Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intricatus
Little leaved mountain mahogany
(c) Rick Mandel, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Rick Mandel · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intricatus (Little leaved mountain mahogany) is a native California shrub in the Rosaceae family, recognized by smallest leaves (0.3-1 cm), completely inrolled margins, shortest styles.
Little leaved mountain mahogany is a California native shrub found in southern Sierra Nevada, Sierra Nevada Eastern Sierra, and Desert Mountains in dry, rocky outcrops, slopes, and pinyon/juniper woodland at elevations of 1,000 to 3,000 meters. Flowering in May, this plant produces white to cream flowers in small clusters of 1 to 5 blooms. Growing as a highly branched shrub 1 to 3 meters tall with dense, intricate branching, it forms compact and complex shapes in arid mountain landscapes. Its leaves are distinctively small and thick-leathery, linear in shape, measuring only 0.3 to 1 centimeter long, with edges rolled inward and surfaces ranging from glabrous to gray-white hairy. The fruit develops a hypanthium 3 to 8 millimeters long, topped with a feathery persistent style that can reach 3 to 4.5 centimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; distinguished by smallest leaves (0.3-1 cm), completely inrolled margins, shortest styles
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, rocky outcrops, slopes, pinyon/juniper woodland
Elevation: 1000-3000 m
California counties: Inyo, Tulare, Fresno, Kern, San Bernardino, Mono
Outside California: to Colorado, Arizona
Bloom period
Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intricatus blooms May.
How to tell it apart
vs Ceanothus: Cercocarpus has no petals and feathery-tailed fruits; Ceanothus has tiny cupped petals and berry-like capsules.; vs Holodiscus: Cercocarpus flowers lack petals entirely; Holodiscus has tiny white petals in showy foam-like panicles.; vs Quercus: Cercocarpus has feathery-tailed fruits; oaks have acorns in cups.; vs Rhamnus: Cercocarpus has feathery-tailed dry fruits; Rhamnus has smooth berry-like drupes.; vs Alnus: Cercocarpus has feathery-tailed single fruits; Alnus has woody cone-like catkins.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intricatus native to California?
Yes. Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intricatus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intricatus bloom?
Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intricatus blooms May.
Where in California does Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intricatus grow?
Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intricatus occurs in Inyo, Tulare, Fresno, Kern, San Bernardino, Mono, at elevations of 1000-3000 m.
What plant family does Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intricatus belong to?
Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intricatus is in the Rosaceae family, genus Cercocarpus.
What habitat does Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intricatus grow in?
Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intricatus grows in Dry, rocky outcrops, slopes, pinyon/juniper woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius — Curl leaf mountain mahogany
- Cercocarpus minutiflorus — Smooth mountain mahogany
- Cercocarpus sp. — Mountain-mahogany
- Cercocarpus traskiae — Catalina island mountain-mahogany
- Cercocarpus betuloides — Birch leaf mountain mahogany
- Cercocarpus betuloides var. betuloides — Birch-leaf mountain-mahogany
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.