Quercus glabrescens Benth.

Mexico (Oaxaca, San Luis Potosi, Hidalgo, Mexico, Distrito Federal, Tlaxcala, Veracruz); 2500-3400 m; introduced in England by Hartweg in 1839;

3-4 m tall usually, but may reach to 15 m;

4-10 x 1.5-4 cm; deciduous; stiff, subcoriaceous to coriaceous; oblanceolate, elliptic or obovate; 2-2.5 times longer than wide ; apex acute or obtuse, with mucronate tip; base rounded or cordate, sometimes cuneate; margin cartilaginous, slightly revolute, crenate or dentate with apically 3-5 pairs of mucronate teeth; shiny dark green, rugose and glabrous above except few stellate hairs on midrib; paler beneath, glabrous or with some fasciculate, sessile hairs with crispate rays; 10-14 rather straight vein pairs, impressed above; epidermis lustrous, papillose, sometimes slightly bullate, rarely flat, with prominent veins beneath; petiole 3-10 mm long, glabrescent or covered with sessile fasciculate hairs and acicular unicellular ones, appressed ;

in February to May; staminate catkins 2 cm long, with 20-30 flowers; pistillate catkins 1-1.8 cm long, 1 to 3-flowered, with glabrescent rachis;

acorn mucronate, ovoid, 1.6-2.1 cm long, 1.3-1.7 cm in diameter; solitary or to 3 together, sessile or on a glabrous, 4-5 mm long stalk; enclosed 1/3 by cup; cup brown tomentose, 1-2 cm in diameter, without warty scales; maturing first year in September-October;

hardy; all types of soils, prefers moist ones; cultivated in Holland; slow growing;

– A. Camus : n° 211; – Sub-genus Quercus, Section Quercus, Series Leucomexicanae; – Possible confusion with Q. lancifolia , which has narrower leaves (2.5-3.5 times longer than wider) with the adaxial surface not rugose.