Quercus infectoria G.Olivier

Asia Minor, Southern Turkey, Greece; to 850 m; introduced in Europe in 1822;

5-6 m tall; often small shrub less than 2 m tall;

4-6 x 1.5-5 cm; semi-evergreen; leathery; oblong, oboval-oblong or oval-oblong; base rounded sometimes cordate, often asymmetrical; apex obtuse; margin dentate (4-9 pairs of teeth) or crenate-dentate often wavy or rarely lobed; hairless, shiny above; paler beneath or glaucous, glabrous or with some stellate hairs; actually very polymorphous; leaves at the base of twigs are often entire; 5-11 vein pairs; intercalary veins present; petiole cylindrical 0.5 cm long;

male catkin 4-6 cm long, thin, glabrescent; female catkin short with 1-2 flowers at tip;

acorn mucronate, ovoid elongated, 2.5-3.5 cm long, 1.2-1.8 cm in diameter; glabrous, shiny light brown; solitary or paired, sessile or with a peduncle as long as the petiole; enclosed 1/3 by 1.5-1.8 cm wide cup, hemispheric or subconical, with lanceolate, appressed, tomentose scales; ripen first year;

hardy (zone 6), but does not withstand late frost; all types of soils, especially rocky ones; not fast-growing;

– A. Camus : tome 2, p. 183, n° 153; – Sub-genus Quercus, Section Quercus, Series Roburoid; – Fairly rare; protected species; – Close to Q. faginea , from which it differs mainly by having leaves and twigs glabrous or nearly so; – The specific name “ lusitanica “ is ambiguous, since applied to several other species : 1/ lusitanica Webb and lusitanica auctores = Q.faginea Lam. 2/ lusitanica Boiss. = Q.infectoria Oliv. 3/ lusitanica Lam. = Q.fruticosa Brot. so, it is better to avoid using it. – The specific name “ valentina “ has been applied to different species : Q.valentina Cav. 1793 = Q.fruticosa Q.valentina K.Koch 1849 = Q.infectoria Q.valentina Lam. ex Steudel 1821 = Q.velutina