Littleleaf mountain mahogany, Cercocarpus intricatus (45555725395)

Description:

Summary[edit] Description: littleleaf mountain mahogany, Cercocarpus intricatus, California, White Mountains, Deep Springs Valley drainage, elevation 1951 m (6400 ft). This intricately branched shrub inhabits rock outcrops and crevices, with a strong preference for carbonate, at middle elevations across the broad transition zone between the northern Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin, eastward to the Colorado Plateau, from eastern California to the Four-Corners area of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. The species reaches its northwest limit here in the White Mountains. Opinions vary as to whether this is a separate species, or a variety of curlleaf mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius). The two definitely hybridize in nature, but hybrids are relatively infrequent compared, for example, to those between species of sagebrush (shrubby Artemisia). For the most part they maintain distinct populations in separate habitats. Cercocarpus intricatus is distinguished by being smaller in all parts, with leaves all less than 15 mm long and 2 mm wide, linear and almost cylindric with margins curled back nearly to the center, and fruits less than 7 mm long (minus the long plumose style). The leaves also tend to be more consistently grayish hairy on top, but this is variable in both species. Date: 2 May 2017, 11:08. Source: littleleaf mountain mahogany, Cercocarpus intricatus. Author: Jim Morefield from Nevada, USA. Camera location37° 20′ 09.02″ N, 118° 06′ 33.77″ W View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap 37.335838; -118.109381.