Island redberry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Island redberry |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
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| Genus: |
Rhamnus
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| Species: |
R. pirifolia
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| Binomial name | |
| Rhamnus pirifolia Greene
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The Island Redberry (scientific name: Rhamnus pirifolia) is a cool type of plant. It can grow as a small tree or a bushy shrub. It belongs to the buckthorn family. You can only find this plant on islands! It lives on the Channel Islands in California and Guadalupe Island near Baja California, Mexico. It likes to grow in places called coastal sage scrub and chaparral, which are types of dry, bushy areas.
What It Looks Like
The Island Redberry is a spreading plant that can grow up to 10 meters (about 30 feet) tall. Its branches have gray bark. The younger, newer twigs are a pretty purple color.
Leaves
This plant has thick leaves that stay green all year. They are shaped like ovals and are 2 to 4 centimeters long. The tips can be pointed or rounded. The edges of the leaves are smooth or have small teeth. They also curve under, making the leaves look a bit like a spoon.
Flowers and Fruit
The Island Redberry's flowers grow either by themselves or in small clusters called an umbel. Each cluster can have up to six flowers. The flowers have four pointed parts called sepals, but they don't have any petals.
After the flowers, the plant grows a type of fruit called a drupe. This fruit turns bright red when it's ready. It's almost a centimeter wide and holds two seeds inside.
