Lithocarpus

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Lithocarpus
Lithocarpus edulis

Lithocarpus edulis

Systematics
Rosids
Eurosiden I
Order : Beech-like (Fagales)
Family : Beech family (Fagaceae)
Subfamily : Quercoideae
Genre : Lithocarpus
Scientific name
Lithocarpus
flower

The Lithocarpus , also called “stone fruit oaks” or “southern oaks” in German, are a species-rich genus of deciduous trees in the subfamily Quercoideae within the beech family (Fagaceae). Almost all species of the genus are native to East Asia and Southeast Asia.

description

The Lithocarpus species grow as evergreen trees , rarely shrubs . The alternate and spirally arranged leaves on the branch are often leathery; they are partly with entire margins, partly perforated.

They are single sexed ( monoecious ). The male inflorescences are upright racemose inflorescences, a definite distinguishing feature from the genus of oaks ( Quercus ). The male flowers consist of a four- to six-lobed flower envelope and ten to twelve stamens. The female flowers are usually in threes (two to five) together. They consist of a six-lobed flower envelope and usually three (two to five), 1 to 2 (0.5 to 3) mm long pistils.

The seed is a nut fruit and is very similar to an acorn , but has a very hard, woody shell. The botanical genus name Lithocarpus is derived from this, because in Greek λίθος lithos means “stone”, and καρπός carpos means “seed”. The nut fruits of some species such as Lithocarpus edulis are edible, while those of other species are very bitter and inedible.

distribution

All species are native to East and Southeast Asia. The tree species Notholithocarpus densiflorus (called "Tanoak" in English), which is distributed in western North America in the US states of Oregon and California , was relocated to its own genus in 2008.

use

Some species of the genus are planted as ornamental trees in parks and gardens. The seeds of many species are edible, but usually only after the abundant tannins have been removed.

Systematics

The genus Lithocarpus was first described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1826. Depending on the author, about 100 to 338 species have been described in this very diverse genus.

Here is a list of the recognized species:

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Bijdragen tot de flora van Nederlandsch Indië 10: 526. 1826.
  2. ↑ Rafaël Govaerts (ed.): Lithocarpus. In: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP) - The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved April 13, 2020.

Web links

Commons : Lithocarpus  - album with pictures, videos and audio files