Quercus merrillii

Acorns and leaves are not drawn on same scale.

Quercus merrillii or Cyclobalanopsis merrillii is the only oak specie in the Philippines and is found in the province of Palawan. It may also be found in the island of Borneo. This specie is a shrub. The 2 cm. acorn is ovoid, brown and hairless (glabrous) half enclosed by a sessile cup with 7 to 8 denticulate rings. The 2-4 x 1-2 cm leaves are oval, rounded at both ends or attenuate at base; leathery but thin;  entire or remotely crenate in apical 1/3; shiny green above, whitish beneath; 6-8 pairs of secondary veins, raised beneath; petiole 2-3 cm long. (1)

Illustration: An array of four individual art cards. Pigment ink on 2.5"x3.5" Bristol boards.

Quercus virgiliana

Quercus virgiliana, Ten. 1835, pubescence, acorn, leaf.  Pen and ink on 3.5"x2.5" Bristol board. I had a difficult time capturing the scales of this acorn; a lot of patterns and texture.

I chanced upon this almost perfectly ovoid acorn, Quercus virgiliana because I made a typographical error in searching for interesting facts about Quercus virginiana. What a magnificent discovery! This acorn is produced by the most beautiful and largest heritage oak trees in Southern Europe, East Corsica, Italy to the Black Sea. Quercus vigiliana or Roverella. There appears to be quite extensive documentation of heritage specimen throughout Italy. Check out these beautiful acorn images here and the majestic  1000 year old tree, the largest in Italy; a 250-300 year old specimen here and an estimated 400 year old tree here.

The leaf of the Quercus virgiliana is broadly oboval, 10-16 cm., flat with a rounded or cordate base. It has 5 to 7 pairs of often rounded lobes. It is woolly beneath. The petiole measures 1.5-2.5 cm.. The acorn is 3-4 cm in diameter, on a short peduncle, almost sessile; the cup has flat , lanceolate, reflexed scales. Ref: Oaks of the World