Quercus arizonica

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Quercus arizonica
Conservation status

Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Fagaceae
Genus: Quercus
Section: Quercus
Species: Q. arizonica
Binomial name
Quercus arizonica
L.

Quercus arizonica, the Arizona White Oak, is found dominantly in Arizona, southwest New Mexico, northeast Sonora and Chihuahua, all Madrean Sky Islands associated regions. It is a long-lived oak in the family Fagaceae, native to eastern North America. It is one of the largest southwestern oaks.

Description

The Arizona White Oak is a perennial tree and may grow up to 60 ft with a diameter of 33 ft. The Arizona White Oak usually occurs as a native shrub or a medium sized tree. It also contains fat branches and a spreading crown along with thick leaves. The thick leaves are about 3.2 inches long and evergreen. Arizona White Oak grows very slowly once it has become mature, approximately 0.1 inches per year in diameter.

  • Bark: The color is light grayish. The bark is initially thin and lenticeled but later the bark becomes quite thick with shallow fissures and scaly ridges.
  • Twig: Are medium sized. Colors can be light brown, fuzzy; reddish brown. Twigs also have pointy and fat clusters of terminal buds.
  • Leaves: They are alternate, evergreen, simple, and oblong. The color is yellowish green or blueish green. Leaves are usually 11⁄2 to 31⁄2 inches long and they are usually entire or toothed margin. The texture of the leaves are leathery and stiff. The veins are parallel veins that are sunken above and raised beneath. The leaves also have round shaped base. The leaves may begin to shed in late winter or when new leaves begin emerging during spring.
  • Fruits: Oblong acorn that is 1/2 to 1 inch long. Acorns also caps that is shaped like a bowl that takes up 1/3 of the nut. The acorns usually mature around fall. The amount of acorns produced can also vary year to year, one year there may be about 32,000 acorns and the next year there may be very few. The germination of acorns is highly correlated with the amount of moisture during the rainy season.
  • Flowers: They are Monoecious. Female flowers have small spike in the axils of the leaves. Males flowers are found in long drooping catkins that are yellowish green color.

Distribution

The Arizona White Oak is distributed from central Arizona, the Mogollon Rim and White Mountains[2] to mostly southwestern New Mexico, and the associated region of northeast Sonora, the Madrean Sky Islands area. Trees can also be found in southwestern Texas, neighboring Coahuila and Chihuahua; also regions of the northern Sierra Madre Occidental cordillera of Sonora and northwest Chihuahua, and disjunctly at southern Durango.[3]

Cultivation

The Arizona White Oak can be found in a vast array of habitats such as savannas, grasslands, and chaparrals. They are usually found in mountain like areas that are above about 1675 meters in elevation. Water use is low and it requires sun or part shade. Soil moisture must be dry and it must be rocky or sandy soils. Soils may be clay loam, clay, medium loam, or rocky. The Arizona White Oak is both heat and cold tolerant.

Response to fires

Underside of leaves

When Arizona White Oak is small they usually die by fire. The acorns are usually killed by fires as well. The foliage is extremely flammable but larger trees usually survive fires that are not as severe and if a stump survives a fire it will sprout rapidly after its survival.

Threats

The wood decaying fungus Inonotus andersoni affects the Arizona White Oak negatively. Burning and herbicide treatment has also affected the growth of the Arizona white oak, so they are being managed by pinyon-juniper silvicultural systems.

Uses

The wood is usually used for fuel. Since the wood of the Arizona White oak is hard, heavy, and strong, it is rarely used for commercial reasons such as furniture production. The Arizona White Oak is very important to livestock and wildlife because the acorns it produces provide food for cattle and other wildlife. It also provides cover for such animals like deer, turkeys, javelinas, desert sheep, songbirds, and quail. The white tailed deer is also known to utilize it for cover. For white tailed and mule deer the Arizona White Oak is highly palatable as well. The Arizona White Oak can also be used as ornaments because it is attractive.

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See also

  • Linden Oak, possibly the largest living white oak in the United States

References

  1. ↑ "Quercus arizonica", NatureServe Explorer (NatureServe), retrieved 2007-07-06 
  2. ↑ Little. Atlas of United States Trees, Volume 3, Minor Western Hardwoods, Little, Elbert L, 1976, US Government Printing Office. Library of Congress No. 79-653298. Map 131, Quercus arizonica.
  3. ↑ Little. Atlas of United States Trees, Volume 3, Minor Western Hardwoods, Map 131, Quercus arizonica.
  • Little. Atlas of United States Trees, Volume 3, Minor Western Hardwoods, Little, Elbert L, 1976, US Government Printing Office. Library of Congress No. 79-653298. Map 131, Quercus arizonica.

External links

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