oak comes into flower and leaf later by some days than the other species, and it is less liable to attacks of the roller moth. It bears shade better, and on this account can be grown closer as a forest tree. It grows naturally on drier soils, and on the Continent ascends to higher altitudes than Quercus pedunculata. It is different in habit, the terminal bud being stronger than the others, so that the shoot is continued in the same direction, and the branches keep straight; whereas in Q. pedunculata the lateral buds at the apex often develop more vigorously and a crooked branch results, with the leaves much more tufted.
Seedling
At first the seedling differs little from that of Q. pedunculata, though the young leaves are more distinctly stalked; but towards the end of the first year, the characters shown in the adult stage are well marked, namely -—the stem, leaves, and terminal bud are pubescent, and the leaves have a cuneate base and short but distinct stalks.
Varieties of Quercus sessiliflora
1. Var. longifolia, Dippel, Laubh. ii. 67 (1892).—This is also known as macrophylla. The leaves are variable, but are as a rule very long, as much as eight inches, and narrow in proportion to their length, the lobing being never constant. The base of the leaf is always cuneate.
2. Var. laciniata, Koehne, Dendrol. 130 (1893).— Leaves small with deeply-cut segments, which are directed forwards; base cuneate.
3. Var. mespilifolia, Wallroth, Sched. Crit. 494 (1822).—Leaves, with a petiole of one inch, lanceolate, long, and narrowed at both ends, averaging five inches long by one inch broad at the widest part; quite entire in margin or very slightly lobed. This form has been found wild at Nordhausen in the Harz mountains, at Wolgast in Pomerania, and in various places in Austria and Hungary. Var. Louetti, is a somewhat pendulous sub-variety, which is considered by most authors to be identical with var. mespilifolia.
4. Var. sublobata, Koch, Dendrol. ii. 2, 32 (1873). Quercus sublobata, Kitaibel, in Schult. Oest. Fl. i. 619 (1814).—This is nearly the same as the last variety, but the leaves are slightly and regularly lobed. It came into commerce from the Royal nursery at Geltow near Potsdam, and hence is often known as var. geltoviana.
5. Var. cochleata, Petzold et Kirchner, 47. Arb. Musc. 630 (1864).—This resembles the common form, except that the edges of the leaf are curved upwards, so that the centre of it is rendered concave. It is said to be a free-growing variety.
6. Var. afghanistanensis, Hort.—This variety, as cultivated at Kew, has obovate leaves very similar to the common form, except that the lobes of the leaf are more shallow and more numerous, and its bluish under surface is covered with a fine pubescence which extends to the petioles. It is considered by Zabel[1] to be a hybrid between Q. lanuginosa and Q. sessiliflora. It was sent out by Messrs. Booth of
- ↑ Laubholz-Benennung, 77 (1903).
