BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Quercus pungens | Sandpaper Oak 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Sandpaper oak is a native, evergreen to subevergreen shrub or
medium-size tree [10,27].  It grows 3.3 to 6.6 feet (1-2 m) tall as a
shrub and to 26 feet (8 m) tall as a tree [11].  The thick, simple,
coarsely toothed leaves are 3.5 inches (9 cm) long [10,27].  Female
catkins produce 1 to 3 flowers; male catkins have numerous flowers.
Fruits are solitary or paired acorns [35] about 0.4 inch (1 cm) long
[10,17].

Vasey shin oak has shallowly lobed leaves [27] and larger (up to 0.9 inch
[2.2 cm]) acorns than sandpaper oak [11].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Phanerophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Sexual reproduction:  Sandpaper oak is monoecious.  Acorns are produced
annually [10,35].  No information was found in the literature on seed
germination requirements.  However, the other southwestern oaks (Quercus
spp.) have no seed dormancy.  Most germination occurs within 30 days
after acorns drop from the trees [23].

On the Edwards Plateau in Texas Vasey shin oak occurs as individuals or
clumps in a semiarid grassland.  A seedbank study was done, but plots
were specifically chosen to exclude woody plants.  Woody species were a
minimum of 30 feet (10 m) from the plots.  No Vasey shin oak germinated
in the plots [19].

Asexual reproduction:  Vasey shin oak readily sprouts following
topgrowth removal [29].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Sandpaper oak is found in gravelly or rocky soils [2] that are often
shallow (less than 9.8 inches [25 cm] deep) [29,33].  Soil texture may
be stoney clay [30].  Sandpaper oak grows on middle to upper slopes and
in lower canyons of desert mountains [11,15,27] and along arroyos [35].
Sandpaper oak occurs in open shrublands on dry sites or in closed canopy
woodlands on more moist sites [33].

Sandpaper oak is found in semiarid to subhumid climates with hot
summers and mild winters [30].  It occurs at moderate elevations from
3,500 to 6,000 feet (1,067-1,829 m) [2,10,27,33].

Vasey shin oak has been classified as an edaphic specialist limited to
limestone [25].  Sandpaper oak occurs on but is not restricted to
calcareous soils derived from limestone [11].


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Obligate Climax Species

Sandpaper oak occurs in climax oak woodlands or chaparral and
oak-juniper communities.  In Texas the mixed-grass prairie has been
replaced by oak-juniper disclimax.  Vasey shin oak, plateau oak, and
Ashe juniper have increased due to fire suppression and overgrazing
[29].


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Sandpaper oak flowers in late spring.  Fruits mature the first autumn
after flowering [2].  The leaves persist 1 year until new leaves are
produced [2]; however, they may drop in late winter [6,11].

Related categories for Species: Quercus pungens | Sandpaper Oak