FNA: Arctostaphylos pallida vs. Arctostaphylos purissima

	Arctostaphylos pallida	Arctostaphylos purissima
	Alameda manzanita, pallid manzanita	La Purisima manzanita, La Purissima manzanita
Habit	Shrubs, erect, 2–4 m; burl absent; twigs hairy.	Shrubs, erect, 1–4 m; burl absent; twigs densely short-hairy with longer hairs.
Leaves	petiole to 2 mm, (hairy); blade glaucous-green, dull, ovate or oblong-ovate, 2.5–4.5 × 2–3 cm, base auriculate-clasping, margins entire, plane, surfaces smooth, glabrous.	petiole to 2 mm; blade bright green, shiny, orbiculate-ovate to ± orbiculate, 1–2.5 × 1–2 cm, base auriculate-clasping, margins entire, plane, surfaces smooth, glabrous.
Inflorescences	panicles, 3–5-branched; immature inflorescence pendent, (branches compact, framed by bracts), axis 0.5–1 cm, 1+ mm diam., short-hairy to hispid-hairy, usually eglandular; bracts not appressed, leaflike, widely lanceolate, 5–9 mm, apex acute, surfaces finely glandular-hairy.	racemes, simple or 1–2-branched; immature inflorescence pendent, (branches dense, concealed by bracts), axis 0.5–1 cm, 1+ mm diam., densely short-hairy with longer hairs; bracts not appressed, (overlapping), leaflike, ovate to lanceolate-ovate, 5–8 mm, apex acute, surfaces glabrous.
Pedicels	8–12 mm, finely glandular-hairy.	3–5 mm, sparsely hairy or glabrous.
Flowers	corolla white, conic to urceolate; ovary finely glandular-hairy.	corolla white, conic to urceolate; ovary glabrous.
Fruits	depressed-globose, 8–10 mm diam., glandular-hairy, (viscid).	depressed-globose, 5–8 mm diam., glabrous.
Stones	distinct.	distinct.
2n	= 26.	= 26.

	Arctostaphylos pallida	Arctostaphylos purissima
Phenology	Flowering winter–early spring.	Flowering winter–early spring.
Habitat	Maritime chaparral, gaps in open forests	Maritime chaparral on deep, sandy soils
Elevation	200-400 m (700-1300 ft)	0-100 m (0-300 ft)
Distribution	CA [BONAP county map]	CA [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Of conservation concern. Arctostaphylos pallida is found on shale barrens in the East Bay Hills, western Contra Costa County, overlooking San Francisco Bay. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)	Of conservation concern. Arctostaphylos purissima is known from hills and mesas near the coast (Burton Mesa) in Santa Barbara County. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source	FNA vol. 8, p. 433.	FNA vol. 8, p. 434.
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. morroensis, A. myrtifolia, A. nevadensis, A. nissenana, A. nortensis, A. nummularia, A. obispoensis, A. ohloneana, A. osoensis, A. otayensis, A. pacifica, A. pajaroensis, 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. 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. rainbowensis, A. refugioensis, A. regismontana, A. rudis, A. sensitiva, A. silvicola, A. stanfordiana, A. tomentosa, A. uva-ursi, A. virgata, A. viridissima, A. viscida
Synonyms	A. andersonii var. pallida
Name authority	Eastwood: Leafl. W. Bot. 1: 76. 1933 ,	P. V. Wells: Madroño 19: 195. 1968 ,
Web links	Local floras: CA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: CA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Arctostaphylos pallida

Arctostaphylos purissima

Alameda manzanita, pallid manzanita

La Purisima manzanita, La Purissima manzanita

Habit

Shrubs, erect, 2–4 m; burl absent; twigs hairy.

Shrubs, erect, 1–4 m; burl absent; twigs densely short-hairy with longer hairs.

Leaves

petiole to 2 mm, (hairy);

blade glaucous-green, dull, ovate or oblong-ovate, 2.5–4.5 × 2–3 cm, base auriculate-clasping, margins entire, plane, surfaces smooth, glabrous.

petiole to 2 mm;

blade bright green, shiny, orbiculate-ovate to ± orbiculate, 1–2.5 × 1–2 cm, base auriculate-clasping, margins entire, plane, surfaces smooth, glabrous.

Inflorescences

panicles, 3–5-branched;

immature inflorescence pendent, (branches compact, framed by bracts), axis 0.5–1 cm, 1+ mm diam., short-hairy to hispid-hairy, usually eglandular;

bracts not appressed, leaflike, widely lanceolate, 5–9 mm, apex acute, surfaces finely glandular-hairy.

racemes, simple or 1–2-branched;

immature inflorescence pendent, (branches dense, concealed by bracts), axis 0.5–1 cm, 1+ mm diam., densely short-hairy with longer hairs;

bracts not appressed, (overlapping), leaflike, ovate to lanceolate-ovate, 5–8 mm, apex acute, surfaces glabrous.

Pedicels

8–12 mm, finely glandular-hairy.

3–5 mm, sparsely hairy or glabrous.

Flowers

corolla white, conic to urceolate;

ovary finely glandular-hairy.

corolla white, conic to urceolate;

ovary glabrous.

Fruits

depressed-globose, 8–10 mm diam., glandular-hairy, (viscid).

depressed-globose, 5–8 mm diam., glabrous.

Stones

distinct.

= 26.

Arctostaphylos pallida

Arctostaphylos purissima

Phenology

Flowering winter–early spring.

Habitat

Maritime chaparral, gaps in open forests

Maritime chaparral on deep, sandy soils

Elevation

200-400 m (700-1300 ft)

0-100 m (0-300 ft)

Distribution

[BONAP county map]

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Arctostaphylos pallida is found on shale barrens in the East Bay Hills, western Contra Costa County, overlooking San Francisco Bay.

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

Of conservation concern.

Arctostaphylos purissima is known from hills and mesas near the coast (Burton Mesa) in Santa Barbara County.

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

Source

FNA vol. 8, p. 433.

FNA vol. 8, p. 434.

Parent taxa

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. morroensis, A. myrtifolia, A. nevadensis, A. nissenana, A. nortensis, A. nummularia, A. obispoensis, A. ohloneana, A. osoensis, A. otayensis, A. pacifica, A. pajaroensis, 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. 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. rainbowensis, A. refugioensis, A. regismontana, A. rudis, A. sensitiva, A. silvicola, A. stanfordiana, A. tomentosa, A. uva-ursi, A. virgata, A. viridissima, A. viscida

Synonyms

A. andersonii var. pallida

Name authority

Eastwood: Leafl. W. Bot. 1: 76. 1933 ,

P. V. Wells: Madroño 19: 195. 1968 ,

Web links

Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).

Choose a data source: Flora of North America

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Flora of North America species comparison

Arctostaphylos pallida

Arctostaphylos purissima

Arctostaphylos pallida

Arctostaphylos purissima