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



in the shorter ones, glabrous or from loosely fulvous-tomentose 

 promptly or tardily glabrate. Stamina te catkins? Pistillate catkins 

 about 5 mm. long, 1- or 2-flowered apically. Fruit biennial, large or 

 very large, solitary on a peduncle about 5 mm. long, very polymorphic 

 at different stages of maturity; cups 22 to 45 mm. broad and 8 to 20 

 mm. high at maturity, saucer-shaped to hemispheric, flattening with 

 maturity or not, scales ovate or narrowed apically, corky -thickened 

 basally and rather rugose, the membranous apex closely appressed, 

 finely fulvous-tomentulose all over when young, variously glabrescent 

 and whitening with maturity or the apex persistently tomentulose; 

 acorns 18 to 40 mm. long and broad, round to depressed or short- 

 cylindric or round-ovoid, the ends usually truncate or rounded, from 

 loosely tomentose soon glabrate, one-fourth included or covered at the 

 base only, the shell very thick and hard; immature fruits round or 

 flattened, the nut fully included or projecting somewhat. (See pis. 

 96 to 103.) 



Range: Chiapas, Mexico, to Guatemala, El Salvador, and Hon- 

 duras. 



Quercus skinneri is one of the more polymorphic species of Central 

 America. The two most misleading characters are the length of petiole 

 and the size and shape of the fruit. The multitude of intergrades (the 

 extremes being relatively few in number) and the total lack of any 

 correlation between characters makes these differences insignificant in 

 this species. Q. grandis is merely a short-petioled form with immature 

 fruit. The same plant with mature fruit becomes Q. chiapasensis. 

 With less prominent teeth and a different range, the fruit unknown, it 

 is Q. trichodonta. Q. salvadorensis differs only in having smaller fruit, 

 and Q. hemipteroides differs not at all. 



The very thick acorn shell of this species and its corky-thickened 

 cup scales readily set it off from all others, and its thin, membranous 

 leaves never fulvous-puberulent beneath distinguish it from Q.conspersa 

 with which it is most frequently confused. 



Specimens examined: 



MEXICO. — Chiapas: Tapachula, Finca San Juan las Chicharras, 1918, Reeves 1 

 (111 [type of Q. chiapasensis f. longipes]) ; Reeves 2 (111) ; Reeves 3 (111 [type of Q. 

 chiapasensis f. cuneifolia]) ; Reeves 5 (111 [type of Q. chiapasensis f. falcilobata]) ; 

 Reeves 6 (111 [type of Q. chiapasensis f. flagellata]) ; Reeves 8 (111 [type of Q. chiapa- 

 sensis f. petiolata]); Reeves 9 (111 [tvpe of Q. chiapasensis f. subcuneata]) ; Reeves 

 10 (111) ; Finca Irlanda, September 1913, Purpus 6999 (F, 111 [2] [types of Q. chiapas- 

 ensis], US) ; June 1914, Purpus 6999' (F, US) ; Cerro Brujo, Ocoxantla, 60 km. 

 south of Tuxtla, August 1940, Martinez 888 (USNA) ; Copainala, August 1940, 

 Martinez 891 (USNA). 



GUATEMALA. — Without further data, Hartweg^ without number (US). Dept. 

 San Marcos: Canguts, July 31, 1922, Salas 13 (US); Volcan Tajumulco, above 

 Finca El Porvenir, March 7, 1940, Steyermark 37198 (F). Dept. Quezaltenango: 

 Volcan Acatenango, between Quezaltenango and the Volcan, 1840, Hartweg 615 

 (NY [2] [isotypes]) ; Volcan Santa Maria, between Santa Maria de Jesus and 

 Calahuache, Finca Pirineos, Quebrada San Geronimo, January 1-2, 1940, Steyer- 

 mark 38313 (F, USNA) ; Volcan Santa Maria, above Santa Maria de Jesus 

 and Los Mojados, January 12, 1940, Steyermark 38985 (F) ; Steyermark 38965 

 (F, USNA); Volcan Zunil, above Santa Maria de Jesus, January 21, 1940, 

 Steyermark 35097 (F) ; Finca Pirineos, below Santa Maria de Jesus, March 11, 

 1939. Standley 68418 (F) ; near Colomba, March 8, 1939, Standley 67998 (F, USNA). 

 Dept. Solala: Volcan Atitlan, January 23, 1907, Kellerman 6061 (F, US). Dept. 

 Quiche: Finca San Francisco, December 8, 1934, Skutch 1875 (AA, F. Ill [type of 

 Q. hemipteroides], NY). Dept. Chimaltenango: Panajabal, Januarv 5, 1939, 

 Standley 62127 (F, USNA). Dept. Alta Verapaz: Samac April 1889, Smith 

 1709 (NY, US [2]); Secoyocti, near Finca Sepacuite, April 14, 1902, Cook and 



