QUEEN OF SHEBA. See Balkis.
QUEliCUS, Oak.
Ban . . . . ARAB. Quercia, . . . . IT.
110h.huh, . . CHIN. . . POL.
Ecg, D AN. Itoble, Carbalho,r0IIT.,SP.
Eik, MT. I Dub, Wu.
Chene, FR Ek Sw.
Melte, . . . . GF.II.
The oaks and tho chesnuts are well known for their rich and luxuriant growth, and are the ornaments of European forests. Tho geniis is found from the northern to the most southern and eastern parts of Asia ; in the inountains of China, Japan, Nepal, Kamaon, Chitta gong-, Penang, and Taong Dong, and from mode rate elevations to the limits of forest life. Though almost unknown in Ceylon, the Peninsula of India, tropical Africa, and South America, they abound in the hot valleys of the Eastern Himalaya, East lieng,al, Malay Peninsula, awl India Islands, where, perhaps, more species grow than in any other part of the world.
The barks of oaks, alders, birches, willows, and poplars abound in gallie acid and tannin, and all lirtve therefore been frequently employed for tanning ; also as tonics and febrifuge& Quer citron, the bark of Q. tinctoria, dyes wool yellow. Gall-nuts, called inajoo phal, are imported into India, being produced by the puncture of Cynips quercusfolit on Quercus infectoria, a native of Asia Minor, Annenia, and Kurdistan. Q. ilex and Q. cerris afford inferior galls. The cupules of the glands of Q. Egilops, called velonia and velani (a corruption of /30cOast) and velameda by the inodern Greeks, arc collected in Ceos, and used for the same purposes. The Kermes insect fixes itself upon Q. coe,cifera, hence called Kennes oak, a native of the S. of Europe and N. of Africa. Q. ballota, sweet-acorn oak, that probably described in Persian works under the names Shah-balloot and Balloot-ul-malik, is a native of Spain, N. of Africa, and of parts of Greece; this having acorns free from tannin, has been long used as food by the inhabitants of the above countries. It might very probably, as well as the cork tree (Q. Ember), a native of the hot parts of Spain and France, be naturalized in the plains of Northern India, where Q. incana, from elevations of 5000 to 7000 feet in the Ilimalaya, is perfectly at home. The acorns of this species are sold in bazars under the name balloot, being used by the natives in medicine.
Dr. Wallich found seven different species of oak iu Burma. and on the Tenasserim coast, and all afford useful thnber, though inferior to the Eng lish oak.
In Japan are—Quereus glabra, aeuta, glauca, cuspidata, serrata, glandulifera, dentata, phylly raoides, Sieboldiana, urtictefolia, canescens, varia bilis, aliena, crispula, Burgerii, sessifolia, salicina, myrsinfefolia, gilva, grosse, serrata, laeera mar ginata, huvigata. The following; occur in China: —Quereus cornea, Mongolica, dentata, Chinensis, Fabri, ilex, serrate. Many of the 2:3 Japanese species appear to be peculiar to the Indian Archipelago, or only occur near the south-eastern angle of Asia, where they reach their rnost southern limits, being scarcely known in a. wild state in the southern hemisphere. The Indian and Burmese species rtre—Quercus acuminata, tEgilops, Amherstiana, annulata, ballots, balloot, bancana, Brandi.siana, dealbata, dilitata, eumorpha, Falconeri, fenestrata, Griffithii ilex, ineana, lamelloea, humerefolia, lanu ginosa, l'appacea, mespilifolia, 'nista, occidentalis, _ oila, oxyodon, pachyphylla, poduneulata, poly antlia, robur, seinecarpifolia, setniserrata, *errata, seasilillora, fipleata, Thomsoniana, turbinata, vein tina, and xylocarpa.
Captain Gerard tell* us of three speclea of oak in Kanawar,—Monroo and Khursoo, which grow at 12,800 feet, and the Ban (Q. incana), which dis appears at 8000 feet. 3fajor lkiison, writing in British Burma, remarks that Q. fenastrata, Q. turbinata, and Q. velutina produce good!, durable timber, resembling that of the Dillenias in denaity and elasticity, though the trees do not grow of that size to make the timber of the same value MI the Dilleniaa. Q. Chinensis, the Chineui oak, a beautiful species found in mountainous places in China, is said to have exactly the habit and apptar ande of a Spanish chesnut. It grows to the height of 50 feet. Q. mannifera, of Kurdistan, is said to yield a eweet rnueilaginoua substance from its branches and leaves by steeping them in boiling water at the hottest season of the year, and after wards evaporating the water. This aubstance is made into cakes, and sold in the markets of the town of Van under the name of Ghiok-Ilelvashee, ' the sweetmeat of heaven.' 'The species is very near Q. sessiliflora, especially a form of it which has been named Q. Ifongolica. Q. regia anti Q. rigida also occur in Kurdistan.