Rhamnus crocea

Rhamnus crocea, the spiny redberry, is a species of plant in the family Rhamnaceae. There are two subspecies: Rhamnus crocea subsp. crocea (redberry[1] buckthorn) and Rhamnus crocea subsp. pilosa (hollyleaf buckthorn). It is native to California, Arizona, and Baja California.

Rhamnus crocea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rhamnaceae
Genus: Rhamnus
Species:
R. crocea
Binomial name
Rhamnus crocea
Natural range
Rhamnus crocea flowers

Description

This evergreen shrub, Rhamnus crocea, is typically one to two meters in height.[2] R. crocea typically occurs in chaparral, with common flora associates being toyon and hollyleaf cherry.[3]

Distribution

Rhamnus crocea covers two major mountain foothills. In California, it surrounds the entire San Joaquin Valley, the pacific coast ranges and the western foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. In Arizona, it is found in the entire length of the Mogollon Rim to the western region of the White Mountains.[4]

Uses

The fruit of Rhamnus crocea was used as food by Native Americans in the Western United States.[5] When eaten in large quantities, the berry is reported to impart a red tint to the entire body of the consumer.[5]

References
  1. Dale, Nancy (2000). Flowering Plants of the Santa Monica Mountains. California Native Plant Society. p. 168.
  2. Abrams, LeRoy (1951). Illustrated Flora of the Pacific States. 3. Stanford University Press. p. 63. ISBN 0-8047-0005-2.
  3. Hogan, C. Michael (2008). Stromberg, N. (ed.). "Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)". GlobalTwitcher. Archived from the original on July 19, 2009.
  4. Little Jr., Elbert L. (1976). "Map 150, R. crocea". Atlas of United States Trees. 3 (Minor Western Hardwoods). US Government Printing Office. LCCN 79-653298. OCLC 4053799.
  5. Saunders, Charles Francis (1934). Edible and Useful Wild Plants. Dover. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-486-23310-9. LCCN 75-46193.
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