Quercus berberidifolia
| California scrub oak | |
|---|---|
| The twigs, leaves, and acorns on Quercus berberidifolia in San Diego County, California. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fagales |
| Family: | Fagaceae |
| Genus: | Quercus |
| Subgenus: | Quercus subg. Quercus |
| Section: | Quercus sect. Quercus |
| Species: | Q. berberidifolia
|
| Binomial name | |
| Quercus berberidifolia | |
| Synonyms | |
Quercus berberidifolia, commonly known as the California scrub oak or barberry-leaved scrub oak, is a species of scrub oak in the white oak section of Quercus. It is a shrub typically reaching heights of 1–2 metres (3+1⁄2–6+1⁄2 ft), characterized by its shiny green leaves, minute rayed trichomes on the lower leaf surface, and barrel-shaped acorns. Native to the United States and Mexico, it is one of the most common scrub oaks in central and southern California, and is found usually in chaparral at mid-elevations from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada to the California Coast Ranges and south into Baja California near Ensenada.