88 CHINESE ECONOMIC TREES 



unisexual or bisexual aments. Staminate flowers in 3's, subtended by 1 

 basal and 2 lateral bracts; calyx 5 lobed, tomentose; stamens 10; ovary 

 abortive. Pistillate flowers scattered at the base of the staminate aments 

 of the uppermost branches, solitary, subtended by 1 acute bract and 

 minute bractlets; calyx 6 lobed; stamens 6, anthers abortive; ovary 3- 

 celled, ovules 2 in each cell; styles 3. Fruit an ovate nut surrounded at 

 the base by the woody, cup-like involucre more or less covered with 

 imbricated scales. Fruit matures in the second year. The nut is 1- 

 seeded by abortion. 



Lithocarpus is intermediate between the chestnut and the oak. The 

 inflorescence is chestnut-like; the fruit resembles an acorn. The genus 

 is mostly subtropical. 



About 100 species in S. E. Asia and 1 in W. America. Under this 

 genus are included 3 other genera, namely: Passania, Cyclobalanus and 

 Synaedrys. 



Lithocarpus spicata (Smith) Rehder & Wilson. 

 (Quercus spieata Smith.) 



Evergreen tree to 13 m. tall. Leaves coriaceous, entire, glabrous, 

 shiny, thick, elliptic-lanceolate or obovate-oblong, subacute to acuminate 

 at the apex; petiole 2.5 cm. or less long. Staminate spikes tomentose, 

 5-20 cm. long in terminal panicles or solitary and axillary; perianth 5-6 

 cleft; stamens 10— L2. Fruit crowded or clustered on stout erect spike. 

 Cupules 1.2-2.5 cm. across, enclosing the nut when young, shallow and 

 embracing at most the lower third of the acorn at maturity. Nut ovoid- 

 conic to subglobose, hard, smooth and shiny. 



Yunnan and Szechuan, India & Java. 



The wood is hard and tough. As generally accepted by botanists 

 this is a very variable species extending over a great area. Some of the 

 variations have been given names and it is possible that our Chinese trees 

 which have been called L. spieata var. mupinensis by Rehder & Wilson 

 may prove to be a distinct species, in which case it should be known as 

 L. mupinensis Chun. The leaves appear to be smaller and with longer 

 petiole than the L. spieata seen as collected in India. 



Lithocarpus spicala var. yunnanensis appears to be hardly separable from 

 L. cleistocarpa (Seeman) Rehder & Wilson found in Hupeh and Szechuan. 



L. Henryi (Seeman) Rehder & Wilson is found in Hupeh and Szechuan. 



