Quercus suber L.

South Europe, North Africa;

may reach 20 m tall, with trunk 1.5 m in diameter, but most often smaller; trunk and branches tortuous; branches may lay on the ground;

2.5-7 x 1.5-4 cm; evergreen; oval; hard, leathery; apex pointed; base rounded; margin wavy, sometimes entire, with very shallow, spiny lobes; dark green, hairless above; blue green, densely pubescent beneath; 5-7 vein pairs at an angle less than 45° with midrib; petiole hairy 0.8-2 cm long;

early summer, on new shoots; numerous male catkins, erected at first, then drooping, yellow, with a tomentose rachis; male flowers with 5-6 stamens; female catkins 1-3 cm long, with tomentose rachis; female flowers perianth with 4-6 obtuse, tomentose lobes, and 3 short, glabrous styles;

acorn 1.5-3 cm long; ovoid; short peduncle; enclosed almost 1/2 by cup; cup conical, deep, with long, spreading scales; maturing in 1 year;

not quite hardy (withstands -15° C); prefers lime-free soils; slow-growing;

– A. Camus : n° 110; – Sub-genus Cerris, Section Cerris, subsection Suber (with crenata ); – The natural hybrids of Q. suber are : Q. x celtica , Q. x hispanica , Q. x morisii , Q. x pacensis , Q. x coscojosuberiformis – OOTW reports hybrid: Q. × fontanesii (Q. gussonei × Q. suber)