''Quercus mcvaughii'' is a species of

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

tree native to Mexico.

Description

''Quercus mcvaughii'' is an

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

drought-deciduous Drought deciduous, or drought semi-deciduous plants refers to plants that shed their leaves during periods of drought or in the dry season. This phenomenon is a natural process of plants and is caused due to the limitation of water around the env ...

tree which typically reaches in height, occasionally growing to 25 m. Smaller trees often have a shrubby appearance with a dense and rounded crown. Older trees have an irregular and open form.

Taxonomy

The species was first discovered in 1989 in the Sierra de Ocampo within Cascada de Basaseachi National Park, and formally described in 1992. It is closely related to '' Q. crassifolia''.

Distribution and habitat

It is native to the northern and central

Sierra Madre Occidental The Sierra Madre Occidental is a major mountain range system of the North American Cordillera, that runs northwest–southeast through northwestern and western Mexico, and along the Gulf of California. The Sierra Madre is part of the American ...

, ranging from northern Sonora ( Bavispe Flora and Fauna Protection Area) through western

Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mun ...

, and western

Durango Durango (), officially named Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Durango; Tepehuán: ''Korian''; Nahuatl: ''Tepēhuahcān''), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated i ...

to southeastern

Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities and ...

. ''Quercus mcvaughii'' is found on slopes, mesas, canyons, and ridges from in elevation, where it grows on thin, rocky soils. It is common in the oak and pine–oak woodlands of the central Sierra. It often occurs with '' Q. rugosa'', '' Q. durifolia'', '' Q. sideroxyla'', '' Q. emoryi'', '' Q. arizonica'', ''

Pinus arizonica ''Pinus arizonica'', commonly known as the Arizona pine, is a medium-sized pine in northern Mexico, southeast Arizona, southwest New Mexico, and western Texas in the United States. It is a tree growing to 25–35 m tall, with a trunk diame ...

'', '' P. engelmannii'', and '' P. leiophylla''.

References

{{taxonbar, from=Q15340571 Flora of the Sierra Madre Occidental Endemic oaks of Mexico mcvaughii