Mason'S Ceanothus

Description

Ceanothus masonii-is a species of-shrub-in the buckthorn family,-Rhamnaceae, known by the common name-Mason's ceanothus. It is-endemic-to-Marin County, California, where it is known only from an area near-Bolinas-on the-Point Reyes National Seashore. It grows in the coastal-chaparral-on the windblown bluffs. This rare shrub grows to heights approaching 2 meters. The evergreen leaves are oppositely arranged and less than 2 centimeters long. They are round to oval in shape and have tiny, sharp teeth along the edges, sometimes spine-tipped. The inflorescence is a small cluster of deep blue to purple flowers. The fruit is a capsule just a few millimeters wide, topped with minute horns. This ceanothus is closely related to Ceanothus gloriosus, and may in fact be a variety of that species.