| Cercocarpus intricatus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Genus: | Cercocarpus |
| Species: | C. intricatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cercocarpus intricatus S.Wats. |
|
Cercocarpus intricatus is a species of flowering plant known by the common name littleleaf mountain mahogany.
Cercocarpus intricatus is native to the Southwestern United States, from California to Colorado, where it grows in mostly dry habitat such as desert, mountain slopes, plateau, and woodland.
Cercocarpus intricatus is a thickly branched shrub spreading and growing erect to heights between one and three meters. The many short gray twigs on the branches bear tiny, widely spaced evergreen leaves. Each thick, short leaf is a centimeter long or less, rolled under at the edges, and leathery in texture. The inflorescence has two or three flowers. Each flower is a tiny cup just a few millimeters wide containing several protruding stamens and one pistil. The style remains after the rest of the flower falls away. It is feathery and up to 2 centimeters long, with the fruit, an achene, at the tip.