Ceanothus roderickii
Encyclopedia
Ceanothus roderickii is a rare species of shrub
in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae
known by the common name Pine Hill ceanothus. It is endemic to western El Dorado County, California
, where it grows in the chaparral
and woodlands of the Sierra Nevada foothills, such as the Pine Hill Ecological Reserve
. It is named after 20th century California flora explorer, botanist, and arboretum
director Wayne Roderick.
is a small cluster of white to pale blue flowers. The fruit is a capsule about half a centimeter long, sometimes bearing small horns on top.
origin in the Pine Hill Geological Formation. It is a federally listed endangered species
.
. It is threatened by several factors, including suppression of the wildfire
it requires for reproduction, off-road vehicle
s, road maintenance and construction, and development. There are ten to twenty remaining occurrences.
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...
known by the common name Pine Hill ceanothus. It is endemic to western El Dorado County, California
El Dorado County, California
El Dorado County is a county located in the historic Gold Country in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and foothills of the U.S. state of California. The 2010 population was 181,058. The El Dorado county seat is in Placerville....
, where it grows in the 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...
and woodlands of the Sierra Nevada foothills, such as the Pine Hill Ecological Reserve
Pine Hill Ecological Reserve
Pine Hill Ecological Reserve is a nature reserve of located due east of Folsom Lake, in El Dorado County, California. The reserve was established in 1979, and is managed by the California Department of Fish and Game....
. It is named after 20th century California flora explorer, botanist, and arboretum
Arboretum
An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
director Wayne Roderick.
Description
This rare shrub is up to about 3 meters wide and flat, forming low brambles or mats. The grayish brown stems root at nodes as they grow horizontally along the ground. The tiny evergreen leaves are oppositely arranged. Each is only about a centimeter long, widely lance-shaped and smooth along the edges or sometimes toothed near the tip. The top surface is green and hairless and the underside is somewhat woolly. 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 to pale blue flowers. The fruit is a capsule about half a centimeter long, sometimes bearing small horns on top.
Habitat
Ceanothus roderickii is found almost exclusively on soils of gabbroGabbro
Gabbro refers to a large group of dark, coarse-grained, intrusive mafic igneous rocks chemically equivalent to basalt. The rocks are plutonic, formed when molten magma is trapped beneath the Earth's surface and cools into a crystalline mass....
origin in the Pine Hill Geological Formation. 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
This endangered plant was first collected in 1956 near Shingle SpringsShingle Springs, California
Shingle Springs is a census-designated place in El Dorado County, California, United States. The population was 4,432 at the 2010 census, up from 2,643 at the 2000 census. It is located about 40 miles from Sacramento in the historic Gold Country foothills and sits directly on Highway 50...
. It is threatened by several factors, including suppression of the 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...
it requires for reproduction, off-road vehicle
Off-road vehicle
An off-road vehicle is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of driving on and off paved or gravel surface. It is generally characterized by having large tires with deep, open treads, a flexible suspension, or even caterpillar tracks...
s, road maintenance and construction, and development. There are ten to twenty remaining occurrences.
External links
- Jepson Manual Treatment - Ceanothus roderickii
- USDA Plants Profile: Ceanothus roderickii
- The Nature Conservancy
- Pine Hill Preserve
- Ceanothus roderickii - Photo gallery