Castilleja pilosa is a species of Indian paintbrush known by the common name parrothead Indian paintbrush. It is native to the western United States from California to Wyoming, where it grows in mountain and plateau habitat across the Great Basin and surrounding regions. It is known from sagebrush scrub to high mountains in alpine climates. This wildflower is a perennial herb growing upright or along the ground with hairy stems up to about 35 centimeters long. It is quite variable in appearance. The inflorescence is made up of layers of greenish, purplish, or pink bracts sometimes edged in white. Between the bracts bloom the pouched yellow-green flowers with protruding stigmas. This wildflower is a perennial herb growing upright or along the ground with hairy stems up to about 35 centimeters long. It is quite variable in appearance. The inflorescence is made up of layers of greenish, purplish, or pink bracts sometimes edged in white. Between the bracts bloom the pouched yellow-green flowers with protruding stigmas. Varieties: There are several varieties of this species:C. p. var. longispica (longspike Indian paintbrush) - limited to Idaho, Montana, and WyomingC. p. var. pilosa - limited to California, Oregon, and NevadaC. p. var. steenensis (Steens Indian paintbrush) - endemic to Oregon

Cream Sacs (Castilleja rubicundula ssp. lithospermoides) is a native annual herb that grows in central and northern California. It tends to grow in open grassy places, at elevations from 0-3000 feet.

Castilleja subinclusa is a species of Indian paintbrush known by the common name longleaf Indian paintbrush. It is native to California and Baja California, where it grows in a number of habitat types. It is divided into two subspecies which generally do not occur together; one is widespread across the mountains of the two states, while the other is limited to the coastline surrounding the San Francisco Bay Area. In general, this is a spreading perennial herb which can exceed a meter tall. It is gray-green to purple in herbage color, and usually hairy. The lance-shaped leaves are up to 8 centimeters long. The flower cluster is up to 40 centimeters long and is made up of long, pointed leafs tipped in bright red-orange to deep red. Between the colorful leafs appear lighter flowers, which are yellow-green to pinkish and hairy.

Caulanthus coulteri is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Coulter's wild cabbage. It is endemic to California, where it is a widespread member of the flora in several dry, open habitat types, such as chaparral and Mojave Desert. Caulanthus coulteri is an annual herb producing a slender, branching stem lined with generally lance-shaped leaves which may be smooth to sharply sawtoothed along the edges. The widely spaced flowers are somewhat bullet-shaped with coats of pouched sepals which are bright to deep purple when new and fade to yellow-green. The sepals open to reveal dark-veined petal tips with wavy margins. The fruit is a long, thin silique which may approach 13 centimeters in length.

Caulanthus crassicaulis is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name thickstem wild cabbage. It is native to the western United States where it is a member of the flora in sagebrush, woodland, and desert scrub habitats. This is a perennial herb producing a stout, inflated stem from a woody caudex base. The leaves form a basal rosette and occur at intervals along the stem. They are broadly lance-shaped on the lower stem and much smaller and linear in shape farther up. They may have smooth, toothed, or deeply cut edges. The rounded flower has a coat of thick, pouched sepals which part at the flower tip to reveal narrow dark purple or brown petals. There are two varieties of this species: var. crassicaulis generally has hairy flowers, while var. glaber has hairless. The fruit is a long, thin silique which may approach 13 centimeters in length.

Caulanthus glaucus is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name glaucous wild cabbage. It is native to southern Nevada and adjacent parts of eastern California and Mojave Desert sky islands, where it grows in open, rocky habitat in the desert mountains. Caulanthus glaucus is a perennial herb producing a slender, branching stem from a woody caudex. The largest of the leaves appear in a cluster at the base of the plant, and are oblong or oval and up to 10 centimeters long. Smaller, lance-shaped leaves appear higher up on the stem. The flower has a coat of thick green sepals over narrow yellowish or purplish petals. The fruit is a long, thin silique which may approach 15 centimeters in length.

Caulanthus hallii is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Hall's wild cabbage. It is native to southern California and northern Baja California. It is native to southern California and northern Baja California. It grows in the Colorado Desert (western Sonoran Desert), Mojave Desert sky islands, and the dry eastern Peninsular Ranges slopes. Caulanthus hallii is an annual herb producing a hollow stem fringed at the base with long, deeply cut leaves which are hairless or sometimes bristly. The greenish yellow flower has a coat of hairy sepals over narrow, pale petals. The fruit is a silique up to about 11 centimeters long.

Caulanthus major is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name slender wild cabbage. It is native to the Great Basin and surrounding regions of the United States, where it grows on dry mountain slopes and similar habitat. It is a perennial herb growing an erect, hollow stem from a woody caudex. It is most similar to its relative, Caulanthus crassicaulis. Leaves appear in a basal rosette about the stem and along the body of the stem, and are smooth, toothed, or deeply cut along the edges. The largest leaves are lowest on the stem and may reach 9 centimeters long. The flower is enclosed in thick, sometimes hairy sepals which are very dark in color when new, usually a deep purple. The petals emerging from the tip are narrow and dark-veined. The fruit is a thin silique up to 13 centimeters long.

