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The "Amami-ara-kasi" (Quercus glauca var. amamiana) belongs to Fagaceae (the Beech family). It is a tall evergreen tree that is distributed throughout Japan's southwestern islands, ranging from the Amami Islands to the Okinawa Islands, the Yaeyama Islands, and the Senkaku Islands. It grows in limestone mountainous areas and rocky terrain, reaching heights of 5 to 20 m. The trunk is erect, and the bark is dark greenish-gray. The leaves are oblong to obovate-oblong, 8-12 cm long, leathery, and usually have serrations on the upper half of the margin. The underside of the leaves has a bluish-white tinge. From around April to May, it produces male and female inflorescences. The fruit is an oblong nut, 1-2 cm long.
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