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lateleaf oak

turkey oak

Habit Trees, evergreen. Trees or shrubs, deciduous, to 20 m. Bark bluish gray, deeply furrowed, inner bark orangish or reddish.
Bark

gray, furrowed.

Twigs

dark reddish brown, 1.5-2.5 mm diam., densely pubescent.

dark reddish brown with distinct grayish cast, (1.5-)2-3.5(-4) mm diam., sparsely pubescent to almost glabrous.

Leaves

blade broadly elliptic or obovate, widest at or distal to middle, planar, 50-100 × 20-70 mm, base cordate or occasionally rounded, margins with 3-4 lobes with shallow sinuses, 6-12 awns, apex acute or obtuse;

surfaces abaxially conspicuously tomentose, primary and secondary veins raised, adaxially somewhat rugose, glabrate.

blade circular or broadly ovate-elliptic, widest near or proximal to middle, 100-200 × 80-150 mm, base attenuate to acute, occasionally obtuse or rounded, blade decurrent on petiole, margins with 3-7(-9) lobes and 7-20 awns, lobes attenuate to falcate, occasionally oblong or distally expanded, apex acute to acuminate;

surfaces abaxially occasionally orange-scurfy, usually glabrous except for conspicuous axillary tufts of tomentum, adaxially glabrous, secondary veins raised on both surfaces.

Acorns

biennial, immature acorns in pairs, mature acorns not known.

biennial;

cup somewhat goblet-shaped, 9-14 mm high × 16-24 mm wide, covering 1/3 nut, outer surface puberulent, inner surface pubescent, scales occasionally tuberculate, tips loose, especially at margin of cup, acute, margin conspicuously involute;

nut ovoid to broadly ellipsoid, 17-28 × 12-18 mm, often faintly striate, glabrate, scar diam. 6-10 mm.

Terminal

buds brown or reddish brown, ellipsoid or ovoid, 3.5-5.5 mm, apex hairy, scales with ciliate margins.

buds light brown to reddish brown, conic or narrowly ovoid-ellipsoid, 5.5-12 mm, pubescent.

Quercus tardifolia

Quercus laevis

Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering early to mid spring.
Habitat Wooded arroyos Dry sandy soils of barrens, sandhills, and well-drained ridges
Elevation 2000 m (6600 ft) 0-150 m (0-500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
TX
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Quercus tardifolia was reported from Mexico (Coahuila) (A. M. Powell 1988), but I have not seen the specimens. It should be expected in the ranges (e.g., Sierra del Carmen) adjacent to the Big Bend area.

This distinctive species is apparently quite infrequent, only two small clumps being known from the Chisos Mountains (C. H. Muller 1951). Recent efforts to locate Quercus tardifolia have not been successful (M. Powell, pers. comm.). Its status is also in question; Muller and K. C. Nixon (pers. comm.) think that it might be a hybrid between Quercus gravesii and Q. hypoxantha.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Quercus laevis reportedly hybridizes with Q. falcata (= Q. ×blufftonensis Trelease), Q. hemisphaerica, Q. incana, and Q. marilandica (C. S. Sargent 1918); with Q. nigra; and with Q. arkansana, Q. coccinea, Q. myrtifolia, Q. phellos, Q. shumardii, and Q. velutina (D. M. Hunt 1989).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Fagaceae > Quercus > sect. Lobatae Fagaceae > Quercus > sect. Lobatae
Sibling taxa
Q. acerifolia, Q. agrifolia, Q. ajoensis, Q. alba, Q. arizonica, Q. arkansana, Q. austrina, Q. berberidifolia, Q. bicolor, Q. boyntonii, Q. buckleyi, Q. carmenensis, Q. chapmanii, Q. chihuahuensis, Q. chrysolepis, Q. coccinea, Q. cornelius-mulleri, Q. depressipes, Q. douglasii, Q. dumosa, Q. durata, Q. ellipsoidalis, Q. emoryi, Q. engelmannii, Q. falcata, Q. fusiformis, Q. gambelii, Q. garryana, Q. geminata, Q. georgiana, Q. graciliformis, Q. gravesii, Q. grisea, Q. havardii, Q. hemisphaerica, Q. hinckleyi, Q. hypoleucoides, Q. ilicifolia, Q. imbricaria, Q. incana, Q. inopina, Q. intricata, Q. john-tuckeri, Q. kelloggii, Q. laceyi, Q. laevis, Q. laurifolia, Q. lobata, Q. lyrata, Q. macrocarpa, Q. margarettae, Q. marilandica, Q. michauxii, Q. minima, Q. mohriana, Q. montana, Q. muehlenbergii, Q. myrtifolia, Q. nigra, Q. oblongifolia, Q. oglethorpensis, Q. pacifica, Q. pagoda, Q. palmeri, Q. palustris, Q. phellos, Q. polymorpha, Q. prinoides, Q. pumila, Q. pungens, Q. robur, Q. robusta, Q. rubra, Q. rugosa, Q. sadleriana, Q. shumardii, Q. similis, Q. sinuata, Q. stellata, Q. texana, Q. tomentella, Q. toumeyi, Q. turbinella, Q. vacciniifolia, Q. vaseyana, Q. velutina, Q. viminea, Q. virginiana, Q. wislizenii
Q. acerifolia, Q. agrifolia, Q. ajoensis, Q. alba, Q. arizonica, Q. arkansana, Q. austrina, Q. berberidifolia, Q. bicolor, Q. boyntonii, Q. buckleyi, Q. carmenensis, Q. chapmanii, Q. chihuahuensis, Q. chrysolepis, Q. coccinea, Q. cornelius-mulleri, Q. depressipes, Q. douglasii, Q. dumosa, Q. durata, Q. ellipsoidalis, Q. emoryi, Q. engelmannii, Q. falcata, Q. fusiformis, Q. gambelii, Q. garryana, Q. geminata, Q. georgiana, Q. graciliformis, Q. gravesii, Q. grisea, Q. havardii, Q. hemisphaerica, Q. hinckleyi, Q. hypoleucoides, Q. ilicifolia, Q. imbricaria, Q. incana, Q. inopina, Q. intricata, Q. john-tuckeri, Q. kelloggii, Q. laceyi, Q. laurifolia, Q. lobata, Q. lyrata, Q. macrocarpa, Q. margarettae, Q. marilandica, Q. michauxii, Q. minima, Q. mohriana, Q. montana, Q. muehlenbergii, Q. myrtifolia, Q. nigra, Q. oblongifolia, Q. oglethorpensis, Q. pacifica, Q. pagoda, Q. palmeri, Q. palustris, Q. phellos, Q. polymorpha, Q. prinoides, Q. pumila, Q. pungens, Q. robur, Q. robusta, Q. rubra, Q. rugosa, Q. sadleriana, Q. shumardii, Q. similis, Q. sinuata, Q. stellata, Q. tardifolia, Q. texana, Q. tomentella, Q. toumeyi, Q. turbinella, Q. vacciniifolia, Q. vaseyana, Q. velutina, Q. viminea, Q. virginiana, Q. wislizenii
Synonyms Q. catesbaei
Name authority C. H. Muller: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 63: 154. (1936) Walter: Fl. Carol., 234. (1788)
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