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eastern redbud, redbud

western redbud

Habit Shrubs or trees. Shrubs or small trees.
Stems

gray-brown to red-brown, twigs glabrous or tomentose.

gray-brown, twigs glabrous.

Leaves

petiole 10–50 mm, glabrous or hairy;

blade dull to dark green, membranous, subcoriaceous, or coriaceous, thickened (0.15–0.3 mm) or thin (0.05–0.25 mm), blades cordate, suborbiculate, orbiculate, or reniform, 24–110 ×20–116 mm, base nearly truncate to cordate, margins flat or sinuate, veins 5–9, palmate, prominent, apex obtuse to acuminate, sometimes retuse, surfaces glabrous or hairy abaxially, sometimes restricted to veins or vein axils, glabrous adaxially, sometimes glossy.

petiole 8.5–35 mm, glabrous;

blade dull green, subcoriaceous, thin (0.05–0.25 mm), blades orbiculate to reniform, 29–69.5 × 43–93 mm, base cordate, sinus 5–19 mm deep, margins flat, apex emarginate to retuse, surfaces glabrous, sometimes hairy on veins or in vein axils abaxially.

Pedicels

glabrous or hairy.

glabrous.

Flowers

calyx 5–7.6 mm wide;

petals usually pink, rarely white, nectar guides magenta, banner 4.4–6.5 × 3–5.8 mm, wings 4.5–7.1 ×3.2–4.8 mm, keel 6.5–9.5 × 4.3–7 mm.

calyx 6.4–9.2 mm wide;

petals pink, nectar guides magenta, banner 4.7–7.1 × 3.4–5.3 mm, wings 4.7–6.5 × 3.5–5.4 mm, keel 6.5–10.2 × 5.8–7.5 mm.

Legumes

dull brown, magenta, or red-brown, 48–109 × 7–21 mm, winged on abaxial suture, sometimes glossy, waxy, surfaces glabrous or hairy.

red-brown to brown, 49–94 × 9–24 mm.

2n

= 14.

Cercis canadensis

Cercis occidentalis

Phenology Flowering Feb–Apr.
Habitat Dry, shrubby slopes, canyons, stream banks, chaparral, foothill woodlands, yellow-pine forests.
Elevation 0–3000 m. (0–9800 ft.)
Distribution
from USDA
North America; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 3 (3 in the flora).

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

Cercis occidentalis ranges widely in California, but in Oregon it is found only in Jackson County.

Morphological trends of reduced leaf size and broader and shorter fruits were recognized in one population of Cercis occidentalis found in the Laguna Mountains east of San Diego (J. A. Ballenger 1992). This area warrants further collections and assessment of both flowering and fruiting specimens.

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

Key
1. Leaf blades thin (0.05–0.25 mm) to subcoriaceous, margins flat, apex acuminate or obtuse, surfaces usually dull (sometimes slightly reflective but not glossy), glabrous or hairy abaxially, glabrous adaxially; s Canada, c, e United States.
subsp. canadensis
1. Leaf blades thickened (0.15–0.3 mm), coriaceous, margins distinctly sinuate, apex obtuse to retuse, surfaces dull or glossy adaxially, glabrous or hairy abaxially and adaxially; arid regions of Oklahoma, Texas.
→ 2
2. Leaf blade abaxial surface, petiole, and twigs tomentose, adaxial surface, flower pedicel, and legumes sparsely hairy, leaf blades averaging 59 × 56 mm; sw Texas in arid environments.
subsp. mexicana
2. Leaf blade abaxial surface, petiole, and twigs glabrous, adaxial surface (glossy), flower pedicel, and legumes glabrous; leaf blades averaging 72 × 75 mm; Oklahoma (Arbuckle Mountains) to w Texas (limestone formations of Edwards Plateau).
subsp. texensis
Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Cercidoideae > Cercis Fabaceae > subfam. Cercidoideae > Cercis
Sibling taxa
C. occidentalis, C. orbiculata
C. canadensis, C. orbiculata
Subordinate taxa
C. canadensis subsp. canadensis, C. canadensis subsp. mexicana, C. canadensis subsp. texensis
Synonyms Siliquastrum canadense C. californica, C. latissima, C. nephrophylla, Siliquastrum occidentale
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 374. (1753) Torrey ex A. Gray: Boston J. Nat. Hist. 6: 177. (1850)
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