Quercus crispula
- Flower nameQuercus crispula
- Scientific nameQuercus crispula
- Aliasオオナラ, 水楢, 大楢
- Place of originChina and Japan
- Place of floweringLow mountains, Sub-alpine
- Flowering seasonMay
What is Quercus crispula
The birth flowers for November 30th are Dead Leaves of Quercus crispula, Eucharis, and Cypripedium macranthos var. speciosum (Japanese Lady's Slipper).
The Silent Invader Eroding the Forest
~ The Story of the Mizunara Oak and the Oak Ambrosia Beetle ~
One of the birth flowers for November 30th: Fallen Leaves. It is late autumn in the mountains of southern Hokkaido. The trees, having shed their leaves, stand still in silence, and the forest air feels somewhat lonely. A-chan is standing despondently and quietly at the root of a withering Mizunara oak (Quercus mongolica var. crispula).
At her feet lies "frass"—a mixture of wood dust and excrement... and beyond where Mr. Frog is gazing softly, there is an Oak Ambrosia Beetle (Platypus quercivorus).
A major issue has arisen known as "Japanese Oak Wilt" (Mass mortality of oak trees), caused by the Raffaelea quercivora fungus carried by the insect known as the Oak Ambrosia Beetle (commonly called Kashinaga). Furthermore, in forests where oak wilt has occurred, a deadly poisonous mushroom called Poison Fire Coral (Trichoderma cornu-damae) tends to grow; it is so toxic that merely touching it can cause skin inflammation.
Aquq-chan sending cheers to the Mizunara oak
A Bouquet of Dead Leaves A-chan is sending a lovely bouquet of bundled dead leaves to the Mizunara oak.
Quercus crispula or Mizunara, (scientific name: Quercus crispula) is native to China and Japan and is a deciduous broad-leaved tree in the family Fagaceae. It grows naturally in the mountains of Hokkaido to Kyushu in Japan. Because it contains a lot of moisture, it is difficult to burn and has strength. The leaves are egg-shaped and have serrations at the edges of the leaves. The leaves are green at first, but yellow in autumn. It is hermaphroditic. Flowers bloom in the spring and become windy flowers. The fruits are acorns, but they are sour and not edible. Lumber is used for high-end furniture, whiskey barrels, high-grade charcoal, and firewood for cultivating shiitake mushrooms.
Generic name: Quercus crispula, Scientific name: Quercus crispula, also known as: Greater oak (Ora oak), Gibium serrata, Origin: China, Japan, habitat distribution: Hokkaido to Kyushu, living environment: mountainous area, living type: deciduous broad-leaved tree, tree height: 20-30 m, tree diameter: 1.5 m, bark color: gray brown to dark brown, young branch: hairless, leaf shape : Oval shape, leaf height: 7-20 cm, leaf width: 7 cm, leaf color: dark green (front), light green (back), petiole: almost none (0.3 cm), base of leaf blade: earlobe, leaf color: Discoloration from green to yellow leaves, yellow leaves Timing: October-November, phyllus: spirally alternating and bunch at branch tip, leaf margin: triangular rough sawtooth, hermaphrodites, male inflorescence: catkins, male flowers Color: tan, female inflorescence: short, male inflorescence length: 4-5 cm, flowering period: May, fruit type: nut, fruit length: 2 cm, fruit shape: oval, fruit color: brown, Doo type: bowl-shaped, fruiting period: October to November.














