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Ceanothus americanus

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New Jersey tea
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rhamnaceae
Genus: Ceanothus
Species:
C. americanus
Binomial name
Ceanothus americanus
Synonyms[3][4][5][6][7][8]

Ceanothus americanusis a species ofCeanothusshrub native to North America. Common names includeNew Jersey tea,Jersey tea ceanothus,variations ofred root(red-root; redroot),mountain sweet(mountain-sweet; mountainsweet), andwild snowball.[2][4]New Jersey tea was a name coined during theAmerican Revolution,because its leaves were used as a substitute for importedtea.[3]

Description[edit]

Ceanothus americanusis a shrub that lives up to fifteen years[1]and growing between 18 and 42 in (0.5 and 1 m) high, having many thinbranches.Itsroot systemis thick with fibrousroot hairsclose to the surface, but with stout,burlish,woody roots that reach deep into the earth—root systems may grow very large in the wild, to compensate after repeated exposures towildfires.Whiteflowersgrow in clumpyinflorescenceson lengthy, axillary peduncles.Fruitsare dry,dehiscent,seedcapsules.[3][additional citation(s) needed]

Habitat[edit]

Ceanothus americanusis common on dryplains,prairies,or similar untreed areas, onsoilsthat aresandyorrocky.It can often be located inforest clearingsor verges, onbanksorlakeshores,and on gentle slopes.[3]

Distribution[edit]

Ceanothus americanusis found inCanada,inOntarioandQuebec.In theU.S.,it is found inAlabama;Arkansas;Connecticut;Delaware;northern and centralFlorida;Georgia;Illinois;Indiana;Iowa;Kansas;Louisiana;Maine(inOxfordandPenobscotcounties);Maryland;Massachusetts;Michigan;Minnesota;Mississippi;Missouri;Nebraska;New Hampshire;New Jersey;New York;North and South Carolina;Ohio;Oklahoma;Pennsylvania;Rhode Island;eastern and centralTexas;Vermont;West Virginia;Wisconsin;andVirginia[4]

Ecology[edit]

During winter inthe Ozarksof Missouri, its twigs are sought as food by the localdeer;andwhite-tailed deer(Odocoileus virginianus), in particular, will browseC. americanusyear round.[3]

The flowers ofC. americanusare used as food by (and the shoots host thelarvaeof)butterfliesin the genusCelastrina,includingspring azure,andsummer azure;and byErynnis martialis(mottled duskywing)[9]andErynnis icelus(dreamy duskywing).

Ceanothus americanusseeds are consumed bywild turkeysandquail.[9]

Constituents and medicinal use[edit]

The red roots and root bark of New Jersey tea are used byNative Americansin North America for infections of the upper respiratory tract. The leaves have a fresh scent ofwintergreenand were later utilized by the European colonizers as ateasubstitute and stimulatingcaffeine-free beverage. The root bark of the plant is used byherbaliststoday, and are used notably inremediesfor problems of thelymph system.The root containsastringenttanninsand a number ofpeptidealkaloids,includingceanothine A-E,pandamine,zizyphine,scutianine,and theadouetines.[10]They have a mildhypotensiveeffect.[10]Root and flowerextractscan also be used as dyes.[11]

References[edit]

  1. ^C. americanuswas first described and published inSpecies Plantarum1: 195. 1753."Plant Name Details forCeanothus americanus".IPNI.RetrievedAugust 16,2010.Distribution:Virginia,Carolina,United States of America (Northern America).
  2. ^ab"Ceanothus americanusL. ".Tropicos.Missouri Botanical Garden.RetrievedAugust 16,2010.
  3. ^abcdeColadonato, Milo (1993)."Ceanothus americanus".Fire Effects Information System (FEIS).US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service (USFS), Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.RetrievedAugust 16,2010.
  4. ^abc"Ceanothus americanus".Germplasm Resources Information Network.Agricultural Research Service,United States Department of Agriculture.RetrievedAugust 16,2010.
  5. ^C. americanusvar.intermediuswas published inA Flora of North America,1(2): 264. 1838.
    "Ceanothus americanus var. intermedius(Pursh) Torr. & A.Gray ".Tropicos.Missouri Botanical Garden.RetrievedAugust 16,2010.
  6. ^C. americanusvar.pitcheriwas published inA Flora of North America,1(2): 264. 1838.
    "Ceanothus americanus var. pitcheriTorr. & A.Gray ".Tropicos.Missouri Botanical Garden.RetrievedAugust 16,2010.
  7. ^C. intermediuswas published inFlora Americae Septentrionalis....1: 167. 1814.
    "Ceanothus intermediusPursh ".Tropicos.Missouri Botanical Garden.RetrievedAugust 16,2010.
  8. ^C. ovatuswas published inHistoire des Arbres et Arbrisseaux qui peuvent etre cultives en pleine terre sur le sol de la France,2: 381. 1809. Paris.Harvard University Herbaria/Arnold Arboretum (April 7, 2008)."Botanical Specimen Search Results forCeanothus ovatus".Index of Botanical Specimens.President and Fellows of Harvard College.RetrievedAugust 16,2010.
  9. ^ab"Ceanothus americanus".Native Plant Database.Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center,University of Texas at Austin.RetrievedAugust 16,2010.
  10. ^abJ.E. Saxton ed."The Alkaloids". A special report. Vol IThe Chemical Society Burlington House, London (1971)SBN 85186 257 8
  11. ^"Ceanothus americanus".Plants for a Future.RetrievedApril 25,2013.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ceanothus_americanus&oldid=1217840793"