Caulanthus pilosus is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common names hairy wild cabbage and chocolate drops. It is native to open, dry habitat in the Great Basin of Nevada, the Eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada to 9,000 ft (2,700 m) and surrounding regions of the United States northward to the SE corner of Oregon. It is an annual or occasionally perennial herb coated in thin hairs, especially toward the base. Caulanthus pilosus may produce many stems per plant. The leaves are oblong in shape and deeply cut into lobes, hairy, and up to 25 centimeters long. Leaves toward the top of the stem are reduced in size, sometimes linear and smooth-edged, lacking lobes. The flower is covered in thick sepals which are greenish purple to deep purple or chocolate brown, splitting to reveal the wavy-edged, light-colored petals inside. The top cluster of flowers on each stem are sterile. The fruit is a long, narrow, upward-curving silique which may approach 18 centimeters long but is only 1-1. 5mm wide. Caulanthus pilosus may produce many stems per plant. The leaves are oblong in shape and deeply cut into lobes, hairy, and up to 25 centimeters long. Leaves toward the top of the stem are reduced in size, sometimes linear and smooth-edged, lacking lobes. The flower is covered in thick sepals which are greenish purple to deep purple or chocolate brown, splitting to reveal the wavy-edged, light-colored petals inside. The top cluster of flowers on each stem are sterile. The fruit is a long, narrow, upward-curving silique which may approach 18 centimeters long but is only 1-1. 5mm wide.

Ceanothus crassifolius is a species of flowering shrub known by the common name hoaryleaf ceanothus. This Ceanothus is found throughout the coastal mountain ranges of the southern half of California below 3,500 ft., and its range extends into Baja California. It is an erect, spreading shrub which can exceed three meters in height. The branches become long and the younger twigs are fuzzy with white or light brown hairs. The small evergreen leaves have widely-spaced teeth along the edges and the undersides are lighter in color and coated with hairs. The flower clusters are borne on short stalks less than three centimeters long and are small and rounded with tiny white flowers. They can be quite dense and can cover branches thickly, or they may be sparse. The flowers may have a yellowish or pink tint. The fruit is a horned capsule less than a centimeter wide. C. crassifolius typically occurs in California chaparral plant associations; other common flora associates are Toyon and Hollyleaf cherry.

Buckbrush (Ceanothus cuneatus) is a flowering shrub in the Buckthorn family that is one of the most common and widespread native plants in California. It flowers abundantly in spring, bearing rounded bunches of tiny white flowers that are sometimes tinted strongly with blue or lavender. It is a spreading bush, rounded to sprawling with evergreen leaves that are stiff, tough and fleshy. The fruit is a tiny round capsule with horns. This plant may vary in appearance due to its wide distribution and because it hybridizes easily with similar species.

Buckbrush is tough and drought adapted. It takes full sun and is adaptable to different types of soil so long as it is well-draining. It will even grow well in serpentine soil. It is recommended as both an informal hedge and a garden focus.

It supports insects, especially bees. Butterflies are attracted to the flowers and are known to host 9 species of butterfly and moth with a huge total of 86 species likely. Harvester ants have been known to cache the seeds, which can lie dormant for a long time since fire is required for germination.

Known by the common names Mountain Buckbrush or Desert Ceanothus, it is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico where it grows in desert scrub, sagebrush, chaparral, and other dry habitat. This shrub grows erect to nearly 2 meters in maximum height. Its woody parts are gray in color and somewhat woolly. The evergreen leaves are oppositely arranged and variable in shape. They may be toothed or smooth along the edges. The flower cluster is a small cluster of many white flowers. The fruit is a horned capsule a few millimeters wide which bursts explosively to expel the three seeds. The seeds require thermal scarification from wildfire before they can germinate. This shrub is eagerly browsed by livestock and wild ungulates such as Mule deer and Desert Bighorn Sheep. Also known to attract a variety of bird species.

Deer brush (Ceanothus integerrimus) is a woody shrub in the Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn) family native to the western United States, including Arizona, New Mexico, California, Oregon, and Washington. It grows in a wide range of habitats, from chaparral mountain shrub regions to hardwood forests and fir, spruce, and Ponderosa Pine communities, with the most abundance in California's chaparral. The species shows significant variability in form across its range. In some areas, it is a deciduous shrub 1-4 meters tall with an open, ascending to erect branching habit. In others, it is evergreen or semi-deciduous and decumbent. There are two recognized varieties, with overlapping ranges reflecting the species' adaptability.

Deer brush is a drought-adapted shrub that fixes nitrogen through root nodules formed by actinomycete bacteria. It produces fragrant flowers, typically white, though they may occasionally be shades of blue. While it can be tricky to grow in the garden, especially without providing the right conditions, it thrives best in mountain gardens and is particularly suited to growing in the shade of conifers or oaks. The shrub is browsed by wildlife, especially deer.

