed. The oil pro-
duced by the process of warm extraction is about a tenth part of the weight of
the nuts : this oil is rendered very nearly, if not quite, equal in quality to that of
the olive, by putting it into casks, or unglazed earthen vessels, and placing them
in a cool cellar. At the end of two or three months, the oil is examined, and
drawn off into fresh casks or vessels, leaving a considerable quantity of muci-
lage at the bottom. This process is repeated three times during the first year;
after which the oil is put into Florence oil flasks, and buried in sand in a
cellar. The flasks should be always kept upright, and the oil drawn off from
the mucilage which it will deposit into fresh flasks every year. Thus treated,
it will keep 10 years, and improves by keeping, at least during the first 5 or
G years ; beech oil, about 6 years old being reckoned the best. The tourtran.rt
or remains of the nuts, from which the best oil has been extracted, are given
to swine, cows, and poultry, which fatten rapidly on them. A coarser oil, for
burning, is made by grinding the mast without taking off the shells ; and the
1964- ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
tourteaux from this oil, which are too hard and husky to be eaten, are used
for making torches; and hence the name of lourteau, which is generally
applied to a torch, or link, in France. In those districts of England where
the beech tree abounds in natural forests, it might, perhaps, be worth while
to make beech oil for private use, both as a substitute for olive oil, and for
lamp oil. By steeping the mast in water for several hours, and afterwards
kiln-drying them, both the outer husk and inner skin would probably be easily
removed in a common flour-mill, or in some coarse portable mill ; and the
kernels might be ground in a finer mill previously to expressing the oil from
them. To prevent disappointment, however, as to the quantity of oil pro-
duced, it must be recollected that the summers of England are less favourable
to the oleaginous secretions of plants than those of France.
For useful Plantations, the beech is not highly prized ; the tree not being of
much value when young, not forming a permanent coppice-wood, and the
bark being of little value. Beech of small size, or of short and crooked stem,
Mathew observes, is the least valuable of all timber. On dry chalky soils, it
may be planted as a timber tree ; but here, as in many other cases where a
straight clean trunk is wanted, the plants require to be drawn up, either by
other trees of their own species, or by trees of a different species, which
advance at nearly the same rate of growth ; such, for example, as the sweet
chestnut. The beech, however, succeeds best in plantations by itself; and,
perhaps, there is no membranaceotis-leaved tree which, in a wild state in
forests, is found so little intermixed with other species. It is one of the
worst of all trees for hedgerows, not only injuring the fence and the adjoining
crops by the density of its shade ; but its trunk, when grown in this situation,
being neither long, clean, nor straight, is of little value except for fuel.
Another disadvantage attending the beech, in hedgerows, is, that it does not
resist the sea breeze ; though, after a certain period of time, the beech tree, like
most others in which the head has grown all to one side, has the power of
throwing out branches on the opposite side ; as has been beautifully illustrated
by Mr. Davis of Portway, in the Gardener's Magazine, vol. iii. p. 256.; and
the rationale of the process will be found generalised in our Encyclojxsdla of
Arboriculture. In Normandy, Bosc informs us, it was formerly the custom to
plant the beech round villages, in order to shelter them from storms ; the
tree, from the upright tendency of its branches, affording less leverage to the
wind, and, by the bulk and compactness of its head, opposing a greater body
to its progress, and thus producing more shelter.
As Undergrowth, the beech is not of long duration, seldom pushing from
the stools after 40 or 50 years ; owing, as it is supposed, to the extreme hard-
ness which the bark acquires during that period. Even to preserve a beech
coppice in vigour for any length of time, it is necessary to cut it more fre-
quently than in the case of almost any other tree. In Buckinghamshire,
which is almost the only county in England where there are extensive beech
coppices, they are cut every sixth or seventh year, and the wood burned into
charcoal, which is sold to the gunpowder manufacturers. In Germany, M.
Hartig has found that the beech does not push nearly so well from the stool in
rich as in poor soil ; which, he conjectures, may be owing to the extraordinary
thickness and hardness of the bark, produced by the exuberance of sap, which,
as it were, prevents the bud formed by the germ from penetrating through it ;
in the same manner as a seed, when sown, if covered by a lump of hard soil,
is prevented from coming up. For this reason, Hartig recommends beech
coppices, on rich soils, to be cut when the sap is in motion ; because the quan-
tity of sap being diminished by the loss that is then sustained, the stool becomes
more marly in the situation which it would be in if growing in a poor soil.
For Hedgerows for Shelter, and especially for those lofty narrow hedges
which were formerly much in use for enclosing and sheltering gardens, or-
chards, and small fields for affording early grass, the beech has no equal
among deciduous trees; for, as Boutcher observes, by retaining its withered
leaves all the winter, it affords the same protection as an evergreen. A beech
CHAP. cv. CORYLAVCE;E. FAMOUS. 1965
hedge may be trained to a great height (even 30 ft. or 40 ft.), and still be kept
quite narrow at the base, like the hornbeam : but beech is greatly superior to the
hornbeam, in the richer colour of its foliage. In Belgium, particularly in the
village of St. Nicholas, between Ghent and Antwerp, very close and handsome
hedges are made with young beech trees, planted 7 in. or 8 in. apart, with
their heads inclining in opposite directions, at an angle of 45°, so as to cross
one another at right angles, and thus form a wall of trelliswork, the open
squares of which are 5 in. or 6 in. on the side. During the first year, the
plants are bound together with osiers at the points of intersection, where they
finally become grafted, and grow together. Dr. Neill found a hedge of this
sort 5ft. high, between Conti and Mechlin, in 1817. (See Jow-n.Hort. Tour.,
p. 270.)
As an ornamental Tree for the park and the lawn, especially near the man-
sion, the beech has many important advantages. Though its head is more
compact and lumpish than that of the oak, the elm, or the ash, yet its lower
branches hang down to the ground in more pliant and graceful forms than
those of any of these trees. The points of these branches turn up with
a curve, which, though not picturesque, has a character of its own, which will
be found generally pleasing. The leaves are beautiful in every period of their
existence : nothing can be finer than their transparent delicacy when expand-
ing, and for some weeks afterwards. In summer, their smooth texture, and
their deep yet lively green, are highly gratifying to the eye ; and the warmth of
their umber tint, when they hang on the trees during the winter season, as con-
trasted with the deep and solemn green of pines and firs, has a rich, striking,
and most agreeable effect in landscape. Hence a few beech trees are very
desirable on the margin of pine and fir woods, or among evergreens generally;
more especially when the soil is somewhat good and moist; under which cir-
cumstances alone will full-grown beech trees retain their leaves during the
winter. So desirable is the effect produced by the beech with its leaves on
in the winter season, that when the trees, from age or any other cause, drop
their leaves in autumn, we would recommend the substituting of young trees,
which seldom fail to retain their leaves during winter, till they approach
towards a timber size. It is certain, however, that some individual beeches
are much more apt to retain their leaves through winter than others; for
which reason a, sufficient number of young trees dught to be planted, to allow
of the rooting out of those which do not answer the end in view. Beech
trees under 30 or 40 years' growth, when cut down to the ground, push up
again ; and the leaves on the shoots so produced seldom fail to remain on
during the winter. Low growths of this sort will, in many cases, produce the
desired effect as well as trees ; a circumstance which may afford a useful hint
to the possessors of grounds of limited extent.
The leaves of the beech are less liable to be eaten, either by insects or by
cattle, than those of almost any other tree. The first circumstance renders
the beech very desirable for situations near the eye, and for avenues ank.1
hedges; and the second renders it one of the best park trees, since its
branches, though they are injured by cattle, are far less so than those of the
oak and the elm. Two other circumstances which render this an excellent
park tree are, the food which its mast affords to deer and squirrels, to pea-
cocks and other ornamental poultry, and to pigeons, thrushes, blackbirds,
and other birds. The density of its head makes it an excellent nightly
shelter for singing birds. The smoothness and light colour of the bark, and
the circumstance of the trunk being clothed with branches to within a short
distance of the ground, render it a desirable tree to place a seat under;
the eye feeling the light colour of the smooth bark to be more enlivening
than the dark rough-furrowed bark of the oak or English elm, the dark
smooth gloomy bark of the Scotch elm, the lichen-covered hoary bark of
the ash, or the reddish brown, cracked, and scaly bark of the Scotch pine.
The only tree which can be compared to the beech, as one to sit under, is the
platanus ; but the shade of this last tree is much less dense. The ancients
1966 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
supposed the shade of the beech to be as wholesome, as that of the walnut
was the reverse.
The purple beech, and the other varieties, are trees of singularity, which
produce a striking effect when judiciously introduced among other scenes
composed of foreign trees, and mark in an especial manner, wherever they are
seen, the hand of art and refinement.
For the picturesque Properties of the Beech, we shall resort to our usual au-
thority,Gilpin. "After timber trees," this author observes, " the beech deserves
our notice. Some, indeed, rank the beech among timber trees; but, I believe,
in general it does riot find that respect, as its wood is of a soft spongy nature,
sappy, and alluring to the worm. In point of picturesque beauty, I am not
inclined to rank the beech much higher than in point of utility. Its skeleton,
compared with that of the trees we have just examined, is very deficient. Its
trunk, we allow, is often highly picturesque. It is studded with bold knobs
and projections, and has sometimes a sort of irregular fluting about it, which
is very characteristic. It has another peculiarity, also, which is sometimes
pleasing, — that of a number of stems arising from the root. The bark, too,
wears often a pleasing hue. It is naturally of a dingy olive ; but it is always
overspread, in patches, with a variety of mosses and lichens, which are com-
monly of a lighter tint in the upper parts, and of a deep velvet green towards
the root. Its smoothness, also, contrasts agreeably with those rougher appen-
dages. No bark tempts the lover so much to make it the depository of his
mistress's name. It conveys a happy emblem: — 'Crescent illae; crescetis
amores.' In a chequered grove, we sometimes see very beautiful effects pro-
duced by the brilliant sparkling lights which are caught by the stems of beeches :
but, having praised the trunk, we can praise no other part of the skeleton.
The branches are fantastically wreathed, and disproportioned, twining awk-
wardly among each other, and running often into long unvaried lines, without
any of that strength and firmness which we admire in the oak, or of that easy
simplicity which pleases us in the ash : in short, we rarely see a beech well
ramified. In full leaf, it is equally unpleasing : it has the appearance of an
overgrown bush. Virgil, indeed, was right in choosing the beech for its shade :
no tree forms so complete a roof. If you wish either for shade or shelter,
you will find it best * patulte sub tegmine fagi.' This bushiness gives a great
heaviness to the tree, which is always a deformity. What lightness it has
disgusts. You will sometimes see a light branch issuing from a heavy mass ;
and, though such pendent branches are often beautiful in themselves, they are
seldom in harmony with the tree. They distinguish, however, its character,
which will be seen best by comparing it with the elm. The elm forms a
rounder, the beech a more pointed, foliage ; but the former is always in har-
mony with itself. Sometimes, however, we see in beeches of happy com-
position the foliage falling in large flocks, or layers, elegantly determined;
between which the shadows have a very forcible effect, especially when the
tree is strongly illumined. On the whole, however, the massy, full-grown,
luxuriant beech is rather a displeasing tree. It is made up of littlenesses,
seldom exhibiting those tufted cups, or hollow dark recesses, which disport in
the several grand branches of the beautiful kind of trees. Contrary to the
general nature of trees, the beech is most pleasing in its juvenile state, as it
has not yet acquired that heaviness which is its most faulty distinction. A
light, airy, young beech, with its spiry branches hanging, as I have just de-
scribed them, in easy forms, is often beautiful. I have seen, also, the forest
beech, in a dry hungry soil, preserve the lightness of youth in the maturity of
age. After all, however, we mean not to repudiate even the heavy luxuriant
beech in picturesque composition. It has sometimes its beaut}', and oftener
its use. In distance, it preserves the depth of the forest; and even on the
spot, in contrast, it is frequently a choice accompaniment. We call a forest
deep when we cannot see through it ; so that, at a distance, a thin wood of
beeches will have the effect of a large one. In the corner of a landscape,
when we want a thick heavy tree, or a part of one at least, which is often
CHAP. cv. CORYLA'CE^E. FA'GUS. 1967
necessary, nothing answers our purpose like the beech. But, at present, we
are not considering the beech in composition, but only as an individual ; and
in this light it is in which we chiefly conceive it as an object of disapprobation.
" We should not conclude our remarks on the beech without mentioning its
autumnal hues. In this respect it is often beautiful. Sometimes it is dressed
in modest brown, but generally in glowing orange ; and in both dresses its
harmony with the grove is pleasing. About the end of September, when the
leaf begins to change, it makes a happy contrast with the oak, whose foliage
is yet verdant. Some of the finest oppositions of tint which, perhaps, the
forest can furnish arise from the union of oak and beech. We often see a
wonderful effect from this combination : and yet, accommodating as its leaf is
in landscape, on handling, it feels as if it were fabricated with metallic rigour.
In its autumnal state, it almost crackles : — ' Leni crepitabat bractea vento."
For this reason, I suppose, as its rigour gives it an elastic quality, the common
people in France and Switzerland use it for their beds. I have dwelt the
longer on the beech, as, notwithstanding my severity, it is a tree of picturesque
fame ; and I did not choose to condemn it without giving my reasons. It has
acquired its reputation, I suppose, chiefly from its having a peculiar character ;
and this, with all its defects, it certainly has. I may add also, that, if objects
receive merit from their associated, as well as from their intrinsic, qualities, the
dry soil and salubrious air in which the beech generally flourishes, give it a
high degree of estimation." (Gifp. For. Seen., vol. i. p. 50.)
" The spray of the beech," Gilpin continues, " observes the same kind of alter-
nacy as that of the elm ; but it -^^^ s*^ 1879
shoots in angles still more acute
(fig. 1879.); the distance between
each twig is wider ; and it forms
a kind of zigzag course. We
esteem the beech also, in some de-
gree, a pendent tree, as well as the ash ; but there is a wide difference between
them. The ash is a light airy tree, and its spray hangs in loose elegant fo-
liage; but the hanging spray of the beech (Jig. 1880.), in old trees especially,
is often twisted, and intermingled
disagreeably; and has a perplexed
matted appearance. The whole
tree gives us something of the idea
of an entangled head of bushy hair,
from which, here and there, hangs a
disorderly lock ; while the spray of
the ash, like hair neither neglected
nor finically nice, has nothing squa- ^•'^^ 1880
lid in it, and yet hangs in loose and easy curls." (Ibid., p. 114.) If an ordi-
nary old beech tree gives the idea of an entangled head of hair, the inoscu-
lated beech at Westbury (figs. 1881. and 1884.), may be compared to a
head of hair affected with the plica polonica.
On Gilpin's observations on the beech, Sir T. D. Lauder justly observes,
that they afford " one of the instances in which the author's love for the art
of representing the objects of nature with the pencil, and his associations with
the pleasures of that art, have very much led him astray. We are disposed to
go along with him in a great measure, so far as we, like him, draw our asso-
ciations with this tree from the same source. But we conceive we have much
the advantage of him, in being able to indulge in the pleasures arising from the
contemplation of a noble beech as one of the most magnificent objects of
God's fair creation. Some of the very circumstances which render it un-
picturesque, or, in other words, which render it an unmanageable subjectx5\
art, highly contribute to render it beautiful. The glazed surface of the/IeV '*
which brightly reflects the sun's rays, and the gentle emotions of lighf/if Ve
may venture so to express ourselves, which sometimes steal over th/e surface ^3
of its foliage with the breathing of the balmy breeze, although difficult or '
1968 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
rather almost impossible, to be represented by the artist, are accidents which
are productive of very pleasing ideas in the mind of the feeling observer of
nature. * They make spreading trees and noble shades,' says old Evelyn,
* with their well-furnished and glittering leaves, being set at 40 ft. distance.
But they grow taller, and more upright, in the forests, where I have beheld
them, at 8 ft. and 10 ft., shoot into very long poles ; but neither so apt for
timber nor fuel. In the valleys, where they stand nearest in consort, they will
grow to a stupendous procerity, though the soil be stony and very barren ;
also upon the declivities, sides, and tops of hills.' We remember to have been
much gratified with the effect of this tree, where all other trees were absent :
it was in Italy, on the very summit of the Valombrosan Apennine. During our
progress through the scorching plains of Italy (nay, we may safely say, after
bidding adieu to England), we had seen nothing to resemble the green sward
of a British lawn. What was our agreeable surprise, then, when, on emerging
from the upper boundary of those forests of chestnut and other trees which
there cover the declivities of the mountains, we entered at last on a beautiful
sloping and undulating lawn, composed of shaven turf of the richest possible
verdure, every where surrounded by fine spreading beeches, running into the
open ground in irregular promontories, and receding in bays, in which the
velvet surface of the pasture stole gradually into the cool shade ! The whole
was like a scene of magic. It was like a perfect and well-kept English park ;
and this produced by the enchanting hand of nature, on the summit of the
Apennines. We selected the most pleasing spot we could find on the very
top ; and there, under the umbrageous cover of one of the largest trees, we eat
our well-earned meal, where the boundless prospect gave to our wondering
and delighted eyes, the view of the waters of the Mediterranean on the one side,
and those of the Adriatic on the other. We must confess, that we have
hardly ever seen a beech tree since, without its bringing to our recollection
the enjoyments of that most celestial day; and the reader will easily be able
to trace the combination of pleasing associations which made it so." (Lan-
der's Gilpin, vol. i. p. 101.)
Soil and Situation. The beech will grow on dry soils, including sand, gravel,
and chalk, more freely than most other trees; though it is found in the
greatest perfection in sandy calcareous loam or in fresh sandy loam on clay or
rock. On both sandy and clayey soils, it sometimes becomes a tree of great
magnitude, as in the case of the beech at Knowle, in Kent, which grows in
pure sand, and which is 105 ft. high, with a head 123ft. in diameter; and the
avenues at Panmure, in Forfarshire, on clayey loam, where, Mr. Sang informs
us, there are specimens 90 ft. high, with clear trunks of upwards of 50 ft.
Among rocks, crags, and where there is little or no soil to be seen, and in
low situations by the banks of streams, Sang informs us that the beech will
grow to a vast and very uncommon size. It will thrive in elevated situations,
but is not found at so great a height as the sycamore, or even the oak. (See
Geography, $c.y p. 1 955.)
Propagation and Culture. The species is universally propagated by seed,
and the varieties by budding, grafting, or inarching. The seeds or nuts,
which are commonly called mast, begin to drop from the husks in the
months of October and November; and this process may be accelerated
by shaking the tree. The nuts may then be gathered up, and dried in the
sun, or in an airy shed or loft; after which, they may be mixed with sand
that is perfectly dry, at the rate of three bushels1 of sand to one of mast.
French authors direct that the sand in which the mast is kept should be
slightly watered once a month; which shows in a striking manner the dif-
ference as to dryness between the climate of France and that of England.
By some, the mast is spread in a thin stratum on a loft floor, without any
sand ; where it remains, being occasionally turned over, till the following
spring, and being covered with straw to exclude the frost. The mast only
retains its vital properties for one year; and, therefore, it must be sown, at the
latest, during the following spring. The common time is from the beginning
CHAT. CV. CORVLACEX.. /'AVGUS. 1969
of March till the beginning of April. Autumn might be adopted for sowing,
were it not that the nuts are greedily sought after, through the winter, by mice
and other vermin. One bushel of seed, according to Mitchell, weighs 34? Ib.
unheaped, and contains 58,65G seeds. From 1£ bushel of seeds, the produce
of the year 1786, kept in sand till the following spring, not less than 150,000
plants were raised, and planted on the Muirland Hills, at Dillorn, Stafford-
shire, by J. Halliday, Esq., who received a gold medal for so doing. (Trans.
Soc. Arts, vol. x., for 1792, p. 18.) The soil in which the nuts are sown
ought always to be light, and more or less rich, as the plants are rather tender
when young. They may either be sown in beds, or in drills, with the usual
covering of soil, being about 1 in. The seeds should not lie nearer to one
another, when sown, than 1 in. Mast, sown in the autumn, will come up
in April ; and that sown in spring, seldom later than the beginning of May.
Boutcher sows in the beginning of March, in thin shallow drills, about 1 ft. 6 in.
asunder ; watering, if the season is dry, frequently, but moderately, from the
plants beginning to appear above ground, till the middle of August; which, he
says, greatly forwards their growth. " In March, next season, with a spade
made very sharp for the purpose, undermine the roots as they stand in the
drills, and cut them over between 4 in. or 5 in. under ground. The following
autumn or spring, you may either raise the whole, or give them another cut-
ting below ground ; when, gently raising such as are too thick, leave the re-
mainder, at proper distances, to stand another season. This manner of cutting
the roots dexterously has, in a great measure, the same effect as trans-
planting." ( Treatise, &c., p. 22.) After the plants have stood 2 years, or, if
in poor soil, 3 years, they may be transplanted in lines 2 ft. asunder, and
9 in. or 10 in. in the line. A great error in treating the beech tree at this age,
Boutcher observes, is trimming off all its side branches, and planting only the
bare stem. This, he says, is doing the greatest violence to the plants, as no
tree admits of being less pruned at transplanting than the beech, especially
when young; the plants "constantly turning hide-bound and stunted when
that is severely done;" therefore, nothing but " very cross ill-placed branches,
and even these very sparingly, are to be touched at this time." After the
plants have remained in these lines 2 years, they are to be removed into
other lines, 3 ft. 6 in. asunder, and at 1 ft. 6 in. apart in the line; whence, after
remaining in good soil 3, but in poor land 4, years, they may either be
removed into a general plantation, where they are to remain permanently, or,
if they are to be transplanted from the nursery of a large size, they must
undergo the further discipline of being once, twice, or thrice transplanted, till
at last they stand 10 ft. asunder every way. During the whole of this treat-
ment, they must scarcely receive any pruning, except in the season before
final removal. At their removal they must not be pruned at all; but, when
once established, they may be pruned at pleasure, as every beech hedge and
beech coppice shows. In respect to the latter, indeed, a common expres-
sion in Buckinghamshire is, " Cut a beech, and have a beech."
Final Culture in Plantations. The beech, after being transplanted where it
is finally to remain, if in masses, and the plants not above 3 ft. or 4 ft. high,
may be cut down to the ground, and the leading shoot produced the following
year selected, and trained so as to form a clear stem. It has been found, from
experience, that trees of 20 years' or 30 years' growth, when transplanted, suffer
much by pruning at that time, and cannot have their heads cut in, like the oak,
the elm, and almost every other species of deciduous membranaceous-leaved
trees, when they are transplanted of large size. They may, however, be cut
in a year or two years before removal, and will, in that case, transplant with
a much better chance of success. Where a beech wood is to be formed
on a light poor soil, provided the surface admits of being pulverised by
the plough and harrow, or of being trenched, it may be sown with mast in
drills, without the admixture of the seeds of any other tree. The ground may
be cultivated, for two or three years, between the rows, by horse-hoeing ; and
the plants may be thinned out the second year, so as to stand at 6 ft. apart in
6 M 2
1970 ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART 111.
the row. If the rows are 6 ft. asunder, the plantation will form a very suitable
coppice for cutting every seventh year ; or, if every tenth plant be permitted to
become a timber tree, the result will be a beech wood, with ample spaces
between the trees for the growth of coppice.
Felling the Beech for Timber, the successional Trees, fyc. As full-grown
trees do not stole, they are generally taken up by the roots. The usual season
is winter; though some French authors assert that the English practice is to
fell beech trees in the beginning of summer, when the sap is in full motion.
In Buckinghamshire, beech woods have been succeeded by beech woods from
time immemorial ; the mast which has dropped from the trees springing up,
and supplying the place of those that are removed. In artificial culture, how-
ever, a different natural order of trees, it would seem, ought to be made to
succeed the beech ; though, on very thin soils on chalk, it would be difficult, if
not impossible, to name a tree that would produce an equal bulk of timber in
the same number of years, independently altogether of the value of its timber.
It is certain, that none of the poplars, beeches, or willows, would do this ; nor
will any of the pines or firs thrive where the subsoil is chalk. Where, how-
ever, the soil is deeper than it is in Buckinghamshire, the theory of a succes-
sion of a timber crop may, perhaps, be advantageously carried into execution ;
but the beech, on a thin surface of vegetable soil on chalk, seems to be an
exception : or, perhaps, several crops may be taken on such soils, and, con-
sequently, several generations elapse, before a change of crop is required.
Accidents, Diseases, fyc. The full-grown beech, from the acuteness of the
angle which the branches form with the trunk, presents, as we have already
mentioned (p. 1954.), less leverage to the wind than the branches of many
other trees, and is, consequently, liable to few accidents from storms. Large
detached trees, when of a great age, are, like all others under similar circum-
stances, liable to be blown down ; but, in general, few trees are seen more
perfect in their form than the beech. It is subject to few diseases, unless we
except that tufted appearance named Erfneum /agineum Pers., Grev. Crypt.,
t. 250., which is sometimes found on the leaves, and which some botanists con-
sider to be a fungus ; but which the Rev. M. J. Berkeley considers a disease
produced by a surorganisation of the cellular tissue. The trunk and branches
of the beech are subject to nodosities, seldom above 1 in. or 2 in. in diameter,
but which sometimes are much larger. These are probably originated by the
puncture of some insect, and are to the wood of the beech what the galls of
the oak are to the leaves of that tree. The branches from their number,
proximity, and liability to cross each other, may occasionally be found inos-
culated ; and a remarkable example of this occurs in a wood called West Hay,
between Cliff and Stamford, belonging to the Marquess of Exeter. We are
indebted, for a knowledge of this tree, to the kindness of the Rev. M. J.
Berkeley ; and to Mrs. Berkeley for the very beautiful and accurate drawings
from which Jigs. 1881. and 1884. are engraved. Fig. 1881. is to our usual
scale for full-grown trees of 1 in. to 12 ft. ; and fig. 1884. in p. 1972., which
shows a portion of the trunk, is to a scale of 2 ft. 6 in. to 1 in.
The only quadrupeds that we are aware of, that do much injury to the beech,
are deer and cattle pasturing round them, which, however, as before observed,
crop their branches much less than they do those of most other trees ; and
the squirrel, which, however, is most injurious to young beech trees, by feeding
on the inner bark. These animals appear to prefer the bark on the lower
part of the tree, as, indeed, do rats, mice, and most animals that gnaw through
stems of young trees. The squirrel, however, when pressed for food, will
attack both the beech and hornbeam, when the trees are of considerable size,
stripping off the outer bark in pieces of from Sin. to 6 in. in length ; and then
feeding on the inner bark and the soft wood. It has been found that coating
the stems of trees for 5 ft. or 6 ft. in height, with a mixture of tar and grease,
will deter the squirrels from attacking them.
Insects. Comparatively few insects attack the beech, and those which do
chiefly belong to the order Lepidoptera, and are in the caterpillar state. Of these
the following are the most interesting species : — Stauropus fagi (the lobster),
CHAP. IV.
£ORYLArCE/E. FA^GUS.
1971
1881
Notodonta dromedarius, Lophopteryx camelina, Petasia cassinea, E'ndromis
versicolor (Glory of Kent moth), Aglaia tau ; all belonging to the Linnaean
.Bombyces. Amongst the -ZVbctuidae are, Orthosia stabilis, Miselia aprilina,
Catocala fraxini ; and, amongst the Geometridae, Himera pennaria, Epione
vespertaria, Lobophora hexapterata, together with Drepana unguicula and
Hylophila prasinaria. One of the gall flies, also, (Cynips fagi) attacks the leaves
of Fagus sylvatica, forming galls upon them ; and fsylla fagi Linn.y also, feeds
upon the leaves, occasionally in such numbers as to cause them to appear covered
with white flakes of wool or cotton; the larvae and pupae being clothed with a
long downy secretion, perfectly white. (Reaum. Mem., torn. iii. pi. 26. fig. 1 — 6.)
The Fungi which grow upon the Beech, in Great Britain, are rather nume-
rous, and the following list of them has been kindly sent to us by the Rev.
M. J.Berkeley : —
Those upon the Bark, Wood, or
fallen Branches, are : ^4garicus mucidus
Schrad.,syn. A. nitidus Fl. Dan., t.
773., and our Jig. 1893.; A. salignus
Pers.; A. mastrucatus Fr., syn. A.
echinatus Sow., t. 99., and our fig.
1882. ; A. leoninus Sch&ff., t. 4-8.; A. phlebophorus Ditm.,
Grev.,t. 173., and our fig. 1885.; A. adiposus Batsch, a
most splendid species, the pileus of which, in fine speci-
6 M 3
1882
1883
AUBOKETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
'ART III.
•
CHAP. CV.
CO RYLANCE JE. FAMOUS.
1973
1885
1886
1887
35 and our
mens, bears a strong resemblance to a well-grown pine-apple;
A. bombycinus Schceff., t. 98., is also found on the beech,
though this species is most frequent, in
England, on the ash; Daedalea gibbosa
Pers., syn. -Boletus sinuosus Sow., t.
194., and our fig. 1886.; D. latfssima
Fr., syn. .Boletus resupinatus Sow., t.
424.; Polyporus brumalis Fr., #ei-
vella pileiis Schceff., t. 281., and our
fig. 1887.; P. giganteus Fr., syn. .Bo-
letus imbricatus Soiv., t. 86., and our
fig 1888., forming masses 2 ft. or 3 ft., or more, across, at the base of the
trunks; P. cristatus Fr. ; P. spumeus Fr., syn. .Boletus spumeus Sow., t. 21 1.,
and P. conchatus Fr. (which last, ^ — -...,
though found on the beech, is more £ *
common on the sallow), .Hydnum
coralloides Scop., Sow.,t. 252., and
our fig. 1889., is one of the most ).
beautiful of Fungi, resembling,
according to some authors, a cauliflower: like
7/ydnum Erinaceus, it is esculent. Phlebia me-
rismoides Fr., Grev., t. 280.; Peziza repanda
Cm, t 59- P melastoma Sow., t. 149., syn. P. atro-rufa Grev.,
1890. ; P. anomala Pers., P. rugosa Sow., t. 369. ; P.
aurelia Pers., Grev., t. 139., and P. aerugmosa Pei-s.
Grev., t. 241., syn. J^elvella aerugindsa Sow., t. 347.
and our fig. 1901. " The wood
on which it grows is almost al-
ways stained with the same
green colour as the fungus."
(Soiv., 1. c.) Crypt6myces versi-
color Berk., syn. Stictis versi-
color Fr. ; Sclerotium truncorum 1890
Tode, forming a nidus to Ag. tuberosus ; SphaeVia
fragiformis Pers., syn. Stromatosphse'ria Grev., t.
136., Lycoperdon variolosurn Sow., t. 271., and our fig. 1902.; S. cohae'rens
Pers.; S. rufa Pers., S. deusta Hoffm., syn. StromatosphaeNria deusta Grev.,
t. 324., and our fig. 1903.; S. maxima
Soiv., t. 338 ; S. disciformis Hoffm., syn.
Stromatosphae'ria disciformis Grev., t.
314., and our fig. 1894.; S. depressa
Sow.t t. 216. ; S. aspera Fr.; S. angulata
Fr. ; S. turgida Pers. ; S. quaternata
Pers. ; S. gyrosa Schwein., syn. S. fluens
Sow., t. 423. ; S. melogramma Pers. ;
S. trlstis Tode; S. Peziza Tode, Grev., t. 186., and our fig.
1895.; Peziza hydrophora Sow., t. 23.; Hysterium rugosum
Fr., syn. Opegrapha epiphcga E. B. t. 2282., and our fig. 1897. ; Reticularia
maxima Fr., syn. Lycop. echiniformis Sow., t. 400. f. 1. The sporidia, when
subjected to considerable heat by Dr.
Wollaston, produced a phosphoric glass.
(Eng. Fl., vol. v. pt. 2. p. 308.) Stilbum
turbinatum Tode, S. vulgare Tode, and
our fig. 1896.; Cor^ieum macrospo-
rium Berk. ; Naemaspora crocea Pers.;
Stilb6spora asterosperma Pers.
The Fungi on the Leaves of the Beech are : ^4garicus ca-
pillaris Schum.; A. setosus Sow., t. 302.; Peziza epiphylla
Pers. ; Sphaexria artocreas Tode; Craterium leucocepnalum
Ditm., Grev., t. 65., and our Jig. 1898.
