Ceanothus - Revision history

WikiWorks at 05:04, 17 June 2009

2009-06-17T05:04:44Z

Silparaja at 07:56, 16 June 2009

2009-06-16T07:56:09Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:56, 16 June 2009
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	These are free-flowering shrubs, some especially valuable for their late flowering period. Many of them are hardy only in the warmer temperate regions, but C. americanus, C. ovatus, and C. Fendleri are hardy North, while the numerous hybrids of C. americanus are only half hardy, and even if protected they are killed to the ground in the North, but the young shoots will usually flower the same season. The safest way, however, to have good free-flowering plants of these beautiful hybrids will be, in the North, to dig them up in fall, store them away in a frost-proof pit or cellar, and plant them out again in spring. Pruning of the late-flowering species will be of advantage; about one-half of last year's growth may be taken away. They grow in almost any soil, but best in a light and well-drained one, and most of the Californian species prefer a sunny position. Propagated by seeds sown in spring and by cuttings of mature wood in autumn, inserted in a cold- frame or greenhouse; softwood cuttings also grow readily if taken in early spring from forced plants. Sometimes increased by layers, and the varieties and hybrids by grafting on roots of C. americanus under glass in early spring; the cions must be fresh and with leaves, taken from plants kept in the greenhouse during the winter.		These are free-flowering shrubs, some especially valuable for their late flowering period. Many of them are hardy only in the warmer temperate regions, but C. americanus, C. ovatus, and C. Fendleri are hardy North, while the numerous hybrids of C. americanus are only half hardy, and even if protected they are killed to the ground in the North, but the young shoots will usually flower the same season. The safest way, however, to have good free-flowering plants of these beautiful hybrids will be, in the North, to dig them up in fall, store them away in a frost-proof pit or cellar, and plant them out again in spring. Pruning of the late-flowering species will be of advantage; about one-half of last year's growth may be taken away. They grow in almost any soil, but best in a light and well-drained one, and most of the Californian species prefer a sunny position. Propagated by seeds sown in spring and by cuttings of mature wood in autumn, inserted in a cold- frame or greenhouse; softwood cuttings also grow readily if taken in early spring from forced plants. Sometimes increased by layers, and the varieties and hybrids by grafting on roots of C. americanus under glass in early spring; the cions must be fresh and with leaves, taken from plants kept in the greenhouse during the winter.

			C. africanus, Linn.=Noltea Africana.―C. dentatus, Torr.& Gray. Low shrub:lvs. oblong, penninerved, dentate, glandular-papillate above, loosely hairy: fls. Blue, in peduncled clusters. Calif. F.S. 6:567. 2. B.H. 3:101.―C. dentatus var. floribundus, Trel. (C. floribundus, Hook.). Fl-clusters numerous, nearly sessile: lvs. smaller. B.M. 4806. F.S. 10:977. I.H. 7:238. B.H. 5:129.—C. foliosus, Parry. Low shrub: lvs. small, broadly elliptic, glandular-toothed, slightly hairy, pale or glaucous beneath: fls. deep blue, in numerous small clusters. Calif.—C. laevigatus, Douglas. Tall shrub: lvs. broadly elliptic, serrate, glabrous, glaucous beneath: fls. yellowish white, in large panicles. Calif.—C. microphyllus, Michx. Low shrub: lvs. very small, obovate or elliptic, nearly glabrous: fls. white, in small, short-peduncled clusters.—C. papillosus, Torr. & Gray. Low shrub: lvs. narrow-oblong, dentate, glandular-papillate above, villous beneath: fls. deep blue, in peduncled, axillary oblong clusters. Calif. B.M. 4815. F.S. 6:567, 1. P.F.G. 1, p. 74 R.H. 1850:321.—C. Parryi, Trel. Large shrub: lvs. elliptic or ovate, denticulate, cobwebby beneath: fls. deep blue, in peduncled, narrow panicles. Calif.—C. rigidus, Nutt. Rigid, much-branched shrub: lvs. opposite, cuneate-obovate, denticulate, usually glabrous, small: fls. blue, in small, nearly sessile, axillary clusters. Calif. B.M. 4660 (as C. verrucosus) and 4664. J.F. 3:316; 4:348.—C. verrucosus, Nutt. Low shrub: lvs. mostly alternate, roundish obovate, emarginated, denticulate, nearly glabrous, small: fls. white, in small, axillary clusters along the branches, Calif.—C. verrucosus, Hook.= C. rigidus. Alfred Rehder.
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	{{Taxobox		{{Taxobox

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 [[Category:Rhamnaceae]]
 [[Category:Flora_of_California]]

MediaWiki default at 15:07, 28 November 2007

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{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = ''Ceanothus''
| image = Ceanothus americanus.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = ''Ceanothus americanus'' flowers
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Rosales]]
| familia = [[Rhamnaceae]]
| genus = '''''Ceanothus'''''
| genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = See text
}}
[[Image:Ceanothus.jpg|thumb|''Ceanothus americanus'' (fruit left, flowers right)]]

'''''Ceanothus''''' [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]] is a [[genus]] of about 50–60 species of [[shrub]]s or small [[tree]]s in the buckthorn family [[Rhamnaceae]]. The genus is confined to [[North America]], with the center of its distribution in [[California]] but some species (e.g. ''C. americanus'') in the eastern [[United States]] and southeast [[Canada]], and others (e.g. ''C. coeruleus'') extending as far south as [[Guatemala]]. Most are shrubs 0.5–3 m tall, but ''C. arboreus'' and ''C. thyrsiflorus'', both from California, can be small trees up to 6–7 m tall.

