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Quercus arizonica

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Kingdom
  
Plantae

Family
  
Fagaceae

Section
  
Quercus

Higher classification
  
Oak

Order
  
Fagales

Genus
  
Quercus

Scientific name
  
Quercus arizonica

Rank
  
Species

Quercus arizonica Arizona White Oak Quercus arizonica

Similar
  
Oak, Quercus emoryi, Quercus hypoleucoides, Quercus oblongifolia, Quercus grisea

Quercus arizonica, the Arizona white oak, is a North American tree species in the beech family. It is found in Arizona, New Mexico, western Texas, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sinaloa, and Durango.

Contents

Quercus arizonica Arizona White Oak Quercus arizonica iNaturalistorg

Description

Quercus arizonica httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

The Arizona white oak is one of the largest southwestern oaks. It is a perennial tree and may grow up to 60 ft (18 meters) with a trunk diameter of 3.3 ft (1 meter). It also contains fat branches and a spreading crown along with thick leaves. The thick leaves are about 3.2 inches (13 mm) long and evergreen. It grows very slowly once it has become mature, approximately 0.1 inches per year in diameter.

Quercus arizonica Vascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness Quercus arizonica

  • 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 1 1⁄2 to 3 1⁄2 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, meaning that male and female organs are in different flowers on the same tree. Female flowers have small spike in the axils of the leaves. Males flowers are found in long drooping catkins that are yellowish green color.

    • Cultivation

    Quercus arizonica Arizona White Oak Quercus arizonica

    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

    Quercus arizonica Vascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness Quercus arizonica

    When Arizona white oaks are 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 an ornamental plant.

    References

    Quercus arizonica Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA