Sessile Oak - Quercus petraea

The Sessile Oak is a large deciduous tree up to 20-40 m tall, and similar to the Pedunculate Oak, with which it overlaps extensively in range. The leaves are 7-14 cm long and 4-8 cm broad, evenly lobed with five to six lobes on each side, and a 1 cm petiole. The flowers are catkins, produced in the spring. The fruit is an acorn which is stalkless 2-3 cm long and 1-2 cm broad.

The Sessile Oak is a smaller tree than Pedunculate Oak the stalked leaves and stalkless acorns are good identification characters, as is the absence of distinct lobes at the junction of the lamina and petiole; the presence of stellate leaf hairs confirm an id. The number of lobes on a leaf is too variable to be of any use as an id character.

The two species hybridise - Quercus x rosacea

Found in a variety of habitats, and is often seen in upland areas of high rainfall, but will also tolerate dry soils.

Flowers with young leaves in April & May.

Deciduous

Fairly common and widespread in Britain.

Occasional in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 17 of the 617 tetrads.