Quercus coccifera

Quercus coccifera

Taxobox
name = Kermes Oak


image_width = 240px
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Fagales
familia = Fagaceae
genus = "Quercus"
sectio = "Cerris"
species = "Q. coccifera"
binomial = "Quercus coccifera"
binomial_authority = L.

The Kermes Oak ("Quercus coccifera") is an oak in the Turkey oak section "Quercus" sect. "Cerris". It is native to the western Mediterranean region, from Morocco and Portugal east to Greece.

It is a large shrub, rarely a small tree, reaching 1-6 m tall (rarely to 10 m) and 50 cm trunk diameter. It is evergreen, with spiny-serrated leaves 1.5-4 cm long and 1-3 cm broad. The acorns are 2-3 cm long and 1.5-2 cm diameter when mature about 18 months after pollination. They are held in a cup covered in dense, elongated, reflexed scales.

The Kermes Oak is closely related to the Palestine Oak ("Q. calliprinos") of the eastern Mediterranean, with some botanists including the latter in Kermes Oak as a subspecies or variety. The Palestine Oak is distinguished from it by its larger size (more often a tree, up to 18 m) and larger acorns over 2 cm diameter.

Uses

The Kermes Oak was historically important as the food plant of the Kermes insect "Kermes ilicis", from which a red dye was obtained.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Quercus coccifera —   Coscoja Quercus coccifera …   Wikipedia Español

  • Quercus coccifera — Kermes Eiche Kermes Eiche (Quercus coccifera), Früchte Systematik Ordnung: Buchenartige (Fagales) …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Quercus coccifera — Feuilles de chêne k …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Quercus Coccifera — Chêne kermès Quercus coccifera …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Quercus coccifera — Chêne kermès Quercus coccifera …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Quercus coccifera — Oak Oak ([=o]k), n. [OE. oke, ok, ak, AS. [=a]c; akin to D. eik, G. eiche, OHG. eih, Icel. eik, Sw. ek, Dan. eeg.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Bot.) Any tree or shrub of the genus {Quercus}. The oaks have alternate leaves, often variously lobed, and… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Quercus coccifera — Kermes Ker mes, n. [Ar. & Per. girmiz. See {Crimson}, and cf. {Alkermes}.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) The dried bodies of the females of a scale insect ({Kermes ilices} formerly {Coccus ilicis}), allied to the cochineal insect, and found on several species of …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Quercus coccifera — Cochineal Coch i*neal (k[o^]ch [i^]*n[=e]l; 277), [Sp. cochinilla, dim. from L. coccineus, coccinus, scarlet, fr. coccum the kermes berry, G. ko kkos berry, especially the kermes insect, used to dye scarlet, as the cochineal was formerly supposed …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Quercus —   Quercus …   Wikipedia Español

  • Quercus — Chêne Pour les articles homonymes, voir Chêne (homonymie) …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”