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pine mat

Calistoga ceanothus

Habit Shrubs, evergreen, 0.2–0.3(–0.5) m, matlike. Shrubs, 0.5–1.5 m, sometimes moundlike.
Stems

spreading, sometimes rooting at nodes;

branchlets green, sometimes tinged red, not thorn-tipped, usually round, sometimes angled, in cross section, flexible, puberulent.

erect to ascending, not rooting at nodes;

branchlets brown to grayish brown, sometimes glaucous, ± flexible, glabrous or sparsely puberulent.

Leaves

petiole 3–11 mm;

blade flat, elliptic to widely ovate, 12–45 × 6–20 mm, base obtuse to rounded, margins serrulate to denticulate, not revolute, usually not wavy, sometimes wavy, teeth 27–42, apex ± obtuse to rounded, abaxial surface pale green, pilosulous, adaxial surface green, pilosulous; usually pinnately veined, rarely 3-veined from base.

not fascicled, spreading;

petiole 0–2 mm;

blade flat to ± cupped or weakly folded lengthwise, elliptic to ± oblong or obovate, 10–20 × 5–12 mm, base obtuse to cuneate, margins thick or slightly revolute, slightly wavy, spinose-dentate, teeth 5–9(–11), apex sharply acute or retuse with an apical tooth, abaxial surface grayish green, veins strigillose, adaxial surface green, glabrous.

Inflorescences

axillary, umbel-like to racemelike, 1.3–4 cm.

axillary, 1.2–2.5 cm.

Flowers

sepals, petals, and nectary usually blue to pale blue, rarely white.

sepals and petals deep blue to purple;

nectary dark blue or purple.

Capsules

4–5 mm wide, weakly lobed near apex;

valves smooth, crested.

5–6 mm wide, lobed;

valves smooth, crested, horns subapical, prominent, erect, intermediate ridges weakly developed.

2n

= 24.

Ceanothus diversifolius

Ceanothus divergens

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering Feb–Apr.
Habitat Well-drained slopes and canyons, open to shaded sites, mixed evergreen and conifer forests. Rocky soils apparently derived from serpentine or volcanic substrates, chaparral, oak and pine woodlands.
Elevation 700–2300 m. (2300–7500 ft.) 100–1000 m. (300–3300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Ceanothus diversifolius occurs in the North Coast Ranges and the western slopes of the Cascade Range and the Sierra Nevada; it often forms mats to two meters wide. Marginal teeth on young leaves are notable in having more or less persistent, narrowly conic glands, not seen elsewhere in Ceanothus.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Ceanothus divergens is restricted to a few localities in Napa and Sonoma counties.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 94. FNA vol. 12, p. 103.
Parent taxa Rhamnaceae > Ceanothus > subg. Ceanothus Rhamnaceae > Ceanothus > subg. Cerastes
Sibling taxa
C. americanus, C. arboreus, C. arcuatus, C. confusus, C. cordulatus, C. crassifolius, C. cuneatus, C. cyaneus, C. dentatus, C. divergens, C. fendleri, C. ferrisiae, C. foliosus, C. fresnensis, C. gloriosus, C. griseus, C. hearstiorum, C. herbaceus, C. impressus, C. incanus, C. integerrimus, C. jepsonii, C. lemmonii, C. leucodermis, C. maritimus, C. martini, C. masonii, C. megacarpus, C. microphyllus, C. oliganthus, C. ophiochilus, C. otayensis, C. palmeri, C. papillosus, C. parryi, C. parvifolius, C. pauciflorus, C. perplexans, C. pinetorum, C. prostratus, C. pumilus, C. purpureus, C. roderickii, C. sanguineus, C. sonomensis, C. spinosus, C. thyrsiflorus, C. tomentosus, C. velutinus, C. verrucosus
C. americanus, C. arboreus, C. arcuatus, C. confusus, C. cordulatus, C. crassifolius, C. cuneatus, C. cyaneus, C. dentatus, C. diversifolius, C. fendleri, C. ferrisiae, C. foliosus, C. fresnensis, C. gloriosus, C. griseus, C. hearstiorum, C. herbaceus, C. impressus, C. incanus, C. integerrimus, C. jepsonii, C. lemmonii, C. leucodermis, C. maritimus, C. martini, C. masonii, C. megacarpus, C. microphyllus, C. oliganthus, C. ophiochilus, C. otayensis, C. palmeri, C. papillosus, C. parryi, C. parvifolius, C. pauciflorus, C. perplexans, C. pinetorum, C. prostratus, C. pumilus, C. purpureus, C. roderickii, C. sanguineus, C. sonomensis, C. spinosus, C. thyrsiflorus, C. tomentosus, C. velutinus, C. verrucosus
Synonyms C. decumbens
Name authority Kellogg: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 58. (1855) Parry: Proc. Davenport Acad. Nat. Sci. 5: 173. (1889)
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