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pine mat

Hearst ceanothus, Hearst ranch buckbrush, Hearst's ceanothus

Habit Shrubs, evergreen, 0.2–0.3(–0.5) m, matlike. Shrubs, evergreen, 0.1–0.3 m, matlike or moundlike.
Stems

spreading, sometimes rooting at nodes;

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

spreading or prostrate, not rooting at nodes, some flowering branches ascending;

branchlets green to reddish brown, not thorn-tipped, round or slightly angled in cross section, flexible, densely 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.

petiole 1–2 mm;

blade flat to cupped, linear, oblong, or oblong-obovate, 8–20 × 2–10 mm, base cuneate to obtuse, margins entire or obscurely glandular-denticulate, weakly revolute, glands 23–31, apex truncate or retuse, abaxial surface green, densely tomentulose, adaxial surface dark green, glandular-papillate and sometimes villosulous; pinnately veined, veins ± furrowed.

Inflorescences

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

terminal or axillary, umbel-like or racemelike, 1–5 cm.

Flowers

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

sepals, petals, and nectary deep blue.

Capsules

4–5 mm wide, weakly lobed near apex;

valves smooth, crested.

4–5 mm wide, not lobed to weakly lobed;

valves smooth, not crested.

Ceanothus diversifolius

Ceanothus hearstiorum

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering Mar–Apr.
Habitat Well-drained slopes and canyons, open to shaded sites, mixed evergreen and conifer forests. Consolidated alluvial or serpentine soils, maritime chaparral, coastal prairies.
Elevation 700–2300 m. (2300–7500 ft.) 20–200 m. (100–700 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 hearstiorum occurs in a small area of coastal bluffs in northern San Luis Obispo County, growing in close proximity to another local endemic, C. maritimus (subg. Cerastes).

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 94. FNA vol. 12, p. 93.
Parent taxa Rhamnaceae > Ceanothus > subg. Ceanothus Rhamnaceae > Ceanothus > subg. Ceanothus
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. divergens, C. diversifolius, C. fendleri, C. ferrisiae, C. foliosus, C. fresnensis, C. gloriosus, C. griseus, 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) Hoover & Roof: Four Seasons 2(1): 4. (1966)
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