6M 4
1889
1891
1894
1974
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
1895
1897
The F^/zgi growing on Beech Mast
are: yfgaricus balaninus Berk. ; Peziza
fructigena Bull., Sow., t. 117. and our
fig. 1900.; Sphae'ria carpophila Pers. :
and, of those found attached to the
root, Mr. Berkeley only mentions Ela- _=
phomyces muricatus, syn. Lycoperdon
Tuber L~
The most remarkable fungi growing beneath the Seech Tree, or among its
fallen leaves, in British woods, are: Geoglossum viride Fr., Grev., t.
211., and our fig. 1899.; A'nthina flammea Fr.,
found abundantly in Rockingham and Sherwood
Forests, in 1836 ; Morchella esculenta
Pers., Grev., t. 68., syn. Helvetia escu-
lenta Soiv., t. 51., in part, and our fig.
1902.; and Tuber cibarium Sibth., Sow.
8 t. 309., and our fig. 1901. Of these the
last two are celebrated luxuries for the table. Morchella escu-
lenta Pers., the common morel, is a mushroom-like fungus, grow-
ing in great abundance in the woods of Germany and France,
particularly after any of the trees have been burned down. This
having been observed, led, in Germany, to the burning of the
woods, in order to produce morels ; and, consequently, great numbers of trees
were destroyed, till the practice was forbidden by law. This fungus is much
used, also, in a dried state, for giving a flavour
to made dishes; and, in the countries where it
abounds, many persons gain their livelihood by
finding and drying the morels, which they do
by running a thread through their stalks, and
hanging them in an airy place. In England,
morels are comparatively rare ; but Mr. Berke-
ley informs us that he has known them to be
1899 so abundant in Kent, as to be used for making
a sort of catsup. There are many variations of form and size observable in
this fungus; but M. esculenta Pers. (fig. 1902.) and .M.patula (fig. 1903.)
are generally considered the best. When young and fresh, the morels are of a
greyish brown, and have an agree- ^massss^ 1902
able smell; but, when old, they
become nearly black, and lose
•.AHMS& their fragrance. In the latter
state they are not fit for the ta-
1901 ble ; because the cup is generally
found much perforated, and full of the larvae and eggs of
insects. When dry, morels will keep good, and retain
their flavour, for many years. The morel is always found
in the spring, and is thus easily distinguished from the
helvella, which is often used as a substitute for
it, but which is generally found in autumn. He\-
vella esculenta (our fig. 1904.) has a good flavour, but is far inferior to the
genuine morel : it is, however, often confounded with it in Sweden, under
the name of stenmurkla, and, in Germany, under those of gemeine morchel,
stumpf morchel, and stock morchel. (See Diet. Class., &c., and Nouv. Cours
(TAgri., art. Morille.) Tuber cibarium (fig. 1901.), the common truffle, is, if
possible, even more highly prized in cookery than the morel : it is also more
difficult to find, as, instead of appearing above the surface, like a mushroom,
it is buried in the ground, like a potato. It is black, covered with tubercles,
and possesses a very strong but agreeable smell. When ripe, its flesh is brown,
veined with white. It is generally found by dogs or pigs, trained to search
1POO
CHAP. CV. CORYLAXCE^. .FAMOUS. 1975
for it; but, in those countries where truffles abound, in the
month of October (which is their season for ripening), all the
inhabitants repair to the woods, slightly stirring, or rather
scratching, the ground in those places which experience points
out to them as the most likely to contain the tubers. The high
price of, and constant demand for, truffles, both in France and
other countries, render this a very lucrative employment ; and
experienced hunters are rarely deceived in the places where
they make their search. Nees von Esenbeck relates an instance
of a poor crippled boy who could detect truffles with a cer-
tainty superior even to that of the best dogs, and so earned a ^_j_
livelihood. (Eng. FL, vol. v. p. 288.) Truffles are generally * 1903
found, in France, in light dry soils, and particularly in forests on mountains.
They are most abundant in the vicinity of Grenoble, Avignon, Perigueux, and
Angouleme ; and on the mountains of Vivarais, Cevennes,
and Jura. In England, they are tolerably abundant in
beech woods on light soil ; but they are very rare in Scot-
land. The truffles of commerce are generally those of
Angouleme and Perigueux. The signs which are con-
sidered, in France, to indicate the habitats of truffles
are : 1. The absence of plants on the surface of the
ground ; the quantity of nourishment required by the truffle generally famish-
ing their roots. 2. The cracking and undulations of the surface of the soil,
which appears as though it had been slightly raised by moles, or some
other animal under ground, in little hillocks, which are generally very small,
being seldom larger than a common hen's egg; where they are much raised,
the truffle is generally found only 2 in. or 3 in. below the surface. 3. The
appearance of numerous columns of small flies, which are attracted by the
smell of the truffle, and seek it in order to deposit their eggs. Pigs are
so fond of truffles, whenever they have once tasted them, that, when they find
them, though they are muzzled, they keep rooting up the earth with their
snouts, and are quite insensible to the calls of their masters, to whom they are
perfectly obedient at all other times. Many persons have attempted to pro-
pagate truffles artificially; and Bulliard and Baril have, to a certain extent,
succeeded, but not sufficiently to make the culture of the root become
general. The mode of propagation employed was, taking the earth up in
places where truffles were generally found, in the month of May, when the
first traces of them were discoverable; and, after placing this earth in a
garden, covering it with decayed beech leaves, which were shaded and kept
moist, in order to imitate the temperature of the natural habitat of the tuber.
In this manner truffles were produced, but neither in greater abundance, nor
of better quality, than in their native woods ; and the trouble and expense of
rearing them was considerable. Other methods have been tried in Germany,
as noticed in Bornholz's Triijflebau, £c. (see Gard. Mag., vol. ii. p. 480.);
and the culture has even been undertaken in England, though without
success. (See Gard. Mag., vol. iii. p. 102.) Truffles are often preyed upon
by a species of Leiodes. They are very difficult to keep, and they are seldom
good more than ten days or a fortnight. The best way of keeping them entire
is, to leave them in the earth in which they are found till they are wanted for
the table, or to bury them in sand immediately on taking them out of the
ground ; by which last method it is said to be possible to keep them two or
three months. The most general way of keeping them is, however, to cut
them into very thin slices, and either to dry them in an oven, or fry them in oil,
and then preserve them in waxed paper or glass bottles. Truffles are never
eaten raw : when fresh, they are cooked like mushrooms ; or capons or turkeys
are stuffed with them : but they are principally used dry for flavouring ragouts,
and other made dishes. It is said that a spirituous liquor may be extracted
from them. (See Nouv. Cours d'Agri., art. Truffle noire ; Fischer's Anleit. zur
Tnlfflcjagd, &c. ; Bornholz Der Trufflebau, &c.; Bulliard's Hist, de* Champ, dc
1976
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
1906
France ; Roque's Hist, des Champ. ; &c.) Rhizo-
pogon albus Fr., Berk. Eng. FL, v. part 1 1. p. 229.
syn. Tuber album Bull., t. 404., Sow., t. 310., and
our fig. 1815.; T. albidum Ccesalp.', Lycoperdon
gibbosum Dicks. Crypt., ii. p. 26. ; Truffle blanche,
Fr. ; the White Truffle; is also eaten. It is rare both
in France and England ; but is sometimes found, in
both countries, in sandy woods, and is common in
Germany. It has occurred in the Botanic Garden
at Glasgow.
The price of morels, dry, in Covent Garden market, varies from 16s. a pound
to 20s.; and in Paris the fresh morels 'are from 50 to 60 cents the pottle.
Truffles, when dry, are about 14s. a pound in Covent Garden market ; and
fresh English truffles are from 3s. 6d. to 5s. a pound. Fresh truffles vary in
Paris, according to their quality, from 50 cents to 3 francs per pound.
Lichens. We are informed by W. Borrer, Esq., tht
the only lichens known to him,as peculiar to the beech,
are, Opegrapha venosa and Parmelia speciosa. O. ve-
nosa Eng. Bot., t. 2454., and our fig. 1816., is found
on the trunks of beech trees in the New Forest,
Hampshire. Sir J. E. Smith describes the ramifica-
tions of this lichen as being " deeply sunk into the
crust, but convex above, and intensely black, with ob-
tuse terminations." (See Eng. Fl.,\.p\. 1. p. 148.)
The name of Opegrapha alludes to the supposed resemblance of the lichens
which compose this genus to Hebrew characters inscribed on the wood.
P. speciosa Ach. Syn., p. 221., Z/ichen speciosus Wulf. Eng. Bot., 1979.,
the elegant garland parmelia, is usually found on rocks; but Mr. Borrer
informs us that it is also found on the beech. " The fructification of this
lichen has not been found in Great Britain ; but it is described from specimens
gathered in North America." (Eng. Fl., v. pi. 1. p. 202.) Dr. Taylor, how-
ever, finds it "not very rare near Dunkerron, county of Kerry." (FL Hib.,
pt. ii. p. 149.) ; and a single specimen has occurred in St. Leonard's Forest,
Sussex.
Statistics. Recorded Trees. The Great Beech, in Windsor Forest, of which an engraving is given
by Strutt in his Sylva Britannica, and of which our fig. 1907. is a copy, reduced to a scale of 1 in. to
50ft, is evidently of very great antiquity. It is supposed to have existed before the Norman Con-
quest; and it is mentioned by Cambden as " standing on a high hill (Sunning Hill), and overlooking
a vale lying out far and wide ; garnished with corn fields, flourishing with meadows, decked with
groves on either side, and watered with the Thames." According to Jesse, the trunk of this tree
measures, at 6 ft. from the ground, 36 ft. round. " It is now," he says,
" protected from injury, and Nature seems to be doing her best to-
wards repairing the damage which its exposure to the attacks of man «;., ^SSUmB .ft
and beast had produced. It must once have been almost hollow ;
but the vacuity (as shown in fig. 1908.), has now boen nearly filled
up. One might almost fancy that liquid wood, which had afterwards v~WI*y5i0**VCiit' t}-
hardened, had been poured into the tree. The twistings and dis- .Maif^~*\'tj*Hlr:- A-
tortions of this huge substance have a curious and striking effect ;
and one might almost imagine them to have been produced by a
convulsive throe of nature. (See fig. 1907. in p. 1977., on a larger
scale, copied from Jesse's Gleanings.) There is no bark on this .extra-
neous substance ; but the surface is smooth, hard, and without any
appearance of decay." (Jesse's Gleanings in Nat. Hist., 2di s.,
p. 112.) A beech at Bicton, in Devonshire, blown down in 1806, had
a trunk which measured 29 ft. in circumference, and a head which ~]
was 103ft. in diameter. The Burnham Beeches stand in a tract of "*
woodland above 4 miles from Stoke Pogis, in Buckinghamshire, 1907
which is celebrated as the scene of Gray's poetic musings. " Both vale and. hill," says Gray,
" are covered with most venerable beeches;" and in his Elegy he particularly mentions " the nod-
ding beech, that wreathes its old fantastic roots so high." In Scotland, a very large beech stood atNew-
battle Abbey, in Mid-Lothian. It was measured by Dr. Walker, in 1789 ; when the trunk was found
to be 17ft in circumference, and the diameter of the head 89ft. It contained upwards of 1000 ft.
of timber. It was blown down by a gale of wind about 1809. Dr. Walker thinks it must have
been planted between 1540 and 1560. A beech tree at Preston Hall, Mid-Lothian, at 1 ft. from the
ground, measured 17 ft. 3 in. in circumference; and at 4ft., 14ft. 6 in. A beech at Taymouth,
seemingly coeval with that at Newbattle Abbey, was blown down when its trunk was above 16 ft.
round. A number of other fine beech trees, which existed in Scotland in the time of Dr. Walker,
are noticed in his Essays on Natural History, to which Mr. Sang and Sir T. Dick Lauder have added
several other remarkable examples. In Ireland, there are a number of large beech trees, the dimen-
sions of which have been recorded by Hayes. At Shelton Abbey, near Arklow, there are 7 beech
trees, the trunks of which measure from 13 ft. 9 in. to 15 ft. in circumference ; and there are upwards
CHAP. CV.
CORYLAYEJK. FAMOUS.
1977
1908
of 60 trees with trunks between 10 ft. and
16 ft. in circumference, carrying the above
girts for more than 40ft. At Tiny Park
there are 3 beech trees, with trunks 14 ft.,
15 ft. 6 in. . and 14 ft. 8 in. in circumference
at the ground. The last, at 7 ft. from the
ground, measures 16 tt. 3 in. round, and
continues nearly of the same dimensions
for 36 ft. The dimensions of various
other fine trees might be added from the
same authority. In France, a beech is
recorded by ArthurYoung (Trat-els, p. 7.)
as standing at Chantilly, and the finest,
he says, that he ever saw : its trunk was
as straight as an arrow, not less than 80ft
or 9()ft. high, 40ft. to the first branch,
and 12 ft. diam. at 5 ft from the ground.
Remarkable existing Trees. The largest
beeches now existing in England are, the
Studley Beech (seefig. 1878.), the Knowlc
Beech (see p. 19(58.), 85 ft. high, diameter
at the trunk 8ft. 4 in., and of the head
352ft., and the Ashridge Beeches ; of
which the Queen Beech (fig. 1909.) is --
110 ft. high, the trunk is 10 ft. in circum-
ference at 2ft. from the ground, and at the height of 74ft. from the ground, to which height the trunk
is without a single branch, it is 6ft. Sin. in circumlcrence. The King Beech, also in the park at
Ashridge, and which is represented by the central tree in the group (fig. 1920.), is 114 ft. high, with
a clear trunk of 75 ft, which, at 2 ft. from the ground, is 9'ft in circumference, and at 75 ft., 5 ft. 6 in.
A spreading beech at Ashridge (fig. 1911.) is 70ft. high,
with a trunk 18 ft. 4 in. in circumference, and a head
114ft. in diameter. The drawings from which our en-
gravings of these trees are taken were made for us in
October, 1836, by the permission and at the expense of the
Countess of Bri'dgewater. The celebrated beech at Wo- ,
burti Abbey, commonly known as Pontey's Beech, which •
was measured for us by the direction of the Duke of
Bedford, in February, 1837, is 100ft high, with a clear
trunk of 50ft. : the circumference of the trunk, at 4 ft.
from the ground, is 12 ft. 6 in. ; and the cubic feet of tim-
ber which it contains are, by measurement, 317 ft; and that
in the head, by computation, is estimated at 50 ft. ; giving
a total of 367 ft. of useful timber. This tree was measured
in 1829 ; since which period it has increased in circum-
ference, at 4ft. from the ground, 6 in. ; and in cubic feet
of timber in the trunk, 5tt. A silver fir, in the park at
Woburn, 114 ft. high, and containing ;>50 cubic feetof tim-
ber, exclusive of the head, had increased in circumference,
in the same period, 12ft. 6 in. at 4ft. from the ground ;
and, in the cubic feet of timber in the trunk, no less than
11 ft. ; thus showing the much greater rapidity of growth
in the silver fir than in the beech. The highest beech in
liaywood, at Castle Howard, was, in 1834, 110ft. high,
and it contained 940 cubic feet of timber; the circum-
ference of the trunk, at 5ft. from the ground, was 14ft.
2 in., the length of clear bole was 70 ft., and the diameter
of the head was 96ft. A spreading beech at the same
place was 80 ft. high, and contained 964 cubic feet of
timber ; the diameter of the head wa.< 105 ft. ; the cir-
cumference of the trunk, at 5 ft. from the ground, was
17 ft. 10 in., and the length of clear bole 40 ft. (See Gart/
M<ig.,vo].\i. p. 18.) At Bicton, in Devonshire, is a beech tree 104 ft. high, with a trunk 18ft
in circumference ; diameter of the head 87 ft. In Somersetshire, at Nettlecombe, is a beech 100ft.
high, with a trunk 24ft. in circumference. In Wiltshire, in the grounds of A. B. Lambert, Esq.,
at Boyton, is a celebrated tree, called the Corton Beech, which measures J3ft. 9$ in. in circum.
ference, at 4 ft. from the ground; the trunk contains nearly 8 tons of timber, and the whole tree
upwards of 11 tons. Mr. Lambert's father, about the beginning of the present century, betted this
tree, every circumstance considered, against any tree of the same species in England, and won a
pipe of wine by it. Mr. Lambert has three other beech trees of nearly equal dimensions, close
adjoining this remarkable one. The subsoil is chalk. In Worcestershire, on an estate belonging
to Lord Lyttelton, are the Frankly Beeches, which are of great antiquity. Standing on a hill,
they can be seen to a great distance ; and they are mentioned in old leases as land-marks. The
largest was blown down some years ago ; but those still standing have been measured for us through
the kindness of Lord Lyttelton, and their dimensions are as follows: — The upper beeches are now
reduced to four in number. The one blown down in 1833 was a noble tree, and considerably larger
than any of the others ; being about 20 ft. in circumference, with a proportionate height and head.
The largest now standing U 14 ft. in circumference at 1 ft. from the ground, and is 70 ft. high.
The lower beeches comprise five large, and six or eight smaller, trees ; the largest measuring about
14ft. in circumference. One of these was blown down in 1836, and was found much decayed. They
are very handsome trees ; and, from their mode of growth and commanding situation, they have
a very striking effect. In Derbyshire, at Keddleston, the seat of Lord Scarsdale, is a beech tree
which was removed about 70 years ago, when the present mansion was built, and which was then a
large tree. It has now a trunk 12ft. in circumference, and a head 52 tt in diameter, touching the
ground on every side. In Scotland the most remarkable beeches are, one at Newbattle Abbey,
88ft. high, diameter of the trunk 9ft. and of the head 100ft. ; one in Dumfriesshire, and two in
Morayshire. The Eccles Beech (fig. 1912.) stands near Baitford, in Dumfriesshire. The trunk is
18 ft. in circumference, where it begins to throw out the branches, which extend over a space 95 ft
in diameter. An account and drawing of this tree has been sent to us by Mr. Grierson, secretary to
1909
1978
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
the Horticultural Society of Dumfries,
who adds, " The late proprietor of this
tree, Mr. Maitland, used to bring his
friends to sit beneath its shade to take
their wine after dinner." The Earl's
Mill Beech, in Morayshire (fig. 1913.),
is 50 ft. high, with a trunk 17 ft. in
circumference at 3 ft. from the ground,
and a head 93 ft. in diameter. The
Grange Hall Beech (fig. 1914.), in the
same county, is only 36ft. high, with a
trunk about 14 ft. in circumference at
5 ft. from the ground, and a head 95 ft.
in diameter. The roots rise up all
round the trunk to the height of 2ft.
or 3ft. from the ground, and form a
natural seat, to which the immense and
umbrella-like head affords an agreeable
shade. The drawings of these last two
trees were made for us by Mr. Stephens,
artist, of Elgin, at the request, and ex-
pense of Macleod, Esq.
Fdgus sylvutica in England. In the
environs of London, at Gunnersbury
Park, are many fine beeches, 90 ft.
high, with trunks about 9 ft. in circum-
ference.— South of London. In Devon-
shire, at Killerton, a beech tree, 150
years old, is 68 ft high, diameter of the
trunk 7 ft, and of the head 97 ft. In
Dorsetshire, at Melbury Park, 200 years
1910
old, it is 8;2 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 7 ft., and of the head 96 ft. In Somersetshire, at Cothel-
stone, it is 85 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 5ft., and of the head 84 ft In Surrey, at Claremont,
it is 90 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 5 ft. In Sussex, at Kidbrooke, it is 70 ft. high, the diameter of
the trunk 7 ft., and that of the head 87 ft. In Wiltshire, at VVardour Castle, 100 years old, it is 60ft.
high, the diameter of the trunk 5 ft.
6 in., and that 'of the head 82 ft. ;
and at Longford Castle, it is 70 ft.
high, the diameter of the trunk 3 ft.,
and that of the head 50 ft.— North
of London. In Berkshire, at Bear
Wood, 16 years planted, it is 80 ft.
high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft.,
and that of the head 18 ft ; at High
Clere, it is 67 ft. high, the diameter
of the trunk 3 ft, and of the head
28 ft. In Denbighshire, at Llanbede
Hall, it is 71 ft. high, the diameter
of the trunk 3ft., and of the head
47 ft In Derbyshire, at Foston Hall,
100 years old, it is 78 ft. high, the
circumference of the trunk 12 ft.,
and the diameter of the head 60 ft.
In Essex, at Audley End, 80 years
planted, it is 80 ft. high. In Glou-
cestershire, at Chipping-Cawdor, it
1911
is 85 ft. high, with a trunk 6ft, 6 in. in diameter ; at Doddington, it is 80 ft. high, the diameter of the
trunk 3 ft, and that of the head about 70 ft. In Herefordshire, at Croft Castle, are several trees, from
80 ft. to 85 ft. high, with trunks about 20ft. in circumference, and the branches extending over a space
from 100 ft. to 120ft in diameter; at Eastnor Castle, 14 years planted, it is 40ft. high, the diameter
of the trunk 1 ft., and that of the head 32 ft. In Leicestershire, at Donnington Park, 100 years old,
it is 96 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 7 ft, and
thatof the head 100ft. Mr. Donaldson, the steward ..$Hjt ^Wui.
at Donnington, who had this tree measured for
us, states that when he sent the man up into the
tree, there was a squirrel in it, which, not ven-
turing to comedown, as Mr. Donaldson was stand-
ing close by, mounted before the man to the very
summit of the tree, from which immense height
it leaped to the ground, and, falling on a tuft of
beech leaves, ran away uninjured. In Notting-
hamshire, at Worksop Manor, it is 90ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk 5 ft, and that of the head
117ft In Radnorshire, at Maeslaugh Castle, it is
70 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 6 ft, and
that of the head 90ft. In Shropshire, at Willey
Park, it is 25 ft. high, after being 9 years planted.
In Staffordshire, at Trentham, it is 70ft high,
the diameter of the trunk 5 ft., and that of the head 102 ft. In Suffolk, at Finborough Hall, 80 years
planted, it is 90 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 5 ft. 6 in., and that of the head 80 ft. In War-
wickshire, at Combe Abbey, 60 years planted, it is 54 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 3 ft. 6 in.,
and that of the head 77 ft. ; at Edgbaston, near Birmingham, it is 115 ft. high, with a trunk 4ft. in
diameter. In Worcestershire, at Croome, 65 years planted, it is 95ft. high, the diameter of the
trunk 4ft. 6 in., and thatof the head 60 ft. In Yorkshire, the immense trees at Studley, and at
Kaywood, have been already mentioned. (See p. 1977.)
Fugus sylvdtica in Scotland. In the environs of Edinburgh, at Cramond House, it is SO ft. high,
the circumference of the trunk 13ft., and the diameter of the head 111 ft ; at Dalmeny Park it is
1912
CHAP. cv. CORYLAVCE;E. FAXGUS. 1979
70ft. high, the circumference of the trunk 10ft., and
the diameter of the head 60 ft. ; at Barnton House it
is 90ft. high ; at Gogar House it is 60ft. high, diameter
of the trunk 3 ft., and of the head 90 ft. ; at Hatton
House it is 90 ft. high, the circumference of the trunk
12ft. Gin., and the diameter of the head GO ft. ; at Hope-
toun House, 100 years old, it is 80 ft. high, the diameter
of the trunk 4 ft. 8 in., and of the head 60 ft. ; at More-
dun Park it is 85ft. high, the diameter of the trunk
6ft., and of the head 73ft.— South of Edinburgh. In
Ayrshire, at Dalquharran, it is 90ft. high, the circum-
ference of the trunk 16 ft., and the diameter of the head
96ft ; at Kilkerran, 130 years old, it is 75ft. high, the
circumference of the trunk 24 ft, and the diameter of
the head 96ft. In Dumfriesshire, at Janline Hall, are
the remains of an avenue of beech trees, planted in 1708, some of the trees of which have trunks
from 10ft. to 15ft. in circumference, and one, which is 73 ft. high, covers a space 73 ft. in diameter.
In the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, at St. Mary's Isle, it is 63 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 3 ft.
6 in., and that of the head 51ft. In Haddingtonshire, atTyningham, it is 64ft. high the diameter of
the trunk 5ft. 6 in., and that of the head 57 ft— North of Edinburgh. In Banrtshire, at Gordon
Castle, it is 87ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 4ft. 19j4
6 in., and that of the head 60 ft In Cromarty, at Coul,
162 years old, it is 80 ft high, the diameter of the trunk
3 ft , and that of the head 63 ft In Fifeshire, at Dani-
bristle Park, it is 70 ft. high, the diameter of the head
82 ft. In Forfarshire, at Kinnaird Castle, 200 years old,
it is 90 ft high, the diameter of the trunk 6 ft. , and of the
head 105 ft. ; at Courtachy Castle, 102 years old, it is
78ft. high, the circumference of the trunk 18ft., and
the diameter of the head 60ft In Perthshire, at Tay-
mouth, it is 96 ft. high, and has a trunk 17ft. in cir-
cumference, and the diameter of the head 96 ft. ; in Messrs. Dickson and Turnbull's nursery,
Perth, 60 years planted, it is 66ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 3ft., and that of the head 42ft In
Ross-shire, at Brahan Castle, it is 70 ft high, the diameter of the trunk 3ft. 6 in., and that of the
head 80ft In Stirlingshire, at Airthrey Castle, it is 136 years old, and 90ft. high, the diameter of
the trunk 5 ft., and of the head 92 ft ; at Callendar Park, 200 years old, it is 70 ft. high, the circumfe-
rence of the trunk 17 ft., and the diameter of the head 86 ft
Fdgus sylvdtica in Ireland. In the environs of Dublin, at Cypress Grove, it is 96ft high, the
diameter of the trunk 3ft. lOin., and that of the head 66ft. — South of Dublin. In the county of
Cork, at Castle Freke, it is 53 ft. high, the circumference of the trunk 15 ft., and diameter of the
head 30 ft. In Kilkenny, at Woodstock, 95 years planted, it is 91 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk
5 ft., and that of the head 48 ft. ; at Borris it is 90 ft. high, the circumference of the trunk 18 ft, and
the diameter of the head 96 ft. In King's County, at Charleville Forest, is a birch, which,
though only 60 years planted, is 110ft. high, with a trunk 17ft in circumference, and a head
90ft. in diameter. In Limerick, at Mount Shannon, are many noble specimens — North of
Dublin. In Down, at Moira, it is 110ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 4ft 6 in., and that of the
head 80 ft. In Fermanagh, at Florence Court, 38 years old, it is 65 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk
2ft., and that of the head 50ft. In Sligo, at Mackree Castle, 73 ft high, the diameter of the trunk
3 ft 6 in., and that of the head 54 ft.
Fagus sylvdtica in Foreign Countries. In France, near Nantes, it is 100 years old, and 90 ft high.
In the village of Laulnay, parish of St. Aubin-du-Perron, near the oratory of that name (Manche),
which was possessed'before 1791 by the Eudistes of Coutances, a birch tree was felled on the 27th of
January, 1837 ; when a man who was splitting the wood, found in one of the branches a cross, 9 in.
and 9 lines high, with cross bars of 1 in., and a pedestal of 1$ lines high, and 5 lines broad, which
was perfectly regular (Z.' 'Hermls). A similar example is recorded in the Magazine of Natural
History, vol. i. p. 471 , as having been seen by us at Metz, in 1828. In Switzerland, the largest
specimens of beech are two at the entrance to the Abbey of Pommiers, near SalSne, each being
15 ft. in circumference at 2 ft. from the ground. In Austria, at Vienna, in the University Bo-
tanic Garden, 60 years old, it is 50ft. high, diameter of the trunk 2ft., and of the head 50ft.;
at Kopenzel, 60 years planted, it is 40 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1ft. 6 in., and of the
head 24ft In Prussia, in Berlin, at Sans Souci, 60 years old, it is 50ft. high, the diameter of
the trunk 3ft, and of the head 28ft; in the Pfauen-Insel, 40 years planted, it is 36ft high. In
Sweden, at Lund, in the Botanic Garden, 59 years old, it is 56ft high, the diameter of the trunk
2 ft. 6 in., and of the head 36 ft. In Italy, in Lpmbardy, at Monza, 24 years planted, it is 32 ft. high,
the circumference of the trunk 3 ft, and the diameter of the head 39 ft.
Fligus sylvdtica purpiirca. The largest in England is that at Enville, in Staffordshire, which, as
already mentioned, is about 70 ft high, with a head 85 ft. in diameter ; the longest branch measuring
42 ft in extent from the tree. In the environs of London, is one at Syon, 71 ft. high, circumference
of the trunk 8 ft. 6 in., and diameter of the head 61 ft. ; at Kenwood is one, 36 years planted, which
is 48ft. high, circumference of the trunk nearly 6ft, and diameter of the head 40ft. ; at Muswell
Hill it is 62ft high, circumference of the trunk 14 ft., and diameter of the head 39ft ; at Claremont,
in Surrey, it is 50 ft. high, diameter of the head 40 ft. In Buckinghamshire, at Temple House, it is
30 ft. high, diameter of the head 20 ft. ; in Cheshire, at Kinmel Park, it is 24 ft. high, diameter of the
head 32 ft ; in Durham, at Southend, are several between 40 and .50 ft. high, after being only 18 years
planted ; in Gloucestershire, at Doddington, 30 years planted, it is 40 ft. high, diameter of the head
33 ft. ; in Nottinghamshire, at Clumber Park, it is 42 ft. high, diameter of the head 52 ft ; in Oxford-
shire, in the Oxford Botanic Garden, it is 55 ft. high, diameter of the head 40 ft. ; in Pembrokeshire,
at Stackpole Court, it is 35 ft. high, diameter of the head 27 ft : in Suffolk, in the Bury Botanic
Garden, it is 50 ft. high, diameter of the head 42 ft. ; at Great Livermere, it is 35 ft. high, diameter of
the head 40 ft. : in Worcestershire, at Croome, 38 years planted, it is 60 ft. high, diameter of the
head 40ft'; in Yorkshire, in the nursery of Messrs. Backkouse, at York, it is about 80 years
old, 10ft. 4 in. in circumference, 31ft nigh, and diameter of the head 44ft In Scotland, in
Banffshire, at Gordon Castle, it is 56ft. high, diameter of the head 54ft. ; in Fifeshire, at Raith
House, it is 45ft high, diameter of the head 40ft.: in Perthshire, at Inverary, 50 years old,
it is 40ft high; and at Messrs. Dicksen and Turnbull's Nursery, Perth, 40 years planted, it
is 48ft. high, diameter of the head 40ft. In Ireland, at Cypress Grove, it is 40ft nigh, dia-
meter of the head 40 ft. ; in Kilkenny, at Borris, it is 56 ft. high, diameter of the head 59ft; in
Waterford, at Salterbridge, it is 50ft. high, diameter of the head 56ft ; in Louth, at Oriel Temple,
it is 54ft high. In France, at Sceaux, near Paris, 45 years planted, it is 70ft. high ; at Metz, it is
29ft high, diameter of the head 49ft. In Germany, at Harbke, in Brunswick, it is 70 ft high ;
1980
ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM.
PART III.
this tree produces about 20 Ib. of mast every year, which sells at 2 dollars (95.) per Ib. (see Gard.
Mag., vol. viii. p. 445.) : at Gottingen, in the Botanic Garden, 26 years planted, it is between 30 ft. and
40ft. high. In Austria, at Vienna, at Laxeuburg, it is 25ft. high. In Prussia, at Berlin, at Sans
Souci.it is 18ft. high.
Commercial Statistics. In the London nurseries, mast is 10s. per bushel;
two years' seedlings are Ss. per thousand ; transplanted plants, from 2 ft. to
3 ft. high, 40a. per thousand. Plants of the purple-leaved variety are from Qd.
to Is. 6rf. each; of the fern-leaved, from 1*. 6d. to 2s. 6d.; and of F. s. pen-
dula, from 3*. 6d. to 5s. At Bollwyller, plants of the different varieties are
from 2 to 3 francs each ; and, at New York, the species is 25 cents per plant,
and the varieties 1 dollar each.
It 2. F. FERRUGI'NEA Ait. The American ferruginous-wooded Beech.
Identification. Ait. Hort. Kew., 3. p. 362. ; Abbott Ins., 2. p. 149.; Willd. Arb., 112.: Michx. N.
Amer., 3. p. 21. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 460.
