The acorn is the nut of the oak tree (genera Quercus, Lithocarpus and Cyclobalanopsis, in the family Fagaceae). The Sessile Oak ( Quercus petraea, or Quercus sessiliflora) also known as Durmast Oak, is a species of Oak native to most of Europe The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of Trees and Shrubs in the Genus Quercus (from Latin The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of Trees and Shrubs in the Genus Quercus (from Latin Lithocarpus is a genus in the Beech family Fagaceae, differing from Quercus in the erect male spikes The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of Trees and Shrubs in the Genus Quercus (from Latin The family Fagaceae, or beech family, comprises about 900 species of both Evergreen and Deciduous trees and shrubs which are characterized by alternate It is a nut, containing a single seed (rarely two seeds), enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Nut is a general term for the large dry oily Seeds or Fruit of some Plants. A seed (in some plants referred to as a kernel) is a small embryonic Plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat usually with some stored The calybium and the cupule make up the Accessory fruit of Flowering plants in the family Fagaceae. Acorns vary from 1 – 6 cm long and 0. 8 – 4 cm broad. Acorns take between about 6 or 24 months (depending on the species) to mature; see List of Quercus species for details of oak classification, in which acorn morphology and phenology are important factors. This is an incomplete list of Quercus Species. The Genus contains about 400 species The term morphology in Biology refers to the outward appearance ( Shape, Structure, Colour, Pattern) of an Organism Phenology is the study of the times of recurring natural phenomena

Contents 1 Nutrition 1.1 Acorn dispersal agents 2 Cultural aspects 2.1 Native American management of acorn resources 3 References 4 External links

Nutrition

Acorns are one of the most important wildlife foods in areas where oaks occur. Creatures that make acorns an important part of their diet include birds, such as jays, pigeons, some ducks and several species of woodpeckers. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. The jays are several Species of medium-sized usually colorful and noisy Passerine Birds in the Crow family Corvidae For duck as a food see Duck (food; for other meanings see Duck (disambiguation. The woodpeckers, piculets and wrynecks are a family, Picidae, of Near-passerine Birds. Small mammals that feed on acorns include mice, squirrels and several other rodents. Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands A mouse (plural mice) is a small Animal that belongs to one A squirrel is one of the many small or medium-sized Rodents in the family Sciuridae. Rodentia is an order of Mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously-growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must Such large mammals as pigs, bears, and deer also consume large amounts of acorns: they may constitute up to 25% of the diet of deer in the autumn. Pigs, also called hogs or' swine', are Ungulates which have been domesticated as sources of food leather and similar products since ancient times A deer is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. ^[1] In some of the large oak forests in southwest Europe, traditionally called "dehesas", pigs are still turned loose in oak groves in the autumn, to fill and fatten themselves on acorns. However, acorns are toxic to some other animals, such as horses. The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae.

In some human cultures, acorns once constituted a dietary staple, though they are now generally considered a minor food with the exception of Native American and Korean cultures. Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus A staple food is a Food that forms the basis of a Traditional diet. In Korean culture, in particular, dotorimuk, acorn jelly and dotori gooksoo, acorn noodles are eaten by some on a daily basis. Dotorimuk (also spelled tot'orimuk) or acorn jelly is a Korean food which is a jelly made from Acorn Starch.

The larvae of some moths and weevils also live in young acorns, consuming the kernels as they develop. A larva ( Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of Animal with indirect development, undergoing Metamorphosis (for example A moth is an Insect closely related to the Butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. A weevil is any Beetle from the Curculionoidea Superfamily. They are usually small less than 6  mm (¼  Inch) and herbivorous ^[2]

Acorns are attractive to animals because they are large and thus efficiently consumed or cached. Acorns are also rich in nutrients. Percentages vary from species to species, but all acorns contain large amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats, as well as the minerals calcium, phosphorus and potassium, and the vitamin niacin. Proteins are large Organic compounds made of Amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by Peptide bonds between the Carboxyl Carbohydrates (from ' Hydrates of Carbon ' or saccharides ( Greek σάκχαρον meaning " Sugar " are the most Calcium (ˈkælsiəm is the Chemical element with the symbol Ca and Atomic number 20 Phosphorus, (ˈfɒsfərəs is the Chemical element that has the symbol P and Atomic number 15 Potassium (pəˈtæsiəm is a Chemical element. It has the symbol K (kalium from qalīy Atomic number 19 and Atomic mass 39 A vitamin is an Organic compound required as a Nutrient in tiny amounts by an Organism. Niacin, also known as vitamin B3, is a water-soluble vitamin which prevents the deficiency disease Pellagra. Total food energy in an acorn also varies by species, but all compare well with other wild foods and with other nuts. Food energy is the amount of Energy in food that is available through Digestion. ^[3]

