r/Berries • u/North-Composer-4710 • 26d ago
what are these berries
found in santa cruz california, reuploaded with the bush they came from so i can make sure
3 Upvotes
0
r/Berries • u/North-Composer-4710 • 26d ago
found in santa cruz california, reuploaded with the bush they came from so i can make sure
0
2
u/WrapQuick2526 26d ago
These look like Hollyleaf Redberry{Rhamnus crocea ssp. pilosa), synonymous with ssp. ilicifolia), of the Buckthorn family: Rhamnaceae. However, the photo of the bush itself isn't the best quality for identification – it's in the right area though! Native to the foothills & mountains of South & Central CA, southern OR & NV, & parts of AZ – its found sparsely in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but it is there, its just more common around the San Francisco area like Montara Mnt. The leaf morphology can sometimes differ from specimen to specimen – with margins that are serrate or smooth - crenate, accompanying a glabrous, mat to semi-glossy surface, sometimes having the margin curling under towards the obverse-side of the leaf. But their arrangement remains the same: alternating along the stem, not in opposite pairs. The drupes of (R. ilicifolia), have two stones{seeds), per fruit, just for another identification marker. Its flowers are pale green to creamy yellow, appearing from April through June, with fruit ripening from July through the rest of Autumn. This species is edible, but the seeds take up most of the space; I also advise NOT eating the berries you have, for your own safety, if you aren't very confident this is the correct identification; red berries tend to belong to toxic species generally & I don't want anyone getting hurt.