Quercus calophylla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Quercus calophylla |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Quercus
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| Species: |
calophylla
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List
Quercus acuminata M.Martens & Galeotti
Quercus alamo Benth. Quercus candicans f. alligata Trel. Quercus candicans f. incurva Trel. Quercus candicans f. michoacana Trel. Quercus chimaltenangensis f. gemmata C.H.Mull. Quercus flavida Liebm. Quercus intermedia M.Martens & Galeotti, nom. illeg. Quercus pagoda f. intermedia (M.Martens & Galeotti) Trel. Quercus umbrosa Endl. |
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The Quercus calophylla is a type of oak tree. It grows in the mountains of central and southern Mexico. You can also find it in Guatemala and El Salvador. For a long time, people mistakenly called this tree Quercus candicans.
This oak has many local names. Some of these names include ahuahuaxtl, encino blanco, and encino papatla.
Contents
What Does the Quercus calophylla Look Like?
This tree is deciduous, which means it loses its leaves every year. It can grow very tall, from about 8 to 25 meters (26 to 82 feet). That's as tall as a five-story building!
The trunk of the tree can be as wide as 100 centimeters (about 3.3 feet). Its leaves are strong and feel like leather. They can be up to 23.5 centimeters (about 9 inches) long. The leaves are shaped like an egg and have many pointed teeth along their edges.
Why Did Its Name Change?
For many years, this tree was known as Quercus candicans. But in 2018, scientists found something interesting. The original plant that was used to name Quercus candicans was not an oak tree at all! It was actually a different plant called Roldana, which is part of the daisy family.
Because of this mix-up, the correct name for this oak tree is Quercus calophylla. All the trees that people thought were Quercus candicans are actually Quercus calophylla.
Where Does the Quercus calophylla Live?
The Quercus calophylla tree likes to grow in wet mountain forests. These are often "cloud forests," where clouds often cover the trees. It also grows in humid oak forests and pine-oak forests.
You can find this tree at high elevations, from 1,200 to 2,700 meters (about 3,900 to 8,900 feet) above sea level. It prefers to grow in soils that have a lot of calcium, which are called calcareous soils.
This tree lives across a wide area in Mesoamerica. Its home includes many mountain ranges in Mexico. These include the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Sierra Madre Oriental. It also grows in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. You can find it in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca and the Sierra Madre del Sur. Beyond Mexico, it grows in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, which extends into Guatemala and El Salvador.
How Is the Quercus calophylla Protected?
Sadly, the Quercus calophylla tree is facing challenges. Many of its forest homes have been cut down. This loss of habitat means there are fewer places for these trees to grow.
Because of this, the Quercus calophylla is listed as a Vulnerable species. This means it is at risk of becoming endangered if we don't protect it. Good news is that new trees have been seen growing strongly in areas where forests were disturbed. This happens especially where there is some shade.
See also
In Spanish: Encino ancho para niños
