FAGACE^ 



48. Quercus leptophylla Rydb. 



Leaves oblong to oblong-obovate, cuneate or rarely rounded at base, divided about half- 

 way to the midrib into two to four acute or rounded lateral lobes entire or occasionally 

 furnished on the lower side with a small nearly triangular lobe, the terminal lobe short, 

 entire, rounded at apex or three-lobed, when they unfold thickly coated with hoary to- 

 mentum, about one-third grown when the flowers open and then covered above with 

 fascicled hairs and tomentose below, at maturity thin, dark green, lustrous and glabrous or 

 nearly glabrous on the upper surface, yellow-green and covered below by short white hairs 

 most abundant on the midrib and veins, 3f '-4' long, l^'-2' wide; petioles slender, pubescent 

 '-' in length. Flowers: staminate in slender villose aments; calyx scarious, divided 

 into five or six narrow acute lobes; anthers dark red-brown as the flowers open; pistil- 



late not seen. Fruit solitary or racemose, sessile or raised on a stout tomentose peduncle 

 !'-f in length;, nut oblong-ovoid, abruptly narrowed and rounded at base, gradually nar- 

 rowed and rounded at apex, '-f' long; inclosed for half its length in the thin, hemi- 

 spheric cup, f '-\' in diameter, and covered with acuminate only slightly thickened appressed 

 scales densely covered with hoary tomentum. 



A tree, 30-45 high, with a trunk 16'-24' in diameter, heavy spreading ashy gray 

 branches forming a round-topped nead, and stout branchlets, light red-brown or purple 

 and covered with long fascicled hairs when they first appear, becoming light brown and 

 glabrous before autumn. Bark thick, deeply furrowed, covered with small appressed 

 pale gray scales. 



Distribution. Rich bottom-lands of the Cucharas River above La Veta, Huerfano 

 County, Colorado; on the Mogollon Mountains, Socorro County, New Mexico. 