Synonymes. F. americana latifolia Du Roi Harbk., 1. p. 269. Wang., Amer., p. 80. ; red Beech,
Engravings. Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 3. t. 106. ; Wang. Amer., t. 29. f. 55. ; and our fig. 1917.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves ovate, acuminate, thickly toothed ; downy beneath ;
ciliate on the margin. (Willd. Sp. PL, iv. p. 460.) A North American
timber tree, so much resembling the common European beech, as by some
to be considered only a variety of it. It was introduced in 1766, and is
not unfrequent in collections. The American beech is easily known from
the European one by its much shorter obtusely
pointed buds, with short, roundish, convex scales,
which terminate almost abruptly, and are enclosed
in numerous, short, loose scales. f
Varieties.
± F. /. 2 carolinidna ; F. caroliniana Lodd. Cat.,
ed. 1836; and fig. 1915. ; has leaves some-
what cordate at the base, ovate, slightly
acuminate, obsoletely dentate, and some-
what mucronate. The colour is a very dark
green, somewhat tinged with purple when
fully mature. The veins of the under side
of the leaf are somewhat hoary.
5 F. /. 3 latifolia; F. latifolia of Lee's Nursery; and our Jig. 1916.—
Leaves lanceolate, acuminate ; tapering at the base, feather-nerved,
much longer than those of the preceding variety in proportion to
their length, and of a lighter green. It differs from the plant marked
F. carolinianain the Hack-
ney Arboretum; but, as
the latter is very small, and IJ^-^K ' 9 1 J
the Hammersmith plant is
growing in a better atmo-
sphere, perhaps it is not
worth keeping distinct.
Description, fyc. The red beech,
Michaux observes, bears a greater
resemblance to that of Europe than
to the American white beech. It '^!f-/^S
equals the latter in diameter, but ^Ate5#K7
not in height ; and, as it ramifies near
the ground, it has a more massive
head, and a more tufted foliage. Its
leaves are equally brilliant with
those of the white beech, a little
larger and thicker, and more deeply
serrated. Its fruit is of the same
form, but only half as large ; while
the prickles of its calyx are less
numerous, but firmer. The wood
1915
CHAP. CV.
FA'GUS.
1981
is somewhat red, or of a rusty hue, when mature; whence the name. A trunk
of this species, 1 ft. Sin. or 1 ft. 6 in. in diameter, commonly consists of Sin.
or 4- in. of sap, and 1 ft. 1 in. or 1 ft. 2 in. of heart wood ; the inverse of which
proportion is commonly found in the wood of the white beech. The distribu-
tion of this tree in the United States is almost 1917
exclusively confined to the north-eastern pro-
vinces, and Canada, Nova Scotia, and New
Brunswick. In the district of Maine, and in the
states of New Hampshire and Vermont, it is so
abundant, as often to constitute extensive forests,
the finest of which grow on fertile, level, or gently
sloping lands, which are proper for the cultivation
of corn. The wood of this species is considered
stronger, tougher, and more compact than that
of the American white beech; and, in the district
of Maine and in British America, where the oak
is rare, it is employed with the sugar maple and
yellow birch, or 2?etula excelsa, for the lower!
part of the frame of vessels. As it is extremely
liable to injury from worms, and speedily decays when exposed to alternate
dryness and moisture, it is seldom used in the construction of houses ; but,
where nothing better can be procured, it is selected for making hoops. Shoe-
lasts are made of it, and other minor articles ; because, when perfectly sea-
soned, it is not liable to warp. On the whole, the wood is inferior in compact-
ness and solidity to the European beech, though planks of it, about 3 in.
thick, are sometimes exported to Britain. The tree was introduced into
England by Messrs. Lee and Kennedy ; and its foliage makes a very fine
appearance, both in the Hammersmith Nursery and at Messrs. Loddiges's.
Though the leaves do not differ materially from those of the common beech
during summer, yet, in autumn, they become decidedly darker, and die off of
a rusty green, approaching, in F. f. caroliniana, to black. In America, this
species is subject to the attacks of Phalaevna tessellaris (Abb. and Smith Ins., ii.
t. 75. ; and our fig. 1918.), the cream-barred, or beech, tussock moth, which
devours the leaves. The caterpillar of this insect is brown, and the imago
pale buff: it is most common in Georgia. On the whole, both the species and
its varieties well deserve culture as ornamental trees of the middle size. They
1918
are propagated by layers and grafting ; and plants, in the London nurseries,
are 5s. each ; at New York, 25 cents.
1982
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
b. Species not yet introduced.
3. F. OBLIXQUA Mirb. The oblique-leaved Beech.
1919
Identification. Mem. Mus., 14. p. 466.
Engravings. Mem. Mus., 14. t. 23. ; and
our ^.'1919.
Spec. Char., 8fc. Leaves ovate-oblong
oblique, somewhat rhomboid ; blunt,
doubly serrated, entire at the base ; at-
tenuated into the petiole, somewhat
downy. Perianth of the male flowers
solitary, hemispherical, sinuated. Anthers
30 — 40. Cupules capsuliform, muricate,
4-partite; segments ovate, obtuse. Ova-
ries included, 3-sided ; angles winged.
(Mirbel.) A tall tree, a native of Chili,
, and found by Dombey near Concepcion j
flowering in September. In Chili, it is
known by the namej of Hoble". Leaves
alternate, from 1 in. to 2 in. long, and
from 4 lines to 8 lines broad. Stipules
deciduous, membranaceous, lanceolate,
linear ; about the length of the petioles.
(Mirb. M^m. Mus., xiv. p. 466.)
B. Cupule involucriform ; Segments narrow, ladniate. Ovaries laterally inserted.
Young leaves not plicate.
a. Species introduced into Britain.
* 4. F. J5ETULoivDES Mirb. The Birch-like, or evergreen, Beech.
Identification. Mirb. in Mem. Mus., 14. p. 470. ; Hook, in Bot. Mag.
Synonymc. J?etula antarctica Forst. in Comm. Goett., 9. p. 45., Willd. Sp. Pi., 4. p. 4G6.
Engravings. Mem. Mus., 14. t. 25. ; and owe fig. 1920.
Spec. Char., 8[C. Leaves ovate-elliptic, obtuse, crenulate, leathery, shining, glabrous ; round at the
base, on short footstalks. Perianth of the male flowers solitary, turbinate, 5 — 7-lobed. Anthers
10—16. Cupules involucriform, smooth, 4-partite ; segments nearly linear, laciniate. Ovaries
3-sided, laterally exserted ; angles marginate. (Mirbel.) An ever-
green tree, a native of Terra del Fuego, where it forms vast forests.
Branches divaricate, tortuous, brownish ; young ones pubescent.
Leaves ciliate, alternate, from 4 to 10 lines long, and from 3 to
8 lines broad. Flowers axillary. The structure and disposition
of the male flowers, as well as many other characters of vegetation,
resemble those of F. antarctica Forst. ; but, according to this
botanist, the leaves of F. antarctica^are plaited in the bud ; and
the disk is less prolonged on one side of the petiole than on the
other, which characters do not exist in F. tetuloldes. (M£m. Mus.,
xiv. p. 470.) The evergreen beech grows at Port Famine, Straits
of Magellan, and in its neighbourhood, in the greatest abundance.
It attains a very large size ; trees of 3 ft. in diameter being common,
and there being many with'trunks 4 ft. in diameter. There is one
tree (perhaps the very same as that mentioned by Commodore
Byron), the trunk of which averages 7 ft in diameter to the height
of 17 ft., and then divides into three large limbs, each of which is
3 ft. in diameter. (See Journ. of Geo. Soc., and Sot. Mag. for June,
1836.) This beech is also a native of Van Dieman's Land, where
it is called the myrtle tree by the colonists. It generally grows
in the western part of the island, where an esculent fungus is
found in clusters around the swollen parts of its branches. This
fungus varies in size from that of a marble to that of a walnut:
when young, it is whitish, and covered with a skin like that of a
young potato. This skin is easily taken off; and the remaining
portion, when raw, tastes like cold cow-heel. When this fungus
is matured, the skin splits, and exhibits a sort of network of a
yellowish white colour. (See Backhouse in Gard. Mag., vol. xi.
p. 340.; and Camp, to Bot. Mag., vol. ii. p. 340.) F. Aetuloides
is said to have been introduced in 1830; but we have not seen the plant.
¥ 5. F. ANTARCTICA Forst. The antarctic Beech.
Identification. Forst. in Comment. Goett., 9. p. 24. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 460.
Spec. Char.,Sfc. Leaves ovate, blunt, glabrous ; attenuated at the base; doubly dentate; their margins
naked. ( Wtlld.) A native of Terra del Fuego, and introduced in 1830. Branches rugged, tortuous.
Leaves alternate, petiolate, l£in. long; plicate; veins on the under side somewhat downy ; the
teeth roundish, blunt (Willd. Sp. PI., iv. p. 460.) We have never seen the plant.
b. Species not yet introduced into British Gardens.
*£ 6. F. DOMBEVY/ Mirb. Dombey's, or the Myrtle-leaved ', Beech.
Identification. Mem. Mus., 14. p. 468. ; Comp. Bot. Mag., 1. p. 301.
Engravings. Mem. Mus., 14. t. 24. ; and our jig. 1921.
CHAP. CV.
CO RYLANCE fc. £ASTAVNEA.
1983
Spec. Char.,S;c. Leave* ovate -Ian
ceplate, somewhat rhomboid,
pointed ; serrated, coriaceous,
shining, glabrous ; wedge-
shaped, and oblique at the base,
on very short footstalks. Peri-
anth of the male ternate, cam-
pan ulate, 4— 5-lobed. Anthers
8—10. Cupules involucriform,
smooth, 4-partite ; segments al-
most linear, laciniate. Ovaries
laterally exserted, 3-sided j an-
gles marginate. (Mirb.) A tall
tree, a native of Chili, where it
was found, along with F. ob-
llqua, by the botanist after
whom it has been named. It
is known in Chili by the name
of Coigue, and furnishes excel-
lent wood for the purposes of
construction. Young branches
downy, glutinous. Leaves al-
ternate, from 5 to 10 lines long,
and from 3 to 5 lines broad, on
the flowering branches, and
about double the size on the ste- .
rile branches. Stipules oval, de-
iiiiuouii, about the length of the petiole. Fruit unknown. (Mdm. Mus., xiv. p.
1 10. F. DUVBIA Mirb. The dubious Beech.
Identification. Mem. Mus., 14. t. 26.
Engravings. Mem. Mus., 14. t. 26. ; and our fig. 1932.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves ovate, bluntish, doubly serrate, coriaceous, shining, glabrous ; round at the
base, on short footstalks. Perianth of the male solitary, turbinate, 5 — 7-lobed. Anthers 10 — 16.
(Mirb.) It is extremely probable that theF. dubia is nothing more than a variety of F. Aetuloldes.
The branches are smoother and more elongated; the leaves larger, oval, and not elliptic; and den.
tate, not crenulate ; all which differences maybe the result of a more vigorous growth. The dried
specimen in other resjiects perfectly resembles that of F. Aetuloldes ; and Commerson, who gathered
it at the Straits of Magellan, had placed it along with that species, under the name of JSetula
antarctica. As Mirbel had not seen the female flower, he thought it better not to confound it
with F. tetuloldes.
GENUS III.
1921
CASTAVNEA Tourn. THE CHESTNUT. Lin. Syst. Monoe'cia Polyandria.
Identification. Tourn., 352. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 460. ; N. Du Ham., 3. p. 65.
Synonymes. Fagus Lin. and others ; Chataignier, Fr. ; Kastanie, Ger. ; Castagno, Ital. ; Castano,
Span. ; Castanheiro, Port. ; Castanietrae, Steed, and Dan. ; Keschton, Russ.
Derivation. From Castanea, a town in Thessaly, or from another town of that name in Pontus.
Description, tyc. Deciduous trees, with nearly the same geographical dis-
tribution as the oak, but more tender. There is only one European species,
which is chiefly valuable as a fruit tree, and as coppice-wood ; the timber of
full-grown trees being brittle, and of short duration. The foliage is large and
ornamental ; and, in this and its fruit, it bears a close analogy to the beech.
The botanical difference between the two genera has been noticed in p. 1949.
i 1. C. VE'SCA GfBrtn. The eatable, sweet, or Spanish, Chestnut.
Identification. Ga?rtn. Sem., 1. p. 181. ; Michx. Amer., 2. p. 193. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 460. ; Lindl
Synop., p. 171.
Synonymes. Fagus Castanea Lin. Hort. Cliff, 447., Hort. Ups., 287., Roy. Luedb., 79., Mat
Med., 203., Dalih. Paris., 294., (iron, firg., 150., Du Rot Harbk., 1. p. 270., Kniph. Cent 5
No. 31., Rrgn. Bot.; Castanea satlva Mill. Diet., No. 1., Scop. Cam., No. 1187., Hall Helv '
No. 1623., Blackw., t 330., Houtt. Lin. Pfl., 2. p. 328. ; C. vulgaris Lam. Encuc., 1. p 708
N. Du Ham., 3. p. 66., Eng. But., t. 886., Eng. Fl.t 4. p. 151., Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3., p.' 41l'*
Mackay Fl. Hibcr/i., p. 251.
Derivation. The term Sweet Chestnut is applied with reference to the fruit, in contradistinction to
the fruit of the horsechcstnut, which is bitter. It is called the Spanish chestnut, because the best
chestnuts for the table, sold in the London markets, are imported from Spain.
Engraving$. Eng. Bot., t. 886. ; Blackw., t. 330. ; Hunt. Evel., 1. p. 152. ; N. Du Ham., 3. t. 19. • and
the plates of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., $c. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, mucronately serrated;
glabrous on each side. (Willd.) A stately tree, rivalling the oak in size
and longevity ; but, in regard to its timber, comparatively worthless. A
native of Asia Minor; but cultivated in the temperate parts of Europe
from time immemorial.
6 N
1984 AllBOKETUM AND FRUTICETUM. 1'AliT 111.
Varieties. These may be arranged in two classes; those which are considered
botanical varieties, and those which are cultivated on account of their fruit.
A. Botanical Varieties.
£ C. v. 2 asplentfi/ia Lodd. Cat., 1836 ; C. heterophylla Hort. ; C. laciniata
Hurt. ; C, i-alicifolia Hart., has the leaves cut into shreds, regularly,
or irregularly, and sometimes so as to appear like linear-lanceolate
leaves ; and hence the epithet of salicifolia.
3£ C. v. 3 cochledta Lodd. Cat., 1836, has the leaves cuculate, or hooded,
with a diseased stunted appearance.
If C. v. ±gldbra Lodd. Cat., 1836 ; C. v. foliis lucidus Hurt.; has the leaves
rather thin, and more shining than those of the species.
¥ C. v. 5 glauca, C. glauca Hart., has the leaves somewhat glaucous.
IE C. v. 6 vanegdta; C. v. foliis aureis Ludd. Cat., 1836; has the leaves vari-
egated with yellow, with some streaks of white; and the tree, when
of a larger size, makes a splendid appearance in spring, and is admi-
rably adapted for planting among evergreen shrubs, along with the
balsam poplar ; the colour of which, when the leaves first expand,
has all the rich yellow of this variety, with the advantage of being
associated in the mind with ideas of health ; whereas variegation is
known to be generally the effect of disease.
3? C. v. 7 amcricdna; C. vesca Michx. N. Anier. Syl., iii. p. 9. — This variety
has broader leaves than the European chestnut.
B. Fruit-bearing Varieties.
In the French catalogues these are very numerous ; and in De ChabroVs
Slatistiques dc Savonc, &c., it is stated that between 40 and 50 varieties are
cultivated in the province of Mondovi, in Piedmont. (See Gard. Mag., vol. i.
p. 322.) There are upwards of 20 sorts cultivated in the London Horti-
cultural Society's Garden, of which Mr. Thompson considers the four fol-
lowing as deserving the preference for ornamental cultivation : — Cha-
taignier prime, C. Rallue, the Downton Chestnut, and Prolific Chestnut.
Besides these there are the following English sorts : — Devonshire, Lewis's,
Lisbon, Masters's, Canterbury, Knight's Prolific, and the New Prolific.
The nurserymen in the south of Devonshire, and in Jersey, generally pay
more attention to the sweet chestnut, as a fruit tree, than the nurserymen in
the neighbourhood of London. There is said to be a tree of a very superior
variety in a garden in St. Peter's parish, Jersey, from which, it is believed,
plants are propagated in Saunders's Nursery, in that island. (See Gard.
Mag., vol. vii. p. 101.)
The varieties cultivated in France for the table are divided into two kinds,
viz., Ics chdtaignes and les marrons ; the former being to the latter what the
crab is to the apple. The latter are, of course, much preferred, being larger,
more farinaceous, and sweeter. When roasted, they have also a rich creamy
flavour, and an aromatic odour, in which the common chestnuts are quite
deficient. The best marrons sold in Paris are the marrons de Lyons ; and
the best kinds of the common chestnut are : — La chataigne de Bois, the
fruit of which is small, will not keep, and is of little flavour; and the tree
forms the principal coppice-wood in the neighbourhood of Paris : la Cha-
taigne ordinaire, of which the fruit is rather better, and the tree more
vigorous, and a greater bearer : la Chataigne pourtalonne, the fruit of which
is very fine, and produced in great abundance : la Chataigne printaniere,
the fruit of which has no other merit than that of being produced very early
in the season : la Chataigne verte du Limousin, which produces very large
excellent fruit, which will keep a long time, and the tree of which preserves
its leaves green much longer than'any of the other varieties : and la Cha-
taigne exalade, the fruit of which is the best of all the common chestnuts
for the table; but the tree, which is low, with spreading branches, is such
an abundant bearer, that it soon exhausts itself. (Le Bon Jard. 1837.)
Description, $c. The chestnut, under favourable circumstances, is a mag-
nificent tree, though it never attains a height, or diameter of head, equal to
CHAP. CV. COKYLA*C£JE. C'AhTA^NKA. li>85
the British oak ; and it differs essentially from that tree, in its timber not in-
creasing in value as it increases in age. The trunk, in deep free soils, and in
situations sheltered rather than exposed, rises erect, and forms a massive
column of wood ; but, in unsuitable soils, and in elevated exposed situations,
and in cold climates, it ramifies at the height of 10ft. or 12 ft., and the tree
assumes the character of a large pollard. In all cases, the diameter of the
trunk is very large, in proportion to the diameter of the head, or the height of
the tree. The branches form nearly the same angle with the trunk as those
of the oak ; though in thriving trees the angle is somewhat more acute. They
spread widely, and are round, ami smooth when young. The bark is remarkable
for its deep wide clefts, which, Sir J. E. Smith says, " seem to have furnished
ideas for some ornaments in Gothic architecture;" alluding, we suppose, to
some kinds of tracery in the upper parts of windows in the florid Gothic style.
The leaves on old trees are from 4 in. to 6 in. long ; but on young and vigo-
rous shoots they are often nearly 1 ft. in length, and from 3 in. to 4 in. in
breadth. In France, the leaves of the chataigniers are narrower than those
of the marroniers, and those of both are narrower than the leaves of wild
and cultivated chestnuts in England ; which difference may be observed in
the two climates to be the case more or less with all broad-leaved trees.
The leaves are elliptic-lanceolate, acute, smooth, with many transverse veins,
terminating in sharp serratures ; often, but not always, terminating in
mucros. They are of a rich shining green above; and paler, and some-
times rather glaucous, beneath. The barren catkins are numerous, axillary,
solitary, yellow, and pendulous ; almost as long as the leaves, and decidu-
ous. The flowers are produced on the wood of the current year, and are
ranged along the common stalk, in lateral sessile tufts. The stamens are
numerous and spreading. The fertile flowers are much fewer than the barren
ones : they are placed on terminal stalks, which are lengthened out as the
fruit advances. The styles are about 6, with long, smooth, upright stigmas.
Gaertner detected about 12 scarlet rudiments of stamens among the wool at
the base of the styles. Nuts large, broadly ovate, generally 2 ; flat on the
inner side, and each attached by a broad scar to the bottom of the greatly
enlarged outer calyx, the outside of which is copiously armed with complicated
clusters of sharp prickles. (Smith.') The root descends perpendicularly, like
that of the oak, but not, as it is alleged, to quite so great a depth. The rate
of growth of young trees, in the neighbourhood of London, averages from 2 ft.
to 3 ft. a year for the first 10 or 12 years. The tree will attain the height of
from 60 ft. to 80 ft. in from 50 to 60 years ; before which period its timber is
generally in the highest degree of perfection ; but the tree will live for several
centuries afterwards, and produce abundance of fruit ; its timber, in the mean
while, beginning to decay at the heart, or become brittle, and fit only for fuel.
In Germany, according to Willdenow, the height is from 20 ft. to 30 ft., and
the duration of the tree from 50 to 100 years. In America, according to
Michaux, the chestnut, in favourable situations, commonly attains the height
of 70 ft. or 80 ft., with a circumference of 15 ft. or 16 ft. The oldest chestnut
in England is that at Tortworth, supposed to have been planted before the
Conquest ; and the largest which we have ever heard of is a tree in Studley
Park, of which fg. 1 923. is a portrait, to the scale of 1 in. to 30 ft. ; and
which is 1 12 ft. high ; the diameter of the trunk, at 1 ft. from the ground, 7 ft.
4£ in., and of the head 91 ft. 6 in. By far the handsomest tree of this species
in the neighbourhood of London, is that at Muswell Hill, figured in our last
Volume, which is 66 ft. high, with a trunk 6 ft. in diameter at a foot from the
ground, and the diameter of the head nearly 70 ft. This tree has been planted
between 70 and 80 years. No tree stoles more freely than the sweet chest-
nut, at whatever age it may be cut over.
Geography. The sweet chestnut is found in the east and west of Asia,
in the north of Africa, and in North America. In the Old World its coun-
tries are more particularly Asia Minor, Armenia, and Caucasus ; but it is
also found in the Canaries, and in Teneritfe. It does not grow sponta-
neously to the north of Tereck, in the Russian empire ; and it does not ripen
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ARBORETUM AND FHUTICKTUM.
1'AllT 111.
1923
its fruit any where except in a climate that will ripen the grape also in the
open air. There are several species found in Java, Japan, Cochin-China, China,
and the Himalayas ; and one of these is supposed to be identical with C. vesca.
(Mirbel.) In Britain, the sweet chestnut is by some considered to be indi-
genous ; but, notwithstanding the great age of some specimens, it appears to
us more than probable that they have all been planted. This doubt is noticed
by Ray and Evelyn, and was warmly taken up by Daines Harrington, about
the middle of the last century ; and the discussions which took place between
that gentleman, M. Ducarel, and some others, will be found in the Philosophical
Transactions, vols. lix. and Ixi.; and in the Gentleman's Magazine^ for 1700.
(Seep. 23.) In the English Flora, the chestnut is stated to be " found in
woods ; and it appears to be wild in the south and west of England." It has
been planted in Scotland, and sometimes ripens a few fruit in the warmest
districts of East Lothian. It grows vigorously in Ireland, but never ripens fruit
there. In Scandinavia it is unknown. It is apparently wild in some parts of
France, and still more so in Spain and Italy ; though it is most probable that
it was originally planted in these countries by the Romans. It abounds in
the neighbourhood of Nice, and in the kingdom of Naples. It is particularly
CHAP. CV. CORYLA^CEjE. 6'ASTA\NEA. 1937
abundant on the Apennines, especially at Valomhrosa, and also between
Florence and Bologna, and we cannot help noticing a circumstance mentioned
In Sir T. D. Lander, as having struck him when in Italy, and with which we
were ourselves very much pleased when there; vi/. that these chestnut trees
on the Apennines are generally scattered over a muriate resembling the green-
sward of a British lawn. According to Dr. R. A. Philippi, fastauca vesca
does not appear to be wild in any part of Etna, but always to be cultivated.
" We noticed it," he says, " on the sides of Mount Zoccolaro, at a height of
3900ft.; and Geinmcllaro is said to have traced it as high as 5100ft. ; but
this is probably a mistake, arising from an erroneous calculation of the altitude.
On the south side of the Alps, the chestnut trees reach to 2 WO ft., and on the
Pyrenees to 2800 ft. Etna is celebrated for the great age and colossal dimen-
sions of its chestnut trees : the noted Castagno di Cento Cavalli has a cir-
cumference near the root of 180ft.; the Castagno di Santa Agata, 70ft.; and
the Castagno della Nave, 64ft. Their stems, however, attain no great height,
but soon branch off above the ground ; and, in regard to the first-mentioned
one, it seems probable to me that not one stem, but many, shoot from the
same root ; for there are now 5 individual trunks separate from each other ;
and it is a general custom in Sicily, when these trees attain a diameter of about
1 ft., to cut them down just above the root, when a number of new shoots
are thrown out, which shortly become trees again. M. Brunner is of the
same opinion, as is stated in his Excursion through the East of Liguria, Elba,
Sicily, and Malta" (See Comp. to Bot. Mag., vol. i. p. 90.) In North Ame-
rica, the sweet chestnut is found as far as lat. 44° N., in New Hampshire ;
where, however, it is less common than in Connecticut, New Jersey, and
Pennsylvania. It is most abundant in the mountainous districts of the Caro-
linas and of Georgia, and abounds on the Cumberland Mountains, and in East
Tennessee ; preferring, in all these countries, the sides of mountains, or the
fertile gravelly soils in their immediate vicinity.
History. The sweet chestnut is generally said to have heen brought to
Europe by the Greeks, from Sardis, in Asia Minor, about 504 B. c. It was
first called, in Greek, Sardianos Balanos, the Sardis nut ; afterwards Dios
Balanos Lopimon, from its being considered to bear some resemblance to the
walnut, except in the smoothness of its inner bark. The name of Castanea was
given to it from Kastanea, the name of a city in Pontus, in Asia ; and also
of one in the Vale of Tempe, near the river Peneus ; in both which places
the chestnut grew in great abundance, being a native of the former locality,
and having been first planted in Greece in the latter, whence it was sent,
in the reign of Tiberius Caesar, to Rome. It is evident that the Romans
received the chestnut from the Greeks, as they called it both Castanea and
Glans Sardiana. Theophrastus mentions that, in his time, Mount Olympus
was nearly covered with chestnut trees; and Pliny enumerates eight kinds that
were known to the Romans in his day. Pliny adds that chestnuts were ground
into meal, and made into bread, by the poor. These were of an inferior kind,
to which he gives the name of populares ; and he adds that there was another
sort, which were generally boiled, and which were called coctivcB. He like-
wise says, — " Under the common name of nuts, we comprehend, also, chest-
nuts, though they partake rather of the nature of acorns ; except that they
have a larger and more prickly covering. It is surprising that we set so little
value upon a fruit which nature has taken so much pains to preserve from
injury. Sometimes three nuts are found in one of these prickly covers. The
first skin of the nut is flexible ; but the second has a bad taste in the mouth,
like the skin of the walnut : therefore care should be taken to remove it.
Chestnuts are better roasted than cooked in any other manner." (Nat. Hist.)
One of the largest and oldest chestnut trees in the world is that on Mount
Etna, above mentioned* and which is called Castagno di Cento Cavalli,
because, as it is said, Jean of Arragon, on her road from Spain to Naples,
visited Mount Etna, attended by her principal nobility, and was- caught in a
heavy shower; when the queen, and a hundred cavaliers, took shelter under
the branches of this tree, which completely covered them, and saved them
*6 N 3
1988
ARBORETUM AND FKUT1CETUM.
PART III.
from the rain. (Houel, Voyage en Sidle, torn. ii. p. 79.) The author adds,
however, that the Spanish queen's visit is somewhat apocryphal. The tree
itself, when visited by M. Houel, was in a state of decay : it had lost the
greater part of its branches, and its trunk was quite hollow. A house was
erected in the interior, with some country people living in it, with an oven, in
which, according to the custom of the country, they dried chestnuts, filberts,
and other fruits, which they wished to preserve for winter use ; using as fuel,
when they could find no other, pieces cut with a hatchet from the interior of
the tree. In Brydone's time, in 1770, this tree measured 204ft. in circum-
ference. He says that it had the appearance of five distinct trees; but that he
was assured that the space was once filled with solid timber, and that there
was no bark in the inside. This circumstance of an old trunk, hollow in the
interior, becoming separated, so as to have the appearance of being the
remains of several distinct trees, is frequently met with in the case of very old
mulberry trees in Britain, and olive trees in Italy. Kircher, about a century
before Brydone, affirms that an entire flock of sheep might be enclosed within
the Etna chestnut as in a fold. The sweet chestnut was, in all probability,
introduced into Britain in the time of the Romans, for the sake of its fruit ;
and, being a tree of great duration, and ripening its fruit, it could hardly
fail to become a permanent inhabitant. The old chestnut tree at Tortworth
-
1924
. 1924-., to a scale of 1 in. to 12 ft.) may, indeed, possibly have been one
of those planted by the Romans. The oldest chestnut tree in the neigh-
bourhood of London is that at Cobham, in Kent, of which fig. 1925. is a
portrait, to a scale of 1 in. to 12 ft. Cambden mentions that Cowdray Park,
in Sussex, was famous in his time for its chestnut trees ; and the town of
Cheshunt, in Hertfordshire, is supposed to have derived its name from the
number of chestnut trees that formerly grew there. Old Tusser, in 1562,
enumerates chestnuts, in his list of fruit trees which may be transplanted in
January; and Lord Bacon mentions the chestnut in his Essay on Plantations.
The tree, however, if once plentiful, appears soon to have become compara-
tive scarcely ; for the author of a tract entitled An old Thrift newly revived,
published in 1612, recommends planting the chestnut as a "kind of timber
tree of which few grow in England;" and which, he adds, will not only pro-
duce " large and excellent good timber," but " good fruit, that poore people,
in time of dearth, may, with a small quantitie of oats or barley, make bread of."
He also says that a chestnut tree, " when you begin first to plant it, will grow
more in one yeare, than an oake will doe in two." (p. 7.) Mr. Samuel Hartlib,
CHAP. ( V.
TO R Y I. AT.
C ASTA VN KA.
1989
1925
who wrote some years afterwards, says, " In divers places of Kent, as in and
about Gravesend, in the countrey, and elsewhere, very many prime timbers of
their old barns and houses are of chestnut wood ; and yet there is now scarce
a chestnut tree within 20 miles of the place, and the people altogether ignorant
of such trees. This sheweth that in former times those places did abound
with such timber." (Legacy, &c., p. 18.) A proof how early the idea pre-
vailed of the wood of ^uercus sessiliflora being that of the chestnut. In
the year 1676, an ancestor of the family of Wyndham of Felbrigg, in Nor-
folk, was said to be a great planter of chestnuts ; and some account of his
trees will be found in a succeeding page. The tree, however, was compara-
tively neglected, till towards the latter end of the last century ; when the
Society of Arts, reviving the idea (which, as we have seen above, was cur-
rent as long ago as the time of Henry VIII.), that the carpentry of many of
our old buildings consisted of chestnut wood, offered rewards for planting the
tree ; and these were given to a number of individuals who made plantations
of it. The tree is now chiefly planted as coppice-wood and for its fruit in
England, and as an ornamental tree in Scotland and Ireland. In England, it
is chiefly planted in hop countries, and on the margins of orchards, as a fruit
tree. There are considerable plantations of it in Devonshire, from which large
quantities of fruit are sent to the London market.
In France, as in Britain, it was formerly believed that the timber in the
roofs of the oldest cathedrals, and in the Louvre and other buildings, was of
chestnut ; and it was thought, in consequence, that the tree had, in former
times, been much more abundant in France than it now is in that country.
Buffbn, however, demonstrated that oak wood, after a great number of years,
puts on the appearance of that of the chestnut ; and, afterwards, Daubenton,
as we have seen (p. 1787.), set the question at rest, by showing that what had
been taken for chestnut was Q. sessiliflora. At the same time, it is observed
in the Dictionnalre des Eaux ct Forcts, that chestnut trees must formerly have
been much more common in France than at present ; because orchards of
them are often referred to under the name of chataigneraies in ancient writings ;
and Acosta reports that the groves of chestnut trees in France were almost
totally destroyed in 1700, by a very severe frost, which followed suddenly after
heavy rains. In the Dictionnaire Unircrxcl (published at Lyons in 1791, art.
Chataignier), it is stated, from the records of the city of Orleans, that " the
Forest of Orleans has been observed to change alternately the species of its
timber ; to have been for a space of time in oak, then in chestnut, and after-
6 N 4
1990 ARBORETUM AN1> FRUT1CETUM. PART III.
wards in oak again. In the woods of oak many young chestnut trees are found
intermixed, which, being overpowered, make but small progress. When the
former are felled, the latter, enjoying a freer current of air, grow vigorously,
choke the young shoots of the oak, and assume their situations: the same has
been remarked in other forests." ( See Trans. Soc. Arts., xii. p. 1 13.) At present,
the chestnut abounds in France, on the borders of the Rhine, in Dauphine
and the Vosges, Limousin, and a great many other places. It is common in
the neighbourhood of Paris, especially as coppice-wood ; but the fruit is small,
and of little value. The chestnut is cultivated, in the south of Germany, chiefly
as undergrowth, for fence-wood, hop-poles, and vine-props. In Spain, the
chestnut tree is grown chiefly for its fruit ; which is produced in such abun-
dance, as to be not only a common food of the peasantry, but an article of
exportation ; the best chestnuts of the London markets being always from
Spain; and hence, as before observed, the name of" Spanish chestnut."
According to M'Culloch, " chestnuts from Spain and Italy are frequently
kilndried, to prevent germination on their passage. During the three years
ending in 1831, the entries of foreign chestnuts for home consumption ave-
raged 20,948 bushels a year. The duty of 2s. per bushel produced, in 1832,
a sum which proved that the consumption in that year must have amounted
to 23,216 bushels."
Poetical Allusions. Virgil frequently mentions the chestnut in his Eclogues,
for its fruit ; and in his Georgics, as a tree. In the latter, he calls it the lofty
chestnut : " Ut altae castaneas." In the first Eclogue he says, —
" Sunt nobis mitia poma,
Castaneaj molles, et pressi copia lactis."
" Ripe apples and soft chestnuts we have there,
And curd abundant to supply our fare."
In the second Eclogue, the chestnut is again mentioned, in a passage which is
thus rendered by Dryden : —
Myself will search our planted grounds at home,
For downy peaches and the glossy plum ;
And thrash the chestnuts in the neighbouring grove,
Such as my Amaryllis used to love."
And Martial says : —
Et, quas flocta Neapolis creavit,
Lento castaneae vapori tostaj." Lib. v. epig. 79.
For chestnuts, roasted by a gentle heat,
No city can the learned Naples beat."
The old English poets frequently allude to the chestnut. Herrick says : —
! Remember us in cups full crown'd,
And let our city health go round ;
Quite through the young maids and the men,
To the ninth number, if not ten ;
Until the fired chestnuts leap
For joy to see the fruits ye reap
From the plump chalice and the cup,
That tempts till it be tossed up."
Ben Jonson speaks of the " chestnut whilk hath larded many a swine ;"
Shakspeare, in Macbeth, of a " sailor's wife with chestnuts on her lap;" and
Milton alludes to the custom of roasting chestnuts : —
While hisses on my hearth the pulpy pear,
And blackrning chestnuts start and crackle there."
In Catalonia, Philips tells us, a custom prevails of people going from house to
house on All Saints' Eve, believing that by every chestnut that they eat in a
different house they will free a soul from purgatory. (Pom. Brit., p. 96.)
Properties and Uses. In a wild state, the nut of the chestnut affords food
to many animals, though its leaves and wood feed but few insects ; nor does
it support many parasitic or epiphytic plants. Subjected to man, notwithstand-
ing its near alliance to the oak, it is, both in the Old and New World, more
CHAP. cv. COKYLAVCE;E. CASTAVNEA. 1991
useful as a fruit tree than for its timber. The wood of the chestnut, how-
ever, has the remarkable property of being more durable when it is young
than when it is old ; the sap or outer wood very soon changing into heart
wood ; and hence the great value of this tree for posts, fencing-poles, stakes,
hoops, &c. The wood, when green, weighs 68 Ib. 9 oz. per cubic foot ; and
when dry, 41 Ib. 2oz. According to some authors, however, it weighs, when
dry, 48 Ib. The wood is easily distinguished from that of the oak, by the
transverse fibres being more confused, and much less evident to the naked eye,
more especially in a section newly cut ; so that, to ascertain whether a plank
of timber is oak or chestnut, it is only necessary to saw off a thin slice at one
of its extremities. Bosc agrees in this, and draws as a conclusion from it,
that the annual layers of the wood not being freely united together by trans-
verse fibres, must necessarily be liable to separate, and to become subject to
the disease which is called, in France, cadranurc (literally, dialling). This
disease cannot be discovered till the tree is cut down ; when it is found to be
open at the heart, with rents radiating from its centre towards the circum-
ference ; in consequence of which the wood is unfit for being sawn into either
planks or beams, and can only be employed for laths or fencing. Bosc found
that of the trunks of 30 chestnut trees, about 1 ft. in diameter, which he had
seen cut down and squared in the forest of Montmorency, there were 20 in
the diseased state above described. Hence, he says, we seldom find any trunks
of old chestnut trees, .because this peculiarity in their organisation not only
unfits them for every purpose of carpentry or joinery, but occasions them to
decay from the centre outwards. To us it appears probable that this organ-
isation, by lessening the communication of the juices of the tree in a horizontal
direction, may also be the cause why the sap wood so soon becomes heart
wood. Be that as it may, it is clear that all that has been said in favour of
planting the chestnut for its timber can only rank, in point of authority, with
what has been said respecting planting the locust for the same purpose. The
French writers state that chestnut wood is a good deal used for making wine-
casks; a circumstance noticed by Rapin, in his poem entitled The Garden : —
" With close-grain'd chestnut, wood of sov'reign use,
For casking up the grape's most powerful juice."
Wine is said to ferment in chestnut casks more slowly, and be less likely to
evaporate : it also does not contract any unpleasant taste. There is scarcely
any wood, according to Du Hamel, which makes better hoops, as these resist
the dry rot in cellars where every other kind of wood decays. Du Hamel
observes, at the same time, that chestnut wood decays speedily, when it is
subjected alternately to dryness and moisture. {Exploit de JBois, p. 296.)
Varennes de Fenille, on the other hand, states that, in La Bresse, posts of
chestnut are preferred to those of every other wood for forming the supports
of huts, notwithstanding these posts are subjected to the action of alternate
humidity and dryness. The wood of the chestnut is not much approved of
as fuel : it throws out sparks, and smoulders in the fire rather than flames ;
though it gives out a great deal of heat. The charcoal, though good, is not
of the first quality : it is inferior to that of the oak for domestic purposes, and
for iron founderies; but, according to Bosc, and most other Continental writers,
it is superior to that of oak, or any other wood, for forges; and it is much
used for that purpose in Biscay and in Spain. In Switzerland, chestnut wood
is equally valued for forges ; but, the tree being rare there, the charcoal is very
dear. {Hut. Nat. du Jordt, i. p. 9.) The same thing, Michaux informs us, is
the case in North America. The ashes of the wood of the chestnut furnish
a great deal of potash. The bark, especially of young trees, is used for tan-
ning ; but it only sells for half the price of that of oak. The leaves, in country
places in France, are used as litter for cattle ; and, when dried, they are em-
ployed, like those of the beech, by the poor, for stuffing mattresses. *' But
those leafy beds," Evelyn observes, " for the crackling noise they make when
one turns upon them, the French call licts de parKatment? {Hunt. Evel., i.
1992 ARBORETUM AND FllUTICETUM. PART III.
p. 163.) Such are the uses of the'chestnut tree on the Continent ; from which,
we think, it will not be wondered that Emmerich (Culture of Forests, &c.), and
German authors generally, should consider the chestnut as not ranking as a
forest tree.
We shall now take a short view of the uses of the chestnut tree in England
from the time of Evelyn. This author commences by saying, that " the chest-
nut is, next the oak, one of the most sought after by the carpenter and joiner.
It hath formerly built a good part of our ancient houses in the city of London,
as does yet appear. I had once a very large barn near the city, framed entirely
of this timber ; and, certainly, the trees grew not far off, probably in some woods
near the town ; for, in that description of London written by Fitz Stephens,
in the reign of Henry II., he speaks of a very noble and large forest, which
grew on the boreal part of it, and which was well stored with all sorts of good
timber." (Hunt. Evel., i. p. 161.) It is evident that Evelyn here falls into
the common error, already noticed, of confounding the chestnut with the oak.
He goes on to say that the chestnut affords the best stakes for palisades, props
for vines and hops, and is good for mill timber and water-works, or where it may
lie buried ; " but if water touch the roots of the growing tree, it spoils both fruit
and timber." It does well, he says, if kept dry, for columns, tables, chests,
chairs, stools, and bedsteads ; and, for tubs and wine-casks, " which it pre-
serves with the least possible tincture of the wood of any whatsoever. If the
timber be dipped in scalding oil, and well pitched, it becomes extremely dur-
able ; but, otherwise, I cannot celebrate the tree for its sincerity, it being
found that, contrary to the oak, it will make a fair show outwardly, when it
is all decayed and rotten within : but this is in some sort recompensed, if it be
true that the beams made of chestnut tree have this property ; that, being
somewhat brittle, they give warning, and premonish the danger by a certain
crackling; so as, it is said, to have frighted those out of the baths at An-
tandro, whose roof was laid with this material, but which, Pliny says, was of
hazel, very unlike it. Formerly, they made consultary staves of this tree ;
and the variegated rods which Jacob peeled to lay in the troughs, to impress
a fancy in his father-in-law's conceiving ewes, are said to have been of this
material. The coals are excellent for the smith, being soon kindled, and as
soon extinguished; but the ashes of chestnut wood are not convenient to
make a lee with, because it is observed to stain the linen." (Hunt. Evel. SyL, i.
p. 162.) Cook, who may be considered as Evelyn's contemporary, recom-
mends the chestnut for coppice-wood, and says the timber is very useful.
Miller falls into the error of his time, in considering the old roofs of oak as
being formed of chestnut ; and hence he recommends the latter, as being a
very valuable kind of timber; though, in the edition by Martyn, this author
states that he thinks the timber supposed by Miller and other writers to be
chestnut, in our old buildings, is only oak of a different grain, and of an inferior
quality. Marshall says, " The uses of the chestnut have been highly extolled,
and it may deserve a considerable share of the praise which has been given to
it. As a substitute for the oak, it is preferable to the elm ; but it is liable to
to be shaky; and there is a deceitful brittleness in it." This property is also
mentioned in White's Selborne ; and with the addition, that " towards the heart
the wood is cup-shaky; that is to say, apt to separate into small pieces like
cups, so that the inward parts are of no use. The}' are bought for the pur-
poses of cooperage, but must make but ordinary barrels, buckets, &c. Chest-
nut sells for half the price of oak; but has sometimes been sent into the king's
dock, and passed off instead of oak." In another place, he observes that " the
timber and bark" of old chestnut trees "are so very like oak, as might easily
deceive an indifferent observer." Pontey says that the wood and bark of the
chestnut are known to possess the same valuable properties as those of the oak.
Mitchell says that the wood of the chestnut is preferable to that of the oak,
either in buildings or fences, and particularly for park poles. Mathew seems
to confound the wood of the chestnut with that of the oak, observing that, in
England, " many of the largest of our ancient piles are wooded of it." Its
CHAP. cv. COHYLA'CF^. TASTA^NFA. J993
decrease, he thinks, may he owing to a slight refrigeration of climate; hut, as
the climate is rather improved, and the spirit of planting become more general,
this, he thinks, may give encouragement to more extended planting of the
chestnut. There is one circumstance, he says, connected with the timber of
the chestnut, in Scotland, which must prevent its general use in ship-building;
and *hat is, that few trees of it of any size are found without the timber being
shaky or split; some to such a degree, that the annual rings, or concentric
growths, have separated from each other. Mr. Mathew, who is evidently an
original observer, though, in this case, he has mixed up facts that have come
under his own observation with the current opinion respecting the use of
chestnut timber in old buildings, and in the Spanish navy, remarks, with Bosc,
that the timber, though a good deal similar to that of the oak, is not " quite
so reedy and elastic, but is destitute of the large laminae, or plates (flosh),
which, radiating from the pith to the outside, become so prominent to view in
the oak, when the longitudinal section is parallel to the plane of the lamina1."
(AV/i>. Tim., p. 47.) We have quoted these different opinions, for the purpose
of showing that the ground on which British authors hitherto have recom-
mended the culture of the chestnut as timber is the erroneous supposition
that the roofs of many ot'our ancient buildings are formed of it; and that, on
the faith of this, Evelyn, and others of them, appear to have argued in its
favour, contrary to their own experience.
The following remarks on the properties and uses of the chestnut by Mr.
Nathaniel Kent, a well-known and highly respected land and timber surveyor,
are dated 1792, and were published in the tenth volume of the Transactions
of the Society of Arts. They seem to us to contain all that can be said, from
practical experience, in favour of the chestnut as a timber tree in Britain. "In
1676," Mr. Kent observes, " an ancestor of the present Mr. Windham of
Felbrigg, in Norfolk, had the merit of being a considerable planter of chestnut.
In the space of 50 years, it is presumed, these plantations required thinning,
as his successor, about that time, began to apply this timber to useful purposes
upon his estate. The first account is of the branch or limb of a chestnut, about
13 in. square, which, in the year 1726, was put down as a hanging-post for a
gate, and carried the gate, without alteration, 52 years ; when, upon altering
the enclosures of the farm where it stood, it was taken up under my direction,
and appearing to be perfectly sound, was put down for a clapping-post in
another place. In 1743, a large barn was built with some of this timber, and
is now (1792) as sound in every part, beams, principals, and spars, as when
first the barn was built. About the same time, several chestnut posts and rails
were put down, which I have since seen removed ; and, after standing 30 or 40
years, they generally appeared so sound, as to admit of being set up in some
other place. The last instance I shall mention, though not of long date, will
show the great superiority of this timber over oak in fences. In the year 1772,
the present Mr. Windham made a large plantation in his park, which was
fenced with posts and rails, converted from young oaks and chestnuts of the
same age and scantling, such as were picked out of a place where they stood
too thick. Last year, upon Mr. Windham's enlarging this plantation, it was
necessary to remove this fence ; when the chestnut posts were found as sound
as when they were first put down ; but the oak were so much wasted just below
the surface of the ground, that they could not be used for the same purpose
again without the assistance of a spur to support them." (Trans. Soc. Arfst
x. p. 31.) " When the chestnut is suffered to stand beyond its full growth,"
Mr. Kent continues, " it is the worst of all timber, being more brittle and
more apt to crack and fly into splinters, than any other : but I have never
known this to be the case with young chestnut." Hence, he directs the tree
to be cut when it is in a growing or healthy state ; because it is " so early
useful, that, if it be cut when it squares only 6 in.,it will be as durable as an oak
of six times its size and age. This is in a great measure accounted for by its
having so little sap wood in proportion to other trees, as it will seldom
exceed in thickness the breadth of the bark ; whereas the sap wood of an
1994- ARBOUKTUM AND FHUTICETUM. PART 111.
oak will often be from 1 in. to 2 in. thick ; which is not only useless, but, if
suffered to remain, tends very much to the destruction of the timber : in other
respects, the duration of the chestnut may be accounted for from its being less
affected by worms or insects than other timber." (Ibid., p. 34.) He concludes:
" Let no one be afraid of cutting it too young ; for, let this tree be ever so
small, if it is large enough for the purpose for which it is wanted, it will be the
less liable to decay, from its youth ; and, if underwood be the object, the pro-
verb in beech countries will be fully verified : * Cut wood, and have wood.' "
(Ibid., p. 35.) In some parts of Essex, the wood of the chestnut is preferred
to that of the oak, for making gates, stiles, and hurdles ; both of which last
from 15 to 25 years. Chestnut piles are much used there for embankments
against the Thames or the sea. They are made 5ft. long, and 10 in. in
diameter, and driven 3 ft. into the earth. In a cohesive oozy soil, their
duration is almost without end ; but, in sand, they do not last longer than the
oak. The embankment is formed by heaping up earth on both sides of, and
over the row of piles, and sometimes branches are interwoven with them. In
the south and west of England, Mr. Davies informs us, the chestnut becomes
shaky, even when the trunk is only 6 in in girt ; but the stools, he says, by
their numerous shoots and large broad leaves, afford excellent shelter for
game. In every part of the country where hops are grown, the most durable
poles are those of the chestnut; and in Kent, it is well known, this tree is
more extensively planted for furnishing hop-poles than any other, unless we
except the ash.
Chestnut timber, in North America, Michaux observes, " is strong, elastic,
and capable of enduring the succession of dryness and moisture. Its durability
renders it especially valuable for posts ; which should be made of trees less
than 10 in. in diameter, and charred before they are set in the earth. In
Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and part of Virginia, it is also preferred for rails,
and is said to last more than 50 years. For shingles, this wood is superior
to any species of oak, though it has the same defect, of warping. It is not
extensively used for staves; and its pores, like those of the red oak, are so
open, that it is proper only for dry wares ; though the European species," he
adds, " which is more compact, is employed in Italy to contain wines and
brandy." The chestnut of Europe is considered to make excellent hoops; but
Michaux was informed by the coopers of New York and Philadelphia, that
the American chestnut is too brittle for that purpose. A more probable reason,
however, he observes, is, that, when bent, it is not strong enough to remain
firmly attached, like the hoops of the hickory, by crossing the ends, but
requires to be bound with osier, which is an additional labour and expense.
The wood is little esteemed in America for fuel, as, being filled with air,
it snaps as it burns ; but it is much esteemed for the forge ; and, in the
neighbourhood of Pennsylvania, native chestnut woods have been turned
into coppices, which are cut every 16 years for making charcoal.
Uses of the Fruit. Chestnuts are comparatively little used as food in Eng-
land, as they are seldom eaten except roasted at dessert. They are, however,
sometimes stewed with cream, and made into soup, either with milk or gravy.
They are also occasionally used as stuffing for fowls and turkey ; or stewed, and
brought to table with salt fish.
Speaking of the chestnut as an article of food, Evelyn says, " We give that
fruit to our swine in England, which is amongst the delicacies of princes in
other countries ; and, being of the larger nut, is a lusty and masculine food for
rustics at all times, and of better nourishment for husbandmen than cale and
rusty bacon ; yea, or beans to boot. How we here use chestnuts in stewed
meats, and beatille pies, our French cooks teach us ; and this is, in truth, their
very best use, and very commendable ; for it is found that the eating them raw,
or in bread, as they do in the Limousin, is apt to swell the belly, though
without any other inconvenience that I can learn : and yet some condemn
them as dangerous for such as are subject to the gravel in the kidneys ; and,
however cooked and prepared, flatulent, offensive to the head and stomach,
CHAP. CV. C'OKYLAVCE,E. CASTA^NEA. 1995
especially to those who are subject to the cholick. The best way to preserve
them is to keep them in earthern vessels in a cold place. Some lay them in
a smoak-loft, others in dry barley straw, others in sand, &e." {Hunt. Evel.,
vol. i. p. 163.)
The principal countries where the chestnut is employed as an important
article of food are, the south of France and the north of Italy ; where it serves,
in a great measure, as a substitute for both the bread and potatoes of more
northern nations. In these countries, it becomes a matter of importance to
preserve the chestnuts during winter; and, accordingly, great care is taken in
gathering, keeping, and drying them, so as to insure a constant supply.
When the chestnuts are ripe, those that are to be preserved are collected every
day from the ground on which they have fallen from the tree; and spread out
in a dry airy place, till the whole is gathered together. But, as it is often a
considerable time before the chestnuts are all ripe enough to fall from the tree,
if the season be so far advanced as to be in danger of snow or heavy rains,
after the fallen chestnuts have been collected and set on one side for drying,
the tree is beaten with long poles, to knock off the remaining fruit. This
operation is called ganler les chutalgnes. But the fruit thus collected is only con-
sidered fit for immediate use ; and the greater part of it is carried to the local
market, or sent to Paris. The husks of the chestnuts beaten off the trees
being generally attached to the nuts, they are trodden off by peasants furnished
with heavy sabots, when the nuts are wanted for immediate use ; but, when the
chestnuts are to be preserved a few months, they are generally kept in their
husks in heaps in the open air, or in barrels of sand, which are sometimes
actually sprinkled with water in very dry seasons, in order to preserve the full
and plump appearance of the nuts.
One of the modes of drying chestnuts, in order to preserve them for several
years, is, to place those which have been collected from the ground on coarse
riddles, sieves, or hurdles, in a dry airy place, and afterwards to expose them
to the sun ; or to boil them for a quarter of an hour, and then dry them in an
oven. In Limousin and Perigord, where the chestnut flour is used for making
the kind of cake called la galette, and the thick porridge called la polenta, which
are the common food of the peasantry, the chestnuts are dried with smoke.
A thin layer of nuts, which have been deprived of their outer husks, is laid on
a kind of kiln pierced with holes; and a fire is made below with the husks, and
part of the wood of the tree, which is only permitted to smoulder, and is not
suffered to burst into a flame. In a short time, the chestnuts begin to sweat ;
that is, their superabundant moisture oozes out through their skins. The fire
is then immediately extinguished, and the chestnuts are suffered to become
quite cold. They are then thrown on one side, and a fresh layer is spread out,
and subjected to the same process. When a sufficient quantity of chestnuts
is thus prepared, to cover the floor of the kiln at least 1 ft. deep, they are
laid upon it, and a gentle fire is made below, which is gradually augmented
during 2 or 3 days, and is then continued during 9 or 10 days, the chest-
nuts being regularly turned, like malt, till the nuts part readily from their
skins : they are then put into sacks, which have been previously wet, and
thrashed with sticks, or rubbed upon a large bench or table; after which, they
are winnowed, and are then ready for the mill. During the process of drying,
the fire is watched night and day ; and the under side of the floor of the kiln
(or hurdles, if these have been used as a substitute for a paved floor) must
be frequently swept, to clear it from the soot. The dust which escapes from
the chestnuts, when they are winnowed, together with the broken nuts, are
carefully preserved for feeding cattle, and are called in France biscat.
The most general modes of cooking chestnuts in France are, boiling them
in water, either simply, with a little salt, or with leaves of celery, sage, or any
herbs that may be approved of, to give them a flavour; and roasting them,
either in hot ashes, or in a coffee-roaster. They are also occasionally roasted
before the fire, or on a shovel, as in England ; but, when thus prepared, they
are thought not so good. In whatever way the chestnuts are roasted, the
1996 AllBOIlliTUM AND FRUTiCETUM. 1'AllT III.
French cooks always slit the skin of all except one; and, when that cracks and
flies off, they know that the rest are done. Chestnut flour is kept in casks,
or in earthen bottles well corked ; and it will remain good for years. La ga/ette
is a species of thick flat cake, which is made without yeast, and baked on a
kind of girdle, or iron plate, or on a hot flat stone. It is generally mixed with
milk and a little salt, and is sometimes made richer by the addition of eggs and
butter ; and sometimes, when baked, it is covered with a rich custard before
serving. La polenta is made by boiling the chestnut flour in water or milk,
and continually stirring it, till it has become quite thick, and will no longer stick
to the fingers. When made with water, it is frequently eaten with milk, in the
manner that oatmeal porridge is in Scotland. Besides these modes of dressing
chestnuts, which are common in Italy as well as in France, many others might
be mentioned ; particularly a kind of bouilli, called chatigna, which is made
by boiling the entire chestnuts, after they have been dried and freed from
their skins, in water with a little salt, till they become soft, and then breaking
and mixing them together like mashed potatoes; and a sweetmeat, called
tnarrons glaces, which is made by dipping the marrons into clarified sugar, and
then drying them, and which is common in the confectioners' shops in Paris.
(See Parmentier's Traite de la Chdtaigne ; Mem. de Desmarets in Journ. de
Physique for 1 771 and 1772 ; Du Ham. Arb., i. p. 136. ; N. Du Ham. iii. p. 65. ;
Diet. Class., &c., art. Chataignier; Nouv. Cours, &c.) On the foreign modes
of dressing chestnuts in Evelyn's time, that author says, " The best tables
in France and Italy make them a service, eating them with salt, in wine,
or juice of lemon and sugar, being first roasted in embers on the chaplet.
In Italy, they boil them in wine, and then smoke them a little. These
they call anseri, or geese : I know not why. Those of Piedmont add fennel,
cinnamon, and nutmeg to their wine; but first they peel them. Others mace-
rate them in rose-water. The bread of the flour is exceedingly nutritive:
it is a robust food, and makes women well-complexioned, as I have read in a
good author. They also make fritters of chestnut flour, which they wet with
rose-water, and sprinkle with grated parmigans, and so fry them in fresh
butter for a delicate." (Hunt. Evel., i. p. 162.) Evelyn also says that "the
flour of chestnuts made into an electuary with honey, and eaten fasting, is an
approved remedy against spitting of blood and the cough; and a decoction of
the rind of the tree tinctures hair of a golden colour, esteemed a beauty in
some countries." (Ibid., p. 163.) Sugar is said to have been obtained in
France from chestnuts by the same process as is used for the extraction of
the sugar from beet, and at the rate of 14 per cent; which is more than the
average produce of the beet-root. (Bon Sens, as quoted in the Athenceum of
Feb. 25. 1837.)
As a Tree for useful Plantations, the chestnut is chiefly valuable as under-
wood, and for its fruit. As underwood, us already mentioned, it is grown, in
England, for hop-poles, fence-wood, and hoops. The poles last as long as
those of the ash, and longer ; but they do not grow so fast, and they are apt
to send out stout side shoots, which, if not checked, either by pruning or by
the closeness of the plantation, cause, Cobbett observes, " the upper part of the
pole to diminish in size too rapidly. To get a chestnut pole any where between
12ft. and 20ft. in length, there will also be a disproportionate but ; a dis-
advantage that none but skilful hop-planters can know. The vines of the hop
(and it is the same with all other climbing plants) do not like to have a big
thing to go round at starting." (Woodlands.) Hence intelligent hop-planters,
" in order to obviate the injury arising from large-butted poles, stick in little
rods as leaders, to conduct the vine to the pole at 2 ft. or 3 ft. from the ground.
(Ibid.} For this reason, the plants, in a plantation of chestnuts for under-
growth, ought not to be farther apart than 5 ft. every way ; in which case they
will require very little pruning, but will become drawn up of a proper size.
When the tree is planted for timber, its properties suggest the propriety of
cutting it down when the trunk is under 1 ft. in diameter, and for using it
chiefly in rustic structures, gate-posts, and fencing. As a fruit tree, we have
CHAP. cv. COKY'LA'CE^E. CASTA^NKA. 1997
already observed that the chestnut, in Britain, is chiefly planted on the margins
of orchards, for the purpose of sheltering them. It is also occasionally planted
in hedgerows; but, from the density of the head, the early appearance of the
foliage, and its long continuance before it drops, the tree is injurious both to
the hedge and to the grass below.
As an ornamental Tree, Sang observes that many chestnuts should not be
planted near a residence; because "the flowers emit a very powerful and dis-
agreeable odour, which is offensive to most people." Gilpin considers the
chestnut, in maturity and perfection, as a noble tree, which "grows not unlike
the oak. Its ramification is more straggling; but it is easy, and its foliage loose.
This is the tree which graces the landscape of 8alvator Rosa. In the moun-
tains of Calabria, where Salvator painted, the chestnut flourished. There he
studied it in all its forms, breaking and disposing it in a thousand beautiful
shapes, as the exigences of his composition required. I have heard, indeed,"
continues Gilpin, " that it is naturally brittle, and liable to be shattered by
winds, which might be one reason of Salvator's attachment to it ; but, although
I have many times seen the chestnut, in England, old enough to be in a fruit-
bearing state, yet I have seldom seen it in a state of full picturesque maturity."
(For. Seen.) *Bosc says : " As an ornamental tree, the chestnut ought to be
placed before the oak. Its beautiful leaves, which are never attacked by in-
sects, and which hang on the trees till very late in autumn, mass better than
those of the oak, and give more shade. An old chestnut, standing alone, pro-
duces a superb effect. A group of young chestnuts forms an excellent back-
ground to other trees ; but a chestnut coppice is insupportably monotonous."
(N'ouv. Cours, &c., art. Chataignier.) In British parks, the chestnut is dis-
played to most advantage when standing singly, or in scattered groups along
with the oak; and the gradation in the foliage and manner of tufting formed by
Q. sessiliflora, between the chestnut and Q,- pedunculata, forms a pleasing har-
mony, interesting both in a botanical and a picturesque point of view. In hilly
grounds, the allusion which the chestnut creates to the Apennines affords a
pleasing argument for planting it in such situations.
Soil and Situation. The chestnut, like the beech, prefers a deep sandy loam.
It will not thrive in stiff tenacious soil ; and, in a rich loam, its timber, and
even its poles and hoops, are brittle, and good for nothing. In loamy soils at
the bottom of mountains, as at Aloa, in Stirlingshire; in loam incumbent on
clay, as at Brechin Castle, in Forfarshire; and in similar soils and situations;
it attains a large size, and in so short a time, that, according to Sang, wherever
the chestnut is planted in its proper soil and situation, it will outgrow any other
tree in the same length of time, except, perhaps, the larch, the willow, and
some of the poplars. According to Bosc, it will not thrive in calcareous soil ;
but clayey and sandy soils, and those lying over granite, gneiss, and schistus, and
which are composed of the debris of these rocks, appear particularly suitable for
it. It thrives well among rocks where there is apparently very little soil ; in-
sinuating itself among their fissures and chinks, and attaining a large size.
" Wherever I have seen chestnut trees," observes the same author, " and I
have seen them in a great many different localities, they were never in soils
or on surfaces fit for the production of corn. On mountains in France, Swit-
zerland, and Italy, the chestnut begins where the corn leaves off; and, in
climates suitable for corn, the tree is only found on rocky and flinty soils." In
Britain, the tree will not attain any height, unless in sheltered situations, and
where the soil is free and of some depth ; but in poor gravelly soil, where its
roots will only run along the surface, it will attain a very considerable dia-
meter of trunk, and be of great longevity, though its head may never be larger
than that of a pollard. Of this, the chestnut trees in Greenwich Park and
Kensington Gardens may be cited as proofs.
Propagation and Culture. The species is propagated by the nut, which may
be treated exactly in the same manner as the acorn ; and the varieties are
perpetuated by grafting. The nuts, when they are to be sent to a distance,
should, according to Parmentier, be gathered in bright sunshine, and exposed
1998 ARBORETUM AND FRUTFCETUM. PART IIJ.
to the full action of the sun's rays, on riddles, for seven or eight days. Tha
effect of this will be to cause the fruit to shrink, and become somewhat fur-
rowed ; but it will retain its vital properties for planting, as well as its agree-
able flavour as an article of food, for a much longer period than if it had not
been dried. The nuts of the American chestnut are commonly sent over to the
British seedsmen in dried moss; but those of Spain and France, sent over for
the table, being generally smoked and kilndried, are seldom found to vegetate.
Du Hamel directs the nuts intended to produce young plants to be germinated
in sand, and the point of the radicle to be pinched off before planting; because
by these means the nuts are kept out of the ground till late in the spring, and
are in less danger of being eaten by vermin than if they were sown earlier.
Boutcher proves the seeds by throwing them into a tub of water, preserving
those which sink in dry sand till the beginning of March. He then sows
them in drills 1 ft. 2 in. apart, and the nuts Gin. asunder in the drill, covering
them with soil to the depth of 3 in. Sang gives a covering of only 2 in. The
nursery culture of Boutcher consists in taking up the plants at the end of the
first season, and replanting them in lines at 2ft. 6 in. asunder, and at 1 ft. dis-
tance in the line. Here they remain two years ; after which, he again removes
them (shortening the taproots which they will have formed) into lines 4 ft.
asunder, and 2 ft. distant in the line, where they are to continue 3 years ;
after which they may be transplanted to where they are finally to remain.
