Olneya tesota
Encyclopedia
Olneya tesota is a perennial
flowering tree
of the Fabaceae
family, legumes (peas, beans, etc.), which is commonly known as Ironwood
or Desert Ironwood. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Olneya. This tree is part of the western Sonoran Desert
complex in the Southwestern United States
, which includes flora such as palo verde
, saguaro
, ocotillo
, brittlebush, creosote bush
, and mesquite
.
or tree
and reaches heights of about 10 metres (33 ft), and average trunk diameters of about 60 cm (23.6 in); in exceptional sites in larger protected washes, greater height and more massive.
In younger trees, the bark is gray, shiny, and smooth; in older trees the bark is broken open. The tree is an evergreen plant
, but can lose its leaves if temperatures fall below 2 °C (35.6 °F). In continual drought conditions leaves will be lost.
Leaves are bluish-green and pinnate compound. Leaves are arranged on a petiole, 6 in (15.2 cm) long, with 6-9 leaflets-(or variously up to 15, 7, 7-opposite, and one terminal), each being 0.7 to 2.5 cm (0.275590551181102 to 0.984251968503937 in). At the base of each pinnate leaf petiole grow two thorns, about 1 cm (0.393700787401575 in) long.
Bloom time occurs in late April/May to June. Flowers are of 5 unequal petals, in colors of medium purple, magenta-red, or also white to pale pink. Seedpods are 5–8 cm (2–4 in) long, and light reddish brown. When seedpods are ripened two other species Parkinsonia florida
-(Blue Palo Verde), and Acacia constricta
-(Catclaw Acacia) have similar light red brownish colors. Catclaw acacia seedpods are noticeably J-shaped and of shorter length.
and the exteme northwest of Northern Mexico in the north, western-(Baja California Peninsula) and southeastern Sonoran Desert
, and is partially an indicator species
of that desert. It ranges to Baja California Sur
, as well as the north Baja California
, and is only east of the Baja Peninsula cordillera ranges, on the Gulf of California
-(Sea of Cortez) side. It ranges northwest into the Colorado Desert
-(a part of the Sonoran Desert), of southeast Southern California
, is in western and southern Arizona
, and Sonora
state Mexico. Its range in Sonora state Mexico is west of the Sierra Madre Occidental
cordillera and in the south, approaches the northern border of northern Sinaloa
state. Olneya does not range into the higher elevation, colder, southeast of Arizona Sonoran Desert region of the sky island
s of the Madrean Sky Islands
region.
Ironwood Forest National Monument
in south-central Arizona is named for Olneya tesota.
of the Sonoran Desert
region, The Sonoran Desert has one other species with the same identical north-south, and east-west range. The seasonally migrating Lesser Long-nosed Bat
follows the bloom season of various species from south to north and extends into the same regions of the Sonoran Desert as Olneya; (their ranging maps are virtually identical). The bat ranges from southern Baja California del Sur and north into the southwestern United States.
In the north, both species define the Colorado Desert subregion of the Sonoran Desert surrounding the northern end of the Gulf of California
; further south in the Baja Peninsula the sub-division is defined as the Vizcaino Desert.
Other winter time and permanent ranges of the bat extend into northern countries of Central America
.
handles, since its hardness, beautiful grain, and coloring is ideal.
Bat Ranges (equal to Olneya)
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
flowering tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
of the Fabaceae
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
family, legumes (peas, beans, etc.), which is commonly known as Ironwood
Ironwood
Ironwood is a common name for a large number of woods that have a reputation for hardness. Usage of the name may include the tree that yields this wood...
or Desert Ironwood. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Olneya. This tree is part of the western Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
complex in the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
, which includes flora such as palo verde
Parkinsonia
Parkinsonia , also Cercidium , is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae. It contains about 12 species that are native to semi-desert regions of Africa and the Americas...
, saguaro
Saguaro
The saguaro is a large, tree-sized cactus species in the monotypic genus Carnegiea. It is native to the Sonoran Desert in the U.S. state of Arizona, the Mexican state of Sonora, a small part of Baja California in the San Felipe Desert and an extremely small area of California, U.S...
, ocotillo
Ocotillo
Fouquieria splendens Engelm. is a desert plant of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Common names include ocotillo, desert coral, coachwhip, Jacob's staff, and vine cactus, although it is not a true cactus...
, brittlebush, creosote bush
Creosote bush
Larrea tridentata is known as Creosote bush as a plant, chaparral as a medicinal herb, and as "gobernadora" in Mexico, Spanish for "governess," due to its ability for inhibiting the growth of nearby plants to have more water. In Sonora, it is more commonly called "hediondilla." It is a flowering...
, and mesquite
Mesquite
Mesquite is a leguminous plant of the Prosopis genus found in northern Mexico through the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Deserts, and up into the Southwestern United States as far north as southern Kansas, west to the Colorado Desert in California,and east to the eastern fifth of Texas, where...
.
Description
The Desert Ironwood grows as a bushShrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
or tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
and reaches heights of about 10 metres (33 ft), and average trunk diameters of about 60 cm (23.6 in); in exceptional sites in larger protected washes, greater height and more massive.
In younger trees, the bark is gray, shiny, and smooth; in older trees the bark is broken open. The tree is an evergreen plant
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
, but can lose its leaves if temperatures fall below 2 °C (35.6 °F). In continual drought conditions leaves will be lost.
