Talk:Heteromeles arbutifolia

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 Heteromeles arbutifolia is within the scope of WikiProject Plants, an attempt to better organize information in articles related to plants and botany. For more information, visit the project page.
Start This article has been rated as start-class on the quality scale.
Mid This article has been rated as mid-importance on the importance scale.
WikiProject California This article is part of WikiProject California, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to California on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, you can edit this article, or visit the project page to join the project and/or contribute to the discussion.
Start This article has been rated as Start-Class on the quality scale.
Mid This article has been rated as Mid-importance on the importance scale.

[edit] Initial ratings for Wikiproject California set forth

I have attached a tag identifying this article as part of Wikiproject California and established initial ratings as follows:

  • class:Start
  • Based upon:
    • NPOV: Pass
    • References:Fair
    • Images:Fair
    • Breadth:Beyond stub, but needs more on range and ecological significance to approach GA
    • Wikification:Pass
  • importance:Mid
    • Based upon the fact that this is a prominent native shrub fairly broadly distributed and associated with many other ecological interactions. Anlace 04:47, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

Several book excerpts online mention this plant as California holly. Furthermore, it supposedly is the catalyst for the seasonal mass intoxication of robins. Anyone have any credible information to offer about this? 129.120.8.198 00:46, 19 August 2005 (UTC)

While it is certainly correct that the botany books always mention "California holly" as an alternate name, in modern usage it is only "toyon", at least that I've heard. The berries are small, bright red, prominent in December, and the leaves are slightly holly-like, so the name is obvious, even if increasingly obscure. It is also noted in books (and verified by original research) that a small flock of birds can strip the ripe berries from a bush very quickly. Perhaps the robins are more overloaded than drunk, but I haven't seen any studies on this. However I do recall that the local tribes are supposed to have brewed an cider from the cooked berries, so it may have be a natural progression. It may not take much to get a robin tipsy. -Willmcw 10:00, August 19, 2005 (UTC)
Agreed with Toyon as the best name to use; "California holly" implies it is a species of holly (Ilex), which it isn't - MPF 23:02, 27 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Christmasberry

An external reference (Collin's, I think) identifies the Christmasberry as Photinia arbutifolia, reinforcing the identification in this article as "Christmas berry" (two words). However, both Schinus and Boxthorn claim identity with "Christmas berry". What's the deal here - is this something regional maybe? I am not a botanist; I just tripped over this one in Wikipedia:WikiProject Missing encyclopedic articles. David Brooks 00:31, 6 December 2005 (UTC)