Quercus coccifera L.

Spice Flower

Family: FAGACEAE

Genus: Quercus

Catalan common name: Alzina ravell. Coscoll. Garric.

Spanish common name: Coscoja.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Ibiza.

General distribution (Phytogeography): West Mediterranean

Uses and properties: Furniture, construction and tools. Medicinal.

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Macrophanerophyte. Nanophanerophyte.

Habitats: Pine wood and shrubland with rosemary and thyme garigue. Garriques.

Characteristics: The Kermes oak is a very well branched tree covered with very tough leaves with spiny margins. We can tell them apart from the holm oak (Quercus ilex) not just by the spiny margins, but also because the leaf reverse is green in colour, while the reverse of the holm oak is grey due o the pilosity that covers this side of the leaf. Additionally the acorn has spiny cup scales, while those of the holm oak do not.