[Mountain Mahogany: The Genus Cercocarpus East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, Mountain Mahogany

Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius

Synonyms: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus, Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intercedens

Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius (Synonyms: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus, Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intercedens)

Curl-leaf mountain-mahogany as seen on Baldy Mountain, Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.........July 2, 2010.

Characteristics:

Curl-leaf mountain-mahogany is a many-branched shrub to small tree normally from 3 to 20 feet high, but occasionally to 45 feet. The young stems are reddish-brown aging to grayish-brown. The bark is grayish brown with rough, furrowed bark and plate-like scales.

The leaves alternate on the branches and are persistent, being narrowly elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate in shape. Because the leaf margins are often strongly revolute (curled), the leaf often looks linear in shape. Individual leaf blades measure from 1-3 cm long and up to 10 mm wide and are dark green and often smooth and shining on the upper surface and paler and sparsely to densely grayish hairy on the lower surface. The blades are more or less sticky-resinous.

One to three greenish-white flowers are found in the leaf axils. They are sessile and bracteate. There are 20-30 stamens. The seeds are achene-like, 5-7 mm long, with an attractive, plumed tail 5-8 cm long.


Importance:

Curl-leaf mountain-mahogany is an important source of winter protection for mule deer. The wood has been used as a fuel source and for the smoking of meats by Native Americans. The strong, hard wood was also used to make arrow shafts and as digging implements. The leaves were used as a laxative, and the inner bark to treat lung problems. A red dye was also made fro the bark and the roots.


Habitat:

Curl-leaf mountain-mahogany may be found from desert foothills to mountain slopes, primarily in rocky soils.


Range:

Curl-leaf mountain-mahogany is found form southeastern Washington east to the Rocky Mts. of Montana, south to southwest Oregon and through the Sierra Mts to southern California, east again to Arizona and western Colorado.


Close-up sideview of a flower of Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius (Synonyms: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus, Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intercedens) - Close-up of a flower of Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius (Synonyms: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus, Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intercedens) - Close-up sideview of a flower of Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius (Synonyms: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus, Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intercedens)

Leaves and flowers of Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius (Synonyms: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus, Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intercedens)

Additional close-ups of the flowers and leaves of curl-leaf mountain-mahogany as seen next to the Antelope Mountain Lookout, Malheur National Forest.........June 25, 2011.

Curled leaf margins and underside of the leaf of Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius (Synonyms: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus, Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intercedens) - Leaves of Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius (Synonyms: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus, Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intercedens)

Additional close-ups of the curled leaf margins and alternating leaves of curl-leaf mountain-mahogany as seen at about 6000' along FS Road 5401-811, on the northern approach to Baldy Mountain, Malheur National Forest.........June 3, 2011.

Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius (Synonyms: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus, Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intercedens) - Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius (Synonyms: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus, Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intercedens)

Curl-leaf mountain-mahogany blooming (left) at gravelly-sloped forest openings along the Canyon Mountain Trail, Strawberry Mountain Wilderness........May 29, 2014. The photo at right shows curl-leaf mountain-mahogany blooming atop a rocky knoll just uphill to the north of the entrance to the Ochoco Forest Camp, Ochoco National Forest.........April 30, 2016.


Close-up of the plumed achenes of Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius (Synonyms: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus, Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intercedens) - Close-up of the plumed achenes of Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius (Synonyms: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus, Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intercedens) - Close-up of the plumed achenes of Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius (Synonyms: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus, Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intercedens)

Close-ups of the plumed achenes of curl-leaf mountain mahogany as photographed on the ridge above Jackman Park, Steens Mountain, Harney County, Oregon..........August 31, 2011.

Plumed achenes of Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius (Synonyms: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus, Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intercedens) - Plumed achenes of Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius (Synonyms: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus, Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intercedens) - Plumed achenes of Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius (Synonyms: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus, Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intercedens) - Plumed achenes of Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius (Synonyms: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus, Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intercedens)

Additional close-up images of the plumed achenes of curl-leaf mountain mahogany as seen atop Round Mountain, Ochoco National Forest...........August 9, 2014.

Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius (Synonyms: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus, Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intercedens) - Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius (Synonyms: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus, Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intercedens)

Curl-leaf mountain mahogany growing on a rocky point (left) about one-quarter mile south of the Antelope Mountain Lookout, Malheur National Forest.........June 4, 2011. The photo at right shows curl-leaf mountain mahogany as seen on a rocky point along the Slide Basin Trail #372 about one hundred meters north of the junction with Trail #5006, Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.........August11, 2015.

Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius (Synonyms: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. hypoleucus, Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intercedens)

Curl-leaf mountain mahogany growing on a basalt outcrop about one mile southeast of Spanish Peak, Ochoco National Forest.........June 14, 2015.

Paul Slichter