Summary ⁷

Quercus laurifolia (Swamp laurel oak, Diamond-leaf oak, Water oak, Obtusa oak, Laurel oak) is a medium sized deciduous or semi-evergreen oak in the red oak section Quercus sect. Lobatae. It is native to the southeast of the United States, from coastal Virginia to central Florida and west to southeast Texas.

Taxon biology ⁸

Fagaceae -- Beech family

    Robert D. McReynolds and E. A. Hebb

    Laurel oak (Quercus laurifolia) is also called Darlington  oak, diamond-leaf oak, swamp laurel oak, laurel-leaf oak, water  oak, and obtusa oak. There has been a long history of  disagreement concerning the identity of this oak (11). It centers  on the variation in leaf shapes and differences in growing sites  (5), giving some reason to name a separate species, diamond-leaf  oak (Q. obtusa). Here they are treated synonymously.  Laurel oak is a rapid-growing short-lived tree of the moist woods  of the southeastern Coastal Plain. It has no value as lumber but  makes good fuelwood. It is planted in the South as an ornamental.  Large crops of acorns are important food for wildlife.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Duane Burdick, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://www.flickr.com/photos/43436168@N00/6159174257/
2. (c) RGundy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://images.dev.morphbank.net/?id=569001&imgType=jpg
3. (c) "<a href=""http://www.knps.org"">Kentucky Native Plant Society</a>. Scanned by <a href=""http://www.omnitekinc.com/"">Omnitek Inc</a>.", some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=qula3_001_avd.tif
4. (c) "<a href=""http://nt.ars-grin.gov/"">ARS Systematic Botany and Mycology Laboratory</a>.", some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=qula3_002_ahp.tif
5. (c) "<a href=""http://www.nal.usda.gov/"">National Agricultural Library</a>. Originally from <a href=""http://www.fs.fed.us/"">US Forest Service</a>. United States, FL.", some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=qula3_004_avp.tif
6. (c) "<a href=""http://www.nal.usda.gov/"">National Agricultural Library</a>. Originally from <a href=""http://www.fs.fed.us/"">US Forest Service</a>. United States, FL.", some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=qula3_005_avp.tif
7. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_laurifolia
8. (c) Unknown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/22779236

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• World Flora Online

Range Map

(c) Discover Life and original sources, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-SA)

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