''Quercus ajoensis'' is an uncommon North American shrub with the common name Ajo Mountain shrub oak. It has been found in

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...

mountain ranges of the Colorado desert, and Arizona uplands of the

Sonoran desert The Sonoran Desert ( es, Desierto de Sonora) is a desert in North America and ecoregion that covers the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the southwestern United States (in Arizon ...

. ''Q. ajoensis'' integrates with ''

Q. turbinella ''Quercus turbinella'' is a North American species of oak known by the common names shrub oak, turbinella oak, shrub live oak, and gray oak. It is native to Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and Nevada in the western United States ...

'' and is difficult to determine specimen identification due to hybridization. It appears that this species is an elevation variant of ''Q. turbinella'' and is best treated as a subspecies or variety as it has been treated in the past. The status of ''Q. ajoensis'' as a species is probably unnecessary due to complete integration with ''Q. turbinella'' or it being a low elevation variant of ''Q. turbinella''. ''Q. ajoensis'' is usually a shrub but occasionally attains the stature of small trees up to 3 metres (10 feet) tall. The leaves are narrowly egg-shaped, up to 5 centimetres (2 inches) long, with sharp pointed teeth. The species is named for the Ajo Mountains in western Pima County, Arizona, southwest of the town of

Ajo Ajo, Ajó, or AJO may refer to: Places * Ajo, Arizona, a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, US ** Ajo Peak, a mountain peak in southern Arizona ** Little Ajo Mountains, a mountain range in southern Arizona ** Ajo Unified School Di ...

. The species does not occur as an identifiable species outside the Ajo mountain range and most specimens are of integrated types with ''Q. turbinella''. The word "ajo" is Spanish for "garlic."

References

External links

photo of herbarium specimen at Missouri Botanical Garden, collected in Arizona in 1952
{{Taxonbar, from=Q6322733 ajoensis Flora of Arizona Plants described in 1954 Flora of Baja California Sur Oaks of Mexico