Quercus acuta
{{Short description|Species of oak tree}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Speciesbox
|name = Japanese evergreen oak
|image = Quercus acuta3.jpg
|image2 = Quercus acuta2.jpg
|genus = Quercus
|display_parents = 2
|parent = Quercus sect. Cyclobalanopsis
|species = acuta
|status = LC
|status_system = IUCN3.1
|status_ref = {{cite journal |author=Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) |author2=IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group |name-list-style=amp |title=Quercus acuta |journal=The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |volume=208 |at=e.T62005627A13677623 |publisher=IUCN |year=2018 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T62005627A136776235.en |doi-access=free }}
|authority = Thunb.
|synonyms_ref = [http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-171413 The Plant List, Quercus acuta Thunb. ]
|synonyms =
{{collapsible list|bullets = true
|Cyclobalanopsis acuta (Thunb.) Oerst.
|Cyclobalanopsis acutiformis (Nakai) Nakai
|Cyclobalanopsis buergeri (Blume) Oerst.
|Cyclobalanopsis laevigata (Blume) Oerst.
|Cyclobalanopsis marginata (Blume) Oerst.
|Quercus buergeri Blume
|Quercus carpostachys H.Lév. & Vaniot
|Quercus kasaimok H.Lév. ex Nakai
|Quercus kusaiensis H.Lév. ex Rehder
|Quercus laevigata Blume
|Quercus marginata Blume
|Quercus pseudoglauca H.Lév. ex Nakai
|Quercus quelpaertensis H.Lév. ex Nakai
|}}
}}
Quercus acuta, the Japanese evergreen oak, is an oak native to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and China's Guizhou Province and Guangdong Province."Quercus acuta"[http://oaks.of.the.world.free.fr/quercus_acuta.htm Oaks of the World] Accessed 8 April 2011. It is placed in subgenus Cerris, section Cyclobalanopsis.{{Cite web |last1=Denk |first1=Thomas |last2=Grimm |first2=Guido W. |last3=Manos |first3=Paul S. |last4=Deng |first4=Min |last5=Hipp |first5=Andrew L. |date=2017 |title=Appendix 2.1: An updated infrageneric classification of the oaks |website=figshare |doi=10.6084/m9.figshare.5547622.v1 |url=https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Appendix_2_1_________An_updated_infrageneric_classification_of_the_oaks/5547622/1 |access-date=2023-02-24 |format=xls |name-list-style=amp }}
Description
Due to its foliage and habitat, it looks rather unlike most other oaks. Quercus acuta is usually bushy and densely domed, reaching a height of 14 meters. The bark is smooth and dark grey. Leaves are dark and glossy above and yellowish beneath. They narrow to a long, finely-rounded tip. The flowers are on a stiff 5 cm catkin.
Heartwood is pale reddish brown to reddish brown. Sapwood is pale yellowish brown with a slightly reddish color.木材図鑑 - Picture Book of Woods [http://www.fuchu.or.jp/~kagu/mokuzai/aka-k.htm] Accessed 22 March 2017. {{in lang|ja}}
Common names
In Japan, it is called akagashi (赤樫 - あかがし), but is also known by the names oogashi (大樫 - オオガシ) and oobagashi (大葉樫 - オオバガシ).[http://hosho.ees.hokudai.ac.jp/~tsuyu/top/plt/beech/quercus/acu.html TSUYUZAKI Shiro's Plant List - Hokkaido University] 植物和名ー学名インデックス YList - The YList Botanical Name - Scientific Name Index [http://ylist.info/ylist_detail_display.php?pass=102] Accessed 22 March 2017. {{in lang|ja}}
In the Korean language, it is 붉가시.
Uses
Like shirakashi (白樫 - しらかし) (Quercus myrsinifolia), whose wood is often called shirokashi outside of Japan, and other related sub-genera, Japanese Evergreen Oak, or akagashi, is a preferred choice for Japanese martial arts practice weapons such as bokken.Zaimoku -
Wood for Weapons [http://www.zaimoku.org/home/excellent-woods-for-high-impact-practice-within-japanese-martial-arts/] Accessed 22 March 2017.James Goedkoop: "Woods for Training Weapons". Aikiweb [http://www.aikiweb.com/weapons/goedkoop1.html] Accessed 10 November 2012. This is due to its uniformly tight grain structure resulting from its continuous growing season. It should not be confused with the oriental or Asian white oak, Quercus aliena.