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Quercus acerifolia
Also called Maple-leaved Oak
Quercus acerifolia (also called maple-leaf oak) is a rare North American species of oak in the red oak section of Quercus (known as Lobatae). The species was first described in 1927 from samples collected by E.J. Palmer in the Ozark Mountains. The initial documentation classified the species as Quercus shumardii var. acerifolia. The species was first perceived as a variant of Shumard oak due to its similar foliage and ranges. Over two decades later, the tree was re-evaluated by botanists Nick Alan Stoynoff and William J. Hess, who determined that it was a distinct species. Their case for reclassification was presented in the paper, "A New Status for Quercus shumardii var. acerifolia (Fagaceae)," published in the journal Sida in 1990. The reclassification was based on the tree's unique ecological and morphological characteristics including leaf shape, acorn size, and ecological niche.
Maple-leaf oak is endemic to the Ouachita Mountains of the State of Arkansas. The geographic distribution of this species is remarkably limited. Its range covers just 24 square kilometers across locations including Sugarloaf Mountain, Magazine Mountain, Pryor Mountain, and Porter Mountain within the Ouachita Mountains. This species grows primarily on xeric sites, occupying high elevation woodland habitats with dry and rocky soils. This restricted distribution is a significant contributing factor to its endangerment status.
Quercus acatenangensis · Quercus acherdophylla · Quercus acrodonta · Quercus aculcingensis · Red Wood Evergreen Oak · Quercus acutangula · Quercus acutifolia · Sawtooth oak · Quercus aerea · African Oak · Quercus affinis · Coast Live Oak
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Quercus acerifolia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
