''Quercus uxoris'' is an uncommon species of oak. The tree is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. It has been found in the states of

Jalisco Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...

, Colima,

Guerrero Guerrero, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guerrero, is one of the 32 states that compose the administrative divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guerrero, 85 municipalities. The stat ...

, Michoacán, and

Oaxaca Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of the Mexico, United Mexican States. It is divided into municipalities of Oaxaca, 570 munici ...

in southern Mexico.McVaugh, R. 1974. Flora Novo-Galiciana: Fagaceae. Contributions from the University of Michigan Herbarium 12:90-91
in English, with line drawings on page 90García-Mendoza, A. J. & J. A. Meave. 2011. Diversidad Florística de Oaxaca: de Musgos a Angispermas 1–351. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria

Description

''Quercus uxoris'' is a large

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

tree up to tall with a trunk often more than in diameter. The

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

can be as much as long, thick and leathery, broadly lance-shaped with numerous tapering teeth along the edges.

Range and habitat

''Quercus uxoris'' is native to the mountains of southern Mexico, mostly in the Sierra Madre del Sur, with small outlier populations in the Chiapas Highlands and Sierra Madre de Chiapas of Chiapas in southeastern Mexico, and in the Sierra de Taxco and near Valle de Bravo in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt of central Mexico. It is found in the states of Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. Although it has a large range, its distribution is highly discontinuous. It grows mostly in humid cloud forest pockets from 1,800 to 2,100 meters elevation, and occasionally in humid locations, like ravines and stream valleys, in oak forest, pine–oak forest, mountain mesophyll forest, deciduous tropical forest, and tropical sub-deciduous forest habitats. It prefers deep soils rich in organic matter. Its populations are generally small, but it can be a dominant canopy tree under favorable conditions.

Conservation and threats

The species is subject to habitat loss from deforestation. Its native cloud forests and other humid forests are exploited for timber, and are cleared for conversion to livestock pasture and agriculture, including coffee. A population of the species in the montane mesophyll forest of Ojo de Agua del Cuervo, in Talpa de Allende municipality of Jalisco, is threatened by deforestation, illegal logging, and road-building which fragments habitat blocks.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5463345 uxoris Endemic oaks of Mexico Flora of the Sierra Madre del Sur Cloud forest flora of Mexico Trees of Northern America Plants described in 1972 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Flora of the Chiapas Highlands