The plants around us. Volum II The plant around us. Volum II | Page 70

QUERCUS ILEX
TRANSLATION: Leaves : oval,
English: Holm oak. dark green to black
and concave with a
similar coating of
pale hairs on the
underside. Its
leaves are spiny.
Spain: Encina.
Portuguese:
Alzinheira
Estonian:
iilekstamm
Turkish: Pirnal.
Catalan: Alzina.
Flowers:
catkins,
and yellow male catkins
can be seen to hang off
the tree in abundance in
early spring.
Habit: Holm oak can
grow to 20m and develop a
huge, rounded crown. It
was introduced to Britain in
the late 1500s. The bark is
black and finely cracked,
and twigs are slender and
covered with light brown felt-
like hairs.
Look out for: the
Fruit : After pollination by wind, female
flowers develop into acorns, which are
smaller and have a more pointed tip than
those of English or sessile oaks. Young
acorns are green and mature to a dark
red-brown before falling.
leaves are glossy
above and downy below
without lobes. Young
leaves can be toothed.