It is native to the Sierra Madre Oriental in the States of Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Veracruz, and Hidalgo in northeastern Mexico.

[3] The leaves are lanceolate (lance shaped), up to 21 centimetres (8+1⁄4 inches) long.

[3] The largest known population is in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park.

[5][6][7] When Weatherby published his new tree, he made an error, he spelled 'rysophylla', the specific epithet refers to the Greek term ῥυσός (rhysos) meaning wrinkled and φύλλον (phyllon) for leaf.

[8] Although, the Melbourne Code, states it should be uncorrected, therefore the original spelling, rysophylla, is deemed correct.