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Taxon  Report  
Dirca occidentalis  A. Gray
Western leatherwood
Dirca occidentalis is a shrub that is native to California, and endemic (limited) to California.
California Rare Plant Rank: 1B.2 (rare, threatened, or endangered in CA and elsewhere).
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Observation Search
~2009 records in California
yellowone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
DJJJASONAFMM

Bloom Period
Genus: Dirca
Family: Thymelaeaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Wetlands: Equally likely to occur in wetlands and non wetlands

Habitat: riparian

Communities: North Coastal Coniferous Forest, Closed-cone Pine Forest, Mixed Evergreen Forest, Foothill Woodland, Chaparral, wetland-riparian

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + CNPS + PLANTS
Information about  Dirca occidentalis from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (DIOC3)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

Bill Grave's Jasper Ridge Page: Dirca expert, Bill Grave's webpage at Jasper Ridge (link added by Roy West)

[Wikipedia] Description, Habitat, Rarity: Dirca occidentalis, the western leatherwood, is a deciduous shrub with leaves three to seven centimeters in length. Yellow flowers emerge prior to leafing. It grows on moist and shaded slopes. It is rare[2] and endemic to the San Francisco Bay area of California. Its closest relative, Dirca palustris, lives in the eastern half of North America. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)

Dirca occidentalis: Dirca occidentalis (western leatherwood) is a rare shrub that is native to California and endemic (limited) to California in the San Francisco Bay area. Its low growth, dispersal, and germination rates limit how quickly populations can recover from loss. Its very low seed dispersal rate may suggest that its natural disperser disappeared from the region.

Learn more about Dirca occidentalis: Dirca occidentalis Jepson video: (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 11/21/2024).