''Dirca occidentalis'', the western leatherwood, is a deciduous

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

with leaves three to seven

centimeters 330px, Different lengths as in respect to the Electromagnetic spectrum, measured by the Metre and its deriveds scales. The Microwave are in-between 1 meter to 1 millimeter. A centimetre (international spelling) or centimeter (American spellin ...

in length. Yellow flowers emerge prior to leafing. It grows on moist and shaded slopes. It is rare and

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the

San Francisco Bay area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Its closest relative, ''

Dirca palustris ''Dirca palustris'', or eastern leatherwood, is a shrub that grows to a maximum height of about three meters. It is native to the eastern half of North America but abundant only locally. It is most likely to be encountered in the northern part of ...

'', lives in the eastern half of North America.

Gallery

File:Dirca occidentalis.jpg, In flower,

Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is a botanical research institution and free public park, located in the Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, Jamaica Plain and Roslindale, Massachusetts, Roslindale neighborhoods of Boston, Massachusetts. Esta ...

accession #311-86*A File:Dirca occidentalis flower detail.jpg, Flower detail File:Dirca occidentalis flowers.jpg, Flowers

References

External links

''Dirca occidentalis'' images at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University Plant Image Database
*Friedman, William (Ned)
"As good as gold (well better actually)".
''Posts from the Collections'', Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University website, 28 March 2020. Accessed 30 April 2020. *

Jepson Manual Online Jepson may refer to: __NOTOC__ Buildings in the United States * Jepson Center for the Arts in Savannah, Georgia * Jepson Herbarium, Botanical Natural History Museum, University of California, Berkeley * on the University of Richmond campus: ** Jep ...

br>''Dirca occidentalis'' A. Gray
Thymelaeoideae Endemic flora of California Endemic flora of the San Francisco Bay Area ~ {{Thymelaeaceae-stub