Excerpted from
© by the Regents of the University of California.Not to be reproduced without publisher’s written permission.
DESCRIPTIONS OF GENERA AND SPECIES
ACACIA
(ACACIA)
Acacia
is a large genus with 1,200 tree and shrub species; 1 speciesis native to California. The genus is especially diverse in Australia.
CATCLAW ACACIA
(Fig. 50)
Acacia greggii
DESCRIPTION
:
A shrub armed with prickles that oftengrows to be 3.5 m (12 ft) tall. The largest lives in Red Rock, NewMexico, and is 14.9 m (49 ft) tall and 62 cm (24 in.) in diame-ter.
LEAVES
are alternate and deciduous. Blades are compound,with several blade axes measuring from 2.5 cm (1 in.) to 5 cm(2 in.) long. Each axis has 8 to 12 leaflets that are about 6 mm(.25 in.) long. Blade axes lack terminal leaflets.
INFLORES
-
CENCES
are elongated clusters ofmany small flowers. Each clus-ter is from 2 cm (.75 in.) to 5 cm (2 in.) long.
FLOWERS
are yel-low and individually inconspicuous. The many yellow stamensprovide the conspicuous color ofthe showy inflorescences.
FRUITS
are legumes with blunt tips and measure 5 cm (2 in.)to 15 cm (6 in.) long.
TWIGS
are gray with curved prickles about6 mm (.25 in.) long.
HABITAT AND RANGE
:
Grows along washes below 600 m(2,000 ft) in the Mojave, Sonoran, and Colorado Deserts in Cali-fornia. It ranges east into Texas and south into Mexico.
REMARKS
:
Catclaw acacia is the only native acaciain the state; it is generally uncommon but locally abundant. Thirteen species ofacacia have es-caped from cultivation in California, some of which are noxious weeds. Another de-scriptive common name for this speciesis wait-a-minute.
ACER
(MAPLE)
Acer
has 124 species, nearly all ofwhich grow in temperate cli-mates in the Northern Hemisphere. Fourteen maple species arefound in the United States, and 4 ofthese grow in California.
130
AC AC I A
(ACACIA)
Figure 50Catclaw acacia,
Acacia greggii
131
AC E R
(MAPLE)
Most maples have deciduous, opposite leaves that are eithersimple or compound. A few evergreen maples grow in South-east Asia. Simple maple leaves are palmately lobed and veined.The flowers are not showy and can be complete or pistil bear-ing only or stamen bearing only, on the same or on di
¤
erentplants. Fruits are double samaras that break into segments atmaturity.The California maples usually grow on lower slopes, wheresoil moisture is more abundant. Maples often provide the pri-mary fall color in California’s forests and woodlands. In thefall, bigleafmaple and box-elder are noted for yellow leaves,mountain maple for yellow to orange-yellow leaves, and vinemaple for orange-red to red leaves. The genus is renowned asa source ofsyrups and sweets as well as timber. In California,bigleafmaple can be tapped for syrup ifit grows in an envi-ronment that is su
‹
ciently cold. Bigleafmaple furniture, cab-inets, and flooring are manufactured in northern California.Recently, cancer chemotherapeutic drugs have been made frombox-elder. Maples are widely planted as ornamentals in gardens
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CNHG Trees and Shrubs of California
California's varied landscape is characterized by a spectacular abundance of plant life, including a magnificent variety of trees and shrubs. This is the first book to combine the trees and shrubs of California in one accessible…
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