''Quercus canbyi'' (Canby oak, Sierra oak),

synonyms A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are ...

including ''Quercus graciliformis'', is a North American species of

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

tree.

Description

''Quercus canbyi'' is a

semi-evergreen Semi-deciduous or semi-evergreen is a botanical term which refers to plants that lose their foliage for a very short period, when old leaves fall off and new foliage growth is starting. This phenomenon occurs in tropical and sub-tropical woody spe ...

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

tree, up to tall in cultivation. Although, it can reach up to in the wild in Mexico. It starts as a pyramidal form and then matures into an open irregular shape. It can reach a spread of wide. The dark, glossy green leaves are long and have serrated edges. The petioles can have a reddish hue. It blooms in March and the

acorn The acorn, or oaknut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives (genera '' Quercus'' and ''Lithocarpus'', in the family Fagaceae). It usually contains one seed (occasionally two seeds), enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and bo ...

s are then seen in August. It has been distinguished from ''Quercus graciliformis'' by its twig shape and by producing acorns biennially rather than annually; however ,

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants ...

regards them as

synonymous A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

Taxonomy

''Quercus canbyi'' was first described by

William Trelease William Trelease (February 22, 1857 – January 1, 1945) was an American botanist, entomologist, explorer, writer and educator. This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation Trel. when citing a botanical name. Trelease was born in Mount ...

in 1924. It is placed in ''Quercus'' section ''Lobatae''.

Distribution

The species has been found only in

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

and in northeast

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

Conservation

''Quercus canbyi'' was assessed in 2016 for the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...

as "

least concern A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. Th ...

". ''Quercus graciliformis'', regarded as a synonym by Plants of the World Online, was assessed as " critically endangered" in 2016.

Cultivation

''Quercus canbyi'' will tolerate most kinds of soils and is used in gardens to provide shade.Howard Garrett

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q6323318, from2=Q3006265 canbyi Flora of Texas Trees of Northeastern Mexico Flora of the Sierra Madre Oriental Oaks of Mexico Plants described in 1924 Taxa named by William Trelease