Quercus john-tuckeri
Encyclopedia
Quercus john-tuckeri is a species of oak
known by the common name Tucker oak, or Tucker's oak. Previously known as Quercus turbinella ssp. californica
, it was elevated to species status in 1994. It is endemic to California
, where it grows in the chaparral
and oak woodlands of mountain slopes in the Transverse Ranges
, the southernmost Central Coast Ranges, and the margins of the Mojave Desert
.
growing 2 to 5 meters in maximum height, sometimes becoming treelike, exceeding six meters. The branches are gray or brown, the twigs coated in short woolly fibers when new and becoming scaly with age. The evergreen leaves are leathery and thick, sometimes brittle. They are gray-green in color, the lower surface slightly paler. The undersides are hairy, the upper surfaces somewhat less so. The leaf blade is roughly oval, spine-toothed, and less than 4 centimeters long. The fruit is an acorn
with a thin cap 1 to 1.5 centimeters wide and a nut 2 to 3 centimeters long.
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
known by the common name Tucker oak, or Tucker's oak. Previously known as Quercus turbinella ssp. californica
Quercus turbinella
Quercus turbinella is a species of oak known by the common names Sonoran scrub oak and shrub live oak. It is native to northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United States from far eastern California to southwest Colorado, Rio Grande New Mexico, to west Texas.-Distribution:Quercus turbinella...
, it was elevated to species status in 1994. It is endemic to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it grows in the chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
and oak woodlands of mountain slopes in the Transverse Ranges
Transverse Ranges
The Transverse Ranges are a group of mountain ranges of southern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region that runs along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico in North America. The Transverse Ranges begin at the southern end of the California Coast Ranges and lie between...
, the southernmost Central Coast Ranges, and the margins of the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
.
Description
Quercus john-tuckeri is a bushy shrubShrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
growing 2 to 5 meters in maximum height, sometimes becoming treelike, exceeding six meters. The branches are gray or brown, the twigs coated in short woolly fibers when new and becoming scaly with age. The evergreen leaves are leathery and thick, sometimes brittle. They are gray-green in color, the lower surface slightly paler. The undersides are hairy, the upper surfaces somewhat less so. The leaf blade is roughly oval, spine-toothed, and less than 4 centimeters long. The fruit is an acorn
Acorn
The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives . It usually contains a single seed , enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad...
with a thin cap 1 to 1.5 centimeters wide and a nut 2 to 3 centimeters long.