- mostly large trees of significant forestry value, as well as the production of quality timber
- trees are monoecious, flowers are unisexual
- buds are arranged in a spiral, clustered at the ends
- leaves are simple, deciduous or evergreen, the blade is ± lobed, but can also be entire
- the fruit is an acorn in a cup-like scaly cup
- the genus includes more than 200 species in the northern hemisphere (mostly temperate zones)
native oak species are divided into four sections:
- section – Roburoides
- section – Robur
- section – Dasica
- section – Eucerris
