Quercus canarienis (Algerian,Mirbeck s Oak)

Kingdom: Plantae
(Unranked): Angiosperms
(Unranked): Eudicots
(Unranked): Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Fagaceae
Genus: Quercus
Section: Mesobalanus
Species: Q. canariensis
Binomial name: Quercus canariensis
Common name: Algerian Oak, Mirbeck's Oak

Quercus canariensis is an oak in the section Quercus sect. Mesobalanus, native to southern Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco; despite the scientific name, it does not occur naturally today in the Canary Islands, though it may have in the past.
Quercus canariensis is a medium-sized deciduous to semi-evergreen tree growing to 20-30 m tall with a trunk up to 1.5 m diameter. The trunk has a very dark grey, deeply fissured bark.
The rich green, glossy leaves turn to shades of yellow & brown over autumn. The leaves are 10-15 cm long and 6-8 cm broad, with 6-12 pairs of shallow lobes. The underside of the leaves often has a white dusty mark where the leaf joins the stem.
The male flowers are catkins, the female flowers being small and inconspicuous. The fruit is an acorn 2.5 cm long and 2 cm broad, in a shallow cup.

This oak is one of the John Goodwin's Collection, Te Henui.

Small Algerian Oak Lat 39 3'35.19 S Long 174 5'36.108' E Datum WGS 84Quercus canariensis Algerian Oak Mirbeck s Oak-6.JPG


Algerian Oak leaves