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box leaf garrya, boxleaf silk tassel, dwarf silk tassel

Habit Shrubs 0.5–2(–3) m, branchlets moderately strigose-sericeous, glabrate.
Leaves

blade green abaxially, bright to olive green adaxially, flat to concave-convex, ovate-elliptic or obovate-elliptic to suborbiculate, 1–5(–6.5) × 0.9–3.3 cm, length 1.3–2.3 times width, margins flat, smooth, apex rounded to obtuse, abaxial surface densely strigose-sericeous, hairs antrorsely appressed, adaxial surface glossy, glabrous.

Berries

4–6 mm diam., glabrous or sparsely strigose near apex, not glaucous.

Aments

staminate 5–7 cm; pistillate compact, internodes to 1 mm, unbranched, pendulous, 3–9 cm; pistillate bracts connate proximally into deep cup, at least at proximal nodes each subtending 3 flowers, triangular to oblong-acuminate, differing in size and shape from leaves, strigose-sericeous.

Garrya buxifolia

Phenology Flowering Mar–Apr.
Habitat Serpentine, chaparral, yellow-pine forests.
Elevation 50–2200 m. (200–7200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Garrya buxifolia occurs in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon. Its relatively narrow geographical range is essentially parapatric with that of G. flavescens where the two meet in northwestern California. Without observation of the diagnostic fruit vestiture, the green-glossy and completely glabrous adaxial leaf surfaces of G. buxifolia usually distinguish it.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 553.
Parent taxa Garryaceae > Garrya
Sibling taxa
G. elliptica, G. flavescens, G. fremontii, G. goldmanii, G. lindheimeri, G. veatchii, G. wrightii
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 7: 349. (1868)
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