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.
The classification of Cercocarpus within the Rosaceae has been unclear.Morgan, D.R., et al. (1994). Systematic and evolutionary implications of rbcL sequence variation in Rosaceae. American Journal of Botany. 81(7): 890–903.Eriksson, T., et al. (2003). The phylogeny of Rosoideae (Rosaceae) based on sequences of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA and the trnL/F region of chloroplast DNA. International Journal of Plant Sciences. 164: 197–211. The genus has been placed in the subfamily Rosoideae, but is now placed in subfamily Dryadoideae.Potter, D., et al. (2007). Phylogeny and classification of Rosaceae. Plant Systematics and Evolution. 266(1–2): 5–43.
Members of the genus are deciduous shrubs or small trees, typically reaching heights of 3–6 m (9–18 ft) tall, but exceptionally up to 13 m (40 ft) high. C. montanus usually remains under 1 m (3 ft) high because of incessant grazing by elk and deer.
The name is derived from the Greek words κέρκος (kerkos), meaning "tail" and καρπός (karpos), meaning "fruit". It refers to the tail-like plume on the fruits.
Taxonomy Species Cercocarpus comprises the following species: Cercocarpus betuloides Nutt. – birch-leaf mountain mahogany var. betuloides Nutt. var. blancheae (C.K. Schneid.) Little – island mountain mahogany var. traskiae (Eastw.) Dunkle – Catalina Island mountain mahogany Cercocarpus breviflorus A. Gray – hairy mountain mahogany Cercocarpus douglasii Rydb. Cercocarpus fothergilloides Kunth var. fothergilloides Kunth var. mojadensis (C.K. Schneid.) Henrickson Cercocarpus intricatus S.Watson Cercocarpus ledifolius Nutt. ex Torr. & A.Gray – curl-leaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus macrophyllus C.K.Schneid. Cercocarpus mexicanus Henrard Cercocarpus mojadensis C.K.Schneid. Cercocarpus montanus Raf. var. argenteus (Rydb.) F.L.Martin – silver mountain mahogany var. glaber (S.Watson) F.L.Martin var. macrourus (Rydb.) F.L.Martin var. minutiflorus (Abrams) F.L.Martin – smooth mountain mahogany var. montanus Raf. – alder-leaf mountain mahogany var. paucidentatus (S.Watson) F.L.Martin Cercocarpus pringlei (C.K.Schneid.) Rydb. Cercocarpus rotundifolius Rydb. Cercocarpus rzedowskii Henrard
Species names with uncertain taxonomic status The status of the following species and hybrids is unresolved:
Cercocarpus antiquus Lesq. Cercocarpus arizonicus M.E.Jones Cercocarpus betulaefolius C.K.Schneid. Cercocarpus betulaefolius Nutt. ex Hook. Cercocarpus breviflorus S.Watson Cercocarpus cuneatus Dorf Cercocarpus fothergilloides Torr. Cercocarpus harneyensis C.A.Arnold Cercocarpus macrophyllus C.K.Schneid. Cercocarpus miniscalchii (A.Massal.) Principi Cercocarpus orestesi Knowlt. Cercocarpus pallidus Wooton Cercocarpus parviflorus Wooton Cercocarpus parvifolius Nutt. ex Hook. & Arn. Cercocarpus praefoliolosa R.W.Br. Cercocarpus praeledifolius E.W.Berry Cercocarpus ravenscragensis E.W.Berry Cercocarpus treleasei C.K.Schneid.
References
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment - Cercocarpus