Quercus tomentella Engelm.

California Islands (Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Santa Catalina, Santa Clemente); Mexico (Guadalupe Island); 100 to 900 m;

6-12 m tall usually, but may reach 20 m, with trunk to 0.4-0.6 m in diameter; crown rounded with spreading branches;

5-10 x 2.5-5 cm; evergreen; stiff; leathery; elliptic or ovate, sometimes slightly oblong; apex pointed to attenuate; base obtuse to rounded, cordate or not; margin slightly thickened, strongly revolute, cartilaginous, entire, or crenate-dentate with 3-7 pairs of teeth; glossy dark green or yellowish green above, hairless or with some scattered stalkless trichomes, mainly at base of midvein; greyish, densely tomentose beneath (hence the specific name), with scattered, sessile stellate hairs and simple ones along midvein; 8-12 conspicuous, parallel vein pairs, strongly impressed adaxially, raised beneath; petiole 3-10 mm long, thick, flattened above, with rusty hairs;

in April-May; staminate flowers pubescent, on 5-8 cm long catkins; female inflorescences few-flowered;

acorn 2.5-3 cm long; solitary or paired; apex rounded; cup sessile or with a 0.8-1.3 cm long peduncle, hairy inside and outside, with warty scales, enclosing 1/3 to 1/2 of nut; maturing in 2 years from August to October;

not quite hardy (zone 8); all types of soils without limestone;

– A.Camus : n° 294; – Sub-genus Quercus, section Protobalanus; – Discovered in Guadalupe Island in 1875; – Threatened (IUCN Red List Category : EN). – Resembles Q. agrifolia (which has convex leaves, secondary veins not so conspicuous), and Q. parvula (which has stalked acorns);