Quercus semecarpifolia

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
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 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 Note that this website has been superseded by World Flora Online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. 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. 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/full. 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. 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., Cham.: Springer International Publishing, pp. 13–38, ISBN 978-3-319-69099-5
  7. 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.


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