''Quercus ithaburensis'' subsp. ''macrolepis'', the Valonia oak, is a subspecies of ''

Quercus ithaburensis ''Quercus ithaburensis'', the Mount Tabor oak, is a tree in the beech family Fagaceae. It is found from southeastern Italy to the Levant. It is the national tree of Jordan. Two subspecies are accepted, ''Quercus ithaburensis'' subsp. ''ithaburens ...

'', a member of the beech family,

Fagaceae The Fagaceae (; ) are a family of flowering plants that includes beeches, chestnuts and oaks, and comprises eight genera with around 1,000 or more species. Fagaceae in temperate regions are mostly deciduous, whereas in the tropics, many species ...

. It may also be treated as a separate species, ''Quercus macrolepis''.

Taxonomy

The Valonia oak was first described as the species ''Quercus macrolepis'' by Carl Friedrich Kotschy in 1860. It was reduced to a subspecies of ''Quercus ithaburensis'' in 1981. Within the oak genus, ''Q. ithaburensis'' is classified in the subgenus ''Cerris'', section ''Cerris'', which includes ''

Quercus cerris ''Quercus cerris'', the Turkey oak or Austrian oak, is an oak native to south-eastern Europe and Asia Minor. It is the type species of ''Quercus'' sect. ''Cerris'', a section of the genus characterised by shoot buds surrounded by soft bristles, ...

'', the Turkey oak, and related species. It is most closely related to ''

Quercus brantii ''Quercus brantii'', Brant's oak, is a species of oak native to Western Asia, mainly in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively s ...

'', Brant's oak.

Distribution

''Quercus ithaburensis'' subsp. ''macrolepis'' is native from south-east

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, through the

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

(

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

, former

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

) and

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

, including

Crete Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...

and the East Aegean Islands), to the eastern Mediterranean (

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

and

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

. It is absent from the

Palestine region The region of Palestine, also known as historic Palestine, is a geographical area in West Asia. It includes the modern states of Israel and Palestine, as well as parts of northwestern Jordan in some definitions. Other names for the region i ...

, where only the subspecies ''ithaburensis'' occurs.

Uses

The cups, known as valonia, are used for tanning and dyeing as are the unripe acorns called camata or camatina. The ripe acorns are eaten raw or boiled.''Qercus aegilops'' on food.oregonstate.edu

References

{{Tannin source ithaburensis macrolepis Flora of Albania Flora of Bulgaria Flora of the East Aegean Islands Flora of Greece Flora of Italy Flora of Crete Flora of Lebanon and Syria Flora of Turkey Flora of European Turkey Flora of Yugoslavia Trees of Europe Trees of Mediterranean climate

Taxonomy

Distribution

Uses

See also

References