Flora of North America species comparison

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Ceanothus thyrsiflorus

Ceanothus parryi

blue blossom, blue blossom ceanothus

ladybush, Parry ceanothus, Parry's ceanothus
Habit Shrubs, sometimes arborescent, evergreen, 0.5–6 m. Stems erect, usually ascending to arcuate, rarely prostrate, not rooting at nodes; branchlets green, not thorn-tipped, angled in cross section, flexible, not tuberculate, sparsely puberulent or glabrous. Shrubs, evergreen, 2–6 m. Stems erect or ascending, not rooting at nodes; branchlets grayish green to brown, not thorn-tipped, usually round, sometimes ± angled, in cross section, flexible, lanate to woolly, glabrescent.
Leaves

petiole 3–10 mm;

blade flat to cupped, elliptic to ovate, 10–40(–50) × 5–15(–20) mm, base obtuse to rounded, margins denticulate to serrulate, usually not revolute, sometimes incompletely revolute, teeth glandular, 23–48, apex obtuse, abaxial surface pale green, sparsely puberulent to villosulous or glabrate, veins prominently raised, puberulent to villosulous, adaxial surface dark green, glabrate; 3-veined from base.

petiole 1–8 mm;

blade flat to slightly cupped, oblong or ± elliptic, 12–50 × 6–20 mm, base obtuse to rounded, margins entire or obscurely glandular-denticulate, narrowly revolute, glands 21–36, apex obtuse, abaxial surface green, cobwebby, soon glabrescent, adaxial surface dark green, shiny, villosulous, glabrescent; usually 3-veined from base, rarely pinnately veined.
Inflorescences

terminal, usually racemelike, rarely paniclelike, 2.5–9 cm.

axillary or terminal, paniclelike, 5–15 cm.
Flowers

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

sepals, petals, and nectary deep blue.
Capsules

3–4 mm wide, weakly lobed;

valves smooth, viscid, not crested.

2.5–4 mm wide, lobed;

valves smooth, not or weakly crested.
2n

= 24.

= 24.

Ceanothus thyrsiflorus

Ceanothus parryi
Phenology Flowering Mar–Jun. Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat Sandy or rocky flats and slopes, maritime chaparral, open sites in mixed evergreen and conifer forests. Rocky soils, open sites, flats, mixed evergreen and redwood forests.
Elevation 10–600 m. (0–2000 ft.) 30–800 m. (100–2600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Ceanothus thyrsiflorus occurs along the coast from Coos County, Oregon, south to Santa Barbara County, California, and disjunctly near Eréndira, Baja California. A wide range of growth forms characterize this species and the closely related C. griseus, including plants ranging from almost prostrate to arborescent, sometimes with single trunks. Prostrate plants from several maritime bluffs along the California coast have been called C. thyrsiflorus var. repens McMinn; they retain their stature under cultivation. Named hybrids include C. ×regius (Jepson) McMinn (C. thyrsiflorus × C. papillosus) and C. ×vanrensselaeri Roof (C. thyrsiflorus × C. incanus). H. McMinn (1944) reported hybrids with C. foliosus.

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

Ceanothus parryi occurs in the outer coast ranges of Oregon (Benton and Lane counties) and from Humboldt County south to Napa County in California; it is reported to hybridize with C. foliosus, C. incanus, and C. thyrsiflorus (H. McMinn 1944). The deep blue sepals and petals, cobwebby indumentum on young leaves, and narrowly revolute leaf margins are diagnostic.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 90. FNA vol. 12, p. 90.
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. 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. 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. 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. thyrsiflorus var. chandleri, C. thyrsiflorus var. repens
Name authority Eschscholtz: Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Pétersbourg Hist. Acad. 10: 285. (1826) — (as thyrsiflora) Trelease: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 2, 1: 109. (1888)
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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