Bread Oak

Bread oak is a type of deciduous, broad-leafed tree that bears large, edible acorns. Bread oak acorns are a staple food of many of Yrth's elven cultures, and is considered one of the major "Elven Plants", along with fayflax.
== Details ==
A close relative of the White Oak, it grows both as a tree or a bush. The acorns of the Bread Oak, unlike those of common oaks, are edible and tasty. These acorns are also more nutritious than any other known plant seed, and are wonderfully easy to preserve. As the name suggests, Bread Oak acorns are ground into a flour, which is as versatile as wheat flour and much easier to preserve. Bread Oaks grow in all areas of Yttarria, except the highest mountains and the Great Desert. While they do best in temperate climates, they are hardy and provide stable amounts of edible acorns year after year. The Elves of Yrth created a truly secure food supply in the Bread Oak.Plants of Yrth, by Thomas Devine; Pyramid 2, 2006
== Cultural Effect ==
Most people love bread oak for its robust health and stability--it grows in good years and in bad. That said, nobles dislike it greatly, as it creates little seasonal surplus for them to tax and export. Keeping nobles from minimizing a key source of food is a solid source of conflict!
== Theories ==
* Bread oaks may be one of the key plants that makes elves' forest living possible--replacing woodland foraging with large-scale farming.
== See Also ==
* Plants of Yrth
== References ==
* Banestorm, p.18-19
Category:Plants