Quercus frutex Trel.

Mexico (Hidalgo, Mexico DF, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, Tlaxcala and Veracruz); 2200-3000 m;

2 m tall, sometimes to 7 m; rhizomatous;

1.5-5 cm x 0.8-2.5; subcoriaceous to thick; elliptic-oblong or oblong-lanceolate; apex acute to rounded, tip mucronate ; base rounded to subcordate, sometimes cuneate; margin slightly thick, revolute, entire, sometimes crenate or with 2-4 pairs of teeth; adaxially grey-green, pubescent with scattered stellate stipitate trichomes; abaxially pale green, tomentose with stipitate fasciculate trichomes with only 5-9 rays crispate and intertwined; epidermis slightly bullate, visible under the tomentum; 6-11 veins pairs impressed above; petiole less than 0.5 cm, tomentose then glabrescent;

April;

acorn more or less broadly ovoid, 0.9-1.4 cm long, ca 1 cm wide, 1-2 together, sessile or on a 0.3-1cm long peduncle; cup halfround 1-1.5 cm in diameter, with straight margin, appressed scales, enclosing about 1/3 to 1/2 of the acorn; maturing first year in August to September;

– Sub-genus Quercus, Section Quercus, Series Leucomexicanae, Group Microphyllae; – Though often considered as a synonym of Q. microphylla , Q. frutex is considered as a separate species by some Mexican Authors (S. Romero Rangel 2002, S. Valencia-A. 2004 and 2017, The Plant List 2013). – This taxon is a member of the Q. microphylla complex (Valencia-A 2020) composed of Q. cordifolia, Q. deliquescens, Q. frutex, Q. intricata, Q. microphylla, Q. mohriana, Q. repanda and Q. striatula .