Ceanothus lemmonii is a species of shrub in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae known by the common name Lemmon's ceanothus. It is endemic to California, where it grows on the wooded slopes of the Inner North Coast Ranges and the Sierra Nevada foothills to the west and east, respectively, of the Sacramento Valley. This is a spreading shrub approaching a meter in height and slightly more in width. The woody parts are gray when aged and new twigs are green, hairy, and sometimes hairy. The evergreen leaves are alternately arranged. Each is oval in shape and dull green, densely hairy on the underside and more thinly hairy on the upper surface, and the edge is lined with tiny hairy teeth. The abundant flower clusters are clusters of pale to bright blue or purple flowers. The fruit is a smooth capsule a few millimeters long.

Chaparral whitethorn (Ceanothus leucodermis) is an evergreen shrub in the Buckthorn family. It’s native to California and Baja California, where it grows in coastal and inland mountain habitat. 

This large shrub has thorns that grow along the stem. Its blue-green leaves are small and oval and contrast nicely with the gray-white, waxy stem. Chaparral whitehorn blooms in spring, with long clusters of tiny flowers in shades of blue, lavender, or white. The small fruit is a sticky, yellow-green capsule small mammals, birds, and insects eat. Mule deer and bighorn sheep browse the new growth and shoots.

This ceanothus is easy to grow if it’s properly sited. It prefers the mountains or interior valleys to the coast. Plant on a slope among other shrubs to protect the roots from direct sun. 

Ceanothus oliganthus is a species of shrub in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae known by the common name hairy ceanothus. It is endemic to California, where it can be found in most of the coastal mountain ranges in dry habitat such as chaparral. This is a large, erect shrub approaching 3 meters in maximum height. The evergreen leaves are alternately arranged and may be up to 4 centimeters long. They are dark green on top, paler and hairy on the underside, and are edged with hairy teeth. The flower cluster is a cluster or series of clusters of blue or purple flowers. The fruit is a capsule which may be hairy or not, depending on variety. There are three recognized varieties with overlapping ranges. The variety of this species known as jimbrush (var. sorediatus) is sometimes treated as a separate species.

Plant Ceanothus oliganthus on rocky slopes, particular north facing ones in the southern, drier parts of its range. This plant is fairly sensitive to summer water. Best to avoid all direct summer water after it's first year, though it will be happiest if it can stretch its roots out to a damper or irrigated area 10 feet away or so. This plant likes full sun but tolerates part shade.

Hairy Ceanothus (Ceanothus oliganthus var. oliganthus) is a native shrub in the Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn) family. It is one of three recognized varieties of the species Ceanothus oliganthus. It grows primarily in the coastal hills and mountains of southern and central California, from Santa Barbara County to Los Angeles County and into Baja. It tends to grow in dry slopes, at elevations from 0-4300 feet. This is a large, erect shrub approaching 3 meters in height. The evergreen leaves are alternately arranged and may be up to 4 centimeters long. They are dark green on top, paler and hairy on the underside, and are edged with hairy teeth. The flower cluster is a series of clusters of blue or purple flowers. The fruit is a capsule which is generally smooth and not hairy.



Plant Ceanothus oliganthus var. oliganthus on rocky slopes, particularly north facing ones in the southern, drier parts of its range. This plant is fairly sensitive to summer water. Best to avoid all direct summer water after it's first year, though it will be happiest if it can stretch its roots out to a damper or irrigated area 10 feet away or so. This plant likes full sun but tolerates part shade. For further information about the species, please refer to Ceanothus Oliganthus.

Jim Brush (Ceanothus oliganthus var. sorediatus) is a native shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in dry slopes, at elevations from 0-3300 feet.

Ceanothus tomentosus is a species of shrub in the Buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae) known by the common name Woollyleaf Ceanothus. It is most commonly found in the foothills and canyons of San Diego, Orange and Riverside Counties, north up into the foothills of the Transverse Mountains, and south down into Baja California. The plants formerly called Ceanothus tomentosus var. tomentosus from the Sierra Nevada are actually more closely related to Ceanothus thyrsiflorus (see Burge et. al. Nov. 2011). Ceanothus tomentosus grows in chaparral, coastal sage scrub, coastal strand and foothill woodland plant communities in its range.

It is shrub approaching four meters in maximum height. The evergreen leaves are alternately arranged and have dense, matted hairs on the undersides. The leaves have tiny, hairy teeth. The flower cluster is several centimeters long of deep blue or white flowers. The fruit is a lobed capsule a few millimeters long. It is not hairy and it is sticky when new.

