Quercus emoryi


Quercus emoryi, the Emory oak, is a species of oak common in Arizona, New Mexico and western Texas, United States, and northern Mexico. It typically grows in dry hills at moderate altitudes.
Quercus emoryi is an evergreen tree in the red oak group, retaining its leaves through the winter until the new leaves are produced in spring, and is a large shrub or small tree from tall. The leaves are long, entire or wavy-toothed, leathery, dark green above, paler below. The acorns are long, blackish-brown, and mature in 6–8 months from pollination; the kernel is sweet, and is an important food for certain mammals.
The tree is named after the United States Army surveyor, Lieutenant William Hemsley Emory, who surveyed the area of west Texas where it was discovered in 1846.

Ecology and uses

The acorn is sweet and an important food for livestock, deer, squirrels, the Gila chipmunk, and birds such as quail and wild turkeys. Deer and livestock also browse the foliage.
Native Americans, especially the Apaches, ate the sweet acorns; these were ground into meal.