Acorns also contain bitter tannins, the amount varying with the species. Tannins are Astringent, bitter plant Polyphenols that either bind and Precipitate or shrink Proteins The astringency from the tannins is what Since tannins, which are plant polyphenols, interfere with an animal's ability to metabolize protein, creatures must adapt in different ways to utilize the nutritional value that acorns contain. Polyphenols are a group of chemical substances found in plants characterized by the presence of more than one Phenol unit or building block per molecule Metabolism is the set of Chemical reactions that occur in living Organisms in order to maintain Life. Animals may preferentially select acorns that contain fewer tannins. Creatures that cache acorns, such as jays and squirrels, may wait to consume some of these acorns until sufficient groundwater has percolated through them to leach the tannins out. Other animals buffer their acorn diet with other foods. Many insects, birds, and mammals metabolize tannins with fewer ill-effects than humans. Several indigenous human cultures have devised traditional acorn-leaching methods that involved tools and that were traditionally passed on to their children by word of mouth. ^{[4] [5]}

Species of acorn that contain large amounts of tannins are very bitter, astringent, and potentially irritating if eaten raw. This is particularly true of the acorns of red oaks. The acorns of white oaks, being much lower in tannins, are nutty in flavor, which is enhanced if the acorns are given a light roast before grinding. Tannins can be removed by soaking chopped acorns in several changes of water, until water no longer turns brown. (Boiling unleached acorns may actually cause the tannins to be unleachable. ) Being rich in fat, acorn flour can spoil or get moldy easily and must be carefully stored. Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water WikipediaManual_of_Style#National_varieties_of_English --> Molds (or Acorns are also sometimes prepared as a massage oil. ^[6]

Acorn dispersal agents

Acorns, being too heavy to blow in wind, do not fall far from the tree at maturity. Because of this, oaks depend on seed dispersal agents to move the acorns beyond the canopy of the mother tree and into an environment in which they can germinate and find access to adequate water, sunlight and soil nutrients, ideally a minimum of 20-30 m from the parent tree. Biological dispersal refers to those processes by which a Species maintains ecosystem Many acorn predators eat unripe acorns on the tree or ripe acorns from the ground, with no reproductive benefit to the oak. However, some acorn predators also serve as seed dispersal agents. Jays and squirrels that scatter-hoard acorns in caches for future use, effectively plant acorns in a variety of locations in which it is possible for them to germinate and thrive. Although jays and squirrels retain remarkably large mental maps of cache locations and return to consume them, the odd acorn may be lost, or a jay or squirrel may die before consuming all of its stores. A small number of acorns manage to germinate and survive, producing the next generation of oaks.

Scatter-hoarding behavior depends on jays and squirrels associating with plants that provide good packets of food that are nutritionally valuable, but not too big for the dispersal agent to handle. The beak sizes of jays determine how large acorns may get before jays ignore them.

Acorns germinate on different schedules, depending on their place in the oak family. Once acorns sprout, they are less nutritious, as the seed tissue converts to the indigestible lignins that form the root. Lignin or lignen is a complex Chemical compound most commonly derived from Wood and an integral part of the secondary Cell walls of Plants ^[7]

Cultural aspects

Acorns appear only on adult trees, and thus are often a symbol of patience and the fruition of long, hard labor. Patience (ˈpā-shənz is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances For example, an English proverb states that Great oaks from little acorns grow, urging the listener to wait for maturation of a project or idea. A proverb (from the Latin proverbium) also called a byword or nayword, is a simple and concrete Saying popularly known and repeated A German folktale has a farmer try to outwit Satan, to whom he has promised his soul, by asking for a reprieve until his first crop is harvested; he plants acorns and has many years to enjoy first. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. History The concept of folklore developed as part of the 19th century ideology of Romantic nationalism, leading to the reshaping of oral traditions to serve modern ideological Satan, ( Standard Hebrew Satan'el, English accuser) is a term that originates from the Abrahamic faiths, being traditionally The soul, according to many religious and philosophical beliefs is the self-awareness, or Consciousness, unique to a particular living In Britain, one old tradition has it that if a woman carries an acorn on her person it will delay the aging process and keep her forever young. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands

The Norse legend that Thor sheltered from a thunderstorm under an oak tree has led to the belief that having an acorn on a windowsill will prevent a house from being struck by lightning, hence the popularity of window blind pulls decorated as acorns. Norse mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and Legends of the Scandinavian peoples including those who settled on Iceland Thor ( Old Norse: Þórr) is the red-haired and bearded God of Thunder in Germanic paganism and its subset Norse paganism Lightning is an atmospheric discharge of Electricity, which typically occurs during Thunderstorms and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or For other uses see Blinds (disambiguation For the desktop theming software see WindowBlinds. In ancient Japan, (Jōmon period), acorn was an important food. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The is the time in Japanese prehistory from about 14000 BC to 400 BC. They harvested, peeled and soaked acorns in natural or artificial ponds for several days to remove tannins, then processed it to make acorn cakes. In Korea, an edible jelly named dotorimuk is made from acorns. Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. Dotorimuk (also spelled tot'orimuk) or acorn jelly is a Korean food which is a jelly made from Acorn Starch.

