Practical
Plants

Quercus aucheri

Boz-Pirnal Oak

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Quercus genus in the family Fagaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Fagaceae
Genus
Quercus
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
slow
Height
5 m
Spread
4 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
monoecious
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - raw or cooked. A sweet flavour[7]. The seed is about 2cm long and 1.5cm wide[7]. It is low in tannin and needs little if any leaching. Any bitter tannins can be leached out by thoroughly washing the dried and ground up seed in water, though many minerals will also be lost. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency. The seed can be roasted and then eaten, its taste is something like a cross between sunflower seeds and popcorn[4]. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.

Product or use
Coffee
Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc[8].

Product or use
Astringent

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The following uses are for the closely related Q. coccifera, they should also be applicable here[K]. A mulch of the leaves repels slugs, grubs etc, though fresh leaves should not be used as these can inhibit plant growth[6]. Oak galls are excrescences that are sometimes produced in great numbers on the tree and are caused by the activity of the larvae of different insects. The insects live inside these galls, obtaining their nutrient therein. When the insect pupates and leaves, the gall can be used as a rich source of tannin, that can also be used as a dyestuff[8]. The bark is rich in tannin[3]. A black dye can be obtained from the bark[9] and also from the seeds[3].

Product or use
Repellent
Product or use
Tannin

Environment

Range
S. Europe - Mediterranean around Greece.
Habitat
Not known
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerances
high wind
Wind
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - it quickly loses viability if it is allowed to dry out. It can be stored moist and cool overwinter but is best sown as soon as it is ripe in an outdoor seed bed, though it must be protected from mice, squirrels etc. Small quantities of seed can be sown in deep pots in a cold frame. Plants produce a deep taproot and need to be planted out into their permanent positions as soon as possible, in fact seed sown in situ will produce the best trees[2]. Trees should not be left in a nursery bed for more than 2 growing seasons without being moved or they will transplant very badly.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a good deep fertile loam which can be on the stiff side[1][2]. Plants are lime tolerant[5]. Young plants tolerate reasonable levels of side shade[7]. Tolerates moderate exposure, surviving well but being somewhat stunted[7]. Prefers warmer summers than are usually experienced in Britain, but trees usually grow well in Britain[7]. The seed takes two years to ripen but is seldom produced in this country[2]. This species is closely related to Q. coccifera and considered to be no more than a synonym of that species by some authorities[2]. Hybridizes freely with other members of the genus[7]. Many species in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[7]. Intolerant of root disturbance, trees should be planted in their permanent positions whilst young[2].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  3. Niebuhr. A. D. Herbs of Greece. Herb Society of America. 1970-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  4. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

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  5. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

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  6. Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0

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  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  8. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2

  9. Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0-7012-0784-1

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