TANBARK OAK

also called tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) oaklike ornamental evergreen tree with tannin-rich bark. It is a member of the beech family (Fagaceae) and is native to coastal areas of southern Oregon and northern California. The tanbark oak is usually about 20 metres (65 feet) tall but occasionally reaches 45 m; it becomes shrubby at high elevations. It has horizontal, spreading limbs that form a dense, symmetrical, rounded crown. The short-pointed, alternate, leathery leaves may be toothed or slightly scalloped, with the margins rolled under. They are pale green above and have a brownish, crusty coat of matted hairs below; the undersides become bluish white as the hairs are shed during the summer. The flowers of the tanbark oak resemble those of the chestnut, but the fruit is oaklike in appearance. Most male flowers are borne in long, erect catkins; female flowers are usually in clusters at the base of male catkins. The fruit, a single nut, is held in a scaly, burrlike cup. The tanbark oak is cultivated as an ornamental in cooler regions of the temperate zone. Its hard, light-brown, red-tinged wood is used for agricultural implements and furniture. The bark chips are used in tanning leather and as a mulch.