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Morro manzanita

glossyleaf manzanita, pygmy manzanita, shatterberry

Habit Shrubs, erect or mound-forming, 1–4 m; burl absent; bark on older stems persistent, gray, shredded; twigs short-hairy with long, white hairs. Shrubs, prostrate, erect, or mound-forming, 0.1–5 m; burl absent; bark on older stems persistent, gray or red-gray, shredded or rough; twigs densely short-haired with longer gland-tipped hairs.
Leaves

bifacial in stomatal distribution;

petiole 2–5 mm;

blade dull gray abaxially, dark green, ± shiny adaxially, oblong-ovate to oblong-elliptic, 1.5–3 × 1–2 cm, base subcordate to ± truncate (sometimes with vestigial auricles), margins entire, cupped, abaxial surface smooth, densely tomentose, adaxial surface smooth, glabrous.

bifacial in stomatal distribution;

petiole to 3 mm;

blade bifacial, light green abaxially, dark green adaxially, shiny, orbiculate to orbiculate-ovate or oblong-elliptic, 1.5–2.2 × 0.3–1.8 cm, base cuneate to obtuse or truncate to ± lobed, margins entire, cupped, surfaces smooth, glabrous, midvein hairy.

Inflorescences

panicles, 2–5-branched;

immature inflorescence pendent, (branches congested, bell-shaped, partly framed by bracts), axis 0.5–0.8 cm, 1+ mm diam., short-hairy with long, white hairs;

bracts not appressed, leaflike, linear-lanceolate, 5–8 mm, apex acuminate, surfaces puberulent.

panicles, 4–12-branched;

immature inflorescence pendent, branches spreading, axis 0.5–1 cm, to 1 mm diam., densely short-haired with longer gland-tipped hairs;

bracts appressed, scalelike, deltate, 0.5–2 mm, apex acute, surfaces glabrous.

Pedicels

4–6 mm, hairy or glabrous.

3–5 mm, glabrous.

Flowers

corolla white, urceolate;

ovary densely white-hairy.

4-merous;

corolla white, urceolate;

ovary white-hairy.

Fruits

depressed-globose, 7–10 mm diam., sparsely hairy.

subcylindric, 3–4 mm diam., glabrous.

Stones

distinct.

distinct (breaking apart in mature fruit).

2n

= 26.

Arctostaphylos morroensis

Arctostaphylos nummularia

Phenology Flowering winter–early spring.
Habitat Maritime chaparral on sandy soils near coast
Elevation 0-100 m (0-300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Arctostaphylos morroensis is known from the Morro Bay region in San Luis Obispo County.

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

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Plants 0.5-5 m; bark on older stems gray, shredded.
subsp. nummularia
1. Plants 0.1-0.5 m; bark on older stems gray or reddish, rough or shredded.
subsp. mendocinoensis
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 432. FNA vol. 8, p. 418.
Parent taxa Ericaceae > subfam. Arbutoideae > Arctostaphylos Ericaceae > subfam. Arbutoideae > Arctostaphylos
Sibling taxa
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. manzanita, A. mewukka, A. montana, A. montaraensis, A. montereyensis, 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. manzanita, A. mewukka, A. montana, A. montaraensis, A. montereyensis, A. morroensis, A. myrtifolia, A. nevadensis, A. nissenana, A. nortensis, 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. nummularia subsp. mendocinoensis, A. nummularia subsp. nummularia
Name authority Wieslander & B. Schreiber: Madroño 5: 42, fig. 2a. 1939 , A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 7: 366. 1868 ,
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