About Quercus chihuahuensis Trel.
Quercus chihuahuensis, commonly called the Chihuahua oak, is an oak species that belongs to the beech family. It is native to an area that stretches from extreme western Texas west to Sonora, Mexico, and extends south to Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí. This species grows primarily at mid elevations, between 400 and 2,000 metres (1,300 to 6,600 feet) above sea level, in forests that are mixed with various pines and other oaks. It is one of the dominant tree species in the Sierra Madre Occidental, located within Chihuahua and Sonora. Chihuahua oak is a tree that reaches up to 10 metres (33 feet) in height, and it is very common across most of its native range. Its leaves range from having smooth, entire margins to being toothed or slightly lobed. The upper surface of the leaf is green, while the underside is yellow or gray. This coloration comes from a coating of velvety, stellate, meaning star-shaped and highly branched, hairs. Quercus chihuahuensis is related to Quercus arizonica and Quercus grisea, and it sometimes hybridizes with these two species in Texas.
