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The Oriental oak (Quercus variabilis) belongs to the Fagaceae (the Beech family). It is a tall deciduous tree that is native from Chubu district of Honshu to Shikoku and Kyushu in Japan, as well as Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, China and the Indo-China Peninsula. The trunk is erect and has thick cork layer. The leaves are oblong and serrated. The flowers bloom in April to May, the male clusters are yellowish brown and drooping, and the female clusters bear at axils. The outer bark is used as an ingredient of cork. The Japanese name means "abata-maki" (pock tree), and it is said that the local name of Okayama became the standard Japanese name. In Taiwanese, it is called "栓皮櫟", and in Chinese, it is called "栓皮櫟" (shuan pi li).
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