''Cercocarpus betuloides'' is a shrub or small tree in the

rose family Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a medium-sized family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. Among the most species-rich genera are '' Alchemilla'' (270), ''Sorbus ...

.Flowering Plants of the Santa Monica Mountains, Nancy Dale,2nd Ed, 2000, p. 170 Its common names include mountain mahogany and birch leaf mountain mahogany The common name "mahogany" comes from the hardness and color of the wood, although the genus is not a true

mahogany Mahogany is a straight-grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Unive ...

Range and habitat

The plant is native to

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, and northwestern

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

. It typically grows in summer dry areas of the foothills and mountains of

, often in

chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant community and geographical feature found primarily in the U.S. state of California, in southern Oregon, and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterranean c ...

communities.

Description

Growth pattern

''Cercocarpus betuloides'' is a shrub or small tree growing from to . 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 ''Heteromeles arbutifolia'' (; more commonly by Californian botanists), commonly known as toyon, is a common perennial shrub native to extreme southwest Oregon, California, and the Baja California Peninsula. It is the sole species in the genus ...

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. ''

Betula A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...

'' is the

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 ...

genus, and the species name refers to the birch-like leaves.

Inflorescence and fruit

The white flowers are small, clustered, and mildly scented, similar to

acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...

. The fruit is a tubular

achene An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and indehiscent (they do not ope ...

with the long, plumelike flower style still attached. The

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

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 Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

:''Cercocarpus betuloides''.
CalFlora. *''Cercocarpus betuloides'' var. ''betuloides'', rangewide *''Cercocarpus betuloides'' var. ''blancheae'' – Catalina mahogany, island mountain mahogany, limited to California, especially the

Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...

''Cercocarpus betuloides'' var. ''blancheae''.
The Jepson Manual, 2012.''Cercocarpus betuloides'' var. ''blancheae''.
CalFlora. *''Cercocarpus betuloides'' var. ''macrourus'' – few flowered mountain mahogany, California and Oregon''Cercocarpus betuloides'' var. ''macrourus''.
The Jepson Manual, 2012.''Cercocarpus betuloides'' var. ''macrourus''.
CalFlora. ''Cercocarpus betuloides'' is sometimes treated as a part of ''

Cercocarpus montanus ''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 ...

'',''Cercocarpus montanus''.
NatureServe. 2012. var. ''glaber'' in particular.''Cercocarpus montanus'' var. ''glaber''.
USDA PLANTS . accessed 2.28.2015

Uses

Deer, cattle and sheep browse the plant. The reddish wood of the shrub is very hard and was traditionally used by the

indigenous peoples of California The indigenous peoples of California (known as Native Californians) are the indigenous inhabitants who have lived or currently live in the geographic area within the current boundaries of California before and after the arrival of Europeans. ...

to make arrow tips, fishing spears, and digging sticks. ''Cercocarpus betuloides'' is cultivated as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

by specialty nurseries for planting in

native plant In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often popularised as "with no human intervention") during history. The term is equ ...

drought tolerant Drought tolerance is the ability to which a plant maintains its biomass production during arid or drought conditions. Some plants are naturally adapted to dry conditions'','' surviving with protection mechanisms such as desiccation tolerance, detox ...

, and

wildlife garden A wildlife garden (or wild garden) is an environment created by a gardener that serves as a sustainable haven for surrounding wildlife. Wildlife gardens contain a variety of habitats that cater to native and local plants, birds, amphibians, rep ...

s; and in designed

natural landscaping Natural landscaping, also called native gardening, is the use of native plants and adapted species, including trees, shrubs, groundcover, and grasses which are local to the geographic area of the garden. Benefits Maintenance Natural landsc ...

projects and

habitat restoration Restoration ecology is the scientific study supporting the practice of ecological restoration, which is the practice of renewing and restoring degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystems and habitats in the environment by active human interrupt ...

programs.Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Information Network−NPIN: ''Cercocarpus montanus'' var. ''glaber'' (Smooth mountain mahogany)
. accessed 2.28.2015

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment — ''Cercocarpus betuloides''Calflora taxon report, University of California: ''Cercocarpus betuloides'' (Mountain mahogany, birch leaf mountain mahogany)United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile for ''Cercocarpus montanus'' var. ''glaber'' (birchleaf mountain mahogany) ''Cercocarpus betuloides'' — Calphotos Photo gallery, University of California
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2946567 betuloides Flora of Baja California Flora of the Western United States Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Flora of the Cascade Range Flora of the Klamath Mountains Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Natural history of the Channel Islands of California Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges Natural history of the San Francisco Bay Area Natural history of the Santa Monica Mountains Natural history of the Transverse Ranges Plants described in 1840 Drought-tolerant plants Garden plants of North America Flora without expected TNC conservation status