Ericameria pinifolia
Encyclopedia
Ericameria pinifolia is a species of flowering shrub in the daisy family
known by the common name pinebush. This plant is endemic to southern California
where it is found in scrub and chaparral
from the inland Peninsular
and western Transverse Ranges
foothills to the Colorado Desert
.
reaching maximum heights of one half to two meters. It is covered in clustered needlelike leaves each one to four centimeters long which at first glance look like very young pine needles. The leaves are more fleshy than true needles and the plant is not related to the pines.
Atop each of the many erect branches is an inflorescence
of small whitish flower heads
. The plant blooms twice per year, producing single-head inflorescences in the spring and inflorescences with many smaller heads in the fall. The fruit is an achene
with a bright white, red, or tan pappus
.
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
known by the common name pinebush. This plant is endemic to southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
where it is found in scrub and 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...
from the inland Peninsular
Peninsular Ranges
The Peninsular Ranges are a group of mountain ranges, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, which stretch from southern California in the United States to the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Coast Ranges that run along the Pacific coast from Alaska...
and western Transverse Ranges
Transverse Ranges
The Transverse Ranges are a group of mountain ranges of southern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region that runs along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico in North America. The Transverse Ranges begin at the southern end of the California Coast Ranges and lie between...
foothills to the Colorado Desert
Colorado Desert
California's Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert, which extends across southwest North America. The Colorado Desert region encompasses approximately , reaching from the Mexican border in the south to the higher-elevation Mojave Desert in the north and from the Colorado River in...
.
Description
Ericameria pinifolia is a green, hairless shrubShrub
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...
reaching maximum heights of one half to two meters. It is covered in clustered needlelike leaves each one to four centimeters long which at first glance look like very young pine needles. The leaves are more fleshy than true needles and the plant is not related to the pines.
Atop each of the many erect branches is an inflorescence
Inflorescence
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...
of small whitish flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
. The plant blooms twice per year, producing single-head inflorescences in the spring and inflorescences with many smaller heads in the fall. The fruit is an achene
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
with a bright white, red, or tan pappus
Pappus (flower structure)
The pappus is the modified calyx, the part of an individual disk, ray or ligule floret surrounding the base of the corolla, in flower heads of the plant family Asteraceae. The pappus may be composed of bristles , awns, scales, or may be absent. In some species, the pappus is too small to see...
.