''Quercus xalapensis'', or xalapa oak, is a species of

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

in the

red oak The genus ''Quercus'' contains about 500 species, some of which are listed here. The genus, as is the case with many large genera, is divided into subgenera and sections. Traditionally, the genus ''Quercus'' was divided into the two subgenera ''C ...

group (''Quercus'' section ''Lobatae''). It is native to the mountains of eastern and southern Mexico, as well as Guatemala, Honduras, and

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...

in northern Central America.

Description

''Quercus xalapensis'' is a large tree with a trunk in diameter. The leaves are lance-shaped, up to long, with numerous teeth along the edge, each tooth tapering to a long, thin point.Bonpland, Aimé Jacques Alexandre. 1809. Plantae Aequinoctiales 2: plate 75
drawing of ''Quercus xalapensis''

Range and habitat

''Quercus xalapensis'' is native to the mountains of eastern and southern Mexico and northern Central America. Its range includes the Sierra Madre Oriental, the

Sierra Madre de Oaxaca The Sierra Madre de Oaxaca is a mountain range in southern Mexico. It is primarily in the state of Oaxaca, and extends north into the states of Puebla and Veracruz. Geography The mountain range begins at Pico de Orizaba, and extends in a southeas ...

and eastern Sierra Madre del Sur, the

Sierra de los Tuxtlas The Sierra de Los Tuxtlas (Tuxtlas Mountains) are a volcanic belt and mountain range along the southeastern Veracruz Gulf coast in Eastern Mexico. The Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve (Biósfera Los Tuxtlas) includes the coastal and higher elevations ...

, and the Chiapas Highlands and Sierra Madre de Chiapas, as well as the Chortis Highlands of Honduras and Nicaragua. The species grows in oak forest, ''

Abies Firs (''Abies'') are a genus of 48–56 species of evergreen coniferous trees in the family Pinaceae. They are found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The genus is most closely related t ...

'' forest, and cloud forest between 1,070 and 2,000 meters elevation. It is found on shallow soils and sandstone-derived soils with an acid pH. It is shade-intolerant, and prefers relatively open areas of the forest. Young trees grow in forest clearings and can be planted in abandoned pastures. Associated plants include ephipytic

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowerin ...

s and bromeliads and the trees '' Carya ovata, Persea liebmannii,

Quercus muehlenbergii ''Quercus muehlenbergii'', the chinquapin (or chinkapin) oak, is a deciduous species of tree in the white oak group (''Quercus'' sect. ''Quercus''). The species was often called ''Quercus acuminata'' in older literature. ''Quercus muehlenbergii ...

, Quercus polymorpha'', and '' Pinus pseudostrobus''.

References

External links

Missouri Botanical Garden.org: Photo of herbarium specimen collected in Nicaragua (1999)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q4112274 xalapensis Trees of Central America Oaks of Mexico Flora of Guatemala Flora of Honduras Flora of Nicaragua Cloud forest flora of Mexico Flora of the Sierra Madre Oriental Flora of the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca Flora of the Central American pine–oak forests Flora of the Central American montane forests Sierra Madre de Chiapas Flora of the Chiapas Highlands Plants described in 1809 Taxa named by Aimé Bonpland Taxonomy articles created by Polbot