Quercus semecarpifolia Sm.

The ‘Brown Oak’ is usually found at the upper tree limit where it is sometimes gregarious. I have not observed trees of large size (as mentioned by Parker). A form of this tree found in E. Himalayas, with glabrous under-surface and acute leaves (see Parker, l.c. 495) approaches Quercus dilatata Royle, which is known to hybridize with the ‘brown oak’ (fide in Rech. f., Fl. Iran. 77:18.1971). The specimens from Parachinar, cited above, might belong here. There is a specimen of Quercus semecarpifolia Sm. x Quercus baloot Griff., collected at Sarswag, Kurram by Y. M. Khan and determined by Menitsky at the Edinburgh herbarium (E). The wood is lopped for firewood and charcoal and the leaves are used as fodder.

Tree up to c. 20 m, sometimes shrubby. Young shoots tomentose. Leaves oblong to elliptic-oblong, 3.5-12 x l.6-7.5 cm, obtuse, rarely acute, green and glabrescent above, rusty tomentose on the under surface, leathery, nerves forked, margin entire to spinose. Male inflorescence 4-8 cm long, dense flowered, tomentose; bracts broadly ovate, 2-2.2 mm long, ciliate; perianth segments obtuse; stamens 5-8, filaments c. 2 mm long, anthers oblong, glabrous. Cupule 1.2-1.4 cm broad, pubescent, scales obtuse or acute. Nut subglobose, 2.2-2.5 cm long, glabrescent, dark brown when mature.

Trees to 30 m tall, evergreen. Branchlets with prominent stellate hairs, glabrescent, lenticellate; lenticels narrowly rounded. Petiole 2-6 mm, brown tomentose and with stellate hairs, glabrescent; leaf blade elliptic to narrowly so, 5-12 × 3-6.5 cm, abaxially with brown stellate hairs and scurfy powder, adaxially glabrescent or sparsely with stellate hairs, base shallowly cordate, margin entire or with spiniform teeth, apex obtuse; secondary veins 8-14 on each side of midvein; tertiary veins usually abaxially obscured by indumentum. Infructescence with 1 or 2 cupules, 2-7 cm, glabrous. Cupule shallowly bowl-shaped to discoid, 5-8 mm × 1.5-2.5 cm, at maturity inside wall usually in contact with nut ± only in region of scar, inside with a thick pale grayish brown indumentum; bracts lanceolate, 2-3 mm, grayish pubescent, apex brown. Nut sometimes purple-brown, subglobose, 2-3 cm in diam., glabrous or apex glabrescent; scar ca. 6 mm in diam., flat or slightly raised; stylopodium ca. 1 mm in diam. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Aug-Oct of following year.

Afghanistan, Himalaya (Chitral to NEFA), S. Tibet, Burma, S. China.

Distribution: Afghanistan, Himalayas from Swat and Kashmir to Bhutan and China.

S Xizang [Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Pakistan]

1700-3800 m

Fl. Per.: May-June.

Montane forests; 2600-4000 m.

Quercus obtusifolia D. Don.

Quercus semecarpifolia is an Asian species of oak. It is native to the Himalayas and nearby mountains in Tibet, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. It is classified in subgenus Cerris, section Ilex.

Quercus semecarpifolia is an evergreen tree up to 30 metres (98 feet) tall. The leaves are up to 12 centimetres (4+3⁄4 inches) long, with a few teeth along the sides but rounded at the tip. It has been grown in middle Europe, Western Germany, winter-hardiness zone 7, withstanding -14 °C, without any damages. It gives a good, showy bush to small tree with lush green leaves. The epithet semecarpifolia refers to a resemblance between the leaves of this species and those of Semecarpus anacardium.