Source: Wikipedia
| California scrub oak | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fagales |
| Family: | Fagaceae |
| Genus: | Quercus |
| Subgenus: | Quercus subg. Quercus |
| Section: | Quercus sect. Quercus |
| Species: | Q. berberidifolia
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| Binomial name | |
| Quercus berberidifolia | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
Quercus berberidifolia, the California scrub oak, is a small evergreen or semi-evergreen shrubby oak in the white oak section of Quercus. It is native to California and common in chaparral.
Description
[edit]Quercus berberidifolia grows to 1–2 metres (3+1⁄2–6+1⁄2 ft) tall, rarely to 4 m (13 ft).[3] In cooler, more exposed areas, scrub oak is usually a small, compact shrub, but in warm or sheltered areas the plant can spread out and grow several metres high.[4]
It has oval to egg-shaped, sharply toothed, dull green leaves which are 1.4–3 centimetres (1⁄2–1+1⁄8 inches) long[3] and 1–2 cm (1⁄2–1 in) broad, leathery on their top surfaces and somewhat hairy underneath. Male and female catkins grow on the same plant, blooming as at the leaves unfurl.[3]
The solitary or paired brown acorns are 1–3 cm (1⁄2–1 in) long[3] and 1–2 cm (1⁄2–1 in) broad, and pointed or egg-shaped with thin caps when mature; they mature in about 6–8 months after pollination.[4]
Similar species
[edit]The species is often known simply as scrub oak, a name also applied to other Quercus species, especially several which were formerly grouped under the single name Q. dumosa; all are found in scrubby habitats. Many other scrub-type oaks may be found in these regions, and careful inspection is required to identify individuals of Q. berberidifolia and its hybrids.[citation needed]
Etymology
[edit]The epithet berberidifolia means 'barberry-leaved', referring to the spiny leaf margins characteristic of Q. berberidifolia as well as of several species of Berberis.
Distribution and habitat
[edit]It is a native of the scrubby hills of California and a common member of chaparral ecosystems.[5]
Ecology
[edit]Quercus berberidifolia sometimes hybridizes with other species.
Uses
[edit]In culture
[edit]The word chaparral is derived from the Spanish word for scrub oak, chaparro. The non-specific meaning of the term is 'short in stature'. Because most scrub vegetation is rather low growing, the term is broadly applied to all of the vegetation in chaparral communities.[citation needed]
References
[edit]- ^ Beckman, E. (2020). "Quercus berberidifolia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T194068A173545406. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T194068A173545406.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "Quercus berberidifolia Liebm.". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – via The Plant List. Note that this website has been superseded by World Flora Online
- ^ a b c d e Turner, Mark; Kuhlmann, Ellen (2014). Trees & Shrubs of the Pacific Northwest (1st ed.). Portland, OR: Timber Press. p. 190. ISBN 978-1-60469-263-1.
- ^ a b Nixon, Kevin C. (1997). "Quercus berberidifolia". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 3. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
- ^ "Quercus berberidifolia". Calflora. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database.