Rhamnus cuspidata Greene, Leafl. Bot. Observ. Crit. 1: 64. 1904; Frangula viridula (Jepson) Grubov; R. californica Eschscholtz subsp. cuspidata (Greene) C. B. Wolf; R. californica var. viridula Jepson; R. tomentella Bentham subsp. cuspidata (Greene) J. O. Sawyer

Leaf blades green adaxially, elliptic, 2–5(–6) cm, margins sharply serrate to dentate-serrulate with gland-tipped teeth, sometimes strongly revolute, apex abruptly acuminate to acute, abaxial surface sparsely to moderately densely white stellate-hairy, with intermixed longer, simple, erect hairs at least along veins, adaxial surface glabrous or sparsely hirsutulous; veins not prominent abaxially. Drupe stones 2.

Flowering Apr–Jun. Chaparral, desert scrub, montane woodlands; 400–2300 m; Calif.

When present, the strongly revolute leaf margins of subsp. cuspidata contrast with those of other taxa of Frangula californica. Plants identifiable as subsp. cuspidata but with flat-margined leaves perhaps show the influence of subsp. tomentella.