Quercus semecarpifolia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Fagaceae
Genus: Quercus
Subgenus: Quercus subg. Cerris
Section: Quercus sect. Ilex
Species:
Q. semecarpifolia
Binomial name
Quercus semecarpifolia
Synonyms[2]
  • Quercus cassura Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don
  • Quercus obtusifolia D.Don

Quercus semecarpifolia is an Asian species of oak. It is native to the Himalayas and nearby mountains in Tibet, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan,[3] where it is referred to as kharsu.[4] It is classified in subgenus Cerris, section Ilex.[5][6]

Quercus semecarpifolia is an evergreen tree up to 30 metres (98 feet) tall. The leaves are up to 12 centimetres (4+3⁄4 inches) long, with a few teeth along the sides but rounded at the tip.[3][7] It has been grown in middle Europe, Western Germany, winter-hardiness zone 7, withstanding -14 °C, without any damages. It gives a good, showy bush to small tree with lush green leaves. The epithet semecarpifolia refers to a resemblance between the leaves of this species and those of Semecarpus anacardium.[7]

In its native range, it serves as a keystone species, exhibiting up to 80% dominance at elevations between 2700 and 3300 meters.[4] In areas where less degradation has occurred, Q. semecarpifolia reduces light at the forest floor, encouraging the growth of shade tolerant herbaceous species.[4] Local people make use of kharsu more frequently than other native oaks for food, animal fodder, fuel, and timber.[8] Its leaves are also known to support Antheraea proylei silk worms, goats,[9] and prevent slug infestations.[4]

Fossil record

Fossils of Quercus semecarpifolia have been described from the fossil flora of Kızılcahamam district in Turkey, which is of early Pliocene age.[10]

References

  1. ↑ Qin, H. (2020). "Quercus semecarpifolia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  2. ↑ "Quercus semecarpifolia Sm.". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – via The Plant List. Note that this website has been superseded by World Flora Online
  3. 1 2 Huang, Chengjiu; Zhang, Yongtian; Bartholomew, Bruce. "Quercus semecarpifolia". Flora of China. Vol. 4 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Rawat, Balwant; Rawat, Janhvi M.; Purohit, Sumit; Singh, Gajendra; Sharma, Pradeep Kumar; Chandra, Anup; Shabaaz Begum, J. P.; Venugopal, Divya; Jaremko, Mariusz; Qureshi, Kamal A. (2022). "A comprehensive review of Quercus semecarpifolia Sm.: An ecologically and commercially important Himalayan tree". Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 10. doi:10.3389/fevo.2022.961345. hdl:10754/681751. ISSN 2296-701X.
  5. ↑ Denk, Thomas; Grimm, Guido W.; Manos, Paul S.; Deng, Min & Hipp, Andrew L. (2017). "Appendix 2.1: An updated infrageneric classification of the oaks" (xls). figshare. doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.5547622.v1. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  6. ↑ Denk, Thomas; Grimm, Guido W.; Manos, Paul S.; Deng, Min & Hipp, Andrew L. (2017), "An Updated Infrageneric Classification of the Oaks: Review of Previous Taxonomic Schemes and Synthesis of Evolutionary Patterns", in Gil-Pelegrín, Eustaquio; Peguero-Pina, José Javier & Sancho-Knapik, Domingo (eds.), Oaks Physiological Ecology. Exploring the Functional Diversity of Genus Quercus L, Tree Physiology, vol. 7, Cham.: Springer International Publishing, pp. 13–38, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-69099-5_2, ISBN 978-3-319-69099-5
  7. 1 2 Smith, James Edward in Rees. 1814 The cyclopædia; or, Universal dictionary of arts, sciences, and literature. volume 29, pages not numbered, Quercus number 20
  8. ↑ Singh, Amit; Samant, S. S.; Naithani, Suneet (2021-09-01). "Population ecology and habitat suitability modelling of Quercus semecarpifolia Sm. in the sub-alpine ecosystem of Great Himalayan National Park, north-western Himalaya, India". South African Journal of Botany. 141: 158–170. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2021.04.022. ISSN 0254-6299.
  9. ↑ Raju, J.; Sahoo, B.; Chandrakar, A.; Sankar, M.; Garg, A. K.; Sharma, A. K.; Pandey, A. B. (2015-04-01). "Effect of feeding oak leaves (Quercus semecarpifolia vs Quercus leucotricophora) on nutrient utilization, growth performance and gastrointestinal nematodes of goats in temperate sub Himalayas". Small Ruminant Research. 125: 1–9. doi:10.1016/j.smallrumres.2014.12.013. ISSN 0921-4488.
  10. ↑ Kasaplıgil, Baki (1977). "Ankara, Kızılcahamam yakınındaki Güvem köyü civarında bulunan son tersiyer kozalaklı-yeşil yapraklı ormanı" [A Late-Tertiary Conifer-Hardwood Forest From the Vicinity of Güvem Village, Near Kızılcahamam, Ankara] (PDF). Bulletin of the Mineral Research and Exploration (in Turkish and English). Ankara: General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration. 88: 94-102.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.