Montezuma Baldcypress Tree Information

Images of Montezuma Baldcypress:


Montezuma Baldcypress grows in the following 3 states and provinces:

Colorado, Maine, Texas

Information about Montezuma Baldcypress:


More information about Montezuma Baldcypress may be found here.

The Taxodium Mucronatum is commonly known as the Ahuehuete, Cipres, Montezuma Baldcypress, Pentamon, Sabino as well as Yucu-ndatura.

The currently accepted scientific name for Montezuma baldcypress is Taxodium mucronatum Ten. (family Taxodiaceae) . There are no accepted infrataxa. Montezuma baldcypress differs from its congener baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) primarily by the presence of a needlelike point (a mucro) on the megasporophylls (female cone scales) .

In the United States, Montezuma baldcypress is known only from the Rio Grande Valley in Cameron and Hidalgo counties of extreme southern Texas. It is common and widespread in Mexico .

Montezuma baldcypress occurs in the riparian zone of a desert shrub community along the Rio Grande. The riparian zone includes black willow (Salix nigra), Texas ebony (Pithecellobium flexicaule), and mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa). The upland area includes sotol (Dasylirion texanum), catclaw mimosa (Mimosa biuncifera), and blackbrush acacia (Acacia rigidula) .

Some of the information provided here is attributed to:Sullivan, Janet. 1994. Taxodium mucronatum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). , available at the USDA Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) website