Quercus laurifolia

Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Family:	FAGACEAE
Species:	Quercus laurifolia Michx.
Common Name:	Laurel Oak
Habitat:	**
Associated Ecological Communities:	**
Growth Habit:	Tree
Duration:	Perennial
Category:	Vascular
USDA Symbol:	QULA3
Plant Notes:	Laurel Oak is a large native deciduous tree in the Beech family (Fagaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Laurel Oak grows in floodplains forests, on river banks, in swamps, and in upland depression wetlands, usually on sites with clay soils. Laurel Oak is a large tree reaching heights of 100-120 feet. The bark is gray and moderately deeply furrowed (more so than that of Upland Laurel Oak or Water Oak). Leaves are alternate, petiolate, obovate to oblong in outline, with entire margins. The apex of the leaf is rounded. The leaves are glabrous with raised veins, darker green above than below. The leaves turn yellow and then brown before falling in the autumn. Male flowers are produced in drooping greenish catkins. Female flowers are solitary and short stalked. The fruit is a nut. Acorns take two years to mature. The cup of the acorn is shaped like a shallow bowl, and covers ¼-1/2 of the acorn. Laurel Oak is a large, stately tree and is used as a shade or street tree. It grows fairly rapidly and is not particular about soils. It is however relatively short lived (75-100 years), and often become hollow with age. Laurel Oak is similar to and often confused with Upland Laurel Oak (Quercus hemisphaerica Bartram ex Willdenow). Upland Laurel Oak usually occurs on sandy and drier upland sites. It has leaves that are pointed at the apex, and that are semi-evergreen, not falling until just before new leaves are produced in the spring. Laurel Oak leaves are widest above the middle, while those of Upland Laure Oak are widest near the middle.--A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:	**
Status:	Native, FACW (NWI)
References:	**
Specimen:	View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

Family	FAGACEAE - Beech family
Genus	Quercus
Species	Quercus laurifolia Michx. - Laurel Oak

Citation

Citation	Quercus laurifolia Michaux, Hist. Chênes Amér. no. 10 (t. 17). 1801.
Basionym:	**
Type:	**

