of the
Maple-Leaf Oak
Extant in only four known locales
in Arkansas, the maple-leaf oak (Quercus acerifolia)
is considered an endangered species according
to the IUCN Red List. Originally described in
1926 by renowned botanist Ernest Palmer as
Q. shumardii var. acerifolia, it was promoted to
species status in 1990 by authors Nick Stoynoff
and Bill Hess. At that time, only one site (Mt.
Magazine State Park) was known to science.
Intrigued by the rarity of this species and the desire
to help conserve it, I decided to grow a grove of
maple-leaf oaks (a mixture of seedlings and grafts)
comprised of individuals from each of the four
known sites. In time, the trees we propagate will
be planted at Stephens Lake Park Arboretum in
Columbia, Missouri and will become an important
ex-situ germplasm repository for the species.
In order to collect the acorns and scion wood
needed to build this collection, I had to apply
for the proper permits before I visited each site.
Two sites are located in the Ouachita National
Forest (ONF); one site is in Mt. Magazine State
Park; and another, the newest location, is on
private property. I met up with University of
Missouri-St. Louis PhD candidate Amanda Wu, staff
from Missouri Botanical Garden (MOBOT), and
Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission Botanist
Brent Baker in June, 2019 in the ONF. Amanda and
Brent were working on separate projects, and I
was there scouting for a return trip in the fall.
The first location was a 1-mile (1.6 km) hike
from the parking spot with an 800 feet (244
m) elevation increase. Around 30 individuals of
maple-leaf oaks are growing in a narrow band
along an exposed ridgetop at just over 1600 feet
(488 m) elevation. I noted a few putative hybrids
with Q. marilandica and Q. rubra as well as the
presence of other noteworthy species such as
Ilex vomitoria, I. opaca, and Fagus grandifolia.
Interestingly, as the sides of the ridge fell off in
any direction, the Q. acerifolia disappeared. >>
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