Ceanothus fendleri Gray

by Beverly Adams, Native Plants of Arizona 2004
Common names: Fendler's ceanothus, buck brush (3)
Family: Rhamnaceae (5)
Synonymy: Ceanothus fendleri var venosus Trel, Ceanothus fendleri var viridis M.E. Jones, Ceanothus subsericeus Rydb (1)
Etymology: Honorific

Identification
Growth form: Deciduous, low shrub thirty to eighty centimeters tall (3). Forms discrete patches (5).
Roots:
Stem: Mature twigs are reddish brown (4) and are often spiny (3).
Leaves: Alternate often-measuring 10-25 mm long and 8 mm wide; narrowly elliptic to oblong, entire, and usually glabrous above but always pubescent. Leaf is often whitish on the underside (3) .
Inflorescence/flowers: Flowers form in umbel like clusters in terminal racemes found on short, leafy branches. Sepals measure about 1.5 mm long. Petals are 2-3 mm long and are white in color (3). Species of Lepidoptera are considered a possible pollinator (6).
Fruit: Capsules measure 4-5 mm in diameter (3) and are 3-lobed and ripen between August and September. Seeds are dispersed by ballistic expulsion as the fruit dehisces. Uses a dormant-seed regeneration strategy. Seeds can stay viable for many years (6).
Similar species: Ceanothus gregii 

Ecology
Life history: Deciduous and often herbaceous (6).
Native/introduced: Native to the Southwestern United States. (2)
Photosynthetic pathway:
Phenology: Flowers April to November (3)
Distribution: Found from Mexico and South Dakota in ponderosa pine forests, usually at elevations between 5,000 feet and 10,000 feet (3) .

Uses
Food/medicine: Foliage, stems, and fruits eaten by porcupines, rabbits, and mule dear. Leaves and fruit can make a medicinal tea (4) .

References

1. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) ( http://www.itis.usda.gov ).

2. USDA, NRCS. 2002. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5. ( http://plants.usda.gov ). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70874-4490 USA.

3. McDougal, W.B. 1973. Seed Plants of Northern Arizona, The Museum of Northern Arizona. Flagstaff, Arizona.

4. Epple, A. O. 1995. A Field Guide to the Plants of Arizona. Falcon Publishing. Helena, Mountana.

5. Natural Vegetation Committee, Arizona Chapter Soil Conservation Society of America. 1973. Landscaping with Native Arizona Plants . The Universtiy Of Arizona Press. Tucson.

6. Huffman David W. 2003. Population Ecology of Fendler Ceanothus: Responses to Herbivory and Forest Restoration Treatments. Northern Arizona University