Stems: spreading-erect, sprawling or nearly prostrate, not rooting at nodes; twigs olive green, round, slightly roughened, densely tomentose, flexible.
Leaves: evergreen alternate; +/- crowded; stipules thin, deciduous; petioles +/- 3 mm; blades linear, narrowly oblong, elliptic, or oblong-elliptic, 1.3--5.0 x 0.6--1.6 cm, bases rounded, 1-veined, margins usually revolute, minutely glan d-toothed, tips rounded, truncate to notched, abaxially pale green, cobwebby, usually densely hairy, adaxially dark green, +/- hairy, glandular-papillate, slightly convex.
Inflorescences: axillary, usually raceme-like, 2.0--5.0 cm.
Flowers: deep blue.
Fruits: trihedral, +/- 3 mm broad, smooth, horns 0; valve crests minute.
1. Shrubs spreading-erect, sprawling or nearly prostrate, to 1.8 m. Leaf-blades, linear to oblong, less than 1 cm wide, tips truncate or notched: b. Ceanothus papillosus var. roweanus
Ceanothus dentatus J. Torrey & A. Gray var. papillosus K. Brandegee
Stems: spreading-erect; twigs olive green, in age darkening, round, densely tomentose, slightly roughened, flexible.
Leaves: evergreen alternate, +/- crowded; stipules thin, deciduous; petioles c. 3 mm; blades elliptic, or oblong-elliptic, 1.3--5.0 x 1.0--1.6 cm, bases rounded, 1-veined, margins +/- revolute, minutely gland-toothed, tips rounded or ob tuse to truncate, usually not notched, abaxially pale green, cobwebby, usually densely hairy, adaxially dark green, +/- hairy, glandular-papillate, slightly convex.
Inflorescences: axillary, usually raceme-like, 2.0--5.0 cm.
Flowers: deep blue.
Fruits: trihedral, shallowly 3-lobed, c. 3 mm broad, smooth, horns 0; valve crests minute.
Cytology: n = 12 [M.A. Nobs in H. McMinn 1942]
Flowering: in spring.
Habitat: open, dry, +/- wooded slopes; below 900 m.
Range: Calif. [SnFrB, SCoRO]. View Distribution Map.
Ceanothus papillosus J. Torrey & A. Gray ssp. roweanus (H. E. McMinn) P. A. Munz
Stems: spreading-erect, sprawling or nearly prostrate. twigs olive green, round, densely tomentose, slightly roughened, flexible.
Leaves: evergreen alternate, +/- crowded; stipules thin, deciduous; petioles c. 3 mm; blades linear to oblong, 1.3--5.0 x 0.6--1.0 cm, bases rounded, 1-veined, margins +/- revolute, minutely gland-toothed, tips rounded, truncate, usually notched, abaxially pale green, cobwebby, usually densely hairy, adaxially dark green, slightly convex, +/- hairy, glandular-papillate.
Inflorescences: axillary, usually raceme-like, 2.0--5.0 cm.
Flowers: deep blue.
Fruits: trihedral, +/- 3 mm broad, smooth, horns 0; valve crests minute.
Cytology: 2 n = 24 (M. A. Nobs, 1963)
Flowering: in early spring to summer.
Habitat: open, dry, +/- brushy slopes; 600-1200 m.
Range: Calif. [SCoR, WTR, nw PR (Orange co.)] . View Distribution Map.
