Quercus semecarpifolia

{{Short description|Species of oak tree}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{speciesbox

| image = Quercus semecarpifolia kz04.jpg

| genus = Quercus

| display_parents = 2

| parent = Quercus sect. Ilex

| species = semecarpifolia

| authority = Sm.

| synonyms_ref = {{ThePlantList |id=kew-175022 |taxon=Quercus semecarpifolia |authority=Sm.}}

| synonyms = * Quercus cassura Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don

• Quercus obtusifolia D.Don

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Qin, H. |date=2020 |title=Quercus semecarpifolia |volume=2020 |url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/194230/147633899 |access-date=10 March 2023}}

}}

Quercus semecarpifolia is an Asian species of oak. It is native to the Himalayas and nearby mountains in Tibet, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan,{{eFloras|2|210001864|Quercus semecarpifolia |first1=Chengjiu |last1=Huang |first2=Yongtian |last2=Zhang |first3=Bruce |last3=Bartholomew |volume=4}} where it is referred to as kharsu.{{Cite journal |last1=Rawat |first1=Balwant |last2=Rawat |first2=Janhvi M. |last3=Purohit |first3=Sumit |last4=Singh |first4=Gajendra |last5=Sharma |first5=Pradeep Kumar |last6=Chandra |first6=Anup |last7=Shabaaz Begum |first7=J. P. |last8=Venugopal |first8=Divya |last9=Jaremko |first9=Mariusz |last10=Qureshi |first10=Kamal A. |date=2022 |title=A comprehensive review of Quercus semecarpifolia Sm.: An ecologically and commercially important Himalayan tree |journal=Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |volume=10 |doi=10.3389/fevo.2022.961345 |issn=2296-701X |doi-access=free |bibcode=2022FrEEv..1061345R |hdl=10754/681751 |hdl-access=free}} It is classified in subgenus Cerris, section Ilex.{{Cite journal |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=18 February 2023 |format=xls |name-list-style=amp}}{{Citation |last1=Denk |first1=Thomas |last2=Grimm |first2=Guido W. |last3=Manos |first3=Paul S. |last4=Deng |first4=Min |last5=Hipp |first5=Andrew L. |title=Oaks Physiological Ecology. Exploring the Functional Diversity of Genus Quercus L |series=Tree Physiology |date=2017 |volume=7 |editor1-last=Gil-Pelegrín |editor1-first=Eustaquio |editor2-last=Peguero-Pina |editor2-first=José Javier |editor3-last=Sancho-Knapik |editor3-first=Domingo |contribution=An Updated Infrageneric Classification of the Oaks: Review of Previous Taxonomic Schemes and Synthesis of Evolutionary Patterns |pages=13–38 |publication-place=Cham. |publisher=Springer International Publishing |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-69099-5_2 |isbn=978-3-319-69099-5 |contribution-url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69099-5_2 |name-list-style=amp}}

Quercus semecarpifolia is an evergreen tree up to {{Convert|30|m|abbr=off}} tall. The leaves are up to {{Convert|12|cm|abbr=off|frac=4}} long, with a few teeth along the sides but rounded at the tip.[https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/119403#page/259/mode/1up Smith, James Edward in Rees. 1814 The cyclopædia; or, Universal dictionary of arts, sciences, and literature. volume 29, pages not numbered, Quercus number 20]

It has been grown in middle Europe, Western Germany, winter-hardiness zone 7, withstanding -14 °C, without any damages. It gives a good, showy bush to small tree with lush green leaves.

The epithet semecarpifolia refers to a resemblance between the leaves of this species and those of Semecarpus anacardium.

In its native range, it serves as a keystone species, exhibiting up to 80% dominance at elevations between 2700 and 3300 meters. In areas where less degradation has occurred, Q. semecarpifolia reduces light at the forest floor, encouraging the growth of shade tolerant herbaceous species. Local people make use of kharsu more frequently than other native oaks for food, animal fodder, fuel, and timber.{{Cite journal |last1=Singh |first1=Amit |last2=Samant |first2=S. S. |last3=Naithani |first3=Suneet |date=1 September 2021 |title=Population ecology and habitat suitability modelling of Quercus semecarpifolia Sm. in the sub-alpine ecosystem of Great Himalayan National Park, north-western Himalaya, India |journal=South African Journal of Botany |language=en |volume=141 |pages=158–170 |doi=10.1016/j.sajb.2021.04.022 |issn=0254-6299 |doi-access=free|bibcode=2021SAJB..141..158S }} Its leaves are also known to support Antheraea proylei silk worms, goats,{{Cite journal |last1=Raju |first1=J. |last2=Sahoo |first2=B. |last3=Chandrakar |first3=A. |last4=Sankar |first4=M. |last5=Garg |first5=A. K. |last6=Sharma |first6=A. K. |last7=Pandey |first7=A. B. |date=1 April 2015 |title=Effect of feeding oak leaves (Quercus semecarpifolia vs Quercus leucotricophora) on nutrient utilization, growth performance and gastrointestinal nematodes of goats in temperate sub Himalayas |journal=Small Ruminant Research |language=en |volume=125 |pages=1–9 |doi=10.1016/j.smallrumres.2014.12.013 |issn=0921-4488 |doi-access=free}} and prevent slug infestations.