Ceanothus perplexans

Trelease in A. Gray et al.

Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 1(1,2): 417. 1897.

Synonyms: Ceanothus greggii var. perplexans (Trelease) Jepson
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 12. Treatment on page 107. Mentioned on page 97, 108.

Shrubs, 1–2 m. Stems erect, not rooting at nodes; branchlets brown to grayish brown, rigid, glabrate or tomentulose, glabrescent. Leaves not fascicled; petiole 1–3 mm; blade flat to ± cupped, elliptic, widely obovate, or suborbiculate, 10–20 × 7–18 mm, base rounded, margins thick, not revolute, usually sharply denticulate, sometimes weakly denticulate to almost entire, teeth 7–15, apex rounded to ± truncate, abaxial surface pale green to yellowish green, puberulent, hairs curly, glabrescent, adaxial surface green to yellowish green, sparsely puberulent, hairs curly, glabrescent. Inflorescences axillary, 0.7–2 cm. Flowers: sepals and petals white to cream; nectary yellow to green. Capsules 4–6 mm wide, usually not, sometimes weakly, lobed; valves smooth, horns lateral, usually minute, sometimes absent, spreading, intermediate ridges absent. 2n = 24.


Phenology: Flowering Jan–Apr.
Habitat: Granitic or metamorphic substrates, rocky slopes, ridges, alluvial fans, chaparral, montane shrublands, pinyon and/or juniper and montane conifer woodlands.
Elevation: 500–1900 m.

Distribution

V12 476-distribution-map.jpg

Ariz., Calif., Mexico (Baja California)

Discussion

Ceanothus perplexans occurs in southwestern Arizona, on the desert slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains and Peninsular Ranges of southern California, and in Baja California. Ceanothus specimens from Guadalupe Island, Baja California, with entire or weakly denticulate leaf margins have been referred to either C. crassifolius or C. cuneatus, but in their leaf shape and indumentum they more closely resemble C. perplexans.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thick" is not a number.

... more about "Ceanothus perplexans"
pale green +  and yellowish green +
green +  and yellowish green +
perigynous +  and epigynous +
rounded +  and more or less truncate +
Clifford L. Schmidt† +  and Dieter H. Wilken +
Trelease in A. Gray et al. +
rounded +
Ceanothus sect. Cerastes +
3-veined +  and veined +
not gland-dotted +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 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;obovate;suborbiculate;obovate;elliptic +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
not thorn-tipped +
glabrescent +, tomentulose +  and glabrate +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
Ariz. +, Calif. +  and Mexico (Baja California) +
500–1900 m. +
Granitic or metamorphic substrates, rocky slopes, ridges, alluvial fans, chaparral, montane shrublands, pinyon and/or juniper and montane conifer woodlands. +
glabrescent +
minute +
free +  and adnate +
shallowly cupulate +  and hemispheric +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
deciduous +  and persistent +
denticulate to almost;denticulate;denticulate +
yellow;green +
intrastaminal +
superior +  and inferior +
not fleshy +
perigynous +  and epigynous +
white +  and cream +
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 Jan–Apr. +
2-4-carpellate +
Syn. Fl. N. Amer. +
intermediate +
white +  and cream +
distinct +
spreading +  and incurved +
6 +  and 5 +
keeled;lanceolate;deltate +
not rooting +
Ceanothus greggii var. perplexans +
Ceanothus perplexans +
Ceanothus subg. Cerastes +
species +
paniclelike +  and racemelike +
not gland-tipped +
unarmed +  and armed +
polygamous +, dioecious +  and synoecious +