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

rose family Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. The family includes herbs, shrubs, and trees. Most species are deciduous, but some ...

.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: Universit ...

Description

Growth pattern

''Cercocarpus betuloides'' is a shrub or small tree growing from . 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 perennial shrub native to Coastal California. It is the sole species in the genus ''Heteromeles''. Description Toyon typically grows from , r ...

Leaves and stems

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. ''

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 3 ...

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 wattles or acacias, is a genus of about of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa, South America, and Austral ...

. The fruit is a tubular

achene An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple fruit, simple dry fruits, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and Dehi ...

with the long, plumelike flower style still attached. The

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

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

Taxonomy

There are three varieties:''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 are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They are divided into two Crown Dependencies: the Jersey, Bailiwick of Jersey, which is the largest of the islands; and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, ...

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

Distribution and habitat

The plant is native to

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Baja California Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, and northwestern

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

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

, often in

chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant plant community, community found primarily in California, southern Oregon, and northern Baja California. It is shaped by a Mediterranean climate (mild wet winters and hot dry summers) and infrequent, high-intens ...

communities.

Ecology

Deer, cattle and sheep browse the plant.

Uses

The reddish wood of the shrub is very hard and was traditionally used by the

indigenous peoples of California Indigenous peoples of California, commonly known as Indigenous Californians or Native Californians, are a diverse group of nations and peoples that are indigenous to the geographic area within the current boundaries of California before and afte ...

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 th ...

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 equi ...

, drought tolerant, and

wildlife garden A wildlife garden (or habitat garden or backyard restoration) is an Biophysical environment, environment created with the purpose to serve as a sustainable haven for surrounding wildlife. Wildlife gardens contain a variety of habitats that cater t ...

s; and in designed

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

projects and

habitat restoration Ecological restoration, or ecosystem restoration, is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, destroyed or transformed. It is distinct from conservation in that it attempts to retroactively repair ...

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