Symphoricarpos mollis
Encyclopedia
Symphoricarpos mollis is a species of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family
Caprifoliaceae
The Caprifoliaceae or honeysuckle family is a clade consisting of about 800 dicotyledonous flowering plants, with a nearly cosmopolitan distribution; centres of diversity are found in eastern North America and eastern Asia, while they are absent in tropical and southern Africa.They are mostly...

. It is found across western North America.

The plant is a tall creeping shrub which bears bunches of red or pink rounded, bell-shaped flowers and spherical or bulbous white or pink-tinted fruits. The fruits are not generally considered toxic but are distasteful, having a soap
Soap
In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...

y texture due to the presence of saponin
Saponin
Saponins are a class of chemical compounds, one of many secondary metabolites found in natural sources, with saponins found in particular abundance in various plant species...

s.

The shrub does well in warm climates and can tolerate both intense sun and constant shade. It is a plant of 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...

 ecosystems, especially along coastlines. It reproduces via rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...

and seed.

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