''Quercus furfuracea'' is a species of

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

native to eastern Mexico.

Description

''Quercus furfuracea'' is a shrub or small tree, which grows to 3 to 6 meters tall. The species belongs to the ''

Quercus acutifolia ''Quercus acutifolia'' is a species of oak tree. It is native to central and southern Mexico and northern Central America, from Nayarit south as far as Belize and Guatemala.trichome Trichomes (); ) are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. A covering of any kind of hair on a pla ...

s in the

axil A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

s of the veins.Valencia Avalos, Susana (2010). "Notes on the Genus ''Quercus'' in Mexico". ''International Oak Journal'' No. 21 Spring 2010

Range and habitat

''Quercus furfuracea'' is native to the

Sierra Madre Oriental The Sierra Madre Oriental () is a mountain range in northeastern Mexico. The Sierra Madre Oriental is part of the American Cordillera, a chain of mountain ranges (cordillera) that consists of an almost continuous sequence of mountain ranges that f ...

, in the states of

Puebla Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its cap ...

Hidalgo Hidalgo may refer to: People * Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility * Hidalgo (surname) Places Mexico * Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico * Hidalgo, Coahuila, a town in the north Mexican state of Coahuila * Hidalgo, Nuevo Le� ...

, and

San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí), is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and i ...

. It is a rare species, occupying only a few locations across its range. It has an estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) of 18,575 km², and an estimated area of occupancy (AOO) of 60 km². The area of occupancy is likely an under-estimate, due to under-sampling. It inhabits montane oak forests, pine-oak forests, and cloud forests from 710 to 1,975 meters elevation. It is typically found on limestone soils, associated with ''

Quercus affinis ''Quercus affinis'' is a species of oak native only to Mexico, mostly to the Sierra Madre Oriental pine-oak forests. Description Quercus affinis is a medium-sized evergreen tree which grows up to 16 or 20 meters tall. The leaves are dark green ...

, Q. candicans, Q. germana, Q. mexicana, Q. polymorpha'', and ''

Pinus patula ''Pinus patula'', commonly known as patula pine, spreading-leaved pine, or Mexican weeping pine, and in Spanish as ''pino patula'' or ''pino llorón'', (''patula'' Latin = “spreading”) is a tree native to the highlands of Mexico. It grows f ...

''.

Conservation and threats

The species is threatened with habitat loss, from deforestation of its native forests for timber, conversion to agriculture and livestock pasture. The species' conservation status is assessed as vulnerable.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15337329 furfuracea Flora of the Sierra Madre Oriental Endemic oaks of Mexico Cloud forest flora of Mexico