鬼石柯 gui shi ke

Quercus lepidocarpa Hayata, J. Coll. Sci. Imp. Univ. Tokyo 30(1): 291. 1911; Lithocarpus castanopsifolius (Hayata) Hayata; Pasania lepidocarpa (Hayata) Schottky; Q. castanopsifolia Hayata; Synaedrys lepidocarpa (Hayata) Koidzumi.

Trees tall. Branchlets of last-year growth with a thin layer of grayish wax, conspicuously lenticellate near nodes. Petiole 1-1.5 cm; leaf blade lanceolate-oblong to obovate, 15-32 × 4-10 cm, leathery, abaxially grayish, base broadly cuneate, margin entire or undulate-dentate from middle to apex, apex acuminate to shortly caudate; secondary veins 13-17 on each side of midvein; tertiary veins abaxially slender, evident. Female inflorescence with cupules in clusters of 2 or 3, rarely solitary. Cupule subglobose, 3-3.2(-5) × 2.9-3(-3.8) cm, completely enclosing nut, apically flat; bracts imbricate to spirally arranged apically on cupule, rhomboid, squamose, with grayish waxy scalelike trichomes; midvein slightly raised and conspicuous. Nut subglobose, ca. 2 cm in diam.; scar covering more than 1/2 of nut, convex. Fl. Jul-Oct, fr. Aug-Dec of following year.

* Mixed mesophytic forests; (300-)1000-2800 m. C to S Taiwan

This species has been reported from Vietnam (P. H. Ho, Ill. Fl. Vietnam 2(2): 786. 1993), but it is probably a misidentification.