''Quercus trojana'', the Macedonian oak, is a species of plant in the oak and beech family (
Fagaceae
The Fagaceae (; ) are a family of flowering plants that includes beeches, chestnuts and oaks, and comprises eight genera with around 1,000 or more species. Fagaceae in temperate regions are mostly deciduous, whereas in the tropics, many species ...
). It is native to southeast
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
and southwest
Asia
Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
''Quercus trojana'' is a small to medium-sized tree reaching tall. It is late
deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...
leaves
A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...
long and 1.5–4 cm broad, coarsely serrated at the margins and with sharply pointed teeth. The
acorn
The acorn is the nut (fruit), nut of the oaks and their close relatives (genera ''Quercus'', ''Notholithocarpus'' and ''Lithocarpus'', in the family Fagaceae). It usually contains a seedling surrounded by two cotyledons (seedling leaves), en ...
s are 2–4 cm long when mature (about 18 months after pollination) with a scaly acorn cup.
File:Quercus trojana (20).JPG, Shoot with leaves and buds
File:Quercus trojana leaf.JPG, Shoot with leaves
File:Quercus trojana6.jpg, Ripe Acorn
File:Quercus trojana (8).JPG, Bark
Taxonomy
''Quercus trojana'' was first described by P.B. Webb from the
Troad
The Troad ( or ; , ''Troáda'') or Troas (; , ''Trōiás'' or , ''Trōïás'') is a historical region in northwestern Anatolia. It corresponds with the Biga Peninsula ( Turkish: ''Biga Yarımadası'') in the Çanakkale Province of modern Tur ...
, in 1839. Three well-differentiated subspecies are known, two of which are highly endemic.
* ''Quercus trojana'' subsp. ''trojana''.
* ''Quercus trojana'' subsp. ''euboica'' (Papaioannou) K.I.Chr: Native to
Euboea
Euboea ( ; , ), also known by its modern spelling Evia ( ; , ), is the second-largest Greek island in area and population, after Crete, and the sixth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is separated from Boeotia in mainland Greece by ...
. Possibly a distinct species, in this case ''Quercus euboica''.
* ''Quercus trojana'' subsp. ''yaltirikii'' Ziel., Petrova & D.Tomasz: Endemic to southern Anatolia.
It is closely related to '' Quercus libani'' and, less closely, to other ''Cerris'' oaks, such as '' Quercus cerris, Quercus castaneifolia'' and ''
Quercus ithaburensis
''Quercus ithaburensis'', the Mount Tabor oak, is a tree in the beech family Fagaceae. It is found from southeastern Italy to the Levant. It is the national tree of Jordan. Two subspecies are accepted, ''Quercus ithaburensis'' subsp. ''ithaburens ...
''.
Distribution and habitat
The species is distributed from southern
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
east across the southern
Balkans
The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
(
Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
,
Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
,
Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
,
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...
and
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
) to western
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. Its range is disjunct, with its two main centres in the western Balkans and northwest Anatolia. It grows at low to moderate altitudes (up to in the south of the range in southwestern Turkey), and prefers warm, dry localities.Jerzy Zieliński, Ana Petrova and Dominik Tomaszewski 2006. ''Quercus trojana'' subsp. ''yaltirikii'' (Fagaceae), a New Subspecies from Southern Turkey. Willdenowia 36:845-849 /ref>
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
, which is of early
Pliocene
The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58 A semi-fastigiate cultivar 'Iturraran Trinkoa' has been selected at the Iturraran Botanical Garden in the Basque region of Spain.
References
External links
''Quercus trojana'' - information, genetic conservation units and related resources.
European Forest Genetic Resources Programme
European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN) is an international network that promotes the conservation and sustainable use of forest genetic resources in Europe as an integral part of sustainable forest management. It was established ...