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Cercocarpus betuloides

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mountain mahogany
Cercocarpus betuloides var. blancheae in fruit
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Cercocarpus
Species:
C. betuloides
Binomial name
Cercocarpus betuloides
Natural range of Cercocarpus betuloides
Synonyms[1]

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

Cercocarpus betuloides, commonly known as birch-leaf mountain mahogany or western mountain mahogany,[2][3] is a species of flowering shrub or small tree in the rose family (Rosaceae).[2] It is native to California and Baja California. It is one of at least nine species in the broader mountain mahogany genus, Cercocarpus, characterized by their extremely hard reddish-brown wood and distinctive feathery seeds, although the genus is not a true mahogany.[2]

Description

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Growth pattern

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Cercocarpus betuloides is a shrub or small tree growing from 1 to 5 meters (3 to 16 ft), rarely to 8 m (26 ft).[4][2][5] Its branches are incised and muscular in appearance from the side. In cross section they appear lobed.[citation needed]

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

Leaves and stems

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

Inflorescence and fruit

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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.[citation needed]

Etymology

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The genus name, Cercocarpus, comes from the Greek kerkos (tail), referring to the tail-like appearance of the fruit; and karpos (fruit) thus "fruit with tail", referring to the long feathery styles that persist on the seeds.[7]

The specific species name, betuloides, comes from the latin betula (birch); and the Greek suffix -oeidēs (resembling or having the form of) thus "betula-like" or "resembling a birch", referring to the birch-like leaves.[2][8]

Taxonomy

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There are several varieties:[9][10]

  • Cercocarpus betuloides var. betuloides, rangewide
  • Cercocarpus betuloides var. blancheae — Island mountain mahogany, limited to California, especially the Channel Islands[11][12]
  • Cercocarpus betuloides var. macrourus — few flowered mountain mahogany, California and Oregon[13][14]
  • Cercocarpus betuloides var. traskiae (often treated as a separate species, Cercocarpus traskiae Eastw.)[15] — Catalina Island mountain mahogany, one of the rarest critically endangered trees in the world with only seven mature trees in existence in 1990.[16]

Cercocarpus betuloides is sometimes treated as a part of Cercocarpus montanus,[17] var. glaber in particular.[18]

Distribution and habitat

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The plant is native to California, Baja California, Oregon, Arizona, and northwestern New Mexico.[19] It typically grows in summer dry areas of the foothills and mountains of California, often in chaparral.[2]

Ecology

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Deer, cattle and sheep browse the plant.[20]

Uses

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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.[21][22]

References

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  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. ↑ "Cercocarpus betuloides in Flora of North America @ efloras.org". eFloras.org Home. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  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 19 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine GlobalTwitcher, ed. N. Stromberg.
  7. ↑ "Cercocarpus betuloides, mountain mahogany | Trees of Stanford & Environs". trees.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2026-07-13.
  8. ↑ "Cercocarpus betuloides, mountain mahogany | Trees of Stanford & Environs". trees.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2026-07-13.
  9. ↑ "Cercocarpus betuloides". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  10. ↑ Cercocarpus betuloides. CalFlora.
  11. ↑ Cercocarpus betuloides var. blancheae. The Jepson Manual, 2012.
  12. ↑ Cercocarpus betuloides var. blancheae. CalFlora.
  13. ↑ Cercocarpus betuloides var. macrourus. The Jepson Manual, 2012.
  14. ↑ Cercocarpus betuloides var. macrourus. CalFlora.
  15. ↑ Vanden Heuvel, Brian; Lis, Richard. "Cercocarpus traskiae". The University and Jepson Herbaria - University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 13 July 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ↑ Vanden Heuvel, Brian; Lis, Richard. "Cercocarpus key to species, Jepson eFlora, California Flora". The University and Jepson Herbaria - University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 13 July 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ↑ Cercocarpus montanus. NatureServe. 2012.
  18. ↑ Cercocarpus montanus var. glaber. USDA PLANTS . accessed 2.28.2015
  19. ↑ Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  20. ↑ Whitney, Stephen (1985). Western Forests (The Audubon Society Nature Guides). New York: Knopf. p. 388. ISBN 0-394-73127-1.
  21. ↑ Las Pilitas Horticulture Database: Cercocarpus betuloides (Mountain Mahogany) . accessed 2.28.2015
  22. ↑ Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Information Network−NPIN: Cercocarpus montanus var. glaber (Smooth mountain mahogany) . accessed 2.28.2015
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