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Heteromeles

(Redirected fromToyon)
"Photinia arbutifolia" redirects here. For the red chokeberry, seeAronia arbutifolia.

Heteromeles arbutifolia(/ˌhɛtɪroʊˈmiːliːzɑːrˌbjuːtɪˈfoʊliə/;[5]more commonly/ˌhɛtəˈrɒməliːz/by Californian botanists), commonly known astoyon,is a commonperennialshrubnative to extreme southwestOregon,[6][7]California,and theBaja California Peninsula.[4]It is the sole species in the genusHeteromeles.

Heteromeles
Toyon bush in habitat
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Subfamily: Amygdaloideae
Tribe: Maleae
Subtribe: Malinae
Genus: Heteromeles
M.Roem.nom. cons.1847
Species:
H. arbutifolia
Binomial name
Heteromeles arbutifolia
Natural range
Synonyms[4]
  • Photinia arbutifoliaLindl.
  • Crataegus arbutifoliaW.T.Aitonnom. illeg.[3]
  • Heteromeles fremontianaDecaisne
  • Heteromeles salicifolia(C.Presl) Abrams
  • Photinia salicifoliaC.Presl

Toyon is a prominent component of thecoastal sage scrubplant community, and is a part of drought-adaptedchaparraland mixedoak woodlandhabitats.[8]It is also known by the common namesChristmas berry[9]andCalifornia holly.

Description

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Toyon typically grows from 2–5 m (rarely up to 10 m in shaded conditions) and has a rounded to irregular top. Itsleavesareevergreen,alternate, sharply toothed, have shortpetioles,and are 5–10 cm in length and 2–4 cm wide. In the early summer it produces small whiteflowers6–10 mm diameter in dense terminalcorymbs.Flowering peaks in June.[10]

The fivepetalsare rounded. Thefruitis a smallpome,[11]5–10 mm across, bright red and berry-like, produced in large quantities, maturing in the fall and persisting well into the winter.[citation needed]

  • Plant fruiting onMount Diablo,Contra Costa County, California.
  • Leaves
  • Flowers
  • Fruit
  • In habitat Miwok Trail in the Los Vaqueros Watershed of the Los Vaqueros Reservoir, a park in Contra Costa County, California.

Phytochemistry

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The plant has been used as a treatment forAlzheimer'sbyindigenous people of Californiaand recent research has found a number of active compounds that are potentially beneficial to Alzheimer's treatment. These include icariside compounds, which protect theblood-brain barrierand prevent infiltration of inflammatory cells into the brain.[12]

Taxonomy

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The generaPhotinia,Aronia,Pourthiaea,andStranvaesiahave historically been variously combined by different taxonomists.[13]The genusHeteromelesas originally published byMax Joseph Roemerwasmonospecific,includingPhotinia arbutifoliaLindl. (1820), asH. arbutifolia(Lindl.) M. Roem, but the name wasillegitimate(superfluous) because it included thetypeof the genusPhotinia.[13]This has since been corrected byconservation,[14]and the name is therefore often written asHeteromelesM. Roem.nom. cons.(1847).[citation needed]

Varieties

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  • Heteromeles arbutifoliavar.arbutifolia(Lindl.) M.Roem.–Autonym
  • Heteromeles arbutifoliavar.cerina(Jeps.) A.E.Murray– Representative of the yellow fruiting specimens of the plant. Sporadic in distribution, and not accepted by most taxonomical authorities.[9]
  • Heteromeles arbutifoliavar.macrocarpa(Munz) Munz(Island Christmas berryorisland toyon) – A very rare insular variety limited to theChannel IslandsofSan ClementeandSanta Catalinaand the Mexican Pacific island ofGuadalupe.[15][16]Characterized by shorter, broader, significantly larger leaves with revolute margins and little teeth, and floriferous inflorescences with larger fruits (8 to 10 mm).[9]It is more susceptible to fungal infections of Spilocaea than the common toyon.[17]

Toxicity

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Toyon pomes areacidicandastringent,and contain a small amount of cyanogenicglycosides,which break down intohydrocyanic acidon digestion. This is removed by mild cooking.[18]Most fruits from plants in the family Rosaceae, including apples, apricots, peaches, cherries, and plums, contain cyanide.[12]

Some pomes, though mealy, astringent and acidic when raw, were eaten fresh, or mashed into water to make a beverage.[citation needed]

A 2016 study found 5g of the dried berries (used as a treatment for Alzheimer's) to be safe. The study also found no cyanogenic compounds in the plant.[12]

Uses

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Toyon berries

The pomes provided food for localNative Americantribes, such as theChumash,Tongva,andTataviam.The pomes also can be made into a jelly. Native Americans also made a tea from the leaves as a stomach remedy. Most were dried and stored, then later cooked into porridge or pancakes. Later settlers added sugar to makecustardandwine.[19]The plants were also often cooked over a fire to remove the slightly bitter taste by Californian tribes.[20]

The Tongva (who called the plantashuwet) ate the berries fresh, boiled and left them in an earthen oven for 2 to 3 days, roasted them, or made them into a cider. Pulverized flowers were steeped into hot water to make tea which could be used to ease gynecological ailments. For stomach pains, bark and leaves are steeped in hot water to make tea. The same tea can serve as a seasonal tonic and ease other body pains. Also, applying mashedashuwetto sores eases pain. Infected wounds are washed using an infusion of bark and leaves.[21]Theʔívil̃uqaletemalso called the plantashwet.They often consumed the fruit both raw and cooked.[20]

