National Collection of Imperiled Plants

CPC National Collection Plant Profile

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CPC National Collection Plant Profile

Quercus hinckleyi

Family:	Fagaceae
Common Name:	Hinckley's oak
Author:	C.H. Muller
Growth Habit:	Shrub
CPC Number:	3690

Distribution
Protection
Conservation
References

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Quercus hinckleyi is Fully Sponsored

Primary custodian for this plant in the CPC National Collection of Endangered Plants is:

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Cindy Barrett contributed to this Plant Profile.

Quercus hinckleyi

This unique oak is an attractive evergreen shrub forms thickets about 4 feet tall where it occurs. Its grayish-green, holly-like leaves give it a smoky appearance from a distance. It is found growing in the Chihuahuan desert on dry slopes at a 4500 foot elevation (Correll and Johnston 1996). Unlike most of our rare and endangered plants in Texas, the hinckley oak is rare due mostly to changes in climatic conditions, rather than because of habitat destruction (Miller and Powell 1982). The presence of acorns in fossils from the area where Hinckley's oak occurs indicates that this plant was much more common 10,000 years ago, when the climate of western Texas was wetter. (Texas Parks and Wildlife 2002; WWF 1990)

Distribution & Occurrence

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State Range

Texas

Habitat

Found at middle elevations in the Chihuahuan Desert scrub vegetation. It is found growing on dry limestone slopes at around 1,370 meters (4,500 ft) in elevation in habitat that receives an average of 25 cm (10 inches) of rain per year. (WWF 1990)

Distribution

Found in western Texas in Brewster and Presidio Counties. (Texas Parks and Wildlife 2002)

Number Left

Approximately ten populations are known from two counties in Texas (Texas Parks and Wildlife 2002).

Protection

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Global Rank:	G2	7/14/2005	Guide to Global Ranks
Federal Status:	LT	10/24/1996	Guide to Federal Status
Recovery Plan:	Yes

State/Area Protection

	State/Area	Rank	Status	Date

Conservation, Ecology & Research

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Ecological Relationships

Unknown.

Threats

� Expansion of a nearby highway may threaten one population.
� Increased grazing pressure by cattle, who cannot reach the known populations, or the introduction of goats to the grazing regimen. Goats would be able to reach and graze upon this species.
� Possible hybridization with other oak species nearby.
(USFWS 1988)

Current Research Summary

� San Antonio Botanical Garden has collected acorns from the wild and propagated them.
� Sharon Weyerts, from Sul Ross State University, has studied the genetic, biochemical, and reproductive biology of this species. (Weyerts 1992)

Current Management Summary

� San Antonio Botanical Garden maintains and monitors plants in test plot and on the grounds.
� Most of the known populations now occur in Big Bend Ranch State Park, under the management of Texas Parks and Wildlife. (Texas Parks and Wildlife 2002)

Research Management Needs

Population biology and population ecology research needed (USFWS 1992)

Ex Situ Needs

References

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Books (Single Authors)

Correll, D.S.; Johnston, M.C. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas. Renner: Texas Research Foundation. 1881p.

Poole, J.M.; Riskind, D.H. 1987. Endangered, threatened, or protected native plants of Texas. Austin, TX: Texas Parks Wildlife Department.

Powell, A.M. 1988. Trees and shrubs of Trans-Pecos Texas, including Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks. Big Bend National Park, Texas: Big Bend Natural History Association. 536p.

WWF. 1990. The official World Wildlife Fund (WWF) guide to endangered species of North America. Washington, D.C.: Beacham Publishing. 1180p.

Books (Sections)

Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the U.S., Canada, and Greenland. In: Kartesz, J.T.; Meacham, C.A., editors. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden. Chapel Hill, NC.

Conference Proceedings

Van Devender, T.R. Pleistocene climates and endemism in the Chiluahuan Desert flora. Second Symposium on the Resources of the Chilhuahuan Desert Region; 1986; p 1-19.

Electronic Sources

(2002). Texas Threatened and Endangered Plants--Profiles. Texas Parks and Wildlife. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/nature/endang/plants/index.htm. Accessed: 2002.

Journal Articles

Muller, C.H. 1951. The oaks of Texas. Contributions Texas Research Foundation. 1, 3: 21-311.

Rees, M.D. 1988. Final listing rules approved for 25 species. Endangered Species Technical Bulletin. 13, 9-10: 3-5.

Rutman, S. 1987. Proposed threatened status for Quercus hinckleyi (Hinckley oak). Federal Register. 52, 179: 34966-34969.

USFWS. 1976. Proposed Endangered Status for 1700 U.S. Plants. Federal Register. 41: 24523-24572.

USFWS. 1984. Four Plants in Danger. Endangered Species Technical Bulletin. 9, 8: 1, 5-7.

USFWS. 1988. Determination of threatened status for Quercus hinckleyi (Hinckley oak). Federal Register. 53, 166: 32824-32827.

USFWS. 1988. Final Listing Rules. Endangered Species Technical Bulletin. 13, 9-10: 4.

Van Devender, T.R.; Freeman, C.E.; Worthington, R.D. 1978. Full-glacial and recent vegetation of the Livingston Hills, Presidio County, Texas. Southwest Naturalist. 23: 289-302.

Reports

Bacon, J.R. 1989. A report on the project "Germination and establishment phase biology of the Hinckley oak (Quercus hinckleyi). Austin, Texas: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Miller, D.J.; Powell, A.M. 1982. Status report on Quercus hinckleyi. Albuquerque, NM: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

USFWS. 1992. Hinckley oak (Quercus hinckleyi) recovery plan. Albuquerque, New Mexico: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. p.39.

Weyerts, Sharon F. 1992. Genetic, Biochemical, and Reproductive Studies of the Hinckley Oak (Quercus hinckleyi) in the Big Bend Country of Texas. Annual Research Report Submitted to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Natural Heritage Program. Interagency Agreement Number 330-0573. p.14 plus appendices.

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This profile was updated on 3/4/2010