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evergreen buckthorn, holly leaf redberry, redberry

Chinese buckthorn

Habit Shrubs or small trees, 1–4 m, unarmed.
Branchlets

gray, stiff, glabrous or densely and softly hirtellous.

Leaves

persistent, alternate;

petiole 2–10 mm;

blade usually dull green, sometimes reddish brown, abaxially, glossy to dull green adaxially, broadly elliptic to oblong, orbiculate, or ovate, 2–4.5 cm, distinctly coriaceous, base cuneate to nearly truncate, margins spinulose to spinose-dentate, apex rounded or obtuse to truncate or emarginate, both surfaces glabrous;

secondary veins 5–7 pairs, all diverging at nearly same angle.

Inflorescences

fascicles or flowers solitary.

Pedicels

2–4 mm.

Drupes

red, globose, 4–6(–8) mm;

stones 2.

Sepals

4.

Petals

0.

2n

= 24.

Rhamnus ilicifolia

Rhamnus utilis

Phenology Flowering Jan–Jun.
Habitat Canyon slopes and bottoms, rock faces, open hillsides, sandstone ridges, serpentine slopes, roadsides, stream benches, riparian areas, meadows, coastal sage scrub, chaparral/desert transition, chaparral, woodlands, montane forests.
Elevation 100–2200(–2400) m. (300–7200(–7900) ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; OR; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; IA; IL; MI; OH; Asia [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (1 in the flora).

Infraspecific taxa in Rhamnus are usually described at the rank of subspecies, whereas those of R. utilis (all Chinese) are described as varieties.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 48. FNA vol. 12, p. 51.
Parent taxa Rhamnaceae > Rhamnus Rhamnaceae > Rhamnus
Sibling taxa
R. alaternus, R. alnifolia, R. arguta, R. cathartica, R. crocea, R. davurica, R. japonica, R. lanceolata, R. pilosa, R. pirifolia, R. serrata, R. smithii, R. utilis
R. alaternus, R. alnifolia, R. arguta, R. cathartica, R. crocea, R. davurica, R. ilicifolia, R. japonica, R. lanceolata, R. pilosa, R. pirifolia, R. serrata, R. smithii
Subordinate taxa
R. utilis var. utilis
Synonyms R. crocea subsp. ilicifolia, R. crocea var. ilicifolia
Name authority Kellogg: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 2: 37. (1863) — (as ilicifolius) Decaisne: Compt. Rend. Hebd. Séances Acad. Sci. 44: 1141. (1857)
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