Quercus laevis

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Family:FAGACEAE
Species:Quercus laevis Walter
Common Name:Turkey Oak
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Tree
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:QULA2
Plant Notes:Turkey Oak is a native deciduous tree in the Beech family (Fagaceae). It can be found in the southern two-thirds of Alabama. Turkey Oak occurs in xeric (very dry) longleaf pine woodlands, scrub oak sandhills, on dunes, and on shallow soils of rock outcrops. It is a member of the red oak group. The acorns require two years to mature and are higher in tannins than those of the white oak group. Turkey Oak usually has a single trunk. Trees can grow to 60 feet in height, but are usually in the 20-30 foot range. The bark is dark gray and deeply furrowed. Turkey Oak has large sharply lobed leaves that are turned at a ninety-degree angle to the direct rays of the sun at noon. The leaves are alternate, petiolate, thick in texture, and glabrous except for tuffs of hairs in the axils of the veins on the lower surface. The leaves ovate to elliptic in outline and have three to seven large, bristle-tipped lobes. They somewhat resemble the tract of a bird. The leaves often turn bright red or yellow in the autumn. They turn brown after several frosts and remain on the tree until spring. Turkey Oak produces greenish-yellow catkins of male flowers in the spring. Female flowers are sessile or short stalked in the axils of the leaves. The fruit is an acorn. The acorns are about one inch in length, and have a high crude fat content. They are a valuable food source for animals. The bark of Turkey Oak is relatively thick and protects the tree from ground fires. Turkey Oak grows best in full sun in well drained soils. It is sometimes available from native plant nurseries or can be grown from seed. Seedling develop deep tap roots and are not easily transplanted.--A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Native
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyFAGACEAE - Beech family
Genus Quercus
Species Quercus laevis Walter - Turkey Oak

Citation

Citation Quercus laevis Walter, Fl. Carol. 234. 1788.
Basionym: **
Type: USA: SOUTH CAROLINA: Lexington Co.: Bluefield Road, 21 Sep 1987, Hill 18860 (neotype: GH; isoneotypes: MO, NCU, NY, USCH). Neotypified by D. B. Ward, J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 2: 482. 2008.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Quercus catesbaei Quercus catesbaei Michaux, Hist. Chênes Amér. Quercus no. 17, pl. 29. 1801.  

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Autauga, Baldwin, Bibb, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Elmore, Escambia, Etowah, Geneva, Hale, Henry, Houston, Lee, Macon, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pike, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, Washington

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AUA, JSU, SAMF, TROY, UNA, USAM, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1950 - 1998

Barcode / Accession No.
County
Coll. Date
Collector &
Collection No.
Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used
Image
UNA00032448 Autauga 09 Jul 1987 Haynes, Robert R.
9219		 UNA
Quercus laevis Walt.
TROY000020130 Autauga 06 Oct 2006 Keener, Brian R.
3128		 TROY
Quercus laevis Walter
UNA00066902 Autauga 06 Oct 2006 Keener, Brian R.
3128		 UNA
Quercus laevis Walt.
UWAL0007691 Autauga 06 Oct 2006 Keener, Brian R.
3128		 UWAL
Quercus laevis Walt.
UWAL0039565 Autauga 03 Nov 2016 Parker, Matthew R.
282		 UWAL
Quercus laevis Walter
UWAL0047041 Autauga 03 Nov 2016 Parker, Matthew R.
282		 UWAL
Quercus laevis Walter
UNA00032498 Baldwin 18 Mar 1950 Stallard, W.A.
12		 UNA
Quercus laevis Walt.
USAM000006890 Baldwin 09 Sep 1967 LeLong, Michel G.
3729		 USAM
Quercus laevis Walter
AUA_ACC_5463 Baldwin 27 Jul 1968 SCARSBROOK, ELLEN
 AUA
QUERCUS LAEVIS WALT.
JSU123503 Baldwin 17 Aug 1976 Atkinson, Tim A.
1911		 JSU
Quercus laevis Walter
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