Frangula californica (Eschsch.) A. Gray, Rhamnaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 5 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Rhamnus californica Eschsch.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: buckthorn, California buckthorn, California coffeeberry

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Shrub less than 5 m.  Stem: bark bright gray or brown; twigs glabrous to finely hairy; terminal bud not covered with scales.  Leaves evergreen; petiole 3-10 mm; blade 20-80 mm, ovate to elliptic, thick, base acute to rounded, tip acute, rounded, or truncate, margin serrate to entire, sometimes rolled under, both surfaces more or less glabrous.  Inflorescence 5-60-flowered, pedicels less than 20 mm.  Flower bisexual; hypanthium 1-2 mm; sepals 5, petals 5; style included.  Fruit 10-15 mm, black"  (Hickman, 1993).

Habitat/ecology:  In California (US), coastal-sage scrub, chaparral, woodlands, forests at elevations less than 2300 m (Hickman, 1993).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Oregon and California (Hickman, 1993).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, W. L./Herbst, D. R./Lorence, D. H. (2005)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1961) (voucher ID: BISH 81758) Taxon name on voucher: Rhamnus californica var. californica

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Oregon)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Additional information:
Information from the U.S. Forest Service Fire Effects Information System.

Additional online information about Frangula californica is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Frangula californica as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Frangula californica may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.). 1961. Voucher specimen #BISH81758(Fosberg, F.R. 42162).

Hickman, J. C. 1993. The Jepson manual: higher plants of California. U. Cal. Press, Berkeley. 1400 pp.

U. S. Government. 2011. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, W. L./Herbst, D. R./Lorence, D. H. 2005. Flora of the Hawaiian Islands website (online resource).