Intermountain curlleaf mountain mahogany achene and leaves

Description:

Cercocarpus ledifolius Nutt. ex Torr. & A. Gray var. intermontanus N.H. Holmgren. Coriaceous leaves and plumose achenes from a large tree-sized specimen a few feet away that is at least 5 meters tall. For pictures of this tree, see the series starting at:www.flickr.com/photos/tonyfrates/6039314478/In this picture the midrib and veins can be readily seen on the underside of the sparsely lanate elliptic leaf which is characteristic of this variety. In var. ledifolius, the leaves are much narrower and usually linear, and the lanate pubescence usually completely covers the underside of the leaves.Taxonomic history is somewhat complex. Arnow (1980, Flora of the Central Wasatch Front) indicated that our plants were var. ledifolius however that was in distinguishing it from what is now C. intricatus and was seven years before var. Intermontanus was even named. Welsh (2008 and prior in the A Utah Flora series) does not separately recognize it. I am following Vol 3A (1997) of the Intermountain Flora by Cronquist et al which seems to clearly describe and illustrate the differences. In Salt Lake County, var. intermontanus seems to be the variety that primarily (soley?) occurs here.November 1, 2010, Wasatch foothills, Bonneville terrace levels around base of Mt. Olympus, Salt Lake County, Utah, approx. 4960 ft. elev.