1932
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
ever, (Mod. Trav.: Palestine.') who has collected the opinions of all theseauthors, doubts the correctness of all of them; observing, “ If it be anythingmore than a fable, it must have been a production peculiar to that part ofPalestine, or it would not have excited such general attention. It is possiblethat what they (Tacitus and Josephus ) describe may have originated, like theoak 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 themountains east of the Dead Sea , whence they had been brought by the Hon.Robert Curzon , read an account of them before the Linnsean Society, provingthem to be galls of a species of oak containing an insect. No description isgiven by Mr. Lambert of the insect; but Mr. Westwood, who furnished thisarticle, states that it belongs to the family Cynipidse, and is infested para-sitically by a species of the family /chneumonidse. Mr. Lambert, by someaccident, was led into the supposition that the Dead Sea apples are identicalwith the galls of commerce (Linn. Trans., xvii. p. 446.); butthis is not the case. Olivier, in speaking of this insect, and thegall produced by it, says that both differ from those of thetauzin oak (Q. pyrenaica: see fig. 1697. p. 1842.); and that 1825.the insect (Jig. 1825.) has a body of brown and fawn-colour mixed, with theantennae blackish. (Trav., Eng. ed. 2., p. 43.)
Q. Libani Oliv., t. 49. f. 2., N. Du Ham., 7. p. 167. t. 49. f. 2., andout fig. 1826., has the leaves on petioles, oblong, smooth, shining, anil den.tated, with mucros 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 placedclose together, and scarcely imbricate. The branches are of a reddishbrown, and perfectly glabrous. This oak, which bears some resemblancein its leaves to those of the chestnut, was discovered on Mount Lebanon byOlivier, who sent home specimens of it to Desfontaines. The leaves areperfectly 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-ressed, rather hollow at the summit, and enveloped for more thanalf its length in a cup, the scales of which are rather soldered togetherside 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 beenbrought to Europe . The figure in the Nouveau Du Hamel, of whichours 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. p. 434., N. Du Ham., 7. p. 161., Rees’s Cycl., No. 36.; ? /'lex acu-le£ta, &c., Toum. Cor., 40. Leaves oblong, undivided, with spinous serratures, smooth; glaucousbeneath ; heart-shaped at the base. Footstalks bearded at the summit. Scales of the calyx rigid,spreading. (Willd.) A native of the coast of Caramania, in Asiatic Turkey. The branches arepale 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 midribof the leaf. The acorn is sessile; and the calyx is beset with rigid, woody, lanceolate, spreading scales.
Q. ibirica Stev. in Mem. Soc. Imp. Nat Mosc., 4. p. 70. M. a., Bieb. FI. Taur.-Cauc., 2. p. 402.No. 1913., 3. p. 620. Leaves ovate-oblong, downy beneath, sinuated; lobes short, blunt, somewhatserrated; serratures blunt. Fruit almost sessile. Scales of the cup mucronate. (Eichwald PlanUeCaspico-CaucasiccB , 2. p. 40. t. 38.) A native of Georgia and Imiretia. Bark smooth, not corky,greyish. Petioles 2—4 lines long, somewhat downy or glabrous, semicylindrical. Leaves from1 in. to 1J 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; lobesshort, somewhat ovate, obtuse, or rather acute, somewhat serrated; serratures blunt. Male flowersdisposed in aggregate catkins, 2—5 springing from one bud; lateral, slender, interrupted. Racnuthread-like, pubescent. Perianth deeply 5—fi-cleft; the divisions linear, ciliated. Stamens 5—lb*Female flowers unknown. (Ibid., 2. p. 41.) .
Q. c astaneafblia C. A. Meyer. Bark smooth. Leaves on footstalks, oblong-lanceolate; hairybeneath; thickly serrated ; serratures somewhat mucronate. Cups sessile, solitary, hemispherical.Scales linear-lanceolate, thickly imbricated the contrary way. Nut oblong-cylindrical. A tree, anative of Mazanderan , near the town of Balfrush. A very distinct and beautiful species. Bark otthe branches and twigs membranaceous (never corky), yellow, warted. Petioles | in. to 1 in. I? n 8»slender, somewhat glabrous; flat above, convex beneath. Smaller leaves 2$ in. long, and 9 to 10 linesbroad; larger ones 4 in. to 4£ in. long, and 1£ in. to li in. broad ; all of them oblong-lanceolate, rouna,and frequently unequal, at the base, more or less pointed, thickly serrated; serratures blunt, pointeawith small mucros (scarcely £a line long); shining above, rarely covered with stellate down; hairybeneath from minute stellate down, ash-coloured; veins parallel, prominent, having long hairstheir axils. Male flowers not seen. Cups lateral or terminal, sessile, hemispherical, 8 to 10 linesdiameter; 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 themless pointed, rigid, imbricated the contrary way. Nut 1^ in. long, cylindrical, 3 or 4 times as Iion,gthe cup ; thickish at the base, blunt at the apex ; mucronate, smooth, reddish brown. (LicnwaPlantce Caspico-Caucasicce , 1. p. 9. t. 1.; and our Jig. 1827.) _ f j
Q. mongolica Fisch. A rare species, indigenous to tne banks of the Argun in Tartar ),apparently of diminutive growth. There have been plants since 1835 in the Flotbeckwhich appear perfectly hardy. (Booth.) We trust that in 1838, or even before, this species wintroduced into England.
1826