The grafting of the chestnut, according to Du Hamel, is most successful
when performed in the flute manner. Knight (Hort. Trans. , vol. i. p. 62.)
found the chestnut succeed readily when grafted in almost any of the usual
ways ; and, when the scions are taken from bearing branches, the young trees
afford blossoms the succeeding year. It has been said that the tree is propa-
gated by grafting in some of the Devonshire nurseries ; but we have ascer-
tained that this is not the case either in the Exeter Nursery, or in any of the
nurseries in the Isle of Jersey, where, as already observed, the chestnut is
much esteemed for its fruit. In pruning the chestnut as a fruit tree, it must
be borne in mind that the blossoms appear on the young wood of the current
year, which is produced at the extremity of the preceding year's shoots;
and hence the necessity of keeping the head open, in order to give
a greater surface for the annual production of young wood. In France, the
chestnut is very apt to produce those large shoots of one season, called
gourmandesy which are easily known on the chestnut, as on all other trees, by
their vigour, and by their proceeding from the trunk or the principal branches,
and never from the smaller branches. The usual remedy for this over-luxu-
riance in the tree is to shorten or remove these branches ; but Mr. D. Beaton,
in the Gardener's Magazine, vol. xiii. p. 203., has suggested a better mode; viz.
allowing the gourmandes to exhaust themselves, and thus carry off' the super-
flous vigour of the tree, only cutting out all the buds which they form ; in
consequence of which, the following year, the shoot becomes so weak as to
admit of its being cut out without incurring the risk of forcing the tree to
throw out other shoots of the same kind. Chestnut trees, whether grown
for fruit or timber, at a certain stage of their growth, Bosc says, when they
are from 200 to 300 years old, begin to decay at top ; their branches dying
back, and the leaves and fruit produced being much smaller than before.
When this is the case, the whole of the branches forming the head are cut in
to within 2 ft. or 3 ft. of the trunk, which invigorates the tree for a consider-
able period, and occasions it to produce remarkably large fruit. After this,
when the trunk of the tree has become hollow, and there is danger of its
being blown down by storms, it is pollarded, and in that state it forms a fine
globular head, and 'continues to produce fruit and faggot-wood for many
years.
Felling the Chestnut. As timber, the chestnut can hardly be allowed to
stand with safety for more than 50 or 60 years ; and, even at that age, on
tolerably good and somewhat moist soil, it will be found shaky within, and
fit only for fuel. A more profitable time, probably, for felling it would be when
1999
the trunk averaged from 9 in. to 1 ft. in diameter, and then to use it as gate-
posts, or posts for supporting shed roofs. As coppice-wood, the common
period at which it is felled is about every 16 years ; though in some places, as
about Maidstone, in Kent, the poles are cut every 12 years, and even everj
10 years. For hoops, they may be cut every 4 or 5 years.
Accidents, Diseases, $c. The timber of the chestnut being brittle, and the
branches spreading obliquely from the trunk, it is much more liable to be
injured by storms than either the beech or the oak. The wood is also subject
to become shaky, and cup-shaky in the interior (see p. 1992.); and to that
peculiar disease, already mentioned (p. 1991.), which the French call dial-
ling. The decay of the heart wood is also technically considered a disease
named caries ; and Chaptal informs us that, when he was travelling in dif-
ferent parts of France, and particularly in Cevennes, in the department of
Allier, he observed a great number of chestnut trees with their trunks quite
hollow, and charred over the whole of their interior surface. The inhabitants
of the country explained to him that this operation was necessary to check
the progress of the caries, or decay, which would otherwise speedily consume
the entire tree. Hence, when they observe the disease beginning to spread,
they cut the whole of the rotten wood out of the trunk, and then collect
heath and other combustible plants, which, when thoroughly dry, they burn
in the hollow of the tree, till the whole surface of the interior is completely
charred. This is found effectually to stop the progress of the disease ; and
the operation is performed so dexterously, that it is very rare to find a tree
destroyed by it. (Bulletin des Sciences, an 7, as quoted in N. Du Ham., torn. iii.
p. 79.^ The leaves are liable to be attacked by few or no insects; and it is
said mat the wood never becomes worm-eaten. The nuts, however, in some
seasons, are attacked by a kind of weevil, the Pyrale Pflugione of Fab. (see
Mem, de Rcaum., torn. ii. pi. 11. No. 19.), which is in its imago state when the
chestnut trees are in flower. To prevent it from depositing its eggs in the
incipient fruit, the inhabitants of Cevennes, where it is most common, make
fires to attract and burn the insect. When the germ of the fruit has been
pierced, the nut never attains its full size, but drops off before it is half ripe.
Sometimes these weevils are found in the perfectly ripe fruit ; and care must
be taken, in selecting chestnuts for seed, to observe whether they have been
pierced on the side. We have twice had chestnuts sent to us for seed from
the celebrated tree at Vermont, planted by the hands of Washington ; but in
both cases they had been pierced by some insect, and never vegetated.
Statistics. Recorded Trees. The Tortworth Chestnut has been already mentioned. Lord Ducic,
the proprietor of the estate on which it stands, had a portrait taken of it, from which an etching
was made in 1772 ; and under it is the following inscription : — " The east view of the ancient
chestnut tree at Tortworth, in the county of Gloucester, which measures 19 yards in circumference,
and is mentioned by Sir Robert Atkins, in his History of that county, as a famous tree in King John'*
time ; and by Mr. Evelyn, in his Si/lva, to have been so remarkable for its magnitude in the reign of
King Stephen (113.3), as then to be called the Great Chestnut of Tortworth ; from which it may
reasonably be presumed to have been standing before the Conquest (1066)." (Mart. Mill.) At the time
this etching was made, it appears that the tree was barely included within the garden wall, which
bore hard upon it ; but this wall has since been removed, and a top dressing of fresh soil applied to
the roots, which seems to have invigorated the tree. The native soil in which it grows is a soft clay,
somewhat loamy ; and the situation is on the north-west side of a hill. Sir Robert Atkins is of
opinion that it was originally several trees ; and Marshall thinks that it is two trees grown together.
In 17!>1, Mr. Lysons found it 44 ft. 4 in. round in the thickest part; which is considerably less than
the dimensions given by Sir Robert Atkins, who makes it 19 yards (57 a); or by Bradley, who
makes it 51 ft. at 6 ft above the ground. An engraving of this tree by Strutt will be found in his
Sylita liritannica, of which our fig. 1924. in p. 1988. is a copy, reduced to the scale of 1 in. to 12 ft. Its
present measurement, at 5 ft. from the ground, Mr. Strutt observes, writing in 1820, is 52ft. ; which
shows an increase of 2 ft since 1766, when, at the same height, it measured only 50 ft. " The body is
10 ft in height to the fork, where it divides into three limbs ; one of which, at the period already men-
tioned, measured 28 ft. 6 in. in girt, at the distance of 50 ft. from the main trunk. The solid contents
of the tree, according to the customary method of measuring timber, are 1965ft. ; but its true geome-
trical contents must be much more. Young trees have been raised from the nuts which it bore about
3 years ago." (Sylu. Brit., p. 85.) Lord Ducie informs us, in a letter dated 1836, that the tree is still
much in the same state as it was when drawn by Mr. Strutt; and the Rev. W. T. Bree, who saw it
in the September of that year, characterises it as "a fine and most interesting relic. I wis-h-
he continues, "that Strutt had given us a figure of the whole tree, instead of the lower part only]
for, though the perfect head is but a modicum, or perhaps no part at all, of the original head, it yet
makes a beautiful object altogether." In the park at Cobban, in Kent, is a chestnut, called the
Four Sisters, figured by Strutt; the remains, as he states, " of a most magnificent tree. (Se«
our fig. 1925. in p. 1989.) Its trunk is .35 ft. 2 in in circumference at the ground, avoiding the
spurs; 29ft. at Sft. from the ground, 33ft. at 12ft from the ground, and 40ft. at the point where
6 O
2000 ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART 111.
the trunk divides. A number of tesder shoots spring out annually from its topmost branches,
and still give it, by the brightness of their foliage, an appearance of freshness altogether unex-
pected in such a ruin." Not far from this tree, in the same park, is the Fallen Chestnut, also
figured by Strutt. Gilpin mentions some fine chestnuts on the banks of the river Tamar, in Corn-
wall, at an old house belonging to the Edgecumbe family ; and also 70 or 80 trees at Beechworth
Castle, in Surrey, with trunks measuring from 12ft. to 18 ft, and even 20 ft., in girt. One of these
trees was measured by Mitchell, and found to be 18 ft. in circumference, and 90 It. high. At Win-
ley, near Hitchin Priory, in Hertfordshire, a chestnut, in 1789, girted upwards of 14 yards (42ft)
at 5 ft from the ground : its trunk was hollow, and in part open ; but its vegetation was vigo-
rous. At Great Canford, in Dorsetshire, there were four large chestnut trees in the.time of Grose ;
one of which measured 37ft round, and bore fruit plentifully, though the tree was much shivered
and decayed by age. In Marti/?i's Mi/lei- it is stated, on the authority of Ord's MS., that the stem of an
old chestnut near Fraiting, in Essex, yielded 30 loads of logs ; and another is mentioned in Glouces-
tershire, which contained within its hollow trunk " a pretty wainscoted room, enlightened with
windows, and furnished with seats." In Greenwich Park there are some large and old chestnut
trees; one of which, in 1795, measured 17ft. 6 in. in girt. At Shelford Lodge, Hampstead, in the
same year, a chestnut measured 15 ft. in girt at 5 ft. from the ground — In Scotland, a number of
large chestnut trees are mentioned by Dr. Walker, Mr. Sang, and Sir T. D. Lauder. The latter ob-
serves, that the chestnut is found near all the old aristocratical residences in Scotland. He mentions
a magnificent group of these trees at Winton, in East Lothian ; and has given a figure of one at
Riccarton, in the county of Edinburgh, the trunk of which measures 27 ft. in circumference, and the
head covers a space 77 ft. in diameter. " A Spanish chestnut at Preston Hall measures, at 1 ft from
the ground, 18 ft. in girt ; and at 10ft., 19ft." A chestnut at Kinfauns Castle, in Perthshire, whicft
was cut down in 1760, had a trunk which measured 22 ft. Sin. in circumference; and, though
it was hollow, all the branches had leaves and fruit upon them the year it was cut down. It was
supposed to be above 200 years old. The great chestnut that stood at Finhaven, in Forfarshire, was
long accounted the largest tree of the kind in Scotland. We have given some account of it in our
General History, p. 90. At Levenside, in Dumbartonshire, a chestnut of surprising bulk was thrown
down by a hurricane, January 13th, 1739. Sang has given the dimensions of 17 large chestnuts, the
smallest of which measured 8 ft. 6 in. in circumference at 4 ft. from the ground, with a trunk 36 ft.
in length, and stands at Leslie House, in Fife; and the largest, which was blown down about the
end of the last century, had a trunk which measured 17 ft. in circumference, and was 22 ft. in height.
This chestnut, along with several other very large ones at the same place, is supposed to have been
upwarvls of 300 years old. — In Ireland, there have been many fine chestnuts in different parts of the
country. An avenue at Duganston, cut down in 1793, contained trees which measured from 14ft.
to 16ft Gin. in circumference, with trunks, some of them 24ft., and others 36 It in length. At
Cranmore, near Belfast, is a very large chestnut tree, already mentioned, p. 112. At Bellione, trees
planted 27 years had trunks 5 ft., and one 7 ft., in circumference at 1 ft from the ground, and could
have afforded planks 16 ft long, and 12 in. broad. They grew in a strong loam on a limestone rock."
(Hayes's Treat., p. 162.) — In France, near Sancerre, M. Bosc saw a chestnut 32ft. 6 in. in circum-
ference at 6ft. from the ground, which, 600 years before, was called the Great Chestnut of Sancerre.
It was supposed to be 1000 years old, notwithstanding which its trunk looked perfectly healthy on its
exterior ; and it bore every year an immense quantity of fruit Near Bode, where there are still some
very large chestnut trees, there was one which fell in 1807, and which produced 18 cords of wood of
144 French cubic feet, 2500 poles 8 French feet long each, 90 stakes, and 300 faggots. At Plessis,
near Becherel, there is a chestnut, the trunk of which measured above 30 ft. in circumference at
about 4ft. from the ground; but its roots, whicli rise up out of the earth, would give it a much
greater extent if it were measured at the surface. The English prisoners of war, who were confined
at Becherel, frequently visited this tree ; and, from their report, few English travellers pass any where
near it without turning out of their road to see the celebrated chestnut of Plessis. (Sosc.) Near
Paris, at La Celle, Dr. Neill mentions, in his Horticulture I Tuur,&\\ ancient plantation of marroniers,
or cultivated chestnuts. Most of them, he says, are grafted trees ; and, in some instances, the graft
had greatly overgrown the stock. One aged tree measured, at the place of grafting, no less than 22 ft.
6 in. in circumference ; while, immediately below the graft, the stock was only 15 ft. 6 in in circum-
ference. In theTorest of St. Germain en Laye, the deputation, of which Dr. Neill is the organ, found
chestnuts (chiitaigniers, not marroniers,'} scattered up and down as singletrees, and in small separate
plantations. They were frequently of great age and large dimensions; the bole sometimes measur-
ing 13ft., 14ft., and 15ft. in circumference, and being sometimes quite hollow, though the head was
vigorous, (p. 365.) In Tuscany, the chestnut trees of Valombrosa are celebrated for their size, the
abundance of their leaves, and the deepness of the shade which they produce. (Seep. 1987.) The
expression, " Thick as the leaves of Valombrosa," has, indeed, almost passed into a proverb. (See
Loader's Gilpin, voL i. p. 101.) In Sicily, the chestnuts of Mount Etna have been already men-
tioned. The dimensions of the 3 largest (Castagno di Cento Cavalli, Castagno di Santa Agata, and
Castagno della Nave) have been already given (p. 1987.)-
Existing Trees of Castunea vtsca. The oldest trees in the immediate neighbourhood of Lon-
don are in Greenwich Park and Kensington Gardens; but they are, for the most part, hollow
trunks, with pollard-like heads. At Muswell Hill is the old chestnut figured in our last Volume,
which is 66ft high ; at Mount Grove, Hampstead, it is 57 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 3ft. 6 in.,
and of the head 44 ft. ; near Richmond, in the grounds of the Countess of Shaftcsbury, it is tiO ft.
high, diameter of the trunk 11 ft. 6 in., and of the head 60ft — South of London. In Devonshire,
at Bicton, it is 28ft. 6 in. high, diameter of the trunk 7 ft ; at Killerton, 34 years planted, it is 56ft.
high, diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 6 in., and of the head 57 ft. ; at Endsleigh Cottage, 22 years planted,
it is 50ft. high, diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 5 in., and of the head 14ft. In Dorsetshire, at Melbury
Park, 100 years old, it is 66ft. high, diameter of the trunk 9ft., and of the head 60 ft. ; at Compton
House, 60 years planted, it is 60 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 3ft. 4 in. In Hampshire, at Strath-
fieldsaye, it is 98ft. high, with a trunk 4 ft. in diameter. In Kent, at Cobham Hall, 10 years planted,
it is 30ft. high, diameter of the trunk 9 in. (for the old trees at Cobham, see p. 1999.) ; at Wnlder-
share is a fine old tree (Jig. 1926.), 91 ft. high, with a trunk 24 ft. 10 in. in circumference at 1 ft. from
the ground, and 15ft 10 in. at the height of 28ft. The trunk is 51 ft. high before it divides into
branches, and the diameter of the head is 65ft. It grows in a sheltered situation, in loam on gravel.
In Somersetshire, at Nettlecombe, 120 years old, it is 60 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 6ft., and of
the head 72 ft. 6 in. In Surrey, at Betchworth Castle, are some remarkably large chestnut trees.
One measured for us in May, 1837, was 80 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk, at 1 ft from the ground,
8ft., and of the head 222ft. The timber contained in this tree was estimated at 14 loads 25 ft.
Another tree at the same place was 65 ft. high, the trunk 6 ft. 6 in. in diameter, and was estimated
to contain 13 loads 8 ft. of timber. At Farnlinm Castle arc some remarkably line old chestnuts : one is
76 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 7 ft 6 in., and of the head 60 ft. ; and another 6/> ft. high, diameter
uf the trunk 7 ft, and of the head 60ft. In Sussex, at Cowdray, there is a magnificent avenue,
CHAT. ( V.
(AST A NKA.
1926
upwards of a mile long, consisting of ,300 chestnut trees,
which average 48 ft. in height, with trunks about t> ft. in
diameter. In Wiltshire, at Wardour Castle, 40 years
planted, it is 50 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 4 ft., and
of the head 36ft— North of London. In Berkshire, at
Bearwood, 16 years planted, it is 35 ft. high, diameter of
the trunk <> in., and of the head 18 ft. In Denbighshire,
at Kinmcl Park, it is 40 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 6 ft.,
and of the head 36ft In Gloucestershire, at Chipping
Cam; ilrn, it i> 77 ft. high, diameter of the trunk fi ft.
10 in. ; at Norton House, it is 96 ft. high, with a trunk 8 ft.
in circumference. In Herefordshire, at Croft Castle, are
some very remarkable chestnuts ; one of which is 80 ft.
high, dia;neter of the trunk 8ft. Gin., and of the head
112 ft. ! This is probably the largest chestnut in England.
There is another chestnut at Croft Castle, which is 78 ft.
high, diameter of the trunk 8 ft., and of the head 81 ft.,
and others of nearly equal dimensions. At Stoke Edith
Park, in the same county, is a chestnut 60ft. high, dia-
meter of the trunk 5ft. In Hertfordshire, at Cheshunt,
the sweet chestnut, only 6 years planted, is 16ft. high,
diameter of the trunk 2ft, and of the head 10ft. In
Leicestershire, at Belvoir Castle, 21 years planted, it is
40ft. high, diameter of the trunk 1 ft., and of the head
13. ft. ; at Doddington Park, 70 years planted, it is 77 ft.
high, diameter of the trunk 7ft. 6 in., and of the head 43ft. In Nottinghamshire, at Thoresby
Park, is a very remarkable tree, 100 years old, and 70ft. high, with a trunk only 11 ft. in circum-
ference at the ground, but with a clear upright bole, perfectly free from branches, to the height of
50 ft. In Oxfordshire, at Tew Park, 16 years planted, it is 44 ft. high. In Staffordshire, at Teddesley
Park, 14 years planted, it is 30ft. high, diameter of the trunk 9 in., and of the head 14ft. In Suffolk,
at Shrubland Park, it is 66ft. high, diameter of the trunk 11 ft. 4 in., and of the head 66ft In
Yorkshire, at Grimston, 11 years planted, it is 45ft high, the diameter of the trunk 7 in., and that
of the head 18 ft.
Castanea vtsca in Scotland. Near Edinburgh, at Gosford House, 30 years planted, it is 20ft. high,
the diameter of the trunk 4 ft. 4 in., with a widely spreading head ; at Newbattle Abbey it is 60 ft.
high, the diameter of the trunk 7 ft, and that of the head 70ft. ; at Barnton House, 90ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk 4 ft., and that of the head 48 ft. ; at Hoj>etoun House, 100 years planted, it is
75 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 4 ft. 4 in., and that of the head 50 ft. ; at Moredun, it is 70 ft.
high, the diameter of the trunk 5 ft, and of the head 58 ft.— South of Edinburgh. In Ayrshire, at
Doonholm, 70 years planted, it is 55ft. high, diameter of the trunk 3 ft., and of the head 32 ft. ; at
Blair, 100 years old, it is 70 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 5 ft, and that of the head 22 ft. ; at
Auchincruive, 120 years old, it is 60 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 5 ft. In the Stewartry of
Kirkcudbright, at St. Mary's Isle, it is 48ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 5ft., and of the head
60 ft In Haddingtonshire, at Tynningham, it is 49 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 4 ft. 8 in., and
that of the head 60ft. In Renfrewshire, at Erskine House, it is 60ft. h gh, the diameter of the
trunk 3ft. 2 in. ; at Both well Castle, it is 68ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 5ft., and that of the
head 60 ft. — North of Edinburgh. In Banffshire, at Gordon Castle, it is 64 ft. high, the diameter of
the trunk 2 ft. 8 in., and that of the head 40 ft. In the Isle of Bute, it is 60 ft. high, the diameter of
the trunk 4 ft, and that of the head 70 ft. ; at Cullen House, 80 years old, it is 51 ft. high, the dia-
meter of the trunk 3 ft. 4 in., and of the head 56 ft. In Cromarty, at Castle Send, 200 years old, it is
90ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 8 ft. 6 in. and that of the head 180ft. : by far the largest chest-
nut tree in Scotland. In Forfarshire, at Co.urtachy Castle, 102 years old, it is 45ft. high, the dia-
meter of trunk 3 ft., and of the head 48 ft. In Perthshire, at Kinfauns Castle, it is 68 ft. high, diameter
of the trunk 5ft. 6 in. and of the head 45ft. This tree has a clear stem of 30 ft, ; and is one of the
chestnuts mentioned by Dr. Walker in an early statistical account of Scotland. At Taymouth, 80
years planted, it is 50 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 5ft. 6in., and of the head 50ft. ; at Lawers, it
is 71 ft. high, and the diameter of the trunk 4ft. 6 in. In Ross-shire, at Brahan Castle, it is 55ft.
high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft. 6 in., and that of the head 50ft. ; at Castle Head, it is 18ft. in
circumference. In Stirlingshire, at Airthrey Castle, it is 70ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 4 ft.,
and that of the head 39 ft. ; at Bannockburn Wood, 120 years old, it is 76ft. high, the diameter of
the trunk 6 ft, and of the head 70 ft. ; and at Sauchie, 90 years old, it is 93ft. high, diameter of the
trunk 4 ft., and of the head 60 ft.
Castanea vesca in Ireland. In the environs of Dublin, in the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, 35 years
planted, it is 35 ft high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 6 in. , and that of the head 30 ft. — South of
Dublin. In the county of Cork, at Castle Freke, it is 44 ft. high. In King's County, at Charleville
Forest, 45 years planted, it is 85 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 8 in., and of the head 30 ft
In Kilkenny, at Borris, it is 53 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 6ft., and that of the head 70 ft. —
North of Dublin. In Down, at Ballyleady, 60 years planted, it is 38 ft. high, diameter of the trunk
2 ft. 4 in., and of the head 51 ft In Fermanagh, at Florence Court, 45 years planted, it is 50ft. high,
the diameter of the trunk 7 ft., and of the head 20 ft. ; another, 160 years old, is 83 ft. high, diameter
of the trunk 4ft., with a clear bole 28ft. high. In Sligo, at Mackree Castle, it is 50ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk 3 ft. 6 in., and that of the head 41 ft. ; in Tyrone, at Baron's Court, 40 years
planted, it is 35ft. high, the circumference of the trunk 6ft. 9 in., and the diameter of the head
30ft.
Casttlnea vtsca in Foreign Countries. In France, near Nantes, it is 100 years old, and 80 ft. high ;
at Colombe, near Metz, 60 years old, it is 39ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft., and that of the
head 50ft. ; in the Botanic Garden at A vranches, 22 years planted, it is 40ft high, the diameter of
the trunk 1ft 3 in., and that of the head 29ft. In Hanover, in the G&ttingen Botanic Garden,
20 years planted, it is from 20ft. to 25ft. high. In Cassel, at Wilhelmshoe, 40 years planted, it is
only 16 ft. high, with a trunk 1ft. in diameter. In Austria, at Vienna, in the University Botanic
Garden, 36 years old, it is 24ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft., and of the head 20ft. In
Bavaria, at Munich, in the English Garden, 30 years old, it is 20 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk
4 in., and of the head 8ft. In Prussia, in Berlin, at Sans Souci, 45 years old, it is 40ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk 9 in., and of the head 7 ft. In Sweden, at Lund, in the Botanic Garden, it
is 30 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 6 in., and that of the space covered by the branches
36 ft. In Italy, in Lombardy,at Monza, 50 years old, it is 84ft. high, the circumference of the trunk
7 ft. 6 in., and the diameter of the head 45 ft.
6 O 2
2002
ARBORETUM AND FUUTICETUM.
PART III
1 £ 2 C. PU'MILA Wttld. The Dwarf Chestnut, or Chincapin.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 461.; Michx. Amer., 2. p. 193. ; Mill. Diet, No. 2.; N. Du
Ham., iii. p. 79
Syrumymes. Klgus pumila Lin. So. PI., 1416., Gron. Virg., 150., Du Roy Harbk., 1. p. 275.,
' H'ang. Amer., 57. t. 19. f. 44 , Abbott Insect., 2. p. 113. t. 57.; Castanea pumila virgini&na, &c.
Pluk. Aim., 9()., Cat. Car., 1. p. 9. t. 9., Du Ham. Arb., 3. ; Chataigner Chincapin, Fr. ; zwerch
Kastanie, or Castanje, (Jer.
Engravings. Wang. Amer., 57. t. 19. f. 44. ; Abb. Ins., 2. t. 57. ; Cat. Car., 1. t. 9. ; Pluk. Aim.,
90. t. 156. f. 2.; Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 3. t. 11)5. ; our fig. 1927. from Michaux ; and fig. 192S.
from the tree in the Horticultural Society's Garden.
Spec. Char., tyc. Leaves oblong, acute,
mucronately serrated ; covered with
white toincntum beneath. (Willd.)
A shrub, 7 ft. or 8 ft. high, but some-
times attaining the size of a tree
30 ft. or 40 ft. high. It is a native
of North America, where it forms a
shrub rarely exceeding the height of
7 ft. or 8 ft. in New Jersey, Delaware,
and Maryland ; though in South Ca-
rolina, Georgia, and Lower Louisi-
ana, it is sometimes 30 ft. or 40 ft.
high, with a trunk from 12in. to 15in.
in diameter. The leaves are Sin.
or 4 in. long, sharply toothed, and
similar in form to those of the C. v.
amcricana; from which they are dis-
tinguished by their inferior size, and
the whiteness of their under surface.
The fructification also resembles that
of C. v. americana in form and arrangement ; but the flowers and fruit are
only about half as large, and the nut is convex on both sides. (Michaiu-.)
The chincapin is bounded to the northward, in America, Michaux adds,
by the eastern shore of the river Delaware, on which it is found to the
distance of 100 miles from
Cape May. It is more com-
mon in Maryland, and still
more so in the lower part of
Virginia, in the Carolinas,
Georgia, the Floridas, and
Louisiana, as far as the river
Arkansas. In West Ten-
nessee, it is frequent in the
prairies enclosed in the
forests ; and it abounds
throughout the southern
states, wherever the common
American chestnut is wanting.
The wood, Michaux informs
us, is more compact, heavier,
and finer-grained, than that
of the American chestnut ;
and, as posts, it will last in
the earth more than 40 years. The saplings, however, become loaded
" with branches while they are no thicker than the finger, and are thus
rendered too knotty for hoops." The fruit, which is about the size of the
wild hazel, is brought to market in America, and is eaten raw by children.
The tree requires a cool and fertile soil, with a mild climate; as, even in
the south of the United States, it becomes stunted when it grows in arid
land, and does not exceed the height of 6ft. or 7 ft. ; it is, however, one of
the most common shrubs in the southern states of North America, as it
CHAP. CV.
CORYLA CE/E. CASTA^NEA,
2003
springs up spontaneously wherever the ground is not covered with water.
It was one of the earliest-imported American plants, having been intro-
duced by the Duchess of Beaufort in 1699. In British nurseries, this
species is propagated by inarching on the common chestnut, or by layers.
There are handsome small bushes of it in the Horticultural Society's
Garden, and at Messrs. Loddiges's ; and it is occasionally met with in col-
lections. Seeds are also sometimes imported.
App. i. Species of Castdnea not yet introduced into European
Gardens.
Several species of chestnuts have been discovered in Nepal and Jara ; some of which were, at first,
su|>posed to belong to the genus ^uercus, but which have been separated from that genus, ami referred
to t'astiUiea, by Dr. Lindley; and others, which have been described and figured by Bkimc, in his
splendid work on the plants of Java. Dr. Lindley has given a synoptical list of the Indian CasUtnex;
in Dr. Wallich't, PI. As. Rat:, in which he enu-
merates eight different species, all of which we
shall shortly notice below.
C. irnlica Rox. Hort Beng., p. 68 , Lindl. in
Wall. PI. As. Haw,, Royle lllusL, p. 341., is a
native of the mountains of Nepal and Silhet.
C. Ro.tiiur^fiii Lind.t 1. c. ; yuercus castanicarpa
Rox. Hort. Beng., p. f>S., Hjurtig. Syst. f'cg., 3.
p. 856. ; is a native of Chittagong.
C. sphcerocdrpa Lindl., 1. c. ; Qut'rcus armata
Rot. MSS. ; is a native of the mountains near
Silhet.
C. tribvlotdes Lindl., 1. c., Royle Illust., p. 341 ; >
Quercus fribuloides Smith in Rets'sCycl., No. 13.,
D. Don. in Prod. Nep., p. 56., Wall in Lilt. ; Q.
Catungea Ham. MSS. ; Q. ferox Rur. Hort. Beae.,
p. 68. This species, according to Sir J. E. Smith,
was discovered by Dr. Buchanan (Hamilton) in
the forests of Upper Nepal, flowering and fruiting
at various seasons. Dr. Buchanan supposed it to
be an oak ; and he describes it as being a tree with
smooth branches, and leaves on short footstalks,
lanceolate, more or less ovate, entire, taper-pointed,
somewhat unequal at the base, about 4 in. long,
14 in. broad ; rigid, and rather coriaceous, with ir-
regular, distant, slightly curved veins; the upper
surface polished, and the under one paler, and opaque. The flowers are generally monoecious (though
Dr. Buchanan observed one tree with only female dowers), in slender, downy, clustered, axillary, or
terminal spikes ; the male spikes being most numerous. Stamens about S, with a dotted central disk.
The calyx of the fruit is armed with very numerous, rigid, prominent, sharp thorns, a fourth of an inch
or more in length, spreading in every direction. This
species is called Cattixn, or Cattumje, in the Parhatty
language ; Shingali, or Catu-Shingali, by the Nemours,
(See Rees's Cyct., art. Quercus.) Sir J. E. Smith adds
that Dr. Buchanan found the flowers " agree with
guercus; to which genus he referred this remarkable
plant ;" though the " strongly muricated calyx," which,
in some of his specimens, seemed to " split into 2 or 3
valves," approached " the nature of the chestnut."
It is now generally allowed to belong to the genus
Castiuiea.
C. martabdnica Wall. PI. As. Rar., t. 107., and our
fig. 192.')., has the leaves lanceolate-oblong, acuminate,
quite entire, smooth, on short footstalks, acute at the
base, silvery beneath. Catkins downy, densely clothed
with palm.-ite branchy spines, divaricate. (Wall.) A.
native of Martaban, near Amherst Dr. Wallich "only
observed this fine large species of chestnut in the im-
mediate neighbourhood of Amherst. It was covered
with a profusion of fruit in the'month of February.
The seeds had an astringent taste. Professor Lindley
thinks that there is no difference between C. argi'ntea of
Dr.Blume's superb Flora Javce and my (Dr. Wallich V)
tree, except that the former is depicted with weak
spines ; a circumstance, no doubt.due to the fruit, wh ich
was described as having been unripe. I venture to
dissent from my highly respected friend. Dr. Blumc's
tree appears to me to differ in the following points : —
Its leaves are more acuminate at the apex, and sharper
at the base; and their petioles longer. The fruit is
smaller, and its spines much shorter and less com-
pound. Besides, the locality seems to indicate a diver,
sity : the Java tree grows on mountains, whereas nn'iw?
occupies low ground, on the sea shore of .Martaban."
(Wall. PI. As. Rar., t. 107.)'
Catlanfa argtntea Blume Fl. Jav., t 21., and ourj?- 1P.;, has Uie Ieaves oblong-lanceolate, much
acummatcd, narrowed towards the base, glabrous and s:ivery beneath. Catkins silkv A tall tree.
a o a
1G29
2004
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
1931
with a thick trunk ; a native of mountains in the west of Java The wood is used for beams and the
axletrees of waggons ; and the acorns are eaten when boiled or roasted. (Blume.)
C. Tungurrut Blume Bjdr., Fl. Jav., t. 22., and our fig. 1930., has the leaves elliptic-oblong, acute,
and ash-coloured beneath. The veins and catkins are downy. It is an immense tree, 150ft. high ;
and is found in the province of Bantam, at an elevation of from 4000 ft. to 6000 ft. above the level of
the sea The natives call it Tungurrut, or Tungerreh. (Blume Fl. Jav.)
C.javdnica Blume Fl. Jav., t 23, 24, and OUT fig. 1932, has the leaves falcate, oblong-lanceolate,
sharp at both ends, glabrous, ochreous beneath ; the younger ones streaked underneath with dark
yellow. A lofty tree, attaining the height of 120 ft., with a trunk 7 ft. in girt. Common in the woods
of the volcanic mountain of Cede. Blume mentions two varieties : C. j. montana, C. mont&na
Blume Bjdr., 10. p- 526. : and C. j. fucescens. (Blume.)
