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burning bush, western burning bush, western spindle-tree, western strawberry-bush, western wahoo

Habit Shrubs 2–6 m.
Stems

erect or scandent;

young branches 4-angled, not corky winged.

Leaves

deciduous;

petiole 3–15 mm;

blade ovate to obovate, 4–10 × 2–7 cm, base rounded to narrowly cuneate, margins serrulate, apex obtuse, rounded, or acuminate.

Inflorescences

axillary, 1–5 flowered.

Flowers

sepals 5;

petals 5, brownish purple sometimes spotted, round or oblong, 3–6.5 × 2–4 mm;

stamens 5;

ovary smooth.

Capsules

pink to purple, subglobose to obovoid, 11–12 × 12–15 mm, moderately 3(–5)-lobed, lobes clearly connate, surface smooth.

Seeds

obovoid, 6–8 × 4–5 mm;

aril orange to red.

Euonymus occidentalis

Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Leaf blade apices acuminate; twigs greenish; inflorescences 1–5-flowered.
var. occidentalis
1. Leaf blade apices obtuse or rounded; twigs whitish; inflorescences 3–5-flowered.
var. parishii
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 124.
Parent taxa Celastraceae > Euonymus
Sibling taxa
E. alatus, E. americanus, E. atropurpureus, E. europaeus, E. fortunei, E. obovatus
Subordinate taxa
E. occidentalis var. occidentalis, E. occidentalis var. parishii
Name authority Nuttall ex Torrey: in War Department [U.S.], Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 74. (1857)
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