Quercus dentata

Japanese emperor oak or daimyo oak is in the white oak group (Quercus), in the beech or Fagaceae family, and is native to Japan, Korea and parts of China. It can reach up to 25 m in height.

• Leaves are deciduous, alternate, simple, obovate, 15–30 cm long and 6–20 cm broad (some of the largest leaves of all the oaks), shallowly lobed with 10–15 rounded lobes on each margin, petiole 2–15 mm long; colour is dark green, rough above, paler and pubescent below; leaves are in clusters at ends of branchlets. In autumn they turn a dull yellow, then yellow-brown, being marcescent over the winter.
• Species is monoecious; male flowers are yellow-green catkins 8–15 cm long; female flowers are small, inconspicuous, appearing with the leaves in early spring.
• Fruit is an ovoid acorn 1.5–2.2 cm long and up to 1 cm across, hairless; sessile, its cup being brownish, fine hairs, with reflexed scales, covering 1/2 or 1/3 of nut, maturing in 1 growing season.
• Bark is thick, corky, strongly furrowed, dark brown; branchlets are densely pubescent, becoming hairless and brown; buds are conic to rounded, 1 cm long.