Fagaceae (beech family) Quercus

Quercus parvula var. shrevei Shreve oak

Central & Northern Coastal California
Shreve oak at the Cantor Center parking lot. Sairus Patel, 19 Sep 2018
Branchlet of Shreve oak, Cantor Center parking lot. Unlike coast live oak, leaf undersides lack tufts of hair at the vein axils. Sairus Patel, 19 Sep 2018

Leaves are similar to those of coast live oak but are flat, not concave, and do not have coast live oak’s characteristic tufts of hairs at the vein axils on the undersides. Trees at Jasper Ridge thought to be Q. wislizeni (var. frutescens) are now considered Shreve oak.

See a small specimen at the northwest corner of Museum Way and Palm Drive, fronting the parking lot of the Cantor Center (location, Sep 2018).

Several oak species new to campus, or rarely seen here, were planted in 2003 by Magic of Palo Alto. The plants were small, and in some cases only acorns: Q. calliprinos (Palestine oak), Q. engelmannii (Engelmann oak), and Q. parvula var. shrevei (Shreve oak). Three Mexican oak acorns also were planted: Q. greggii, Q. diversifolia, and Q. mexicana. Few of these experimental plantings have survived.

About this Entry: Entry created (Sep 2017, SP). Cantor location and Jasper Ridge note added; all locations up to date (Dec 2022, SP).