A tall (to 20 feet), dense chaparral strongly dominated by Ceanothus megacarpus. This Ceanothus does not stump sprout, but apparently is very long-lived absent fire. Fire scarification results in even aged stands.
SITE FACTORS:
Xeric slopes with shallow, rocky, poorly differentiated soils, usually fairly near the coast, but above the Coastal Scrub zone. This appears to be a fire-maintained type.
DISTRIBUTION:
The dominant chaparral along the coastal mountains of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, this type also occurs patchily from there south into Baja California. Best developed between 600 and 3,000 feet. Intergrades at lower elevations with Venturan Coastal Sage Scrub (32300); with Chamise Chaparral (37200) on harsher sites; or with Broadleaved Upland Forests (81000) on more mesic or higher sites.
UPDATE: 10/86
Source: Holland, 1986
Digital Text: NatureBase