Quercus ilex
Specifications
Family
Fagaceae
Species
Quercus ilex L.
holm oak
holly oak
Description
It is differentiated, with light sapwood and brown heartwood, a coarse texture and variable grain. Its density varies from 0.80 to 1.10.
Plant morphology
It is a large evergreen tree, rarely shrubby. It can reach 30 m in height, has a spreading crown, an erect trunk, and smooth, grayish bark in young specimens, darkening and cracking as it matures. The root system, which is taproot-like in the early years of the plant's life, then branches out with age, becoming imposing. It is very long-lived, and can exceed 1,000 years. The leaves are leathery, dark green and glossy on the upper surface, felty gray on the underside, lanceolate to elliptical, and vary greatly in shape and size. The yellowish male flowers are grouped in pendulous catkins; the elongated female flowers are greenish and grouped in erect, few-flowered inflorescences. The fruits (acorns) are elongated, ovoid achenes.
Natural occurrence
Countries of origin and distribution
Mediterranean Basin. In Italy, it is widespread throughout all regions except the Aosta Valley.
Habitat and ecology
The holm oak is one of the most typical and important representatives of Mediterranean evergreen oak forests, characteristic of Quercetum ilicis, the vegetation of the temperate Mediterranean zone. It can grow in a variety of Mediterranean environments, from semi-arid to humid habitats, from warm to cold climates. Regarding substrate, it can grow on both calcareous and siliceous soils, from sea level to over 1,000 m above sea level (1,800 m in Sicily, 600-700 m in Northern Italy).
Uses
Use class
CU1
CU2
CU3
CU4
CU5
Application areas
Hard and difficult to work, it can be used for tools, boat parts, and flooring. Coppice is highly prized as firewood and for producing charcoal.
Threats and Conservation
Threats
The main factors threatening the conservation of the holm oak are fires and changes in land use by humans, who have transformed wooded areas into agricultural, grazing, and urban areas, as well as timber harvesting.
Conservation measures
Greater protection of its habitat is needed. The species is conserved in 144 ex situ collections (BGCI 2017).
IUCN Red List
IUCN
LC - Least Concern - Low Risk
CITES. Year of assessment
CITES
2017
1975
2050
CITES Italia • Ultimo aggiornamento
2017
Not present.
Technical data
Aesthetic characteristics
Grain
Slightly obvious
Texture
Coarse, Medium
Physical and mechanical properties
Density
ρ
ρ
960
kg/m3
Radial shrinkage
Rad. sh.
Rad. sh.
Very high
Tangential shrinkage
Tang. sh.
Tang. sh.
Very high
Bending strength
M.O.R.
M.O.R.
110
MPa
Durability characteristics
Fungal resistance
Very durable
Insect resistance
Not resistant