Plant: shrub Leaves: 2-6.5 cm long, 0.7-2.7(-3.6) cm wide, rarely yellowish, glabrous above, glabrous to sparsely pubescent with appressed trichomes below, the margin irregularly papillate-denticulate INFLORESCENCE: 3-4.5(-7) cm long, loose, the rachis clearly visible; bracts near midpoint not forming conspicuous cupules, those of staminate flowers triangular to to oblanceolate, 2.5-5 mm long, those near midpoint connate 25-60% their length; bracts of pistillate flowers triangular-lanceolate to oblanceolate, 2.5-14 mm long, those near midpoint of inflorescence connate, 20% their length; flowers 1 per bract Flowers: small and reduced; STAMINATE FLOWERS: pedicellate, the perianth segments 4, apically connate, the stamens 4, distinct, alternating with perianth segments, the anthers 2-celled, anthers 1-2 mm long; PISTILLATE FLOWERS: sessile to subsessile, the perianth absent or vestigial, the ovary inferior, 1-locular, the styles 2, persistent, styles 1-2 mm long Fruit: berry-like, globose, dark blue-black to whitish gray at maturity, becoming brittle when dry, 6-9 mm diam., glabrous or sparsely pubescent; SEEDS usually 2, subellipsoid, dark Misc: Desert scrub, chaparral, oak woodland, and pine-oak forest; 1200-2100 m (3900-6900 ft); Mar-Aug REFERENCES: Puente, Raul, and Thomas F. Daniel. 2001. Garryaceae. J. Ariz. – Nev. Acad. Sci. Volume 33(1).