Quercus myrtifolia

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Quercus myrtifolia
Quer myrt.jpg
Photo by Shirley Denton (Copyrighted, use by photographer’s permission only), Nature Photography by Shirley Denton
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Order: Fagales
Family: Fagaceae
Genus: Quercus
Species: Q. myrtifolia
Binomial name
Quercus myrtifolia
Willd.
Quer myrt dist.jpg
Natural range of Quercus myrtifolia from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common name: Myrtle oak

Taxonomic notes

Description

A description of Quercus myrtifolia is provided in The Flora of North America.

Q. myrtifolia can be distinguished from Q. inopina by flowering one to two weeks earlier, having larger, elliptical leaves and in areas of sympatry found on Paola or Lake soil.[1]

Distribution

It is distributed in the southeastern U.S. south to Miami-Dade and Collier counties.[2]

Ecology

Habitat

In the Coastal Plain in Florida, Q. myrtifolia habitats include scrub oak stands on stabilized dunes, slashpine flatwoods, longleaf pine-wiregrass sand ridges, sandy live oak-myrtle oak woods, mesic pine-oak scrubs, sand barrens, pine-scrub oak-palmetto communities, live oak hammocks, and an ecotone between wet woodlands along a small stream and a tangle of hardwoods on a sand ridge. It has also been recorded as an ornamental tree along city streets. Soil types include sand and loamy sand.[3]

Associated species include Quercus incana, Q. myrtifolia, Q. chapmanii, Q. geminata, Q. laevis, Q. minima, Q. hemisphaerica, Q. incana, Pinus clausa, Lyonia ferruginea and Ceratiola.[3]

Quercus myrtifolia is an indicator species for the Xeric Flathills community type as described in Carr et al. (2010).[4]

Phenology

Q. myrtifolia has been observed to flower February through May and fruit April through November.[3][5] Flowers one to two weeks earlier than Q. inopina.[1]

Pollination

Various Hymenoptera species were observed visiting flowers of Quercus myrtifolia at the Archbold Biological Station. These include bees such as Apis mellifera and Bombus impatiens (family Apidae), plasterer bees such as Colletes brimleyi (family Colletidae), and sweat bees such as Agapostemon splendens, Augochlora pura, Augochlorella aurata, Augochloropsis sumptuosa and Lasioglossum placidensis (family Halictidae).[6]

Herbivory and toxicology

Q. myrtifoliaare has been observed to host planthoppers such as Thionia simplex (family Issidae) and leafhoppers such as Eratoneura ardens and E. parva (family Cicadellidae).[7] The acorns of Q. myrtifoliaare are used by squirrels and Florida scrub jays.[2]

Conservation, cultivation, and restoration

Cultural use

Photo Gallery

References and notes

Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: November 2015. Collectors: Jame Amoroso, Loran C. Anderson, G. Avery, Wilson Baker, Morton Bortell, L.J. Brass, Michael B. Brooks, K. Craddock Burks, R.A. Davidson, Robert Doren, C. Florko, William B. Fox, R. Garren, Robert K. Godfrey, Bruce Hansen,JoAnn Hansen, J. Harrison, Norlan C. Henderson, Mabel Kral, Robert Kral, O. Lakela, Robert L. Lazor, Robert J. Lemaire, Sidney McDaniel, Leon Neel, Kent D. Perkins, W.D. Reese, Grady W. Reinert, H.F.L. Rock, Cecil R. Slaughter, K. Studenroth, Bian Tan, R.F. Thorne, D.B. Ward, A.A. Will, Dwayne Wise. States and Counties: Florida: Bay, Broward, Clay, Collier, Columbia, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gulf, Hernando, Highlands, Indian River, Lake, Levy, Liberty, Marion, Okaloosa, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Putnam, St. Johns, Taylor, Wakulla, Walton. Compiled by Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy.

  1. 1.0 1.1 [[1]]Encyclopedia of Life. Accessed: March 7, 2016
  2. 2.0 2.1 [[2]]Regional Conservation. Accessed: March 7, 2016
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: November 2015. Collectors: Jame Amoroso, Loran C. Anderson, G. Avery, Wilson Baker, Morton Bortell, L.J. Brass, Michael B. Brooks, K. Craddock Burks, R.A. Davidson, Robert Doren, C. Florko, William B. Fox, R. Garren, Robert K. Godfrey, Bruce Hansen,JoAnn Hansen, J. Harrison, Norlan C. Henderson, Mabel Kral, Robert Kral, O. Lakela, Robert L. Lazor, Robert J. Lemaire, Sidney McDaniel, Leon Neel, Kent D. Perkins, W.D. Reese, Grady W. Reinert, H.F.L. Rock, Cecil R. Slaughter, K. Studenroth, Bian Tan, R.F. Thorne, D.B. Ward, A.A. Will, Dwayne Wise. States and Counties: Florida: Bay, Broward, Clay, Collier, Columbia, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gulf, Hernando, Highlands, Indian River, Lake, Levy, Liberty, Marion, Okaloosa, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Putnam, St. Johns, Taylor, Wakulla, Walton. Compiled by Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy
  4. Carr, S.C., K.M. Robertson, and R.K. Peet. 2010. A vegetation classification of fire-dependent pinelands of Florida. Castanea 75:153-189.
  5. Nelson, G. PanFlora: Plant data for the eastern United States with emphasis on the Southeastern Coastal Plains, Florida, and the Florida Panhandle. www.gilnelson.com/PanFlora/ Accessed: 13 DEC 2016
  6. Deyrup, M.A. and N.D. 2015. Database of observations of Hymenoptera visitations to flowers of plants on Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA.
  7. Discoverlife.org [3]