Shrubs, evergreen, 0.5–3 m. Stems erect, not rooting at nodes; branchlets brown, not thorn-tipped, round in cross section, flexible, puberulent. Leaves: petiole 0–4 mm; blade ± flat to strongly cupped, oblong, elliptic, or suborbiculate, 5–20(–25) × 2.5–17(–20) mm, base rounded, margins serrulate, thick to weakly or strongly revolute, teeth 11–29, apex obtuse to rounded, abaxial surface pale green, villosulous, adaxial surface dark to medium green, sparsely puberulent, not glandular papillate; pinnately veined, veins furrowed. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, umbel-like to racemelike, 1.2–3.5 cm. Flowers: sepals, petals, and nectary blue. Capsules 3–4 mm wide, lobed; valves smooth, crested.

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora): California.

Lower Taxa

• Ceanothus impressus var. impressus
• Ceanothus impressus var. nipomensis McMinn
• Rhamnaceae Jussieu