 Elephant Tree microphylla Joseph Medina – ENH 101 – Fall 2011

 Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida SubClass: eurosid II Order: Family:

 Lifeform- Perennial Diciduous Tree

 Also known as “Little Leaf” Elephant Tree, torote or copal

Elephant Tree

Native- San Diego, Imperial, and Riverside Counties

 Rare Species- Known in CA from fewer than twenty occurrences. State-listed as Highly Safeguarded in AZ.

 CA Rare Rank: 2.3 2 = Rare, threatened, or endangered in California, but more common elsewhere .3 = Not very endangered in California

Elephant Tree

 Range

- of southwestern Arizona

- Northwestern Mexico to 2,500 feet elevation

 Only species of Burseraceae in California. Other 500- 600 species are mostly in tropical America, northeast Africa and Madagascar, the Galapagos Islands, and Malaysia

Elephant Tree

 Habitat- Rocky dry slopes of desert mountains

 Drought Tolerant

 Succulent- stores large amounts of water.

 Survives in temperatures from 135 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit

Leaves scientific name means "small-leafed." Dull, light- green, oblong, about 1” long, with a winged axis. Alternate, aromatic with scent of camphor, once- pinnately compound

Fruit aromatic, 1/4” long, red, single hanging drupe, appears in autumn. curving, elliptic stalk, contains one nutlet.

Twigs are reddish-brown. Elephant Tree

 Bark- Thin, flaky, white on outside with lower layers green, then red.  Up to 16 ft height  Short, very stout, tapered trunks.  Open, but sparse crown

Elephant Tree 

Bursera microphylla  Small, 5-petaled, creamy-white flowers, less than 1/4-inch wide

 Blooming Period: early summer, June-July

FLOWERS

Sources:

• http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=1227 • http://milanrodenhizer.wordpress.com/author/milanrodenhizer/ • http://www.rareplants.cnps.org/detail/368.html • http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/elephanttree.html