Habit: Shrub, tree-like or not, generally erect or mat- to mound-like. Stem: branches generally arranged like leaves; twigs thorn-like or not, generally not angled. Leaf: alternate or opposite, some clustered on short-shoots or not, deciduous or evergreen; stipules scale-like, thin, deciduous, or knob-like, corky, thick, base persistent; blade flat or wavy, tip generally acute to obtuse, margin thick (i.e., thicker than adjacent blade) or not, rolled under or not, wavy or not, entire or gland- or sharp-toothed, glands generally dark, teeth pale, alternate blade 1--3-ribbed from base, generally thin, opposite blade 1-ribbed from base, thick, firm. Inflorescence: umbel-, raceme-, or panicle-like aggregations of few-flowered clusters, axillary or terminal; pedicels white to deep blue or pink. Flower: conspicuous, generally < 5 mm; hypanthium surrounding fleshy disk below ovary base, in fruit thick, not splitting; sepals generally 5, lance-deltate, incurved, colored like petals, persistent; petals generally 5, blade hood-like, white to deep blue or pink; stamens generally 5, opposite petals; ovary 1/2-inferior, 3-lobed, chambers 3, each 1-ovuled, styles 3. Fruit: capsule, +- spheric, generally +- 3-lobed, generally smooth, 3-ridged or not, horned or not. Seed: 3, 2--5 mm.
Species In Genus: +- 55 species: North America. Etymology: (Greek: thorny pl) Note: Hybrids possibly common (named hybrids not recognized here), discussed in Fross & Wilken; possible hybrid forms do not key easily.
Jepson eFlora Author: Dylan O. Burge & Dieter H. Wilken
Reference: Fross & Wilken 2006 Ceanothus. Timber Press; Burge et al. 2015 Syst Bot 40:950--961.
Index of California Plant Names (ICPN; linked via the Jepson Online Interchange)
Key to Ceanothus

List of species Ceanothus arboreus Ceanothus arcuatus Ceanothus confusus Ceanothus cordulatus Ceanothus crassifolius Ceanothus crassifolius var. crassifolius Ceanothus crassifolius var. planus Ceanothus cuneatus Ceanothus cuneatus var. cuneatus Ceanothus cuneatus var. fascicularis Ceanothus cuneatus var. ramulosus Ceanothus cyaneus Ceanothus decornutus Ceanothus dentatus Ceanothus divergens Ceanothus diversifolius Ceanothus ferrisiae Ceanothus foliosus Ceanothus foliosus var. foliosus Ceanothus foliosus var. medius Ceanothus foliosus var. viejasensis Ceanothus foliosus var. vineatus Ceanothus fresnensis Ceanothus gloriosus Ceanothus gloriosus var. exaltatus Ceanothus gloriosus var. gloriosus Ceanothus gloriosus var. porrectus Ceanothus hearstiorum Ceanothus impressus Ceanothus impressus var. impressus Ceanothus impressus var. nipomensis Ceanothus incanus Ceanothus integerrimus Ceanothus integerrimus var. integerrimus Ceanothus integerrimus var. macrothyrsus Ceanothus jepsonii Ceanothus lemmonii Ceanothus leucodermis Ceanothus maritimus Ceanothus masonii Ceanothus megacarpus Ceanothus megacarpus var. insularis Ceanothus megacarpus var. megacarpus Ceanothus oliganthus Ceanothus oliganthus var. oliganthus Ceanothus oliganthus var. orcuttii Ceanothus oliganthus var. sorediatus Ceanothus ophiochilus Ceanothus otayensis Ceanothus palmeri Ceanothus papillosus Ceanothus parryi Ceanothus parvifolius Ceanothus pauciflorus Ceanothus pendletonensis Ceanothus perplexans Ceanothus pinetorum Ceanothus prostratus Ceanothus prostratus var. occidentalis Ceanothus prostratus var. prostratus Ceanothus pumilus Ceanothus purpureus Ceanothus rigidus Ceanothus roderickii Ceanothus sanguineus Ceanothus sonomensis Ceanothus spinosus Ceanothus thyrsiflorus Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. obispoensis Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. thyrsiflorus Ceanothus tomentosus Ceanothus velutinus Ceanothus verrucosus

Previous taxon: Adolphia californica
Next taxon: Ceanothus arboreus

Name Search