Ceanothus tomentosus is a quintessential chaparral plant in San Diego county. It puts on a great floral display for 1-2 months in winter or occasionally in the spring if rains come late. The flowers are beautiful and abundant particularly in wetter years, and can turn the foothills and canyons blue. So for 1-2 months this plant is especially spectacular. The shiny leaves reflect the sun and look beautiful when backlit. In southern California, it prefers full sun and slopes that retain just a bit more moisture than average - i.e. north facing slopes, slope bottoms, east or west facing slopes with heavier soils and plenty of rocks, or cool coastal conditions. Fast growing to 6-12 feet if happy.

Ceanothus tomentosus doesn't tolerate much if any direct summer water after it's established, and if planted in soils that don't retain enough moisture, it will dry out and die. So site selection is very important here. Best to give it regular water for the first year, and none or almost none thereafter, though it'll do fine if planted adjacent to an irrigated area. If you do give it supplemental water, it should be light and preferably indirect. It will typically drop about half its leaves in the summer and make its own mulch.

Celtis reticulata, or Netleaf Hackberry, is a medium-sized tree native to North America. The tree was first described in the mid nineteenth century by observations in the lower elevations of the Rocky Mountains as well as observations in lower montane areas of Oregon. C. reticulata was one of the species analyzed in a pollen core samplng study in northern Arizona, in which the early to late Holocene flora association was reconstructed; this study in the Waterman Mountains demonstrated that C. reticulata was found to be present after the Wisconsinan glaciation, but is not a current taxon of this Pinyon-juniper woodland area. The leaves are eaten by a number of insects, particularly certain moth caterpillars.

Centromadia fitchii, Fitch's spikeweed or Fitch's tarweed, is a species of North American plants in the tarweed tribe within the sunflower family. It is native to California and southwestern Oregon. Centromadia fitchii is an herb up to 50 cm (20 inches) tall. It produces arrays of numerous yellow flower heads with both ray florets and disc florets.

Centrostegia is a monotypic genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae with a single species in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Centrostegia thurberi is known by the common names Thurber's spineflower and red triangles. It is a petite herb with a distinct red coloration.

Cephalanthus occidentalis is a species of flowering plant in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, that is native to the Central Valley in California, and to eastern and southern North America. Common names include Buttonbush, Common Buttonbush, Button-willow and Honey-bells. C. occidentalis is a deciduous shrub or small tree that averages 1-3 meter (3.3-9.8 feet) in height, but can reach 6 meter (20 feet). The leaves are opposite or in whorls of three, elliptic to ovate, 7-18 centimeter (2.8-7.1 inches) long and 4-10 meter (13-33 feet) broad, with a smooth edge and a short petiole. The flowers are arranged in a dense spherical flower cluster 2-3.5 centimeter (0.79-1.4 inches) in diameter on a short peduncle. Each flower has a fused white to pale yellow four-lobed corolla forming a long slender tube connecting to the sepals. The stigma protrudes slightly from the corolla. The fruit is a spherical cluster of achenes (nutlets).

This plant is easy to grow as long as it's planted near a stream or water source. Often used in wetland revegation project in the Central Valley.

The Western Redbud (Cercis occidentalis) is a small deciduous tree or shrub found in the foothills and mountains of California. In the northern, rainier part of its range, it grows more often on dry slopes in mountain foothills. In the southern and drier part of its range, it grows most often near near higher-elevation creeks, canyon bottoms and other moister areas.

The thin, shiny brown branches bear shiny heart-shaped leaves which are light green early in the season and darken as they age. Leaves on plants at higher elevation may turn gold or red as the weather cools. The showy flowers develop in the spring and are bright pink or magenta, and grow in clusters all over the shrub, making the plant very colorful and noticeable in the landscape. The shrub bears 3-inch-long brown legume pods which are very thin and dry. The flowers that are popular with a variety of native bees, including leafcutter bees.

This plant is easy to grow just about anywhere in northern California that doesn't get below 15 degrees. In southern California, best to plant Western Redbuds near seasonal streams, springs, damp areas or irrigated areas. To thrive, this plant needs a four-season climate with a cool winter, so best not to plant near the immediate coast in Southern California. Redbud

Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus betuloides) is a distinctive-looking shrub that provides visual interest in the landscape. It is known for its long, fuzzy seeds that resemble curled feathers and shine in the sun. "Cercocarpus" means fruit with a tail. The evergreen, birch-like leaves have edges that are smooth at the bottom and toothed at the top. Its small yellow flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Mountain Mahogany is named for its dark bark color, but this plant is actually a member of the Rose family.

This shrub has a tall, upright habit and a fast growth rate. It is often used in narrow areas and as a hedge or privacy screen. It responds well to light or heavy pruning, which may be necessary when planted in small spaces. It can also be cut down to the ground for new growth. It's a low-water plant and adapts to a variety of soil types. Mountain Mahogany is notable for its extensive root system and is often used for restoration and bank stabilization.

Curl Leaf Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius) is a large, densely-branching shrub or tree. Its leathery, sticky, dark-green leaves are up to 1 1/2 inches long and lance-shaped.The small cream flowers appear in spring in clusters of up to three. It produces a small, dry fruit.