Leaves are bluish-green and pinnate compound. Leaves are arranged on a petiole, 6 in (15.2 cm) long, with 6-9 leaflets-(or variously up to 15, 7, 7-opposite, and one terminal), each being 0.7 to 2.5 cm (0.275590551181102 to 0.984251968503937 in). At the base of each pinnate leaf petiole grow two thorns, about 1 cm (0.393700787401575 in) long.
Bloom time occurs in late April/May to June. Flowers are of 5 unequal petals, in colors of medium purple, magenta-red, or also white to pale pink. Seedpods are 5–8 cm (2–4 in) long, and light reddish brown. When seedpods are ripened two other species Parkinsonia florida
Parkinsonia florida
Parkinsonia florida is a species of palo verde native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico...
-(Blue Palo Verde), and Acacia constricta
Acacia constricta
Acacia constricta, often known as the whitethorn acacia, is an acacia shrub native to Mexico and the southwestern United States.It typically grows to 2 meters in height, occasionally reaching 3 m. Its stems range from a light gray to a mahogany color, with pairs of straight white spines anywhere...
-(Catclaw Acacia) have similar light red brownish colors. Catclaw acacia seedpods are noticeably J-shaped and of shorter length.
Range and location
The Desert Ironwood, Olneya is native in the southwestern United StatesSouthwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
and the exteme northwest of Northern Mexico in the north, western-(Baja California Peninsula) and southeastern Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
, and is partially an indicator species
Indicator species
An indicator species is any biological species that defines a trait or characteristic of the environment. For example, a species may delineate an ecoregion or indicate an environmental condition such as a disease outbreak, pollution, species competition or climate change...
of that desert. It ranges to Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur , is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state on October 8, 1974, the area was known as the South Territory of Baja California. It has an area of , or 3.57% of the land mass of Mexico and comprises...
, as well as the north Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, and is only east of the Baja Peninsula cordillera ranges, on the Gulf of California
Gulf of California
The Gulf of California is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland...
-(Sea of Cortez) side. It ranges northwest into the Colorado Desert
Colorado Desert
California's Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert, which extends across southwest North America. The Colorado Desert region encompasses approximately , reaching from the Mexican border in the south to the higher-elevation Mojave Desert in the north and from the Colorado River in...
-(a part of the Sonoran Desert), of southeast Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, is in western and southern Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
state Mexico. Its range in Sonora state Mexico is west of the Sierra Madre Occidental
Sierra Madre Occidental
The Sierra Madre Occidental is a mountain range in western Mexico.-Setting:The range runs north to south, from just south of the Sonora–Arizona border southeast through eastern Sonora, western Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, Nayarit, Jalisco, Aguascalientes to Guanajuato, where it joins...
cordillera and in the south, approaches the northern border of northern Sinaloa
Sinaloa
Sinaloa officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 18 municipalities and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales....
state. Olneya does not range into the higher elevation, colder, southeast of Arizona Sonoran Desert region of the sky island
Sky island
Sky islands are mountains that are isolated by surrounding lowlands of a dramatically different environment, a situation which, in combination with the altitudinal zonation of ecosystems, has significant implications for natural habitats. Endemism, vertical migration, and relict populations are...
s of the Madrean Sky Islands
Madrean sky islands
The Madrean Sky Islands are enclaves of Madrean pine-oak woodlands, found at higher elevations in a complex of small mountain ranges in southern and southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northwestern Mexico. The sky islands are surrounded at lower elevations by the Sonoran and...
region.
Ironwood Forest National Monument
Ironwood Forest National Monument
Ironwood Forest National Monument is located in the Sonoran Desert and the U.S. state of Arizona. Created by Bill Clinton by Presidential Proclamation 7320 on June 9, 2000, the 129,022 acre monument is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, an agency within the U.S. Department of the...
in south-central Arizona is named for Olneya tesota.
An indicator species
Olneya tesota is an indicator speciesIndicator species
An indicator species is any biological species that defines a trait or characteristic of the environment. For example, a species may delineate an ecoregion or indicate an environmental condition such as a disease outbreak, pollution, species competition or climate change...
of the Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
region, The Sonoran Desert has one other species with the same identical north-south, and east-west range. The seasonally migrating Lesser Long-nosed Bat
Lesser Long-nosed Bat
The Lesser Long-nosed Bat is a medium-sized bat found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and the United States...
follows the bloom season of various species from south to north and extends into the same regions of the Sonoran Desert as Olneya; (their ranging maps are virtually identical). The bat ranges from southern Baja California del Sur and north into the southwestern United States.
In the north, both species define the Colorado Desert subregion of the Sonoran Desert surrounding the northern end of the Gulf of California
Gulf of California
The Gulf of California is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland...
; further south in the Baja Peninsula the sub-division is defined as the Vizcaino Desert.
Other winter time and permanent ranges of the bat extend into northern countries of Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
.
Use
Olneya ironwood is very hard and heavy. Its density is greater than water and thus sinks; it does not float downstream in washes, and must be moved by current motion. One popular usage for the wood is for knifeKnife
A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...
handles, since its hardness, beautiful grain, and coloring is ideal.
Workability
Due to its considerable hardness, processing desert ironwood is difficult. Metal-working type tools such as a chainsaw are often required. Final treatment of the wood with solutions can also be difficult because of its high density.External links
Bat Ranges (equal to Olneya)
