Quercus canariensis

Quercus canariensis, the Algerian oak, Mirbeck's oak or zean oak, is an oak in the section Quercus sect. Mesobalanus, native to southern Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. Despite the scientific name, it does not occur naturally today in the Canary Islands, though it may have in the past.[1]

Algerian oak
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Fagaceae
Genus: Quercus
Subgenus: Quercus subg. Quercus
Section: Quercus sect. Mesobalanus
Species:
Q. canariensis
Binomial name
Quercus canariensis
Synonyms[1]

Description

Quercus canariensis is a medium-sized deciduous to semi-evergreen tree growing to 20–30 m tall with a trunk up to 1.5 m diameter. The leaves are 10–15 cm long and 6–8 cm broad, with 6-12 pairs of shallow lobes. The flowers are catkins; the fruit is an acorn 2.5 cm long and 2 cm broad, in a shallow cup.[2]

Landmark specimens
Algerian oak

Grand old Algerian oak tree was planted on 19 May 1863. It resides within the Kyneton Botanical Gardens in the town of Kyneton in the Australian state of Victoria. This tree is listed by the National Trust on the Register of Significant Trees in Victoria. There are also two good specimens located in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, one of which is believed to have been planted in 1920. There was another significant old Algerian oak tree in Victoria at the Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens. It was known as Lady Loch's Oak - however its trunk split in half in November 2007, due to the weight of its giant old limbs. The tree has been extensively planted in Canberra.

There are over a dozen mature trees in St Vincent Gardens, Albert Park, Victoria some possibly dating back to the late 19th to early 20th century.

References
  1. "Quercus canariensis Willd.". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – via The Plant List.
  2. "Quercus canariensis". Flora Europaea. Edinburgh: Royal Botanical Garden. 2008.
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