[[Image:Ceanothus flowers.jpg|left|thumb|Flowers of ''Ceanothus cuneatus'', at [[Pinnacles National Monument]], California]]
The majority of the species are [[evergreen]], but the handful of species adapted to cold [[winter]]s are [[deciduous]]. The leaves are opposite or alternate (depending on species), small (typically 1–5 cm long), simple, and mostly with serrated margins. The flowers are white, blue, pale purple or pink, maturing into a dry, three-lobed seed capsule.

The Californian species are sometimes known as '''California-lilac''', but not surprisingly, the species found elsewhere have other common names, e.g. '''New Jersey Tea''' for ''C. americanus'' (as its leaves were used as a black tea substitute during colonial times).[http://teawiki.thenerdtank.com/wikka.php?wakka=JerseyTea] In garden use, most are simply called by their scientific names or an adaptation of the scientific name, e.g. '''Maritime Ceanothus''' for ''C. maritimus''.

Many species are popular garden [[ornamental plant]]s, and dozens of [[hybrids]] and [[cultivar]]s have been selected, such as Flexible Ceanothus, ''Ceanothus × flexilis'' Greene ex McMinn (''C. cuneatus'' × ''C. prostratus'').

===Uses===
''Ceanothus'' species are used as food plants by the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera]] species including the [[Bucculatricidae|bucculatricid]] leaf-miners ''Bucculatrix anaticula'' and ''Bucculatrix ceanothiella'' and the [[Gelechiidae|gelechiid]] ''[[Chionodes|Chionodes ceanothiella]]'' which all feed exclusively on the genus. ''[[Chionodes|Chionodes occidentella]]'' is a [[phagy|polyphagous]] species which has been recorded on ''Ceanothus''.

''Ceanothus'' is also a good source of nutrition for [[deer]], specifically [[mule deer]] on the west coast. However, the leaves are not as nutritious from late spring to early fall as they are in early spring. Porcupines and quail have also been seen eating stems and seeds of these shrubs. The leaves are a good source of protein and the stems and leaves have been found to contain a high amount of calcium [3].

Other uses of ''Ceanothus'' include medicinal and food sources of Native American Indians. [[Miwok]] Indians of California made baskets from Deer Brush branches [3]. ''C. integerrimus'' has been used by North American tribes to treat women who have suffered from a difficult birth [4]. Other ''Ceanothus'' species have also been used medicinally to treat high blood pressure and as a treatment to soothe mouth and throat ailments [1].

Several members of this genus, including Ceanothus americanus, form a symbiotic relationship with soil micro-organisms, forming root nodules which fix atmospheric nitrogen. This nitrogen is available to other adjacent plants, and may play an important role in forest regeneration as it creates nutrient-rich patches in forest habitats.

===Propagation===
Propagation of ''Ceanothus'' is by seed, following scarification and stratification. Seeds are soaked in water for 12 hours followed by chilling at 1 °C for one to three months. It can also sprout from roots and/or stems [2]. Seeds are stored in duff in large quantities. It is estimated that there are about two million seeds per acre in forest habitats [3]. Seed are dispersed propulsively from capsules and, it has been estimated, can remain viable for about a hundred years.

