THE CENTRAL AMERICAN SPECIES OF QUERCUS 33 



Shrub to large tree, 2 to 18 m. tall and up to 0.75 m. in trunk diam- 

 eter. Twigs various (1.5 to 5 mm. in diameter), fluted or subterete, 

 brown with numerous conspicuous pale lenticels, glabrous or at first 

 usually densely stellate-tomentose and glabrate or persistently pubescent 

 until the second year. Buds 2 to 4 or 5 mm. long, ovoid to lanceolate, 

 obtuse or acute, at first sparsely tomentose, glabrate and reddish 

 brown; the stipules caducous or persistent for a short time, 5 to 7 mm. 

 long, subulate to narrowly ligulate, dorsally pubescent. Leaves sub- 

 evergreen, thick and leathery, 6 to 16 (usually about 12) cm. long, 3 

 to 10 (usually about 7) cm. broad, obovate to occasionally oblanceolate 

 or elliptic, broadly rounded to merely obtuse or occasionally abruptly 

 acute at apex, the strongly narrowed bases markedly cordate or rarely 

 rounded or even cuneate, undulately low-toothed or acutely serrate, 

 only the extreme bases subentire, margins obviously revolute, upper 

 surface from sparsely stellate-tomentose soon glabrate or persistently 

 pubescent along the midrib, somewhat shining, lower surf ace at first 

 either densely or sparsely tomentose, persistently pubescent or gla- 

 brescent, dull when denuded, the surface flat-bullate, either green or 

 waxy -glaucous ; veins about 10 to 12 on each side, branching and more 

 or less obviously anastomosing near the margin but ultimately passing 

 into teeth where these are present, impressed above, quite prominent 

 beneath (including the reticulum), the thicker blades being more 

 impressed-veiny and prominently reticulate; petioles 3 to 5 mm. long, 

 dark reddish brown, stellate-pubescent or glabrate. Staminate catkins 

 4 to 6 or 7 cm. long, at length loosely flowered on the yellow- villous 

 rachis, the glabrous anthers moderately exserted. Pistillate catkins 

 1 to 5 cm. long, 2 to 4 flowers scattered toward the end of the yellow- 

 villous peduncle. Fruit annual, solitary or several, subsessile to 

 usually pedunculate; cups 15 to 18 mm. broad, shallowly saucer- 

 shaped to usually hemispheric, the scales ovate to lanceolate, moder- 

 ately or markedly thickened basally, yellowish-pubescent or canescent, 

 the thin apices appressed, narrowly rounded, glabrate; acorns about 

 15 mm. long and 12 mm. broad, ovoid, from densely pubescent becoming 

 glabrate except the apical region, light brown or very dark brown, 

 one-third or only one-fourth included. (See pis. 35 to 37.) 



Range: Southern Mexico to El Salvador, very common in Guate- 

 mala; the type from between Mexico and Acapulco (Nee). 



Quercus peduncularis is an extremely variable and widespread 

 species. One could as readily distinguish two dozen " species" as the 

 five here listed as synonyms if all the local forms were taken into 

 consideration. 



Specimens examined: 



MEXICO.— Chiapas: Monserrate, 1925, Purpus 91 (US) ; Siltepec, August 9, 

 1937, Matuda 1607 (Mi, USNA) ; Comitan, Hartweg 564 (NY [2]); May 1939, 

 Martinez 373 (USNA) ; Las Casas, July 1940, Martinez 385 (USNA) ; Copainala, 

 March 1939, Martinez 388 (USNA); Saxchanel, Sierra Madre, July 1, 1941, 

 Matuda 4303 (USNA). 



GUATEMALA.— Without further data, Hartweg 616 (NY [isotype of Q. 

 callosa]). Dept. Huehuetenango: Uaxac Canal, August 23, 1896, 

 Seler 2668 (G) ; Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, above Chiantla, February 19, 1939, 

 Standley 65652 (F) ; Rio Pucal, 14 km. south of Huehuetenango, January 4, 1941, 

 Standley 82309 (USNA); 13-14 km. east of Huehuetenango toward Aguacatan, 

 January 2, 1941, Standley 82010 (USNA) ; 15 km. east of Huehuetenango toward 

 Aguacatan, January 2, 1941, Standley 81934 and 81947 (USNA); west of Agua- 

 catan toward Huehuetenango, December 27, 1940, Standley 81243 (USNA); 

 Rio Pucal, February 20, 1939, Standley 65823 (F. USNA). Dept. San Marcos: 



