Cercocarpus montanus

Raf.

Colorado Birchleaf Mountain-mahogany

G5Secure Found in 122 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.139684
Element CodePDROS08020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderRosales
FamilyRosaceae
GenusCercocarpus
Other Common Names
alderleaf mountain-mahogany (EN) Alderleaf Mountain-mahogany (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2023-06-30
Change Date1984-08-09
Edition Date2023-06-30
Edition AuthorsFellows, M. (2003), rev. Eberly (2023)
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Cercocarpus montanus is a wide ranging shrub occurring across much of the western United States and northern Mexico. With a large range extent, over 5,000 occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Cercocarpus montanus occurs over much of the western United States and northern Mexico from southwestern Oregon to Baa California (MX), east to Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas. It is reported as far south as Puebla, Mexico (iNaturalist 2023). Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens collected between 1992 and 2023 (GBIF 2023, iNaturalist 2023).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1992 and 2023, it is estimated that there are over 5000 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2023, iNaturalist 2023, NatureServe 2023).
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Mountain-mahogany is a shrub that reaches up to 2 m high and has smooth, gray or brown bark. The alternate, spoon-shaped leaves, 1-3 cm long, have short petioles, serrated margins on the upper half, and blunt tips. They are dark green and glabrous above but pale and often sparsely hairy beneath. 1-3 flowers are borne on short stalks near the tips of short side branches. The flowers lack petals and consist only of a hairy calyx formed of a tube with 5 reflexed lobes that is 3-6 mm long in bloom but up to 14 mm long in fruit. There are 25-40 stamens. The hairy seeds are up to 12 mm long with tails that are 3-6 cm long.

Habitat

This species is found on sandstone, granite, limestone ridges, rocky slopes, and valley floors, as well as grasslands, savannahs, juniper-oak, pinyon-juniper, yellow pine woodlands, aspen, and pine-fir forests, at elevations ranging from 800 to 3,000 meters (FNA 2014b).

Ecology

Although top killed by fire, it can regenerate quickly from root crowns or rhizomes (Gucker 2006).

