Cercocarpus betuloides

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Cercocarpus betuloides
Cercocarpus betuloides blancheae.JPG
var. blancheae in fruit
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Cercocarpus
Species:
C. betuloides
Binomial name
Cercocarpus betuloides
Nutt. 1840
Cercocarpus betuloides range map 3.png
Natural range of Cercocarpus betuloides
Synonyms [1]

Cercocarpus montanus var. glaber (S. Watson) F.L. Martin

Contents

Cercocarpus betuloides is a shrub or small tree in the rose family. [2] Its common names include mountain mahogany and birch leaf mountain mahogany [2] [3] The common name "mahogany" comes from the hardness and color of the wood, although the genus is not a true mahogany. [2]

Range and habitat

The plant is native to California, Baja California, Oregon, Arizona, and northwestern New Mexico. [4] It typically grows in summer dry areas of the foothills and mountains of California, often in chaparral communities. [2]

Description

Growth pattern

Cercocarpus betuloides is a shrub or small tree growing from 3 feet (0.91 m) to 30 feet (9.1 m). [2] [5] Its branches are incised and muscular in appearance from the side. In cross section they appear lobed.

Common shrub associates within the chaparral community include toyon. [6]

Leaves and stems

The leaves are distinctive in that they have smooth edges from the base to about half way up, then are wavy or toothed to the rounded tip. [2]

Betula is the birch genus, and the species name refers to the birch-like leaves. [2]

Inflorescence and fruit

The white flowers are small, clustered, and mildly scented, similar to acacia. [2]

The fruit is a tubular achene with the long, plumelike flower style still attached.

The genus name comes from the Greek kerkos ("tail"), referring to the tail-like appearance of the fruit; and carpus ("fruit"), thus, "fruit with tail".

Taxonomy

Varieties

There are three varieties: [7] [8]

Cercocarpus betuloides is sometimes treated as a part of Cercocarpus montanus , [13] var. glaber in particular. [14]

Uses

Deer, cattle and sheep browse the plant. [15]

The reddish [ citation needed ] wood of the shrub is very hard and was traditionally used by the indigenous peoples of California to make arrow tips, fishing spears, and digging sticks. [2]

Cercocarpus betuloides is cultivated as an ornamental plant by specialty nurseries for planting in native plant, drought tolerant, and wildlife gardens; and in designed natural landscaping projects and habitat restoration programs. [16] [17]

Related Research Articles

<i>Cercocarpus</i> Genus of flowering plants

Cercocarpus, commonly known as mountain mahogany, is a small genus of at least nine species of nitrogen-fixing flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae. They are native to the western United States and northern Mexico, where they grow in chaparral and semidesert habitats and climates, often at high altitudes. Several are found in the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion.

<i>Acmispon glaber</i> Species of shrub

Acmispon glaber is a perennial subshrub in the family Fabaceae. The plant is a pioneer species found in dry areas of California, Arizona, and Mexico. It is commonly found in many areas including chaparral, coastal sand and roadsides at elevations below 1500 m.

<i>Frangula californica</i> Species of tree

Frangula californica is a species of flowering plant in the buckthorn family native to western North America. It produces edible fruits and seeds. It is commonly known as California coffeeberry and California buckthorn.

<i>Cercocarpus ledifolius</i> Species of tree

Cercocarpus ledifolius is a North American species of mountain mahogany known by the common name curl-leaf mountain mahogany. It’s widespread across much of the Western United States as well as Baja California in Mexico. It can be found at elevations ranging from 600 to 3,000 m elevation, with the preferred altitude varying depending on the region. It prefers shallow, well-drained soils with a sandy or grainy consistency, and is generally found in areas which receive low annual precipitation. This makes it common on low mountains and slopes, where it grows in scattered groves among other drought-resistant species such as Pinyon Pines, Junipers and Sagebrush ecosystems.

<i>Prunus ilicifolia</i> Species of tree

Prunus ilicifolia is native to the chaparral areas of coastal California, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. as well as the desert chaparral areas of the Mojave desert. Despite its name, it is not a true cherry species. It is traditionally included in P. subg. Laurocerasus, but molecular research indicates it is nested with species of P. subg. Padus.

<i>Ribes menziesii</i> Species of flowering plant

Ribes menziesii, the canyon gooseberry, is a species of currant found only in California and Oregon. There are five to six varieties of the species found across the low elevation mountains of California, especially the Coast Ranges, and the coastal canyons and foothills, into southern Oregon. It can be found in the chaparral plant community.

<i>Cercocarpus traskiae</i> Species of tree

Cercocarpus traskiae, known by the common names Santa Catalina Island mountain-mahogany and Catalina mahogany, is a rare species of plant in the rose family.

