Lyonothamnus floribundus

Lyonothamnus floribundus, commonly known as the Catalina ironwood, is a species of flowering plant in the Rosaceae family. It is endemic to the Channel Islands of California.

Description
The Catalina ironwood grows in the chapparal and oak woodlands of the rocky coastal canyons on the Channel Islands of California.

It is a tree growing up to 49 ft (15 meters) tall with peeling reddish gray to brown bark. The leaves are evergreen and borne on short petioles. They are shiny, dark green on the top, and lighter green on the leaves' undersides. Both of the plant's subspecies have different leaf shapes. The inflorescence is a cluster of white flowers, similar in texture and appearance to that of wool, with many short, whisker-like stamens. The fruit is a pair of hard follicles.

Subspecies
There are two subspecies with different morphology.


 * ssp. aspleniifolius is more common, with leaves made of linear leaflets divided into rectangular segments.
 * ssp. floribundus is limited to the Catalina Island, with smooth-edged leaves that are not divided into any leaflets or segments.

Cultivation
''Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. aspleniifolius'' is grown in the horticulture nursery trade and used in landscape design; in drought tolerant, traditional, and habitat-wildlife gardens; in public landscapes and private garden settings.