Frangula californica explained

Frangula californica (previously classified as Rhamnus californica) is a species of flowering plant in the buckthorn family native to western North America. It produces edible fruits and seeds.[1] It is commonly known as California coffeeberry and California buckthorn.

Distribution and habitat

It is native to California, the Southwestern United States, and Baja California state in Mexico. It is an introduced species in Hawaii.[2] The highest populations of this plant is mainly found in Arizona and California, but can also be found in New Mexico, Oregon, and Nevada as well.[3]

The plant occurs in oak woodland and chaparral habitats, numerous others in its range.[4] Individual plants can live an estimated 100 to 200 years.[5] [6] An abundance or dominance of this plant usually shows an imbalence in soil quality, due to it commonly being found in rich fertile soils.[7] Frangula californica can be found in forests mixed with redwood, evergreen, and red fir. This plant is also a common shrub found in the environment in Siskiyou Mountains, southwestern Oregon, and northern California within the forests.

Description

Frangula californica is a shrub 3- tall.[8] It is variable in form across subspecies. In favorable conditions the plant can develop into a small tree over 121NaN1 tall. More commonly it is a shrub between 3- tall.

The branches may have a reddish tinge and the new twigs are often red in color. The alternately arranged evergreen leaves are dark green above and paler on the undersides. The leaves have thin blades in moist habitat, and smaller, thicker blades in dry areas. The leaves are an ovate to elliptic shape with a normally waxy-white undercoating on the bottom. Top surface of the leaf is glabrous, or smooth without hair.[9]

Inflorescence and fruit

The 1/8" greenish-yellow flowers occur in leaf axil clusters, with 5 sepals and 5 shorter petals.[10] The flowers bloom in May and June only. The fruit is a juicy drupe, which may be green, red, or black depending on ripening progress. It is just under a centimeter long and contains two seeds that resemble coffee beans. Seeds have poor resistance to fire and are short lived. The viability or lifespan of the seeds lasts to a maximum of 9 months. Seeds normally germinate in average temperature, not being too hot or cold and under favorable moisture conditions.[11] The fruits are approximately 0.25 inches or 7-9 mm in diameter which normally form within pairs or clusters.[12] The leaves are an ovate to elliptic shape with a normally waxy-white undercoating on the bottom. Top surface of the leaf is glabrous, or smooth without hair. Leaves can range from a greenish-evergreen to a whitish hue.[13] Berries fully ripen in early fall, but can be challenging to collect due to birds who use the fruit as a resource. Ripening process for berries occurs mainly from July to November while leaves are fully developed around May.

Subspecies

Subspecies of Frangula californica include:[14] [15]

Ecology

This shrub is a member of many plant communities and grows in many types of habitat, including California chaparral and woodlands, coastal sage scrub, and California oak woodlands. It grows in forest types such as foggy coastal oak woodlands, Coast redwood forests, California mixed evergreen forests, and mountain coniferous forests.[25]

It can be found alongside chaparral whitethorn (Ceanothus leucodermis), toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), skunkbush (Rhus trilobata), redberry (Rhamnus crocea), and western poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum). In brushy mountain habitat it grows among many species of manzanita.[26]

The plant reproduces sexually by seed and vegetatively by sprouting. After wildfire or cutting, the plant generally resprouts from its root crown. Reproduction via seed is most common in mature stands of the plant. It produces seeds by 2 or 3 years of age. Seeds are mature in the fall. Seed dispersal is often performed by birds, which are attracted to the fruit; some plants are so stripped of fruit by birds that hardly any seeds fall below the parent plant.

This long-lived plant is persistent and becomes a dominant species in many habitat types, such as coastal woodlands. In the absence of wildfire, the shrub can grow large, with a wide spread that can shade out other flora.[27] When fire occurs, the plant can be very damaged but it readily resprouts from the surviving root crown, which is covered in buds for the purpose. It reaches its pre-burn size relatively quickly.

Parts of the plant, including the foliage and fruit, are food for wild animals such as mule deer, black bears, woodrats and many resident and migrating birds, as well as livestock. Many cattle, goats, and sheep consider the berry of this plant to be a palatable food source, but is only heavily utilized where the annual growth of this plant is abundent.[28]

Two insects induce galls on California coffeeberry: a moth, Sorhagenia nimbosa, induces swelling along the leaf midrib, and a midge of the genus Asphondylia induces flower-bud galls.[29] The flower is an attactor for native bees and supports pollenation in areas with a high quantity of coffeeberry.  

