the "pure" phenotype of Blue Oak (Quercus douglasii)
Oaks are a complicated topic.
Anyways lol to get to the point, I believe the pure species phenotype of Quercus douglasii has large, long, ovoid, blue-green leaves, which are minimally lobed. Robust growth aswell. In a way, I think it would be similar to Engelmann Oak (Quercus englemanii). Im not trying to say Blue Oak was originally Engelmann oak, i just think it would've looked similar without hybridization
After looking at many blue oaks in my life, I feel like the slight lobing present is just a phenotype attained from mixing with Q. lobata, and those traits have became stable in the speices (am i explaining introgression?) I see many blue oaks which are look almost hybridized, but they still fit the general theme of blue oak, so they are identified as such, but in reality almost all of them have some amount of genetics from something else
So here are some examples of some (my idea of "pure") blue oak phenotypes I have observed. This is just my opinion/theory. Obviously considering how easy they hybridize, I do not think these are genetically pure but possibly phenotypically similar to how blue oaks were when they first evolved?
- https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/237579292
- https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/237345475
- https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/238365158
Compare the leaves in observation 1&2 to engelmann oak: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/246345529
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@jonaskat @yerbasanta
I hope im not getting into oak psuedoscience here, but i provided a few examples here of my opinion, please check it out and let me know what you think
Also, the place where I am mostly observing these interesting blue oak phenotypes, aswell as that one Alvord Oak, were in the Shadow Cliffs park.
If you want a little context on that you can read my write up: https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/scion882/98539-the-ecosystems-and-plants-of-shadow-cliffs-regional-recreation-area
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