Calycanthus occidentalis

Hooker & Arnott

Bot. Beechey Voy., 340, plate 84. 1841.

Common names: California spicebush sweetshrub
EndemicIllustrated
Synonyms: Butneria occidentalis (Hooker & Arnott) Greene
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Shrubs, to 4 m. Lateral bud exposed. Petiole 5-10 mm, pubescent to glabrous. Leaf-blade ovatelanceolate to oblong-lanceolate or ovate-elliptic, 5-15 × 2-8 cm, base rounded to nearly cordate, apex acute to obtuse; surfaces abaxially green, pubescent to glabrous. Flowers: hypanthium campanulate or ovoid-campanulate at maturity, 2-4 × 1-2 cm; tepals linear to linear-spatulate or ovate-elliptic, 2-6 × 0.5-1 cm, apex rounded; stamens 10-15, linear to oblong-linear. 2n = 22.


Phenology: Flowering late spring–early fall, fruiting mid fall.
Habitat: Along streams and on moist canyon slopes
Elevation: 200-1600 m

Discussion

Calycanthus occidentalis grows in the northern Coast Range, the southern Cascades Range, and the western Sierra Nevada. It is ecologically similar to C. floridus; it consistently differs from that taxon in a number of vegetative and floral characteristics. Because of an apparent lack of hardiness, C. occidentalis is cultivated less often than C. floridus.

Some American Indians used scraped bark of Calycanthus occidentalis medicinally in treating severe colds (D. E. Moerman 1986).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Calycanthus occidentalis"
rounded +, acute +  and obtuse +
George P. Johnson +
Hooker & Arnott +
rounded;nearly cordate +
succulent +
California spicebush +  and sweetshrub +
Calif. +  and Wash. +
200-1600 m +
green-tipped +, greenish +, reddish-brown +  and maroon +
pineapple +
succulent +
dark reddish-brown +
Along streams and on moist canyon slopes +
ovoid-campanulate +  and campanulate +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
ovatelanceolate +  and oblong-lanceolate or ovate-elliptic +
pubescent;glabrous +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
Flowering late spring–early fall, fruiting mid fall. +
Bot. Beechey Voy., +
fast-growing +
Endemic +  and Illustrated +
perigynous +
decurrent +
filiform +  and elongate +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
Butneria occidentalis +
Calycanthus occidentalis +
Calycanthus +
species +
perigynous +
linear;linear-spatulate or ovate-elliptic +
0.5cm;1cm +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
quadrangular;nearly terete +