Quercus hirtifolia Vasquez, Valencia & Nixon

Mexico : Southern part of the Sierra Madre Oriental (Hidalgo, Puebla, Veracruz), 1600 to 2400 m ;

Tree to 4-15 m, or shrub to 3-5 m;

2,8-12 x 1,6-7 cm; coriaceous or subcoriaceous; oboval to elliptic, rarely ovate; 1.5-2 times longer than wide ; apex aristate, pointed or apiculate, occasionally rounded; base cordate, sometimes rounded to oblique; margin sinuate, with 2-6(-10) pairs of aristate teeth on the distal half and sometimes near the base, seldom only aristate (without teeth); young leaves reddish with stellate trichomes adaxially; mature leaves slightly pubescent above, with some stellate trichomes along midvein; persistent pubescence underneath with glandular and non-glandular trichomes; the latter made of fascicled hairs (the 8-12 rays spreading away from the axis of the trichome, giving an arachnoid appearance), the indumentum persistent or falling into plates by aging; abaxial epidermis usually smooth, sometimes slightly bullate; 6-12 pairs of secondary veins, raised under; petiole 2.5-8 cm long, at first densely pubescent, becoming glabrescent with sessile non glandular stellate hairs;

in April-May; male catkins 2-8 mm long, with pubescent rachis; female flowers 1-3 together, with densely pubescent cupular scales, styles 1 mm long, and broadly spatulate stigmas;

acorn 0.7-1.9 cm long x 0.4-1.3 cm in diameter, singly or to 3 together on the tip of a thin, pubescent peduncle to 2.5 cm long; cup halfround with ovate, slightly pubescent scales, ciliate at margin; ripening first year from August to September;

hardiness zone: 7-8;

– Sub-genus Quercus, section Lobatae, Series Erythromexicanae; – Closely related to Q.hintoniorum ; – Threatened (IUCN Red List Category : EN). – Possible confusion with Q. laurina which is biennial , and has fasciculate stipitate trichomes in the axils of the secondary veins, and glandular trichomes on the abaxial surface. – Q. hintoniorum and Q. hypoxantha are different in having a biennal fruit maturation and a very short, if any, fruit peduncle;