Pale (Ashy, Yellow-leaf) Silk-Tassel, Garrya flavescens

Female with catkins. North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 2-1-12. © Joan Avise.	Pale (Ashy, Yellow-leaf) Silk-Tassel Garrya flavescens A dense, dioecious small tree or shrub, reaching 10 ft. in height. Occasional to locally common on dry slopes of the Santa Ana Mountains (Roberts). It sprouts from root-crowns after fires. Male catkins 2-4 in. long, bracts opposite, fused at the base; generally 3 flowers per bract, 4 perianth parts fused at the tips, no petals, 4 stamens with 2-chambered anthers. Female catkins, 1 to 3 flowers per bract, 2 rudimentary sepals, no petals, inferior ovary with 2 styles. Flowering February - April. Back to Garryaceae of Orange County, California Back to Eudicots of Orange County, California Back to Natural History of Orange County, California
Female with old and fresh catkins. North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 2-1-12. © Joan Avise.	North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 2-1-12. © Joan Avise.
Male catkins 2-4 in. long. North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 2-1-12. © Joan Avise.	Male catkins 2-4 in. long. Galls on leaf. North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 2-1-12. © Joan Avise.
Female catkin with developing hairy fruits; note 2 styles. North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 2-1-12. © Joan Avise.	Female catkins. North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 2-1-12. © Joan Avise.
Female catkin with developing hairy fruits; note 2 styles. North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 2-1-12. © Peter J. Bryant	Female catkin with developing hairy fruits; note 2 styles. North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 2-1-12. © Peter J. Bryant
Fruits. North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 2-1-12. © Joan Avise.	Fruits. North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 2-1-12. © Joan Avise.
Fruit a 5/16 in. densely hairy green fleshy berry which becomes dry, brittle, and grayish-white (as here) with age. North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 2-1-12. © Joan Avise.	Fruit a 5/16 in. densely hairy green fleshy berry which becomes dry, brittle, and grayish-white (as here) with age. North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 2-1-12. © Joan Avise.
Fruit a 5/16 in. densely hairy green fleshy berry which becomes dry, brittle, and grayish-white (as here) with age. North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 2-1-12. © Joan Avise.	The short-stalked 1- 2 in. leaves are entire, leathery, green above and yellowish, sometimes hairy, on the underside (seen here). North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 2-1-12. © Joan Avise.
Leaf with unidentified galls. North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 2-1-12. © Peter J. Bryant	Silverado Trail to Bedford Peak, 5-7-15. © Ron Vanderhoff.