The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Mount Diablo manzanita, Mt. Diablo manzanita

common manzanita, whiteleaf manzanita

Habit Shrubs, erect, 1–4.5 m; burl absent; twigs densely white-hairy with long, white hairs. Shrubs or trees, erect, 2–8 m; burl absent or prominent, globose; twigs glabrous, sparsely short-hairy, or glandular-hairy.
Leaves

petiole to 2 mm;

blade whitish gray, dull, oblong-ovate to orbiculate-ovate, 1.5–4.5 × 1.5–3 cm, base distinctly lobed, auriculate-clasping, margins entire, plane, surfaces smooth, gray-canescent, glabrescent.

petiole 6–12 mm;

blade bright green or glaucous, shiny or dull, widely ovate or oblong-ovate to obovate, 2–5 × 1–3.5 cm, base rounded to ± cuneate, margins entire, plane, surfaces smooth or scabrous, puberulent or veins finely hairy.

Inflorescences

panicles, 3–5-branched;

immature inflorescence pendent, (branches crowded, ± obscured by bracts), axis 1–1.5 cm, 1+ mm diam., densely white-hairy with long, white hairs;

bracts somewhat appressed, leaflike, ovate to lanceolate-ovate, 5–15 mm, apex acute, surfaces canescent.

panicles, 3–7-branched;

immature inflorescence ± abruptly deflexed, branches spreading, axis 1.5–4.5 cm, 1+ mm diam., glabrous, sparsely short-hairy, or sparsely glandular-hairy, not viscid;

bracts not fully appressed, scalelike, deltate, 2–4 mm, apex mucronate or acuminate, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy to finely glandular-hairy.

Pedicels

4–10 mm, tomentose.

3–8 mm, glabrous.

Flowers

corolla white to pink, conic;

ovary densely white-hairy.

corolla white, conic to urceolate;

ovary glabrous or minutely stipitate glandular-hairy.

Fruits

depressed-globose, 5–10 mm diam., short white-hairy, glabrescent.

depressed-globose, 8–12 mm diam., hairy or glabrous, stipitate-glandular or smooth.

Stones

distinct.

distinct, sometimes connate.

2n

= 26.

Arctostaphylos auriculata

Arctostaphylos manzanita

Phenology Flowering winter–early spring.
Habitat Chaparral, open, closed-cone conifer forests
Elevation 300-500 m (1000-1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Arctostaphylos auriculata is found on the western slopes of Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Subspecies 6 (6 in the flora).

Arctostaphylos manzanita is usually found in northern California in oak woodlands, chaparral, and open conifer forests. Subspecies manzanita is widespread throughout the Sierra Nevada foothills, north through the Cascades, and at lower elevations in the North Coast Ranges. The other subspecies are generally narrowly distributed.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Burls present; plants resprouting after fire
subsp. roofii
1. Burls absent; plants killed by fire
→ 2
2. Leaf blades lightly to strongly glaucous-green (twigs sometimes sparsely glandular-hairy).
subsp. glaucescens
2. Leaf blades dull to shiny green, not glaucous
→ 3
3. Ovaries and fruits glandular-hairy; stones often connate into single sphere, sometimes distinct.
subsp. elegans
3. Ovaries and fruits glabrous or white-hairy, eglandular; stones distinct
→ 4
4. Twigs glandular-hairy; leaf blades dull green.
subsp. wieslanderi
4. Twigs glabrous or sparsely short-hairy; leaf blades dull to bright, shiny green
→ 5
5. Leaf blades dull to shiny green; inflorescence axes many-branched, 1 mm diam.; branches usually 15-25 mm in immature phase.
subsp. manzanita
5. Leaf blades shiny green; inflorescence axes few-branched, 1+ mm diam.; branches to 15 mm in immature phase.
subsp. laevigata
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 430. FNA vol. 8, p. 437.
Parent taxa Ericaceae > subfam. Arbutoideae > Arctostaphylos Ericaceae > subfam. Arbutoideae > Arctostaphylos
Sibling taxa
A. andersonii, A. bakeri, A. canescens, A. catalinae, A. columbiana, A. confertiflora, A. crustacea, A. cruzensis, A. densiflora, A. edmundsii, A. franciscana, A. gabilanensis, A. glandulosa, A. glauca, A. glutinosa, A. hispidula, A. hookeri, A. hooveri, A. imbricata, A. insularis, A. klamathensis, A. luciana, A. malloryi, A. manzanita, A. mewukka, A. montana, A. montaraensis, A. montereyensis, A. morroensis, A. myrtifolia, A. nevadensis, A. nissenana, A. nortensis, A. nummularia, A. obispoensis, A. ohloneana, A. osoensis, A. otayensis, A. pacifica, A. pajaroensis, A. pallida, A. parryana, A. patula, A. pechoensis, A. pilosula, A. pringlei, A. pumila, A. pungens, A. purissima, A. rainbowensis, A. refugioensis, A. regismontana, A. rudis, A. sensitiva, A. silvicola, A. stanfordiana, A. tomentosa, A. uva-ursi, A. virgata, A. viridissima, A. viscida
A. andersonii, A. auriculata, A. bakeri, A. canescens, A. catalinae, A. columbiana, A. confertiflora, A. crustacea, A. cruzensis, A. densiflora, A. edmundsii, A. franciscana, A. gabilanensis, A. glandulosa, A. glauca, A. glutinosa, A. hispidula, A. hookeri, A. hooveri, A. imbricata, A. insularis, A. klamathensis, A. luciana, A. malloryi, A. mewukka, A. montana, A. montaraensis, A. montereyensis, A. morroensis, A. myrtifolia, A. nevadensis, A. nissenana, A. nortensis, A. nummularia, A. obispoensis, A. ohloneana, A. osoensis, A. otayensis, A. pacifica, A. pajaroensis, A. pallida, A. parryana, A. patula, A. pechoensis, A. pilosula, A. pringlei, A. pumila, A. pungens, A. purissima, A. rainbowensis, A. refugioensis, A. regismontana, A. rudis, A. sensitiva, A. silvicola, A. stanfordiana, A. tomentosa, A. uva-ursi, A. virgata, A. viridissima, A. viscida
Subordinate taxa
A. manzanita subsp. elegans, A. manzanita subsp. glaucescens, A. manzanita subsp. laevigata, A. manzanita subsp. manzanita, A. manzanita subsp. roofii, A. manzanita subsp. wieslanderi
Name authority Eastwood: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 32: 202. 1905 , Parry: Bull. Calif. Acad. Sci. 2: 491. 1887 ,
Web links