油葉柯
Lithocarpus konishii (Hayata) Hayata
Fagaceae 殼斗科
English Name Taiwan Rock Oak
Status in China Vulnerable (VU)

Description:

Evergreen trees, up to 5 m high; bud-scales densely covered with grayish silky short hairs. Leaves leathery, ovate, obovate, elliptic or obovate-elliptic, 4-9 cm long and 1-4 cm wide, with 3-6 obtuse teeth on each side; abaxially with tufts of hairs at axils of veins; lateral nerves 7-10 pairs. Inflorescence paniculate, rachis tawny tomentose; female flowers borne on basal part of the inflorescence. Cupule discoid, 4-8 mm ( 1.5-2.5 cm, enclosing basal part of nut. Nut depressed globose, 10-18 ( 20-30 mm, glabrous, apex rounded or flat.

Distribution:

Lan Nai Wan, Long Ke, Sai Wan Shan, Kau Ling Chung. S Taiwan and E Hainan.

Habitat and Ecology:

In broad-leaved evergreen forest. Flowering: Apr.-Aug.; fruiting:July-Oct. of the following year.

It is a rare species discontinuously distributed in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Hainan and is thus of scientific interest in studies of the floristics of these areas. In Hong Kong, most localities of its occurrence are within Country Parks under protection.

References:

陳煥鏞、黃成就, 1998: 中國植物誌22:145,圖版43:4-9。科學出版社,北京。