Cupleaf Ceanothus

This is Ceanothus perplexans; Ceanothus verrucosus has alternate leaves and lives exclusively near the coast (never more than 10 km from the sea). These are such interesting plants. My dissertation research concerned the systematics of Ceanothus, and these southern California species proved the most interesting. The species you photographed occurs from the San Diego area south as far as the summit of Volcan Tres Virgenes, in Baja California.