| Cercocarpus | |
|---|---|
| Alderleaf Mountain-mahogany | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Subfamily: | Dryadoideae |
| Genus: | Cercocarpus Kunth |
| Species | |
|
Several, see text |
|
Cercocarpus, commonly known as mountain mahogany, is a small genus of five or six species of deciduous shrubs or small trees in the rose family (Rosaceae), native to the western United States and northern Mexico, where they grow in chaparral and semi-desert habitats and climates, often at high altitudes. Mountain mahogany typically reaches 3 to 6 meters (9–18 feet) tall, but exceptionally, up to 13 meters (40 feet) high.
The classification of Cercocarpus within the Rosaceae has been unclear.[1][2] The genus has been placed in the subfamily Rosoideae, but is now placed in subfamily Dryadoideae.[3]
The Alderleaf variety is prominent in the foothills of Colorado and Utah but usually remains under 1 meter (3 feet) high because of incessant browsing by elk and deer. This variety of mountain mahogany is generally located on the south- or west-facing slopes because it cannot thrive in the shade on the north-facing slopes. Several are found in the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion.
Species include: