Adolphia californica

Adolphia californica
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rhamnaceae
Genus: Adolphia
Species: A. californica
Binomial name
Adolphia californica
S.Wats.

Adolphia californica, known by the common names California adolphia, California prickbush and spineshrub, is a species of flowering shrub in the buckthorn family. [1]

Distribution

The shrub is native to the coastal plains and Peninsular Ranges foothills in northwestern Baja California and San Diego County in Southern California. [1]

It is found in chaparral and coastal sage scrub plant communities, at elevations below 400 metres (1,300 ft). [1]

Description

Adolphia californica is a branching shrub not exceeding 1 metre (3.3 ft) in height. [1]

It has thick hairless to fuzzy dark green twigs. The stiff twigs bear sharp thorns. The very sparse leaves are each less than a centimeter long and oval-shaped with a pointed or rounded tip.

The shrub blooms abundantly in clusters of flowers along all the branches. Each flower is a star-shaped bowl of five pointed cream-colored sepals. Between the sepals are five tiny spoon-shaped cream-colored petals. The bloom period is December to April. [1]

The fruit is a spherical capsule about half a centimeter across.

Conservation

Within California Adolphia californica is a Critically endangered species, listed by the California Native Plant Society on the Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants. [2] It is threatened by urbanization, road construction, non-native plants, and grazing. [2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Jepson: Adolphia californica
  2. 1 2 California Native Plant Society, Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants (online edition; v8-03 0.39): Adolphia californica . accessed 10 June 2017.
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