Quercus rotundifolia has relatively 'spiny', smaller, and more rounded young leaves than Quercus ilex. Both new soft growth and the current season growth of older trees is also relatively 'spiny', with the leaf margins becoming essentially without spines as the leaves mature. According to 'Oaks of the World' (see the link below), the leaf colour in rotundifolia is "ash-green" or "glaucous", which I take to mean greyish-blue due to a powdery or waxy bloom. The underside of the leaf is densely pubescent ('fuzzy') and more more or less white. The leaf blade length is cited as 1.5 cm to 4 cm, but their photo of a leaf has a blade of about 5.5+ cm long! There are 5 - 8 vein pairs.