Quercus petraea

Quercus petraea
Sessile oak
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Fagales
Family:	Fagaceae
Genus:	Quercus
Section:	Quercus
Species:	Q. petraea
Binomial name
Quercus petraea (Mattuschka) Liebl. 1784
Synonyms
List Quercus robur var. petraea Matt. 1777 Quercus brevipedunculata Cariot & St.-Lag. Quercus calcarea Troitsky Quercus columbaria Vuk. Quercus coriacea Bechst. Quercus coronensis Schur Quercus decipiens Behlen Quercus dispar Raf. Quercus durinus Raf. Quercus erythroneura Vuk. Quercus esculus L. Quercus longipetiolata Schur Quercus mas Thore Quercus mespilifolia Wallr. Quercus peraffinis Gand. Quercus petiolata Schur Quercus regalis Burnett ex Endl. Quercus sessilis Ehrh. ex Schur Quercus spathulifolia Vuk. Quercus sphaerocarpa Vuk. Quercus sublobata Kit. Quercus huguetiana (Franco & G.López) Rivas Mart. Quercus colchica Czeczott Quercus dshorochensis K.Koch Quercus hypochrysa Steven Quercus iberica Steven ex M.Bieb. Quercus kochiana O.Schwarz Quercus kozlowskyi Woronow ex Grossh. Quercus lamprophyllos K.Koch Quercus polycarpa Schur Quercus sorocarpa Woronow ex Maleev Quercus szowitzii Wenz. Quercus abietum Kotschy ex A.DC. Quercus cedrorum Kotschy Quercus ibicis Kotschy ex A.DC. Quercus pinnatiloba K.Koch Quercus subalpina Kotschy ex A.DC. Quercus tergestina Wenz. plus a long list of invalid names and another long list of names below the species level

Shoot with leaves and acorn

An inosculated tree

Quercus petraea (syn. Quercus sessiliflora), the sessile oak, also known as the Irish oak. It is sometimes also called the Welsh oak, Cornish oak or Durmast oak, is a species of oak tree native to most of Europe, into Anatolia and Iran.

The sessile oak is the official national tree of Ireland, (where it is known as the Irish oak or Dair ghaelach). Similarly, it is an unofficial emblem in Wales (where it is called Welsh oak) and Cornwall (where it is referred to as the Cornish oak).

Description

The sessile oak is a large deciduous tree up to 20–40 m (66–131 ft) tall, in the white oak section of the genus (Quercus sect. Quercus) and similar to the pedunculate oak, Q. robur, with which it overlaps extensively in range. The leaves are 7–14 cm (2.8–5.5 in) long and 4–8 cm (1.6–3.1 in) broad, evenly lobed with five to six lobes on each side, and a 1-centimetre-long (0.39 in) petiole. The flowers are catkins, produced in the spring. The fruit is an acorn 2–3 cm (0.79–1.18 in) long and 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) broad, which matures in about six months.

Comparison with pedunculate oak

Significant botanical differences from pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) include the stalked leaves, and the stalkless (sessile) acorns from which one of its common names is derived. It occurs in upland areas over 300 m (984 ft) with higher rainfall and shallow, acidic, sandy soils. Its specific epithet petraea means "of rocky places". Quercus robur, on the other hand, prefers deeper, richer soils at lower altitude. Fertile hybrids with Quercus robur named Quercus × rosacea are found wherever the two parent species occur and share or are intermediate in characters between the parents.

Uses

In cultivation, this tree has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. The wood is important, used for construction purposes (particularly timber framing), shipbuilding, and oak barrels for wine.

Pontfadog Oak

What was considered to be the oldest oak tree in the UK was a sessile oak, the Pontfadog Oak. This grew near Chirk in North Wales. It was understood to be over 1,200 years old, an age that was due to regular pollarding for much of its life. The hollow trunk had a girth of . It was lost in April 2013 when it blew down in high winds.

Diseases and pests

• Acute oak decline
• Sudden oak death
• The Welsh oak longhorn beetle (Pyrrhidium sanguineum) is named for its host tree; the larvae feed at the bark interface of dead wood.

References

• Flora Europaea: Quercus petraea
• Bean, W. J. (1976). Trees and shrubs hardy in the British Isles 8th ed., revised. John Murray.
• Rushforth, K. (1999). Trees of Britain and Europe. HarperCollins ISBN 0-00-220013-9.
• (French) Chênes: Quercus petraea
• Den virtuella floran - Distribution