Quercus acuta, the Japanese evergreen oak, is an oak native to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and China's Guizhou Province and Guangdong Province.[1] It is placed in subgenus Cerris, section Cyclobalanopsis.[2]
Due to its foliage and habitat, it looks rather unlike most other oaks. Quercus acuta is usually bushy and densely domed, reaching a height of 14 meters. The bark is smooth and dark grey. Leaves are dark and glossy above and yellowish beneath. They narrow to a long, finely-rounded tip. The flowers are on a stiff 5 cm catkin.
Heartwood is pale reddish brown to reddish brown. Sapwood is pale yellowish brown with a slightly reddish color.[3]
In Japan, it is called akagashi (赤樫 - あかがし), but is also known by the names oogashi (大樫 - オオガシ) and oobagashi (大葉樫 - オオバガシ).[4] [5]
In the Korean language, it is 붉가시.
Like shirakashi (白樫 - しらかし) (Quercus myrsinifolia), whose wood is often called shirokashi outside of Japan, and other related sub-genera, Japanese Evergreen Oak, or akagashi, is a preferred choice for Japanese martial arts practice weapons such as bokken.[6] [7] This is due to its uniformly tight grain structure resulting from its continuous growing season. It should not be confused with the oriental or Asian white oak, Quercus aliena.