Adolphia californica

Adolphia californica, known by the common names California adolphia, California prickbush, and spineshrub, is a species of flowering shrub in the buckthorn family.[1]

Adolphia californica
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rhamnaceae
Genus: Adolphia
Species:
A. californica
Binomial name
Adolphia californica

Distribution

The shrub is native to the coastal plains and Peninsular Ranges foothills in northwestern Baja California and San Diego County in Southern California.[1]

It is found in chaparral and coastal sage scrub plant communities, at elevations below 400 metres (1,300 ft).[1]

Description

Adolphia californica is a branching shrub not exceeding 1 metre (3.3 ft) in height.[1]

It has thick hairless to fuzzy dark green twigs. The stiff twigs bear sharp thorns. The very sparse leaves are each less than a centimeter long and oval-shaped with a pointed or rounded tip.

The shrub blooms abundantly in clusters of flowers along all the branches. Each flower is a star-shaped bowl of five pointed cream-colored sepals. Between the sepals are five tiny spoon-shaped cream-colored petals. The bloom period is December to April.[1]

The fruit is a spherical capsule about half a centimeter across.

Conservation

Within California Adolphia californica is a Critically endangered species, listed by the California Native Plant Society on the Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants.[2] It is threatened by urbanization, road construction, non-native plants, and grazing.[2]

References

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