;Selected species
* ''[[Ceanothus americanus]]'' L. - New Jersey Tea; Red Root
* ''[[Ceanothus arboreus]]'' Greene - Feltleaf Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus confusus]]'' J.T. Howell - Rincon Ridge Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus connivens]]'' Greene - Trailing Buckbrush
* ''[[Ceanothus cordulatus]]'' Kellogg - Whitethorn Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus crassifolius]]'' Torr. - Hoaryleaf Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus cuneatus]]'' (Hook.) Nutt. - Buckbrush
** ''Ceanothus cuneatus'' var. ''fascicularis'' (McMinn) - Hoover Sedgeleaf Buckbrush
** ''Ceanothus cuneatus'' var. ''rigidus'' (Nutt.) Hoover - Monterey Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus cyaneus]]'' Eastw. - San Diego Buckbrush
* ''[[Ceanothus dentatus]]'' Torr. & Gray - Sandscrub Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus divergens]]'' Parry - Calistoga Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus diversifolius]]'' Kellogg - Pinemat
* ''[[Ceanothus fendleri]]'' Gray - Fendler's Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus ferrisiae]]'' McMinn - Coyote Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus foliosus]]'' Parry - Wavyleaf Ceanothus
** ''Ceanothus foliosus'' var. ''foliosus'' - Wavyleaf Ceanothus
** ''Ceanothus foliosus'' var. ''medius'' McMinn - Wavyleaf Ceanothus
** ''Ceanothus foliosus'' var. ''vineatus'' McMinn - Vine Hill Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus fresnensis]]'' Dudley ex Abrams - Fresno Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus gloriosus]]'' J.T. Howell - Point Reyes Ceanothus
** ''Ceanothus gloriosus'' var. ''exaltatus'' J.T. Howell - Point Reyes Ceanothus
** ''Ceanothus gloriosus'' var. ''gloriosus'' - Point Reyes Ceanothus
** ''Ceanothus gloriosus'' var. ''porrectus'' J.T. Howell - Mt. Vision Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus greggii]]'' Gray - Desert Ceanothus
** ''Ceanothus greggii'' var. ''greggii '' - Desert Ceanothus
** ''Ceanothus greggii'' var. ''perplexans'' (Trel.) Jepson - Desert Ceanothus
** ''Ceanothus greggii'' var. ''vestitus'' (Greene) McMinn - Mojave Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus griseus]]'' (Trel. ex B.L. Robins.) McMinn - Carmel Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus hearstiorum]]'' Hoover & J.B. Roof - Hearst Ranch Buckbrush
* ''[[Ceanothus herbaceus]]'' Raf. - Jersey Tea
* ''[[Ceanothus impressus]]'' Trel. - Santa Barbara Ceanothus
** ''Ceanothus impressus'' var. ''impressus'' - Santa Barbara Ceanothus
** ''Ceanothus impressus'' var. ''nipomensis'' McMinn - Santa Barbara Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus incanus]]'' Torr. & Gray - Coast Whitethorn
* ''[[Ceanothus integerrimus]]'' Hook. & Arn. - Deerbrush Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus jepsonii]]'' Greene - Jepson Ceanothus
** ''Ceanothus jepsonii'' var. ''albiflorus'' J.T. Howell - Jepson Ceanothus
** ''Ceanothus jepsonii'' var. ''jepsonii'' - Jepson Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus lemmonii]]'' Parry - Lemmon's Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus leucodermis]]'' Greene - Chaparral Whitethorn
* ''[[Ceanothus maritimus]]'' Hoover - Maritime Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus martinii]]'' M.E. Jones - Martin's Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus masonii]]'' McMinn - Mason's Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus megacarpus]]'' Nutt. - Bigpod Ceanothus
** ''Ceanothus megacarpus'' var. ''insularis'' (Eastw.) Munz - Island Ceanothus
** ''Ceanothus megacarpus'' var. ''megacarpus'' - Bigpod Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus microphyllus]]'' Michx. - Littleleaf Buckbrush
* ''[[Ceanothus oliganthus]]'' Nutt. - Hairy Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus ophiochilus]]'' Boyd, Ross & Arnseth - Vail Lake Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus palmeri]]'' Trel. - Palmer Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus papillosus]]'' Torr. & Gray - Wartleaf Ceanothus
** ''Ceanothus papillosus'' var. ''papillosus'' - Wartleaf Ceanothus
** ''Ceanothus papillosus'' var. ''roweanus'' McMinn - Wartleaf Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus parryi]]'' Trel. - Parry Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus parvifolius]]'' (S. Wats.) Trel. - Littleleaf Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus pinetorum]]'' Coville - Coville Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus prostratus]]'' Benth. - Prostrate Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus pumilus]]'' Greene - Dwarf Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus purpureus]]'' Jepson - Hollyleaf Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus roderickii]]'' Knight - Pine Hill Buckbrush
* ''[[Ceanothus sanguineus]]'' Pursh - Redstem Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus serpyllifolius]]'' Nutt. - Coastal Plain Buckbrush
* ''[[Ceanothus sonomensis]]'' J.T. Howell - Sonoma Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus sorediatus]]'' Hook. & Arn. - Jimbrush Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus spinosus]]'' Green Bark Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus thyrsiflorus]]'' Eschsch. - Blueblossom
* ''[[Ceanothus tomentosus]]'' Parry - Woolyleaf Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus velutinus]]'' Dougl. ex Hook. - Snowbrush Ceanothus
** ''Ceanothus velutinus'' var. ''hookeri'' M.C. Johnston - Hooker's Ceanothus
** ''Ceanothus velutinus'' var. ''velutinus'' - Snowbrush Ceanothus
* ''[[Ceanothus verrucosus]]'' Nutt. - Barranca Brush

===References===
# [http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?spcode=CEAAME University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Plant Database: ''Ceanothus americanus'']
# [http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Ceanothus+integerrimus Plants for a Future: ''Ceanothus integerrimus''].
# [http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/ceaint/botanical_and_ecological_characteristics.html Fire Effects Information: ''Ceanothus integerrimus'']
# Moerman, D. (1988). ''Native American Ethnobotany''. Timber Press, Oregon.

{{Commons|Ceanothus}}
[[Category:Rhamnaceae]]
[[Category:Flora_of_California]]