Pavier of California

The pavier of California , or chestnut tree of California, is a species of the family of the Sapindacée S, endemic of the California.

Description

The pavier of California is small a Arbre, or large a Arbuste, from 4 to 12 meters in height, with the gray bark often covered with Lichen S.

The Feuille S of color green dark are made up-webbed and count five (more rarely seven) leaflets from 10 to 20 cm length, at the finely toothed edges and the fluffy faces (in particular in spring).

The flowers, white with pale pink, are gathered in Panicule S drawn up from 15 to 20 cm length on 5 to 8 cm broad. They exalent an odor douceâtre.

The Fruit is a ovoid capsule from 5 to 8 cm length, containing only one large seed (2 to 5 cm in diameter), round, orange; the seeds are toxic.

Distribution

This species is originating in California. One can find it in the area of the central Côte and on the lowest parts of the Sierra Nevada, up to 1700 meters of altitude.

It pushes in the wood of oaks, becoming the dominant species in certain vegetable formations of the type Chaparral. These trees act as stabilizers of the grounds, limiting the erosion in the broken areas.

Use and properties

The pavier of California is sometimes cultivated like decorative Plante.

The Amerindian local tribes, whose Pomo, Yokut and Luiseño, use toxic seeds of this plant to deaden fish benches in small rivers and to thus facilitate their capture.

The bark, the sheets and the fruits contain Hétéroside S neurotoxic which cause the hémolyse red globules. The Amerindian groups used on the occasion seeds as source of food, after having made some boil pulp and have filtered toxins of them during several days. Even the nectar of the flowers is toxic and can kill the bees and other insects not adapted to this plant. The still new starts-up and sheets have a toxin low level and can be grazed by the cattle and the wildlife.

Random links: