Taxon Report

Bursera microphylla Gray

little-leaf elephant tree

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Bursera microphylla, commonly known as little-leaf elephant tree, is a perennial deciduous tree in the Burseraceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Sonoran desert scrub, growing at elevations from 200 to 700 meters. Bursera microphylla is ranked 2B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Bursera microphylla Gray
Common Name:	little-leaf elephant tree
Family:	Burseraceae
Element Code:	PDBUR01020
USDA Plants Symbol:	BUMI
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial deciduous tree
Blooming Period: Jun-Jul	Jun-Jul
Elevation:	200-700 (655-2295)
General Habitats:	Sonoran desert scrub
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.3
Global Rank:	G4
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	IUCN_LC; SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.3 to 2B.3 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	18
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	1
Good (B)	1
Fair (C)	1
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	15

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Imperial (IMP), Riverside (RIV), San Diego (SDG)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Agua Caliente Springs (3211683), Arroyo Tapiado (3211682), Borrego Mountain SE (3311611), Clark Lake NE (3311643), Harper Canyon (3311612), In-ko-pah Gorge (3211661), Martinez Mtn. (3311653), Rabbit Peak (3311642), Sweeney Pass (3211672), Valerie (3311652)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	3
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	1	6 %
Foot traffic/trampling	1	5%
Other	1	5%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	1	5%

Notes



Known in CA from fewer than twenty occurrences. State-listed as Highly Safeguarded in AZ.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 5 November 2025].