Ceanothus cuneatus var. ramulosus

Greene

Fl. Francisc., 86. 1891.

Common names: Coast buck brush
IllustratedEndemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 12. Treatment on page 100. Mentioned on page 99, 102.

Shrubs, (0.5–) 1–2.5 m. Stems erect, ascending, or spreading; branchlets gray to grayish brown. Leaf-blades of fascicled and non-fascicled leaves cupped, widely oblanceolate, widely obovate, or orbiculate, 5–15 × 3–12 mm, length usually less than 2 times width, margins usually entire, rarely 1–4-toothed, apex rounded, truncate, or retuse. Flowers: sepals, petals, and nectary lavender to blue. Capsules 5–6 mm wide. 2n = 24.


Phenology: Flowering Feb–May.
Habitat: Rocky slopes, often on serpentine, chaparral, pine woodlands.
Elevation: 10–800 m.

Discussion

Variety ramulosus occurs disjunctly in the San Francisco Bay area (Alameda, Contra Costa, Lake, Marin, Napa, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma counties) and on coastal slopes in western San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. In both areas, plants occur primarily but not exclusively on serpentine soils. Some specimens in the San Francisco Bay area are intermediate to var. cuneatus, while others in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties suggest intergradation with var. fascicularis. Plants on Point Sal Ridge in western Santa Barbara County are low-growing, less than one meter, and have ascending to spreading stems, features that are retained in cultivation.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thick" is not a number.

glabrous +  and glabrate +
perigynous +  and epigynous +
retuse +, truncate +  and rounded +
Clifford L. Schmidt† +  and Dieter H. Wilken +
Greene +
rounded +
Rhamnus cuneata +
3-veined +  and veined +
2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br />) +
not gland-dotted +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br />) +
3[-5]-veined +  and pinnate +
spinulose +, spinose +, serrate +  and entire +
denticulate +, dentate +, crenulate +, crenate +  and serrulate +
orbiculate;obovate;orbiculate;obovate;oblanceolate;elliptic +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
not thorn-tipped +
tomentulose +, puberulent +  and glabrate +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
Coast buck brush +
10–800 m. +
Rocky slopes, often on serpentine, chaparral, pine woodlands. +
straight +
subapical +
free +  and adnate +
shallowly cupulate +  and hemispheric +
terminal +  and axillary +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
orbiculate +, obovate +  and oblanceolate +
non-fascicled +  and fascicled +
deciduous +  and persistent +
1-4-toothed +
lavender;blue +
intrastaminal +
superior +  and inferior +
not fleshy +
perigynous +  and epigynous +
pink +, usually white +  and cream blue or purple +
adnate +  and distinct +
6 +  and 5 +
clawed +, obovate +  and spatulate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Flowering Feb–May. +
2-4-carpellate +
Fl. Francisc., +
intermediate +
pink +, usually white +  and cream blue or purple +
distinct +
spreading +  and incurved +
6 +  and 5 +
keeled;lanceolate;deltate +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
not rooting +
spreading +, ascending +  and erect +
Ceanothus cuneatus var. ramulosus +
Ceanothus cuneatus +
variety +
paniclelike +  and racemelike +
not gland-tipped +
unarmed +  and armed +
50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
polygamous +, dioecious +  and synoecious +