104 KEY AND FLORA 



style 3-cleft. Fruit a 3-seeded capsule embraced at the base 

 by the calyx tube, dehiscent from the junction of the 3 cells 

 with elasticity sufficient to scatter the hard nutlets. 



a. C. thyrsiflo'rus Esch. Blue-blossoms. A tall shrub or tree 

 with small alternate leavesj 3-nerved from the base. Flowers dense 

 in numerous, compound racemes, often forming a thyrse, light blue, very 

 fragrant. This is one of the most beautiful plants when in bloom. 

 It frequently covers places where the redwoods have been cut and 

 burned. From jNIontere}^ County northward. 



b. C. veluti'nus Dougl. This is a stout, diffusely branched shrub. 

 Leaves alternate, large, tliick, resinous, and shining on the upper surface, 

 aromatic, strongly ribbed from the base. Floivers ichite, in loose clusters 

 on short peduncles. Common in northern California and Oregon. 



c. C. integer'rimus H. & A. Tall, erect shrub without spines. 

 Leaves alternate, 3-nerved, ovate, soft-hairy on both surfaces, on 

 short petioles. Flowers white or blue in slender panicles. Pods nearly 

 smooth with the crests on the sides. Through California in the moun- 

 tains, to Washington. In some places it is known as red-root. 



d. C. divarica'tus Nutt. Tall shrub with olive or bluish-green 

 branchlets. Leaves alternate, ovate, 3-nerved, colored like the twigs 

 but with the upper sm'face darker. Flowers pale blue, in ample pani- 

 cles. Pods smooth, scarcely crested. The stems are rigid and fre- 

 quently spiny. This is common in southern California. 



e. C. inca'nus T. & G. Shrub with stiff, spiny, diffusely branched 

 stems. Leaves alternate, large, elliptical to ovate, pale green, 1-2^ in. 

 long. Flow-ers in short, dense, axillary clusters, frequently forming 

 a thyrse. Pod very resinous, lobed at top. This is found in the 

 Coast Mountains of middle California. 



/ C. cordula'tus Kellogg. SnoW'-bush. Low shrubs, generally 

 • w ith flat tops ; stems with spreading branches gray or glaucous. 

 Leaves alternate, elliptical to orbicular, generally obtuse at base, den- 

 ticulate at apex, pale gray-green on the low^er side, darker above. 

 Flowers white, small, in numerous small clusters all over the stems. 

 Capsules smooth, slightly crested. This forms thickets in the moun- 

 tains of California and Oregon. 



g. C. folio'sus Parry. Low^ shrub with declined or trailing 

 branches. Leaves alternate, small, ivith glandular, revolute margins. 

 Flow-ers dark blue or rarely w^hite, in small, numerous clusters all 

 over the stems. This blooms profusely soon after the rains and is 

 in bloom almost continually. Common in the Coast Mountains. 



h. C. soredia'tus H. & A. Erect shrub, becoming tree-like, with 

 spreading, rigid l>ranches, somew-hat thorny. Leaves alternate, ellip- 

 tical, glandular on the margins, gray-green on the lorver surface, darker 

 above. Flowers deep blue, small, in very numerous, small, oblong 



