Heteromeles | |
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Toyon bush in habitat | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Eudicots |
(unranked): | 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 (Lindl.) M.Roem. |
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Natural range | |
Synonyms | |
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Heteromeles arbutifolia (/ˌhɛtᵻroʊˈmiːliːz ɑːrˌbjuːtᵻˈfoʊliə/; more commonly /ˌhɛtəˈrɒməliːz/ by Californian botanists), commonly known as toyon, is a common perennial shrub native to extreme southwest Oregon,California, Baja California, and British Columbia. It is the sole species in the genus Heteromeles.
Toyon is a prominent component of the coastal sage scrub plant community, and is a part of drought-adapted chaparral and mixed oak woodland habitats. It is also known by the common names Christmas berry and California holly. Accordingly, "the abundance of this species in the hills above Los Angeles... gave rise to the name Hollywood."