Cercocarpus ledifolius

Cercocarpus ledifolius
Curl-leaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus ledifolius big bush.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Cercocarpus
Species:
C. ledifolius
Binomial name
Cercocarpus ledifolius
Cercocarpus ledifolius range map 2.png
Natural range of Cercocarpus ledifolius
Synonyms[1]
  • Cercocarpus hypoleucus Rydb.
  • Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus (Rydb.) M.Peck
Curl-leaf mountain mahogany branch with curly, fuzzy flowers

Cercocarpus ledifolius is a North American species of mountain mahogany known by the common name curl-leaf mountain mahogany. It widespread across much of the Western United States as well as Baja California in Mexico.[2][3] It can be found at elevations ranging from 600 to 3,000 m (2,000 to 9,800 ft) elevation, with the preferred altitude varying depending on the region. It prefers shallow, well-drained soils with a sandy or grainy consistency, and is generally found in areas which receive low annual precipitation (15-26 cm).[4] This makes it common on low mountains and slopes,[5][3] where it grows in scattered groves among other drought-resistant species such as Pinyon Pines, Junipers and Sagebrush ecosystems.

Description

Cercocarpus ledifolius is a large, densely branching tree which can reach heights of 11 m (35 ft), although it is not uncommon to find the adult plant as a shrub as short as 1m (3ft). Its leathery, sticky, dark green leaves are up to 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) long and lance-shaped, and the edges may curl under. The flower consists of a small tan tube from which protrudes a long, plumelike style covered in luxuriant tan hairs. The flowers are arranged in inflorescences of up to 3. The fruit is a hairy achene one half to just over one centimeter (0.2-0.4 inches) long.

It has a great many medicinal uses for various Native American groups, such as the Paiute and Shoshone.

Age

Cercocarpus ledifolius is slow-growing, sometimes taking up to a century to reach full height. The oldest specimens are thought to be around 1,350 years old, although the primary specimen that yielded this estimate was cut down[6] This makes it one of the longest lived known flowering plants.

Greater ages have been falsely attributed to Mountain Mahoganies, which later proved to be various olive trees (Olea europaea) and sacred fig (Ficus religiosa) in Sri Lanka (a tree which was reportedly planted in 283 BC, with even that date being contested). The 1,350 year date cited here is also potentially inaccurate due to dating uncertainties detailed by the authors.[6] Much older plants are known to exist as clones, but not as individuals.

References

  1. ^ The Plant List, Cercocarpus ledifolius Nutt. ex Torr. & A.Gray
  2. ^ Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  3. ^ a b Flora of North America, Cercocarpus ledifolius Nuttall in J. Torrey and A. Gray, 1840. Curl-leaf mountain mahogany
  4. ^ "Cercocarpus ledifolius". www.fs.fed.us. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  5. ^ Calflora taxon report, University of California, Cercocarpus ledifolius Nutt. Desert mountainmahogany, curl leaf mountain mahogany
  6. ^ a b Schultz, W.; Tueller, P.T.; Tausch, R.J. (1990). "Ecology of curlleaf mahogany in western and central Nevada: community and population structure" (PDF). Journal of Range Management. 43 (1): 13–20. doi:10.2307/3899112. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-06-20. Retrieved 2008-10-09.

External links


This page was last updated at 2019-11-09 15:02 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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