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

Synonym	Full Citation	Basionym	Type
Dryopsila laurina	Dryopsila laurina Rafinesque, Alsogr. Amer. 27. 1838.	Quercus laurina Rafinesque 1838, non Humboldt & Bonpland 1809.
Dryopsila maritima	Dryopsila maritima Rafinesque, Alsogr. Amer. 27. 1838, nom. alt.	Quercus maritima Rafinesque 1838, non (Michaux) Willdenow 1805.
Dryopsila verrucosa var. obliqua	Dryopsila verrucosa Rafinesque, var. obliqua Rafinesque, Alsogr. Amer. 26. 1838.	Quercus verrucosa Rafinesque, var. obliqua Rafinesque 1838.
Quercus aquatica var. hybrida	Quercus aquatica Walter, var. hybrida Chapman, Fl. South. U.S. 421. 1860.		FLORIDA: "West Florida", Schurlock's Spring, s.d., Chapman s.n. (holotype: NY).
Quercus aquatica var. laurifolia	Quercus aquatica Walter, var. laurifolia (Michaux) Alph. de Candolle, in de Candolle, Prodr. 16(2): 68. 1864.	Quercus laurifolia Michaux 1801.
Quercus arenicola	Quercus arenicola Ashe, Rhodora 24: 77. 1922.	Quercus aquatica Walter, var. hybrida Chapman 1860.
Quercus hybrida	Quercus hybrida (Michaux) Ashe, Proc. Soc. Amer. Forest. 11: 88. 1916, non Brotero 1805, nec Bechstein 1829, nec Houba 1887, nec (Chapman) Small 1903.	Quercus laurifolia Michaux, var. hybrida Michaux 1801.
Quercus hybrida	Quercus hybrida (Chapman) Small, Fl. S.E. U.S. 350, 1329. 1903, non Brotero 1805, nec Bechstein 1829, nec Houba 1887.	Quercus aquatica Walter, var. hybrida Chapman 1860.
Quercus ilexoides	Quercus ilexoides Rafinesque, Alsogr. Amer. 23. 1838.		FLORIDA
Quercus laurifolia var. hybrida	Quercus laurifolia Michaux, var. hybrida Michaux, Hist. Chênes Amér. pl. 18. 1801.
Quercus laurifolia var. obtusa	Quercus laurifolia Michaux, var. obtusa Willdenow, Sp. Pl. 4: 428. 1805, nom. illegit.	Quercus laurifolia Michaux, var. hybrida Michaux 1801.
Quercus laurifolia var. rhombica	Quercus laurifolia Michaux, var. rhombica (Sargent) Trelease, Mem. Natl. Acad. Sci. 20: 157. 1924.	Quercus rhombica Sargent 1918.
Quercus laurina	Quercus laurina Rafinesque, Alsogr. Amer. 27. 1838, non Humboldt & Bonpland 1809.		"Florida, Carol. &c."
Quercus maritima	Quercus maritima Rafinesque, Alsogr. Amer. 27. 1838, non (Michaux) Willdenow 1805.		"Florida &c.",
Quercus nitida	Quercus nitida Rafinesque, Alsogr. Amer. 20. 1838.		"Carol. and Florida",
Quercus obtusa	Quercus obtusa Ashe, Torreya 18: 72. 1918.	Quercus laurifolia Michaux, var. obtusa Willdenow 1805, nom. illegit.; Quercus laurifolia Michaux, var. hybrida Michaux 1801.
Quercus obtusa var. obovatifolia	Quercus obtusa (Willdenow) Ashe, var. obovatifolia (Sargent) Ashe, Rhodora 24: 78. 1922.	Quercus rhombica Sargent, var. obovatifolia Sargent 1918.
Quercus phellos var. laurifolia	Quercus phellos Linnaeus, var. laurifolia (Michaux) Chapman, Fl. South. U.S. 420. 1860.	Quercus laurifolia Michaux 1801.
Quercus rhombica	Quercus rhombica Sargent, Bot. Gaz. 65: 430. 1918.		ALABAMA: Dallas Co.: Sardis (now Berlin), 2 Oct 1917, Cocks 4706 (holotype: GH ?)
Quercus rhombica var. obovatifolia	Quercus rhombica Sargent, var. obovatifolia Sargent, Bot. Gaz. 65: 431. 1918.		TEXAS: Jefferson Co.: Beaumont, 14 Sep 1917, Palmer 1274 (holotype: A?).
Quercus rhombifolia	Quercus rhombifolia Riddell, New Orleans Med. Surg. J. 9: 614. 1853.		LOUISIANA: Rapides Par.: Near Alexandria, s.d., Hale s.n. (holotype: ?).
Quercus suberoides	Quercus suberoides Rafinesque, Med. Repos., ser. 2. 5: 360. 1808.
Quercus uliginosa var. laurifolia	Quercus uliginosa Wangenheim, var. laurifolia (Michaux) Zabel, in Beissner et al., Handb. Landholzben. 66. 1903.	Quercus laurifolia Michaux 1801.
Quercus verrucosa var. obliqua	Quercus verrucosa Rafinesque, var. obliqua Rafinesque, Alsogr. Amer. 26. 1838.		FLORIDA
Quercus obtusa	Quercus obtusa Ashe, Torreya 18: 72. 1918.	Quercus laurifolia Michaux, var. obtusa Willdenow 1805, nom. illegit.; Quercus laurifolia Michaux, var. hybrida Michaux 1801.

