Quercus carmenensis C.H.Mull.

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The International Dendrology Society, The Wynkcoombe Arboretum, and several private individuals

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New article for Trees and Shrubs Online.

Recommended citation
'Quercus carmenensis' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/quercus/quercus-carmenensis/). Accessed 2026-10-07.

Family

Fagaceae

Genus

Quercus
Subgen. Quercus, Sect. Quercus

Common Names

Del Carmen Oak

Other taxa in genus

Glossary

References

Credits

New article for Trees and Shrubs Online.

Recommended citation
'Quercus carmenensis' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/quercus/quercus-carmenensis/). Accessed 2026-10-07.

A plant of Quercus carmenensis at Arboretum des Pouyouleix, France, October 2021. Image Béatrice Chassé.

Rhizomatous shrub on poor soils but a tree to 12 m and 75 cm dbh in better conditions, bark pale grey, fissured or cracking into squares, young shoots slender, pubescent and often red. Leaves evergreen, somewhat leathery, obovate, to 5 × 3 cm, apex pointed to rounded, base tapered to rounded, margin shallowly toothed towards the end of the leaf, sometimes nearly entire. They are dark green above and sparsely hairy with 9–11 veins on each side of the midrib, paler and pubescent beneath. Petiole often red, usually 5–10 mm. Fruits borne singly or in pairs, acorn ripening the first year. (Nixon & Muller 1997)

Distribution Mexico Coahuila United States Texas

Conservation status Endangered (EN)

This is a rare species with a restricted distribution. It was described from Coahuila, Mexico, where it is still known and although it has been reported from Texas, doubt has been cast on its occurrence there (Beckman et al. 2021).

Introduced by Béatrice Chassé from 2315 m on Sierra del Carmen, Coahuila in 2010. Two plants are at Arboretum des Pouyouleix where they have reached 2.5 × 5.4 and 2.5 × 4.1 (B. Chassé pers. comm. 2022) and one from the same collection is at Arboretum du Passadou, France.

The epithet refers to where this species is found in Mexico, the Sierra del Carmen, Coahuila.

The leathery leaves of Quercus carmenensis are sparsely hairy above. Arboretum des Pouyouleix, France, October 2021. Image Béatrice Chassé.

The toothed leaves of Quercus carmenensis are downy beneath. Arboretum des Pouyouleix, France, October 2021. Image Béatrice Chassé.

The petiole of Quercus carmenensis is often red. Arboretum des Pouyouleix, France, October 2021. Image Béatrice Chassé.

An acorn ripening ion Quercus carmenensis n the Sierra del Carmen, Coahuila, Mexico, in September 2010. Image Béatrice Chassé.

A plant of Quercus carmenensis in its native habitat in the Sierra del Carmen, Coahuila, Mexico in September 2010. Image Béatrice Chassé.

Leaf underside of Quercus carmenensis in the Sierra del Carmen, Coahuila, Mexico in September 2010. Image Béatrice Chassé.

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