Kermes Oak
Encyclopedia
Quercus coccifera, the Kermes Oak, is an oak
in the Turkey oak section Quercus sect. Cerris. It is native to the western Mediterranean region and Northern African Maghreb
, from Morocco
and Portugal
east to Libya
and Greece
.
, rarely a small tree
, reaching 1–6 m (3.3–19.7 ft) tall (rarely to 10 metres (32.8 ft)) and 50 cm trunk diameter. It is evergreen
, with spiny-serrated leaves
1.5–4 cm long and 1–3 cm broad. The acorn
s are 2–3 cm long and 1.5–2 cm diameter when mature about 18 months after pollination. They are held in a cup covered in dense, elongated, reflexed scales.
The Kermes Oak, Quercus coccifera, is closely related to the Palestine Oak (Quercus calliprinos)
of the eastern Mediterranean, with some botanists including the latter in Kermes Oak as a subspecies
or variety
. The Palestine Oak is distinguished from it by its larger size (more often a tree, up to 18 m) and larger acorns over 2 cm diameter.
It is common in Crete
and can survive heavy sheep and goat grazing for long periods as a ground carpet a few centimeters high.
called crimson
was obtained.
The etymology of the specific name 'coccifera' is related to the production of red cochineal (crimson) dye and derived from a diminutive of Latin coccinus which was from Greek kokkinos (= the kermes bug). The latin -fera means 'bearer'.
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
in the Turkey oak section Quercus sect. Cerris. It is native to the western Mediterranean region and Northern African Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
, from Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
east to Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Description
Quercus coccifera is a large shrubShrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
, rarely a small tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
, reaching 1–6 m (3.3–19.7 ft) tall (rarely to 10 metres (32.8 ft)) and 50 cm trunk diameter. It is evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
, with spiny-serrated leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
1.5–4 cm long and 1–3 cm broad. The acorn
Acorn
The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives . It usually contains a single seed , enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad...
s are 2–3 cm long and 1.5–2 cm diameter when mature about 18 months after pollination. They are held in a cup covered in dense, elongated, reflexed scales.
The Kermes Oak, Quercus coccifera, is closely related to the Palestine Oak (Quercus calliprinos)
Palestine Oak
Quercus calliprinos, the Palestine Oak, is an oak in the turkey oak section Quercus sect. Cerris. It is native to eastern Mediterranean region and southwest Asia, from northern Algeria and Turkey east across the Middle East.-Description:...
of the eastern Mediterranean, with some botanists including the latter in Kermes Oak as a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
or variety
Variety (biology)
In botanical nomenclature, variety is a taxonomic rank below that of species: as such, it gets a three-part infraspecific name....
. The Palestine Oak is distinguished from it by its larger size (more often a tree, up to 18 m) and larger acorns over 2 cm diameter.
It is common in Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
and can survive heavy sheep and goat grazing for long periods as a ground carpet a few centimeters high.
Uses
The Kermes Oak was historically important as the food plant of the Kermes scale insect, from which a red dyeDye
A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
called crimson
Crimson
Crimson is a strong, bright, deep red color. It is originally the color of the dye produced from a scale insect, Kermes vermilio, but the name is now also used as a generic term for those slightly bluish-red colors that are between red and rose; besides crimson itself, these colors include...
was obtained.
The etymology of the specific name 'coccifera' is related to the production of red cochineal (crimson) dye and derived from a diminutive of Latin coccinus which was from Greek kokkinos (= the kermes bug). The latin -fera means 'bearer'.
See also
- Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrubMediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrubMediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome, defined by the World Wildlife Fund, characterized by dry summers and rainy winters. Summers are typically hot in low-lying inland locations but can be cool near some seas, as near San Francisco, which have a sea of cool waters...
- GarrigueGarrigueGarrigue or phrygana is a type of low, soft-leaved scrubland ecoregion and plant community in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome. It is found on limestone soils around the Mediterranean Basin, generally near the seacoast, where the climate is ameliorated, but where annual summer...
- Maquis shrublandMaquis shrublandthumb|220px|Low Maquis in Corsica.220px|thumb|High macchia in Sardinia.Maquis or macchia is a shrubland biome in the Mediterranean region, typically consisting of densely growing evergreen shrubs such as holm oak, tree heath, strawberry tree, sage, juniper, buckthorn, spurge olive and myrtle...