Quercus castaneifolia
Quercus castaneifolia, the chestnut-leaved oak, is a species of oak in the turkey oak section Quercus [sect. Cerris|Quercus sect. Cerris]. It is native to the Caucasus and Alborz mountains of Iran, and resembles the closely related Turkey Oak in appearance.
Description
Q. castaneifolia is a deciduous tree growing up to tall, with a trunk up to in diameter. The leaves are long and 3-5 cm wide, with 10-15 small, regular triangular lobes on each side. The flowers are wind-pollinated catkins; the fruit is an acorn, maturing about 18 months after pollination, 2-3 cm long and 1.5-2 cm broad, bicoloured with an orange basal half grading to a green-brown tip; the acorn cup is 2 cm deep, densely covered in soft long 'mossy' bristles. The acorns are very bitter, but are eaten by jays and pigeons; squirrels usually only eat them when other food sources have been exhausted.Cultivation
The tree was introduced to England in 1846, but remains relatively rare in collections despite being a vigorous grower. A tree from the original introduction is at the Royal [Botanic Gardens, Kew], another survives at the Harlow Carr arboretum in Yorkshire.The cultivar Quercus castaneifolia 'Green Spire' has been selected for its erect growth.
Notable specimens
A specimen of Quercus castaneifolia found in the Hyrcanian forest of northern Iran on 29. April 2021 by Alireza Naqinezhad is considered to be the tallest oak in the world.It has a height of 60.4m, a diameter of 4.9m, and a circumference of 22m.
The finding was published in a tweet by Pieter De Frenne, professor of forestry at the faculty of Bioscience Engineering at Ghent University.