Tanoak is a genus with about 100 species native to North America
[1] and Asia/
Indomalaysia [100]. It is believed to be an evolutionary link
between the oaks (Quercus spp.) and chestnuts (Castanea
spp.). The name lithocarpus is derived from the Greek,
stone and fruit, in allusion to the hard acorns. Cyclobalanops
spp., Quercus densiflora and Pasania densiflora are
old scientific names.
Other Common Names: California chestnut oak, chestnut oak, live oak, peach oak, tanbark oak.
Distribution: Southwestern Oregon south to southern California, on the coast and in the Sierra Nevada.
The Tree: The flowers of tanoak resemble chestnut flowers, while the fruits look more like those of oaks (acorns). Tanoak grows mostly in association with redwood, Douglas-fir and California live oak. In close stands the trunks are long and rarely straight, while in the open they are short and thick. The bark is pale brown tinged with red, and can be gray in places. It can be smooth, or broken into wide, square plates by narrow seams. Tanoak is a slow-growing species, resistant to insects, but susceptible to fire injury. The flowers are produced in upright spikes or catkins, with the male flowers on the upper three-fourths of the flower spike and the female flowers (one-several) at the base. The fruits are acorns with fringed cups and thin scales. Tanoak requires moist climates and grows in association with coastal redwood, Port Orford cedar, Douglas-fir, bigleaf maple and box elder.
General Wood Characteristics: The sapwood and heartwood are light to dark red brown. The wood of tanoak is diffuse porous with wide rays.
Weighta
Weight
Moisture Specific lb/ft3 kg/m3
content gravity
Green 0.58 65 1,041
12% NA 41 657
Ovendry 0.71 NA NA
aReferences: specific gravity, green,
(98); specific gravity, ovendry, (90);
weight, (90).
Mechanical propertiesa
Property Greena Dryb
MOE 1.55 106 10.687 GPa 2.16 106 14.893 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR 10.5 103 72.398 MPa 16.6 103 114.457 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C| | 4.65 103 32.062 MPa 9.20 103 63.434 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C 3.64 103 25.098 MPa 1.66 103 11.446 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML 13.4 92.393 kJ/m3 NA NA kJ/m3
in-lbf/in3
Hardness NA NA NA NA
Shear| | 1.41 103 9.722 MPa 1.96 103 13.514 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
aReference (98) except C and Shear| | (69).
bReference (69).
Drying and shrinkagea
Percentage of shrinkage
(green to final moisture
content)
Type of 0% MC 6% MC 20% MC
shrinkage
Tangential 11.7 NA 8.0
Radial 4.9 NA 2.7
Volumetric 17.3 NA NA
aReferences: 0% MC , (98); 20% MC,
(90).
Kiln drying schedulea
4/4, 5/4, 8/4 10/4 12/4 16/4
Conditio 6/4 stock stock stock stock
n stock
Standard T3-B1 T3-B1 NA NA NA
aReferences (6, 86).
Working Properties: No information available at this time.
Durability: No information available at this time.
Preservation: No information available at this time.
Uses: Flooring, crossties, fuel wood, mine timbers, baseball bats, veneers, pulpwood, furniture. Historically, bark was used for tannin extraction.
Toxicity: No information available at this time.
Additional Reading: 29, 55, 67, 68, 74. 55, 66, 68, 74, 79. 28, 29, 42, 43, 44, 48, 50, 55, 56, 68, 72, 73, 74, 79, 92, 97, 102. 74, 75, 77, 99, 106. 101.