Calycanthus occidentalis

Calycanthus occidentalis, commonly called spice bush or western sweetshrub, [1] is a species of flowering shrub in the family Calycanthaceae that is endemic (limited) to California. It grows along streams and moist canyons in the foothills of the mountains surrounding the Central Valley north of Bakersfield in the east and north of the San Francisco Bay Area in the west.

Calycanthus occidentalis
note the lack of distinctive sepals
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Magnoliids
Order: Laurales
Family: Calycanthaceae
Genus: Calycanthus
Species:
C. occidentalis
Binomial name
Calycanthus occidentalis
Hook. & Arn.

Description

Calycanthus occidentalis is a deciduous shrub that grows to be about 1 to 3 m (3 to 6 ft) high and 1 to 4 m (3 to 12 ft) wide. Its bright green leaves are opposite, and grow to about 15 cm long and 5 to 8 cm wide. They are ovate with acute tips, and entire (smooth) margins. The shrub blooms from April to August. The flower bud is about 4 cm long and 2 cm wide, composed of about 40 tepals. The flowers do not have distinctive sepals and petals, but have swirls of petal-like structures called tepals. The dark red to burgundy colored tepals open up to form a flower that is about 8 cm across. The tepals enclose about 20 stamens and the flowers are pollinated by beetles of the Nitidulidae family. The fruit is a dry capsule about 6 cm long, containing many seeds.

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References
  1. "Calycanthus occidentalis". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 16 December 2019.


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