It is very drought-adapted and hardy, which makes it great for the high desert and for slopes. It is also a good choice for a screen or background shrub. It takes full to part sun and well-draining rocky soil.

This plant is distributed across western North America, where it grows on low mountains and slopes. It has a great many medicinal uses for various Indigenous Peoples, such as the Paiute and the Shoshone.

This species is known to attain ages at least as great as 1,350 years (although the tree that yielded this age was cut down; Schultz et al. 1990). This makes it arguably the oldest known flowering plant.

Cercocarpus intricatus is a species of flowering plant known by the common name littleleaf mountain mahogany. It is native to the southwestern United States from California to Colorado, where it grows in mostly dry habitat such as desert, mountain slopes, plateau, and woodland. It is a thickly branched shrub spreading and growing erect to heights between one and three meters. The many short gray twigs on the branches bear tiny, widely spaced evergreen leaves. Each thick, short leaf is a centimeter long or less, rolled under at the edges, and leathery in texture. The flower cluster has two or three flowers. Each flower is a tiny cup just a few millimeters wide containing several protruding stamens and one pistil. The style remains after the rest of the flower falls away. It is feathery and up to 2 centimeters long, with the fruit, an achene, at the tip.

Chaenactis douglasii is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name Douglas' dustymaiden. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Saskatchewan to California to New Mexico, where it grows in a wide variety of habitats, including harsh environments such as rock fields in alpine climates and disturbed areas such as roadsides. This is a variable herb, generally a perennial. It grows erect to a maximum height near 50 or 60 centimeters, with one to many stems coated in cobwebby hairs. The woolly or hairy leaves may be up to 15 centimeters long and are divided intricately into many lobes with curled or twisted tips. The flower cluster produces one or more flower heads, each up to about 2 centimeters long. The flower head is lined with flat, hairy, blunt-pointed phyllaries and contains several white or pinkish tubular flowers with protruding anthers. The fruit is an achene about a centimeter long including its pappus of scales.

Chaenactis glabriuscula is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family known by the common name Yellow Pincushion. It is native to much of California and Baja California, where it grows in a wide variety of habitats. It is a variable plant, especially across its five recognized Varieties: Var. orcuttiana, is a rare variety limited to the beaches and coastal dunes of southern California and Baja, where it is threatened by development of its coastal habitat. In general this is an annual herb producing one or more mainly erect stems approaching half a meter in maximum height. The branching stems are hairy and often cobwebby with fibers. The leaves are up to about 10 centimeters long, sometimes fleshy, and usually divided into many very small, curling lobes. The flower cluster produces one to many flower heads on a very long, erect peduncle. The flower head is lined with flat, hairy or woolly hairy phyllaries. It contains many tubular flowers in shades of gold to bright yellow, the outermost flowers large and flat-faced, most with protruding anthers. The fruit is an achene which may be over a centimeter long including its layered pappus of scales. This is an attractive plant, especially when planted in mass, which can bloom up to eight months of the year, and attractive to butterflies.

Chaenactis macrantha is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names bighead dustymaiden and Mojave pincushion. It is native to the Great Basin and the southwestern deserts of the United States, in California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, southwestern Idaho, and southeastern Oregon. It grows in dry, open habitat with gravelly, sandy soils, often calcareous or alkaline in nature. Chaenactis macrantha is an annual herb growing one or more branching stems to 30 - 35 centimeters (12-14 inches) in maximum height. The leaves are a few centimeters long and divided into many lobes. The inflorescence bears one or more flower heads on long peduncles. The flower head is lined with woolly phyllaries which have recurved tips. The head contains many white or pink-tinted flowers which open at night. The fruit is an achene about a centimeter long including the pappus.

Chaenactis xantiana (Mojave pincushion or Xantu's pincushion), is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to the western United States, from southeastern Oregon, Nevada, eastern California and western Arizona. It is very common in the Antelope Valley in the Mojave Desert, and grows in sandy soils. It is an annual plant growing to 50 centimeter tall. The leaves are somewhat succulent, 3-7 centimeter long and 3-4 millimeter broad, in a basal rosette on the young plants which wither away during flowering, and spirally arranged leaves on the flowering stem; they are green, finely flecked with white scales giving an overall grayish color to the plant. The flowers are produced in a capitulum 3-6 centimeter diameter, and are white in color.

Chaetopappa ericoides is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names rose heath and heath-leaved chaetopappa. It is native to the southwestern and much of the midwestern United States and northern Mexico. This is a petite perennial herb reaching heights between 5 and 15 centimeters. The hairy, hairy stem grows from a woody caudex and branches several times. The green leaves are up to about a centimeter long and are hairy and bristly. The tiny flower head is 1 or 2 centimeters wide with white or pinkish ray florets around a center of yellow disc florets. Each head has a base of pointed purple-tipped greenish phyllaries. The fruit is a hairy, round achene with a bristly white pappus.

