Ceanothus prostratus
Encyclopedia
Ceanothus prostratus is a species of shrub
in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae
known by the common names prostrate ceanothus and mahala mat. It is native to the Pacific Northwest
of the United States, into northern California
and Nevada
, where it grows in coniferous forest and open plateau.
is a small cluster of deep blue or purple flowers. The fruit is a wrinkled capsule one half to one centimeter long.
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 names prostrate ceanothus and mahala mat. It is native to the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
of the United States, into northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, where it grows in coniferous forest and open plateau.
Description
This is a flat, mat-forming shrub growing up to about 2.5 meters wide. The evergreen leaves are oppositely arranged, oval in shape with several large, sharp teeth along the edges. The upper surface is green and hairless, and the underside is paler in color and feltlike 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 deep blue or purple flowers. The fruit is a wrinkled capsule one half to one centimeter long.