Quercus canariensis

Algerian Oak
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Fagales
Family:	Fagaceae
Genus:	Quercus
Section:	Mesobalanus
Species:	Q. canariensis
Binomial name
Quercus canariensis Willd.

Quercus canariensis, the Algerian Oak or Mirbeck's Oak 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 done in the past.

Description

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 leaves are 10-15 cm long and 6-8 cm broad, with 6-12 pairs of shallow lobes. The flowers are catkins; the fruit is an acorn 2.5 cm long and 2 cm broad, in a shallow cup.

Landmark specimens

Algerian Oak

The picture to the left is of a grand old Algerian Oak tree that was planted on 19 May, 1863. It resides within the Kyneton Botanical Gardens in the town of Kyneton in the Australian state of Victoria. This tree is listed by the National Trust on the Register of Significant Trees in Victoria.

There was another significant old Algerian Oak tree in Victoria at the Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens. It was known as Lady Loch's Oak - however its trunk split in half in November 2007, due to the weight of its giant old limbs. The tree has been extensively planted in Canberra.

References

• Flora Europaea: Quercus canariensis
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: World Checklist: Quercus canariensis