Introductory
SPECIES: Quercus falcata | Southern Red Oak 



ABBREVIATION : 
QUEFAL

SYNONYMS : 
   Quercus triloba Michx.
   Quercus falcata var. triloba (Michx.) Nutt.
   Quercus falcata var. leucophylla (Ashe) Palmer & Steyermark
   Quercus pagoda Raf.
   Quercus pagodifolia (Ell.) Ashe
   Quercus rubra L.
   Quercus rubra var. pagodifolia (Ell.) Ashe


SCS PLANT CODE : 
   QUFA


COMMON NAMES : 
   southern red oak
   Spanish oak
   water oak
   red oak
   three-lobe red oak
   cherrybark oak
   bottomland red oak
   swamp red oak
   swamp Spanish oak
   Elliott oak


TAXONOMY : 
The currently accepted scientific name for southern red oak is Quercus
falcata Michx. [4,27].  In the eighteenth century, the name Quercus
rubra was applied to both the southern and northern red oaks.  Later,
Quercus rubra was adopted for southern red oak and Quercus borealis for
northern red oak.  In 1950, Quercus rubra was restored to the northern
red oak and Quercus falcata was applied to the southern red oak [14].
Quercus falcata has been placed within the subgenus Erythrobalanus, or
red (black) oak group [4,27].

The following two varieties are recognized:

         Q. f. var. falcata
         Q. f. var. pagodifolia Ell. (cherrybark oak)

The leaves of southern red oak are polymorphic [49].  Cherrybark oak is
distinguished from the typical variety by leaf shape and vast
differences in site preference [11].

Southern red oak hybridizes with the following species [27]:

  x Q. ilicifolia (bear oak):  Q. X. caesariensis Moldenke
  x Q. imbricaria (shingle oak):  Q. X. anceps Palmer
  x Q. incana (bluejack oak):  Q. X. subintegra Trel.
  x Q. laevis (turkey oak):  Q. X. blufftonensis Trel.
  x Q. laurifolia (laurel oak):  Q. X. beaumontiana Sarg.
  x Q. nigra (water oak):  Q. X. garlandensis Palmer
  x Q. phellos (willow oak):  Q. X. ludoviciana Sarg.
  x Q. velutina (black oak):  Q. X. wildenowiana (Dipple) Zabel, Q. X.
       pinetorum Moldenke
  x Q. marilandica


LIFE FORM : 
Tree

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : 
No special status

OTHER STATUS : 
NO-ENTRY


COMPILED BY AND DATE : 
Jennifer H. Carey, Oct. 1992


LAST REVISED BY AND DATE : 
NO-ENTRY


AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : 
Carey, Jennifer H. 1992. Quercus falcata. In: Remainder of Citation

Related categories for Species: Quercus falcata | Southern Red Oak