Ceanothus

Ceanothus
Ceanothus americanus flowers
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rhamnaceae
Genus: Ceanothus
L.[1]
Species

See text

Synonyms[2]

Forrestia Raf.

Ceanothus is a genus of about 50–60 species of nitrogen-fixing shrubs and small trees in the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae).[3][4][2][5] Common names for members of this genus are buckbrush, California lilac, soap bush, or just ceanothus.[6][7][8] "Ceanothus" comes from Ancient Greek: κεάνωθος (keanōthos), which was applied by Theophrastus (371–287 BC) to an Old World plant believed to be Cirsium arvense.[9][10]

The genus is native to North America with the highest diversity on the western coast.[2][11] Some species (e.g., C. americanus) are restricted to the eastern United States and southeast Canada, and others (e.g., C. caeruleus) extend as far south as Guatemala. Most are shrubs 0.5–3 metres (1.6–9.8 ft) tall, but C. arboreus and C. thyrsiflorus, both native to California, can be small multi-trunked trees up to 6–7 metres (20–23 ft) tall.

  1. ^ "Genus: Ceanothus L." Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2004-02-10. Archived from the original on 2009-01-14. Retrieved 2012-04-25.
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference powo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Ceanothus" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
  4. ^ "Untitled Document". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference cf was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference usda was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference waterwise was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference FPSMM was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Elmore, Francis H. (1976). Trees and Shrubs of the Southwest Uplands. Western National Parks Association. p. 195. ISBN 0-911408-41-X.
  10. ^ Austin, Daniel F. (2004). Florida Ethnobotany. CRC Press. p. 291. ISBN 978-0-8493-2332-4.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference bonapdiv was invoked but never defined (see the help page).