Pyrenean Oak

Quercus pyrenaica is a tall deciduous tree, often marcescent in immature individuals, up to 25 metres (80 feet) tall, though it is sometimes found as a bush or small tree. It has an average lifespan of 300 years. The leaves have short petioles and are deeply and irregularly lobed, with four to eight pairs of lobes per leaf. There are stellate hairs on both sides of the leaf. Roots frequently produce suckers. The species has high resprouting capabilities.

Quercus pyrenaica is native to the Iberian Peninsula and parts of southwest France and northern Morocco inhabiting mainly subatlantic or continental environments up to 2,100 m (6,900 ft) in elevation. In the Iberian Peninsula, which represents 95% of its population, it occupies mainly the northern portion, south of the Cantabrian Mountains, very common in the west of the Peninsula in the northern half of mountainous Portugal, and rare on the east It is adapted both to sub-humid temperate and Mediterranean semi-arid conditions, from the humid Peneda-Gerês National Park in Portugal, to the semi-arid Spanish central plain. It is also adapted to survive in hot local temperatures. It is thought to have a short growth season to avoid the summer drought. It is often the dominant species in the forests in which it occurs. Its acorns are dispersed by birds and small mammals.