Quercus oleoides, with Spanish common names encina or encino, is a Mesoamerican species of oak in the southern live oaks section of the genus Quercus (section Virentes). It grows in dry forests and pastureland of eastern and southern Mexico and much of Central America, from Guanacaste Province in Costa Rica north as far as the State of Tamaulipas in northeastern Mexico.Muller, C. H. 1942. The Central American species of Quercus. United States Department of Agriculture. Bureau of Plant Industry. Miscellaneous Publication 477: 1–216Nelson, C. H. 1978. Contribuciones a la flora de la Mosquitía, Honduras. Ceiba 22(1): 41–64Pérez J., L. A., M. Sousa Sánchez, A. M. Hanan-Alipi, F. Chiang Cabrera & P. Tenorio L. 2005. Vegetación terrestre. Cap. 4: 65–110. In J. Bueno, F Álvarez & S. Santiago (eds.) Biodiversidad del Estado de Tabasco. CONABIO-UNAM, México
Quercus oleoides is a slow-growing tree, reaching in height. Its pale gray leaves are evergreen, thick, hard, long, wide, oblong or elliptic. It flowers from December through May, with male catkins that are long, and female catkins that are long, containing one to six flowers, each about 7 mm long.L. A. Fournier, "Quercus oleoides Schltdl. & Cham.", Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica
Its wood is extremely heavy with intercrossed grains; the sapwood is white, and heartwood brown.
References
External links Arctos Collaborative Collection Management Solution, Taxonomy Details for Quercus oleoides var. sagraeana Plants of Viñales pictorial guide - Quercus oleoides subsp. sagraeana