Ceanothus incanus
Encyclopedia
Ceanothus incanus is a species of shrub
in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae
known by the common name coast whitethorn. It is endemic to California
, where it is known from the San Francisco Bay Area
through the North Coast Ranges into the Klamath Mountains
.
is a panicle
-like cluster of white flowers up to about 7 centimeters long. The fruit is a rough, lobed capsule about half a centimeter long containing three seeds.
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae
Rhamnaceae
Rhamnaceae, the Buckthorn family, is a large family of flowering plants, mostly trees, shrubs and some vines.The family contains 50-60 genera and approximately 870-900 species. The Rhamnaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are more common in the subtropical and tropical regions...
known by the common name coast whitethorn. It is endemic to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it is known from the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
through the North Coast Ranges into the Klamath Mountains
Klamath Mountains
The Klamath Mountains, which include the Siskiyou, Marble, Scott, Trinity, Trinity Alps, Salmon, and northern Yolla-Bolly Mountains, are a rugged lightly populated mountain range in northwest California and southwest Oregon in the United States...
.
Description
This thorny shrub grows erect to approach a maximum height of 4 meters. The woody parts are gray in color and waxy and somewhat hairy in texture. The evergreen leaves are alternately arranged. They are generally oval in shape and usually smooth along the edges, but sometimes minutely toothed. The inflorescenceInflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a panicle
Panicle
A panicle is a compound raceme, a loose, much-branched indeterminate inflorescence with pedicellate flowers attached along the secondary branches; in other words, a branched cluster of flowers in which the branches are racemes....
-like cluster of white flowers up to about 7 centimeters long. The fruit is a rough, lobed capsule about half a centimeter long containing three seeds.