<i>Quercus dumosa</i> Species of oak tree

Quercus dumosa is a species of plant in the family Fagaceae, belonging to the white oak section of the oak genus (Quercus). This tree goes by the common names coastal sage scrub oak and Nuttall's scrub oak.

<i>Arctostaphylos glandulosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Arctostaphylos glandulosa, with the common name Eastwood's manzanita, is a species of manzanita.

<i>Rhamnus crocea</i> Species of tree

Rhamnus crocea, the spiny redberry, is a species of plant in the family Rhamnaceae. There are two subspecies: Rhamnus crocea subsp. crocea and Rhamnus crocea subsp. pilosa. It is native to California, Arizona, and Baja California.

<i>Ceanothus crassifolius</i> Species of flowering plant

Ceanothus crassifolius is a species of flowering shrub known by the common name hoaryleaf ceanothus. This Ceanothus is found throughout the coastal mountain ranges of the southern half of California, and its range extends into Baja California.

<i>Sambucus racemosa</i> Species of plant

Sambucus racemosa is a species of elderberry known by the common names red elderberry and red-berried elder.

<i>Arctostaphylos montaraensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Arctostaphylos montaraensis, known by the common name Montara manzanita, is a species of manzanita in the family Ericaceae.

<i>Arctostaphylos refugioensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Arctostaphylos refugioensis is a species of manzanita, known by the common name Refugio manzanita. It is endemic to Santa Barbara County, California, where it can be found along the immediate coastline, including the vicinity of Refugio State Beach, and into the Santa Ynez Mountains of the northwestern Transverse Ranges.

<i>Calochortus persistens</i> Species of tree

Calochortus persistens is a rare North American species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name Siskiyou mariposa lily. It is native to northern California and southern Oregon.

<i>Ceanothus oliganthus</i> Species of flowering plant

Ceanothus oliganthus is a species of shrub in the family Rhamnaceae known by the common name hairy ceanothus or hairy-leaf ceanothus.

<i>Cercocarpus ledifolius <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> intricatus</i> Variety of flowering plant

Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intricatus is a variety of Cercocarpus ledifolius that is commonly known as little-leaf mountain mahogany.

<i>Cercocarpus montanus</i> Species of flowering plant

Cercocarpus montanus is a North American species of shrub or small tree in the family Rosaceae native to northern Mexico and the western United States. It is known by the common names alder-leaf mountain-mahogany, alder-leaf cercocarpus, and true mountain-mahogany. The variety argenteus is commonly known as silverleaf mountain-mahogany.

<i>Ribes inerme</i> Species of flowering plant

Ribes inerme is a species of currant known by the common names whitestem gooseberry and white stemmed gooseberry. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California and westward to the Rocky Mountains. It grows in mountain forests, woodlands, and meadows.

<i>Garrya wrightii</i> Species of flowering plant

Garrya wrightii is a species of flowering plant in the family Garryaceae known by the common names Wright's silktassel, quinine-bush, coffee berry, bearberry, feverbush, and grayleaf dogwood.

References

  1. The Plant List, Cercocarpus montanus var. glaber (S.Watson) F.L.Martin
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Flowering Plants of the Santa Monica Mountains, Nancy Dale,2nd Ed, 2000, p. 170
  3. Calflora taxon report, University of California, Cercocarpus betuloides Torrey & A. GrayMountain mahogany, birch leaf mountain mahogany . accessed 2.28.2015
  4. Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  5. Abrams, L. (1951). Illustrated Flora of the Pacific States. Stanford University Press. 874 pages ISBN   0-8047-0004-4
  6. Hogan, C. M. (2008). Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia). Archived July 19, 2009, at the Wayback Machine GlobalTwitcher, ed. N. Stromberg.
  7. "Cercocarpus betuloides". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  8. Cercocarpus betuloides. CalFlora.
  9. Cercocarpus betuloides var. blancheae. The Jepson Manual, 2012.
  10. Cercocarpus betuloides var. blancheae. CalFlora.
  11. Cercocarpus betuloides var. macrourus. The Jepson Manual, 2012.
  12. Cercocarpus betuloides var. macrourus. CalFlora.
  13. Cercocarpus montanus. NatureServe. 2012.
  14. Cercocarpus montanus var. glaber. USDA PLANTS . accessed 2.28.2015
  15. Whitney, Stephen (1985). Western Forests (The Audubon Society Nature Guides). New York: Knopf. p.  388. ISBN   0-394-73127-1.
  16. Las Pilitas Horticulture Database: Cercocarpus betuloides (Mountain Mahogany) . accessed 2.28.2015
  17. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Information Network−NPIN: Cercocarpus montanus var. glaber (Smooth mountain mahogany) . accessed 2.28.2015