Quercus mcvaughii Spellenb.

Tree to 25 m tall but 2–4 m on dry sites, bark dark grey, fissured and chequered on old trees, young shoots with a dense red tomentum that becomes golden-brown. Leaves broadly elliptic to obovate or nearly round, to 23 × 17 cm, narrowed above the centre to a bluntly pointed apex, base rounded to truncate or shallowly cordate, stiffly leathery, markedly convex and usually pendent, with 10–14 teeth towards the apex, rarely entire, and with 6–10 veins on each side of the midrib. They are densely covered with red hairs when young that become brown, later glossy dark green and glabrous or nearly so above, densely pubescent beneath with pale brown hairs. Petiole 2–5 cm, tomentose. Fruits solitary or paired, nearly sessile, cupule hemispherical, to 11 × 16 mm, covered with adpressed, pubescent scales. Acorns to 20 × 14 mm, ⅓ to ½ included in the cup and ripening the second year. (Spellenberg 1992).

Distribution  Mexico Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa, Sonora

Habitat Thin, rocky volcanic soils from 1,580 to 3,100 m with Pinus arizonica, P. leiophylla, P. engelmannii, Quercus jonesii, Q. arizonica, and Q. durifolia.

USDA Hardiness Zone 8

RHS Hardiness Rating H4