Lithocarpus is a genus in the beech family Fagaceae. The Kew Checklist (see link below) accepts 334 species, though some other texts suggest as low as 100 species. All but one are native to east and southeast Asia; the single exception, Lithocarpus densiflorus (Tanoak), being native to western North America in southwest Oregon and California. The Asian species do not have a well-known English vernacular name, though the generic term stone oak has been proposed. Species Fagus crenata - Japanese Beech Fagus engleriana - Chinese Beech Fagus grandifolia - American Beech Fagus hayatae - Taiwan Beech Fagus japonica - Japanese Blue Beech Fagus longipetiolata - South Chinese Beech Fagus lucida - Shining Beech Fagus mexicana - Mexican Beech or Haya Fagus orientalis - Oriental Beech Fagus sylvatica - European Beech Beech (Fagus) is a genus... Genera Castanea - Chestnuts Castanopsis Chrysolepis - Golden chinkapin Colombobalanus Fagus - Beeches Formanodendron Lithocarpus - Stone oaks Nothofagus - Southern beeches Quercus - Oaks Trigonobalanus The family Fagaceae, or beech family, is characterized by alternate leaves with pinnate venation, flowers in the form of catkins, and fruit in the form of nuts, one to seven... World map showing Asia. ... Binomial name Lithocarpus densiflorus (Hook. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... Official language(s) None Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 9th 255,026 km² 420 km 580 km 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 3rd 410,000 km² 402. ...

Although normally included in Lithocarpus, recent genetic evidence (Int. J. Plant Sci. 162(6): 1361–1379. 2001; pdf file) suggests that the North American species is only distantly related to Asian species; it may be better transferred to a genus of its own.

They are evergreen trees with leathery, alternate leaves, which may be either entire or toothed. The seed is a nut very similar to an oak acorn, but with a very hard, woody nut shell (hence the genus name, from Greek lithos, stone, + carpos, seed). The nut kernel is edible in some species (e.g. Lithocarpus edulis), but inedible, and very bitter, in others (e.g. L. densiflorus). A Silver Fir shoot showing three successive years of retained leaves In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant which retains its leaves year-round, with each leaf persisting for more than 12 months. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth A tree can be defined as a large, perennial, woody plant. ... In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. ... SEED is a block cipher developed by the Korean Information Security Agency. ... Hazelnuts from the Common Hazel Chestnuts // Botanical definition A nut is a testicle between ones legs Order Fagales Family Juglandaceae (or are they? See the discussion) Walnut, Butternut (Juglans) Hickory, Pecan (Carya) Wingnut (Pterocarya) Family Fagaceae Chestnut (Castanea) Beech (Fagus) Oak (Quercus) Stone-oak, Tanoak (Lithocarpus) Family Betulaceae Alder... Species See List of Quercus species The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of several hundred species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus, and some related genera, notably Cyclobalanopsis and Lithocarpus. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ...

Several of the species are very attractive ornamental trees, used in parks and large gardens in warm temperate and subtropical areas. An Australian park A park is any of a number of geographic features. ... // Headline text Insert non-formatted text here--82. ...

External links

A full list of the species and their synonyms can be seen by entering Lithocarpus in the search box in the Kew Checklist of Fagaceae. The Flora of China Online includes descriptions of the 123 Chinese species.