Introductory
SPECIES: Quercus alba | White Oak 



ABBREVIATION : 
QUEALB

SYNONYMS : 
NO-ENTRY


SCS PLANT CODE : 
   QUAL


COMMON NAMES : 
   white oak
   stave oak
   ridge white oak
   forked-leaf white oak
   fork-leaf oak


TAXONOMY : 
The currently accepted scientific name of white oak is Quercus alba L.
[69].  It is a member of the order Fagales and has been placed within
the white oak subgenus (Lepidobalanus) [16].  Three varieties of white
oak are commonly recognized [148]:

            Quercus alba var. alba
            Quercus alba var. repanda Michx.
            Quercus alba var. latiloba Sarg.

Some authorities recognize these entities as forms rather than varieties
[108,117,131].

White oak is highly variable genetically [58], and many forms and
ecotypes have been described.  According to Fowells [47], "no definite
races have been defined, but within such a tremendously diverse habitat,
climatic races undoubtedly exist."  White oak readily hybridizes with
many other species within the genus Quercus [58], including swamp white
oak (Q. bicolor), bur oak (Q. macrocarpa), chinkapin oak (Q.
muehlenbergi), dwarf chinkapin oak (Q. prinoides), overcup oak (Q.
lyrata), swamp chestnut oak (Q. michauxii), sandpost oak (Q.
margaretta), chestnut oak (Q. prinus), English oak (Q. robur), Durand
oak (Q. durandii), and post oak (Q. stellata) [58,83].  Hybrids, their
common names, and purported origins are listed below [69,148].

      Beadle oak        X beadlei Trel. (Quercus alba x michauxii)
      Bebb oak          X bebbiana (Q. alba x Q. macrocarpa)
                        X bimundorum Palmer (Q. alba x Q. robur)
      Deam oak          X deamii (Q. alba x Q. muehlenbergi)
      Faxon oak         X faxonii Trel. (Q. alba x Q. prinoides)
      Fernow oak        X fernowii Trel. (Q. alba x Q. stellata)
      Jack oak          X jackiana Schneid. (Q. alba x Q. montana)
      Saul oak          X saulii Schneid. (Q. alba x Q. prinus)

Saul oak was formerly known as Q. alba f. ryderii but is now considered
a heterozygous hybrid form of white oak [3].

Introgressive populations are locally common throughout much of the
range of white oak.  Hybrid swarms derived from complex mixtures of
parental forms are particularly common on disturbed sites, at the
margins of white oak's range, and where several oak species occur
sympatrically [58].


LIFE FORM : 
Tree

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : 
No special status

OTHER STATUS : 
NO-ENTRY


COMPILED BY AND DATE : 
D. Tirmenstein, June 1991.


LAST REVISED BY AND DATE : 
NO-ENTRY


AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : 
Tirmenstein, D. A. 1991. Quercus alba. In: Remainder of Citation

Related categories for Species: Quercus alba | White Oak