''Quercus myrtifolia'', the myrtle oak, is a North American species of

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 ...

. It is native to the southeastern United States (

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 ...

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

). It is often found in coastal areas on sandy soils. It is an

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...

tree that can reach tall, also appearing as a

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

in drier sites. It has

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, ...

with no teeth or lobes, which are hairless on the upperside and also on the underside except along the veins. Quercus myrtifolia mosbo6

Taxonomy

This plant was first identified by

Carl Ludwig von Willdenow Carl Ludwig Willdenow (22 August 1765 – 10 July 1812) was a German botanist, pharmacist, and plant taxonomist. He is considered one of the founders of phytogeography, the study of the geographic distribution of plants. Willdenow was also ...

. Some synonyms for ''Quercus myrtifolia'' are ''Quercus nitida'', ''Quercus aquatica'' var. ''myrtifolia'', ''Quercus myrtifolia'' f. ''ampla'', ''Quercus phellos'' var. ''arenaria'', and ''Quercus phellos'' var. ''myrtifolia''. The common name is the Myrtle Oak

Description

The Myrtle Oak often grows as a shrub, but can also take the form of a tree. In maturity it grows to tall and wide. It is considered a red oak. The leaves are simple alternate. They appear dark green with a yellow-green underside. The leaves have a leathery texture, and an obovate shape. There are small hairs on the underside of the leaves. The acorns are about long, and mature in 18 months. Small green flowers bloom in April–May. It has a grey smooth stem that furrows in maturity. Twigs can be reddish brown when they are younger. A commonly associated oak of ''Q. myrtifolia'' is ''Quercus geminata''. However, the leaf of ''Q. geminata'' is a narrow elliptic shape and has a wrinkled appearance. ''Quercus myrtifolia'' also grows better in shaded and upper dune environments.

Distribution

''Quercus myrtifolia'' is present in the southeastern United States. It occurs in sandy soils along coastlines up to above sea level. Habitats are dry sandy ridges in scrub oak forests with yellow pines, and dry-site hardwood forests. The most common trees it grows with are ''Quercus incana'', ''Quercus laevis'', ''Quercus marilandica'', ''Quercus margaretta'', ''Quercus geminata'', and ''Quercus virginiana''.

Uses

This plant is mostly used in gardening as a backdrop or accent plant. It is very low maintenance and its evergreen leaves provide cover during the winter. It may also have medicinal uses. The bark may be used as an

antiseptic An antiseptic ( and ) is an antimicrobial substance or compound that is applied to living tissue to reduce the possibility of sepsis, infection, or putrefaction. Antiseptics are generally distinguished from ''antibiotics'' by the latter's abil ...

and hemostatic. It may even be useful for treating tooth aches, gastropathies, burns, and reduce inflammation. These types of medicinal uses are typical of many oak trees.

Climate resiliency

Increased levels of CO2 in the environment of ''Quercus myrtifolia'' led to a decrease in leaf area. Additionally, this also led to an increase in sugar and starch content. Higher levels of CO2 led to lower occurrence of leaf asymmetry this can better protect leaves from leaf miners. Prescribed burns may be beneficial to the recruitment of Q. ''myrtifolia'' seedlings. It is also possible that mature Myrtle Oaks eventually stop producing acorns making fires important for the growth of new trees. Prescribed burns may be beneficial to the recruitment of Q. ''myrtifolia'' seedlings. ''Quercus myrtifolia'' displays resiliency to prescribed and lightning caused burns on the Florida

Lake Wales Ridge The Lake Wales Ridge, sometimes referred to as the Mid-Florida Ridge,Eastern States Archaeological Federation. ''Archaeology of Eastern North America, Volume 11'', p. 54 is a sand ridge running for about south to north in Central Florida. Clearl ...

. After palmetto scrub fires ''Q. myrtifolia'' managed to reach preburn values within 5 years. Seasonal drought can have a large impact on the ''Q. myrtifolia''. A dry spring season is known to greatly decrease its growth rate. Myrtle Oak is also considered to be extremely wind resistant.

Pests

A variety of insects feed on the Myrtle Oak including oak skeletonizer,

leaf miner A leaf miner is any one of numerous species of insects in which the larval stage lives in, and eats, the leaf tissue of plants. The vast majority of leaf-mining insects are moths (Lepidoptera), sawflies (Symphyta, a paraphyletic group which ...

, galls, oak lace bugs, borers, and

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder ...

s. Burrowing beach mice threaten acorns even when protected by cages. Hibiscus mealybugs are also known to host in the tree. Like all oaks, ''Quercus myrtifolia'' is susceptible to oak wilt. Seeds with holes in them may be infested with weevils.

Cultivation

The Myrtle Oak can be used as an accent plant in garden settings. Despite this it is rarely available in nurseries. If growing a Myrtle Oak one should plant in full sun and well drained soil. It is very drought resistant. If it is planted outside it should be protected from pests, and buried at a depth equal to the diameter of 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 ...

Conservation

Myrtle Oak is considered critically imperiled in South Carolina, imperiled in Mississippi, and vulnerable in Georgia.

References

External links

Atlas of Florida Vascular PlantsFlorida Native Plant SocietyPollen LibraryDiscover Life
{{Taxonbar, from=Q6371836 myrtifolia Trees of Northern America Plants described in 1805