64 MISC. PUBLICATION 4 7 7, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



Volcancitos) , between Cerro Socorro and Cerro Brujo, southeast of Concepcion de 

 las Minas, October 31, 1931, Steyermark 30895 and 30902 (F). Dept. Jutiapa: 

 Los Llanitos. near San Jose Acatempa, December 21, 1938, Standley 60583 and 

 60611 (F, USX A); Volcan Suchitan, northwest of Asuncion Mita, November 18, 

 1939, Steyermark 31890 (F, USXA). 



Series Crassifoliae Trel., Mem. Nat. Acad. Sci. 20: 128. 1924. 



Medium-sized trees; twigs rather coarse and persistently tomentose; 

 buds ovoid-fusiform; leaves evergreen or deciduous, thick, rather 

 large, characteristically obovate, coarsely toothed or rarely entire, 

 aristate-tipped, glabrate and impressed-veiny above, persistently 

 mostly rusty-tomentose beneath; petioles moderately long or short; 

 fruit annual or biennial, medium-sized, on short peduncles, the cup 

 scales thin, appressed, tomentose. 



Range: Central and western Mexico to Guatemala. 



Includes: Q. brachystachys Benth. in Guatemala and several Mexican 

 species of which Q. crassifolia Humb. and Bonpl. is the type. 



34. Quercus brachystachys Benth., PL Hartw. 91. 1842. 



Small or medium-sized tree. Twigs coarse (3 to 5 mm. thick), 

 rather markedly fluted, persistently gray- or rusty-velvety- tomentose, 

 tomentulose and with a gray bloom the second season, reddish brown 

 where denuded, lenticels not evident. Buds 3 mm. long or more, 

 ovoid, rather hairy; stipules caducous, about 10 mm. long, ligulate, 

 dorsally pubescent or glabrous. Leaves evergreen or falling as the 

 verdure appears, very thick and coriaceous, 4 to usually about 10 or 

 even 15 cm. long, 2 to usually 6 or even 10 cm. broad, obovate or some- 

 times oblong or ovate, acuminate or sometimes broadly obtuse but 

 aristate-tipped, cordate or rarely merely rounded or truncate at base, 

 repandly and rather coarsely toothed, the teeth aristate-tipped or 

 simply reduced to aristae, margins rather coarsely revolute, upper sur- 

 face somewhat shining, glabrous except the stellate-tomentose midrib 

 and principal veins, lower surface persistently fulvous-tomentose, the 

 lamina where denuded strongly bullate-granular and somewhat waxy- 

 glaucous; veins about 8 to usually 10 on each side, branching and 

 obscurely anastomosing, ultimately passing into the teeth, strongly 

 impressed (as is the reticulum) above, quite prominent beneath; 

 petioles 12 to 22 or rarely only 4 mm. long, persistently tomentose. 

 Staminate catkins about 7 cm. long, tomentose, rather loosely flowered, 

 the glabrous mucronate anthers well exserted. Pistillate catkins 1 to 2 

 or rarely 5 cm. long, 2- to 4- or even 10-flowered, the peduncle tomen- 

 tose. Fruit biennial, medium-sized, solitary, paired, or in threes on 

 a pubescent peduncle about 10 to 20 mm. long and 3 or 4 mm. thick; 

 cups about 15 mm. broad, 10 mm. high, the bases often somewhat 

 constricted, margins not inrolled, the scales ovate, obtuse, thin and 

 closely appressed, canescent or the margins glabrate and light brown; 

 acorns 15 to 18 mm. long, 10 to 12 mm. broad, ovoid or narrow-ovoid, 

 glabrous and light brown, about one-half included. (See pis. 89 and 

 90.) 



Range: Mountains of Guatemala and Chiapas; type from San 

 Lucas, Guatemala (Hartweg 618). 



Quercus brachystachys is one of the most readily distinguished species 

 in Central America. Its large thick obovate leaves with coarse or 

 aristate teeth, veins deeply impressed above, tomentose beneath, 

 persistently tomentose coarse twigs, and biennial fruit combine to 



