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curl-leaf mountain-mahogany, desert mountainmahogany, mountain mahogany

Photo is of parent taxon

birchleaf mountain-mahogany, curl-leaf mountain mahogany

Habit Shrubs or trees, (5–)10–85 dm, moderately to strongly branched distally. Shrubs or trees, 20–70(–85) dm.
Stems

long-shoot internodes 4–22 mm, sericeous-villous to hirsute-pilose, rarely glabrous, glabrescent; short shoots (1–)2–55 × 1–3.4 mm.

long-shoot internodes 13–22 mm, sparsely sericeous-villous; short shoots 2–55 × 1.8–3.4 mm.

Leaves

persistent or ± drought-deciduous;

stipules 1–3.8 mm;

petiole 0.4–6 mm;

blade linear, linear-lanceolate, lanceolate, lance-elliptic, or elliptic-ovate, (3–)5–48 × 1–11 mm, stiffly coriaceous, base cuneate, margins weakly to strongly revolute, entire, thickened, apex acute, apiculate-mucronate to obtuse-rounded, abaxial surface initially sericeous or villous (sometimes strongly so), sometimes glabrescent, areoles closely canescent, adaxial sericeous, hirsute, or villous, glabrescent.

petiole (1.5–)2.5–6 mm;

blade lanceolate to lance-elliptic or (when shorter) elliptic-ovate, (10–)16–30(–40) × (2.8–)5–9(–11) mm, margins revolute (leaving much of abaxial surface exposed), abaxial surface sericeous or closely villous (hairs not obscuring surface), glabrescent, adaxial sericeous or sparsely villous or hairs tightly coiled and/or 1/2 coiled, glabrescent.

Flowers

1–10 per short shoot;

hypanthial tubes densely to loosely sericeous, villous, or with indument of coiled ascending hairs;

hypanthial cups 1.5–3 × 1.8–3.5 mm;

sepals (3–)5, broadly deltate, 1–2.5 mm, acute-obtuse;

stamens 10–25, anthers 0.7–1.2 mm, glabrous.

4–10 per short shoot;

hypanthial tubes strongly sericeous or villous;

sepals 2–2.5 mm.

Achenes

6–10.5 × 0.8–1.5 mm; fruiting pedicels 0.3–1.5(–2) mm;

hypanthial tubes (2.6–)3–11 mm;

pedicel/tube ratio (5–)8–18(–28)%;

fruit awns 3–8.5 cm, proximal setae 1.6–3.5 mm.

6.5–10.5 × 1.3–1.5 mm;

fruit awns 5–7(–8.5) cm, proximal setae 2.2–3.5 mm.

Cercocarpus ledifolius

Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intermontanus

Phenology Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Rocky dry, often south- to west-facing slopes, canyons, with Artemisia tridentata, Purshia tridentata, Gambel oak, maple, juniper, pinyon, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, Douglas fir and white fir, subalpine zones, often forming pure stands
Elevation (500–)1300–3300 m ((1600–)4300–10800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; nw Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; Mexico (Baja California)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Variety intermontanus is sympatric with var. ledifolius in southern Idaho, southwestern to eastern Oregon, southeastern Washington, and western Wyoming, and with var. intricatus in northeastern Arizona, eastern California, Nevada, and Utah.

Leaves in individual specimens of var. intermontanus vary in size, with long-shoot leaves largest and the first-formed short-shoot leaves of a season more oblong-ovate and often smaller. Heartwood is hard, very dark, and valued for specialty items. Variety intermontanus has long been known as Cercocarpus ledifolius, or var. ledifolius; its type specimen is convarietal with types of var. intercedens.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Leaf blades (3–)5–13(–18) × 1–1.5(–2) mm, linear to linear-lanceolate (usually subterete), margins strongly revolute (central groove 0.1–0.9 mm wide on abaxial surface); shrubs.
var. intricatus
1. Leaf blades (7–)13–30(–48) × (1.5–)2–9(–11) mm, elliptic-ovate, lanceolate to linear, or lance-elliptic, margins ± revolute; shrubs or trees
→ 2
2. Leaf blades narrowly lanceolate to linear, sometimes lance-elliptic, (1.5–)2–5(–7) mm wide, margins strongly revolute; abaxial leaf surfaces usually densely villous, sometimes sericeous.
var. ledifolius
2. Leaf blades lanceolate to lance-elliptic or elliptic-ovate, (2.8–)5–9(–11) mm wide, margins revolute; abaxial leaf surfaces sericeous or closely villous (hairs not obscuring surface), glabrescent.
var. intermontanus
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 337. FNA vol. 9, p. 338.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Dryadoideae > tribe Dryadeae > Cercocarpus Rosaceae > subfam. Dryadoideae > tribe Dryadeae > Cercocarpus > Cercocarpus ledifolius
Sibling taxa
C. betuloides, C. breviflorus, C. montanus
C. ledifolius var. intricatus, C. ledifolius var. ledifolius
Subordinate taxa
C. ledifolius var. intermontanus, C. ledifolius var. intricatus, C. ledifolius var. ledifolius
Name authority Nuttall: in J. Torrey and A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 427. (1840) N. H. Holmgren: Brittonia 39: 424, figs. 1A – D. (1987)
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