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pine mat

Coville ceanothus, Coville's ceanothus, Kern 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, spreading, or weakly ascending, sometimes arcuate, rooting at proximal nodes;

branchlets reddish to grayish brown, sometimes glaucous, rigid, 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.

sometimes fascicled, not crowded;

petiole 1–3 mm;

blade flat to slightly cupped, slightly folded lengthwise adaxially, widely elliptic to suborbiculate, 10–20 × 8–19 mm, base rounded, margins thick to slightly revolute, dentate to denticulate most of length, teeth 9–15, apex rounded, abaxial surface pale green, glabrous except on veins, adaxial surface dark green, glabrous.

Inflorescences

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

axillary, 1.2–2.1 cm.

Flowers

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

sepals, petals, and nectary pale blue to blue.

Capsules

4–5 mm wide, weakly lobed near apex;

valves smooth, crested.

6–9 mm wide, weakly lobed;

valves smooth to rugulose, horns subapical, prominent, erect, rugose, intermediate ridges present.

Ceanothus diversifolius

Ceanothus pinetorum

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Well-drained slopes and canyons, open to shaded sites, mixed evergreen and conifer forests. Rocky granitic or metamorphic slopes and ridges, open pine forests.
Elevation 700–2300 m. (2300–7500 ft.) 1600–2600 m. (5200–8500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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 pinetorum occurs disjunctly in the southern Trinity Mountains (Shasta and Trinity counties) and in the southern Sierra Nevada (Kern and Tulare counties).

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 94. FNA vol. 12, p. 106.
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. divergens, 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. 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) Coville: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 4: 80, plate 6. (1893)
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