Oaks of the World

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  Quercus infectoria
Author G. Olivier 1801 Voy. Emp. Othoman 1: 252
Synonyms alpestris Koch 1849 not Boiss.1838
infectoria subsp puberula O.Schwarz 1934
infectoria subsp glabra O.Schwarz 1937
lusitanica Boiss.1879, not Lam. nor Webb.
lusitanica var. infectoria (G.Olivier) A.DC 1864
lusitanica subsp infectoria (G.Olivier) Mouillef. 1892
lusitanica subsp orientalis A.DC 1864
valentina Koch. 1849 not Cav.1793
Local names
Range Asia Minor, Southern Turkey, Greece; to 850 m; introduced in Europe in 1822;
Growth habit 5-6 m tall; often small shrub less than 2 m tall;
Leaves 3-8 x 1.5-5 cm; semi-evergreen; leathery; broadly oboval; base rounded sometimes cordate; 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;
Flowers
Fruits acorn mucronate, ovoid elongated, 2-3.5 cm long, 1.8 cm in diameter; glabrous, shiny light brown; solitary or paired, sessil or with a peduncle as long as the petiole; enclosed 1/3 by cup; cup hemispheric or subconical, 1.5-1.8 cm in diameter,with lanceolate, appressed, tomentose scales;

Bark, twigs and
buds

bark grey, scaly, ridged; twig with deciduous pubescence;
Hardiness zone, habitat hardy (zone 6), but does not withstand late frost; all types of soils, especially rocky ones; not fast-growing;
Miscellaneous -- A. Camus : n° 153; sub-section Gallifera;
-- 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

Subspecies and
varieties

-- 2 subspecies :

1_subsp infectoria
it is the type described above

2_subsp veneris (A. Kern. in C.K.Schneid.) Meikle 1985
= Q.boissieri Reut. 1853 : see the file


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