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286 has received many names, as var. purpurea, Loudon, and var. sanguinea, Spach. There are slight sub-varieties which are known as atropurpurea, atrosanguinea, nigra, nigricans, etc. The purple oak was first described by Bechstein (Forst. Bot. 333) in 1810 as Quercus sanguinea.

9. Var. variegata, Endlicher. Oaks with variegated leaves are not uncommon in the wild state. There is a specimen at Kew of a curious form sent by Mr. J. Lindsay Johnston from Eastlodge, Crondall, Hants, in xs82, The Rey. W. Wilks has sent leaves of an oak at Shirley, which were of a beautiful pink colour in November 1902. There are many forms of variegated oaks in catalogues; but it must be remembered that there is often a tendency in them to revert to the green form in a short space of time. Some of these sub-varieties may be distinguished as follows:—argenteo-marginata, margin of leaves white; argenteo-picta, leaves with white streaks; aureo-variegata, leaves with yellow streaks; rubrinervia, veins red in the young leaves; aureo-bicolor and tricolor, leaves variously coloured yellow, white, and green.

Elwes has seen a very fine variegated-leaved oak at Haldon near Exeter, the seat of J.F.G. Bannatyne, Esq, and I measured one 57 feet high and 7 feet in girth, at The Grove, Teddington, which, according to Loudon, was 37 feet high in 1837. This tree bears leaves, which come out variegated green, white, and pink, changing in autumn to a pure pink colour. The present owner, Charles E. Howard, Esq., informed me that it fruited only once to his knowledge, in 1887.

An account is given in the Gardeners' Chronicle of 14th September 1861 of a common oak which became variegated, the result of having been struck by lightning. This tree grew near Mawley, the seat of Sir Edward Blount, and contained about thirty feet of timber. It was struck by lightning on 26th June 1838, and did not appear to suffer at the time; but shortly afterwards the foliage, which was previously green, became beautifully variegated, and continued to produce variegated leaves and remained healthy.

10. Var. cuprea, Hort. This variety has bronze-coloured leaves when young, and is said to be a very distinct and vigorous form.

11. Var. tardissima, Simonkai, Le chêne de juin. —This variety has more regular branching and denser foliage than the common form; but is chiefly remarkable for the lateness of its leafing, which occurs five to eight weeks after the common oak. It was discovered in France in the valley of the Saône, from Pontailler to Saint-Amour; and has since been found at various places in the departments of Loir-et-Cher and Cher, and also in Hungary. It appears from experiments made at Nancy to come true from seed; and the delay in the putting forth of the leaf is as marked in seedlings as in old trees, It grows vigorously; and apparently, in spite of the short period each season that it