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Kermes oak. Coscoja

Quercus coccifera

Description:

Quercus coccifera is a species of shrub, sometimes a tree of up to 6 meters, belonging to the phagaceae family native to the Mediterranean region. The bark is ash gray and smooth, although it cracks with age. The leaves are simple, persistent, oval or elliptical and spiky, as they have spiny teeth on the margin. The acorn is bitter and its cap or husk has spiky and protruding scales.

Habitat:

Dry and stony soils, limestone.

Notes:

The bark and the root contain many tannins, which is why they have been used to tan the skins, being even more valued than those of the oak. They also served to obtain a blackish dye that was used in ancient Greece to dye hair. Acorns are very bitter and have astringent properties. Its wood provides an excellent charcoal and has a great calorific value but, due to its small size, its use is very scarce. The infused leaves are used against nocturnal enuresis in children, that is, when they do not control urine retention.

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eulalia rubio
Spotted by
eulalia rubio

Castellnou, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain

Spotted on Jul 2, 2021
Submitted on Jul 2, 2021

Spotted for Mission

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