Quercus palmeri
Encyclopedia
Quercus palmeri is a species of oak
known by the common name Palmer oak, or Palmer's oak. It is native to California
, Baja California
, and in Arizona
through the transition zone
to the eastern Mogollon Rim
, where it grows in canyons, mountain slopes, washes, and other dry habitat types.
or small tree generally growing 2 or 3 meters tall, but known to reach 6 meters at times. It branches into angular twigs and is reddish brown in color. The leaves are 1 to 3 centimeters in length. They are stiff, leathery, and brittle, their edges wavy with sharp spine-teeth. The upper surface is shiny, waxy, and olive green in color, the lower gray-green and coated with glandular hairs. The fruit is an acorn
with a hairy cap up to 2.5 centimeters wide and a blunt-ended nut 2 to 3 centimeters long.
This oak usually grows in small populations, some of which are actually cloned
growths of a single plant. One such clone in the Jurupa Mountains
in Riverside County, California
, named the Jurupa Oak
, was determined to be over 13,000 years old, a single individual living as a relict
from the Pleistocene
. It is therefore one of the oldest living plants in the world.
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 Palmer oak, or Palmer's oak. It is native 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...
, Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, and in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
through the transition zone
Arizona transition zone
The Arizona transition zone, or Transition zone is a diagonal northwest-by-southeast region across central Arizona. The region is a transition from the higher elevation Colorado Plateau to the northeast in Northeast Arizona and the Basin and Range region of southwest and south regions of lower...
to the eastern Mogollon Rim
Mogollon Rim
The Mogollon Rim is a topographical and geological feature running across the U.S. state of Arizona. It extends approximately from northern Yavapai County eastward to near the border with New Mexico.-Description:...
, where it grows in canyons, mountain slopes, washes, and other dry habitat types.
Description
Quercus palmeri is a 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...
or small tree generally growing 2 or 3 meters tall, but known to reach 6 meters at times. It branches into angular twigs and is reddish brown in color. The leaves are 1 to 3 centimeters in length. They are stiff, leathery, and brittle, their edges wavy with sharp spine-teeth. The upper surface is shiny, waxy, and olive green in color, the lower gray-green and coated with glandular hairs. 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 hairy cap up to 2.5 centimeters wide and a blunt-ended nut 2 to 3 centimeters long.
This oak usually grows in small populations, some of which are actually cloned
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
growths of a single plant. One such clone in the Jurupa Mountains
Jurupa Mountains
The Jurupa Mountains are a mountain range in northwestern Riverside County, California, United States. The northern flanks of the range extend into neighboring San Bernardino County...
in Riverside County, California
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
, named the Jurupa Oak
Jurupa Oak
The Jurupa Oak is a clonal colony of Quercus palmeri trees in Riverside County, southern California. The Oak colony has survived an estimated 13,000 years through clonal reproduction, following burning in wildfires....
, was determined to be over 13,000 years old, a single individual living as a relict
Relict
A relict is a surviving remnant of a natural phenomenon.* In biology a relict is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas....
from the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
. It is therefore one of the oldest living plants in the world.