Quercus baloot Griff.

A hardy tree found in the inner dry valleys of the Himalayas from 1800-3000 m. Usually gregarious and often associated with blue pine. It is known to hybridize in nature with Quercus dilatata Royle, from which it differs in the smaller, tomentose leaves and it generally grows in drier habitats. The wood is used for construction purposes and the bark yields tannin.

An evergreen small tree or a shrub, 2.5-8m tall. Young branches and shoots greyish tomentose. Leaves coriaceous, oblong-ovate to ob¬ovate or elliptic or sub-orbiculate, 2.5-7.5 x 2.5-8 cm, entire or spiny-toothed, upper surface green, lower pale green; petiole 3-4 mm long. Male flowers in catkins, 3.3-5 cm long, lax, pubescent; stamens 5-7; anthers hairy, oblong c. 1.2 mm long, filaments 2 mm long. Female flowers on 2-4.2 cm long peduncles; styles 3-5. Cupule 1.2-l.3 cm broad, enclosing 1/2 to 3/4 of the nut; acorn 1.5-l.7 cm long, yellowish-brown, glabrescent.

Distribution: Kashmir, Pakistan & Afghanistan.

Fl. Per.: April-May.