C. mtrmis Lindl. in Wall. PI. As. Rar. is a native of Singapore.
C. chintnsis Spreng. is mentioned in our Hortus Britannicut.
GENUS IV.
CA'RPINUS L. THE HORNBEAM. Lin. Syst. Monoevcia Polyandria.
Identification. Lin. Gen., 497. ; Juss., 409. ; Fl. Br., 1029. ; Tourn., t. 348. j Lam., t. 780. ; Gzertn.,
t. 89. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 467. ; N. Du Ham., 2. p. 197.
Synonymes. Charme, Fr. ; Haynbuche, or Hainbuche, Ger.
Derivation. According to some, from car, wood, and pix, the head, Celtic ; from the wood being
used to make the yokes of oxen : and, according to others, from the Romans using the wood for
making a sort of chariot, which they called carpentum, and which the Swedes still call karm. The
French name, Charme, is evidently from the same origin. The English nameof Hornbeam alludes
to the horny texture of the wood ; and the German one of Hainbuche, to the use of the wood for
making groves in the geometric style of gardening.
Description, $c. Deciduous trees, mostly of the middle size ; natives of
Europe, Asia, and America; little valued either for their timber or orna-
mental effect ; but one species valuable as a garden hedge plant.
t 1. C. -Z?E/rruLUs L. The Birch, or common, Hornbeam.
Identification. Lin. Sp. PL, 1416. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 467. ; Fl. Br., 1029. ; Eng. Bot, t. 2032. ;
Hook. Scot., 274. ; FL Dan., t. 1345. ; N. Du Ham., 2. p. 198. ; Eng. FL, 4. p. 156. ; Hook. Br.
FL, p. 405.; Mackay FL Hibern., p. 256. ; Lindl. Synop., p. 240.
CHAT. CV.
C'ORYLA^CF./E. CA'RPINUS.
2005
Synonumcs. ttrpinus Matth. ^nlgr., 1 p. 131., Cam. KpH., 71., Dott. Pemj.t., 841., Hall. Hist., 2.
p. 298. No. ltii>7. ; O'strya Batik. Pin., 427., /tort N//M., 4:11.; O'rnua 7Vrt#. //«•/., 1109.;
'
AiwA. //<*/., 1. p. 2. 14(i. f. ; -fli'lulus Lob.' Ic., <2. 19(). f.
Engravings. Eng. Hot., t. 2032. ; Fl. Dan., t. l,m ; Ix>b. Ic., 2. p. 190., f. ; N. Du Ham., 2. t. 58. ;
and the plates of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., %c. Bracteas of the fruit flat, oblong, serrated, with two lateral
lobes. (Smith.) A deciduous tree, a native of Britain, and of various parts
of Europe, in magnitude and general character resembling the common
beech.
Varieties.
t C. B. 2 incisa Lodd. Cat., 1836; C. v. yuercifolia Desf.; C. v. hetero-
phylla Hort. ; has the leaves deeply cut. There are plants in the
Horticultural Society's Garden, and in the arboretum of Messrs.
Loddiges ; one at Cheshunt, 6 years planted, and 17 ft. high; and
one at Kinfauns Castle, 15 ft. high, with a trunk 2£ in. in diameter.
¥ C. B. 3 variegdta Lodd. Cat., 1836, has the leaves variegated.
Description, $c. The hornbeam, according to Sir J. E. Smith, is generally
a " rigid tree of humble growth ;" but one which " when standing by itself,
and allowed to take its natural form, will make a much handsomer tree than
most people are aware of." (Eiig. Fl.t iv. p. 156.) Miller says that, when
growing under favourable circumstances, it will attain the height of 60 ft.
or 70 ft., with a tolerably straight trunk, and bushy head, particularly on cold
stiff clay ; but it is very seldom allowed to become a timber tree. Being ex-
1933
tremely patient of the knife, and forming excellent hedges, it is generally cut
in when young ; so that the few old trunks yet remaining in the country, of any
size, are pollards. The trunk is generally flattened or irregular in its shape,
being very rarely, if ever, round ; and it seldom measures more than from 6 ft.
6 o 4
2006
ARBORETUM AND PRUTICETUM
TART III
to 9 ft. in circumference, even in the largest trees ; it is also generally much
thicker at the base than at 1 ft. or 2 ft. from the ground. The head is large,
tufted, and consists of a confused mass of branches, among which it is almost
impossible to trace the leader. The leaves somewhat resemble those of the
elm, but are smoother : they are doubly serrated, pointed, plaited when young,
and have numerous parallel, transverse, hairy ribs; their colour is a darkish
green, changing to a russet brown in autumn ; and they remain on the tree,
like those of the beech, till spring. The buds are rather long and pointed.
The flowers appear at the same time as the leaves. The male catkins are loose,
scaly, of a yellowish colour, and about 2 in. or 3 in. long; the female catkins
are much smaller, and, when young, are covered with close brownish scales,
which gradually increase, and form "unequally 3-lobed, sharply serrated,
veiny, dry, pale green bracteas, each enveloping an angular nut, scarcely bigger
than a grain of barley." (Smith.) These nuts ripen in October, and fall with
the capsules. The branches of the hornbeam, says Marshall, "are long,
flexible, and crooked ; yet in their general appearance they very much resem-
ble those of the beech : indeed, there is so great a likeness between these two
trees, especially in the shrubby underwood state, that it would be difficult
to distinguish them at a first glance, were it not for that glossy varnish with
which the leaves of the beech are strongly marked." (Plant, and Rnr. Orn.,
vol. ii. p. 51.) The wood is very tough and horny, and the bark smooth and
whitish, or light grey spotted with white ; and on old trees it is generally
CHAP. CV.
CA'RPINUS.
2007
covered with a brownish moss. The !!);>,.>
tree is extremely patient of the knife ;
and the wood unites readily when two
branches are bound together. The
hornbeam never grows very fast, but
still more slowly when it becomes old.
In the neighbourhood of London, the
rate of growth may be considered from
1 ft. to 18 in. a year for the first ten
years, and the tree will attain its full
size in between 50 and 60 years : its
longevity may be considered as equal
to that of the beech. There is a hand-
some tree in the grounds of the Duke
of Devonshire's villa at Chiswick, of
which a portrait will be found in our
last Volume; and Jigs. 1933. to 1935.
are portraits of trees at Studley Park.
Fig. 1933. shows the natural form of the
head of the tree, where it has room to
expand. Fig. 1934. shows a beech
on the right hand, which is 85 ft. high,
and a hornbeam on the left, which is
73ft. high. Fig. 1935. shows two horn-
beams, one of which has a compound inosculated trunk, and is introduced to
show that the hornbeam partakes of the liability of the beech to inosculate.
The latter are between 50 ft. and 60 ft. high, with handsome well-shaped
heads. The roots of the hornbeam are numerous, and not only extend far,
but penetrate deeply into the soil } though the plant cannot be called tap-
rooted.
Geography. The common hornbeam is indigenous in France, Germany,
Italy, and throughout the whole of Central Europe; in Norway and Sweden,
as far as 55° and 56°, but not to the north of Scania ; in the south of Russia,
and in Caucasus, Armenia, Asia Minor, and all Western Asia ; but not in
Africa. The general range of the hornbeam is in the temperate climates, as
it seems alike averse from extreme heat and cold. It is a native of England
and Ireland, and the south of Scotland. According to Watson, it is parti-
cularly abundant in Kent, Norfolk, Caernarvon, Chester, and Lancaster;
(Outlines, &c., p. 255.); and Sir J. E. Smith informs us that it forms " a prin-
cipal part of the ancient forests on the north and east sides of London ; such
as Epping, Finchley, &c." (Eng. Flora, iv. p. 156.) It is always found in
cold, stiff, clayey, moist soils, where scarcely any other timber tree will grow ;
and in situations bleak, but seldom or never mountainous.
History, $c. The Greeks supposed the hornbeam to be a kind of maple,
and called it Zugia, or the yoke tree, in common with the maple ; from the use
made of the wood of both trees for yokes for cattle. The Latins called it
Carpinus ; and under this name it is spoken of by Vitruvius, lib. ii. c. ix.
Pliny classes it with the maples; though he adds that many naturalists sup-
pose it to be a genus by itself. He says less about it than about any other
forest tree ; and only remarks that it will thrive equally well on the mountains
and in the plains. Virgil does not mention it. Some of the old English
writers considered it a kind of elm. Gerard calls it Betulus sive Carpinus ;
and his description of it is so curious, that we copy it below. He says that
" it growes great, and very like unto the elme or wich-hasell tree ; having a
great body, the wood or timber whereof is better for arrowes and shafts,
pulleyes for mils, and such like devices, than clme or wich-hasell ; for, in time,
it waxeth so hard, that the toughness and hardnes of it may be rather com-
pared to horn than unto wood ; and therefore it was called hornebeam or
hard-beam. The leaves of it are like the elme, saving that they be tenderer .
2008 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
among these hang certain triangled things, upon which are found knaps, or little
buds of the bignesses of ciches, in which is contained the fruit or seed. The
root is strong and thicke." He adds, that " it growes plentifully in North-
amptonshire, and in Kent, by Gravesend ; where it is commonly taken for a
kinde of elme" (Herball, p. 1479.) : and concludes by saying that he con-
siders it as a kind of elm himself; and that it is called, in England, horn-
beam, hard-beam, or yoke-elm, and in some places, witch-hazel. It was also
sometimes called horse-beech. " This tree," says Parkinson, in his Theatre
of Plants, " hath found about as many names as there have been authors that
have written of it ; but, by the judgment of the best, it is the Ostrya of
Theophrastus, which he describeth so plainly in his 3d bookeand 10th chapter,
that it is a wonder so many learned men as have called it otherwise, should
not better heede it ; but, led by tradition or conceit, have rather taken it to
be any other thing than what it is. Pliny (lib. iii. c. xxii.) describeth it; but
maketh it like to Fraxinus, when he should rather have set Fagus ; for it no
way resembleth the ash, but very much the beeche. Tragus taketh it to be
Ornus ; and saith that he cannot agree to Ruellius, who said that Ornus was
a species of Fraxinus. Matthiolus called it Carpinus. Dodonaeus, in his
Dutch book, maketh it his third kinde of elme, and doubteth if it be not the
Ulmus sylvestris of Pliny. Lugdunensis giveth us the figure of it for Ulmus
attinia ; but Cordus or Dalechampius, I take it, first tooke it be Ostrya.
Gesner, in Hortis, calleth it Fagus sepiaria; L'Obel, Betulus; and Clusius,
Fagulus herbariorum." (Parkinson's Theat. Bot., p. 1406.) Parkinson him-
self calls it Ostrya. The author of An Old Thrift newly revived classes the
"hornebeame" among the British timber trees. It "doth much," he adds,
" resemble the beech tree in qualitie ; and desireth the same kind of ground,
husbanding, and dressing, as the beech tree doth ; but it is a more firme and
solide kinde of wood." (p. 59.) The hornbeam was always a favourite tree
for forming hedges and labyrinths ; and, as these last appear to have been in -
troduced at a very early period, it was, doubtless, among the first indigenous
trees planted for garden purposes. In the Retired Gardener, and in James's
Gardening, both of which are translations of French works published during
the reign of Louis XIV., long details are given on the art of forming groves,
labyrinths, alcoves, arcades, and " various other devices " of hornbeam ; of
which, the author adds, " Nature, of herself, hath provided enough for us to
make what compartments we please with it in our gardens." (Ret. Gard.y ii.
p. 740.) Evelyn speaks quite in raptures of the hornbeam hedges in the
garden of London and Wise at Brompton ; and of " the admirable espa-
lier hedge in the long middle walk of the Luxembourg Garden at Paris (than
which nothing is more graceful), planted of this tree ; and so is that cradle,
or close walk, with the perplexed canopy, which lately covered the seat in His
Majesty's garden at Hampton Court." (Hunt. Evel., i. p. 140.) With the
decline of the geometric style of planting, the lofty hedges and alleys with
clipped sides, of hornbeam, fell into disrepute ; and the tree was chiefly used
to form garden and nursery hedges for shelter and for coppice-wood. In the
present day, the tree is little used for either of these purposes ; beech, or
some species of evergreen, being found to grow more rapidly as a hedge ; and
undergrowth of hornbeam only being planted in the worst soils.
Poetical Allusions. The hornbeam does not appear to have been mentioned
by Virgil, or any of the other Latin poets. It is also very seldom alluded to
by any of either the French or English poets of the middle ages. Rapin, in
his Latin poem, entitled The Gardens, speaks of the use of this tree for laby-
rinths : —
" Let beauteous hornbeams one fair part adorn ;
Another, cypresses with judgment shorn :
These mazy windings form a wilderness,
Which hornbeam hedges in trim neatness dress.
Along the alley sides their boughs expand :
Like verdant walls the firm espaliers stand ;
And, while the eyes their various forms delight,
To private walks and shady bowers invite." Book ii.
CHAP. CV. CORYLAVCE,E. C'A'RPlNUS. 2009
Fawkee, also, mentions them in his Bramham Park : —
" Here hornbeam hedges regularly grow,
There hawthorn whitens, and wild roses blow."
Properties and Uses. The wood of the hornbeam is white, hard, heavy,
tenacious, and very close-grained ; but it will not take a good polish. Ac-
cording to Varennes de Fenille, it shrinks a great deal in drying, and loses
considerably in its weight. Some German authors, however, deny that it
loses either more bulk or more weight in drying than the oak. According to
the table given in the Dictionnaire des Eaux et Forets, it weighs, when green,
64 Ib. ; half-dry, 57 Ib. ; and quite dry, 51 Ib. It is very seldom used in con-
struction ; partly because it is seldom found of proper dimensions, and partly
because, when the tree attains a large size, the wood is apt to become shaky,
like that of the chestnut. On this subject, Varennes de Fenille observes :
" The trunk is rarely well shaped, being scarcely ever round ; the arrangement
of the fibres is singular, the annual layers never showing a regular circular
line, like the layers of other trees, but being undulated and zigzag; and the
transverse fibres, or medullary rays, stronger and wider apart than in most
other trees. It is consequently very difficult to work : it is what the
workmen call cross-grained, and is apt to rise in splinters under the work-
man's tool, peeling off in flakes, and rendering it very difficult to obtain a
smooth section." These objections do not apply to the hornbeam in its
young state. Its toughness and hardness (though the latter quality makes
it difficult to work) render it excellent for all sorts of wheelwright's work,
and other kinds of rural carpentry ; particularly for the yokes of cattle, to
which use the wood was applied (as we have already seen) by the Romans,
and, since their time, in almost every country of which the tree is a native.
It is particularly well adapted for mill-cogs, for which, according to Evelyn,
"it excels either yew or crab." It is exceedingly strong ; a piece 2 in.
square, and 7 ft. 8 in. long, having supported 228 Ib. ; while a similar beam of
ash broke under 200 Ib. ; one of birch, under 190 Ib. ; of oak, 185 Ib. ; of beech,
165 Ib. ; and of all other woods, very much less. Notwithstanding its powers
of resistance, the hornbeam has very little flexibility ; it having bent, before it
broke, only 10°; while the ash bent 21°, the birch 19°, the oak 12°, &c.
Linnaeus observes that the wood is very white and tough, harder than haw-
thorn, and capable of supporting great weights.
As Fuel, the wood of the hornbeam should be placed in the highest rank.
In France, it is preferred to every other for apartments, as it lights easily, and
makes a bright flame, which burns equally, continues a long time, and gives
out abundance of heat ; but, though its value in this respect surpasses that of
the beech in the proportion of 1655 to 1540, yet the shape of the logs of
hornbeam is so irregular, that a cord of it, measured as they measure willows
(see p. 1470.), is not worth more, in Paris, in proportion to a cord of beech,
than I486 to 1540. In England, the hornbeam is considered to make lasting
firewood ; and, according to Boutcher, it burns as clear as a candle. (Treat.,
&c., p. 58.), Evelyn, also, says " it makes good firewood, where it burns like
a candle ; and was of old so employed : * Carpinus taedas fissa facesque dabit.' "
And Miller speaks of it as excellent fuel. Its charcoal is highly esteemed,
and, in France and Switzerland, it is preferred to most others, not only for
forges and for cooking by, but for making gunpowder ; the workmen at the
great gunpowder manufactory at Berne rarely using any other. The inner
bark, according to Linnaeus, is used for dyeing yellow. The leaves, when
dried in the sun, are used in France as fodder ; and, when wanted for use in
winter, the young branches are cut off in the middle of summer, between the
first and second growth, and strewed or spread out in some place which is
completely sheltered from the rain, to dry, without the tree being in the
slightest degree injured by the operation. (Sec Diet, des Eaux et Forets, art.
Charme.)
For a Nurse Plant, and for Hedges, the hornbeam is particularly well
adapted. The real " excellency of the hornbeam," says Marshall, " lies in its
2010 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
fitness for screen fences for sheltering gardens, nurseries, and young planta-
tions from the severities of the winter season. It may be trained to almost any
height ; and, by keeping it trimmed on the sides, it becomes thick of branch-
lets, and, consequently, of leaves ; which being by their nature retained upon
the plant after they wither, a hornbeam hedge occasions a degree of shelter
nearly equal to that given by a brick wall." {Plant, and Rur. Orn.y ii. p. 5*2.)
Boutcher also recommends it as a nurse, for its hardiness ; and because
he does not know " any useful timber tree that defends itself so stoutly
against the winds ; so that, being of quick growth, and clad in its numerous
leaves all the winter, it is certainly one of the fittest plants to nurse and rear
up other valuable or delicate trees." {Treat., &c., p. 58.) Hanbury says that
horses and rabbits are so fond of it, that they will never bark other trees till
the hornbeams are entirely destroyed. Evelyn recommends it to be planted
in deer parks, as he says that deer will not touch it, and will not even rub
their young horns against it.
Hornbeam Hedges* In France, a trained hornbeam hedge, or charmilley as it
is called in that country, is formed in the following manner : — The ground is
trenched one or two months beforehand. The plantation may be made either
with plants 3 or 4 years old, or 6 or 7. The first method is the least expensive,
and the most certain of success ; but the latter soonest produces an effect.
The plants, whether they are large or small, have their side shoots severely
cut in ; and they are planted in a single line, 6 in. or 8 in., or even 1 ft.,
apart, according to the height which it is intended the hedge should be. The
plants are left to themselves for the first year. The second year, any strag-
gling shoots are shortened, and the vacancies are filled up, if any plants have
Failed. The third year, if the plants were tolerably large when put in, the
hedge may be regularly clipped, or sheared ; but, if they were small, the clip-
ping should not take place till the fifth year. In general, when the hedge is
wanted of a considerable height, the clipping should be postponed longer than
when it is wished to be kept low. With regard to the after-treatment, M.
Bosc recommends clipping the hedge only once every year, at midsummer,
for the same reasons which we have already given respecting clipping the
box. (See p. 1340.) A charmille, or clipped hornbeam hedge, 8ft. or 10ft.
high, should never be less than 8 in. or 1 ft. thick ; and in some cases they
may be 2 ft. thick. When the hedge becomes old, it is cut in to the stem, or
completely down to the ground; but the best way is to remove the plants,
and trench the ground to the depth of 3 ft. or 4 ft., filling up the trench with
fresh earth, before replacing them with young ones. In Westphalia, and other
parts of the north of Germany, Dr. Hunter, quoting from the German author
Agricola, tells us that the hornbeam is in great repute as a hedge plant : —
" When the German husbandman erects a fence of hornbeam, he throws up
a parapet of earth, with a ditch on each side, and plants his sets (raised
from layers) in such a manner as that every two plants may be brought to
intersect each other in the form of a St. Andrew's cross. In that part
where the two plants cross each other, he scrapes off the bark, and binds
them closely together with straw. In consequence of this operation, the
two plants consolidate in a sort of indissoluble knot, and push from thence
horizontal slanting shoots, which form a living palisade, or chevaux de frise ;
so that such a protection may be called a rural fortification. These hedges,
being pruned annually, and with discretion, will, in a few years, render the
fence impenetrable in every part." (Hunt. Eve/., i. p. 141.) Layers are recom-
mended by Agricola in preference to seedlings, because the former are sup-
posed not to grow so high, and to be more bushy.
In geometric Gardening, the uses made of the hornbeam appear to have
been very numerous. The principal was, to form high hedges, or paiisudes,
for dividing the garden into compartments ; which compartments were after-
wards diversified " into the star, the goose-foot, and walks winding variously for
the greater ornament of parks, labyrinths, and groves." (Ret. Gard., ii.
p. 741.) For the palisades, London and Wise direct the hornbeam plants to be
CHAP. CV. CORYLA^E.K. CArRPINUS. 2011
put into prepared ground, and treated as for the chnnmllc ; adding : — " That the
hornbeam may grow to your liking, you must dig it four times a year, in
March, May, July, and September. According as it comes up, you should
keep it sheared, that it may grow in the form of an even palisade ; and when
it is of a good height, you make use of a hook. If the palisade runs very
high, you should get a cart made on purpose; and the man who shears it
gets up in it, and is drawn by one or two horses, according as the workman
advances in his work." (Ibid.) A star consisted of five broad paths, with grass
in the middle, and gravel on each side, cut through a wood of hornbeam, and
radiating from a round grass-plot, surrounded by a ring of gravel. The wood
was generally formed entirely of hornbeam ; but sometimes the wood was of
other trees, and only the avenues or alleys were lined by high hedges or pa-
lisades of hornbeam. The goose-foot may shortly be described as half a
star ; three walks or alleys, corresponding to the three large ribs in the foot
of a web-footed fowl, radiating from one side of an oval or circle. " A laby-
rinth," says the author of the Retired Gardener, ?* is a place cut into several
windings, set off with hornbeam, to divide them one from another. In great
gardens, we often meet with them, and the most valuable are always those
that wind most ; as that of Versailles, the contrivance of which has been won-
derfully liked by all that have seen it. The palisades of which labyrinths
ought to be composed should be 10ft., 12ft., or 15ft. high : some there are
no higher than one can lean on, but they are not the finest. The walks of a
labyrinth ought to be kept rolled, and the hornbeams in them sheared in the
shape of half-moons." (Ibid., p. 743.) " Bosquets, or groves, are so called
from bouquet, a nosegay; and I believe that gardeners never meant anything
else by giving this term to this compartment, which is a sort of green knot,
formed by the branches and leaves of trees that compose it, placed in rows
opposite to each other. A grove, in this sense, is a plot of ground more or
less, as you think fit, enclosed in palisades of hornbeam ; the middle of it filled
with tall trees, as elms or the like, the tops of which make the tuft or plume.
At the foot of these elms, which should grow along the palisades at regular
distances, other little wild trees should be planted ; and the tuft that will by
this means be found in the inside will resemble that of a cope. There are
several ways of drawing out these groves; some in regular forms, the plots
being answerable to one another ; and some in irregular, or the meer effect of
fancy." (Ibid., p. 744.) The paths in these groves were of gravel, well rolled,
and kept very smooth ; or of grass, well rolled, and closely shaven, " after the
manner of green plots." The author of the Retired Gardener then adds: "I
have named a great many sorts of compartments in which hornbeam is made
use of; yet, methinks, none of them look so beautiful and magnificent as a
gallery with arches." He then gives long details for executing this work ; but
what we have already extracted will suffice to give an idea of the use that was
made of the hornbeam in geometric gardening.
Soil and Situation. The hornbeam will succeed in any soil not too warm
and dry. It is naturally found on cold, hard, clayey soils, in exposed situa-
tions ; but it attains its largest dimensions on plains, in loams, or clays that
are not too rich. On chalk it will not thrive, in which respect it is directly
the reverse of the beech.
Propagation and Culture. The seeds of the hornbeam ripen in October ;
and they are produced freely in England, but seldom in Scotland ; the bunches,
or cones, as they are called, which contain them, should be gathered by hand,
when the nuts are ready to drop out ; or they may be left on the tree till they
drop ; when, though a part of the seed will have fallen out, there will, in all
probability, be enough left for future use, the tree being at present but very spar-
ingly propagated in Europe. The nuts separate readily from their envelopes ;
aiid, if they are sown immediately, many of them will come up the following
spring, and all of them the second spring. If they are preserved in dry sand,
or in their husks, and sown the following spring, they will come up a year
afterwards: the usual covering is £in. The plants may remain in the seed-
2012 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
bed for two years ; after which they may be planted into nursery lines, and
undergo the usual routine treatment. The varieties are usually propagated
by layers ; and, according to Sang, the species was formerly propagated in this
manner in large quantities ; but, the plants so raised never arriving at great
stature as timber trees, the hornbeam came to be considered more as a shrub
than as a forest tree, and its planting was neglected, except for hedges. It is
now, however, never propagated otherwise than by seeds.
Accidents, Diseases, Insects, and parasitic Plants. The hornbeam, from the
toughness of its branches, and the tenacity with which its roots take hold of
the soil, is scarcely ever injured by high winds; it is, however, very liable to be
barked, and sometimes entirely destroyed, by mice, when the seedling plants
first appear above the ground ; and afterwards, till the tree is five or six years
old, by hares and rabbits, neither of which will touch any other kind of tree
in the same plantation, till they have stripped the hornbeam of every particle
of its bark within their reach. It is liable to few diseases; but, when pruned
or otherwise wounded in spring, it bleeds freely ; sometimes, also, a kind of
gum, in filaments, oozes out of the fissures of the bark. This genus is red-
dish, easily dissolved in spirits of wine, and analogous to lac. (See Diet, des
EauxetForets,&c.) The hornbeam does not appear to be much subject to
the attacks of insects. *Hybernia prosapiaria, *Hirnera pennaria, -f-Geometra
carpiniaria, *Campaeva margaritata, Clorissa putataria, are lepidopterous in-
sects, which, in the larva state, either entirely or partially subsist upon the
leaves. Cicones carpini is a small beetle found under the bark ; Coccus car-
pini is found upon the stems, with the ordinary habits of the scale insects ; and
one of the saw-flies, ITenthredo carpini, is thus named from its feeding upon
this tree. The fungi that are found on the hornbeam are : Polyporus adustus
Willd. var. carpineus ; Sphae^ria decipiens Dec. ; and Stilbospora magna Berk.,
syn. S. Carpini Sow., t. 376., and fig. 16613. in the Encyclopaedia of Plants,
singular for the large tendrils which are formed by the oozing sporidia.
Sphaevria fimbriata Pers. and SphaeVia carpinea Fr. on the leaves, and S.
C'arpini Pers. on the twigs, have not yet been observed in this country ; but
there is little doubt that they will reward the research of some botanist, in
countries where the hornbeam is prevalent.
Statistics. Recorded Trees. Miller speaks of some hornbeams that he had seen in woods, 70 ft.
high ; but he does not give their circumference. Marsham mentions a hornbeam in Lord.Petre's park
atWrittle, in Essex, which, in 1764, measured, at5fl. from the ground, above 12 ft. in circumference.
(Bath Soc. Pap., i. p. 66.) Evelyn mentions the hedges at Hampton Court as being from 15ft. to
20ft. high. Dr. Walker, in his Essays, &c., mentions a hornbeam at Bargally (see p. 95.) which mea-
sured, in 1780, 6 ft. 2 in. in circumference, had 20 ft of clear trunk, and was 70 ft, high. In France,
the hornbeam is so generally used for garden hedges, that there does not appear to be any large old
trees ; but Evelyn informs us that, in Germany, it was formerly the custom to plant a clump of these
trees " before the entries of most of the great towns ; to which they apply timber frames for the
people to sit and solace in. Scamozzi, the architect, says that in his time he found one whose
branches extended 70ft. in breadth : this was at Vuimfen, near the Necker, belonging to the Duke
of Wirtemberg." (Hunt. EveL, i. p. 144.)
Existing Trees ofCdtpinus BMulus. South of London : in Devonshire, at Endsleigh Cottage, 12
years planted, it is 30ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft., and of the head 10ft. ; in Dorsetshire,
at Melbury Park, 60 years planted, it is 72 ft. high, girt of trunk? ft., and diameter of the head 60ft;
in Hampshire, at Alresford, 81 years planted, it is 66 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft, and of
the head 31 ft. North of London : in Denbighshire, at Llanbede Hall, 50 years planted, it is 56 ft.
high, girt of the trunk 8ft. 4 in., and diameter of the head 36ft. ; in Lancashire, at Latham House,
60 years planted, it is 48 ft. high, diameter of trunk 2 ft. 6 in., and that of the space covered by the
branches Sift. ; in Northamptonshire, at Wakefield Lodge, 15 years planted, it is 22ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk Sin., and of the head 8ft; in Oxfordshire, in the Oxford Botanic Garden,
40 years planted, it is 25 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft., and of the head 20ft. ; in Pern-
brokeshire, at Stackpole Court, 50 years planted, it is 53ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 6 in.,
and of the head 50 ft. ; in Shropshire, at Willy Park, 9 years planted, it is 25 ft high ; in Suffolk, at
Finborough Hall, 60 years planted, it is 80 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2ft. 3 in., and of the
head 40 ft. ; in Warwickshire, at Combe Abbey, 60 years planted, it is 42ft. high, the diameter of
the trunk 2ft, and of the head 42ft. : in Worcestershire, at Had/or House, it is Soft, high, with a
trunk 5 ft. 4 in. in girt ; at Croorae, 20 years planted, it is 30 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 10 in.,
and of the head 15 ft. : in Yorkshire, in Studley Park, there are several trees from 50ft. to 60 ft high,
three of which have been already figured. — In Scotland, near Edinburgh, at Hopetpun House, it is
40ft. high, the diameter of trunk 1 ft. 10 in., and of the head 35ft South of Edinburgh : in the
Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, at St. Mary's Isle, it is 48 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 3 ft, and of
the head 47 ft. ; in Haddingtonshire, at Tynningham, diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 10 in., and that of
the head 36 ft North of Edinburgh : in Argyllshire, at Toward Castle, 15 years planted, it is 20 ft.
high, diameter of trunk 6 in. ; in Banffshire, at Gordon Castle, it is 54ft. high, diameter of trunk
2ft. 9 in., and of the head 30ft.; in Clackmannanshire, in the garden of the Dollar Institution.
12 years planted, it.is 30 ft high ; in Perthshire, at Taymouth, 40 years planted, it is 60 ft. high, dia-
meter of trunk 8 in., and of head 30 ft. ; in Renfrewshire, at Polloc, it was in 1836 6ft. 6 in. in circum-
CHAP. CV.
CORYLACEJE. c'A HIMNUS.
2013
fcrence at 5 ft. from the ground, having increased 18 In. from 1812, when it measured 5 ft. in girt.
— In Ireland, at Cypress Grove, it is 90 ft. high, diameter of trunk 2 ft 8 in. and of the head 100 ft. ;
in King's County, at Charleville Forest, 8 years planted, it is 18ft. high; in Fermanagh, at
Florence Court, 35 years planted, it is 40ft. high ; in Galway, at Cool, it is 36ft. high, diameter of
trunk 1ft. 3 in., and of the head 20ft; in Sligo, at Mackree Castle, it is 62 ft. higl), diameter of
the trunk 3ft, and of the head 48 ft. ; in the county Tyrone, 60 years planted, it is 50ft high,
girt of trunk 6 ft., and the diameter of head 40ft. — In France, near Nantes, 100 years old, it is 90ft.
high, with a trunk 8 ft. in circumference. — In Belgium, in the wood belonging to the villa of M.
