Oaks of the World

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  Quercus splendens
Author

Née 1801 Anales Ci. Nat. 3: 275

Diagnosis here

Synonyms crassifolia Benth. 1840, nom. illeg., not Bonpl. 1809
glauca Oerst. in Liebm., not Thunb.
sororia Liebm. 1854
Local names
Range Mexico, Pacific slope (Durango, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan, Morales, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Nayarit, Sinaloa) ; 1000-2300 m ;
Growth habit 8-15 metres tall; trunk 20-50 cm in diameter;
Leaves 6-18 x 2-6 cm; deciduous; leathery;ovate, elliptic or obovate; apex obtuse or rounded, often emarginate; base rounded, more or less symetrical, sometimes cordate; margin thickened, revolute, cartilaginous, undulate or dentate with 1-5 pairs of teeth mucronate or not; adaxially glaucous or grey-green, hairless; beneath glaucous or yellowish green,, with short 8-rays, sessile, multiradiate trichomes scattered on the blade, and numerous simple, appressed trichomes along midrib ; 11-14 vein pairsshiny green, slightly curved, impressed above, prominent beneath; epidermis not bullate, bloomy glaucous, papillose; petiole 5-9 mm long, reddish or black, hairless;
Flowers staminate catkins 2-8 cm long, hairy;
Fruits acorn 0.7- cm long, 1.2-1.5 cm in diameter; singly or to 3 together; short peduncle 0.5-1 cm long; enclosed 2/3 to 4/5 by cup; cup 0.9-1.6 cm in diameter, with thick scales; maturing in 1 year in July-August; cotyledons connate, differing from Q. polymorpha which has distinct cotyledons;

Bark, twigs and
buds

bark remotely furrowed, grey, rough; twigs 2 mm thick, brown, with numerous pale yellow lenticels, raised; bud pointed, 2-3 mm long, with ciliate and pubescent scales; stipules 5-8 mm long, pubescent, deciduous except around terminal bud;
Hardiness zone, habitat not quite hardy; prefers dry, rocky sites;
Miscellaneous -- A. Camus : n° 204;
-- Sub-genus Quercus, Section Quercus; sub-section Glaucoideae;
-- Related to Q. polymorpha, which differs in having longer petioles, more lanceolate and dentate leaves on vigorous shots, cotyledons free, and living on Atlantic slope of Mexico and in Central America.

Subspecies and
varieties
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