NATURALIZEDHabit: Annual, erect; hairs unbranched.
Stem: branched, < 4 m; inner bark fibrous.
Leaf: lower opposite, palmately compound, upper alternate, palmately compound to occasionally simple; leaflets generally 3--7, < 15 cm, narrowly lanceolate, coarsely serrate.
Staminate Inflorescence: panicle- or spike-like, > 15 cm, +- open.
Pistillate Inflorescence: erect to spreading, > 2 cm, dense.
Pistillate Flower: perianth parts fused into a short, unlobed tube or ring.
Fruit: achene, 1--2 mm, generally +- enclosed in persistent perianth.
Ecology: Disturbed areas;
Elevation: generally < 600 m.
Bioregional Distribution: CA-FP;
Distribution Outside California: possibly native to central Asia, but cultivated since pre-history.
Flowering Time: Jun--Oct
Note: Highly variable. Psychoactive resin (THC) concentrated in pistillate inflorescences; used in medicine; stem fibers for rope, fabric, paper, etc.
Synonyms: Cannabis indica Lam.
Unabridged Note: It is very difficult to ascertain the true range for Cannabis sativa as a naturalized plant, since it is often illicitly planted in wild areas. The great majority of collections from California come from elevations below 600 m, but very few specimens from higher elevations (up to nearly 1500 m) have been seen. It is questionable whether the sp. is really established in California at elevations above 600 m.Jepson eFlora Author: Alan T. Whittemore & Elizabeth McClintock
Reference: Small & Cronquist 1976 Taxon 25:405--435
Index of California Plant Names (ICPN; linked via the Jepson Online Interchange)
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