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Klamath mountain mahogany

Scientific Name: Cercocarpus montanus var. macrourus

Family: Rosaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth: Tree, Shrub

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus)

Mountain mahogany, belonging to the genus Cercocarpus, comprises a small group of five or six species of nitrogen-fixing flowering plants.

Considerations for Pets

  • Some species of mountain mahogany can grow into small trees or large shrubs.

Scientific Classification

  • Genus: Cercocarpus
  • Family: Rosaceae (Rose family)
  • Kingdom: (Implied: Plantae - based on being a flowering plant)

Nomenclature and Synonyms

  • Cercocarpus betuloides: Birch leaf mountain mahogany
  • Cercocarpus montanus Raf. var. macrus (Rydb.) F.L. Martin: Klamath mountain mahogany
  • Synonyms of Cercocarpus montanus include:
    • Cercocarpus montanus var. minutiflorus: Smooth mountain mahogany
    • Cercocarpus montanus var. montanus Raf.: True mountain mahogany or Alderleaf Mountain Mahogany
    • Cercocarpus montanus var. argenteus: Silverleaf Mountain Mahogany
    • Cercocarpus betuloides var. macrus (Rydb.) Jeps.: Little – Island mountain mahogany/Klamath mountain mahogany

Distribution and Habitat

  • The Klamath Mountains region of Southern Oregon and northwestern California is a significant habitat for several mountain mahogany species.
  • Specifically mentioned locations include:
    • Eastern Klamath Mountains (Sugarloaf Creek area, Shasta Lake)
    • Klamath County, Oregon
  • It occurs in the Inter-Mountain Basins Mountain Mahogany Woodland and Shrubland ecological system.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • True mountain-mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus) can be a shrub or a small tree, ranging from 3 to 20 feet (1-7 meters) tall.

Ecological Role

  • Mountain mahogany species, including Klamath mountain mahogany, are nitrogen-fixing plants.
  • Birchleaf mountain-mahogany series and Wedgeleaf ceanothus series are shrubland habitats.

Traditional Uses

  • Curl-leaf mountain-mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius) was used by the Gosiute Indians for medicinal purposes. The Klamath Indians of Oregon also utilized plants from this region.