A motif in Roman architecture and popular in Celtic and Scandinavian art, the symbol is used as an ornament on cutlery, jewelry, furniture, and appears on finials at Westminster Abbey. In art a motif is a repeated idea pattern image or theme Paisley designs are referred to as motifs The Architecture of Ancient Rome adopted the external Greek architecture for their own purposes which were so different from Greek buildings as to create a new For other uses of the term see Ornament In Architecture, ornament is a decorative detail used to embellish parts of a building or interior Cutlery refers to any hand Implement used in preparing serving and especially eating Food in the Western world. The finial is an architectural device typically carved in stone and employed to decoratively emphasize the Apex of a Gable, or any of various distinctive ornaments The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a large mainly Gothic church The Gothic name akran had the sense of "fruit of the unenclosed land". Gothic is an extinct Germanic language that was spoken by the Goths. The word was applied to the most important forest produce, that of the oak. Chaucer spoke of "achornes of okes" in the 1300s. Geoffrey Chaucer (c 1343 – 25 October 1400? was an English author poet Philosopher, bureaucrat, courtier and Diplomat. By degrees, popular etymology connected the word both with "corn" and "oak-horn", and the spelling changed accordingly. Etymology is the study of the History of Words &mdash when they entered a language from what source and how their form and meaning have changed over time

In the 1600s, a juice extracted from acorns was administered to habitual drunkards to cure them of their condition or else to give them the strength to resist another bout of drinking. Young lovers may place two acorns, representing themselves and the object of their affection, in a bowl of water in order to predict whether they have a future together; if the acorns drift towards each other they are certain to marry (they will, if placed closer to each other than to the edge of the bowl).

By analogy with the shape, in nautical language, the word acorn also refers to a piece of wood keeping the vane on the mast-head.

In the Ice Age animated movie series, a saber-toothed squirrel called Scrat is obsessed with acorns, constantly putting his life in danger to obtain and protect them. Ice Age is a feature-length computer-animated Film created by Blue Sky Studios and released by 20th Century Fox in 2002 This is about the character from the Ice Age movies For other meanings see Skrat Scrat is a fictional saber-toothed squirrel that appears

Native American management of acorn resources

Acorns were a traditional food of many indigenous peoples of North America, but served an especially important role in California, where the ranges of several species of oaks overlap, increasing the reliability of the resource. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. ^[8]

Acorns, unlike many other plant foods, do not need to be eaten or processed right away, but may be stored for long time periods, as squirrels do. In years that oaks produced many acorns, Native Americans sometimes collected enough acorns to store for two years as insurance against poor acorn production years. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. After drying them in the sun to discourage mold and germination, Native American women took acorns back to their villages and cached them in hollow trees or structures on poles, to keep acorns safe from mice and squirrels. These acorns could be used as needed. Storage of acorns permitted Native American women to process acorns when convenient, particularly during winter months when other resources were scarce. Women's caloric contributions to the village increased when they stored acorns for later processing and focused on gathering or processing other resources available in the autumn.

Women shelled and pulverized those acorns that germinate in the fall before those that germinate in spring. Because of their high fat content, stored acorns can become rancid. Molds may also grow on them.

Native North Americans took an active and sophisticated role in management of acorn resources through the use of fire, which increased the production of acorns and made them easier to collect. The deliberate setting of light ground fires killed the larvae of acorn moths and acorn weevils that have the potential to infest and consume more than 95% of an oak's acorns, by burning them during their dormancy period in the soil. Fires released the nutrients bound in dead leaves and other plant debris into the soil, thus fertilizing oak trees while clearing the ground to make acorn collection faster and easier. Most North American oaks tolerate light fires, especially when consistent burning has eliminated woody fuel accumulation around their trunks. Consistent burning encouraged oak growth at the expense of other trees that are less tolerant of fire, thus keeping landscapes in a state in which oaks dominated. Since oaks produce more acorns when they are not in close competition with other oaks for sunlight, water and soil nutrients, eliminating young oaks more vulnerable to fire than old oaks created open oak savannahs with trees ideally spaced to maximize acorn production. Finally, frequent fires prevented accumulation of flammable debris, which reduced the risk of destructive canopy fires that destroyed oak trees. After a century during which North American landscapes have not been managed by indigenous peoples, disastrous fires have ravaged crowded, fuel-laden forests. The term Indigenous Peoples or autochthonous peoples can be used to describe any Ethnic group who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest historical Land managers have realized that they can learn much from indigenous resource management techniques, such as controlled burning, widely practiced by Native Americans to enhance such resources as acorns. In Organizational studies, resource management is the efficient and effective deployment of an organization's resources when they are needed

References

External links

• How to whistle an acorn
• Nupa Acorn Soup (Miwokan recipe)
• Cooking With Acorns: A Major North American Indian Food

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic