This species has often been called Quercus leucotrichophora in the past. We are following the treatment in the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=174133) where Quercus leucotrichophora is seen as a synonym of Quercus oblongata[].

Common Name:

General Information

Quercus oblongata is an evergreen tree up to 25 metres tall.
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials, It is harvested on a commercial basis for its wood and the tannins in its bark, and is sometimes cultivated in India for the production of tannins from the bark and fruit cupules anda dye from the bark[]

Known Hazards

All parts of the plant contain tannins. Whilst tannins are found in many foods, and have a range of medicinal uses. They are usually only present in low concentrations. In some foods made from oaks (particularly the seeds), the tannin content can be quite high unless the food is treated to reduce tannin content.
Tannins are only of low toxicity and, because of their bitter taste and astringency, are unlikely to be eaten in large quantities. However, if they are taken in excess, they can cause stomach pains; constipation followed by bloody diarrhoea: excessive thirst; and excessive urination[].

Botanical References

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Range

E. Asia - northern Pakistan, northern India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam

Habitat

A dominant tree in forests, where it is usually gregarious and common; at elevations from 1,200 - 2,400 metres, occasionally descending to 600 metres[, ]. Prefers rather dry hillsides[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Quercus oblonga is not a very cold-hardy tree, tolerating occasional temperatures down to around -8°c when dormant. It grows best in areas with hot summers. In areas with cooler summers, such as the maritime regions of the temperate zone, it often grows poorly, failing to properly ripen its wood and suffering frost damage over the winter[, ].
Grows best in a sunny position, though young plants tolerate reasonable levels of side shade[]. Prefers a good deep fertile loam which can be on the stiff side[, ]. Tolerates moderate exposure, surviving well but being somewhat stunted[].
A fairly fast-growing tree[].
Trees can be coppiced if their trunks are up to 25cm in diameter[[, ].
The seed ripens in its first year[].
Seedlings soon develop a taproot and become intolerant of root disturbance, they should be planted into their permanent positions whilst young[].
Hybridizes freely with other members of the genus[].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked[]. The seed is about 2.5cm long[],.
The seed is usually cooked before eating, though it can also be eaten raw. It can be eaten whole, though it is more commonly dried, then ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread.
In some species, especially many of those classified as 'white oaks', the seeds are low in tannins and have a more or less sweet and agreeable flavour. The seed of most species, however, have a very bitter flavour, due especially to the presence of tannins. In these species there are various processes that can remove or at least reduce the amount of these bitter substances (although other water-soluble substances, including some minerals, will also be removed).
Tannins are water-soluble and therefore the easiest way to remove or reduce tannin levels is by soaking in water. A few different methods are listed:-
A traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter and allow the wet soil to gradually leach the tannins. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency and bitterness.
Another method was to wrap the seeds in a cloth bag and place them in a stream for several weeks.
Drying the seed and grinding it to a powder before soaking speeds up the process. The fastest method is to use hot water, by cooking the powder and changing the water several times until the cooking water is no longer bitter. Alternatively, you can use cold water (which is reported to produce the best quality flour). In this case, you soak the powdered seed in cold water for 12 - 24 hours then discard the water. Repeat this process for a number of times until the soak water is no longer bitter.

The roasted seed of many Quercus species has been used as a coffee substitute.

Medicinal

The seeds are astringent and diuretic[]. They are used in the treatment of gonorrhoea, indigestion, diarrhoea and asthma[].

Quercus (oak) species are used in the traditional medicine of many cultures, being valued especially for their tannins. Various parts of the plant can be used, most frequently it is the leaves, bark, seeds, seed cups or the galls that are produced as a result of insect damage. A decoction or infusion is astringent, antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, styptic and haemostatic. It is taken internally to treat conditions such as acute diarrhea, dysentery and haemorrhages. Externally, it is used as a mouthwash to treat toothache or gum problems and is applied topically as a wash on cuts, burns, various skin problems, haemorrhoids and oral, genital and anal mucosa inflammation[]. Extracts of the plant can be added to ointments and used for the healing of cuts[, ].

Other Uses

The leaves of most species in this genus are more or less rich in tannins. A mulch of the leaves can be placed around vulnerable plants in order to repel slugs, snails, grubs etc. Fresh leaves should be used with caution, since these can utilize some of the nitrogen in the soil and this inhibit plant growth[, ].

Oak galls are excrescences that are sometimes produced in great numbers on the tree and are caused by the activity of the larvae of different insects. The insects live inside these galls, obtaining their nutrient therein. When the insect pupates and leaves, the gall can be used as a rich source of tannin, that can also be used as a dyestuff[].

The bark contains up to 23% dry weight of tannin[]. The tannin is used as a dye[].

The heartwood is reddish-brown; it is clearly demarcated from the lighter coloured sapwood. The wood is hard with a conspicuous silver-grain on a radial section. It warps and splits badly when seasoning. It is sometimes used for construction, making furniture and agricultural implements, especially ploughs and handles[, , , ].
The wood is an excellent fuel[, , ] and makes a good quality charcoal[, ].

Propagation

Seed - it quickly loses viability if it is allowed to dry out. It can be stored moist and cool overwinter but is best sown as soon as it is ripe in an outdoor seed bed, though it must be protected from mice, squirrels etc. Small quantities of seed can be sown in deep pots in a cold frame. Plants produce a deep taproot and need to be planted out into their permanent positions as soon as possible, in fact seed sown in situ will produce the best trees[]. Trees should not be left in a nursery bed for more than 2 growing seasons without being moved or they will transplant very badly.