About Quercus alnifolia Poech
Quercus alnifolia Poech, commonly called the golden oak, is a heavily branched evergreen shrub or small tree that reaches a maximum height of 10 meters (33 feet). Compared to other oak species, it has a short stature, so it is sometimes also known as dwarf oak. Its leaves are simple, shaped obovate to suborbicular, and measure 1.5–8 cm long and 1–7 cm wide. The upper leaf surface is glabrous, shining, and dark green, while the lower surface is covered in dense golden or brownish tomentum. Leaves have serrated margins and raised venation. Leaf petioles are sturdy, 6–11 mm long, and covered in soft hairs. This species produces unisexual flowers: male flowers form greenish-yellow spreading or pendulous catkin clusters at branch tips, while female flowers grow in leaf axils, either solitary or in groups of two to three. Its acorns are narrowly obovate or subcylindrical, usually tapering toward the base, and measure 2–2.5 cm long and 0.8–1.2 cm wide. Acorns have a woody endocarp, and their cupule bears strongly recurved scales. Quercus alnifolia is restricted to the Troodos Massif, where it grows on igneous substrate at altitudes between 400 and 1,800 meters. It grows in dry habitats alongside Pinus brutia, or forms dense maquis in mesic habitats that have deep forest soils. Golden oak helps stabilize soil to prevent erosion, due to its ability to colonize stony, rocky slopes. Across its native range, it is the most ecologically important broadleaved species that forms pure or mixed stands within the conifer-dominated forests of Cyprus, which are dominated by Pinus brutia and Pinus nigra. Thick stands of Q. alnifolia growing in mesic habitats noticeably alter site humidity conditions, and develop forest soils with "mull" humus that supports the growth of shade-loving herbaceous species. Like other species in the oak genus, Quercus alnifolia forms mutually beneficial ectomycorrhizal associations with a variety of fungi. A preliminary 2011 study documented over 80 mycorrhizal fungi associated with golden oak, though the total number of associated species is estimated to be far higher.
