FAGACEAE - - Beech Family

Quercus shumardii Buckley — Shumard Oak

Habitat:

Moist and fertile soils of bottomlands and lower slopes, also in xeric sites over calcareous rocks (such as limestone). A number of varieties have been recognized in Q. shumardii, and the morphological and habitat variation needs additional study. Var. schneckii (Britton) Sargent is apparently distributed in calcareous uplands west of the Blue Ridge, especially on dry limestone slopes. It is allegedly distinguished by the acorn cups rounded to turbinate below (vs. flattened and saucer-shaped in var. shumardii). Hess & Stoynoff (1998) tentatively concluded that no varieties should be recognized within Q. shumardii. Q. acerifolia (E.J. Palmer) Stoynoff & W.J. Hess (Q. shumardii var. acerifolia E.J. Palmer] is an endemic of Magazine Mountain in n. AR and scattered sites in OK; it is best treated as a distinct species, though there has been much debate about its taxonomic status, with opinions ranging from full species to mere form (Smith 1988, Stoynoff & Hess 1990, Johnson 1992, Johnson 1994, Hess & Stoynoff 1998).

Habitat information from:
Weakley, Alan S., Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States, Working Draft of 21 May 2015.

The range of Quercus shumardii (Shumard Oak)

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2015. North American Plant Atlas. (http://bonap.net/napa). Chapel Hill, N.C. [maps generated from Kartesz, J.T. 2015. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP). (in press)].

The Georgia range of Quercus shumardii (Shumard Oak)

Zomlefer, W.B., J.R. Carter, & D.E. Giannasi. 2014 (and ongoing). The Atlas of Georgia Plants. University of Georgia Herbarium (Athens, Georgia) and Valdosta State University Herbarium (Valdosta, Georgia). Available at: http://www.georgiaherbaria.org/.