Quercus hinckleyi
| Hinckley oak | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Fagales |
| Family: | Fagaceae |
| Genus: | Quercus |
| Species: | Q. hinckleyi |
| Binomial name | |
|
Quercus hinckleyi C.H.Mull. 1951 |
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Quercus hinckleyi, commonly called Hinckley oak, is a rare species in the white oak group (Quercus Section Quercus). It has a restricted range in the Chihuahuan Desert of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico (Chihuahua and Coahuila). In the US, it occurs in only two counties in southwestern Texas and is federally listed as a threatened species.
Quercus hinckleyi is a shrub that forms a dense, tangled thicket no more than 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall. The highly branched stems are coated in scaly gray bark and the smaller twigs are brown and sometimes waxy. The leaves are up to 1.5 centimeters (0.6 inch) long by 1.5 cm (0.6 inch) wide and have large, widely spaced teeth, resembling holly leaves. The blades are leathery, waxy, and blue-green in color. The fruit is an acorn 1 to 1.5 centimeters (0.4-0.6 inch) wide at the cap, the nut measuring up to 2 centimeters (0.8 inch) long.
Quercus hinckleyi is known from just a few occurrences in Brewster and Presidio Counties in West Texas, most of which occur in Big Bend Ranch State Park. It has also been recorded from Mexico, though the extent of its distribution there remains unknown. This oak grows in Chihuahuan Desert scrub habitat on dry desert slopes and rocky limestone soils.
Hinckley oak is a relict species with a restricted distribution, but which was more common at the end of the last ice age. Records from fossilized acorns and rodent middens show this species was prevalent until about 10,000 years ago. However, as the climate of the region became warmer and drier, this species likely retreated, resulting in its current restricted range.
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Wikipedia