''Rhamnus crocea'', the spiny redberry, is a species of plant in the family

Rhamnaceae The Rhamnaceae are a large family of flowering plants, mostly trees, shrubs, and some vines, commonly called the buckthorn family. Rhamnaceae is included in the order Rosales. The family contains about 55 genera and 950 species. The Rhamnaceae h ...

. There are two subspecies: ''Rhamnus crocea'' subsp. ''crocea'' (redberry buckthorn) and ''Rhamnus crocea'' subsp. ''pilosa'' (hollyleaf buckthorn). It is native 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 ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, and

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

Description

This evergreen shrub, ''Rhamnus crocea'', is typically one to two meters in height. ''R. crocea'' typically occurs in

chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant community and geographical feature found primarily in the U.S. state of California, in southern Oregon, and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterranean c ...

, with common flora associates being

toyon ''Heteromeles arbutifolia'' (; more commonly by Californian botanists), commonly known as toyon, is a common perennial shrub native to extreme southwest Oregon, California, and the Baja California Peninsula. It is the sole species in the genus ...

and hollyleaf cherry.

Distribution

''Rhamnus crocea'' covers two major mountain foothills. In California, it surrounds the entire

San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley ( ; es, Valle de San Joaquín) is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies south of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the San Joaquin River. It comprises seven c ...

, the pacific coast ranges and the western foothills of the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

s. In Arizona, it is found in the entire length of the

Mogollon Rim The Mogollon Rim ( or or ) is a topographical and geological feature cutting across the northern half of the U.S. state of Arizona. It extends approximately , starting in northern Yavapai County and running eastward, ending near the border ...

to the western region of the White Mountains.

Uses

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

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment - ''Rhamnus crocea''USDA Plants Profile; Rhamnus crocea''Rhamnus crocea'' — UC Photos gallery''Rhamnus crocea'' — Calflora Taxon Report
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7320176 crocea Flora of California Flora of Baja California Flora of Arizona Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges Natural history of the San Francisco Bay Area Natural history of the Santa Monica Mountains Natural history of the Transverse Ranges Plants used in Native American cuisine Garden plants of North America Bird food plants Drought-tolerant plants Flora without expected TNC conservation status