50+ Year Old Collected Scrub Oak

Quercus inopina?
aka, Florida scrub oak, sandhill oak
Check this on your tree: Terminal buds dark purplish brown, ovoid to subconic, 2-6 mm, noticeably 5-angled in cross section. Believe saw this id'd as Unknown Oak at one time. Endemic to FL and considered uncommon. If ID correct is special find;).
 
Check this on your tree: Terminal buds dark purplish brown, ovoid to subconic, 2-6 mm, noticeably 5-angled in cross section. Believe saw this id'd as Unknown Oak at one time. Endemic to FL and considered uncommon. If ID correct is special find;).
When i look up inopina this does not look like inopina. These leaves noticeable come to multiple points on my tree. I can get a picture tomorrow.
 
Are the two trunks on a single roots system? Or are they 2 separate trees. Either way, they are a nice start. What are your plans?

I counted 29 different species of oaks, Quercus, that are native to "southeaster USA" which can include parts of Florida. A more clear picture of the leaves would help. I will narrow my casual search, as time allows to south Florida. We'll see if we can get the list of candidates down for you.

I do like that the trunks are already old enough to have decent bark. Very cool. I don't doubt the trunks are 50 years old.
 
Well, in between other things, I perused lists of oak species. The following four species are definite possibilities. These 4 are all native to southern Florida, and have leaves vaguely close to your photo.

Quercus minima - the dwarf live oak, leaves look right, range is right, definitely a possibility.

Quercus myrtifolia - Myrtle oak - leaves are close, maybe yes, maybe no - range is right.

Quercus virginiana - leaves aren't perfect fit, but the range is right, there is a fair amount of variability in the leaves of virginiana.

Quercus pumila - runner oak - definitely a possibility, range is right. Don't know if they get trunks the diameter you have.

With the age of your tree, if you were to get acorns, the traits of the acorns could narrow down the choices.

These below all are probably not right, but there is an outside chance that one of the ones below are it.

Quercus chapmanii - range doesn't extend to extreme south Florida
Quercus geminata - teeth don't seem right, though maybe?
Quercus margarettae - range isn't far enough south, though maybe?
Quercus inopina - you already mentioned leaves not right, but range is a possibility.
 
So there are pretty distinct differences in leaves on the same tree, ill get some better pics tomorrow. But some of the leaves are completely smooth without teeth, while others have those points from the screenshot. Ill get some detailed pics tomorrow!
 
Well, in between other things, I perused lists of oak species. The following four species are definite possibilities. These 4 are all native to southern Florida, and have leaves vaguely close to your photo.

Quercus minima - the dwarf live oak, leaves look right, range is right, definitely a possibility.

Quercus myrtifolia - Myrtle oak - leaves are close, maybe yes, maybe no - range is right.

Quercus virginiana - leaves aren't perfect fit, but the range is right, there is a fair amount of variability in the leaves of virginiana.

Quercus pumila - runner oak - definitely a possibility, range is right. Don't know if they get trunks the diameter you have.

PXL_20210323_181708220.jpg
 
What about Quercus laurifolia? Leaves can have various size lobes and points (almost spines) at the tips of the lobes. It is in the "Red Oak" group, so pointy tips to lobes of leaves is normal. Some of the examples have simple leaves with no lobes or points, and some specimens can have 5 lobes, and all the possibilities in-between. Trees can get big, bark looks similar.


1280px-Quercus_laurifolia_%2823849449790%29.jpg
 
What about Quercus laurifolia? Leaves can have various size lobes and points (almost spines) at the tips of the lobes. It is in the "Red Oak" group, so pointy tips to lobes of leaves is normal. Some of the examples have simple leaves with no lobes or points, and some specimens can have 5 lobes, and all the possibilities in-between. Trees can get big, bark looks similar.


1280px-Quercus_laurifolia_%2823849449790%29.jpg
Looks exactly like my Georgia Oak Q. georgiana. Wonder of photog made mistake?
 
Where was it collected from? What landcover and soil type? Unless you got it from sand scrub Forrest, not inopina or geminata. They don’t have teeth on margins.
 
The slightly revolute margins and variable leaf morphology indicate Virginiana to me.
 
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