Quercus semiserrata

What to Eat

Edible parts: Seeds, Nuts

Although we have no specific information for this species, the seeds of all the species of oak are edible - indeed, several species have been used as staple foods, whilst most if not all have been used for food in times of shortage, when better foods were not available. The seed is usually cooked before eating, though it can also be eaten raw. It can be eaten whole, though it is more commonly dried, then ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread. In some species, especially many of those classified as 'white oaks', the seeds are low in tannins and have a more or less sweet and agreeable flavour. The seed of most species, however, have a very bitter flavour, due especially to the presence of tannins. In these species there are various processes that can remove or at least reduce the amount of these bitter substances (although other water-soluble substances, including some minerals, will also be removed). Tannins are water-soluble and therefore the easiest way to remove or reduce tannin levels is by soaking in water. A few different methods are listed:- A traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter and allow the wet soil to gradually leach the tannins. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency and bitterness. Another method was to wrap the seeds in a cloth bag and place them in a stream for several weeks. Drying the seed and grinding it to a powder before soaking speeds up the process. The fastest method is to use hot water, by cooking the powder and changing the water several times until the cooking water is no longer bitter. Alternatively, you can use cold water (which is reported to produce the best quality flour). In this case, you soak the powdered seed in cold water for 12 - 24 hours then discard the water. Repeat this process for a number of times until the soak water is no longer bitter. The roasted seed of many Quercus species has been used as a coffee substitute.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in moist subtropical forests. In southern China it grows between 400-500 m above sea level. In Yunnan.

Asia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Myanmar, Northeastern India, SE Asia, Thailand, Tibet,

How to Identify

An evergreen tree. It grows 10 m tall. The trunk is straight. The leaves are 13-25 cm long by 3-7 cm wide. They are oblong to sword shaped and thin and papery. The base is wedge shaped and there are small teeth near the tip. The acorns are 3.5 cm long and narrowly oval. They are about half enclosed in the cup.

How to Grow

A fast-growing species.

Propagation: Seed - it quickly loses viability if it is allowed to dry out. It can be stored moist and cool, 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. Trees should not be left in a nursery bed for more than 2 growing seasons without being moved or they will transplant very badly.

Medicinal Uses

Quercus (oak) species are used in the traditional medicine of many cultures, being valued especially for their tannins. Various parts of the plant can be used, most frequently it is the leaves, bark, seeds, seed cups or the galls that are produced as a result of insect damage. A decoction or infusion is astringent, antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, styptic and haemostatic. It is taken internally to treat conditions such as acute diarrhea, dysentery and haemorrhages. Externally, it is used as a mouthwash to treat toothache or gum problems and is applied topically as a wash on cuts, burns, various skin problems, haemorrhoids and oral, genital and anal mucosa inflammation. Extracts of the plant can be added to ointments and used for the healing of cuts.

Other Uses

The leaves of most species in this genus are more or less rich in tannins. A mulch of the partially decayed leaves can be placed around vulnerable plants in order to repel slugs, snails, grubs etc, and these will in time break down to add humus and nutrients to the soil. Fresh leaves should be used with caution, however, since as these decay they utilize some of the nitrogen in the soil and thus can inhibit plant growth.. 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 and is also used by many cultures to make ink. The bark of oak trees is also usually rich in tannins and can be used as a dyestuff and for waterproofing rope. The heartwood is reddish-brown; it is clearly demarcated from the reddish-grey sapwood. The wood is hard and durable. It is used for cart wheel pins, tools and general construction. The tree is planted as a pioneer species in northern Thailand in reforestation projects to restore native woodland - it is planted in degraded woodland and open areas in a mix with various other species that all have the ability to grow fast; produce dense, weed-suppressing crowns; and attract seed-dispersing wildlife, particularly birds and bats.

Quercus semiserrata is an Asian species of trees in the beech family Fagaceae. It has been found in northeastern India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Yunnan, and Tibet, as well as Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra. This species is a component of tropical wet foothill forests in northern Myanmar and can also be found in montane forests, often at elevations of 1200 – 1600 meters above sea level. It is placed in subgenus Cerris, section Cyclobalanopsis. Quercus semiserrata is a small tree up to 10 meters tall. Leaves can be as much as 7 cm long, thin and papery.

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