Ceanothus

Belongs within: Rhamnaceae.

Ceanothus, California lilac, is a North American genus of shrubs and small trees with showy flowers. Twigs are rigid and generally thorny in the species C. cordulatus, C. incanus and C. leucodermis (Hickman 1993).

Characters (Hickman 1993): Shrub, small tree, prostrate to erect, thorny or not. Stem with branches generally arranged as leaves. Leaves alternate or opposite, deciduous or evergreen, petioled; blade 1–3-ribbed from base, margin entire or not. Inflorescence generally panicle-like aggregations of umbel-like 3-flowered clusters. Flower generally >5 mm; hypanthium surrounding fleshy disk below ovary base, in fruit thick, not splitting; sepals generally 5, lanceolate-deltate, incurved, colored like petals, persistent; petals generally 5, hooded, white to deep blue; stamens generally 5, opposite petals; ovary superior, 3-lobed. chambers 3, each 1-ovuled, style parts 3. Fruit a capsule, more or less spheric, 3-valved. Seeds 3, approximately 3 mm, one surface convex.

<==Ceanothus
    |--C. americanusSK93
    |--C. arboreus [incl. C. arboreus var. glabra]H93
    |--C. azureusSK93
    |--C. buxifoliusSK93
    |--C. caeruleusAD84
    |--C. confusus [=C. divergens ssp. confusus]H93
    |--C. cordulatusRJ11
    |--C. crassifolius [incl. C. crassifolius var. planus]H93
    |--C. cuneatusRJ11
    |    |--C. c. var. cuneatus [incl. C. cuneatus var. dubius, C. cuneatus var. submontanus]H93
    |    |--C. c. var. fascicularisH93
    |    `--C. c. var. rigidus [incl. C. rigidus var. albus]H93
    |--C. cyaneusH93
    |--C. dentatus [incl. C. dentatus var. floribundus]H93
    |--C. divaricatusSK93
    |--C. divergensH93
    |--C. diversifoliusH93
    |--C. fendleriSK93
    |--C. ferrisaeH93
    |--C. foliosusH93
    |    |--C. f. var. foliosusH93
    |    |--C. f. var. mediusH93
    |    `--C. f. var. vineatusH93
    |--C. fresnensisH93
    |--C. gloriosusH93
    |    |--C. g. var. gloriosusH93
    |    |--C. g. var. exaltatusH93
    |    `--C. g. var. porrectusH93
    |--C. greggiiRJ11
    |    |--C. g. var. greggiiH93
    |    |--C. g. var. perplexansH93
    |    `--C. g. var. vestitusH93
    |--C. griseus [incl. C. griseus var. horizontalis]H93
    |--C. hearstiorumH93
    |--C. impressus [incl. C. impressus va. nipomensis]H93
    |--C. incanusH93
    |--C. integerrimus [incl. C. i. var. californicus, C. i. var. macrothyrsus, C. i. var. puberulus]H93
    |--C. jepsoniiH93
    |    |--C. j. var. jepsoniiH93
    |    `--C. j. var. albiflorusH93
    |--C. lemmoniiH93
    |--C. leucodermisNT01
    |--C. × lorenzeniiH93
    |--C. maritimusH93
    |--C. masoniiH93
    |--C. megacarpusH93
    |    |--C. m. var. megacarpus [incl. C. megacarpus var. pendulus]H93
    |    `--C. m. var. insularisH93
    |--C. microphyllusSK93
    |--C. oliganthus [incl. C. oliganthus var. orcuttii]H93
    |--C. ophiochilusH93
    |--C. × otayensisH93
    |--C. ovatusS72
    |--C. palmeriH93
    |--C. papillosusH93
    |    |--C. p. var. papillosusH93
    |    `--C. p. var. roweanusH93
    |--C. parryiH93
    |--C. parvifoliusH93
    |--C. pinetorumH93
    |--C. prostratus [incl. C. prostratus var. laxus, C. prostratus var. occidentalis]H93
    |--C. pumilusH93
    |--C. purpureusH93
    |--C. roderickiiH93
    |--C. sanguineusSK93
    |--C. sonomensisH93
    |--C. sorediatusSK93 [=C. oliganthus var. sorediatusH93]
    |--C. spinosusH93
    |--C. thyrsiflorus [incl. C. thyrsiflorus var. repens]H93
    |--C. tomentosus [incl. C. tomentosus var. olivaceous]H93
    |--C. × vanrensselaeri [C. incanus × C. thyrsiflorus]M68
    |--C. velutinusH93
    |    |--C. v. var. velutinusH93
    |    `--C. v. var. hookeriH93
    `--C. verrucosusH93

*Type species of generic name indicated

References

[AD84] Axelrod, D. I., & T. A. Deméré. 1984. A Pliocene flora from Chula Vista, San Diego County, California. Transactions of the San Diego Society of Natural History 20 (15): 277–300.

[H93] Hickman, J. C. (ed.) 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press: Berkeley (California).

[M68] Munz, P. A. 1968. Supplement to a California Flora. University of California Press.

[NT01] Newton, A. F., M. K. Thayer, J. S. Ashe & D. S. Chandler. 2001. Staphylinidae Latreille, 1802. In: Arnett, R. H., Jr & M. C. Thomas (eds) American Beetles vol. 1. Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga, Polyphaga: Staphyliniformia pp. 272–418. CRC Press: Boca Raton.

[RJ11] Rising, J. D., A. Jaramillo, J. L. Copete, P. G. Ryan & S. C. Madge. 2011. Family Emberizidae (buntings and New World sparrows). In: Hoyo, J. del, A. Elliott & D. A. Christie (eds) Handbook of the Birds of the World vol. 16. Tanagers to New World Blackbirds pp. 428–683. Lynx Edicions: Barcelona.

[SK93] Schirarend, C., & E. Köhler. 1993. Rhamnaceae Juss. World Pollen and Spore Flora 17/18: 1–53.

[S72] Shields, O. 1972. Flower visitation records for butterflies (Lepidoptera). Pan-Pacific Entomologist 48 (3): 189–203.