1. Vauquelinia californica (Torrey) Sargent, Gard. & Forest. 2: 400. 1889.
Arizona rosewood
Spiraea californica Torrey in W. H. Emory, Not. Milit. Reconn., 140. 1848
Shrubs or trees, ˂rounded to ovoid˃, 10–50(–80) dm, usually multistemmed. Leaves: petiole (1.5–)4–16(–26) mm; blade usually bicolor, sometimes green or yellow-green, oblong-elliptic or oblong-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate or linear, (2.2–)3–11(–15) × (0.6–)0.7–2(–3.2) cm, base obliquely cuneate to rounded, margins serrulate or crenulate, teeth 10–35(–50) per 5 cm, 0.1–0.5(–1.5) mm, apex acute, mostly mucronate, surfaces closely villous-tomentulose, abaxially more densely so, or glabrate or tardily glabrescent (some remaining crinkled hairs). Corymbs 1.5–5(–12) × 1.7–8(–13) cm, tomentulose, sometimes sparsely hairy or glabrate. Flowers: hypanthium 1.5–2.5(–3) × 2–3.7(–4.5) mm, tomentose to sparsely tomentulose or glabrate; sepals 1.1–2.2 × 1.4–2.3 mm, margins eglandular; petals oblong-ovate, 3.4–5.4 × 2.4–3.5 mm; filaments 2.5–6 mm. Capsules 4.5–6.5 × 3.5–4.5 mm. Seeds 3.5–5 × 0.9–1.4 mm.
Subspecies 4 (3 in the flora): sw United States, n Mexico.
Subspecies retherfordii (I. M. Johnston) W. J. Hess & Henrickson is known from Coahuila and Durango in northern Mexico.
SELECTED REFERENCE Williams, K. B. 1971. Ecological and Morphological Variations of Vauquelinia californica (Torr.) Sarg. Populations in Arizona. Ph.D. dissertation. University of Arizona.
