Wavyleaf Ceanothus

waveyleaf ceanothus
vinehill ceanothus

Information on state- and province-level protection status of plants in the
United States and Canada is available at NatureServe.

More info for the term: cover

Waveyleaf ceanothus provides cover for various chaparral birds and small
mammals, such as valley quail, band-tailed pigeon, harvest mouse,
long-eared and Portola woodrat, brush rabbit, and cottontail rabbit [26].

More info for the term: shrub

Waveyleaf ceanothus is a procumbent or prostrate, native evergreen shrub
[21,26,29]. Its small, waxy leaves, from 0.2 to 0.6 inch (0.5-1.5 cm)
long, are borne on spreading glandular branches. The fruits are small
capsules containing about 12 hard-coated seeds. The growth habit of
waveyleaf ceanothus roots remains unstudied. Gregg ceanothus (Ceanothus
greggii), an obligate seeder of similar size, has lateral roots
spreading to 6.6 feet (2 m), with vertical growth from 11.8 to 15.7
inches (30-40 cm) [17]. Waveyleaf ceanothus roots develop large
nitrogen-fixing nodules [6,29]. Plants live about 30 years [20].

Waveyleaf ceanothus is endemic to California. It is found in the North
and South Coast Ranges, from Humbolt County south to Santa Cruz County.
It also occurs in the Cuyamaca Mountains of San Diego County [21].

More info for the terms: duff, fuel, litter, seed

Plant adaptations: Waveyleaf ceanothus establishes from seedbanks.
Large numbers of hard-coated, long-lived seeds accumulate in the litter,
duff, and soil beneath the parent plant. Germination is usually fire
stimulated [11,24,26,29]. The seed is extremely resistant to heat and
will remain viable after exposure to temperatures up to 176 degrees
Fahrenheit (80 deg C) [27]. Waveyleaf ceanothus appears to have a
competitive edge over sprouting species when there are long intervals
between fires. When fire does not occur for 50 to 100 years, the fuel
build-up results in an intense fire once it does start. The mortality
of sprouting species is unusually high, resulting in more openings for
waveyleaf ceanothus seedlings [13].

Fire ecology: Waveyleaf ceanothus twigs and leaves contain flammable
waxes, oils, and terpenes [5]. The prostrate growth form of the plant
encourages fire to spread.

More info for the terms: prescribed fire, seed, shrubland

Grazing: A prescribed fire, followed by second fire prior to maturation
of the seed crop, can reduce or eliminate waveyleaf ceanothus from a
pasture. Hedrick [11] found waveyleaf ceanothus was eliminated from a
Lakeport, California, pasture that was reburned 3 years after an initial
fire.

Wildlife considerations: Periodic burning can increase production of
waveyleaf ceanothus for deer browse. Open shrubland areas created by
burning small patches of land within a chaparral community creates
extremely favorable deer habitat and increases the population of
waveyleaf ceanothus [4]. To maximize wavyleaf ceanothus growth, burns
should be carried out in late fall and conducted at intervals of 10 to
15 years to allow seedlings time to mature and replenish the seedbank.
Managers recommend burning 5 to 10 acre (2-4 ha) patches and providing
as much edge effect as possible to maximize value to deer. Waveyleaf
ceanothus can persist much longer in a chaparral community that has been
opened up in this manner because it is not shaded out by taller species
[4].

More info on this topic.

More info for the term: phanerophyte

Phanerophyte

More info for the term: cover

Waveyleaf ceanothus is most common in the low coastal hills. These
hills are often fog-bound from November to mid-April, with the fog
burning off in the afternoon. From mid-April on, the slopes are dry and
sunny until the next rainy season begins [24]. Mean temperatures run
from 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees C) in July and August to 45
degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees C) in December and January [11].

Climate: Waveyleaf ceanothus occurs in a Mediterranean climate with
mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers [21,26,29].

Elevation: Waveyleaf ceanothus occurs between 200 to 5,000 feet
(61-1,524 m) [26].

Soil: Waveyleaf ceanothus grows in rocky, sandy or sandy-loam soil. It
will tolerate serpentine soil [15].

