The presented study probed to compare two naturally grown oak species in the District Atrush, Dohuk Governorate, Northern Iraq. These two species were Quercus aegilops L. and Quercus infectoria Oliv., which belonged to the genus Quercus L. The research employed two methods to determine the comparative anatomical characteristics, i.e., chemically separating cells (Maceration) and mechanically separating cells using the Macrotome. The results showed significant differences in the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the wood of the two studied species. It helps diagnose and separate the two species, which were similar in phenotypic attributes. Quercus infectoria acorns appeared with lengthier vascular elements than edible oak wood. However, the eating oak was distinguishable by the vessel elements, which had a larger diameter than the gall oak. The edible oak differed by the greater thickness of the vessel wall than that of the stump oak vessel. An edible oak also illustrated greater values of the vessel element cavity diameter, the inner diameter of the inserted holes, and the fiber length and diameter. However, the acorn gall demonstrates a fiber wall of superior thickness to the edible oak fiber wall. The Runkel ratio was 0.499 and 0.937 in the species Quercus aegilops and Quercus infectoria, respectively. Thus, according to Runkel’s ratio, the edible acorn was better in paper pulp manufacturing and the paper compared with the acorns.The qualitative traits also contributed to the diagnosis and isolation of two studied species.

Keywords: Genus oak, Quercus aegilops L., Quercus infectoria Oliv., maceration, macrotome, phenotypic traits

Key findings: The species Quercus aegilops and Quercus infectoria’s scrutiny for quantitative and qualitative differences in their wood can help distinguish the phenotypically same species. The Quercus infectoria acorns have lengthier vascular components than edible oak wood. The edible oak had higher ratios of the vessel element cavity diameter, the inner diameter of the inserted holes, and the fibers’ length and diameter than the gall and stump oak. Acorn galls had thicker fiber walls than edible oak galls.