Jepson Herbarium
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Indexes to all accepted names and synonyms: | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

[Perennial] shrub, tree, generally erect, often thorny.
Leaf: simple, generally alternate, often clustered on short- shoots; stipules generally present, occasionally modified into spines; generally petioled; blade pinnate-veined or 1–5-ribbed from base.
Inflorescence: cyme, panicle, umbel, or flowers 1 or clustered in axils or on short- shoots.
Flower: generally bisexual, radial; hypanthium subtending, surrounding, or partly fused to ovary; sepals 4–5; petals 0, 4–5, generally clawed; stamens 0, 4–5, alternate sepals, attached to hypanthium top, each generally fitting into a petal concavity; disk (0 or) between stamens, ovary, thin to fleshy, entire or lobed, free from ovary, adherent or fused to hypanthium; ovary superior or ± inferior, chambers [1]2–4, 1–2-ovuled, style 1, stigma entire or 2–3-lobed.
Fruit: capsule, drupe.
50–52 genera, 950 species: especially tropics, subtrop; some cultivated (Ceanothus; Frangula; Rhamnus; Ziziphus). [Richardson et al. 2000 Amer J Bot 87:1309–1324] —Scientific Editors: Steve Boyd, Thomas J. Rosatti.
Unabridged references: [Brizicky 1965 J Arnold Arbor 45:439–463; Richardson et al. 2000 Kew Bull 55:311–341]

Key to Rhamnaceae

Shrub, small tree.
Stem: branches alternate, flexible; winter bud scales 0.
Leaf: scattered along branches or clustered on short- shoots, deciduous or not; stipules generally deciduous; petioled; blade veins prominent or not.
Inflorescence: umbel or flowers 1 in axils.
Flower: bisexual; hypanthium 1–3 mm wide, cup-shaped; sepals 5, erect, fleshy, keeled adaxially; petals 5, short-clawed; stamens 5; disk thin, adherent to hypanthium; ovary ± inferior, chambers 2–3, 1–2-ovuled, stigma 2–3-lobed.
Fruit: drupe, 2–3[4]-stoned.
50 species: temperate, w. Med, Eurasia. (Frangible: capable of being broken) [Sawyer & Edwards 2007 Madroño 54:172–174] Often a subg. of Rhamnus; some of value in food, medicine.
Unabridged references: [Bolmgren & Oxelman 2004 Taxon 53:383–390; Wolf 1938 Rancho Santa Ana Bot Gard Monogr 1.]

Shrub, < 2 m.
Stem: bark red to bright gray; twigs red to gray; terminal bud hairy.
Leaf: generally scattered along stem, deciduous; petiole 2–12 mm; blade 15–80 mm, narrowly elliptic to obovate, thin, green or gray, generally glabrous to finely hairy or abaxially puberulent on midrib, veins, acute to rounded at base, tip, margin finely toothed to entire, veins not prominent.
Inflorescence: 4–15-flowered; pedicel 1–12 mm.
Flower: hypanthium 2 mm wide.
Fruit: 2(3)-stoned, 12 mm, black. [Rhamnus rubra Greene] 1 other subsp., in NV. [Online Interchange]
Unabridged synonyms: [Rhamnus californica var. rubra (Greene) Trel.; Rhamnus californica var. obtusissima (Greene) Jeps., in part, misappl.]
Unabridged note: Frangula rubra subsp. nevadensis (A. Nelson) Kartesz & Gandhi in NV. The Frangula rubra complex is a group of closely related plants that needs study. In NV they reach only Douglas and Washoe counties. C.B. Wolf's descriptions (1938) provide only a single distinct character to separate the subspp., but field and herbarium study argue for the recognition of infraspecific taxa even with the intermediates and variants. The range of Frangula rubra subsp. obtusissima, in c SN, is central, and Wolf reported "intergradations in various degrees" between it and all the other subspp. Furthermore, Frangula rubra subsp. yosemitana and Frangula californica subsp. cuspidata grow along the east side of SN and can be easily confused. Plants of both taxa can be deciduous, but Wolf noted differences in pubescence and in leaf margin characters to differentiate the 2, although both are variable throughout their ranges.

Stem: twigs red.
Leaf: blade 20–60 mm, narrowly elliptic to oblong, glabrous, base, tip acute.
Chaparral, montane forest; 1000–2200 m. Klamath Ranges, High North Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, n&c High Sierra Nevada.

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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.