Chamaebatiaria is a monotypic genus of aromatic shrub in the rose family containing the single species Chamaebatiaria millefolium, which is known by the common names fern bush and desert sweet. Its genus name comes from its physical resemblance to the mountain miseries of genus Chamaebatia, which are not closely related. This is a hairy, sticky plant covered in fernlike foliage made up of fronds of small leaflets. At the ends of the erect branches of this spreading bush are flower clusters of white roselike flowers. This shrub is a resident of scrub, woodland, and forests in western North America. The closest relative of Spiraeanthus.

Chamaesaracha coronopus (formerly Solanum coronopus), commonly called greenleaf five eyes, is a plant in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) found in dry open flat areas from southeastern California to Kansas and western Texas. :69

Chenopodium atrovirens is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common names pinyon goosefoot and dark goosefoot. It is native to western North America, including southern Western Canada and most of the Western United States. It grows in many types of habitat, including open, sandy sites and disturbed areas, and in montane regions such as the Sierra Nevada, Peninsular Ranges, and Rocky Mountains. It is an annual herb growing an erect, branching stem up to about 60 centimeters tall, sometimes remaining much smaller. It is green to magenta in color and coated lightly in pinkish powdery dust. The leaves are oblong or oval and up to 3. 5 centimeters long. They have smooth edges and sometimes have a few lobes. The inflorescence is a rounded cluster of many minute flowers. Each tiny flower has five slightly powdery lobes in its corolla, each barely visible. The fruit is oval in shape and about a millimeter long, coating the tiny seed loosely.

Blitum californicum (Syn. Chenopodium californicum) is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common names California Goosefoot and (ambiguously) "Indian lettuce". It is native to California and Baja California where it can be found below 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) in open areas in a number of habitat types, such as grassland, chaparral, desert, and montane. This is a perennial herb producing a number of decumbent to erect stems which approach a meter in maximum height when growing upright. It grows from a thick, fleshy caudex. When there are many stems the plant may form a clump or mat. The leaves grow on long petioles and are triangular or arrowhead-shaped and up to about 10 centimeters long. The edges are deeply and sharply toothed. The inflorescences are spherical clusters dotted along an inflorescence-like spike. Each dense cluster contains several rounded flowers, with each flower a series of flat lobes covering the developing fruit. The fruit is a reddish utricle layered around the surface of the seed. Uses. California goosefoot was used for a variety of purposes by Native Americans including use as a medicine and a source of soap, in addition to the use of the seeds for flour and the leaves and shoots as a cooked vegetable.

Chenopodium desiccatum is a species of flowering plant in the goosefoot family known by the common names aridland goosefoot and slimleaf goosefoot. It is native to parts of western North America, including sections of the Western United States and southern Western Canada. It grows naturally in open land such as prairie and dunes, chaparral, adapts well to disturbed areas such as roadsides, and in montane habitats such as in the Transverse Ranges and Sierra Nevada of California. Chenopodium desiccatum is an annual herb producing an erect, branching stem up to about 35 centimeters in maximum height. It is powdery in texture, especially on the leaves and flowers. The fleshy leaves are less than 3 centimeters long and generally oval in shape with a smooth edge. The inflorescence is an array of tightly-packed clusters of tiny flowers. Each dusty flower has a five-lobed corolla which encloses the developing fruit.

Chenopodium fremontii is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common name Frémont's goosefoot. Both the species' specific epithet, and the common name derive from the 19th century western pioneer John C. Frémont. It is native to much of the western half of North America from Canada through California to Mexico. It grows in many types of habitat from open desert, to shady forest, at 700-3,100 metres (2,300-10,200 ft). Chenopodium fremontii is an annual herb growing an erect stem up to 50 to 80 centimeters in maximum height. It is powdery in texture, especially on the leaves and flowers. The leaves are up to 4 centimeters long, oval to triangular, and generally with a few lobes. The inflorescence is a spike of several clusters of tightly-packed tiny flowers. Each flower has five lobes and coats the developing fruit. It flowers from June to October. Uses. Many Native American tribes utilize this plant for food, the greens as a vegetable and the seeds as grain for bread and porridge.

Chlorogalum angustifolium is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name narrowleaf soap plant. It is native to the Sierra Nevada foothills and inner North Coast Ranges of California, and the mountains of southern Oregon, where it grows in heavy, rocky soils in woodland and on grassy hillsides. This is a perennial wildflower growing from a fibrous bulb a few centimeters wide. It has narrow basal leaves only a few millimeters wide. The flower cluster may be up to 70 centimeters long and is composed of several ephemeral flowers which open in the evening and close by the following morning. Each has six petals about a centimeter long which are white with yellow-green midveins. There are six stamens tipped with large yellow anthers. The fruit is a capsule 1 to 3 millimeters long. The Karuk of northern California used the soapy juice from the crushed bulbs of this plant as a detergent for washing clothes.

Soap plant (Chlorogalum pomeridianum) is a member of the Agavaceae (Agave) family, but more closely resembles a Lily.