Cultivation

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Toyon can be grown in domestic gardens in well-drained soil, and is cultivated as an ornamental plant as far north as Southern England. It can survive temperatures as low as -12 °C.[citation needed]In winter, the bright red pomes (which birds often eat voraciously) are showy.[citation needed]

Like many other genera in theRosaceaetribeMaleae,toyon includes some cultivars that are susceptible tofireblight.[22]It survives on little water, making it suitable for xeriscape gardening, and is less of a fire hazard than some chaparral plants.[23]

They are visited bybutterflies,and have a mild,hawthorn-like scent. The fruit are consumed bybirds,includingmockingbirds,American robins,cedar waxwingsandhermit thrushes.[24]Mammalsincludingcoyotesandbearsalso eat and disperse the pomes.[citation needed]

Culture

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In 1921,[25]collecting toyon branches forChristmasbecame so popular in Los Angeles that the State ofCaliforniapassed a law forbidding collecting on public land or on any land not owned by the person picking any plant without the landowner's written permission (CA Penal Code § 384a).[26][27]

Toyon was adopted as the official native plant of the city of Los Angeles by the LA City Council on April 17, 2012.[28]

See also

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References

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  1. ^IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group.; Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). (2020)."Heteromeles arbutifolia".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2020:e.T156822115A156822117.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T156822115A156822117.en.Retrieved23 September2021.
  2. ^Jepson Flora Project (1993)Heteromeles arbutifolia,University of California, Berkeley
  3. ^Tropicos.org,retrieved11 November2016
  4. ^abJames B. Phipps (2015),"Heteromeles arbutifolia(Lindley) M. Roemer, Fam. Nat. Syn. Monogr. 3: 105. 1847 ",Flora of North America,vol. 9
  5. ^Sunset Western Garden Book,1995:606–607
  6. ^"Final Environmental Impact Statement - Appendices"(PDF).Smith River National Recreation Area Restoration and Motorize Travel Management.United States Department of Agriculture:192. December 2016.Heteromeles arbutifolia is found in Oregon and the location southwest of Pappas Flat is not the northernmost site in the Pacific Northwest. Additionally, this site is adjacent to Highway 199 and will not be affected by the proposed actions, and is outside the geographic scope of the project.
  7. ^Wood, Wendell (February 2008)."Toyon Joins the List of Oregon's Native Shrubs"(PDF).Bulletin of the Native Plant Society of Oregon.41(2): 11, 18.
  8. ^C.M. Hogan, 2008
  9. ^abcJames B. Phipps (2015),"HeteromelesM. Roemer, Fam. Nat. Syn. Monogr. 3: 100, 105. 1847. [name conserved] ",Flora of North America,vol. 9
  10. ^Heteromeles arbutifoliaat iNaturalist
  11. ^"Heteromeles arbutifolia,in Jepson Flora Project ".Regents of the University of California.Retrieved14 November2013.
  12. ^abcWang; Dubois; Young; Lien; Adams (7 Jul 2016)."Heteromeles Arbutifolia, a Traditional Treatment for Alzheimer's Disease, Phytochemistry and Safety".Medicines.3(3): 17.doi:10.3390/medicines3030017.PMC5456246.PMID28930127.
  13. ^abNesom, G.L. &Gandhi, K.(2009), "(1884–1885) Proposals to conserve the namesPhotinia,with a conserved type, andHeteromeles(Rosaceae) ",Taxon,58(1): 310–311,doi:10.1002/tax.581041
  14. ^International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants: Appendices II-VIII (Appendix III)
  15. ^Rebman, J. P.; Gibson, J.; Rich, K. (2016)."Annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Baja California, Mexico"(PDF).Proceedings of the San Diego Society of Natural History.45:245.
  16. ^de la Luz, J. L. L., Rebman, J. P., & Oberbauer, T. (2003). On the urgency of conservation on Guadalupe Island, Mexico: is it a lost paradise?.Biodiversity & Conservation,12(5), 1073-1082.
  17. ^Raabe, R. D., & Gardner, M. W. (1972). Scab of Pyracantha, loquat, toyon, and kageneckia.Phytopathology,62,914-916.
  18. ^Jim Moore (21 November 2017)."Toyon – California's Own Christmas Berry Can Be Toxic |".mountainvalleyliving.com.Retrieved2021-12-27.
  19. ^"Ethnobotany of southern California native plants: Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)".EthnoHerbalist.
  20. ^abBean, John Bean; Saubel, Katherine Siva (1969).Temalpakh (from the Earth): Cahuilla Indian Knowledge and Usage of Plants.Malki Museum Press.ISBN978-0939046249.Archived fromthe originalon 2023-05-21.Retrieved2021-02-19.
  21. ^"Ashuwet".Tongva Medicinal Plants.
  22. ^Austin Hagan, Edward Sikora, William Gazaway, Nancy Kokalis- Burelle, 2004.Fire Blight on Fruit Trees and Woody Ornamentals,Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities
  23. ^Dave's Garden
  24. ^Kaplan, Alan; Hawkes, Alison (December 22, 2016),"Ask The Naturalist: How Important Are Red Toyon Berries To the Winter Food Chain?",Bay Nature
  25. ^November 11, 1921 Santa Ana Register, "Holly Trees of County to be saved by Vandals" State Legislature enacts law prohibiting the mutilation or sale of California Holly taken from public lands.
  26. ^McKINNEY, JOHN (December 6, 1986)."California Holly Adds Color to Trail Up Mt. Hollywood".Los Angeles Times.p. 12.
  27. ^California Penal Code Section 384aArchived2009-06-27 at theWayback Machine
  28. ^"Item No. (28)"(PDF).Journal/Council Proceedings.LA City Council.Retrieved23 November2013.
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