Cercocarpus Explained

Cercocarpus, commonly known as mountain mahogany, is a small genus of at least nine species of nitrogen-fixing^[1] 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.^{[2] [3]} The genus has been placed in the subfamily Rosoideae, but is now placed in subfamily Dryadoideae.^[4]

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 browsing 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.^[5]

Taxonomy

Species

Cercocarpus comprises the following species:^{[6] [7] [8] [9]}

• 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:^[6]

• 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.

External links

• • • Jepson Manual Treatment - Cercocarpus

Notes and References

1. Web site: Untitled Document. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20041225163431/http://web.uconn.edu/mcbstaff/benson/Frankia/Rosaceae.htm . 2004-12-25 .
2. Morgan, D.R., et al. (1994). Systematic and evolutionary implications of rbcL sequence variation in Rosaceae. American Journal of Botany. 81(7): 890–903.
3. 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.
4. Potter, D., et al. (2007). Phylogeny and classification of Rosaceae. Plant Systematics and Evolution. 266(1–2): 5–43.
5. Book: Quattrocchi, Umberto . CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names . I: A-C . CRC Press . 2000 . 978-0-8493-2675-2 . 485.
6. Web site: The Plant List entry for Cercocarpus . September 2013 . The Plant List, v.1.1 . . 15 December 2020.
7. Web site: Cercocarpus Kunth . Govaerts R . Plants of the World Online . Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . 15 November 2022.
8. Web site: GRIN Species Records of Cercocarpus . Germplasm Resources Information Network . United States Department of Agriculture . 2012-04-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090120180243/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?2316 . 2009-01-20 . dead .
9. Web site: Classification for Kingdom Plantae Down to Genus Cercocarpus Kunth. PLANTS Database . United States Department of Agriculture . 2012-04-19.