Quercus aucheri Boz-Pirnal Oak PFAF Plant Database

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Quercus aucheri - Jaub.&Spach.

Common Name

Boz-Pirnal Oak

Family

Fagaceae

Synonyms

Known Hazards

None known

Habitats

Not known

Range

S. Europe - Mediterranean around Greece.

Edibility Rating

Medicinal Rating

Care

Summary

Physical Characteristics

Quercus aucheri is an evergreen Shrub growing to 5 m (16ft) by 4 m (13ft) at a slow rate.
It is hardy to zone 8. It is in leaf 12-Jan. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Wind.

Suitable for: medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Habitats
Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Seed.
Edible Uses: Coffee.

Seed - raw or cooked. A sweet flavour[200]. The seed is about 2cm long and 1.5cm wide[200]. It is low in tannin and needs little if any leaching. Any bitter tannins can be leached out by thoroughly washing the dried and ground up seed in water, though many minerals will also be lost. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency. The seed can be roasted and then eaten, its taste is something like a cross between sunflower seeds and popcorn[183]. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.

Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally. Astringent. Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery etc[4].

Other Uses

Repellent; Tannin.

The following uses are for the closely related Q. coccifera, they should also be applicable here[K]. A mulch of the leaves repels slugs, grubs etc, though fresh leaves should not be used as these can inhibit plant growth[20]. Oak galls are excrescences that are sometimes produced in great numbers on the tree and are caused by the activity of the larvae of different insects. The insects live inside these galls, obtaining their nutrient therein. When the insect pupates and leaves, the gall can be used as a rich source of tannin, that can also be used as a dyestuff[4]. The bark is rich in tannin[148]. A black dye can be obtained from the bark[89] and also from the seeds[148].

Cultivation details

Prefers a good deep fertile loam which can be on the stiff side[1, 11]. Plants are lime tolerant[188]. Young plants tolerate reasonable levels of side shade[200]. Tolerates moderate exposure, surviving well but being somewhat stunted[200]. Prefers warmer summers than are usually experienced in Britain, but trees usually grow well in Britain[200]. The seed takes two years to ripen but is seldom produced in this country[11]. This species is closely related to Q. coccifera and considered to be no more than a synonym of that species by some authorities[11]. Hybridizes freely with other members of the genus[200]. Many species in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200]. Intolerant of root disturbance, trees should be planted in their permanent positions whilst young[11].

Propagation

Seed - it quickly loses viability if it is allowed to dry out. It can be stored moist and cool overwinter but is best sown as soon as it is ripe in an outdoor seed bed, though it must be protected from mice, squirrels etc. Small quantities of seed can be sown in deep pots in a cold frame. Plants produce a deep taproot and need to be planted out into their permanent positions as soon as possible, in fact seed sown in situ will produce the best trees[11]. Trees should not be left in a nursery bed for more than 2 growing seasons without being moved or they will transplant very badly.

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Expert comment

Author
Jaub.&Spach.

Botanical References
11200

Links / References

[K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956

Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[4]Grieve. A Modern Herbal.

Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[11]Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.

A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[20]Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening.

Fairly good.

[89]Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean.

A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on plant uses.

[148]Niebuhr. A. D. Herbs of Greece.

A pleasant little book about Greek herbs.

[183]Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.

Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[188]Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers

Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.

Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers comment

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