Biology:Quercus austrina

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Short description: Species of oak tree

Quercus austrina
Quercus austrina 55493568.jpg
Scientific classification edit
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. austrina
Binomial name
Quercus austrina
Quercus austrina distribution map.png
Natural range for Quercus austrina
Synonyms[2]
  • Quercus durandii var. austrina (Small) E.J.Palmer

Quercus austrina, the bastard white oak[3] or bluff oak, is an oak species that is endemic to the southeastern United States from Mississippi to the Carolinas, with a few isolated populations in Arkansas.[4][5]

Quercus austrina can grow to a height of 45 to 60 feet (13.5–18 meters) with a spread of 35 to 50 feet (10.5–15 m). Leaves are narrow, with shallow rounded lobes. It tends to grow in wet habitats, such as on river bluffs, river bottoms, and flatwoods, and generally over basic substrates, such as mafic rocks, shells, or calcareous sediment.[4][6]

Quercus austrina specimens have often been misidentified as either Q. sinuata or Q. nigra.[4]

Quercus austrina is tolerant to clay, sand, loam, acidic, and well-drained soils. Also, it requires a lot of sun and its drought tolerance is high.[7]

National champion

The largest known bluff oak in the United States appeared on the National Register of Champion Trees in 2015. Located in Wakulla, Florida, the national champion specimen of Quercus austrina was nominated in 2009 by George Apthorp and crowned on September 1, 2015. It was last measured in 2014. By that time, the champion tree had attained a trunk circumference of 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m), a height of 129 ft (39 m) and a crown spread of 70 feet.[8] The American Forests formula for assigning point scores to nominated trees is trunk circumference (in inches) + height (in feet) + ​14 average crown spread (in feet), resulted in an overall score of 275 points.

References

Wikidata ☰ Q2013403 entry