Soap plant has delicate, star-like flowers in clusters. They are typically white, with a noticeable purple or green mid-vein and yellow-to-orange stamens. Soap plant flowers are unique in that they open only in the late afternoon or evening, sometimes on cloudy days. The flowers remain open during the night but will close by the morning. Pollination is by evening and night flying insects.

As the plant's common name indicates, the leaves usually have edges that are wavy. The plant is drought-deciduous, and its foliage usually disappears by late summer. Once established, Soap Plant requires virtually no care.

Indigenouse Peoples use the crushed bulbs and water to produce a lather for cleaning clothing and baskets. Soap plant is found in most of California except the desert regions and just into southwest Oregon. Wavy-leafed Soap Plant grows on rock bluffs, grasslands, chaparral, and in open woodlands.

Spreading Soaproot (Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. divaricatum) is a native perennial herb that grows in Central California, primarily in the North Coast and Central Coast regions. It tends to grow in bluffs, at elevations from 0-500 feet.

Soap Plant (Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. pomeridianum) is a native perennial herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in bluffs, at elevations from 0-4900 feet.

Chorizanthe brevicornu is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family which is known by the common name brittle spineflower. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it is widely distributed but is most abundant in the deserts. The plant extends an erect, naked, highly branching stem which is greenish in color. Most of the leaves grow from the base of the plant, but a few small ones may appear up on the stem. At the end of each of the many branches is a tube-shaped inflorescence which opens into a tiny white or greenish-yellow flower a few millimeters wide.

Chorizanthe membranacea is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name pink spineflower. It is native to Oregon and California, where it is widespread and in some areas quite common. It can be found in a wide variety of habitats. This herb grows erect to a maximum height near one meter. It is woolly in texture and most of its parts may bear a pink tint. The leaves are mostly linear in shape and they may occur along the stem as well as at the base. The longest may reach 5 centimeters. The flower cluster is a dense cluster of flowers, each surrounded by a unit of six fused leafs which are generally white to pinkish in color. The leafs are tipped with hooked awns. The flower itself is just a few millimeters long, white to pink, and quite hairy. There are sometimes small flower clusters located in the cauline leaf axils along the stem. This species is easily distinguished from other spineflowers by its relative abundance of leaves, its height and upright habit, and the fusion of the leafs of the involucre into a continuous body.

Chorizanthe polygonoides is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name knotweed spineflower. It is native to California and Baja California, where it grows widely scattered in many types of habitat. It is a petite plant taking a prostrate form with stems just a few centimeters long at maximum. It may be green to red in color and is hairy in texture. The leaves are no more than a centimeter long and the flower is under two millimeters wide. The minute flower is surrounded by three hairy point-tipped bracts.

Chorizanthe procumbens is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name prostrate spineflower. It is native to California and Baja California, where it grows in scrub and chaparral habitat. It is variable in appearance, up to 25 centimeters long or much shorter, usually growing prostrate along the ground. It is often yellowish green in color but there are grayish and reddish forms. The inflorescence is a cluster of flowers with each minute white or yellow flower surrounded by spine-tipped bracts.

Chorizanthe pungens is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name Monterey spineflower. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the San Francisco Bay Area south along the Central Coast. It grows mainly in coastal habitat and that of the hills and mountains overlooking the coastline. This is a generally erect but sometimes spreading or prostrate plant with stems up to half a meter in length. It is green to gray to red in color and usually hairy in texture. The leaves are located at the base of the plant; there are also bracts along the stem at the bases of the inflorescences which look like leaves. The inflorescence is a dense cluster of flowers, each flower surrounded by six white to pink hairy bracts tipped in hooked awns. The flower itself is only a few millimeters wide with jagged tepals. Varieties: There are two varieties of this species:var. pungens is the more commonvar. hartwegiana is known only from the Santa Cruz Mountains north of Santa Cruz. This variety, known as the Ben Lomond spineflower, is treated as a federally listed endangered species. It is found in the same type of unique habitat, known as the Zayante sandhills, as other local rare endemic life forms such as the Ben Lomond wallflower Erysimum teretifolium and the Zayante band-winged grasshopper Trimerotropis infantilis. Threats to this plant and other endemic species include the destruction of the local habitat during sand mining.

Chorizanthe robusta is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family. It is endemic to California, where it is a rare, federally listed endangered species. C. robusta is variable in form, growing decumbent or erect and reaching a maximum length of half a meter. It is grayish in color and hairy. The inflorescence is made up of several flowers with each flower surrounded by white or pink bracts with hooked tips. The flower itself is just a few millimeters long and white to pink in color. Varieties: It is composed of two varieties:var. robusta, known generally as the robust spineflower, which is known only from southern Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties,var. hartwegii, the Scotts Valley spineflower, which is known from a few locations in Scotts Valley in Santa Cruz County. The plant is closely related to Chorizanthe pungens, another rare endemic from the area.

