Lithocarpus formosanus explained

Lithocarpus formosanus is a species of tree in the family Fagaceae. L. formosanus is a medium-sized tree with crooked trunk and many branches. It is endemic to Taiwan as it only occurs in the Hengchun Peninsula in the extreme south of the country.^[1] It grows in mixed mesophytic forests at altitudes of 100m-500mm (300feet-1,600feetm).^[2] Only single population of fewer than 50 individuals survives.

Lithocarpus formosanus is similar to L. dodonaeifolius, and their identity as separate species has been questioned. Molecular methods suggest that they are closely related but distinct species.^[3]

Notes and References

1. Book: Flora of Taiwan . 2nd . 2 . Fagaceae . Liao . Jih-Ching . Huang . Tseng-chieng . 1996 . Editorial Committee of the Flora of Taiwan, Second Edition . Taipei, Taiwan . 957-9019-52-5 . 51–123 . http://tai2.ntu.edu.tw/ebook/ebookpage.php?volume=2&book=Fl.%20Taiwan%202nd%20edit.&page=51 . 11 September 2012.
2. Web site: Lithocarpus formosanus . Chengjiu Huang . Yongtian Zhang . Bruce Bartholomew . amp. Flora of China . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA . 2 October 2012.
3. Chiang, T.-Y. . K.-H. Hung . T.-W. Hsu . W.-L. Wu . amp . 2004 . Lineage sorting and phylogeography in Lithocarpus formosanus and L. dodonaeifolius (Fagaceae) from Taiwan . Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden . 91 . 1 . 207–222 . 3298576 .