Rhamnus californica
Encyclopedia
Rhamnus californica is called coffeeberry because its berries contain seeds which look like coffee beans—it is also called California buckthorn. It is a common plant native to California
and southwestern Oregon
.
areas, foothill slopes, and oak woodlands in most regions in California
west of the Sierra Nevada, and at altitudes of up to 2300 metres (7,545.9 ft). It is also naturalized
on the island of Hawaii
.
shrub
growing to 2–5 m (6.6–16.4 ft) tall, with dark red branches. The leaves
are 2–8 cm long, dark, dull green, and curl under at the edges. The flower
s are small and greenish-white with five petals; they are produced in clusters of 5-60 together. The fruit
is a berry
10–15 mm diameter, which turns red, then purple and finally black over the summer. The fruit is edible and sweet and was gathered by Native Americans for both food and medicinal uses. http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/rhacal/all.html
Coffeeberry is susceptible to the fungus
which causes sudden oak death
.
:
, but only in small quantities since the laxative effects of the plant, as with several other Rhamnus species, are quite powerful and even dangerous.
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 southwestern Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.
Distribution
Coffeeberry plants grown in windy or exposed areas usually do not exceed 1–2 m (3.3–6.6 ft) in height or width, but individuals growing in inland areas or sheltered canyons can spread to 8 metres (26.2 ft) wide. The plant is found in shrubby coastal chaparralChaparral
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...
areas, foothill slopes, and oak woodlands in most regions in 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...
west of the Sierra Nevada, and at altitudes of up to 2300 metres (7,545.9 ft). It is also naturalized
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
on the island of Hawaii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
.
Characteristics
Rhamnus californica is an evergreenEvergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
shrub
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...
growing to 2–5 m (6.6–16.4 ft) tall, with dark red branches. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are 2–8 cm long, dark, dull green, and curl under at the edges. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are small and greenish-white with five petals; they are produced in clusters of 5-60 together. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is a berry
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
10–15 mm diameter, which turns red, then purple and finally black over the summer. The fruit is edible and sweet and was gathered by Native Americans for both food and medicinal uses. http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/rhacal/all.html
Coffeeberry is susceptible to the fungus
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
which causes sudden oak death
Sudden oak death
Sudden Oak Death is the common name of a disease caused by the oomycete plant pathogen Phytophthora ramorum. The disease kills oak and other species of tree and has had devastating effects on the oak populations in California and Oregon as well as also being present in Europe...
.
Subspecies
There are two subspeciesSubspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
:
- Rhamnus californica subsp. californica - widespread in western California. Fruit with two seeds; twigs red; leaves with conspicuous veins.
- Rhamnus californica subsp. occidentalis - northern California and southwest Oregon, on serpentine soilSerpentine soilA serpentine soil is derived from ultramafic rocks, in particular serpentinite, a rock formed by the hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle....
s. Fruit with three seeds; twigs brown; leaves with inconspicuous veins.
Cultivars
Cultivars include:- R. californica 'Eve Case' - to 10 ft. tall by wide
- R. californica 'Leatherleaf' - black-green foliage
- R. californica 'Mound San Bruno' - lower and compact
Medicinal
Some local native tribes used coffeeberry as an herbal laxativeLaxative
Laxatives are foods, compounds, or drugs taken to induce bowel movements or to loosen the stool, most often taken to treat constipation. Certain stimulant, lubricant, and saline laxatives are used to evacuate the colon for rectal and/or bowel examinations, and may be supplemented by enemas under...
, but only in small quantities since the laxative effects of the plant, as with several other Rhamnus species, are quite powerful and even dangerous.