Reproduction

This species, with some exceptions, typically produces abundant seeds with good germination under favorable conditions (Gucker 2006). Seeds are wind-dispersed and can be distributed up to 140 m from the parent plant (Gucker 2006). Seeds may also be dispersed by small mammals. This species can spread asexually, through rhizomatous spread or by above ground stems that often proliferate with browsing or fire damage (Gucker 2006).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - HardwoodForest - ConiferWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedSavannaGrassland/herbaceous
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
UtahSNRYes
NebraskaS4Yes
IdahoS2Yes
WyomingS5Yes
ArizonaSNRYes
MontanaS2Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
TexasSNRYes
New MexicoSNRYes
ColoradoS5Yes
NevadaS2Yes
OregonSNRYes
South DakotaSNRYes
KansasSNRYes
OklahomaS1Yes
Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL, DECIDUOUS
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (122)
Arizona (10)
AreaForestAcres
Arnold MesaPrescott National Forest12,286
Blind Indian CreekPrescott National Forest26,847
Hell HoleApache-Sitgreaves National Forests15,512
HellsgateTonto National Forest6,171
Horse MesaTonto National Forest9,146
Lime CreekTonto National Forest42,568
Lower San FranciscoApache-Sitgreaves National Forests59,310
MazatzalTonto National Forest16,942
Pine Mountain Wilderness ContiguousTonto National Forest6,518
Sierra Ancha Wilderness ContiguousTonto National Forest7,787
Colorado (2)
AreaForestAcres
Comanche Peak Adjacent AreaArapaho & Roosevelt NFs44,158
HermosaSan Juan NF148,103
New Mexico (34)
AreaForestAcres
Alamo CanyonSanta Fe National Forest8,639
Arroyo de la PresaSanta Fe National Forest6,178
Black CanyonSanta Fe National Forest1,922
Bull CanyonCarson National Forest11,512
CajaSanta Fe National Forest5,304
Capitan MountainsLincoln National Forest14,069
Chama WS RiverSanta Fe National Forest4,168
Chama WildernessSanta Fe National Forest1,295
Clara PeakSanta Fe National Forest788
Columbine - Hondo Wilderness Study AreaCarson National Forest43,739
Comales CanyonCarson National Forest4,389
DatilCibola National Forest13,958
El InviernoSanta Fe National Forest29,927
GallinasSanta Fe National Forest13,208
Guaje CanyonSanta Fe National Forest6,104
Hell HoleGila National Forest19,553
Holy GhostSanta Fe National Forest2,352
Juan de Gabaldon GrantSanta Fe National Forest8,023
Latir PeakCarson National Forest3,573
LemitasSanta Fe National Forest8,129
Little TesuqueSanta Fe National Forest815
Madre MountainCibola National Forest19,839
Meadow CreekGila National Forest34,167
Mesa AltaSanta Fe National Forest1,868
Nichols ReservoirSanta Fe National Forest1,518
Ortega PeakLincoln National Forest11,545
Pacheco CanyonSanta Fe National Forest1,012
Pecos WS RiverSanta Fe National Forest5,396
Peloncillo (NM)Coronado National Forest43,339
Ranger CabinCibola National Forest6,124
RendijaSanta Fe National Forest2,176
Thompson PeakSanta Fe National Forest33,001
Virgin CanyonSanta Fe National Forest6,068
West Face Sacramento MountainsLincoln National Forest41,176
Utah (71)
AreaForestAcres
0401001Ashley National Forest11,705
0401002Ashley National Forest36,113
0401003Ashley National Forest5,034
0401005Ashley National Forest38,930
0401009Ashley National Forest30,378
0401010Ashley National Forest21,886
0401011Ashley National Forest30,062
0401012Ashley National Forest46,400
0401023Ashley National Forest8,352
0401024Ashley National Forest12,882
0401025Ashley National Forest1,471
0401027Ashley National Forest7,312
0401030Ashley National Forest531
0401031Ashley National Forest7,110
0401032Ashley National Forest6,471
0419020Ashley National Forest355,684
418012Uinta National Forest25,758
418013Uinta National Forest14,643
418014Uinta National Forest9,683
418015Uinta National Forest17,289
418016Uinta National Forest35,240
418017Uinta National Forest19,631
418024Uinta National Forest51,699
418025Uinta National Forest32,698
418026Uinta National Forest14,038
418027Uinta National Forest13,884
418028Uinta National Forest34,002
418029Uinta National Forest15,673
418031Uinta National Forest18,173
Beehive PeakFishlake National Forest59,137
Boulder Mtn. / Boulder Top / Deer LakeDixie National Forest110,690
Box - Death HollowDixie National Forest3,175
Bunker CreekDixie National Forest7,474
Capital ReefDixie National Forest763
Casto BluffDixie National Forest87,466
Cedar KnollManti-Lasal National Forest22,502
CottonwoodDixie National Forest6,754
Dairy ForkManti-Lasal National Forest30,222
Deer CreekDixie National Forest39,818
FishhookDixie National Forest12,959
Flat CanyonFishlake National Forest8,663
Happy ValleyDixie National Forest14,458
Horse Mountain - Mans PeakManti-Lasal National Forest22,159
Joe LottFishlake National Forest19,826
LakesWasatch-Cache National Forest121,967
Lewis PeakWasatch-Cache National Forest11,616
Little CreekFishlake National Forest11,479
Lone Peak ContiguousWasatch-Cache National Forest874
Long Neck Mesa / Steep Creek / Oak Creek - Steep Creek / OakDixie National Forest55,489
Lookout PeakFishlake National Forest9,195
Mahogany RangeWasatch-Cache National Forest11,409
MogotsuDixie National Forest16,762
Moody WashDixie National Forest31,835
Mt. AireWasatch-Cache National Forest9,681
Mt. Logan NorthWasatch-Cache National Forest18,930
Mt. Logan SouthWasatch-Cache National Forest17,014
Mt. Logan WestWasatch-Cache National Forest5,285
Mt. NaomiWasatch-Cache National Forest41,922
Muddy Creek - Nelson Mt.Manti-Lasal National Forest59,034
Musinia PeakFishlake National Forest6,746
North PavantFishlake National Forest53,262
Oak CreekFishlake National Forest54,053
PavantFishlake National Forest42,560
Pine Valley MountainsDixie National Forest57,673
Right Hand Fork LoganWasatch-Cache National Forest15,023
Signal PeakFishlake National Forest30,889
Solomon BasinFishlake National Forest19,963
Stansbury MountainsWasatch-Cache National Forest39,696
Steves MountainFishlake National Forest22,649
Temple PeakWasatch-Cache National Forest24,081
Thousand Lake MountainFishlake National Forest27,267
Wyoming (5)
AreaForestAcres
0401035Ashley National Forest5,465
0401036Ashley National Forest6,309
Encampment River AdditionMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest4,996
Lake Alice - Commissary RidgeBridger-Teton National Forest166,707
Middle ForkMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest13,238
References (9)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2014b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 9. Magnoliophyta: Picramniaceae to Rosaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. xxiv + 713 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2023. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2023).
  3. Gucker, C.L. 2006. <i>Cercocarpus montanus</i>. In: Fire Effects Information System. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. Online. Available: https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/shrub/cermon/all.html.
  4. iNaturalist. 2023. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2023).
  5. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  6. Little, E.L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). Agriculture Handbook No. 541. U.S. Forest Service, Washington, D.C. 375 pp.
  7. McGregor, R.L., coordinator, and T.M. Barkley, R.E. Brooks, and E.K. Schofield, eds.: Great Plains Flora Association. 1986. Flora of the Great Plains. Univ. Press Kansas, Lawrence. 1392 pp.
  8. NatureServe. 2023. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  9. Welsh, S.L., N.D. Atwood, L.C. Higgins, and S. Goodrich, eds. 1987. A Utah Flora. Great Basin Naturalist Memoir 9: 1- 894. Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. 894 pp.