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Autauga, Baldwin, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Dallas, Escambia, Etowah, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Houston, Lawrence, Lee, Lowndes, Madison, Marengo, Marshall, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Pike, Russell, Shelby, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AUA, JSU, TROY, UNA, USAM, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1966 - 1997

Barcode / Accession No.	County	Coll. Date	Collector & Collection No.	Herbarium & Herbarium Name Used
JSU123581	Shelby	20 Jul 1993	Whetstone, R. David s.n.	JSU Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UNA00032437	Mobile	06 Aug 1979	Haynes, Robert R. 7514	UNA Quercus laurifolia Michx.
JSU139596	Clarke	28 Dec 1940	Bull, H. s.n.	JSU Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UNA00032452	Tuscaloosa	07 Dec 1968	Brooks, Carol J. 595	UNA Quercus laurifolia Michx.
AUA_ACC_47206	Bullock	11 Sep 1987	Diamond, Alvin R. 3578	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
TROY000039721	Marengo	01 Oct 2011	England, J. Kevin 3153	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
AUA000042963	Baldwin	7 Aug 1925	Wolf, Wolfgang 1872	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
TROY000049783	Geneva	20 Oct 2016	Byrd, Cameron 370	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
AUA_ACC_70274	Covington	19 May 2009	Hansen, Curtis J. 3976	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
TROY000049212	Marengo	10 Aug 2013	England, J. Kevin 3843	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UWAL0007698	Sumter	30 Oct 2008	England, J. Kevin 1476	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michx.
AUA_ACC_58293	Tallapoosa	10 May 1997	Tyler, Patricia J. TYLER74	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
TROY000035610	Butler	16 Sep 2012	Diamond, Alvin R. 23383	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
TROY000005945	Pike	01 May 1997	Holmes, Jeanese 318	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
AUA_ACC_10217	Lee	5 May 1962	Landers, K.E.	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
TROY000039375	Pike	24 Sep 2013	Diamond, Alvin R. 24581	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
AUA_ACC_15158	Lee	3 Apr 1969	Chitwood, John C.	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
UNA00066232	Montgomery	21 Jul 2006	Diamond, Alvin R. 16728	UNA Quercus laurifolia Michx.
AUA000042292	Talladega	21 Nov 2013	Barger, T. Wayne SP1268	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
JSU123582	Talladega	22 Apr 1995	Ballard, J. Mark 5447	JSU Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UWAL0035145	Madison	02 Jun 2017	England, J. Kevin 7899	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UWAL0014622	Marengo	10 Aug 2013	England, J. Kevin 3843	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michaux
TROY000005941	Coffee	15 Nov 1999	Allen, Anthony 5	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
AUA_ACC_45352	Dallas	6 Apr 1979	Wilkerson, E.H. 008	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
UWAL0010963	Houston	02 May 2007	Kral, Robert 97986	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michx.
AUA_ACC_64754	Mobile	19 Oct 1973	Taylor, John 15448	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
TROY000038452	Geneva	25 Aug 2013	Diamond, Alvin R. 24471	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
AUA_ACC_61212	Choctaw	21 Oct 1994	Crouch, Virginia E. 1242	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
UNA00001904	Lowndes	03 Oct 1997	Haynes, Robert R. 9613	UNA Quercus laurifolia Michx.
USAM000006897	Baldwin	17 Jul 1970	LeLong, Michel G. 5447	USAM Quercus laurifolia Michaux
AUA000040209	Houston	22 Jan 2015	Barger, T. Wayne DTP5	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
AUA_ACC_44053	Conecuh	31 Aug 1985	Diamond, Alvin R.	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
