''Quercus austrina'', the bastard white oak or bluff oak, is an
oak
An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...
species that is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to the
southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and t ...
from
Mississippi
Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
to the
Carolinas
The Carolinas, also known simply as Carolina, are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the southwes ...
, with a few isolated populations in
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
.
''Quercus austrina'' can grow to a height of 45 to 60 feet (13.5–18 meters) with a spread of 35 to 50 feet (10.5–15 m). Leaves are narrow, with shallow rounded lobes. It tends to grow in wet habitats, such as on river bluffs, river bottoms, and flatwoods, and generally over basic substrates, such as mafic rocks, shells, or calcareous sediment.
[Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States by Alan S. Weakley](_blank)
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''Quercus austrina'' specimens have often been misidentified as either '' Q. sinuata'' or ''Q. nigra
Q, or q, is the seventeenth letter of the English alphabet.
Q may also refer to:
People
* Q, pseudonym of Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, the Cornish writer
* Q, pseudonym used by the originator of QAnon, an American far-right conspiracy theory
* Q ...
.''drought tolerance
In botany, drought tolerance is the ability by which a plant maintains its biomass production during arid or drought conditions. Some plants are naturally adapted to dry conditions'','' surviving with protection mechanisms such as desiccation tole ...
is high.
National champion
The largest known bluff oak in the United States appeared on the National Register of Champion Trees
The National Register of Champion Trees is a list of the largest tree specimens found in the United States as reported to American Forests by the public. A tree on this list is called a National Champion Tree.
The National Register of Champion Tr ...
in 2015. Located in Wakulla, Florida, the national champion specimen of ''Quercus austrina'' was nominated in 2009 by George Apthorp and crowned on September 1, 2015. It was last measured in 2014. By that time, the champion tree had attained a trunk circumference of , a height of and a crown spread of 70 feet.American Forests
American Forests is a 501(c)(3) non-profit conservation organization, established in 1875, and dedicated to protecting and restoring healthy forest ecosystems. The current headquarters are in Washington, D.C.
Activities
The mission of America ...
formula for assigning point scores to nominated trees is trunk circumference (in inches) + height (in feet) + average crown spread (in feet), resulted in an overall score of 275 points.
References
austrina
Endemic flora of the United States
Flora of the Southeastern United States
Trees of Northern America
Plants described in 1903
Taxa named by John Kunkel Small
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