Quercus virginiana P. Miller. Subgenus: Quercus. Section: Virentes. Common name: Live Oak, Encino. Phenology: Apr; Sep-Nov (of the same year). Habitat: Locally common to abundant in maritime forests and maritime scrub on barrier islands, more rarely inland (though regularly on the mainland from se. NC south, and extending substantially inland from s. SC south), sometimes in dry, fire-maintained habitats more usually occupied by Q. geminata, also planted (especially in the outer Coastal Plain). Distribution: Se. VA south to s. FL and west to TX. Villaseñor (2016) listed Q. virginiana as also fairly widespread in Mexico (CHH, COA, NLE, SLP, TAM, VER), but this is presumably based on what would now be called Q. fusiformis.
Origin/Endemic status: Endemic
Taxonomy Comments: Q. fusiformis Small of TX has sometimes been treated as a variety of Q. virginiana, but is best separated as a species. It flowers before Q. geminata when growing together.
Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, Fl2, FNA3, GW2, K4, Mex, NcTx, NS, POWO, S, S13, Va, WH3; = Quercus sempervirens Walter; = Quercus virens Aiton var. virens; > Quercus geminata Small — C, misapplied; > Quercus minima (Sarg.) Small — Tx, misapplied; < Quercus virginiana Mill. — G, RAB; > Quercus virginiana Mill. — C, Tx; >< Quercus virginiana Mill. var. maritima (Michx.) Sarg. — F, misapplied; > Quercus virginiana Mill. var. virginiana — F; Quercus virginiana Mill. Basionym: Quercus virginiana Mill. 1768
Links to other floras: = Quercus virginiana - FNA3
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FAC (taxonomic lump from wetland indicator species)
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU (taxonomic lump from wetland indicator species)
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FAC (taxonomic lump from wetland indicator species)
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU (taxonomic lump from wetland indicator species)
- Great Plains: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
Heliophily ⓘ: 5
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native range: southeastern U.S. & ne. Mexico
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