Cercocarpus breviflorus


Cercocarpus breviflorus, commonly known as desert mountain mahogany or hairy mountain mahogany, is a species of plant in the rose family, native to northern Mexico and the southwestern United States.

Description

Cercocarpus breviflorus is an evergreen tree or large shrub growing to about tall, often with several branches springing from the base. The small leaves are oblong to oblanceolate, up to long, pubescent and entire apart from a few weak teeth near the apex. They are fasciclate, with groups of two to four leaves forming small tufts separated by lengths of bare twig. The yellowish-green tubed flowers are inconspicuous and grow from the axils of the leaves. The fruits are achenes with twisted, hairy, elongated and persistent styles, looking like long narrow feathers.

Distribution and habitat

Hairy mountain mahogany occurs in mountainous parts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, on both limestone and igneous rock.

Ecology

Hairy mountain mahogany grows at moderately high elevations, often in the company of pinyon pine, alligator juniper, one-seed juniper, cliff fendlerbush, antelope bitterbrush, Quercus benthamii and skunkbush sumac. The branches are often heavily encrusted with lichens.