Littleleaf Ceanothus

Description

Ceanothus parvifolius is a species of shrub in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae known by the common name littleleaf ceanothus. It is endemic to the High Sierra Nevada of California, where it grows in moist areas in the forest. This is a spreading shrub, growing to a maximum height of just over a meter, forming a wide bush. The woody parts are reddish in color and hairless. The leaves are alternately arranged and deciduous. They are less than 2 centimeters long, mainly oval in shape and smooth-edged, sometimes with a few tiny teeth near the tip. The plentiful inflorescences are clusters several centimeters long of flowers in shades of very pale to deep blue. The fruit is a 3-lobed smooth capsule a few millimeters long.