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Ceanothus is a genus of about 50–60 species of nitrogen-fixing shrubs and small trees in the buckthorn family (). [3] [4] [2] [5] Common names for members of this genus are buckbrush, California lilac, soap bush, or just ceanothus.
Ceanothus americanus is a shrub that lives up to fifteen years and growing between 18 and 42 in (0.5 and 1 m) high, having many thin branches.Its root system is thick with fibrous root hairs close to the surface, but with stout, burlish, woody roots that reach deep into the earth—root systems may grow very large in the wild, to compensate after repeated exposures to wildfires.
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus, known as blueblossom or blue blossom ceanothus, is an evergreen shrub in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae that is endemic to Oregon and California in the US. The term 'Californian lilac' is also applied to this and other varieties of ceanothus, though it is not closely related to Syringa , the true lilac.
The flower is spoon-shaped and clawed, that consists of 5 stamens. The plant bears a fruit that is 3-4.5 mm wide. The fruit is a three-lobed capsule about 3 ⁄ 16 inches in diameter that opens at maturity to release seeds. [5] The seeds are usually brown and 2-2.5 mm long, and come in variety of shapes ranging from subglobose to ovoid.
Ceanothus pauciflorus, known by the common name Mojave ceanothus, is a species of flowering shrub in the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae. It is native to the Southwestern United States ( Arizona , California , New Mexico , Texas , and Utah ) and Mexico , where it grows primarily in shrubland communities at moderate to high elevations.
High densities of seeds occur in the upper soil of Ceanothus communities. Seeds remain viable up to 24 years or more. Seed dormancy is broken by the removal of the seed coat by fire scarification or physical disturbance. [5] [7] Seeds germinate best at about 1 inch soil depth in shady areas in the spring following fire scarification. [5] [7]
The fruit is a three-lobed capsule a few millimeters long which snaps open explosively to expel the three seeds onto the soil, where they may remain in a buried seed bank for well over 200 years before sprouting. [2] The seed is coated in a very hard outer layer that must be scarified, generally by wildfire, before it can germinate. [2]
Fendler's ceanothus seldom exceeds 1 m (3.3 ft) tall. The stems and twigs are grayish green when young, reddish brown when mature, armed with spines up to 2.5 cm (0.98 in) long. The leaves are green and thick, and three-veined from the base.