Flora of North America species comparison

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Ceanothus diversifolius

Ceanothus sanguineus

pine mat

Oregon tea tree, red-stem ceanothus
Habit Shrubs, evergreen, 0.2–0.3(–0.5) m, matlike. Shrubs, deciduous, 1–2.5 m. Stems erect to ascending, not rooting at nodes; branchlets greenish to reddish brown, not thorn-tipped, round in cross section, flexible to ± rigid, puberulent, glabrescent.
Stems

spreading, sometimes rooting at nodes;

branchlets green, sometimes tinged red, not thorn-tipped, usually round, sometimes angled, in cross section, flexible, 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 6–25 mm;

blade not aromatic, flat, ovate, ovate-elliptic, or widely elliptic, 25–100 × (17–)20–60 mm, herbaceous, not resinous, base rounded or subcordate, margins serrulate, teeth 50–100+, apex acute to rounded, abaxial surface pale green, glabrous or puberulent, especially on veins, adaxial surface green, dull, glabrate; 3-veined from base.
Inflorescences

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

axillary, paniclelike, cylindric, 5–12 cm.
Flowers

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

sepals and petals usually white to cream, sometimes pink-tinged;

nectary cream.
Capsules

4–5 mm wide, weakly lobed near apex;

valves smooth, crested.

4–5 mm wide, weakly lobed near apex;

valves smooth, usually not crested, sometimes weakly crested.

Ceanothus diversifolius

Ceanothus sanguineus
Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat Well-drained slopes and canyons, open to shaded sites, mixed evergreen and conifer forests. Open areas in forests, clear-cuts, rocky hillsides, slopes, prairies, burns.
Elevation 700–2300 m. (2300–7500 ft.) 0–1400 m. (0–4600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; MI; MT; OR; WA; BC
[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.)

Putative hybrids between Ceanothus sanguineus and C. velutinus have been reported from British Columbia and Oregon (H. McMinn 1944). The occurrence of C. sanguineus in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Keweenaw County) is a significant disjunction from the nearest locations in western Montana.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 94. FNA vol. 12, p. 83.
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. 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. sonomensis, C. spinosus, C. thyrsiflorus, C. tomentosus, C. velutinus, C. verrucosus
Synonyms C. decumbens C. oreganus
Name authority Kellogg: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 58. (1855) Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 167. (1813)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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