Mei'lemeester, near Ghent, is a serpentine walk about 300ft. long, covered with hornbeam trained
to a vaulted treillage. This leads to an artificial cave, which is paved with the metatarsal bones oi
sheep. We afterwards come to Pan's Theatre, this is wholly formed of hornbeam trees and bushes,
which the shears have curiously tortured into the appearance of a stage with side scenes, and of
front and side boxes, and parterre, or pit. (Neill Uort. Tour., p. 56.) — In Hanover, in the Gtit-
tingen Botanic Garden, 20 years planted, it is 2U ft. high. — In Bavaria, in the Botanic Garden
at Munich, 24 years old, it is"l8 ft. high. — In Austria, at Vienna, in the University Botanic Garden,
40 years old, it is 48 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 3 in., and of the head 30 ft. ; at Laxenburg,
60 years planted, it is 38 It. high, diameter of the trunk 1 ft 1 in., and of the head 12 ft. ; at Kopenzel,
40 years planted, it is 30 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 6 in., and of the head 18 ft. ; in the
garden of Baron London, 20 years old, it is 25ft. high, diameter of trunk 1ft. 2 in., and of
head 16ft. ; and at Briick on the Leytha, 60 years old, it is 48 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 2 ft.,
and of the head 39ft — In Prussia, near Berlin, at Sans Souci, 35 years old, it is 36ft. high, diameter
of trunk 1 ft. 4 in., and of the head 15ft.— In Sweden, at Lund, in the Botanic Garden, it is 48 ft.
high, diameter of the trunk 2ft., and of the space covered by the branches 38ft. — In Italy, in Lorn-
bardy, at Monza, 40 years old, it is 45ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft 3 in., and of the head
30ft The var. inclsa, 24 years planted, is It ft. high.
¥ 2. C. (B.) AMERICA'NA Michx. The American Hornbeam.
Identification. Michx. Amer., 2. p 201. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 468. ; Pursh FL Amer. Sept., p. 623. ;
Dend. Brit, t. 157.
Synunywc. C. virgini&na Michx. Arb.t t. 8.
Engravings. Dend. Brit., t. 157. ; Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 3- t. 108. ; and our fig. 1936.
Spec. Char., $c. Bracteas of the fruit 3-partite; middle division oblique,
ovate-lanceolate, 1 -toothed on one side. (Willd.) A low tree, generally
from 12 ft. to loft, high, but sometimes from 25 ft. Gin. to 30ft.; a native
of North America. Introduced in 1812. The American hornbeam is
smaller than that of Europe ; as, though under
peculiarly favourable circumstances it sometimes
attains the height of 25ft. or 30 ft., these instances
are of rare occurrence, and its ordinary stature is
that of a large shrub. The trunk is rather thick
in proportion to its height, and frequently obliquely
and irregularly fluted. The branches are numerous,
short, and thickly set, so as to give the whole tree
a dwarfish and stunted appearance. The bark is
smooth, and spotted with white. The leaves are
oval, acuminated, and finely dentated. The female
flowers are collected in long, loose, pendulous cat-
kins, like those of the European hornbeam; and,
like that species, the bracteas expand, with the pro-
gress of the fruit, into a kind of leaf, furnished at
the base with a small, hard, oval nut. The catkins
often remain attached to the tree after the leaves
have fallen. The tree prospers, in North America,
in almost every soil and situation : it is found, ac-
cording to Michaux, as far north as the provinces
of Nova Scotia; and, according to Pursh, as far
south as Florida. The wood is white, and exceed-
ingly fine-grained and compact. According to Michaux, " the dimensions*
of the tree are so small as to render it useless even for fuel ; but young
trees are employed for hoops in the district of Maine, when better kinds
cannot be procured." (Ar. Amer. Syl., Hi. p. 29.) It was introduced by
Pursh, in 18 H; and there are plants of it in some of the London nurseries.
It is propagated by layers, and sometimes by imported seeds.
Statistics. In Sussex, at West Dean, 15 years planted, it is 21 ft. high In Staffordshire at Trent
ham, L'.> years planted, it is 35ft. high, diameter of the trunk 1 ft., and of the head 27 ft In Scot
land, at Dalhousie Castle, 15 years planted, it is 14ft high. In France, near Paris at Sceaux 20
years old, it is 36ft high. In Italy, at Monza, 24 years planted, it is 24ft. high diameter of 'the
trunk 8 in., and,of the head 20 ft. Price of plants, in the London nurseries, 2$ each
'2014-
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART 111.
133?
¥ & 3. C. (B.) ORIENTALS Lam. The Oriental Hornbeam.
LU-nt Ration. Lam. Encyc., 1. p. 700. } Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 468. ; N. Du Ham., 2. p. 199.
Sunonyme. C. duinensis Scop. Cam., t. 60.
Encravings. Scop. Cam., t. 60. ; Dend. Brit, t. 98. ; and our
fig. 193?. v
Spec. Char.y $c. Bracteas of the fruit ovate,
unequal at the base, undivided, somewhat
angular, unequally serrated. (Willd.) A
low tree or shrub, growing to the height
of 12ft. ; a native of Asia Minor and the
Levant. Introduced in 1739. The Eastern
hornbeam is a dwarf tree, rarely rising
above 10ft. or 12ft. in height. As it
shoots out into numerous widely spreading,
horizontal, irregular branches, it cannot be
readily trained up with a straight clear
trunk. The leaves are much smaller than
those of the common hornbeam, and the
branches grow closer together ; so that it is
even still better adapted for forming a
clipped hedge than that species. It was
introduced by Miller, in 1739; but, though
it is very hardy, and easily propagated by
layers, it has never been much cultivated
in our nurseries. There are plants at
Messrs. Loddiges's.
Statistic*. In Yorkshire, at Grimston, 14 years planted, it is 25 ft. high. In Austria, at Vienna,
in Rosenthal's Nursery, 16 years planted, it is 12ft. high. In Bavaria, at Munich, in the English
garden, 14 years planted, it is 15 ft. high. In Italy, at Monza, 24 years old, it is 26 ft. high, diameter
of the trunk 9 in., and of the head 20 ft. Plants, in the London nurseries, are 2s. Gd, each.
App. i. Species or Varieties of Cdrpinus not yet introduced into
European Gardens.
Cdrpinus (B.) Carpinlzza Hort. Fl. Aust., 2., p.
Leaves crcnately serrated; scales of the
pin .
strobiles revolute, 3-cleft ; the middle segment the longest, and quite entire. A native of the woods
of Transylvania. TheTransylvanians distinguished this sort from C. Ztetulus, and call it Carpinizza
C. viminea Lindl.,\Vall. PI. As. Har., 1. 106.,
Royle Illust., p. 341., and our fig. 1D38., has
the leaves ovate-lanceolate, much acuminated,
doubly serrated ; petioles and branchlets gla-
brous ; bracteas fruit-bearing, ovate-oblong,
laciniate at the base, somewhat entire at the
apex, bluntish. (Lindl. MSS.) A native of
the mountains of Nepal, in Sirmore and
Kamaon ; and, according to Royle, on Mus-
souree, at the height of 6500 ft. above the level
of the sea; flowering and fruiting from Janu-
ary to April. "This fine tree is very like the
common alder. Its wood is considered dur-
able, and is used for ordinary building purposes
by the natives of Nepal. The slender pendu-
lous branches are frequently attacked by a sort
of coccus, which produces numerous elevated
tubercles, or warts. The structure of the nut
resembles that of C. fictulus, as described and
figured by Gacrtner, except in the following
respect : — The cavity is filled with what ap-
pears to me an entire and homogeneous, fleshy,
almost colourless substance, exceedingly like a
perisperm ; in which are suspended, towards
the apex of the seed, two minute embryones.
It is possible, that, notwithstanding the most
careful and repeated examination, I may have
mistaken the cotyledons of the ripe seed for a perisperm ; but I have invariably seen two minute
embryones lodged within the upper end of the fleshy substance which fills the nut." (Wall. PI. As.
Rar., t 106.) From the elevation at which this tree grows, it will probably be found hardy in
British gardens.
C. fagitiea Lindl., Wall. PI. As. Rar., 2. p. 5., has the leaves ovate-oblong, acute, sharply serrated,
and glabrous; petioles and branchlets downy; bracteas fruit-bearing, somewhat rhomboid, with
large teeth, acute, reticulated. It is nearly allied to f. orit-ntalis, but differs in the form and margin
of the leaf, and in the bracteas. (Hall. Pi, As. liar., 2. p. 5.)
CH A I'. CV.
6'OIIYLAXCEJ£. f/STUYA,
GENUS V.
2015
O'STRYA WiUd.
THE HOP HORNBEAM.
Poly and ria.
Lin. Syst. Mono^cia
Synonymes.
Derivation.
Carpi n us Lin. and others ; Hopfcnbuche, Ger.
From ostryos, a scale ; in reference to the scaly catkins.
Description, $c. Low deciduous trees, natives of North America ; pro-
pagated, in British nurseries, by layers, but sometimes by imported seeds.
X 1. O. VULGAXRIS Willd. The Hop Hornbeam.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 469.
Synonymes. Carpinus O'strya Hort. Cliff., 447., Roy Lugdb., 80., Mill. Diet., No. 2., Dtt Roy Harbk.,
1. p. 127., Lam. Encyc., 1. p. 700., N. Du Ham.t 2. p. 200. ; O'strya carpinifblia Scop. Cam., No.
1191.; O'strya Bauh. Pin., 427., DM Ham. \Arb., 5.; 0. italica, &c., Michx. Gen., 223. t 104.
f. 1,2.
Engravings. Michx. Gen., t 104. f. 1, 2. ; Dend, Brit., t. 143. ; N. Du Ham., 2. t 59. ; nut fig. 1939. ;
and the plate of this tree in our last Volume.
Spec. Char.y fyc. Strobiles ovate, pendulous. Leaves ovate, acute. Buds
obtuse. ( Willd.) A tree, from 30 ft. to 40 ft. in height ; a native of Italy
and the south of Europe. It was introduced into England before 1724,
as it is mentioned in Furber's Nursery Catalogue, published in that year.
The hop hornbeam, in its general appearance,
bark, branches, and foliage, bears a great re-
semblance to the common hornbeam ; but is
at once distinguished from it by its catkins of
female flowers. These consist of blunt scales,
or bracteal appendages, which are close, and
regularly imbricated, so as to form a cylindrical
strobile, very like the catkin of the female
hop ; whereas in the common hornbeam the
bracteas are open and spreading. The tree
has a very handsome appearance when in fruit ;
and, in favourable situations, it will attain
nearly as large a size as the common horn-
beam. The finest specimen, probably, in Eng-
land is in the Botanic Garden at Kew, of which
a portrait is given in our last Volume. There
are young trees in the Horticultural Society's
Garden, and at Messrs. Loddiges's. The hop hornbeam is commonly
grafted on the common hornbeam ; but, as the growth of the former is more
rapid than that of the latter, unless the graft is made immediately above
the collar, the trunk of the scion becomes too large for that of the stock,
and the tree is liable to be blown down, or broken over by the wind.
Propagating by layers, or by seeds, is therefore a preferable mode.
Statistics. In Scotland, at Bargally, was a tree which, in 1780, measured 4ft. 1 in. in circum-
ference, and was 60ft. high. Dr. Walker adds that it was about 60 ft. high, healthy and vigorous,
and had ripe seeds on it, in September, when he measured it| I In France, in the Jardin des Plantes,
55 vearsold, it is 37 ft. high, the girt of the trunk 3ft., and the diameter of the head 23ft ; at
Sceaux, 10 years planted, it is 20ft high ; at Colombe, near Metz, 60 years old, it is 40ft high, the
diameter of the trunk 1 ft 1 in., and of the head 40 ft. In Germany, in Hanover, in the Gottingen Bo-
tanic Garden, 20 years planted, it is 20 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 8 in., and of the head 10ft.
In Cassel, at Wilhelmshoe, 15 years planted, it is 6 ft. high. In Austria, at Vienna, in the Univer-
sity Botanic Garden, 18 years old, it is 30ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 5 in., and that of the
head 12 ft. ; in the garden of Baron Loudon, 30 years old, it is 18 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 14 in.
and of the head 16 ft. ; at Brack on the Leytha, 60 years old, it is 50 ft. high, the diameter of the
trunk 2 ft, and of the head 36 ft In Italy, in Lorabardy, at Monza, 24 years old, it is 30 ft. high, the
diameter of the trunk 1 ft., and of the head 24 ft. The price of plants, in the London nurseries, is 2*.
each. Seeds are sometimes ripened in the Kew Gardens, and sometimes imported, and are sold at
In. a packet.
£ 2. O. (v.) VIRGI'NICA Willd. The Virginian Hop Hornbeam.
Identification. Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 469. ; Ait Hort. Kew., 5. p. 302.
6 P
1939
2016
ARBORETUM AND FKUT1CETUM,
PART 111
Synonytnes. Carpinus virgintona Abb. Ins., 2. p. 151., Lam. Encyc., 1. p. 700., Willd. Arb., 53.,
Pluk. Aim., 7. 1. 156. f. 1., AT. Du Ham., 2. p. 200. ; Carpinus O'strya virginiana Mick*. Ft. Bar.
Amer., 2. p. 202. ; C. O'strya, Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 3. p. 30. ; Iron Wood, Lever Wood, Amtr. ; Boi«
dur, Illinois.
Ertgraoings. Abb. Ins., 2. t. 75. ; Pluk. Aim., t. 156. f. 1. ; ? N. Amer. Syl., 3. p. 109. ; and our
fig. 1940.
Spec. Char.t Sfc. Strobiles ovate-oblong, erect. Leaves ovate-oblong, acu-
minate. Buds acute. (Willd.} A tree, from 15ft. to 40ft. high; a native
of North America. Introduced in 1692. The Virginian hop hornbeam, or
iron wood, generally forms a tree about 30 ft. high, growing more rapidly
than O. vulgaris, and differing from that species, according to Willdenovf
and Pursh, chiefly in the position of its female catkins, which are upright,
instead of being pendulous. The tree, according
to Michaux, is easily known, in winter, by its
smooth greyish bark, which is finely divided, and
detached in_strips of not more than a line in breadth.
The wood is perfectly white, compact, fine-grained,
and very heavy. The concentrical layers are closely
compressed, and their number, in a trunk only
4 in. or 5 in. diameter, evinces the length of time
which it requires for the tree to attain even this
inconsiderable size. The leaves are alternate,
oval-acuminate, and finely and unequally denticu-
lated. " The small, hard, triangular seed is con-
tained in a species of oval inflated bladder, covered,
at the age of maturity, with a fine down, which
causes a violent irritation of the skin if carelessly handled." (Michx.} The
iron wood is distributed through all North America, from New Brunswick
to Florida. It is, however, never found in masses, but is loosely dis-
seminated through the forests, and only found in cool, fertile, shaded
situations ; and Michaux adds that he never saw it more vigorous than
in Genessee, near Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. In consequence of the
small size of the tree, the wood is but little used ; though Michaux in-
forms us that levers are made of it, with which the trees are raised that
have been felled in clearing the ground, and transported to the pile where
they are to be burned. " Near New York, brooms and scrubbing-brushes
are made of it, by shredding the end of a stick of suitable dimensions."
It was introduced into France by the elder Michaux ; and some trees of
it, planted on the estate of Du Hamel, at Monceau, have ripened seed,
and sown themselves; so that there is now a young wood of it growing up.
The Virginian hop hornbeam was introduced into England by Bishop
Compton, in 1692 ; and there are plants of it in some collections, as, for
example, in the Horticultural Society's Garden, and at Messrs. Loddiges's.
The tree bears so close a resemblance to the European hop hornbeam,
that, in all probability, it is not specifically different, though it appears to
be somewhat more tender.
1940
GENUS VI.
C'O'RYLUS L. THE HAZEL. Lin. Syst. Monoe'cia Polyandria.
Identification. Lin. Gen., No. 1074.; Reich, 1172. : Schreb., 1450. ; Gaertn., t. 89. ; Tourn.. 347. :
Malp., 220, 221, 224. ; Juss., 410. ; N. Du Ham., 4 p. 17. j Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 470.
Synonymes. Coudrier, Fr. ; Haselnuss, Ger.
Derivation. According to some, from korus, a helmet ; the fruit, with its involucre, appearing as
if covered with a bonnet ; and, according to others, from the Greek word karuon, a nut.
Description, 8fc. Deciduous shrubs or low trees, natives of Europe, Asia,
and America; one of them, C. Colufna, a timber tree of middle size.
CHAP. CV.
CORYLA CICJE. CO KYLUS.
'2017
a ]. C. /JVELLA'NA L. The common Hazel Nut.
Identification. Hort Cliff, 448.; Fl. Suec., 787. 873.; Mat. Med., 204.; Hort Ups., 286. ; Koy
Lugdb., 81. ; Dalib. Paris., 294. : Gmel. Sib., 1. p. 150. ; Mill. Diet, No. 1. : Scop. Cam., No. 1192. ;
Du Hoy Harbk., 1. p. 173. ; Gmel. lb., 1. No. 66. ; Pollich Pall., No. 912. ; blackw., t 293. ; Kniph.
Cent 1 No. 19. ; Hoflfm. Germ., 3oR ; Roth Germ., 1. p.
409., 2. p. 490.: Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 470. ; Eng. Flor., 4.
p. 157. ; Eng. Bot, t 723. ; Brit FL, 1. p. 410. ; Hook. Br.
Fl , p. 405. ; Mackay Fl. Hibern., p. 256. ; Lindl. Synop.,
p. 240. ; N. Du Ham., 4. p. 19. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Engravings. Blackw., t. 293. ; Eng. Bot, t. 723. ; N. Du
Ham., 4. t 5. ; and our Jig. 1941., in which a is a sprig in
blossom; b, one in fruit ; r, the nut without its calyx ; and
d, the kernel
Synonymes. Coudrier Noisetier, Fr. ; Haselstrauch, Nuss-
baum, Gcr. ; Avellano, Nocciolo, Ital. ; Avellano, Span.
Derivation. Jivellana is derived from Aoellino, see p. 2020.
Hazel is from the Anglo-Saxon word htesil, which signifies
a head-dress. Noisette signifies a small nut ; and Nuss-
baum, a nut tree.
Spcc.C:har.,$c. Stipules oblong-obtuse. Leaves
roundish, cordate, pointed. Involucre of
the fruit campanulate, rather spreading, torn
at tlie margin. (Willd.) A shrub or low
tree ; a native of Europe and the east and
west of Asia; growing to the height of 20 ft.
and upwards ; but commonly found in the
character of a bush, as undergrowth in ^
woods, especially of the oak.
Varieties. These are numerous ; and they may be divided into two classes ;
viz., botanical or ornamental varieties, and those cultivated for their fruit.
A. Botanical Varieties.
a* C. A. 1 sylvestris Ait. Hort. Kew., v. p. 303. ; C. ^4vellana Svensk
Bot., t. 139., Eng. Bot., t.723.; C. sylvestris Bauh. Pin., 418., Ray,
439., Willd. Abbild., t. 151., and our fig. 1941. The common Hazel
Nut, in a wild state.
* C. A. 2 pumilus; C. pumilus Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; is rather dwarfer
than the species.
& C. A. 3 heterophylla ; C. heterophylla Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; C. laci-
niata Hort. ; C. wrticifolia Hort. ; the various, or nettle, leaved, Hazel ;
has the leaves variously cut, and thickly covered with hairs.
& C. A. 4 purpiirea ; C. purpurea Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; C. atro-pur-
purea Hort. ; has the leaves of a dark red or purple, and is a very
striking variety. If grafted standard high on C. Ctolurna, this would
make a most singular and beautiful small tree.
B. Varieties cultivated for their Fruit.
The cultivated hazels are of two kinds ; viz., nuts and filberts. The
former are distinguished by the shortness of their calyxes, or husks, and
the latter by their length ; but, in consequence of the numerous crosses
between these two classes of varieties, the distinction can scarcely now
be kept up. The term filbert, is supposed, according to some, to be a
corruption of full beard, alluding to the husk ; but the old English poet
Gower assigns the name a different and more poetical origin ; which is
rendered plausible by the fact of the old English name being philberd.
"Phillig
Was shape into a nutte tree,
That all men it might see ;
And after Phillis, Philberd
This tree was cleped." Confcssio Amantis.
In the Horticultural Society's Catalogue of Fruits, 31 sorts are enume-
rated ; but the kinds best deserving of culture for their fruit, and also as
ornamental shrubs or low trees, are considered by Mr. Thomson to be
only 5, which we have distinguished among those hereafter enumerated
by a star.
6 P 2
2018
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
* * C. A. 5 tubulosa; C. tubulosa Willd.
Sp. PI., iv. p. 470., Abbild., t. 152.,
and our fig. 1942.; C. maxima
Mill. Diet., No. 2., Du Roy Harbk.,
i. p. 176., Lam. Illust., t. 780. f. q.',
C. sativa Bauh. Pin., 417.; C. s.
rubra Ait. Hort. Kew., 1. c. ; red
Filbert, Hort. Soc. Cat., No. 18.;
Langbartnuss, or Lambertsnuss,
Gcr. ; Noisetier franc a Fruit
rouge, Poit. et Turp. Arb. Fruit.,
11.; has a long tubular calyx,
contracting so much beyond the
apex of the fruit, as to prevent
its falling out. It has a middle-
sized ovate-oblong nut, the kernel
of which is of excellent flavour for
the table ; and has a red pellicle,
which was anciently used in medicine as a powerful astringent.
Miller and Willdenow considered this as a species ; the former
stating that it comes true from seed.
* * C. A. 6 tubulosa alba ; C. sativaalba A Hort. Kew., 1. c.; C. A. dlba Lodd.
Cat., ed. 1836 ; white Filbert, Hort. Soc. Cat., No. 19. ; weisse Lang-
bartnuss, Ger. ; only differs from the preceding variety in having the
pellicle of its kernel white. It is mentioned by Miller (ed. 1759), as
a variety of the preceding.
* * C. A. 7 crispa Encyc. of Plants; the frizzled
Filbert, Pom. Mag., t. 70., Hort. Soc. Cat.,
No. 16.; and our jig. 1943. — A most re-
markable variety, and well deserving of
cultivation as an ornamental shrub, from
the singular appearance it presents in its
greatly laciniated calyx. The nuts are
rather small ; but they are produced early,
and in great abundance.
* * C. A. 8 tennis Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; the
thin-shelled, or Cosford, Nut, Pom. Mag.,
t. 55., Hort. Soc. Cat., No. 12.; has a nut
with a thin shell, beautifully striated longi-
tudinally. The kernel is of good quality,
and the tree is a great bearer.
a C. A. 9 glomerata Bauh. Pin., 418., Ait. Hort. Kew., iv. p. 303.; C. A.
glomerata Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; Cluster Nut, Hort. Soc. Cat., No. 6. ;
Noisetier a Grappes, Fr. ; has the fruit produced in clusters.
* * C. A. 10 barceloncnsis Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; C. sativa gnindis Bauh.
Pin., 418., Ait. Hort. Kew., v. p. 303. j C. A. grandis Lodd. Cat.,
ed. 1836 ; the Cob Nut, syn. the Barcelona Nut, Downton large Nut,
&c., Hort. Soc. Cat., No. 8. ; forms a tree of upright growth, with a
short, ovate, slightly compressed nut, having a thick and very strong
hard shell, well filled by the kernel. This variety was introduced by
Ray, from Barcelona, before 1665.
flfc C. A. 11 Lamberti-, C. Lamberti Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; the Spanish
Nut, syn. large Bond Nut, Lambert's Nut, Lambert's large Nut,
Toker Nut, &c., Hort. Soc. Cat., No. 29. ; has a large oblong nut, with
a very thick shell. The name of Lambert's Nut we suppose to be
a corruption of the German word Langbartnuss ; literally, the long-
bearded nut, or filbert.
Other Varieties. In the selection made by Mr. Thomson for our Suburban
Gardener, he recommends, besides those marked with a star in the above
1943
CHAP. cv. CORYLA'CE^E. C'O'HYLUS. 2019
list, the following : — The great Cob Nut, Hort. Soc. Cat., No. 9. The nut
is roundish, with a thick shell, and one of the largest in cultivation. — The
Downton large square Nut, Hort. Soc. Cat., No. 13. The fruit is large, short,
and obtusely 4-sided. — The Northampton Nut, Hort. Soc. Cat , No. 25.
Oblong fruit, very good. — The NortkampfonMre I'ro/i/ic, Hort. Soc. Cat.,
No. 27., an oblong nut, middle-sized, with a thick shell, and very early.
Description, $c. The common hazel nut is a large shrub, with numerous
stems rising from the root ; or a small bushy tree, with copious branches,
which are hairy or glandular when young. The bark is ash-coloured, and
sometimes cloven on the trunk, but of a clear bright brown, frequently spotted
with white on the branches. The leaves are roundish, stalked, and alternate :
they are of a darkish green, and slightly downy above; but paler, and more
downy beneath. The male catkins are terminal and clustered; they are long
and pendulous, greyish, and opening in early spring, before the appearance of
the leaves. " The ovate scaly buds, containing the female flowers, become
conspicuous, at the same time, by their tufts of crimson stigmas. The nuts,
two or three from each bud, are sessile, roundish-ovate, and half-covered by the
jagged outer calyx of their respective flowers, greatly enlarged and permanent."
(Smith.) The rate of growth, under favourable circumstances, is from 1 ft. 6 in.
to 2ft. for the first two or three years after planting; after which, if trained
to a single stem, the tree grows slower; attaining the height of 12ft. in 10
years, and never growing much higher, unless drawn up by other trees. It
grows remarkably well under the shade of other trees, but not under their
drip. Its shoots are completed early in the season ; and its leaves take their
rich yellow autumnal tint early in the autumn, remaining on a long time, and
only dropping off after a severe frost. Hence the great beauty of hazel cop-
pices, especially when mixed with a few evergreens, such as the holly, the
yew, and the box. Left to itself, it generally forms a huge bush, with num-
berless sucker-like branches proceeding from the root. When cut down to
the ground, it stoles with great luxuriance, forming shoots from 3 ft. to 6 ft. in
length the first season ; and its duration, when so treated, exceeds a century.
When treated as a tree with a single stem, it will probably live much longer.
The largest nut trees which we recollect to have seen in England are in
Eastwell Park, Kent ; where, drawn up among thorns, crab trees, and common
maples, they are upwards of 30 ft. high, with trunks 1 ft. in diameter at the
surface of the ground.
Geography. The hazel is a native of all the temperate climates of Europe
and Asia. In Great Britain, it is found from Cornwall to Sutherlandshire :
in the north of England, it attains to the elevation of 1600ft. (Winch); and
it is found at about the same height on the hills of Forfarshire and Aberdeen-
shire. (Watson's Outlines, &c.) In Lochiel, Argyllshire, between 700ft. and
800ft. above the sea, there was, in 1832, a small wood of nut trees, producing
abundance of fruit, and some of them with trunks of above 1 ft. in circumfe-
rence. (Ibid.) The line of nuts on the Alps, between 4-5° and 46°, is stated by
H. C. Watson to rise to 3798 ft., the snow line being 9080 ft. In Sweden,
according to Professor Schouw, the hazel is found on the west side of He-
ligoland, in lat. 60°; while on the eastern side of the great mountain range
it reaches to lat. CO — 61°; and, though met with more to the northward,
iu the Gulf of Bothnia, yet it does not there go beyond 63°. In short, it is
considered as not extending beyond the region of the beech. ( See GanL Mag.,
xii. p. GO.) Evelyn observes that the hazel " affects cold, barren, dry, and
sandy grounds ; mountainous, and even rocky, soils produce them ; they
prosper where quarries of freestone lie underneath, as at Hazelbury in Wilt-
shire, Hazelingficld in Cambridgeshire, Hazelmere in Surrey, and other places ;
but more plentifully if the ground be somewhat moist, dankish, and mossy,
as in the fresher bottoms and sides of hills, holts, and in hedgerows."
(Hunt. Err/., i. p. 215.) In Kent, where the hazel abounds in all the native
woods, and where the cultivated varieties are to be found in most orchards,
(i i» 3
2020 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
the tree thrives best on a calcareous loam on chalk or rock ; but in Scotland
it is found on granite, basalt, and freestone.
History. The first mention that we find of the hazel tree is in the Bible ;
where, in Genesis (c. xxx. v. 37.), we are told that " Jacob took him rods of
green poplar, and of the hazel and chestnut tree, and pilled white strakes in
them, and made the white appear which was in the rods," in order to make
the cattle under his care conceive streaked young. This has excited much dis-
cussion among commentators ; and the general opinion seems to be, that
luz (Heb.) is rightly translated hazel ; though great doubt exists as to the tree
there designated the chestnut; which most commentators suppose to be the
plane. (Seep. 1992.) The hazel nut was known both to the Greeks and
Romans : the latter especially frequently mention it. The filbert is said to
have been brought originally from Pontus ; whence it was called by the Romans
Nux Pontica. The hazel, or Nux Avellana, we are told by Virgil, in the
Georgics, was considered by the Romans to be as injurious to the vines, on
account of its spreading roots, as the goat was for its propensity to browse on
the young shoots ; and the keepers of the vineyards used to sacrifice the goat
to Bacchus, and roast its entrails on hazel spits. Virgil also mentions that
they used hazel twigs to bind their vines. The common hazel was called by
the Romans Nux Avellana, from Avellino, a city in Naples; where, Swinburne
tells us, in after times, nuts were cultivated in such abundance, as, in favourable
seasons, to produce a profit of 11,250/. " I do not," says Evelyn, "confound
the filbert Pontic, or filberd, distinguished by its beard, with our foresters, or
bald hazel nuts, which, doubtless, we had from abroad, and bearing the names
of Avelan, Avelin, as I find in some ancient records and deeds in my custody,
where my ancestors' names were written Avelan, alias Evelin, generally."
In the dark ages, the hazel was highly valued for its supposed divining powers.
The following passage from Evelyn shows the popular belief in his time on
this subject : — " Lastly, for riding-switches and divinatory rods, for the de-
tecting and finding out of minerals (at least, if that tradition be no impos-
ture) ; it is very wonderful, by whatever occult virtue, the forked stick (so
cut, and skilfully held) becomes impregnated with those invisible steams and
exhalations, as, by its spontaneous bending from a horizontal posture, to dis-
cover not only mines and subterraneous treasure, and springs of water, but
criminals guilty of murder, &c. ; made out so solemnly, and the effects
thereof, by the attestation of magistrates, and divers other learned and cre-
dible persons (who have critically examined matters of fact), is certainly next
to a miracle, and requires a strong faith. Let the curious, therefore, consult
the philosophical treatise of Dr. Vallemont (Physique Occult, on Traitc dc
la Baguet divinatorc), which will at least entertain them with a world of sur-
prising things." The belief that certain gifted persons possessed the power of
discovering hidden water or metal, by means of a divining-rod, is as old as
the time of the Romans ; but the virgula Mercurialis was not always made of
hazel, or even of wood, but sometimes of brass or other metal. About the
fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the art was called rhabdomancy ; and persons
naturally gifted for practising it were called rhabdomists. The diviner took
a hazel rod, which was either curved or forked, and held it by the two ends,
so that its curvature was inclined outwards. If the person who held the rod
possessed the power of rhabdomancy, and approached any metallic vein, or
other magnetic substance, or came near them, a slow rotatory motion of the
rod ensued in different directions, according to particular circumstances. (See
Physical and Historical Researches into Rhabdomancy, &c. ; Elemcnti di Elettro-
mclria Animate, &c. &c.) In other cases, the rod was peeled, and then laid
on the palm of the hand, with the but end of the twig on the pulse of the
wrist; and the diviner moved slowly along, till the rod pointed to the desired
place ; the rhabdomist feeling, at the same time, either a violent acceleration
or retardation of the pulse, and a sudden sensation of great heat or great cold.
