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The Japanese oak (Lithocarpus glabra) belongs to Fagaceae (the Beech family). It is a tall evergreen tree that is distributed from the Kinki region of Honshu west to Shikoku, Kyushu in Japan, Taiwan, and southern China. It grows on ridges and slopes in the low mountains and is about 7 m high. The bark is grayish black and multi-stem. The oblong leaves alternate and have a caudal tip. From September to October, long inflorescences are borne and bloom pale tan flowers. The nuts ripen in October of the following year and become edible. The Japanese name is because the bottom of this acorn is deeply dented.
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