California Sweetshrub

Appearance

''Calycanthus occidentalis'' is a deciduous shrub that can reach 4 m height. Its leaves are opposite, and grow to about 5–15 cm long and 2–8 cm wide. They are more-or-less ovate with acute tips, a rounded base. The flowers appear from late spring to early fall. The flowers do not have distinctive sepals and petals, but have swirls of dark red to burgundy colored petal-like structures called tepals, 2–6 cm long and 0.5–1 cm wide. The flowers open to about 5 cm wide. The tepals enclose about 10–15 stamens. The flowers are pollinated by beetles of the family Nitidulidae.

Distribution

''Calycanthus occidentalis'' is native to California and, according to some sources, Washington. It grows along streams and on moist canyon slopes at elevations of 200–1,600 m .

Habitat

''Calycanthus occidentalis'' is native to California and, according to some sources, Washington. It grows along streams and on moist canyon slopes at elevations of 200–1,600 m .