Quercus lusitanica

Quercus Lusitanica

Quercus lusitanica is an evergreen creeping bush, rarely exceeding 2 metres (6+1⁄2 feet) in height and is often no taller than 30 centimetres (12 inches).[6][7] The plant mainly spreads through various suckers.[8]

It was incorrectly named Q. humilis, later Q. fruticosa and its current name was incorrectly used to identify other Gall oaks from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa. This resulted in numerous taxonomy errors in the Gall oaks taxa from the occidental and oriental Mediterranean Basin.[1]

Quercus lusitanica is native to the Iberian Peninsula (in Portugal and western Andalusia, Spain, also rare on Galicia) and Morocco[6] It is commonly associated in oak and pine forests and does well in acidic soils.[1] It favors mild coastal Mediterranean climates but it also succeeds in moist, mild, maritime climates.[8][7] It is relatively sensitive to cold temperatures[1] and is hardy down to −8 °C (18 °F).[8] It inhabits sandy or gravelly soils up to 600 m (2,000 ft) in elevation.[6][9]

No serious threats were found in Portugal, though in Andalusia this plant has been listed as Near Threatened due to fires, silviculture and grazing ungulates.[1] The main threat to the conservation of genetic diversity of this species is the hybridization with the oak neighbors (Holm Oak, Cork Oak, Kermes Oak, Pyrenean Oak).[1]