Quercus myrtifolia explained

Quercus myrtifolia, the myrtle oak, is a North American species of oak. It is native to the southeastern United States (Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina). It is often found in coastal areas on sandy soils.[1]

It is an evergreen tree that can reach 12m (39feet) tall, also appearing as a shrub in drier sites. It has leaves with no teeth or lobes, which are hairless on the upperside and also on the underside except along the veins.[2]

Taxonomy

This plant was first identified by Carl Ludwig von Willdenow.[3] 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.[4] The common name is the Myrtle Oak[5]

Description

The Myrtle Oak often grows as a shrub, but can also take the form of a tree. In maturity it grows to 15- tall and 8- wide. It is considered a red oak.[6] The leaves are simple alternate.[7] They appear dark green with a yellow-green underside. The leaves have a leathery texture, and an obovate shape.[7] There are small hairs on the underside of the leaves.[8] The acorns are about long, and mature in 18 months.[9] Small green flowers bloom in April–May.[6] It has a grey smooth stem that furrows in maturity. Twigs can be reddish brown when they are younger.[7] 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.[10]

Distribution

Quercus myrtifolia is present in the southeastern United States.[5] It occurs in sandy soils along coastlines up to above sea level.[6] Habitats are dry sandy ridges in scrub oak forests with yellow pines, and dry-site hardwood forests.[11] The most common trees it grows with are Quercus incana, Quercus laevis, Quercus marilandica, Quercus margaretta, Quercus geminata, and Quercus virginiana.[11]

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.[12]  It may also have medicinal uses. The bark may be used as an antiseptic and hemostatic. It may even be useful for treating tooth aches, gastropathies, burns, and reduce inflammation.[13] These types of medicinal uses are typical of many oak trees.[14]

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.[15] Higher levels of CO2 led to lower occurrence of leaf asymmetry this can better protect leaves from leaf miners.[16] Prescribed burns may be beneficial to the recruitment of Q. myrtifolia seedlings.[17] It is also possible that mature Myrtle Oaks eventually stop producing acorns making fires important for the growth of new trees.[18] Prescribed burns may be beneficial to the recruitment of Q. myrtifolia seedlings.[17] Quercus myrtifolia displays resiliency to prescribed and lightning caused burns on the Florida Lake Wales Ridge.[19] After palmetto scrub fires Q. myrtifolia managed to reach preburn values within 5 years.[20] Seasonal drought can have a large impact on the Q. myrtifolia. A dry spring season is known to greatly decrease its growth rate.[21] Myrtle Oak is also considered to be extremely wind resistant.[22]

Pests

A variety of insects feed on the Myrtle Oak including oak skeletonizer, leaf miner, galls, oak lace bugs, borers, and caterpillars.[6]  Burrowing beach mice threaten acorns even when protected by cages.[23] Hibiscus mealybugs are also known to host in the tree.[24] Like all oaks, Quercus myrtifolia is susceptible to oak wilt.[6] Seeds with holes in them may be infested with weevils.[9]

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.[25]  If it is planted outside it should be protected from pests, and buried at a depth equal to the diameter of the acorn.[26]

