Species: Quercus chrysolepis Traditional Cache
Nomex: The cache owner is not responding to issues with this geocache, so I must regretfully archive it.
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Species: Quercus chrysolepis
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This simple park and grab micro cache is located along Old Foresthill Rd.
It is another in a series of educational caches that combines geocaching and my love of nature.
"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." -Mark Twain-
Kingdom: Plantae -> (unranked): Angiosperms -> (unranked): Eudicots -> (unranked): Rosids -> Order: Fagales -> Family: Fagaceae -> Genus: Quercus -> Section: Protobalanus -> Species: Q. chrysolepis
Quercus chrysolepis, commonly termed Canyon Live Oak, or Golden Cup Oak , is a species of evergreen oak that is found in the southwestern part of North America, notably in the California Coast Ranges. This tree is often found near creeks and drainage swales growing in moist cool microhabitats. Its leaves are a glossy dark green on the upper surface with prominent spines; a further rapid identification arises from the leaves of Canyon live oak being geometrically flat. They are often sympatric with Quercus agrifolia and several other oak species. Fossil data supports a much wider distribution throughout the western United States during the early Holocene period.
Native Americans used the acorns of this species as a food staple, after leaching of the tannins; its roasted seed is a coffee substitute. After forest fires, Canyon live oak regenerates vigorously by basal sprouting, and the clonal diversity of this species has been shown to be high.
Description:
Quercus chrysolepis is an evergreen tree with significant-sized spreading, horizontal branches, and a broad, rounded crown; it attains a height of six to thirty meters and is often found in a shrubby growth form. The trunk diameter can range from 30 to 100 centimeters. The elliptical to oblong leaves are 2.5 to 8.0 centimeters in length with widths of about half that dimension and are short-pointed at the tip, but rounded or blunt at base. Although the leaves appear generally flat, they may have edge margins slightly turned under, typically with spiny teeth, particularly on young twigs. These leathery leaves are a glossy dark green above, with a nether surface a dull golden down, often becoming gray and nearly glabrous the second year.
Bark of the Canyon live oak is of a light gray coloration, and is rather smooth or sometimes scaly. Acorns occur solitarily or in pairs, exhibiting lengths of two to five centimeters; these fruits are variable in size and shape, but generally ovoid, turban-like with a shallow, thick cup of scales densely covered with yellowish hairs; the stalk is barely evident.
Cache Information:
The micro sized cache hidden in a nice example of Quercus chrysolepis. No need to climb down the hill from the road. There is parking at ground zero for a car or two.
If you are here in March or April you may see an lovely example of Cercis occidentalis or Red Bud in bloom just up the hill from here.
Please log your find or no find online so I will know how the cache is doing. If you feel my coordinates are off please post your coordinates with your log. So I can make adjustments if necessary.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
unatre
Treasures
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