Jepson Herbarium
		University of California, Berkeley

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Annual to shrub, aromatic, of sunny areas, often sandy or chalky substrates; hairs nonglandular, in stellate clumps or not, peltate or not, and/or glandular.
Leaf: simple, alternate or opposite [ whorled], often ± reduced, entire or not, petioled or not, stipuled or not.
Inflorescence: raceme- or panicle-like cymes or flowers 1.
Flower: generally bisexual, ± radial; sepals 3 or 5 (outer 2 often narrower), free, often persistent in fruit, 3 twisted in direction opposite that of petals; petals [0(3)]4–5, generally ephemeral; stamens (3–10) many, free, often sensitive to touch, ± persistent in fruit or not; ovary superior, chambers 1 (or ± 3–12 from intruded parietal placentas), style 0–1, stigma 1(3), lobes 0 or 3–12.
Fruit: loculicidal capsule, valves 3–12.
Seed: 3–many.
8 genera, ± 175 species: temperate, especially se US, Medit; some cultivated (Cistus; Helianthemum; Tuberaria). [Arrington 2004 Ph.D. Dissertation Duke Univ] Fls open in sunshine for < 1 day. —Scientific Editors: Thomas J. Rosatti, Bruce G. Baldwin.
Unabridged references: [Strother FNANM, in press]

Key to Cistaceae

Shrub, evergreen.
Stem: < 2.5 m.
Leaf: generally opposite, petioled or not; stipules 0.
Inflorescence: panicle-like or flowers 1.
Flower: sepals 3 or 5; petals 4–5, white (often drying ± yellow) or rose to purple, with red or yellow near base or not, often ± wrinkled; ovary 1-chambered, placentas 5, style 0 or 1, stigma large, hemispheric, 5–12-lobed.
Fruit: valves 5–12.
± 20 species: Medit; cultivated as ornamental. (Ancient Greek name) [Guzman & Vargas 2005 Molec Phylogen Evol 37:644–660] Plants including hybrids sometimes escape cultivation; scented resin from some species may be myrrh of biblical, other references.

Stem: < 1 m; hairs generally nonglandular.
Leaf: petiole 2–10 mm; blade 1–4 cm, ovate to elliptic, wrinkled adaxially, main veins from base generally 1.
Inflorescence: 1(4)-flowered; pedicel 10–100 mm.
Flower: sepals 5; petals 1.5–2.5 cm, white, with yellow near base or not; style ± 0.
Fruit: valves 5.
2n=18. Uncommon. Disturbed places; < 1000 m. s Central Coast, s South Coast, San Gabriel Mountains;

Previous taxon: Cistus psilosepalus
Next taxon: Helianthemum

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].

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Bioregions in which taxon occurs	Red area (if present) is the part of the bioregion lying between the upper and lower elevation limits of the taxon; markers link to CCH specimen records. If the markers are obscured, reload the page [or change window size and reload]. Yellow markers indicate records that may provide evidence for eFlora range revision or may have georeferencing or identification issues.
Chart based on elevation range in Manual and elevations and coordinates of CCH records. Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria. Note: About half of the CCH records include both elevation and coordinates.	Map made in collaboration with Scott Loarie. Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria. View all CCH records   CCH collections by month Duplicates counted once; synonyms included. Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa. Blue line denotes Manual flowering time.