UWAL0047940	Russell	06 Mar 2020	England, J. Kevin 10725	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UWAL0015562	Lawrence	15 Sep 2013	England, J. Kevin 4526	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michaux
TROY000005940	Bullock	20 Aug 2002	Diamond, Alvin R. 13609	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UWAL0015159	Geneva	25 Aug 2013	Diamond, Alvin R. 24471	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UWAL0035828	Blount	10 Nov 2012	Anderson, Kelly 89	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michx.
JSU150425	Blount	10 May 1993	Dasinger, Adam P. 88	JSU Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UWAL0053411	Baldwin	13 Jul 1926	Wolf, W. 2566	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michx.
UNA00032396	Tuscaloosa	06 Dec 1968	Brooks, Carol J. 592	UNA Quercus laurifolia Michx.
TROY000021194	Sumter	30 Oct 2008	England, J. Kevin 1476	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
JSU123514	Calhoun	27 Sep 1992	Spaulding, Daniel D. 2990	JSU Quercus laurifolia Michaux
TROY000005944	Montgomery	21 Jul 2006	Diamond, Alvin R. 16728	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
AUA000042962	Baldwin	6 Jul 1926	Wolf, Wolfgang 2567	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
TROY000005943	Escambia	05 May 1995	Brittain, Cynthia L. 133	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
JSU140947	Baldwin	09 Aug 1957	Ford, E.S. 5277	JSU Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UNA00054332	Blount	12 Jul 1998	Keener, Brian R. 1237	UNA Quercus laurifolia Michx.
UWAL0012467	Butler	16 Sep 2012	Diamond, Alvin R. 23383	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michaux
AUA_ACC_58443	Baldwin	26 Jul 1996	Tucker, Jr., James W.	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
ALNHS00000532	Dallas	16 Apr 2010	Barger, T. Wayne OC-90	ALNHS Quercus laurifolia Michx.
TROY000020038	Crenshaw	03 Aug 2008	Diamond, Alvin R. 19700	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UWAL0015953	Bullock	12 Oct 2012	Dykes, Bailee 1396	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michx.
TROY000045552	Lawrence	15 Sep 2013	England, J. Kevin 4526	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
AUA_ACC_61286	Choctaw	4 Mar 1995	Crouch, Virginia E. 1324	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
UNA00047700	Dale	08 Apr 1997	MacDonald, John R. 10241	UNA Quercus laurifolia Michx.
JSU123517	Lee	7 May 1964	Landers, Kenneth E. s.n.	JSU Quercus laurifolia Michaux
AUA000042266	Colbert	22 Jul 2014	Barger, T. Wayne FH479	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
AUA000038240	Morgan	15 Mar 2017	England, J. Kevin 7503	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
UWAL0030636	Covington	14 Nov 1986	Kral, Robert 73698	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michx.
UWAL0019806	Houston	13 Aug 2015	Diamond, Alvin R. 26726	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michaux
JSU136772	Blount	12 Jul 1998	Keener, Brian R. 1237	JSU Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UNA00073025	Monroe	01 Mar 2011	Barger, T. Wayne RH-43	UNA Quercus laurifolia Michx.
UWAL0046348	Autauga	05 Oct 2018	Parker, Matthew R. 1820	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UWAL0031845	Conecuh	18 Sep 1993	Kral, Robert 83320	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michaux
TROY000014583	Dale	08 May 2005	Kral, Robert 96260	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UWAL0015801	Pike	24 Sep 2013	Diamond, Alvin R. 24581	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UNA00032475	Hale	20 Aug 1966	Williams, Norris H. 431	UNA Quercus laurifolia Michx.
JSU123518	Lee	7 May 1964	Landers, Kenneth E. s.n.	JSU Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UWAL0002907	Montgomery	11 Nov 2010	Diamond, Alvin R. 21709	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michaux
AUA000038268	Madison	2 Jun 2017	England, J. Kevin 7899	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
UNA00069375	Sumter	30 Oct 2008	England, J. Kevin 1476	UNA Quercus laurifolia Michx.
