Key to Rhamnus

View taxon page for Rhamnus

(For a list of species in Rhamnus, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Leaves deciduous; sepals 5; fruit black, 3-stoned ..... R. alnifolia

1' Leaves evergreen; sepals 4–5; fruit red, 2-stoned, or black, 3-stoned

2. Leaf 

blade 

Expanded portion of a leaf, petal, or other structure, generally flat but sometimes rolled, cylindric, wavy, or cupped.

20–60 mm, 

elliptic 

In the shape of a flattened circle or ellipse; wider than linear

or 

ovate 

Egg-shaped (i.e., widest below the middle) in two dimensions (i.e., in one plane), as a leaf.

to lance-ovate; sepals 5; fruit black, 3-stoned – CCo (Monterey Co.), SCo (Newport Back Bay), expected elsewhere ..... [R. alaternus]

2' Leaf blade 10–40 mm, elliptic to round; sepals 4; fruit red, 2-stoned (Rhamnus crocea complex)

3. Leaf blade <= 15 mm, flat abaxially; branches 

spreading 

Oriented more or less perpendicularly to the axis of attachment; often, more or less horizontal.

..... R. crocea

3' Leaf blade >= 15 mm, flat to concave abaxially; branches generally 

ascending 

Curving or angling upward from base, or about 30-60 degrees less than vertical or away from axis of attachment.

4. Leaf blade elliptic; small tree; ChI ..... R. pirifolia

4' Leaf blade elliptic to round; shrub; mainland

5. Leaf blade glabrous or hairy abaxially, glabrous adaxially; twigs glabrous to finely hairy; CA-FP, DMtns ..... R. ilicifolia

5' Leaf blade soft hairy; twigs densely hairy; s PR (San Diego Co.) ..... R. pilosa

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