| Ceanothus integerrimus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rhamnaceae |
| Genus: | Ceanothus |
| Species: | C. integerrimus |
| Binomial name | |
| Ceanothus integerrimus | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Ceanothus integerrimus, known by the common namedeer brush, is a species of woodyshrub in the familyRhamnaceae, native to the westernUnited States inArizona,New Mexico,California,Oregon, andWashington. It grows inmontane chaparral and woodlands regions, in hardwood forests, and in fir, spruce, andPonderosa pineplant communities, being most abundant in theCalifornia chaparral and woodlands andSierra Nevada.[2][3]
Ceanothus integerrimus is adeciduous shrub from 1–4 metres (3.3–13.1 ft) tall with an open ascending to erect branch habit.[3] It is a drought-tolerant phanerophyte. Nitrogen-fixingactinomycete bacteria form root nodules onCeanothus roots.[4][5] Its stems are round yellow to pale green in color with either small soft to straight stiff sharp hairs parallel to or in contact with the surface of the stem,.[3][6]
Theleaves are glossy, deciduous and 2.5–8 cm long. Leaves grow alternately on stems. The leaf petioles are less than 15 mm in length and the stipules are also deciduous. The leaf blade is lanceolate, elliptical or oblong to widely ovate in shape. Leaves can have one to two ribs from the base; they are also generally thin and have an acute to obtuse tip. Leaf margins are either entire or slightly dentate, more so towards the leaf tip. Leaf surfaces are light green and are ciliate or contain hairs visible only by magnification. The lower leaves are also hairy and lighter in color.[3]
Theflowers are white or blue and rarely pink in color. They are produced in raceme clusters of 15 centimeters or less and contain both male and female organs. Thefruit is a sticky valvedcapsule about 4–5 mm in diameter with a slight crest; the seed is ejected from the capsule after splitting.[3]
It regenerates by seed, shoot formation from the crown and stem, and also by layering when branches come in contact with soil.[5][7] It has been suggested that someCeanothus species do not resprout from the root after the crown has burned as a result of fire where most other species are able to regenerate.[8] Pollination of flowers is primarily bybees.
Seed production occurs after about four years of age. High densities of seeds occur in the upper soil ofCeanothus communities. Seeds remain viable up to 24 years or more.Seed dormancy is broken by the removal of the seed coat by firescarification 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]
There are four weakly definedvarieties ofCeanothus integerrimus. Identification is primarily by leaf morphology and flower color:[3][5][7]
Ceanothus integerrimus hybridizes withCeanothus tomentosus (Lemmon's ceanothus) andCeanothus cordulatus (mountain whitethorn).
C. integerrimus is an important part of forest regeneration afterwildfires by providing nitrogen.[12] It does this by creating nitrogen rich patches in the soil. The nitrogen source is created by its root association with nitrogen fixing bacteria.[2]
Deer and specificallymule deer feed onC. integerrimus.Porcupines andquail have also been observed eating the stems and seeds.[13] Nutritionally leaves are a good source of protein and stems and leaves also contain high levels of calcium. However, nutritional quality of leaves is seasonal and appears to be best from fall to early spring.[5]
Indigenous peoples of California use the branches to treat women after childbirth.[14] TheMiwok Indians ofNorthern California also use the branches of this plant inweaving complexbaskets.[5] TheConcow tribe call the treehē′-bē (Konkow language).[15]
Cattleranchers will claim that cattle do immensely well on this plant during their seasonalgrazing.
