A large family; shrubs, or small trees, of temperate and warm regions,
some with bitter, astringent properties, often thorny; leaves mostly
alternate; stipules minute; flowers often in showy clusters, small,
regular; calyx-lobes and stamens four or five; petals usually four or
five, sometimes lacking, with claws. The short calyx-tube is lined
with a fleshy disk and on this are borne the petals and the stamens,
alternate with the sepals and opposite the petals, with swinging
anthers. In some cases, some of the flowers have only pistils or only
stamens. The ovary superior or partly inferior; the fruit a berry or
capsule.
There are many kinds of Ceanothus, largely western; flowers small, blue
or white, in clusters; calyx bell-shaped, five-lobed, with a colored,
petal-like border; petals five, the tips arching to form a tiny hood,
with long claws; stamens five, long, protruding, with threadlike
filaments; ovary partly inferior; style three-cleft; capsule splitting
open elastically so as to scatter the three, hard nutlets. The flowers
make a soapy lather when rubbed in water, hence the name Soap-bush, and
the kinds with rigid branches are called Buckbrush. Red-root is another
name. Mountain Lilac is the commonest name, but misleading. Lilacs
belong to another family.
[Sidenote: =Squaw Carpets, Mahala Mats=
_Ceanòthus prostràtus_
=Blue
Spring, summer
Cal., Oreg.=]
This decorative shrub is common in the Sierras and carpets the forest
floor with a rich green, leafy mat, sprinkled with small, feathery
clusters of blue flowers. The trailing stems are clothed with leathery
leaves, opposite and very glossy, and the little flowers are deep
purplish-blue, with yellow stamens, and slightly scented. These plants
are equally attractive late in the season when the flowers are replaced
by scarlet seed-vessels, with three horns.
[Sidenote: =Snow Brush, Mountain Lilac=
_Ceanòthus velùtinus_
=White
West, except Ariz.=]
A fine shrub, two to twelve feet high, with stout trunk and branches,
easily recognized by its leaves, which are rich green, thick and
resinous, shiny as if varnished on the upper side and sometimes rich
chocolate-brown in color, but pale on the under side, with three,
conspicuous nerves. The small, sweet-scented flowers are crowded
in compact, creamy clusters, sometimes four or five inches long,
very handsome, but not so delicate as Deer-brush. This is common on
hillsides and in the mountains, up to seven thousand feet.
[Illustration: Snow Brush--C. velutinus.