RHAMNACE.E 667 



2. Ceanothus thyrsiflorus, Eschs. Blue Myrtle. California Lilac. 

 Leaves oblong or oblong-ovate, minutely glandular-serrate, smooth and lustrous 

 on the upper and paler and slightly pubescent on the lower surface, especially along 



the 3 prominent ribs, I'-IJ' long, \'-V wide; their petioles stout, %-\' in length; 

 stipules membranaceous, acute. Flowers blue or white, appearing in early spring 

 in small pedunculate corymbs from the axils of minute deciduous bracts, and 

 collected into slender rather loose thyrsoid clusters 2'-3' long in the axils of upper 

 leaves or of small scarious bracts, and usually surmounted by the terminal leafy 

 shoot of the branch. Fruit ripening from July to December, black; seeds ^' 

 long, smooth, dark brown or nearly black. 



A tree, occasionally 35 high, with a trunk 12'-14' in diameter, dividing 5-6 

 from the ground into many small wide-spreading branches, and conspicuously angled 

 pale yellow-green branchlets slightly pubescent at first but soon becoming glabrous; 

 more often a tall or low shrub. Bark of the trunk thin, with a bright red-brown 

 surface separating into thin narrow appressed scales. Wood close-grained, rather 

 soft, light brown, with thin darker colored sapwood. 



Distribution. Shady hillsides on the borders of the forest and often in the neigh- 

 borhood of streams; coast mountains of California from Mendocino County to the 

 valley of the San Luis Rey River; of its largest size northward, and in the Redwood 

 forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains; southward often a low shrub, frequently flower- 

 ing on the wind-swept shores of the ocean when only l-2 high. 



3. Ceanothus spinosus, Ntt. Lilac. 



Leaves rarely 3-nerved, elliptical, full and rounded, apiculate or often slightly 

 emarginate or gradually narrowed and pointed or rarely 3-lobed at the apex, 

 rounded or cuneate at the base, when they unfold villose-pubescent below along 

 the stout midribs and obscure primary veins, soon glabrous, coriaceous, usually about 

 1' long and \' wide; their petioles stout, \'-\' long, at first villose, becoming nearly 

 glabrous; on vigorous shoots sometimes ovate, conspicuously 3-nerved, irregularly 

 serrate, with incurved apiculate teeth, or coarsely dentate and often 1^' long and |' 

 wide; stipules minute, acute. Flowers light or dark blue, very fragrant, opening 

 from March until May, in lax corymbs from the axils of acute pubescent red cadu- 



