Quercus engleriana Seemen

China (Szechwan, Hupeh, Shaanxi), Tibet, Assam ; 700 to 2700 m ; introduced in Europe in 1900 by Wilson ;

6-8 m, but may reach 15 m;

6-12 x 3-4.5 cm; evergreen (old leaves fall as the new ones unfold); thick, very stiff; oval, subelliptic, oval-lanceolate or lanceolate; pointed and acuminate at apex; base rounded or cordate or sometimes somewhat cuneate; margin toothed in the apical half, or sometimes entire; dark shining green, hairless above ; at first yellowish-brown pubescent beneath, becoming glabrous, except fascicled hairs sometimes remaining at vein axil; 10-13 vein pairs strongly raised beneath, at an angle or 40-45° with midrib; petiole 1-2 cm, tomentose becoming glabrous;

May-June; male inflorescences 7-8 cm, hairy, multiflowered; female inflorescences 1-3 cm at the axil of the leaves at the end of the new twigs;

acorn ovoid-oblong 1-2 cm long, acute, mucronate, glabrous; single or to 10 together on a 1-1.5 cm long rachis; cup shallow enclosing 1/3 of nut, sessile, 0.8-1.2 cm in diameter; scales oval-lanceolate 1 mm long, brown tomentose near base, glabrous and reddish at apex; maturing in 1 year;

probably hardy; all types of soils;

– Sub-genus Cerris, Section Ilex; – A. Camus : tome 2, p. 35, n° 139; – In 2007, Govaerts places Q. shanxiensis as a true species in Shanxi. – For The Plant List 2013, Q. kongshanensis is a true species.