Ceanothus cuneatus var. rigidus

(Nuttall) Hoover

Leafl. W. Bot. 10: 350. 1966.

Common names: Monterey buck brush
EndemicConservation concern
Basionym: Ceanothus rigidus Nuttall in J. Torrey and A. Gray Fl. N. Amer. 1: 268. 1838
Synonyms: C. rigidus var. albus Roof C. rigidus var. pallens Sprague
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 12. Treatment on page 100. Mentioned on page 99.

Shrubs, 0.5–1.5 m. Stems erect, ascending, or spreading; branchlets gray to grayish brown. Leaf-blades of fascicled and non-fascicled leaves flat to ± cupped, widely obovate to orbiculate, 4–10 × 4–6 mm, length usually less than 2 times width, margins 5–9-toothed, apex rounded to truncate. Flowers: sepals, petals, and nectary usually pale to deep blue, rarely white. Capsules 5–6 mm wide. 2n = 24.


Phenology: Flowering Feb–Apr.
Habitat: Sandy soils, flats, dune swales, maritime chaparral, pine forests.
Elevation: 10–400 m.

Discussion

The typical form of var. rigidus is restricted almost entirely to sandy soils of coastal hills and mesas in the southern Monterey Bay region, although plants with denticulate leaf blades occur near Morro Bay in San Luis Obispo County. The name Ceanothus rigidus var. albus Roof was applied to low-growing plants with spreading stems and white flowers. Such plants apparently have been extirpated on the Monterey peninsula and survive only in cultivation.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thick" is not a number.

glabrous +  and glabrate +
perigynous +  and epigynous +
rounded +  and truncate +
Clifford L. Schmidt† +  and Dieter H. Wilken +
(Nuttall) Hoover +
rounded +
Ceanothus rigidus +
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 />) +
Monterey buck brush +
10–400 m. +
Sandy soils, flats, dune swales, maritime chaparral, pine forests. +
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 />) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
widely obovate +  and orbiculate +
non-fascicled +  and fascicled +
deciduous +  and persistent +
5-9-toothed +
white;usually pale;deep 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–Apr. +
2-4-carpellate +
Leafl. W. Bot. +
intermediate +
pink +, usually white +  and cream blue or purple +
distinct +
spreading +  and incurved +
6 +  and 5 +
keeled;lanceolate;deltate +
Endemic +  and Conservation concern +
not rooting +
spreading +, ascending +  and erect +
C. rigidus var. albus +  and C. rigidus var. pallens +
Ceanothus cuneatus var. rigidus +
Ceanothus cuneatus +
variety +
paniclelike +  and racemelike +
not gland-tipped +
unarmed +  and armed +
polygamous +, dioecious +  and synoecious +