Fagaceae (beech family) Quercus

Quercus robur English oak

Europe, Africa, Asia
Quercus robur on Roth Way. Sairus Patel, 17 Oct 2018
Leaves of Quercus robur on Roth Way. Sairus Patel, 17 Oct 2018

Famous in song and story, English oak grows wild in all countries of Europe and into the Middle East, so the name is a misnomer and (as also with the California pepper tree) will ultimately have to be dropped. Still, that may take some time. In England the tree is known as common oak or pedunculate oak, the latter name referring to the peduncles or long stalks on which the clusters of 1-inch acorns hang. It is also known as aik in Scotland, woke or woak in the west of England and yak in the south, róvere in Italy, and roble in Spanish. The word acorn denotes oak-corn. The leaves are 2 to 5 inches long with many rounded lobes, smooth above, paler and bluish below, and without stalks. English oak is known from historical records to live to a great age, probably a thousand years, and to a great size, a height of 128 feet and a girth of 43 feet having been recorded.

Quercus robur leaf and acorn. From: Howard E. McMinn & Evelyn Maino, An Illustrated Manual of Pacific Coast Trees

A 50-foot specimen is just north of Roth Way, midway between Palm and Lomita drives. Its retaining wall also protected a coast redwood, which was noted to be absent October, 2018. A row of 16 ‘Fastigiata’ lines Buckeye Lane at Schwab Residential Center.

Name derivation: Quercus – Latin for oak; robur – Latin for oak-wood, also strength.

About this Entry: The main text of this entry is from the book Trees of Stanford and Environs, by Ronald Bracewell, published 2005. Redwood on Roth Way noted as removed (Oct 2018, SP).