Ceanothus impressus var. nipomensis

McMinn in M. van Rensselaer and H. McMinn

Ceanothus, 219, figs. 12, 13. 1942.

Common names: Nipomo ceanothus
EndemicConservation concern
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 12. Treatment on page 92. Mentioned on page 91.

Shrubs, open, not intricately branched, 1.5–3 m. Leaf-blades ± flat to cupped, widely elliptic to suborbiculate, 11–20 (–25) × 7–17 (–20) mm, margins thick to weakly revolute, teeth evident adaxially; veins moderately furrowed.


Phenology: Flowering Feb–May.
Habitat: Sandy or gravelly, open sites, chaparral, oak woodlands.
Elevation: 50–200 m.

Discussion

Variety nipomensis occurs primarily on Nipomo Mesa and the eastern San Luis Range of southern San Luis Obispo County. R. F. Hoover (1970) regarded it as derived from hybridization between var. impressus and Ceanothus oliganthus. However, there is little evidence to indicate that populations of these two taxa overlap in geographic and ecological range. We treat var. nipomensis as part of C. impressus, based on its furrowed veins and fruit morphology. Urbanization has reduced the number of known populations to a relatively few, scattered localities.

Variety nipomensis is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thin" is not a number.

dark +  and medium green +
perigynous +  and epigynous +
obtuse +  and rounded +
Clifford L. Schmidt† +  and Dieter H. Wilken +
McMinn in M. van Rensselaer and H. McMinn +
rounded +
3-veined +  and veined +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
not gland-dotted +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
3[-5]-veined +  and pinnate +
spinulose +, spinose +, serrate +  and entire +
denticulate +, dentate +, crenulate +, crenate +  and serrulate +
suborbiculate;elliptic;suborbiculate;elliptic;oblong +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
not thorn-tipped +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
Nipomo ceanothus +
50–200 m. +
Sandy or gravelly, open sites, chaparral, oak woodlands. +
free +  and adnate +
shallowly cupulate +  and hemispheric +
terminal +  and axillary +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
umbellike +  and racemelike +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
deciduous +  and persistent +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
widely elliptic;suborbiculate +
thick +, 7mm +  and 17mm +
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 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
Flowering Feb–May. +
2-4-carpellate +
pink +, usually white +  and cream blue or purple +
distinct +
spreading +  and incurved +
6 +  and 5 +
keeled;lanceolate;deltate +
Endemic +  and Conservation concern +
not rooting +
3-veined +  and veined +
Ceanothus impressus var. nipomensis +
Ceanothus impressus +
variety +
paniclelike +  and racemelike +
gland-tipped +
crested +
branched +  and open +
polygamous +, dioecious +  and synoecious +