Quercus petraea
Quercus petraea, commonly known as the sessile oak, Cornish oak, Irish Oak or durmast oak, is a species of oak tree native to most of Europe and into Anatolia and Iran. The sessile oak is the national tree of Ireland, and an unofficial emblem in Wales and Cornwall. Description. The sessile oak is a large deciduous tree up to tall, in the white oak section of the genus ("Quercus" sect. "Quercus") and similar to the pedunculate oak ("Q. robur"), with which it overlaps extensively in range. The leaves are long and broad, evenly lobed with five to six  lobes on each side and a petiole. The male flowers are grouped into catkins, produced in the spring. The fruit is an acorn long and broad, which matures in about six months. Comparison with pedunculate oak. Significant botanical differences from pedunculate oak ("Q. robur") include the stalked leaves, and the stalkless (sessile) acorns from which one of its common names is derived. It occurs in upland areas of altitudes over with higher rainfall and shallow, acidic, sandy soils. Its specific epithet "petraea" means "of rocky places". "Q. robur", on the other hand, prefers deeper, richer soils at lower altitude. Fertile  hybrids with "Quercus robur" named "Quercus × rosacea" are found wherever the two parent species occur and share or are intermediate in characters between the parents. Charles Darwin, in Chapter II of "On the Origin of Species", noted that the sessile and pedunculate oaks had been described as both distinct species and mere varieties depending on the authority consulted. Uses. Sessile oak is one of the most important species in Europe both economically and ecologically. Oak timber is traditionally used for building, ships and furniture. Today the best woods are used for quality cabinetmaking, veneers and barrel staves. Rougher material  is used for fence construction, roof beams and specialist building work. The wood also has antimicrobial properties. It is also a good fuel wood. During autumns with good acorn crops (the mast years), animals are traditionally grazed under the trees to fatten them. Pontfadog Oak. The Pontfadog Oak, once considered to be the oldest oak tree in the UK, was a sessile oak. This grew near Chirk in North Wales. It was understood to be over 1,200 years old, an age that was due to regular pollarding for much of its life. The hollow trunk had a girth of . It  was lost in April 2013 when it blew down in high winds.