Ceanothus ferrisiae
Encyclopedia
Ceanothus ferrisiae is a rare species of shrub
in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae
. Its common name is coyote ceanothus.
is a small cluster of white flowers which bloom in the winter. The fruit is a rough, horned capsule just under a centimeter wide.
, where it is known from only four or five occurrences near Mt. Hamilton
in the Diablo Range
. The largest population, located near Anderson Dam
, is recovering from a 1992 wildfire
that killed 95% of the plants. It is a member of the serpentine soil
s endemic flora and it occurs in chaparral
. It is a federally listed endangered species
.
.
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae
Rhamnaceae
Rhamnaceae, the Buckthorn family, is a large family of flowering plants, mostly trees, shrubs and some vines.The family contains 50-60 genera and approximately 870-900 species. The Rhamnaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are more common in the subtropical and tropical regions...
. Its common name is coyote ceanothus.
Description
Ceanothus ferrisiae grows erect to a maximum height approaching two meters. The woody parts are reddish in color when new and age gray. The evergreen leaves are oppositely arranged and measure up to 3 centimeters long. They are firm, flat, and generally toothed along the edges. The upper surface is hairless and deep green and the underside is paler in color and fuzzy in texture. The inflorescenceInflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a small cluster of white flowers which bloom in the winter. The fruit is a rough, horned capsule just under a centimeter wide.
Distribution
Ceanothus ferrisiae is endemic to Santa Clara County, CaliforniaSanta Clara County, California
Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...
, where it is known from only four or five occurrences near Mt. Hamilton
Mount Hamilton (California)
Mount Hamilton is a mountain in California's Diablo Range, in Santa Clara County, California. Mount Hamilton, at is the tallest mountain overlooking Silicon Valley, and is the site of Lick Observatory, the first permanently occupied mountain-top observatory. The various summits along its...
in the Diablo Range
Diablo Range
The Diablo Range is a mountain range in the California Coast Ranges subdivision of the Pacific Coast Ranges. It is located in the eastern San Francisco Bay area south to the Salinas Valley area of northern California, the United States.-Geography:...
. The largest population, located near Anderson Dam
Anderson Reservoir
Anderson Reservoir is a man-made lake along Coyote Creek in Santa Clara County, California, near Morgan Hill. Anderson Dam was built in 1950 to provide drinking water for Santa Clara county; the lake has also become a source of recreation to nearby residents. Anderson Reservoir is the largest...
, is recovering from a 1992 wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
that killed 95% of the plants. It is a member of the serpentine soil
Serpentine soil
A serpentine soil is derived from ultramafic rocks, in particular serpentinite, a rock formed by the hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle....
s endemic flora and it occurs in chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
. It is a federally listed endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
.
Conservation
There are about 6000 individuals remaining in five occurrences. The plant is threatened by loss and degradation of its habitat, which is being cleared for construction and used for dumping. The species also seems to have low recruitmentRecruitment (biology)
In biology, recruitment occurs when juvenile organisms survive to be added to a population. The term is generally used to refer to a stage whereby the organisms are settled and able to be detected by an observer....
.