Conservation

Myrtle Oak is considered critically imperiled in South Carolina, imperiled in Mississippi, and vulnerable in Georgia.[27]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map . bonap.net. 2015-08-28.
  2. Web site: Flora of North America, Quercus myrtifolia Willdenow, 1805. Myrtle oak . efloras.org. 2015-08-28.
  3. Web site: Quercus myrtifolia International Plant Names Index . 2023-11-11 . www.ipni.org.
  4. Web site: WFO Plant List World Flora Online . 2023-11-11 . wfoplantlist.org.
  5. Web site: USDA Plants Database . 2023-11-11 . plants.usda.gov.
  6. Web site: Quercus myrtifolia - Plant Finder . 2023-11-11 . www.missouribotanicalgarden.org.
  7. Proenza . Lynn . Andreu . Michael . 2013-04-30 . Common Woody Plants of Florida Scrub Ecosystems . EDIS . 2013 . 4 . 10.32473/edis-fr373-2012 . 2576-0009. free .
  8. Web site: Milligan . Lara . 2019-07-11 . The Little Oaks - Part I . 2023-11-12 . UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County . en.
  9. Web site: SGEB-75-22/SG183: Myrtle Oak, Quercus myrtifolia . 2023-11-11 . edis.ifas.ufl.edu . en.
  10. Rogers . George K. . 2023-01-01 . Comparative ecology of two closely associated scrub-dominating oaks in South Florida: Quercus myrtifolia and Q. geminata (Fagaceae) . Flora . 298 . 152201 . 10.1016/j.flora.2022.152201 . 0367-2530. free . 2023FMDFE.29852201R .
  11. Web site: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin . 2023-11-12 . www.wildflower.org.
  12. Web site: Quercus myrtifolia (Myrtle Oak) North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox . 2023-11-12 . plants.ces.ncsu.edu.
  13. Web site: Myrtle Oak . 12 November 2023 . gulfspecimen.org.
  14. Taib . Mehdi . Rezzak . Yassine . Bouyazza . Lahboub . Lyoussi . Badiaa . 2020-07-31 . Medicinal Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Activities of Quercus Species . Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine . en . 2020 . 1–20 . 10.1155/2020/1920683 . 1741-427X . 7415107 . 32802116 . free .
  15. Li . J.-H. . Dijkstra . P. . Hinkle . C. R. . Wheeler . R. M. . Drake . B. G. . 1999-04-01 . Photosynthetic acclimation to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration in the Florida scrub-oak species Quercus geminata and Quercus myrtifolia growing in their native environment . Tree Physiology . en . 19 . 4–5 . 229–234 . 10.1093/treephys/19.4-5.229 . 0829-318X.
  16. Cornelissen . Tatiana . Stiling . Peter . Drake . Bert . January 2004 . Elevated CO 2 decreases leaf fluctuating asymmetry and herbivory by leaf miners on two oak species . Global Change Biology . en . 10 . 1 . 27–36 . 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2003.00712.x . 2004GCBio..10...27C . 39550563 . 1354-1013.
  17. Ruth . Andrew D. . Miller . Deborah L. . Jose . Shibu . Long . Alan . October 2007 . http://dx.doi.org/10.3375/0885-8608(2007)27[332:eorofi2.0.co;2 Effects of Reintroduction of Fire into Fire Suppressed Coastal Scrub and Longleaf Pine Communities Along the Lower Gulf Coastal Plain ]. Natural Areas Journal . 27 . 4 . 332–344 . 10.3375/0885-8608(2007)27[332:eorofi]2.0.co;2 . 85753897 . 0885-8608.
  18. Abrahamson . Warren G. . Layne . James N. . February 2002 . Relation of ramet size to acorn production in five oak species of xeric upland habitats in south-central Florida . American Journal of Botany . 89 . 1 . 124–131 . 10.3732/ajb.89.1.124 . 21669720 . 0002-9122.
  19. Abrahamson . Warren G. . January 1984 . Species Responses to Fire on the Florida Lake Wales Ridge . American Journal of Botany . en . 71 . 1 . 35–43 . 10.1002/j.1537-2197.1984.tb12482.x . 0002-9122.
  20. Schmalzer . Paul A. . Foster . Tammy E. . 2022-07-30 . Effects of repeated fire on Florida oak-saw palmetto scrub . Fire Ecology . 18 . 1 . 16 . 10.1186/s42408-022-00140-9 . 2022FiEco..18a..16S . 1933-9747 . free .
  21. Foster . Tammy E. . July 2014 . Timing matters: the seasonal effect of drought on tree growth1 . The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society . 141 . 3 . 225–241 . 10.3159/TORREY-D-13-00060.1 . 86780546 . 1095-5674.
  22. Duryea . Mary L. . Kampf . Eliana . 2007-11-19 . Selecting Southeastern Coastal Plain Tree Species for Wind Resistance . EDIS . 2007 . 20 . 10.32473/edis-fr174-2007 . 244025601 . 2576-0009. free .
  23. Tobing . Sarah Lumban . Thetford . Mack . Miller . Deborah L. . July 2018 . Germination and Predation of Quercus geminata and Quercus myrtifolia Acorns on Santa Rosa Island, Florida . Journal of Coastal Research . 34 . 4 . 900–910 . 10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-17-00048.1 . 133926736 . 0749-0208.
  24. Olabiyi . David . Middleton . Eric . Ahmed . Muhammad Z . Osborne . Lance S . McKenzie . Cindy L . Diepenbrock . Lauren . 2023-01-01 . Weber . Donald . Hibiscus Mealybug (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) – Biology, Host Plants, Current Management Practices, and a Field Guide for North America . Journal of Integrated Pest Management . en . 14 . 1 . 10.1093/jipm/pmac029 . 2155-7470. free .
  25. Web site: Quercus myrtifolia . 2023-11-14 . UNF Botanical-garden . en.
  26. Miller . Debbie L. . Thetford . Mack . Verlinde . Chris M. . Campbell . Gabriel . Smith . Ashlynn . 2018-09-28 . Dune Restoration and Enhancement for the Florida Panhandle . EDIS . 2018 . 5 . 10.32473/edis-sg156-2018 . 240207960 . 2576-0009. free .
  27. Web site: NatureServe Explorer 2.0 . 2023-12-04 . explorer.natureserve.org.

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