HikeArizona.COM

Hi.
Can you name this plant
Ill give you a clue, I its distantly related to an lemon tree

Thanks for playing folks.
The clues might be hard to folllow if your not into plants.
Ill try and make the next one more user friendly

Jim_H wrote:I think using the Order was misleading when saying it was related to a lemon tree, or any citrus spp. Most don't think beyond family.

Yeah, but I went there right away, and he said I was getting warmer. I didn't see any leaves like that in Citrus, so I knew it was time to climb the tree.

The highest latitude population is somewhere in the Harquahala Mountains. I did a couple of recon trips in there, but did not find anything in either Browns or Sunset Canyon. Guessing they are on the S. face of Socorro Peak.

Found a different type of elephant tree last weekend in the Growler Range, near Ajo. Bursera Fagoroides. They are not as nice looking as the microphylla, however.

Here is a photoset of the one place I can reliably find an elephant tree, just east of Yuma, in the Gila Mountains: http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=6811

Have you all seen this website:

http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/index.php

I know, I'm spending waaaay to much time on the computer.

Cool site.

Interesting site, though they did not list Bursera fagoroides in the Caba Cabeza Refuge. Maybe I will send them a couple of pics.

keep hiking wrote: ↑Jan 16 2011 7:08 pm typically diocious, but perfect flowers where populations are limited.

Hi there, do you have a citation for that?

@Kaweah
I don't think that particular member is around here anymore. this thread is 9 years old and the last post is from a member who died six years ago.
If you are looking for information on Elephant Trees, there's plenty of information online as well as a brief page here.

@Jim_H
Outlander died?

@Alston_Neal
Yes.

Alston_Neal wrote: ↑Aug 27 2020 1:06 pm @Jim_H
Outlander died?

So that explains why he never got back to me. I was living down the street from him and swapped messages about where to explore on the west side of the valley.

Thank you folks for the messages, very sorry to hear of his passing.

@Jim_H
I'm sad about Outlander. I really enjoy reading his logs and I was looking forward to meeting him.

I'm working on a status assessment of the Bursera microphylla/Elephant Tree population in the northernmost fringe of its range here in Maricopa and La Paz counties. I was hoping to talk with Outlander about my project as I saw he was a fellow Burseraphile.

My plan is to assess and monitor the impact of climate change-related weather fluctuations (frost/drought extremes) on Bursera microphylla and its companion the Gray Vireo over the next five years.

I need help locating the northernmost stands of Bursera microphylla. It's a lot of ground for me to cover alone.

I imagine HAZ members have been clambering all over these hills between the Estrellas and Lake Pleasant.

What would be the best way for me to go about connecting with other Burseraphiles on this forum and possibly crowdsourcing this adventure?

I appreciate your help.
Kaweah

If you click on the flora link you can see photos that other HAZ members have taken of the same plant species. That may help you to understand where it has been observed, and could seem to help you locate the "northernmost" one that has been photographed.

Thanks @nonot!

Actually, I forgot: there is an easier way. Just click the map link:
[ Elephant Tree :: Map ]

There are numerous colonies and individuals in South Mountain Park, that is the farthest North i have seen them. They tend to inhabit the south facing slopes in rocky outcroppings, most notably along the Alta trail and the Gila range portion of the National trail. There are also a couple of big individuals tucked into the Pima Wash area just north of Hidden Valley if you want some off trail searching.

Lots of healthy Elephant Tree at SoMo, in the Estrellas, and in the various granite ranges south of I-8 in Yuma County. I'd love to know about it elsewhere.

@Jim_H
Don't worry. Wherever they're growing, they'll burn in a fire soon.