Quercus turbinella Greene

California; New-Mexico; Arizona; Colorado; North of Mexico; 600-2500 m;

reaches 4 metres tall; but most often bushy, tortuous; numerous underground runners, extending to 500 m around the main root !;

1.5-3.5 x 1-2 cm; evergreen; oblong or elliptic; thick, stiff, leathery; apex pointed or acuminate; base rounded or slightly cordate; margin somewhat wavy, sometimes entire, more often with 3-8 pairs of sharp, 2 mm mucronate teeth; hairless, blue green above; yellow green beneath with tufts of flattened glandular and 7-13 rayed stellate, spreading hairs; 4 to 7 vein pairs conspicuous beneath; petiole 1-4 mm long, reddish or yellowish, hairy;

March to June; male flowers with 4-7 stamens;

acorn 1.5-2.3 m; oblong, narrow; apex pointed; pale brown; peduncle 1-4 cm long; cup scaly, shallow, enclosing 1/4 to 1/3 of nut; maturing in 1 year in July to September;

– A. Camus : 176; – Sub-genus Quercus, Section Quercus, Series Leucomexicanae; – Hybrids with Q.gambelii , Q.douglasii , Q.lobata and with Q.grisea which it resembles (to distinguish them, see the stellate hairs beneath the leaves, that have spreading rays in Q.turbinella , and are fascicled in Q.grisea) ; – Resembles too Q.john-tuckeri that has subsessile, blackish acorns, and base of leaves not cordate; resembles too Q.palmeri but the latter has larger leaves, and cup much broader than acorn; Q.cornelius-mulleri has leaves dull yellow green above, and are densely tomentose beneath;