Arctostaphylos pilosula is a species of manzanita, known by the common names La Panza manzanita and Santa Margarita manzanita, that is endemic to California.[2][3]

Its common names comes from populations on the La Panza Range, near the town of Santa Margarita.[2]

Distribution

The plant is endemic San Luis Obispo County, found in three areas: the La Panza Range, the east slope of the Santa Lucia Mountains near Atascadero, and in the San Luis Range near Pismo Beach.[2]

It grows in chaparral and closed-cone pine forest habitatss, on shale and sandstone outcrops and slopes. It is found at elevations of 30–1,250 metres (98–4,101 ft).[2][3]

Description

Arctostaphylos pilosula is an erect and bristly shrub growing 1–5 metres (3.3–16.4 ft) in height.[2][3]

The leaves are a round, oval shape and dull and hairless in texture. They grow up to 3 centimetres (1.2 in) long.[3]

The shrub blooms in spherical white inflorescences of cone-shaped and downward facing "manzanita" flowers, each just under 1 centimetre (0.39 in) long. Its bloom period is December to March.[3]

The fruit is a reddish-brown drupe about a centimeter wide, that ripen in the summer.[3]

Conservation

The species is listed on the California Native Plant Society Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants as a fairly endangered and vulnerable species.[4]

References

  1. ^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0".
  2. ^ a b c d e "Field Guide to Manzanitas," Michael Kauffmann, Tom Parker, & Michael Vasey, Backcountry Press, 2015, ISBN 978-1-941624-02-9, page 113.
  3. ^ a b c d e f V. Thomas Parker, Michael C. Vasey & Jon E. Keeley 2014. Arctostaphylos pilosula, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora. accessed 15 January 2016.
  4. ^ CNPS, Rare Plant Program. 2016. Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants (online edition, v8-02). California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, CA. — Arctostaphylos luciana. accessed 1.16.2016.

External links