Lu xi ke
Lithocarpus thomsonii

Family: Fagaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows to 8-10 m high. Many plant parts are covered with very small, grey hairs. The leaf stalk is less than 1 cm long. The leaf blade is oval or oblong and 9-20 cm long by 4-6.5 cm wide. The male flower stalks occur singly in the axils of leaves. They are 5-10 cm long. The female flowering stalks are 5-10 cm long. The cups occur in clusters of 3. They are 1.5-1.8 cm across. The outside in densely covered with grey hairs. The nut is 1.3-1.4 cm long by 1.4-1.6 cm wide.

There are about 300 Lithocarpus species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in broadleaved evergreen forest between 800-3000 m altitude in southern China.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, India, Indochina, Laos, Myanmar, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Seeds, nuts

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Thit-e

Synonyms

Quercus thomsonii Miquel; Pasania thomsonii (Miquel) Hickel & A Camus; Quercus turbinata Roxb.1832 not Blume 1825; Synaedrys thomsonii (Miqu.) Koidzumi;