''Chamaebatia'', also known as mountain misery, is a genus of two species of aromatic evergreen

shrubs 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 ...

endemic to

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 English common name derives from early settlers' experience with the plant's dense tangle and sticky, strong-smelling resin. They are

actinorhizal Actinorhizal plants are a group of angiosperms characterized by their ability to form a symbiosis with the nitrogen fixing actinomycetota ''Frankia''. This association leads to the formation of nitrogen-fixing root nodules. Classification Actinorh ...

, non-

legumes A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock fo ...

capable of

nitrogen fixation Nitrogen fixation is a chemical process by which molecular nitrogen (), with a strong triple covalent bond, in the air is converted into ammonia () or related nitrogenous compounds, typically in soil or aquatic systems but also in industry. Atmo ...

through symbiosis with the

actinobacterium The ''Actinomycetota'' (or ''Actinobacteria'') are a phylum of all gram-positive bacteria. They can be terrestrial or aquatic. They are of great economic importance to humans because agriculture and forests depend on their contributions to so ...

, ''

Frankia ''Frankia'' is a genus of nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live in symbiosis with actinorhizal plants, similar to the ''Rhizobium'' bacteria found in the root nodules of legumes in the family Fabaceae. ''Frankia'' also initiate the forming of root ...

''.

Taxonomy

Species

''Chamaebatia'' comprises the following species: * ''

Chamaebatia australis ''Chamaebatia australis'' is a species of aromatic evergreen shrub in the rose family known by the common names southern mountain misery and southern bearclover. This uncommon shrub is native to the chaparral slopes of southern California S ...

'' (Brandegee) Abrams – Southern mountain misery * ''

Chamaebatia foliolosa ''Chamaebatia foliolosa'' is a species of aromatic evergreen shrub in the rose family known by the common names mountain misery and bearclover. It is endemic to the mountains of California, where it grows in coniferous forests. The Miwok tribe's ...

'' Benth. – Sierra mountain misery, bearclover, kit-kit-dizze

Species names with uncertain taxonomic status

The status of the following species is unresolved: * ''Chamaebatia foliolosa'' Newb.

References

External links

USDA Plants ProfileJepson Manual Treatment
Dryadoideae Rosaceae genera {{Rosaceae-stub