Quercus elliptica facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Quercus elliptica |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Quercus
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| Species: |
elliptica
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| Synonyms | |
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List
Quercus atrescentirhachis Trel.
Quercus botryocarpa Trel. Quercus chiquihuitillonis Trel. Quercus coccinata Trel. Quercus comayaguana Trel. Quercus exaristata Trel. Quercus guayabalana Trel. Quercus hondurensis Trel. Quercus lanceolata M.Martens & Galeotti ex A.DC. Quercus langlassei Trel. Quercus linguifolia Liebm. Quercus nectandrifolia Liebm. Quercus oajacana Liebm. Quercus peradifolia E.F.Warb. Quercus porriginosa Trel. Quercus pubinervis M.Martens & Galeotti Quercus salicifolia var. oajacana (Liebm.) Wenz. Quercus yoroensis Trel. Quercus yoroensis var. aguanana Trel. |
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The Quercus elliptica is a type of oak tree found in Central America and southern Mexico. It is also known as the Elliptical Oak. This tree grows across a wide area, from Sinaloa and Hidalgo in Mexico, all the way south to Nicaragua. It belongs to a group of oaks called Quercus section Lobatae.
Contents
What Does the Elliptical Oak Look Like?
The Quercus elliptica is a medium-sized tree. It can grow up to 15 meters (about 49 feet) tall. Its trunk can be as wide as 70 centimeters (about 28 inches).
Leaves and Bark
The leaves of this oak tree are thick and feel like leather. They can be up to 12 centimeters (about 4.7 inches) long. The leaves are shaped like an ellipse, which means they are oval. Their edges are wavy, but they do not have any sharp teeth or deep cuts (lobes).
Where Does the Elliptical Oak Live?
You can find Quercus elliptica in different types of forests. These include oak forests, cloud forests, and forests with pine and fir trees. It grows at elevations from 300 to 2400 meters (about 980 to 7,870 feet) above sea level. This tree mostly grows in areas where the soil is made of granite. The Quercus elliptica is often one of the most common trees where it grows.
Geographic Range
This oak tree is found across central and southern Mexico. Its range starts in the central Sierra Madre Occidental mountains in Sinaloa. It then spreads through western Nayarit, including the Sierra de San Juan. It also grows in western Jalisco, which includes the Sierra de Vallejo and Sierra de Manantlán areas.
The tree also lives in the Sierra Madre del Sur and Sierra Madre de Oaxaca mountains in Guerrero and Oaxaca states. You can find populations in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt in Michoacán and Mexico states. In Chiapas, it lives in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas and Chiapas Highlands, including Lagunas de Montebello National Park.
Outside of Mexico, there are a few places where it grows in Guatemala. These are in the Sierra de las Minas and in Camotán. It is also found in the Maya Mountains of Belize. You can also see it in the highlands of El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
Protecting the Elliptical Oak
The Quercus elliptica is not considered to be in danger. This is because it grows over a large area and has many trees. It is rated as "Least Concern" by conservation groups. Even though some of its forest homes are shrinking, the total number of these trees is staying steady.
Threats to the Tree
A plant disease called Sudden Oak Death has been found in Quercus elliptica trees. This disease can harm oak trees.
See also
In Spanish: Quercus elliptica para niños