UWAL0035204	Morgan	15 Apr 2017	England, J. Kevin 7503	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michaux
JSU123516	Lawrence	26 May 1996	Whetstone, R. David 17985	JSU Quercus laurifolia Michaux
JSU123513	Bibb	1 Apr 1999	Brodeur, Kristin R. 1646	JSU Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UNA00017120	Greene	13 Aug 1969	Thomas, Joab L. 2400	UNA Quercus laurifolia Michx.
UNA00032457	Mobile	s.d.	Mohr, Charles s.n.	UNA Quercus laurifolia Michx.
JSU123520	Marshall	21 Jun 1986	Whetstone, R. David 15284	JSU Quercus laurifolia Michaux
TROY000042605	Houston	13 Aug 2015	Diamond, Alvin R. 26726	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
JSU123512	Baldwin	28 Sep 1985	Lawler, Carol L. 075	JSU Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UNA00032462	Tuscaloosa	07 Dec 1968	Brooks, Carol J. 595	UNA Quercus laurifolia Michx.
AUA_ACC_47379	Baldwin	14 Apr 1973	Ponder, William 118	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
TROY000048275	Autauga	05 Oct 2018	Parker, Matthew R. 1820	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UWAL0008715	Marengo	01 Oct 2011	England, J. Kevin 3153	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michaux
TROY000038147	Bullock	12 Oct 2012	Dykes, Bailee 1396	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
AUA_ACC_21459	Lee	16 Apr 1970	Wood, Kerry 043	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
UWAL0048315	Bullock	07 Jul 2017	Horne, Howard E. 4005	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michaux
AUA_ACC_2021	Lee	15 May 1952	Walsh, C.S.	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
JSU123515	Etowah	30 Oct 1994	Hodge, Lesley M. 4055	JSU Quercus laurifolia Michaux
TROY000005942	Coffee	08 Dec 1999	Martin, Brian H. 397	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
USAM000006896	Baldwin	25 May 1974	LeLong, Michel G. 7774	USAM Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UWAL0034310	Butler	12 Jul 1995	Kral, Robert 85197	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michaux
TROY000020039	Coffee	08 May 2005	Kral, Robert 96272	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UWAL0019020	Geneva	26 Aug 1998	Kral, Robert 87789	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michaux
TROY000032742	Montgomery	11 Nov 2010	Diamond, Alvin R. 21709	TROY Quercus laurifolia Michaux
JSU123519	Marshall	23 Apr 1994	Spaulding, Daniel D. 5456	JSU Quercus laurifolia Michaux
UWAL0007697	Coffee	08 May 2005	Kral, Robert 96272	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michx.
AUA000042965	Montgomery	24 Aug 1927	Wolf, Wolfgang	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
UNA00032477	Bibb	16 Sep 1985	Horn, Charles N. 913	UNA Quercus laurifolia Michx.
UWAL0043559	Baldwin	11 Jul 2000	Larsen, Harry S. 352	UWAL Quercus laurifolia Michx.
AUA_ACC_22720	Lee	5 Oct 1971	Harper, Douglas 011	AUA Quercus Laurifolia Michx.
JSU150424	Bibb	15 Mar 1998	Brodeur, Kristin R. 387	JSU Quercus laurifolia Michaux
ALNHS00003284	Lowndes	14 Jul 2015	Barger, T. Wayne SP#1800	ALNHS Quercus laurifolia Michx.
ALNHS00002486	Talladega	21 Nov 2013	Barger, T. Wayne SP#1268	ALNHS Quercus laurifolia Michx.

View a List of All Ecological Communities

For more information, contact: Brian R. Keener, Ph.D.

Data last modified: 11/9/2024

Web Development: The Florida Center for Community Design + Research

A member of the University of South Florida family of PlantAtlas.org sites

Citation Information:

Keener, B.R., A.R. Diamond, T.W. Barger, L.J. Davenport, P.G. Davison, S.L. Ginzbarg, C.J. Hansen, D.D. Spaulding, J.K. Triplett, and M. Woods. 2024. Alabama Plant Atlas. [S.M. Landry and K.N. Campbell (original application development), Florida Center for Community Design and Research. University of South Florida]. University of West Alabama, Livingston, Alabama.

Data, text, and images licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Quercus laurifolia

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Synonyms

Specimens and Distribution