(See Heinskingla, eller Suorro Sturleson's Nordl'dmkc Konnga Sagor., p. 1. c. vii. ;
Martin and Rio's Disquisilorum Mngicornm libri sex.} Sir Walter Scott makes
CHAP. CV. CORYLA'CE*:. Co'llYLUS. 2021
Douster Swivel, in the Antiquary, use a hazel twig as a divining-rod ; and se-
veral instances are mentioned, in different volumes of the Gentleman'' s Magazine,
of divining-rods having been in use in England as late as the beginning of
the eighteenth century. The following passage, quoted in the Mirror (vol. xxi.
p. 58.), and said to have been found written in an old edition of Ovid's Mctft-
morphoses, published in 1640, will show the manner in which the divining-
rod was used about that period : — " The finding of gold which is under the
earth, as of all other mines of metal, is almost miraculous. They cut up a
ground hazel of a twelvemonth's growth, which divides above into a fork,
holding the one branch in the right hand, and the other in the left, not held
too slightly, or too strictly. \Vhen passing over a mine, or any other place
where gold or silver is hidden, it will discover the same by bowing down vio-
lently ; a common experiment in Germany, — not proceeding from any incan-
tation, but a natural sympathy, as iron is attracted by the loadstone." The
rods of Saracens and magicians, according to the Diclionnaire des Eaux et Forets,
were also of hazel. Numerous other virtues were anciently attributed to hazel
rods. The ashes of the shells of its nuts, applied to the back of a child's head,
were supposed to turn the child's eyes from grey to black ; and Parkinson
says, " Some doe hold that these nuts, and not wallnuts, with figs and rue, was
Mithridates' medicine, effectuall against poysons. The oyle of the nuts is eflfec-
tuall for the same purposes." He also says that, " if a snake be stroke with
an hasell wand, it doth sooner stunne it, than with any other strike; because
it is so pliant, that it will winde closer about it; so that, being d£prived of their
motion, they must needs dye with paine and want ; and it is no hard matter,
in like manner, saith Tragus, to kill a mad dog that shall be strook with an
hazel sticke, such as men use to walke or ride withall." (Thcat. of Plants,
p. 1416.) Evelyn says that the " venerable and sacred fabric of Glastonbury,
founded by Joseph of Arimathea, is storied to have been first composed of a
few hazel rods interwoven about a few stakes driven into the ground." The
nut has been cultivated for its fruit since the time of the Romans ; who,
according to Sir William Temple, called Scotland Caledonia, from Cal-Dun,
the hill of hazel. On the Continent, the hazel is grown in large quantities
in Spain, and in some parts of Italy ; and the fruit from the former country
is celebrated throughout Europe. In Great Britain, it is most extensively
cultivated in Kent ; and, the produce being easily sent every where, and not
suffering either by carriage or keeping, the tree is not much grown for its fruit
in private gardens.
Poetical and legendary Allusions. Virgil alludes to the hazel in his Georgics,
as we have before mentioned (p. 2020.); and again in his Eclogues, giving it
the epithets of hard and dense. The hazel, however, was not nearly so great
a favourite with the Latin poets as with those of the middle ages. The trou-
badours, and old French romance writers, have scarcely a song that does not
allude to the hazel bush or hazel nut. Our own poets have also been lavish
on the same theme. Cowley mentions that the hazel is the favourite resort
of the squirrel : —
" Upon whose nutty top
A squirrel sits, and wants no other shade
Than what by his own spreading tail is made.
He culls the soundest, dext'rously picks out
The kernels sweet, and throws the shells about."
Thomson, in his Spring, describes birds as building
" Among the roots
Of hazel, pendent o'er the plaintive stream ;"
and, in his Autumn, the lover searching for "the clustering nuts" for his fail-
one ; and, when he finds them, —
^— " Amid the secret fhaile ;
And where they burnish on the topmost bough,
With active vigour crushes down the tree ;
Or shakes them ripe from the resigning hu«k,
A glossy shower, and of an ardent brown." Season*.
6 P 4
2022 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
Gray, in his Shepherd's Week, alludes to the magic powers supposed to be
possessed by the hazel nuts : —
" Two hazel nuts I threw into the flame,
And to each nut I gave a sweetheart's name.
This, with the loudest bounce me sore amazed,
That with a flame of brightest colour blazed.
As blazed the nut, so may thy passion grow :
For 't was thy nut that did so brightly glow."
From the custom of burning nuts in this manner on All-Hallows Eve, that
day (the 31st of October) has received, in some parts of the country, the
vulgar appellation of Nutcrack Night. Burns alludes to this custom in his
Halloween : —
" Amang the bonny winding banks
Where Doon rins wimpling, clear,
Where Bruce ance ruled the martial ranks,
An* shook the Carrick spear,
Some merry, friendly, countra folks
Together did convene,
To burn their nuts, an' pou their stocks,
And haud their Halloween
Fu' blythe that night."
The following pretty lines on this subject were published in a Collection of
Poems, printed at Dublin in 1801 : —
" These glowing nuts are emblems true
Of what in human life we view :
The ill-matched couple fret and fume,
And thus in strife themselves consume ;
Or, from each other wildly start,
And with a noise for ever part
But see the happy, happy pair,
Of genuine love and truth sincere ;
With mutual fondness, while they burn,
Still to each other kindly turn ;
And, as the vital sparks decay,
Together gently sink away ;
Till, life's fierce ordeal being past,
Their mingled ashes rest at last."
Many other quotations might be given, but we shall content ourselves with
only one more, from Wordsworth : —
— — " Among the woods
And o'er the pathless rocks I forced my way j
Until at length I came to one dear nook,
Unvisited, where not a broken bough
Droop'd with its wither'd leaves, ungracious sign
Of devastation ! But the hazels rose
Tall and erect, with milk-white clusters hung,—
A virgin scene! A little while I stood,
Breathing with such suppression of the heart
As joy delights in ; and with wise restraint,
Voluptuous, fearless of a rival, eyed
The banquet Then up I. arose,
And dragg'd to earth each branch and bough with crash,
And merciless ravage ; and the shady nook
Of hazels, and the green and mossy bower,
Deform'd and sullied, patiently gave up
Their quiet being : but, unless I now
Confound my present feelings with the past,
Even then, when from the bower I turn'd away-
Exulting, rich beyond the wealth of kings,
I felt a sense of pain when I beheld
The silent trees, and the intruding sky."
Properties and Uses. The hazel, in a wild state, affords, by its numerous
branches, protection to various small birds : its nuts afford food to the squir-
rels, and some other quadrupeds ; to some of the larger birds ; and to man
in a wandering and half- civilised state ; but there are a few insects that live on
its leaves. Considered as a timber tree, the wood is never of a sufficient size
for building purposes ; but it is used in cabinet-making, and for various smaller
and more delicate productions. It weighs, dry, 49 Ib. per cubic foot. It is
tender, pliant, of a whitish red colour, and of a close, even, and full grain ;
but it does not take a very bright polish. The roots, when they are of suf-
ficient size, afford curiously veined pieces, which are used in veneering
CHAP. CV.
CORYLA^CEJC. C'O'llYLUS.
202.°>
cabinets, tca-chcsts, &c. The great use of the hazel, however, is for under-
growth. Being extremely tough and flexible, the root shoots are used for
making crates, hurdles, hoops, wattles, walkingsticks, fishing-rods, whip
handles, ties for faggots, springes to catch birds, and for fastening down the
thatch, and for withs and bands for general purposes. A strong fence is made
by driving stakes into the ground, and wattling the space between them with
hazel rods. Evelyn tells us that out-houses, and even cottages, were some-
times made in this manner. In the county of Durham, particularly in the
Vale of Derwent, hazel coppices are grown extensively for what are called
corf rods, and hoops for coopers. The corf rods are from £ in. to % in. in
diameter, and are used for making the baskets called corves, employed for
drawing coals out of the pits. (Balky V Survey of Durham, p. 187.) It is much
grown, in Staffordshire, for crates for the potters; but, generally speaking,
(though, if left a sufficient time, it will afford poles 20ft. in length), it is found
so inferior to other undergrowths, that Farey, in his excellent Derbyshire Re-
port, advises the grubbing of it up, and replacing it with ash and oak. He
also objects to it for hedgerows, on account of the temptation it offers to boys
to break the hedges, in order to get at the nuts ; and because the leaves and
young shoots are said to be injurious to cattle if eaten by them, and to pro-
duce the disease called the red water. (Gen. View,&c., vol. ii. p. 91.) Hazel
rods, cut as nearly as possible of the same size, and varnished, form an admi-
rable material for constructing rustic garden seats, like that shown in^g. 1944.,
1944
and flower-baskets (fg. 1945.). An agreeable variety may be produced by
using the rods alternately peeled, and with their bark on j or by mixing them
with rods of some other kind of wood. Unpeeled hazel rods are, however,
both handsomer and more durable than similar rods of any other kind of tree ;
and a variety may be produced in them by choosing them with bark of dif-
ferent shades ; or even staining them with a decoction of logwood, or other
dye, and then arranging them in a pattern, as shown in the arbour fig. 1946.
Mr. Matthews, a carpenter residing at Frimley in Berkshire, has carried this
idea still further, and, by an ingenious arrangement of different-coloured hazel
rods, he produces a complete landscape, which, seen at a little distance, has a
very striking effect. fSee Gard. Mag., vol. ix. p. 678.) Faggots of hazel are
in great demand for heating ovens ; and the charcoal, which is very light, is
2024-
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
considered excellent for gunpowder ;
it is also used for making crayons
for drawing, being, for that purpose,
charred in closed iron tubes. The
principal use of the hazel in England,
at the present time, is as a fruit tree ;
and a great quantity of the nuts, both
of the wild and cultivated kinds, are
sold in the English markets. " Be-
sides those raised at home," says
M'Culloch, " we import nuts from
different parts of France, Portugal,
and Spain, but principally from the
hitter. The Spanish nuts in the
highest estimation, though sold under
the name of Barcelona nuts, are not
really shipped at that city, but at
Tarragona, a little more to the south.
Mr. Inglis says that the annual average
export of nuts from Tarragona is
from 25,000 to 30,000 bags, of four
bags to the ton. The cost was, free
on board, in autumn, 1830, 17s. 6d. a
bag. (Spain in 1830, vol. ii. p. 362.)
The entries of nuts for home con-
sumption amount to from 100,000 to
125,000 bushels a year; the duty of
2s. a bushel producing from 10,000/.
to 12,550/. clear." (Diet, of Com.,
p. 853.) Mr. M'Culloch adds, " The
kernels have a mild, farinaceous, oily
taste, agreeable to most palates. A
kind of chocolate has been prepared
from them ; and they have been sometimes made into bread. The expressed
oil of hazel nuts is little inferior to that of almonds." Evelyn tells us that hazel
nuts, though considered unwholesome to those who were asthmatic, were, in
his " time, thought to be fattening ; and, when full ripe, the filberts especially,
if peeled in warm water, as they blanch almonds, make a pudding very little, if
at all, inferior to what our ladies make of almonds." (vol. i. p. 217.) The oil
made from hazel nuts, which is usually called nut oil, is best made in the
middle of winter ; as, if made sooner, the nut yields less oil ; and, if later, it is
apt to become rancid. It is extracted in the same manner as the walnut oil.
(See p. 1429.). It is never made in England, and but rarely in France.
As an ornamental tree, the hazel, when trained to a single stem, forms a
very handsome object for a lawn, near a winter's residence; because it not
only retains its leaves a long time in autumn, after they have assumed a rich
yellow colour, but, as soon as they drop, they discover the nearly full-grown
male catkins, which often come into full flower at the end of October, and
remain on the tree in that state throughout the winter ; and, in days of bright
sunshine in February and March, when slightly moved by the wind, they have
a gay and most enlivening appearance. The length of time the leaves remain
on the tree, and their rich yellow, render the hazel, as we have already ob-
served (p. 2019.), one of the most ornamental of all deciduous shrubs as
undergrowth ; it ranking, in this respect, with the oak and the beech. The
foliage of the birch and the willow, two of the commonest undergrowths in
indigenous woods, is meagre, and drops off suddenly ; while the leaves of the
ash and the chestnut drop off early, when they have scarcely changed colour;
and, hence, these trees, as undergrowths, are far inferior to the hazel in woods
which form conspicuous features in the view from a mansion, or where orna-
CHAP. cv. CORYLAVCE;E. TO'RYLUS. 2025
1 94«
inent is at all taken into consideration. The purple-leaved hazel is a very
handsome tree, and, with the common, may be very fitly associated in a group
with the cut-leaved hazel ; and, as an evergreen to contrast with them, may be
added Garrya cllfptica, the male catkins of which are often nearly 1 ft. in
length, and appear at the same time, and continue as long, as those of the
hazel. In many parts of France, bosquets, or small groves, and also arbours
and covered walks, of the hazel are often found near old chateaux ; and the
same practice appears to have been followed in this country, if we may judge
from the remains of covered nut walks yet existing in some old gardens.
In shrubberies, the hazel gives rise to many interesting associations in the
minds of those who have been brought up in nut countries. The
writer of the article on forylus, in the Nouveau Du Hamel, is eloquent
in praise of the hazel on this account ; and Sir Thomas Dick Lauder
says: " The hazel, besides making up a prominent part of many a grove
in the happiest manner, and tufting and fringing the sides of many a ravine,
often presents us with very picturesque stems and ramifications. Then,
when we think of the lovely scenes into which the careless steps of our youth
have been led in search of its nuts, when autumn had begun to brown the
points of their clusters, we are bound to it by threads of the most delightful
associations, with those beloved ones, who were the companions of such
idle, but happy days." (For. Seen., i. p. 197.)
Soil and Situation. The hazel, according to Cobbett, " grows best upon
what is called a hazel mould ; that is to say, mould of a reddish brown : but
it will grow almost any where, from a chalk or gravel, to a cold and wet clay ;
but the rods are durable in proportion to the dryness of the ground on which
the hazel grows, and they are particularly good where the bottom is chalk."
( Woodlands, § 283.) The situation most favourable is on the sides of hills,
for it will not thrive in a soil where water is stagnant; though, like all trees
and shrubs that grow in dense masses, it requires a great deal of moisture ;
and, indeed, it will always keep the ground moist under it by the densenesa
of its shade.
Propagation and Culture. The species is propagated by nuts, which, from
the common wild filbert, are, in plentiful years, from 20s. to 30s. a sack of
three bushels. These may be dried in the sun, and preserved in a dry loft,
covered with straw, or in sand, till the following February ; when they may be
sown, and treated in the same manner as mast or chestnuts. After remaining
in the seed-bed two years, they may be transplanted into nursery.lines ; and in
one or two years more they will be fit for removal to their final situation.
Where a hazel copse is to be formed, the nuts may be sown in drills, on
ploughed ground, early in spring, and a crop of oats taken the first year; but
this method cannot be recommended, as the nut, when young, is, as Cobbett
observes, as tender as a radish, and easily injured by weeds. Plantations,
therefore, are best made by planting; and the plants may be set in rows at 5ft.
2026 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III.
distance, and at 5 ft. apart in the row ; the plants in one row alternating with
openings in the other. When an oak wood with hazel coppice is to be
formed, the mode of proceeding has been already given (p. 1802.). Hazel
coppice, for the ordinary purposes of hurdle wood, hethers or wattles, crate-
ware, hoops, &c., is generally cut every seven or eight years. The hurdles
are sometimes manufactured on the spot; and, the other articles being selected,
the remaining shoots and branches are made up into faggots.
The varieties, whether botanical, or valued for their fruits, are propagated
by layers ; though the purple hazel, being as yet rare, might be budded or
grafted.
The hazel, as a fruit tree, is most commonly propagated by suckers, more
especially in the neighbourhood of Maidstone, where the nuts are grown to
greater perfection than any where else in England. Plantations are generally
made in autumn, in soil which has been well trenched and manured. The
plants are placed in rows, at from 10 ft. to 20 ft. distance from each other,
and at 10ft. apart in the row; while between the rows hops are frequently
grown for a few years ; but, after the filberts have attained a sufficient size to
nearly cover the ground, the hops are destroyed. Filberts are also frequently
planted in rows, in the intervals between larger fruit trees, such as apples,
pears, cherries, &c. ; but, though they grow very well in such situations, yet,
From being shaded, and sometimes partially under the drip of the larger trees,
they seldom, if ever, bear so well as in plantations by themselves. The prin-
cipal art in the culture of the filbert, as a fruit tree, consists in training and
pruning it properly, as the blossom is produced upon the sides and extremities
of the upper young branches, and from small young shoots which proceed from
the bases of side branches, cut off the preceding year. The tree requires to be
kept remarkably open, in order that the main branches may produce young
wood throughout the whole of their length. In the filbert orchards about
Maidstone, the trees are trained with short stems like gooseberry bushes, and
are formed into the shape of a punch-bowl, exceedingly thin of wood. William-
son, who has written on the subject in the Horticultural Transactions, advises
" to plant the trees where they are to remain ; to suffer them to grow without
restraint for three or four years ; and then to cut them down within a few
inches of the ground. They will push five or six strong shoots, which, the
second year after cutting down, are to be shortened one third ; then place a
small hoop within the branches, and fasten the shoots to it at equal distances.
In the third year, a shoot will spring from each bud. These must be suffered
to grow till the following autumn, or spring of the fourth year, when they are
to be cut off nearly close to the original stem, and the leading shoot of the
last year shortened two thirds. In the fifth year, several small shoots will
arise from the bases of the side branches, which were cut off the preceding
year : from these the fruit is to be expected ; and the future object of the
pruner must be directed to produce an annual supply of these, by cutting out
all that have borne fruit. The leading shoot is to be shortened every year
two thirds or more ; and the whole height of the branches must not be suffered
to exceed 6 ft. Every shoot that is left to produce fruit should also be
tipped, which prevents the tree from being exhausted in making wood at the
end of the branch. Observe, in pruning early in spring, to have a due supply
of male blossoms, and to eradicate all suckers." Such is the Maidstone prac-
tice, " which has been long celebrated," by which 30 cwt. of nuts per acre
have been grown on particular grounds, in particular years : but 20 cwt. is
considered a large crop, and rather more than half that quantity the usual
one, with a total failure three years out of five; so that the average produce is
not more than 5 cwt. per acre. Williamson thinks " the failure happening so
often may be owing to the excessive productiveness of the successful years,
owing to the mode of pruning, by which the whole nourishment of the tree is
expended in the production of fruit;" and he recommends having the trees
rather more in a state of nature. (Hort. Trans., vol. iv. p. 154.)
If, at any time, there should appear to be a deficiency of male catkins in a
CHAP. cv. CORYLA'CKJE. CO'IIYLUS. 2027
filbert orchard, the defect can readily be supplied, when the female blossoms
(which are easily known by being sessile and solitary, or in small clusters, and
of a bright scarlet colour) are expanded, by collecting male blossoms from
wild trees, or any others where they can be spared, and suspending them on
the upper branches of the tree. The Rev. G. Swayne has proved the utility
of this practice, both in his own case, and in that of some of his neighbours.
(Ibid., vol. v. p. 316. ; and Encyc. of Gard., ed. 1835, p. 944.) Rogers remarks
that the kind of pruning which is found the best for the currant is also the
best for the filbert. Filberts intended for long keeping, this author observes,
*' should remain on the tree till they are thoroughly ripe ; which is easily
known by their rich brown colour. They should be laid on a dry floor for a
few days, and afterwards stored in jars of dry sand, where they will keep
sound for a great length of time." (Fruit Cultivator, p. 190.) Filberts are
always kept in the husk, and sold by the pound ; while nuts are kept with-
out the husk, and sold by the peck or bushel. The Barcelona nuts are im-
ported in boxes, and kept in them till sold ; while the English nuts are
brought to market in sacks, and kept in them, or on the floors of lofts, or in
dry cellars, till they are taken out to be exposed for sale. Filberts are
brought to market, by the growers, in boxes ; and are preserved, by the fruit-
erers, in layers in lofts, or in dry sand in cellars. After some time, the husks
lose their colour, and appear black and mouldy ; when they are slightly fumi-
gated with sulphur, till their colour is restored. This operation is performed
by putting them on trays, pierced with holes, and holding them over a chafing-
dish of charcoal, on which a little powdered sulphur had been thrown when
the charcoal was red-hot. The tray should be gently shaken, and the filberts
spread on it very thinly, that the fumes of the sulphur may penetrate all
round them.
Insects. The common nut is attacked by numerous species of insects, es-
pecially by the caterpillars of various moths and butterflies, which feed upon
its leaves. Amongst these are to be mentioned, as partially (indicated by a
star), or entirely (indicated by a dagger), feeding upon this tree, * Vanessa
C. album (or small tortoiseshell butterfly),* Stauropus fagi (the lobster
moth, so named from the remarkable form of the caterpillar, the fore legs
of which are greatly elongated, and the front part of the body generally car-
ried erect), * Notodonta Dromedarius, * E'ndromis versf color (the rare glory
of Kent moth), * A'glae tau (the tau emperor), -j- Demas coryli (the nut
tree tussock), * Cosmia trapezina, * Brepha notha, * Hipparchus jaapili-
onarius, * Cabera pusaria, * Harpalyce corylata, * Lozotaevnia corylana,
* Roxana arcuana L. (Tortrix), -f Semioscopis avellanella (Tinea H. C.).
The coleopterous insects are confined to the families Curculionidae and Chry-
somelidae. Amongst the former is especially to be noticed the Balaninus
nucum Germar (furculio nucum Linn.), the larva of which is the white fleshy
maggot so often found feeding upon the kernel of the nut. (See fig. 1947.)
The perfect insect is a pretty beetle, about a quarter or a third of an inch
long, with a very long and slender black horny beak, having the elbowed an-
tennaj inserted near the middle. The body is, or, rather, the elytra, when shut,
are, somewhat of a triangular form ; and the general colour of the insect is
fine greyish brown, with deeper shades, and irregularly waved bands. The
female beetle deposits its eggs in the nut whilst in a young and immature
state, the wound soon healing. This accounts for the larva being found within
the shell, without any hole being seen by which it might have entered. It
is said that the passage for the introduction of the egg is made by the female
drilling through the rind with its rostrum. A single egg, of a brown colour,
is introduced into each nut, from which the grub is hatched in about a fort-
night; but it does not attain its full size until the whole of the interior of
the nut is consumed ; the kernel being the last part which it attacks. At this
time the shell is found to be filled with black powder, which is nothing but
the excrement of the larva. When full grown, the time for the fall of the
nut is arrived ; and the larva then, or sometimes while the nut remains on
2028
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM,
PART 111.
the tree, eats a hole through the shell with its strong jaws, and pushes itself
through the aperture thus made ; although it appears too small to admit
the body, which contracts itself to get through, and then foils to the ground,
having no legs to support itself on the husk. Legs, however, would be an
incumbrance to the insect, as it is born in the midst of its food ; and when
this is consumed its feeding time has terminated, and it is ready to make its
way into the earth ; where it forms an oval cell, and changes into a pupa ;
soon after which the perfect insect
makes its appearance. Infg. 1947.,
a shows the wound made by the
introduction of the egg into the
young fruit; b, the hole in the
mature fruit, by which the larva,
has made its exit; c is the larva;
d, the pupa ; and c, the perfect in-
sect (these last three figures being
represented about one third larger
than the natural size). The tip of
the rostrum, magnified, is shown at
/; g being the jaws, and h a side
view of a single jaw. In addition
to this insect, Orchestes avellanae
(one of the small flea weevils),
Strophosomus coryli, Apoderus
coryli, Ate'labus curculionides,
Tropideres niveirostris, Rhyn-
chites Bacchus, and Polydrusus
argentatus, are found in the nut ;
as well as the following, belonging to the Chrysomeliclae : — Chrysomela
coccinea and hemisphae'rica ; Cl ythra longipes, 4-punctata, trident ata, and aurita ;
Cryptocephalus bipunctatus, cordiger, coryli, and G-punctatus ; and Hispa
pectinicornis. Amongst the Linnaean Hemiptera are : Cimex coryli, avellanse,
and annulatus Linn; Cicada aurita, bicordata, and coryli ; Avphis coryli; and
Coccus coryli. Hemerobius hirtus, amongst neuropterous insects ; and
Allantus coryli, amongst the saw-flies, complete the list of the chief species
of insects which feed upon the common nut.
Fungi on the Hazel. On the wood and fallen branches: ^garicus galeri-
culatus Scop., Sow. t. 165., and fig. 15883. in the Efcydopaxua of Plants ;
A. polygrammus Dec., syn. A. fistulosus, Bull. t. 518., and fig. 15884. in
the Encyclopaedia of Plants ; and A. striatulus Pers., a minute resupinate
species j'Thelephora rugosa Pers., syn. T. corylea Pers., remarkable for its
blood-stained hue, when rubbed or scratched ; T. ^vellanae Fr.\ Clavaria Arde-
nia Sow. t. 215, and fig. 16171. in the Encyclopedia of Plants; Peziza
furfuracea Fr. ; SphaeVia fusca Pers. ; S. verrucaef6rmis Ehrh. ; S. dece-
dens ; Dematium griseum Fr. ; Torula antennata Pers. On the roots, ^fga-
ricus radicatus Relh. On the leaves : S. Jvellanas Schmidt, a highly curious
species which has, in the present year, occurred abundantly in Northamp-
tonshire, but appears not to have been found before, since its first detection
by Schmidt; SphaeVia gnomon Tode; JErysiphe guttata Schkcht. On the nuts,
Peziza fructfgena Bull., already noticed under the beech, fig. 1900. p. 1974.
Commercial Statistics. The price of plants, in the London nurseries, is : one-
year's seedlings, 10s. per thousand; two-years' seedlings, 15s. per thousand;
transplanted, from 1 ft. to 2 ft. high, 30s. per thousand ; transplanted, from
2 ft. to 3ft. high, 50s. per thousand. Plants of the different varieties are Is.
each. Price of English nuts, in Covent Garden market, from 2s. to 3s. per peck ;
of Barcelona nuts, from 5s. to 6s. per peck ; of English filberts, from 4/. 10s.
to 51. per lOOlb. Price of plants, at Bollwyller, of the varieties, from 2
francs to 5 francs each ; at New York, the varieties are from 25 cents to
50 cents each.
CHAP. CV.
CTORYLAVCE;E. CO'RYLUS.
202i>
X 2. C. COLU'RNA L. The Constantinople Hazel.
Identification. Hurt. (Tiff., 44H. ; I{«,y. Lugdb.,Sl. ; Mill. Diet., No. 2. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 472. ;
N. l)u Ham., 4. p. to. ; I.«>dd. Cat.", 1
Synonym:*. ('. by/atitlna Her in. I.u«tll>., '.)!., .SW>. .Vws., 1. t. 27. ; ^vellana peregrlna hrtmilis
liinifi. Pin., -US."; A. puinila hyzantliia Clus. Hist., 1. p. 11.; C. arborea Hurt. ; le Xoisetier de
Hizance, !•">•. ; Hyzantinisrhe naulnuss, (r0r.
Kngnii'iiigii. Set*. Mill, 1. 1. 27. f. 2. ; Dend. Hrit., t. 99. ; our fig. 1948. ; and the plates of this tree
in our last Volume.
Spec. Char., $c. Stipules lanceolate, acuminate. Leaves roundish ovate,
cordate. Involucre of the fruit double; the exterior many-partite, the in-
terior 3-partite; divisions palmate. (Willd.'} A tree, 50ft. or 60 ft. high ;
a native of Turkey and Asia Minor. Introduced in 1665.
Varieties.
% C. C. 2 intermedia: C. intermedia Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; is probably si
hybrid between C. Colurna and C. ^vellana.
$ C. C. 3 arborcsccns Fisch., and our^. 1949., differs from the species, chiefly in the cahx
of the nut being cut into shreds.
Description, $c. The Constantinople nut forms
a handsome somewhat pyramidal tree, 50ft. or
60ft. high; with a whitisli bark, which peels off in
strips. The branches spread out horizontally ; the
leaves are more angular, and softer, than those of the
common hazel; and the stipules are linear. The nuts
are small, round, and almost covered with the calyx,
which is double, and deeply laciniated, or fringed, with
the points recurved. The tree grows rapidly, and with
great vigour, in the climate of London. It was at first
supposed to be a dwarf shrub, and is described as such
in the old books relating to trees ; but it was soon dis-
covered to be a lofty tree. It is a native of Asia
Minor and Turkey; but it bears the climate of both
Paris and London without the slightest injury.
Desfontaines tells us that Clusius first cultivated the
6'orylus Colurna; and that it was sent to him from
Constantinople in 1582 (Hist, des Arbrcs, ii. p. 540.) ; and Prof. Martyn tells
us it was reintroduced four years afterwards by " David Ungnad Baron in
Zorneck." It appears to have been
first cultivated in England by Rea, a
florist, who, in his Flora, published in
1665, says that he h.'id then " many
goodly plants of the filbeard of Con-
stantinople." ( p. 224.) It is also
mentioned by Ray, the celebrated bo-
tanical author, in his Historia Planta-
rnm, published in 1686, among " the
rare trees and shrubs " which he saw
a short time previously in the Palace
(wardens at Fulham. (See p. 41.)
Notwithstanding its beauty, and the
ease with which it is cultivated, the
Constantinople nut has never been
much in demand in English gardens.
It will grow in almost any soil, but does best in one similar to that adapted
for the common hazel. It is easily propagated by seed, grafts, or layers,
(irafting on the common hazel is, however, the most general way, as the
nut often proves abortive, both in French and English gardens. The largest
tree in the neighbourhood of London is that at Syon, of which a portrait is
given in our last Volume. There are also large trees at Ham House, Purser's
Cross, and in the grounds of Farnham Castle, which bear fruit most years.
Price of plants, in the London nurseries, 1*. (\d, each ; at Boll wy Her, 50
cents ; and at New York, 50 cents.
* 6 p 8
1949
2030
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
st 3. C. ROSTRA'TA Ait. The beaked, American, or Cuckold, Hazel.
Identification. Ait. Hort. Kew., 3. p. 364. ; ed. 2., 5. p. 303. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 471. ; Michx.
Amer., 2. p. 201 ; N. Du Ham., 4. p. 21. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Synonymes. C. sylvestris, &c., Gron. Virg.t 151. ; C. cornuta Hort.
Spec. Char., tyc. Stipules linear-lanceolate. Leaves ovate-oblong, acumi-
nate. Involucre of the fruit tubular, campanulate, larger than the nut, 2-
partite; divisions inciso-dentate. {Willd.} C. rostrata is a bushy shrub,
seldom exceeding 4 ft. or 5 ft. in height, resembling the common European
hazel, but distinguished from it by its fruit being covered with the calyx,
which is prolonged in the form of a long very hairy beak ; and hence the
name. The kernel is sweet, but not worthy of cultivation for the table.
The plant is found, according to Pursh (ii. p. 635.), on mountains, from
Canada to Carolina ; but is not common on ihe plains, and rarely occurs
so far south as Boston. The American hazel was introduced into Eng-
land, in 1745, by Archibald Duke of Argyll, but has never been much cul-
tivated. Plants, in the London nurseries, are 1*. each ; at Bollwyller,
2 francs ; and at New York, 25 cents.
& 4. C. AMERICANA Michx. The American Hazel.
Identification. Michx. Amer., 2. p. 210.; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 471. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.
Sunonumes C. am. humilis Wang. Amer., 88. t. 29. f. 63. ; Dwarf Cuckold Nut, wild Filbert, Amer.
Engraving. Wang. Amer., 88. t. 29. f. 63.
Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves roundish, cordate, acuminate. Involucre of the
fruit roundish, campanulate, longer than the nut ; limb spreading, dentately
serrated. (Willd.'] The American hazel is a shrub, growing, according to
Pursh, to the height of from 4 ft. to 8 ft. It differs from C. rostrata about
as much as the filbert from the European hazel. The calyx is larger than
the included nut, the flavour of the kernel of which is said to be very fine.
It is found in low shady woods from Canada to Florida. It was intro-
duced, in 1798, by the Marchioness of Bute. Plants, in the London
nurseries, are 2s. each ; at Bollwyller, 1± francs ; and at New York, 25 cents.
App. i. Species ofCorylus
not yet introduced.
C.flrox Wall. PI. As. Ran, t. 87., and
our Jig. 1950., in which a is the nut with
its deeply laciniated calyx ; b the nut ;
c the kernel ; and d a longitudinal
section of the nut, with the kernel en-
closed. The leaves are oblong, and
much pointed. Stipules linear-lanceolate.
Nut compressed, and half the length of
the villous, 2-parted, ragged, and spinous
involucre. (Wall.') " A native of the top
of the mountain Sheopur, in Nepal ;
flowering in September, and bearing
fruit in December. A tree, 20ft. high,
with a trunk sometimes 2 ft. in circum.
ference, and somewhat glabrous ash-
coloured bark. Branches twiggy, smooth,
cylindrical, brownish, dotted ; the young
ones silky. Buds conical-oblong, co-
vered externally with soft down. Leaves
Sin. or 4 in. long, covered on both sides
with adpressed down ; dark green above;
rough, and of a pale colour, beneath.
The wood of this tree is light, compact,
and of a pale tinge. The nut is small,
and precisely like the common hazel nut
in taste. The shell is exceedingly hard
and thick." (Wall. PI. As. Ear., t. 87.)
This species has not been yet intro-
duced ; but, from the elevation of its
native habitat, it would doubtless prove
hardy. From the laciniated calyx of
this nut, it appears nearly allied to
C. C. arborescens Fisch. (See p. 2029.)
1950
END OF THE THIRD VOLUME.
LONDON : Printed by A. SPOTTISWOODE, New-Street-Scjiiaro.
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