Quercus gambelii

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Gambel oak

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this 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. gambelii
Binomial name
Quercus gambelii
Natural range of Quercus gambelii
Synonyms[2]
List
  • Quercus gambeli Nutt.
  • Quercus albifolia C.H.Mull.
  • Quercus confusa Wooton & Standl.
  • Quercus eastwoodiae Rydb.
  • Quercus gunnisonii Rydb.
  • Quercus leptophylla Rydb.
  • Quercus marshii C.H.Mull.
  • Quercus media Wooton & Standl.
  • Quercus nitescens Rydb.
  • Quercus novomexicana (A.DC.) Rydb.
  • Quercus obtusifolia (A. DC.) Rydb.
  • Quercus submollis Rydb.
  • Quercus subobtusifolia A.Camus
  • Quercus utahensis (A.DC.) Rydb.
  • Quercus vreelandii Rydb.

Quercus gambelii, with the common name Gambel oak, is a deciduous small tree or large shrub that is widespread in the foothills and lower mountains of western North America. It is also regionally called scrub oak, oak brush, and white oak.[3][4]

The common and scientific names, Gambel oak and Quercus gambelii, were named after the American

naturalist William Gambel (1821–1849).[5]

Description

Gambel oak leaves.
Bark on a mature Gambel oak.

Quercus gambelii trees differ in size from one location to another. The average mature height is from 3–9 metres (10–30 feet), but occasionally reaches heights of 18 m (59 ft) in some locations. Dwarf stands of plants under 1 m (3+1⁄4 ft) tall are common in marginal areas where heavy browsing occurs.[3] The largest trees are found along streams in the southern part of its range, and can reach up to 100 feet tall. The champion tree is in Arizona at 35 m (114 ft) tall. [6]

Although the wood is hard and dense, its branches are irregular and crooked, making them flexible enough to bend without breaking when covered with heavy snow. The bark is rough and brownish-gray.

The

catkins that occur in the spring.[3]

The acorns are 10–20 millimetres (3⁄8–3⁄4 in) long and about one-third to one-half enclosed by a cap or cup (cupule); they mature in September, turning from green to golden brown. The plant reproduces from acorns, but also spreads from root sprouts that grow from vast underground structures called lignotubers. These reproductive characteristics often result in dense groves or thickets of trees that can cover entire mountainsides.[3]

Distribution and habitat

The natural range of Quercus gambelii is centered in the western United States and northwestern Mexico in the states of

Oklahoma Panhandle, Coahuila, and into the Trans-Pecos region of western Texas.[3][4][7][8][9]

The tree typically grows at altitudes of 1,000–3,000 m (3,300–9,800 ft) above sea level where precipitation averages between 30–60 cm (12–24 in) per year.

The species flourishes in full sun on hillsides with thin, rocky, alkaline soil where competition from other plant species is limited. It also does well in richer soils, but in those areas it is forced to compete for growing room. It is well-adapted to locations where wet springs and hot, dry summers create conditions conducive to wildfires.

Ecology

drought tolerant
.

Associated plant species include:

squirrels
.

Where abundant, Gambel oak is an important food source for browsing animals such as

Colorado hairstreak butterfly
uses it as a food source for caterpillars.

Uses

Historically, acorns from Gambel oak provided a reliable source of food for Native Americans.[11] If bitter, tannins can be leached[12] from the acorns.

References

  1. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T194132A2302147.en
    . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Quercus gambelii". 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
  3. ^ a b c d e Nixon, Kevin C. (1997). "Quercus gambelii". 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.
  4. ^ a b Flora of North America: Distribution range map for Quercus gambelii
  5. ^
    ISBN 0394507614
    .
  6. ^ "Gambel Oak (Quercus gambelii)". 15 September 2016.
  7. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Quercus gambelii". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team.
  8. ^ "Quercus gambelii". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014.
  9. ^ SEINet, Southwestern Biodiversity, Arizona chapter
  10. ISBN 0-394-73127-1
    .
  11. ^ BRIT - Native American Ethnobotany Database: Quercus gambelii
  12. OCLC 244766414
    .

External links

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