Quercus fusiformis
Texas live oak | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | |
Division: | |
Class: | |
Order: | |
Family: | |
Genus: | |
Species: | Q. fusiformis
|
Binomial name | |
Quercus fusiformis |
Texas live oak is an evergreen or nearly evergreen oak tree, Quercus fusiformis, native to the southern United States. In Texas, it occurs from about Corpus Christi west to the Pecos River and then north to southern Oklahoma, and also further south into adjacent northeastern Mexico in Coahuila and Nuevo León.
This live oak in the white oak section of the genus Quercus is distinguished from Southern live oak most easily by the acorns, which are slightly larger and with a more pointed apex. It is also a smaller tree, not exceeding 1m in trunk diameter (to 2.5m diameter in Southern live oak), with more erect branching and a less wide crown.
Texas live oak is typically found on dry sites, unlike Southern live oak which prefers moister conditions.