Quercus berberidifolia

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

Quercus berberidifolia grows to tall, rarely to . 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.

It has oval to egg-shaped, sharply toothed, dull green leaves which are long and 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.

The solitary or paired brown acorns are long and broad, and pointed or egg-shaped with thin caps when mature; they mature in about 6–8 months after pollination.

Similar species

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.

Etymology

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

It is a native of the scrubby hills of California and a common member of chaparral ecosystems.

Ecology

Quercus berberidifolia sometimes hybridizes with other species.

Uses

The acorn is edible.

In culture

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.

External links

• Template:Jepson Manual
• New York Times article: Oldest Scrub Oak through self cloning