FAGACEAE

OAK FAMILY

John M. Tucker

Shrub or tree, monoecious, deciduous or evergreen
Leaves simple, alternate, petioled; margin entire to lobed; stipules small, generally deciduous
Staminate inflorescence: catkin or stiff spike; flowers many
Pistillate inflorescence 1–few-flowered, generally above staminate inflorescence; involucre in fruit generally cup-like or lobed and bur-like, bracts many, generally overlapping, flat or cylindric
Staminate flower: sepals generally 5–6, minute; petals 0; stamens 4–12+
Pistillate flower: calyx generally 6-lobed, minute; petals 0; ovary inferior, style branches generally 3
Fruit: acorn (nut subtended by scaly, cup-like involucre) or 1–3 nuts subtended by spiny, bur-like involucre; nut maturing in 1–2 years
Seed generally 1
Genera in family: 7 genera, ± 900 species: generally n hemisphere. Wood of Quercus critical for pre-20th century ship-building, charcoal for metallurgy; some now supply wood (Fagus, Quercus ), cork (Q. suber ), food (Castanea , chestnut).

QUERCUS

OAK

Evergreen or deciduous
Leaf: stipules small, generally early deciduous
Staminate inflorescences: catkins, 1–several, slender, on proximal part of twig
Pistillate inflorescence axillary among upper leaves, short-stalked; flower generally 1
Staminate flower: calyx 4–6-lobed, minute; stamens 4–10
Pistillate flower: calyx minute, generally 6-lobed; ovary enclosed by involucre
Fruit: acorn, maturing in 1–2 years; nut enclosed by cup-like involucre with thin or tubercled scales
Chromosomes: 2n=24 for all reports
Species in genus: ± 600 species: n hemisphere, to n South America, India
Etymology: (Latin: ancient name for oak)
Many more hybrids have been named but are not included here. Reproduction of many species declining.

Native

Q. dumosa Nutt.

NUTTALL'S SCRUB OAK

Shrub 1–3 m, evergreen; twigs slender (1–1.5 mm diam), sparsely short-hairy, becoming glabrous, dark reddish brown
Leaf 1–2.5 cm; petiole < 5 mm; blade oblong, elliptic, or ± round, tip obtuse to abruptly pointed, margin ± spiny to toothed, teeth abruptly pointed, upper surface slightly shiny, green, lower surface finely tomentose, becoming glabrous, dull, pale green
Fruit maturing in 1 year; cup 8–15 mm wide, 5–8 mm deep, generally bowl-shaped, scales ± tubercled; nut 10–20 mm, ± slender, generally ovoid, tapered to tip, shell glabrous inside
Ecology: Generally sandy soils near coast, sandstone, chaparral, coastal-sage scrub
Elevation: < 200 m.
Bioregional distribution: South Coast
Distribution outside California: Baja California
Hybridizes with Q. berberidifolia.
Horticultural information: In cultivation.