Quercus afares Pomel

Algeria, Tunisia; in mountains;

25 m high; pyramidal crown when young;

7-14 cm long, 4-7 cm wide; not leathery; marcescent; oblong-lanceolate, oval-oblong, oval-lanceolate or subelliptic-lanceolate; apex slightly attenuate; base rounded or cordate; margin with 8-12 pairs of triangular teeth with a short mucro, with rounded sinuses ; shiny green above with some stellate hairs ; short, whitish tomentum beneath, especially along veins; falling in the end of winter; 8-15 vein pairs very prominent beneath, at an angle of 40° with midrib; petiole hairy, 0.5-1 cm long.

male catkin 5-7 cm long, pubescent; female catkin very short;

acorn 4 cm long, singly or to 3 (sometimes more) on a short, 1 cm long peduncle; enclosed for 1/3 of length in a subhemispheric cup that resembles the cup of Q. cerris ; maturing in 2 years;

hardy ; all types of soils ; fast growing ;

– A. Camus : tome 1, p. 557, n° 118; – Sub-genus Cerris, Section Cerris, subsection Libani (with libani and trojana ); – Threatened (IUCN Red List Category : VU). – Very close to Q.castaneifolia ;