Quercus lineata

What to Eat

Edible parts: Seeds, Nuts, Shoots - tea, Latex - tea

The seed must be cooked before eating. Once dried and ground into a powder, it works well as a thickening agent in stews or can be blended with cereals to make bread. The seed contains bitter tannins that need to be removed by thoroughly washing in running water, though this also leaches out minerals. Both whole seeds and ground powder can be leached — whole seeds may take several days or weeks, and wrapping them in a cloth bag placed in a running stream was a traditional method. Leaching ground powder is faster. A simple taste test confirms when enough tannin has been removed. Another traditional preparation involved burying the seeds in boggy ground over winter; the germinating seeds dug up in spring would have lost most of their astringency. The roasted seed also serves as a coffee substitute.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a subtropical plant. It is damaged by frost. It grows between 1,800-2,700 m above sea level in the Himalayas.

Asia, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, SE Asia, Sikkim, Thailand,

How to Identify

An evergreen tree. It grows 30 m tall. The trunk can be 60 cm across. It can have prop roots and buttresses. The leaves are 5-16 cm long by 2-6 cm wide. There are some wavy teeth near the tip. They are hairy underneath. The acorns are small and cone shaped. They are 17-25 mm long by 15-23 mm wide. They are 2/3 enclosed by the cup.

How to Grow

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain. This species is often confused with Q. glauca (syn Q. annulata). The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Prefers a good deep fertile loam which can be on the stiff side. Young plants tolerate reasonable levels of side shade. Tolerates moderate exposure, surviving well but being somewhat stunted. Prefers warmer summers than are usually experienced in Britain, trees often grow poorly in this country and fail to properly ripen their wood resulting in frost damage overwinter. Intolerant of root disturbance, trees should be planted in their permanent positions whilst young. Hybridizes freely with other members of the genus. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus.

Propagation: Seed loses viability quickly if allowed to dry out. It can be stored moist and cool over winter, but is best sown as soon as it is ripe in an outdoor seed bed with protection from mice and squirrels. Small quantities can be sown in deep pots in a cold frame. Because plants develop a deep taproot, they should be moved to their permanent positions as soon as possible — seeds sown in situ produce the best trees. Do not leave trees in a nursery bed for more than 2 growing seasons, as they will transplant very poorly.

Medicinal Uses

Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and have been used medicinally to treat haemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, and dysentery.

Other Uses

A mulch of decayed leaves placed around plants repels slugs, grubs, and similar pests. Fresh leaves should not be used as they can inhibit plant growth. Oak galls, caused by the larvae of various insects living and feeding inside them, can be harvested after the insect pupates and leaves. They are a rich source of tannin and can also be used as a dyestuff. The wood is very hard and durable when kept dry, and is used for construction.

Quercus lineata is a species of Quercus (oak) in the beech family Fagaceae, belonging to subgenus Cerris, section Cyclobalanopsis. It was first described by Carl Ludwig von Blume.

Notes

There are about 600 Quercus species.

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