Today we are going to talk about a well-known type of tree that has a large distribution area throughout the peninsula and can inhabit the most arid territories. Its about Quercus faginea Its common name is gall oak and when it forms a forest all the specimens are known by the name of complain. It belongs to the Fagaceae family and stands out for having great resistance. It has numerous uses and is known by other names such as Carrasqueño oak and rebollo.
In this article we are going to tell you about all the characteristics, distribution and evolution of the gall quejigar.
Key features
Before knowing the characteristics of a gall oak, we must know what are the characteristics of the tree that composes it. As we have mentioned before, it is a tree that stands out for its resistance. It is endemic to the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa. It can be found in almost all regions of Spainexcept in Galicia where you can hardly find the odd individual. It is the only oak that is present in the most arid areas of the entire territory of the peninsula. And it is that it has a high resistance to drought and allows it to survive in adverse conditions of lack of water.
In appearance it is similar to the oak and can reach up to 20 meters in height. It has a wide and dense crown and is characterized by a cracked rind. This bark is usually grayish-brown in color. The foliage is of the marcescent type. The leaves are pale on the underside and bright green on the upper side.. The edges are jagged and sometimes they tend to puncture at times. The most normal thing is that in winter its leaves are withered, although you can sometimes see some green leaves.
The flowering of a gall takes place in spring. All its flowers usually develop solitary or in small groups on hanging catkins. They are quite simple flowers that have no ornamental interest. The fruit is the acorn and grows on the peduncles. The dome is covered with scales. Galls are typical of this oak and are no more than balls of a small size similar to a walnut. However, it has a darker color and on the outside it has some spikes while on the inside they are fluffy.
These galls develop as a consequence of the wasp sting when it takes place in the youngest shoots. It can be said that it is a kind of tumor that is produced by the reaction of the gall gallbladder to the bite of the insect. If we look inside the gall we see that there are larvae of the sector.
Complain and uses
A quejigar is a group of gall oaks that form a forest as such. Although this tree does not have important applications, it is one of the most important species from the forestry and ecological point of view. The reason for this is their resistance. Given its resistance, it is a tree capable of helping to curb desertification. We remember that desertification is the loss of the fertile ecosystem either by human action or natural causes. By having a tree that is quite resistant to adverse conditions such as lack of water, it can help reforest numerous forests. It is not a tree that requires essential care and has a great capacity for survival.
Wood has been used for many years for the construction of beams and sleepers, but mostly as fuel. Its acorns are used to feed livestock whenever they are ripe. Although the gills are wasp stings, they also have some applications. They can be used to obtain dyes and tanning agents. Traditionally they have been used to make substances that help in the healing process and anti-hemorrhagic.
Cultivation of a gall
A gallbladder has a restricted range to our peninsula and North Africa. In a very limited presence both in the south of France and in Mallorca. The significant hybridization that the species has undergone over the years makes it difficult to establish clear limits in the distribution and separation of species. It usually lives between 400 and 1.300 meters of altitude.
It requires some freshness and humidity and a soil somewhat deeper than holm oaks. However, a gall oak is a great option to reforest a more degraded area. It tends to be better located in shady areas Don The environment is more arid. It can also appear in sunny highlights and some enclaves more protected from the cold temperature. It can withstand both moderate summer heat and frost. It is usually found in situations where rainfall is greater than 800 liters per year.
It can support much lower values since it has great resistance to drought. The gall oak can form a large forest or also appear as isolated individuals on limestone soils. In limestone soils where it usually occurs in isolation, these are usually places with a dominance of the holm oak. It needs moderate soils, being characteristic its location on slopes with a lower slope and with a stony texture.
Tree formations
The gall usually forms forests of moderate extension and continuity. They can also appear in small groups or individuals mixed in mixed masses. They are forests very altered by the action of the human being given that it has a great use of livestock and extraction of firewood for fuel. Thanks to the use of the use of its firewood, a certain recovery of the wooded masses of the gall oak and a densification has been allowed. All these formations denote the influence of the Mediterranean environment in its structural composition.
Although this tree has a lot of resistance, it can be attacked by some insects, fungi and bacteria. Among them we can highlight the viridan tortrix what is an insect that causes the destruction of its shoots and the loss of the entire acorn crop. It is one of the insects that most affect the production of acorns for livestock.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the quejigar and its characteristics.