Uses

Cultivation

This plant is cultivated as an ornamental plant by plant nurseries, for planting in native plant, water conserving, and wildlife gardens; in large pots and containers; and in natural landscaping and habitat restoration projects.[30] [31] [32] [33]

It is also used for erosion control, and is usually deer resistant.[34] Erosion control usually occurs with this plant on dry steep hillsides where the roots keep in place and protect the surrounding land from weather erosin.[35] Due to this plant being unpaltable to deer, it is commonly used for ornamental purposes, including landscape decor.[36] This plant is also drought tolerant and not difficult to maintain, due to it being easy to prune and shape. As a pollinator plant it is of special value to native butterflies and bees.[37] Regeneration normally occurs quickly after fire and show constant vegtative regeneration, except when in extreme or abnormal condtions.

Cultivars

Cultivars of the species, for use as an ornamental plant, include:[38]

Food and medicine

The berries are sometimes eaten, and the seeds inside have been used to make coffee substitute with limited success. The berries are edible according to the USDA. [45] However, the bark of cascara, another member of the genus Frangula, is toxic.[46]

Native Americans of the west coast of North America had several uses for the plant as food, and used parts of it as a traditional medicinal plant.[47] Several tribes of the indigenous peoples of California ate the fruit fresh or dried.[48]

The Ohlone people use the leaves to treat poison oak dermatitis. The Kumeyaay people had similar uses for its bark. The Kawaiisu used the fruit to treat wounds such as burns. The bark has been widely used as a laxative tea by the Chumash and Costanoan.[49] The roots have been used by indegenous people for toothache remedies, kidney troubles, and a counteract for poisioning as well.[50] The leaves were rubbed on the skin directly to help heal infected open injuries.

Names for the plant in the Konkow language of the Concow tribe include and .[51]

