Baccharis pilularis
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| Species: | B. pilularis
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Baccharis pilularis, called coyote brush[2] (or bush), chaparral broom, and bush baccharis, is a shrub in the daisy family native to California, Oregon, Washington, and Baja California.[3] There are reports of isolated populations in New Mexico, most likely introduced.[4] [5][6]
Distribution
The plants are found in a variety of habitats, from coastal bluffs, oak woodlands, and grasslands, including on hillsides and in canyons, below 2,000 feet (610 m).
Coyote brush is known as a secondary pioneer plant in communities such as coastal sage scrub and chaparral. It does not regenerate under a closed shrub canopy because seedling growth is poor in the shade. Coast live oak, California bay, Rhus integrifolia, and other shade producing species replace coastal sage scrub and other coyote bush-dominated areas, particularly when there hasn't been a wildfire or heavy grazing.
In California grasslands, it comes in late and invades and increases in the absence of fire or grazing. Coyote bush invasion of grasslands is important because it helps the establishment of other coastal sage species.
Description
The Baccharis pilularis shrub is generally smaller than 3 metres (9.8 ft) in height. Erect plants are generally mixed (and intergrade completely) with prostrate plants. It is glabrous and generally sticky.[7]
The stems are prostrate to erect which branches spreading or ascending. The leaves are 8–55 millimetres (0.31–2.17 in) long and are entire to toothed and oblanceolate to obovate, with three principal veins. [7]
The flower heads are in a leafy panicle. The involucres are hemispheric to bell shaped. This species is dioecious (pistillate and staminate flowers occur on separate plants). Both staminate and pistillate heads are 3.5–5 millimetres (0.14–0.20 in) long. Phyllaries are in 4–6 series, ovate, and glabrous. The receptacles are convex to conic and honeycombed. The staminate flowers range from 20–30 and there are 19–43 pistillate flowers. [7]
This and other Baccharis species are nectar sources for most of the predatory wasps, native skippers (small butterflies), and native flies in their ranges.
- Baccharis pilularis subsp. consanguinea(DC.) C.B.Wolf — primarily in coastal chaparral
- Baccharis pilularis subsp. pilularis — sandy coastal bluffs and beaches in California.
Cultivation
Baccharis pilularis is cultivated as an ornamental plant, and used frequently in drought tolerant, native plant, and wildlife gardens; and in natural landscaping and habitat restoration projects. The cultivar ground cover selections have various qualities of height and spread, leaf colors, and textures. The upright forms are useful for hedges and fence lines, and year round foliage.
Coyote brush is usually deer-resistant. The plants are also drought tolerant after maturity, requiring watering once a week until established, and then about once per month during the first summer. They can mature in one to two years. The plants prefer good drainage.
Only male plants of Baccharis pilularis are cultivated for landscaping use. If these are substituted for Baccharis pilularis subsp. consanguinea in ecological restoration, there will not be as much seed set, nor recruitment of new individuals.
Cultivars
Cultivars, often with the common name "dwarf coyote brush" or "dwarf baccharis" indicating ground cover selections, include:
- Baccharis pilularis 'Pigeon Point'—from Pigeon Point, California coast.[8]
- Baccharis pilularis "Twin Peaks"—from coast along Sonoma to Monterey Counties.[9]
- Baccharis pilularis 'Santa Ana' [10]
See also
- California coastal sage and chaparral ecoregion
- California montane chaparral and woodlands ecoregion
- Fire ecology
References
- ^ a b The Plant List Baccharis pilularis DC.
- ^ Steinberg, Peter D. 2002. Baccharis pilularis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/ [2015, May 26]. ]
- ^ CONABIO. 2009. Catálogo taxonómico de especies de México. 1. In Capital Nat. México. CONABIO, México D.F..
- ^ United States Department of Agriculture plants profile: Baccharis pilularis' . accessed 3.23.2013
- ^ The Jepson Manual: Higher plants of California; eFlora 2012; Baccharis pilularis . accessed 3.23.2013
- ^ Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
- ^ a b c d Flora of North America, Chaparral broom, coyote brush, dwarf chaparral false willow, Baccharis pilularis de Candolle in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 5: 407. 1836.
- ^ Theodore Payne.org: Baccharis pilularis 'Pigeon Point'
- ^ Las Pilitas: Baccharis pilularis "Twin Peaks"
- ^ Las Pilitas: Baccharis pilularis ' Santa Ana'
External links
- CalFlora taxon report, University of California: Baccharis pilularis (coyote brush)
- Jepson Manual Treatment—Baccharis pilularis
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile for Baccharis pilularis (coyotebrush)
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas (NPIN)—Baccharis pilularis (coyote brush)
- Baccharis pilularis— Calphotos Photo gallery, University of California
- Baccharis
- Flora of California
- Flora of Baja California
- Flora of Oregon
- Flora of Washington (state)
- Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
- Natural history of the California Coast Ranges
- Natural history of the Central Valley (California)
- Natural history of the Channel Islands of California
- 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 described in 1836
- Plants and pollinators
- Butterfly food plants
- Garden plants of North America
- Drought-tolerant plants
- Groundcovers
- Shrubs