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biodiversity explorer

the web of life in southern Africa

Genus: Quercus (oaks)

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Eudicotyledons > Core Eudicots > Rosids > Eurosid I > Order: Fagales > Family: Fagaceae

About 350-450 species worldwide, native to northern temperate and subtropical regions, extending into the tropics of W Malasia and NW South America. There are about 41 species of oaks that are cultivated as garden and street trees to southern Africa, of which one, Quercus robur (English oak), has become naturalised in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

Species naturalised in southern Africa

Information from Glen (2003).

Quercus robur (English oak)

Has become naturalised in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

Quercus robur

Other species, cultivated in southern Africa

List from Glen (2002). Including the English oak, listed above, there are about 41 species of oak that have been cultivated in southern Africa.

Quercus acuta (Japanese oak)

Native to Japan.

 

Quercus acutissima (Bristle oak)

Indigenous from the Himalayas to Japan.

 

Quercus agrifolia (Californian live-oak)

Native to California.

 

Quercus alba (White oak, Quebec oak)

Native to eastern USA.

 

Quercus bicolor (Swamp white oak)

Native to east USA and Canada.

 

Quercus canariensis (Algerian oak)

[= Quercus mirbeckii]

Indigenous from Portugal to Tunisia.

 

Quercus castaneifolia (Chestnut-leaved oak)

Native to Caucasus and Iran.

 

Quercus cerris (Turkey oak)

Native to Europe and the eastern Mediterranean.

Quercus coccinea (Scarlet oak)

Native to eastern USA.

 

Quercus dentata (Daimio oak)

Native to Japan, Korea and China.

 

Quercus douglasii (Californian blue oak)

Native to California.

 

Quercus frainetto (Hungarian oak, Farnetto)

Native to southern Europe, and Turkey.

 

Quercus glauca

Indigenous from Himalayas to Taiwan.

 

Quercus heterophylla

Garden origin.

 

Quercus ilex (Holm oak, Holly oak)

Native to the Mediterranean, Spain and Portugal.

Quercus infectoria

Indigenous from the eastern Mediterranean to Iran.

 

Quercus ithaburensis

[= Quercus macrolepis]

Indigenous from Italy to Turkey.

 

Quercus kelloggii (Californian black oak)

Native to California and Oregon.

 

Quercus laurifolia

Native to south-eastern USA.

 

Quercus leucotrichophora (Hairy oak)

[= Quercus incana]

Native to the Himalayas.

 

Quercus libani (Lebanon oak)

Indigenous from Turkey to Iran.

 

Quercus lobata (California oak, Valley oak)

Native to California.

 

Quercus lyrata (Overcup oak)

Native to south-eastern USA.

 

Quercus macrocarpa (Bur oak)

Native to the USA.

 

Quercus marilandica (Jack oak, Blackjack oak)

Native to south-eastern USA.

 

Quercus mexicana (Mexican oak)

Native to Mexico.

 

Quercus muehlenbergii (Yellow chestnut oak)

Native to eastern USA.

 

Quercus myrsinifolia

Indigenous from Laos to Japan.

 

Quercus nigra (Water oak)

Native to south-eastern USA.

 

Quercus palustris (Pin oak)

Native to eastern USA.

Quercus petraea (Durmast oak, Sessile oak)

Native to western Asia.

 

Quercus phellos (Willow oak)

Native to eastern USA.

 

Quercus prinus (Chestnut oak)

Native to eastern USA.

 

Quercus rubra (Red oak)

Native to eastern USA.

 

Quercus rugosa (Evergreen oak)

Native to south-western USA and Mexico.

 

Quercus stellata (Post oak)

Native to south-eastern USA.

 
Quercus suber (Cork oak)

Native to the Mediterranean.

Quercus variabilis

Native to China, Korea and Japan.

 

Quercus velutina (Black oak, Quercitron)

Native to eastern USA.

 

Quercus virginiana (Live oak)

Native to south-eastern USA.

 

Publications

  • Glen, H.F. 2002. Cultivated Plants of Southern Africa. Jacana, Johannesburg.
  • Glen, H.F. 2003. Fagaceae. In Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds), Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14: 559. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.