Associated species: Waveyleaf ceanothus is associated with Eastwood
manzanita (Arctostaphylos glandulosa), Stanford manzanita (A.
stanfordiana), toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), wedgeleaf ceanothus (C.
cuneatus), deerbrush (C. integerrimus), yerba santa (Eriodictyon
californicum), and chaparral pea (Pickeringia montana) [2,11]. (also
see SAF Cover Types)

More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):

232 Redwood
234 Douglas-fir - tanoak - Pacific madrone
244 Pacific ponderosa pine - Douglas-fir
245 Pacific ponderosa pine

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This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

FRES20 Douglas-fir
FRES21 Ponderosa pine
FRES27 Redwood
FRES28 Western hardwoods
FRES34 Chaparral - mountain shrub

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This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):

More info for the terms: forest, shrub

KOO6 Redwood forest
KOO9 Pine - cypress forest
KO10 Ponderosa shrub forest
KO18 Pine - Douglas-fir forest
KO29 California mixed evergreen forest
K030 California oakwoods
KO33 Chaparral
K037 Mountain-mahogany - oak scrub

Waveyleaf ceanothus is of limited value as livestock browse but is an
important source of food for wildlife. Of the domestic animals, only
sheep and goats will utilize it. It is readliy browsed by black-tailed
deer and cottontail rabbit [19,26]. Various birds and small mammals
consume the seeds, including western meadowlark, valley quail,
large-eared and Portola woodrat, and California ground squirrel [19].

More info for the term: cover

Waveyleaf ceanothus is not listed as a dominant or indicator species in
any published classifications.

Waveyleaf ceanothus is associated with Eastwood manzanita
(Arctostaphylos glandulosa), Stanford manzanita (A. stanfordiana), toyon
(Heteromeles arbutifolia), wedgeleaf ceanothus (Ceanothus cuneatus),
deerbrush (C. integerrimus), yerba santa (Eriodictyon californicum), and
chaparral pea (Pickeringia montana) [2,11]. (also see SAF Cover Types)

More info for the term: shrub

Shrub

More info for the term: fire management

Grazing: Waveyleaf ceanothus is undesirable browse for cattle [26,29].

Control: Waveyleaf ceanothus can be controlled by aerial applications
of 2,4-D or 2,4,5-T [11]. It can also be controlled by burning. (see
Fire Management Considerations)

The protein content of waveyleaf ceanothus leaves and twigs varies from
25.0 percent in May to 7.5 percent in January [3].

CA

More info for the term: cover

The dark blue flowers and prostrate form of waveyleaf ceanothus make it
an attractive ground cover for landscaping [29].

The palatability of the leaves and twigs of waveyleaf ceanothus is rated
as good for deer, fair to poor for sheep and goats, and poor for cattle
and horses [2,26].

More info on this topic.

More info for the term: seed

Waveyleaf ceanothus flowers from March to May, producing most of its
vegetative growth at the same time [11,21]. The floral primordia for
the following year's flowers are produced in May [12]. Fruits develop
in late spring to early summer, and their seed is cast from June through
August [7]. Although waveyleaf ceanothus leaves persist throughout the
year, many are lost in the summer [11].

More info for the term: fire regime

Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)


FIRE REGIMES :
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in
which this species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under "Find FIRE REGIMES".

More info for the terms: competition, duff, natural, scarification, seed, stratification

Waveyleaf ceanothus is classified as an obligate seeder [21,23,26,29].
Seed production varies, depending upon available soil moisture. During
wet years, an individual plant may produce hundreds of seeds. During
drought, the plant may produce no seed at all. Most seeds remain under
the parent plant and are gradually covered by duff. Some seeds are
dispersed by water, or by birds and small mammals [12]. The maximum
length of viability is unknown but is believed to be several decades
[24]. Germination generally requires overwinter stratification [24,29].
The seeds, however, demonstrate some ability to germinate without prior
stratification. Under natural conditions, germination of unscarified
seeds is probably rare [12]. Quick [24] found that 33 percent of the
waveyleaf ceanothus seeds he tested, however, germinated without prior
scarification under greenhouse conditions. Seedling mortality is high,
with seedlings vulnerable to competition from other species, drought,
and herbivory [12]. Waveyleaf ceanothus plants are sexually mature at
about 5 years [7,14].

More info on this topic.

This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):

1 Northern Pacific Border
3 Southern Pacific Border

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More info for the terms: climax, presence

Waveyleaf ceanothus is shade intolerant [10]. It is a residual
colonizer on disturbed sites, where its nitrogen-fixing ability gives it
an early competitive edge over most chaparral species [6]. The presence
of sexually mature waveyleaf ceanothus individuals within a community
denotes mid-seral status. Waveyleaf ceanothus is rarely found in climax
communities [10,20].

The currently accepted scientific name of waveyleaf ceanothus is
Ceanothus foliosus Parry, in the family Rhamnaceae [21]. There are three
recognized varieties:

C. foliosus var. medius McMinn
C. foliosus var. vineatus McMinn (vinehill ceanothus)
C. foliosus var. foliosus

None [31]

More info for the terms: presence, seed, stratification

Within its range, waveyleaf ceanothus is useful for soil erosion control
and improvement. Its presence increases available nitrogen in poor
soils through the action of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in root nodules
[6,29]. It can be propagated by stem cuttings or by seed. Van Dersal
[29] reported a 92 percent germination success rate following a hot
water treatment at 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees C) and a 3-month
stratification period at 36 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees C).