Chisos Mountains oak facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chisos Mountains oak
Conservation status
Data Deficient (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fagales
Family:	Fagaceae
Genus:	Quercus
Subgenus:	Quercus subg. Quercus
Section:	Quercus sect. Lobatae
Species:	Q. tardifolia
Binomial name
Quercus tardifolia C.H.Muller
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The Chisos Mountains oak, also known as the lateleaf oak, is a very rare type of tree. Its scientific name is Quercus tardifolia. This special tree belongs to the beech family.

You can find the Chisos Mountains oak in North America. It grows in the Chisos Mountains within Big Bend National Park in Texas, USA. It also lives across the Río Grande river in the nearby Sierra del Carmen mountains in northern Coahuila, Mexico.

This oak tree stays green all year round, so it's an evergreen. It has gray bark and small branches that are reddish-brown. Its leaves are flat and can grow up to 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) long. The top of the leaves is green, but the underside has soft, woolly hairs. The leaves also have a few small, rounded bumps called lobes.

What's in a Name?

The common name, Chisos Mountains oak, tells us where this tree was first found. It was discovered in the Chisos Mountains range. The scientific name, tardifolia, comes from Latin words meaning "late leaf." This might refer to when its leaves appear or how long they stay on the tree.

Why Is This Tree Special?

The Chisos Mountains oak is very important because it is so rare. Scientists are working to protect it. Finding and studying these trees helps us understand how to keep them safe for the future.

See also

In Spanish: Quercus tardifolia para niños