Chorizanthe stellulata is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name starlet spineflower. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the dry woodlands of the low mountains and foothills along the central part of the state, such as the Sierra Nevada foothills. The plant takes an erect form, reaching up to 30 centimeters tall. The leaves are located at the base of the plant, and there is also a whorl of leaves at mid-stem. The inflorescence is a dense cluster of flowers, each flower surrounded by hairy, bristly white bracts tipped with hooked awns. The flower is 4 or 5 millimeters long and white to pink in color.

Chorizanthe uniaristata is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name one-awn spineflower. It is endemic to central California, where it is known from several of the local mountain ranges, as well as the Central Coast. It grows in sandy, gravelly, and rocky soils in chaparral and woodland. This plant has upright or decumbent stems up to about 25 centimeters in length. It is hairy and gray, green, or reddish in color. The inflorescence is a cluster of flowers, with each flower surrounded by an array of six hairy bracts. One bract is much longer than the others and has a long, straight awn; the other bracts have hooked awns. The flower is 2 or 3 millimeters long and usually white.

Chorizanthe watsonii is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name fivetooth spineflower. It is native to the western United States from Washington to the Mojave Desert. It grows in many types of plant communities from desert scrub to woodland and sagebrush. This small plant grows a woolly erect stem up to about 15 centimeters tall. The inflorescence is a cluster of flowers surrounded by five hairy greenish bracts tipped with hooked awns. The flower is about 2 millimeters wide and yellow in color.

Chorizanthe xanti is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name Riverside spineflower. It is endemic to California, where it grows in several of the mountain ranges from the Sierra Nevada to the Southern California Transverse Ranges in forest, woodland, and scrub habitats. Chorizanthe xanti is generally erect in form, reaching up to about 30 centimeters in height, and reddish in color and coated in thin to dense hairs. The inflorescence is a loose cluster of flowers, each flower surrounded by six reddish, curly-haired bracts tipped with hooked awns. The flower is up to 6 millimeters wide and pink to red in color. There are two varieties of this species. Chorizanthe xanti is generally erect in form, reaching up to about 30 centimeters in height, and reddish in color and coated in thin to dense hairs. The inflorescence is a loose cluster of flowers, each flower surrounded by six reddish, curly-haired bracts tipped with hooked awns. The flower is up to 6 millimeters wide and pink to red in color. There are two varieties of this species. The rarer, var. leucotheca, is known only from the San Jacinto and San Bernardino Mountains. It has a much more thickly woolly inflorescence than the more common variety.

Long Flowered Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus depressus) is a native shrub that grows in Southern California, primarily in the Desert Mountains and Mojave Desert regions. It tends to grow in rocky crevices, at elevations from 3300-6900 feet.

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus is a species of shrub in the daisy family known by the common names yellow rabbitbrush and green rabbitbrush. It is native to western North America, from British Columbia to California to Nebraska, where it grows in sagebrush and woodland habitat. It grows easily in alkaline and saline soils, and thrives on soils that are rich in calcium. It rapidly establishes in disturbed habitat, including burns, flooded washes, and rockslides, so it is a valuable shrub for revegetating damaged land such as overgrazed rangeland and abandoned mining areas. This shrub grows up to about 1.5 meters in height with spreading brittle pale-colored stem branches. The leaves are up to a few centimeters long and may be thin and thready or up to a centimeter wide and oblong in shape. They are hairy, resinous, and sticky. The flower cluster is a bushy cluster of flower heads, each head one half to one centimeter long. The flower head is lined with sticky yellow-green phyllaries and contains several yellowish protruding flowers. The fruit is a hairy achene a few millimeters long with a wispy pappus at the tip.

Golden Suncup (Camissonia brevipes ssp. brevipes) is a native annual herb that grows in Southern and Central California, primarily in the Desert Mountains, the Mojave Desert and Sonoran Desert regions. It tends to grow in sandy or rocky slopes, at elevations from 0-5900 feet.

Chylismia heterochroma is a species of evening primrose known by the common name Shockley's evening primrose. It is native to the desert slopes and woodland of eastern California and Nevada. It is a hairy, glandular annual herb growing a spindly stem up to a meter tall. There is a thick basal rosette of leaves which are mostly oval in shape and several centimeters in length, and generally no leaves higher up the stem. The inflorescence produces several small flowers with four oval petals just a few millimeters long and lavender in color with yellow-tinted bases. The fruit is a club-shaped capsule roughly a centimeter long.

Chylismiella pterosperma is a species of evening primrose known by the common name wingfruit suncup and is the only species in the monotypic genus Chylismiella. It is native to the western United States, where it grows in several habitat types, including sagebrush. It is a slender annual herb producing an erect stem up to about 14 centimeters in height. The leaves are up to 3 centimeters long and densely coated in bristly hairs. The nodding inflorescence produces flowers with white petals each less than 3 millimeters long. They are sometimes yellow near the bases and fade to a purple color as they wither. The fruit is a straight capsule about 1 to 3 centimeters long with a thick wing down the middle.