Ceanothus gloriosus description

Ceanothus gloriosus

J. T. Howell, Leafl. W. Bot. 2: 43. 1937

Description:

Habit: Shrubs 0.3--2.0 m.

Stems: prostrate, decumbent or erect-arching, rooting at nodes; twigs green, red-brown, or brown, round, smooth or slightly ridged, +/- strigose or short-tomentose, flexible or rigid.

Leaves: evergreen, opposite; not clustered; stipules thickened, persistent; petioles to 4 mm; blades round to widely elliptic or oblong, 1.0--5.0 x 0.8--2.5 cm, bases cuneate to obtuse, 1-veined, margins not revolute, dentate, teeth spin e-like or not, tips obtuse, truncate, or notched, abaxially hairy on veins, canescent between, adaxially bright, dark green, glabrous, plane or +/- troughed.

Inflorescences: axillary, umbel-like, to 2.8 cm.

Flowers: deep blue to violet.

Fruits: deeply lobed, usually 3.5--4.5 mm broad, smooth; horns minute, near top; valve crests 0.

Varieties 3: (3 in the flora): Calif.

1. Shrubs 1.0--2.0 m ; stems erect-arching, flexible: a. C. gloriosus var. exaltatus.

1. Shrubs less tham 5 dm m; stems prostrate, decumbent or sprawling, rigid: 2

2. Stems prostrate or decumbent to 3 dm; leaves 2.0--4.5 cm long: b. C.gloriosus var. gloriosus.

2. Stems sprawling to 5 dm; leaves 1.0--2.0 cm long: c. C. gloriosus var. porrectus.

a. Ceanothus gloriosus var. exaltatus

J. T. Howell, Leafl. W. Bot. 2: 44. 1937

glory brush

Description:

Habit: Shrubs to 2 m.

Stems: erect-arching; twigs dark, usually strigose, flexible

Leaves: blades 1.5--4.0 x 1.5--2.0 cm.

Cytology: 2 n = 24 (M.A. Nobs, 1963)

Habitat: brushy slopes, ridges, chaparral, coniferous forest; below 500 m.

Flowering: in spring.

Range: Calif. [NCoRO, n SnFrB]. View Distribution Map.

b. Ceanothus gloriosus var. gloriosus

J. T. Howell var gloriosus

Point-Reyes-ceanothus

C. prostratus G. Bentham var. gloriousus W. L. Jepson; C. rigidus T. Nuttall ex J. Torry & A. Gray var. grandifolius , J. Torrey

Description:

Habit: Shrubs to 3 dm.

Stems: prostrate or decumbent, twigs red-brown, +/- strigose, rigid.

Leaves: blades 2.0--4.5 x 1.0--2.6 cm.

Cytology: 2 n = 24 (M.A. Nobs, 1963)

Habitat: sandy places, coastal bluffs, closed-cone pine forest; below 500 m.

Flowering: in spring.

Range: Calif. [NCo, CCo] View Distribution Map.

Other Information:

California Native Plant Society List: 4; R-E-D Code: 1-1-3; State/Fed. Status: CEQA [Skinner, M. W. and B. M. Pavlik, eds. 1994]

c. Ceanothus gloriosus var. porrectus

J. T. Howell, Leafl. W. Bot. 4: 31, 1944

Mount Vision ceanothus

Description:

Habit: Shrubs to 5 dm.

Stems: sprawling, twigs green, minutely tomentose, rigid.

Leaves: blades 1.0--2.0 x 0.8--1.8 cm.

Cytology: 2 n = 24 (M.A. Nobs, 1963)

Habitat: Closed-cone pine forest; below 300 m.

Flowering: in spring.

Range: Calif. [ n CCo, (only at Pt. Reyes National Seashore.)] RARE View Distribution Map.

Other Information:

California Native Plant Society List: 1B; R-E-D Code: 3-2-3; State/Fed. Status: /C2. "Known from fewer than 15 occurrences in the Mt. Vision area near Pt. Reyes. Some plants destroyed by quarrying; occurs in areas gr azed by cattle." [Skinner, M. W. and B. M. Pavlik, eds. 1994]

If you have any comments or information regarding this species, please send mail to Dr. Schmidt.