Quercus semicarpifolia Sm.

Description :

This plant is medium to large evergreen tree up to the height of about 30m and 3-5m in girth. Young shoots and tomentose, which means covered with densely matted woolly hairs a tomentose leaf. The bark is strong, rough, dark grey in colour having shallow cracks. The leaves are obtuse, nearly sessile, about 5 to 10 cm long and 2to 8 cm wide. The leaf base is heart shaped (cordate), and the petioles are about 5mm long. Male catkins are 4 to 12 cm long while female flowers are arranged in few-flowered short spikes. Cupule has a single-seeded nut known as an “acorn”. Acorn is 2-3cm long, dark brown and smooth.

Distribution :

It is native to the Himalayas and nearby the mountains in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tibet, India and Nepal. It grows well at the elevation from 2400 to 3500 m. It has been cultivated in middle Europe and Western Germany. It prefers moist soil; this plant can tolerate strong winds but not sea winds.

Uses :

It has both edible and medicinal used. Seeds are dried and ground into a powder and used in several things like making of bread. The excreted fluid on the stem or bark is used to make special tea. The juice of the bark is used externally on body to get relief from muscular pain. Galls of the plant (abnormal growths that occur on leaves, twigs, roots, or flowers) are used for the treatment of dysentery, hemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea etc. The is used for construction and it is also used as fuel, it also yields a very good charcoal

 

(Singh and Singh, 1987)