Ceanothus parvifolius

Trelease

Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 2, 1: 110. 1888.

Common names: Little-leaf ceanothus
Endemic
Basionym: Ceanothus integerrimus var. parvifolius S. Watson in W. H. Brewer et al., Bot. California 1: 102. 1876
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 12. Treatment on page 84. Mentioned on page 79, 80, 85.

Shrubs, deciduous, 1–2.5 m. Stems ± erect or ascending, not rooting at nodes; branchlets green, not thorn-tipped, round in cross section, flexible, tomentulose, glabrescent. Leaves not fascicled; petiole 1.5–5 mm; blade flat, oblong-elliptic to elliptic, 6–25 × 3–13 mm, base cuneate, margins usually entire, sometimes denticulate distally, teeth 3–5, apex acute to obtuse, abaxial surface pale green, usually glabrous, veins sometimes strigillose, adaxial surface green, ± shiny, glabrous; pinnately veined or ± 3-veined from base. Inflorescences axillary, racemelike, 3–8 cm. Flowers: sepals and petals pale to deep blue; nectary blue. Capsules 4–5 mm wide, usually not lobed, sometimes weakly lobed; valves smooth, weakly viscid, usually not crested, sometimes weakly crested. 2n = 24.


Phenology: Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat: Open sites and flats, conifer forests.
Elevation: 1300–2100 m.

Discussion

Ceanothus parvifolius is restricted to the western slope of the Sierra Nevada from Plumas County south to Tulare County. Putative hybrids with C. cordulatus have been reported (H. McMinn 1944).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.