Quercus coccifera, commonly known as kermes oak, holly oak, or Palestine oak, is an evergreen oak shrub or tree in section Ilex of the genus. It has many synonyms, including Quercus calliprinos. It is native to the Mediterranean region and Northern African Maghreb, south to north from Morocco to France and west to east from Portugal to Cyprus, Anatolia, and the Levant, crossing Spain, Italy, Libya, the Balkans, and Greece, including Crete. The Kernes oak was historically important as the food plant of Kermes scale insects, from which a red dye called crimson was obtained.
From Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is it poisonous?
We have no record of Kermes oak being toxic, poisonous or venomous. That is not proof that it is safe. Never eat, touch or handle a wild plant, mushroom or animal on the strength of an identification; ask someone qualified.
Easily confused with
Classification
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Phylum
- Tracheophyta
- Class
- Magnoliopsida
- Order
- Fagales
- Family
- Fagaceae
- Genus
- Quercus
- Species
- Quercus coccifera
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