| Heteromeles | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Toyon bush in habitat | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Subfamily: | Amygdaloideae |
| Tribe: | Maleae |
| Subtribe: | Malinae |
| Genus: | Heteromeles M.Roem.nom. cons. 1847 |
| Species: | H. arbutifolia |
| Binomial name | |
| Heteromeles arbutifolia | |
 | |
| Natural range | |
| Synonyms[4] | |
| |
Heteromeles arbutifolia (/ˌhɛtɪroʊˈmiːliːzɑːrˌbjuːtɪˈfoʊliə/,[5] more commonly/ˌhɛtəˈrɒməliːz/ by Californian botanists), commonly known astoyon, is aperennial shrub native toCoastal California. It is the sole species in the genusHeteromeles.
Toyon typically grows from 2–5 metres (6+1⁄2–16+1⁄2 ft), rarely up to 10 m in shaded conditions, and has a rounded to irregular top. Itsleaves areevergreen, alternate, sharply toothed, have shortpetioles, and are5–10 centimetres (2–3+7⁄8 in) in length and2–4 cm (3⁄4–1+1⁄2 in) wide. In the early summer it produces small whiteflowers6–10 millimetres (1⁄4–3⁄8 in) diameter in dense terminalcorymbs. Flowering peaks in June.[6]
The fivepetals are rounded. Thefruit is a smallpome,[7] 5–10 mm across, bright red and berry-like, produced in large quantities, maturing in the fall and persisting well into the winter.[citation needed]
.jpg)
_(3-24-07)_canet_(535371030).jpg)
The generaPhotinia,Aronia,Pourthiaea, andStranvaesia have historically been variously combined by different taxonomists.[8] The genusHeteromeles as originally published byMax Joseph Roemer wasmonospecific, includingPhotinia arbutifolia Lindl. (1820), asH. arbutifolia (Lindl.) M. Roem, but the name wasillegitimate (superfluous) because it included thetype of the genusPhotinia.[8] This has since been corrected byconservation,[9] and the name is therefore often written asHeteromeles M. Roem.nom. cons. (1847).[citation needed]
It is native to extreme southwestOregon,[14][15]California, and theBaja California Peninsula.[4]
Toyon is a prominent component of thecoastal sage scrub plant community, and is a part of drought-adaptedchaparral and mixedoak woodland habitats.[16] It is also known by the common namesChristmas berry[10] andCalifornia holly.
The plants are visited bybutterflies, and have a mild,hawthorn-like scent. The fruit are consumed bybirds, includingmockingbirds,American robins,cedar waxwings andhermit thrushes.[17]Mammals includingcoyotes andbears also eat and disperse the pomes.[citation needed]
Toyon pomes areacidic andastringent, and contain a small amount of cyanogenicglycosides, which break down intohydrocyanic acid on digestion. This is removed by mild cooking.[18] Most fruits from plants in the family Rosaceae, including apples, apricots, peaches, cherries, and plums, contain cyanide.[19]
A 2016 study found 5g of the dried berries (used as a treatment for Alzheimer's) to be safe. The study also found no cyanogenic compounds in the plant.[19]
.jpg)
The pomes provided food for localNative American tribes, such as theChumash,Tongva, andTataviam. The pomes also can be made into a jelly. Native Americans also made a tea from the leaves as a stomach remedy. Most were dried and stored, then later cooked into porridge or pancakes. Later settlers added sugar to makecustard andwine.[20] The plants were also often cooked over a fire to remove the slightly bitter taste by Californian tribes.[21]
The Tongva (who called the plantashuwet) ate the berries fresh, boiled and left them in an earthen oven for 2 to 3 days, roasted them, or made them into a cider. Pulverized flowers were steeped into hot water to make tea which could be used to ease gynecological ailments. For stomach pains, bark and leaves are steeped in hot water to make tea. The same tea can serve as a seasonal tonic and ease other body pains. Also, applying mashedashuwet to sores eases pain. Infected wounds are washed using an infusion of bark and leaves.[22] Theʔívil̃uqaletem also called the plantashwet. They often consumed the fruit both raw and cooked.[21]
The plant has been used as a treatment forAlzheimer's disease byindigenous people of California and recent research has found a number of active compounds that are potentially beneficial to Alzheimer's treatment. These include icariside compounds, which protect theblood-brain barrier and prevent infiltration of inflammatory cells into the brain.[19]
Toyon can be grown in domestic gardens in well-drained soil, and is cultivated as an ornamental plant as far north as Southern England. It can survive temperatures as low as -12 °C.[citation needed] In winter, the bright red pomes (which birds often eat voraciously) are showy.[citation needed]
Like many other genera in theRosaceae tribeMaleae, toyon includes some cultivars that are susceptible tofireblight.[23] It survives on little water, making it suitable for xeriscape gardening, and is less of a fire hazard than some chaparral plants.[24]
In 1921,[25] collecting toyon branches forChristmas became so popular in Los Angeles that the State ofCalifornia passed a law forbidding collecting on public land or on any land not owned by the person picking any plant without the landowner's written permission (CA Penal Code § 384a).[26][27]
Toyon was adopted as the official native plant of the city of Los Angeles by the LA City Council on April 17, 2012.[28]
Heteromeles arbutifolia is found in Oregon and the location southwest of Pappas Flat is not the northernmost site in the Pacific Northwest. Additionally, this site is adjacent to Highway 199 and will not be affected by the proposed actions, and is outside the geographic scope of the project.
