Stems: erect, not rooting at nodes; twigs red-brown, purplish, or gray-green, round, may be ridged, warty or smooth, +/- glabrous, puberulent or villous, flexible or rigid, sometimes +/- spinescent.
Leaves: evergreen, alternate; not clustered; stipules thin, deciduous; petioles 3--8 mm mm; blade ovate, elliptic, to elliptic-oblong, 0.8--3.9 x 0.4--2.5 cm, bases cuneate, rounded or sub-cordate, 3-veined, margins not revolute, minutely gland-toothed, tips obtuse, rounded or acute, abaxially pale green, scattered long hairs especially on veins, adaxially dark green, +/- glabrous or with scattered long hairs, plane.
Inflorescences: axillary or terminal, interrupted or not, raceme-like loose or dense clusters, 1.0--5.2 cm.
Flowers: deep blue, purplish tinged, to nearly white.
Fruits: deeply 3-lobed, depressed at apex, 3--4 mm broad, smooth or roughened, wrinkled or hairy; valve crests minute to prominent.
1. Twigs nearly glabrous or slightly pubescent; leaf-blades adaxially +/- glabrous, abaxially pubescent: b. C. oliganthus var. sorediatus
C. oliganthus T. Nuttall var. orcuttii , (C. C. Parry) W. L. Jepson
Stems: erect, twigs +/-red-brown, may be striated, warty or smooth, villous, flexible or rigid, not spinescent.
Leaves: evergreen, alternate; stipules thin, deciduous; petioles 3--8 mm mm; blade ovate, elliptic, to elliptic-oblong, bases cuneate, rounded or sub-cordate, 1.3--3.8 x 0.4--2.5 cm, bases cuneate, rounded or sub-cordate, 0.8--2.6 x 0.7- -1.9 cm, bases cuneate, rounded or sub-cordate, 3-veined, margins minutely gland-toothed, tips obtuse, rounded or acute, abaxially pale green, scattered long hairs especially on veins, adaxially dark green, with scattered long hairs, plane.
Inflorescences: axillary or terminal, interrupted, raceme-like loose or dense clusters, 1.0--5.2 cm long.
Flowers: usually deep blue or purple varying to whitish.
Fruits: deeply 3-lobed, depressed at apex, 4 mm broad, smooth or roughened, sometimes wrinkled or hairy; valve crests prominent.
Cytology:
Flowering: in early spring
Habitat: dry, brushy slopes; below 1300 m.
Range: Calif. (SCoR, TR, PR.) . View Distribution Map.
Ceanothus sorediatus W. J. Hooker & G. A. W. Arnott
Stems: erect, twigs usually gray-green to purplish, round, may be striated, warty or smooth, +/- glabrous to puberulent, rigid, nearly spinescent.
Leaves: evergreen, alternate; stipules thin, deciduous; petioles 3--8 mm mm; blade ovate, elliptic, to elliptic-oblong, bases cuneate, rounded or sub-cordate, 3-veined, margins minutely gland-toothed, tips obtuse, rounded or acute, abaxi ally pale green, scattered long hairs especially on veins, adaxially dark green,+/- glabrous, plane.
Inflorescences: axillary or terminal, not interrupted, raceme-like, dense clusters, 1.0--4.0 cm long.
Flowers: pale to deep blue.
Fruits: deeply 3-lobed, depressed at apex, 3--4 mm broad, smooth, glabrous; valve crests minute.
Cytology: n = 12 (M. Nobs in H.E McMinn, 1942)
Flowering: in spring
Habitat: dry, brushy slopes, below 1000 m.
Range: Calif. [NCoR, SnFrB, SCoR, TR.] . View Distribution Map.
