The BioFiles - Bill Hubick

Hairy Ceanothus (Ceanothus oliganthus) (1)

Source: Wikipedia

Ceanothus oliganthus
Ceanothus oliganthus var. sorediatus

Vulnerable  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rhamnaceae
Genus: Ceanothus
Species:
C. oliganthus
Binomial name
Ceanothus oliganthus
Synonyms

Ceanothus divaricatus
Ceanothus hirsutus
Ceanothus orcuttii

Ceanothus oliganthus is a species of shrub in the family Rhamnaceae known by the common name hairy ceanothus[2] or hairy-leaf ceanothus.[3]

The variety of this species known as jimbrush (var. sorediatus) is sometimes treated as a separate species.[4]

Habitat and range

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It occurs in California[5] and Baja California,[6] where it occurs through all of the coastal mountain ranges in dry habitat such as chaparral.

Description

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This is a large, erect shrub approaching 3 meters in maximum height.[citation needed]

Leaves and stems

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The stipules (small leaf-like structures on the stems at the base of the leaf stem, are thin and fall off early.[3]

The evergreen leaves are alternately arranged and may be up to 4 centimeters long.[citation needed] They are dark green on top, paler and hairy on the underside,[citation needed] and are edged with glandular teeth.[citation needed] Leaves have 3 main veins rising from the base.[3] Leaves have a toothed edge.[3] The leaf is covered with short, soft hairs on the top.

Branchlets are flexible, not stiff.[3]

Inflorescence and fruit

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The inflorescence is a cluster or series of clusters of blue or purple flowers.

The fruit is a capsule which may be hairy or not, depending on variety.

The fruit is not horned.[3]

It blooms April to May.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "NatureServe Explorer". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  2. ^ NRCS. "Ceanothus oliganthus". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Flowering Plants of the Santa Monica Mountains, Nancy Dale, 2nd Ed., 2000, p. 167
  4. ^ USDA Plants Profile: var. sorediatus
  5. ^ Ceanothus oliganthus at CalFlora
  6. ^ Jepson Herbarium
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