Konara oak
Quercus serrata

Family: Fagaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows to 25 m tall. The leaves may not have a leaf stalk. The leaf blade is narrow and oval. It is 7-17 cm long by 3-9 cm wide. It is thinly leathery. The base is nearly rounded. There are teeth along the edge. It tapers to the tip. There are 7-12 secondary veins each side of the main vein. The female flowering stalk is 1.5-3 cm long. The cup encloses 1/4 of the nut. The nut is 1.7-2 cm long by 0.8-1.2 cm wide.

There are about 600 Quercus species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. In China it grows in deciduous forest between 100-2000 m altitude. It suits USDA hardiness zones 4-8. In Melbourne Botanical Gardens.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Himalayas, Indochina, Japan (country/location of origin), Korea, Laos, SE Asia, Taiwan

How it is used for food

The nut is dried and ground and used as thickening in stews and in making bread. The roasted seed is used as a coffee substitute. The sprout is cooked with seasoned vegetables.

The leaves are famine food.

Edible parts

Seeds, nut, leaves

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

Its other names

Local names

Bao li, Hahaso, Hoso, Jolchamnamu, Ko nara

Synonyms

Quercus glandulifera Blume; Quercus ningqiangensis S.Z.Qu & W.H. Zhang; Quercus urticifolia Blume var. brevipetiolata A DC; See Quercus acutissima, See Lithocarpus