Quercus fusiformis

Texas live oak
An old Texas live oak at the Alamo
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Fagaceae
Genus: Quercus
Section: Quercus
Series: Virentes
Species: Q. fusiformis
Binomial name
Quercus fusiformis

Quercus fusiformis (also often referred to as Q. virginiana var. fusiformis), commonly known as Texas live oak, escarpment live oak, plateau live oak, or plateau oak, is an evergreen or nearly evergreen tree. Its native range includes the Quartz Mountains and Wichita Mountains in southwestern Oklahoma,[1] through Texas, to the Mexican states of Coahuila, Tamaulipas, and Nuevo León.

This live oak in the white oak section of the genus Quercus is distinguished from Quercus virginiana (southern live oak) most easily by the acorns, which are slightly larger and with a more pointed apex. It is also a smaller tree, not exceeding 1 m in trunk diameter (to 2.5 m diameter in southern live oak), with more erect branching and a less wide crown.

Texas live oak is typically found on dry sites, unlike southern live oak, which prefers moister conditions. The tree is generally accepted to be the hardiest evergreen oak, able to withstand very cold winters with minimal leaf burn in areas as cold as USDA zone 6a.

References

  1. ↑ Bruce Hoagland. "Quercus fusiformis". Oklahoma Biological Survey. Oklahoma Biological Survey. Retrieved October 10, 2012.

External links