France | 1998 | 2 Francs | Flora & Fauna | Oak

 

France

Oak

   


Quercus (oak) is a genus of about 600 species of trees and shrubs in the beech family (Fagaceae), native to the Northern Hemisphere. It includes deciduous and evergreen species across temperate to tropical regions of Asia and the Americas, with North America and China as major centers of diversity. The common name “oak” also applies to some related genera, such as Lithocarpus.

Oaks have spirally arranged leaves—often lobed, serrated, or entire—and many deciduous species retain dead leaves until spring (marcescent). They produce male catkins and female flowers on the same tree. The fruit is an acorn, a single-seeded nut in a cupule, maturing in 6–18 months. Evergreen “live oaks” occur throughout the genus rather than forming a separate group.

 


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