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://honest-food.net/2014/08/13/california-coffeeberry-edible/. Accessed 15.6.2015.
  2. https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.129750/Frangula_californica Frangula californica.
  3. Web site: Frangula californica, California Buckthorn, Southwest Desert Flora . 2024-11-17 . southwestdesertflora.com.
  4. Flowering Plants of the Santa Monica Mountains, revised 2000, p. 168
  5. McMurray, N. E. 1990. Rhamnus californica. In: Fire Effects Information System. USDA FS. Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.
  6. Web site: McMurray . Nancy . 1990 . Frangula californica. In: Fire Effects Information System . 25 October 2024 . fs.usda.gov.
  7. Web site: McMurrary . Nancy . 1990 . Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) . unfit . 23 October 2024 . FEIS.
  8. Flowering Plants of the Santa Monica Mountains, revised 2000, p. 168
  9. Web site: Frangula californica, California Buckthorn, Southwest Desert Flora . 2024-11-17 . southwestdesertflora.com.
  10. Flowering Plants of the Santa Monica Mountains, revised 2000, p. 168
  11. Web site: McMurray . Nancy . 1990 . Frangula californica. In: Fire Effects Information System . 25 October 2024 . fs.usda.gov.
  12. Web site: Tutka . M . August 2016 . CALIFORNIA COFFEEBERRY Frangula californica (Eschsch) A Gray" . 23 October 2024 . USDA.
  13. Web site: Frangula californica, California Buckthorn, Southwest Desert Flora . 2024-11-17 . southwestdesertflora.com.
  14. McMurray, N. E. 1990. Rhamnus californica. In: Fire Effects Information System. USDA FS. Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.
  15. http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Frangula+californica Calflora: Frangula californica − Subspecies and Varieties
  16. http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Frangula+californica+ssp.+californica Calflora: Frangula californica subsp. californica
  17. http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=50563 Jepson: Frangula californica subsp. californica
  18. http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=50564 Jepson: Frangula californica subsp. crassifolia
  19. http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Frangula+californica+ssp.+cuspidata Calflora: Frangula californica subsp. cuspidata
  20. http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Frangula+californica+ssp.+occidentalis Calflora: Frangula californica subsp. occidentalis
  21. http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=50566 Jepson: Frangula californica subsp. occidentalis
  22. http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Frangula+californica+ssp.+tomentella Calflora: Frangula californica subsp. tomentella
  23. http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=50567 Jepson: Frangula californica subsp. tomentella
  24. http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=50568 Jepson: Frangula californica subsp. ursina
  25. http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Frangula+californica Calflora: Frangula californica − Subspecies and Varieties
  26. McMurray, N. E. 1990. Rhamnus californica. In: Fire Effects Information System. USDA FS. Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.
  27. Web site: McMurrary . Nancy . 1990 . Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) . unfit . 23 October 2024 . FEIS.
  28. Web site: McMurray . Nancy . 1990 . Frangula californica. In: Fire Effects Information System . 25 October 2024 . fs.usda.gov.
  29. Book: Russo, Ronald A. . Plant Galls of the Western United States . Princeton University Press . 2021 . 978-0-691-21340-8 . 242 . en-us . 10.1515/9780691213408 . 2020949502 . 1239984577 . 238148746.
  30. http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=FRCA12 NPIN—Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Frangula californica (California buckthorn, California Coffeeberry)
  31. http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/566--rhamnus-californica Las Pilitas Horticulture Database: Frangula (Rhamnus) californica (Coffeeberry)
  32. Web site: 23 June 2023 . California Native Plant Society, "Gardening with Natives" blog: Frangula californica (California Coffeeberry) . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190509094128/https://grownatives.cnps.org/2010/09/28/california-coffeeberry/ . 9 May 2019 .
  33. https://npn.rngr.net/npn/propagation/protocols/rhamnaceae-frangula-716/?searchterm=Frangula%20californica Native Plants Network.org: Protocol Information for: Frangula californica
  34. McMurray, N. E. 1990. Rhamnus californica. In: Fire Effects Information System. USDA FS. Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.
  35. Web site: McMurrary . Nancy . 1990 . Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) . unfit . 23 October 2024 . FEIS.
  36. Web site: Tutka . M . August 2016 . CALIFORNIA COFFEEBERRY Frangula californica (Eschsch) A Gray" . 23 October 2024 . USDA.
  37. Web site: Theodore Payne Foundation: Frangula (Rhamnus) californica . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20171204121929/http://www.theodorepayne.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Rhamnus_californica_%27Eve_Case%27 . 2017-12-04 . 2015-04-05.
  38. California Native Plants for the Garden. Bornstein, Carol, David Fross, and Bart O'Brien. Los Olivos, CA: Cachuma Press. 2005.
  39. Web site: 23 June 2023 . California Native Plant Society, "Gardening with Natives" blog: Frangula californica (California Coffeeberry) . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190509094128/https://grownatives.cnps.org/2010/09/28/california-coffeeberry/ . 9 May 2019 .
  40. Web site: Theodore Payne Foundation — California Natives Wiki: Frangula (Rhamnus) californica 'Eve Case' . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20171204121929/http://www.theodorepayne.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Rhamnus_californica_%27Eve_Case%27 . 2017-12-04 . 2015-04-05.
  41. http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=1347 San Marcos Growers horticulture database: Frangula (Rhamnus) californica 'Eve Case'
  42. http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=3552 San Marcos Growers horticulture database: Frangula (Rhamnus) californica 'Leatherleaf'
  43. http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=1850 San Marcos Growers horticulture database: Frangula (Rhamnus) californica 'Mound San Bruno'
  44. Web site: Tutka . M . August 2016 . CALIFORNIA COFFEEBERRY Frangula californica (Eschsch) A Gray" . 23 October 2024 . USDA.
  45. Web site: Frangula californica . 2023-06-05 . www.fs.usda.gov.
  46. Book: Arno . Stephen F. . Northwest Trees: Identifying & understanding the region's native trees . Hammerly . Ramona P. . . 2020 . 978-1-68051-329-5 . field guide . Seattle, WA . 262–266 . 1141235469 . 1977 . en.
  47. McMurray, N. E. 1990. Rhamnus californica. In: Fire Effects Information System. USDA FS. Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.
  48. http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=frangula+californica University of Michigan, Dearborn − Native American Ethnobotany: Frangula californica
  49. Web site: Tutka . M . August 2016 . CALIFORNIA COFFEEBERRY Frangula californica (Eschsch) A Gray" . 23 October 2024 . USDA.
  50. Web site: Frangula californica, California Buckthorn, Southwest Desert Flora . 2024-11-17 . southwestdesertflora.com.
  51. Book: Chesnut . V. K. . Plants used by the Indians of Mendocino County, California . . 1902 . 407 . 24 August 2012.

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