FNA: Arctostaphylos purissima vs. Arctostaphylos densiflora

	Arctostaphylos purissima	Arctostaphylos densiflora
	La Purisima manzanita, La Purissima manzanita	Vine Hill manzanita
Habit	Shrubs, erect, 1–4 m; burl absent; twigs densely short-hairy with longer hairs.	Shrubs, erect or mound-forming, ca. 1 m; burl absent; twigs sparsely short-hairy.
Leaves	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.	petiole 4–5 mm; blade bright green, lustrous, elliptic to narrowly lanceolate-elliptic, 1–2.5 × 0.5–1.5 cm, base cuneate to obtuse, margins entire, plane, surfaces smooth, sparsely puberulent.
Inflorescences	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.	panicles, 3–5-branched; immature inflorescence pendent, (compact), branches ± spreading, axis 1–1.5 cm, 1+ mm diam., sparsely short-hairy; bracts not appressed, scalelike, deltate to awl-like, 1.5–3 mm (longer than buds), apex acute, surfaces glabrous.
Pedicels	3–5 mm, sparsely hairy or glabrous.	4–5 mm, glabrous.
Flowers	corolla white, conic to urceolate; ovary glabrous.	corolla white, urceolate; ovary glabrous.
Fruits	depressed-globose, 5–8 mm diam., glabrous.	subglobose, 5–6 mm diam., glabrous.
Stones	distinct.	distinct.
2n	= 26.	= 26.

	Arctostaphylos purissima	Arctostaphylos densiflora
Phenology	Flowering winter–early spring.	Flowering winter–early spring.
Habitat	Maritime chaparral on deep, sandy soils	Acidic marine sands
Elevation	0-100 m (0-300 ft)	100 m (300 ft)
Distribution	CA [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	CA [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion	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.)	Of conservation concern. Arctostaphylos densiflora is known only from Vine Hill, Sonoma County. It is the primary source of one of the most widely planted horticultural varieties of the genus (McMinn manzanita). It is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source	FNA vol. 8, p. 434.	FNA vol. 8, p. 419.
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. 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	A. andersonii, A. auriculata, A. bakeri, A. canescens, A. catalinae, A. columbiana, A. confertiflora, A. crustacea, A. cruzensis, 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
Name authority	P. V. Wells: Madroño 19: 195. 1968 ,	M. S. Baker: Leafl. W. Bot. 1: 31. 1932 ,
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 densiflora

La Purisima manzanita, La Purissima manzanita

Vine Hill manzanita

Habit

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

Shrubs, erect or mound-forming, ca. 1 m; burl absent; twigs sparsely short-hairy.

Leaves

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.

petiole 4–5 mm;

blade bright green, lustrous, elliptic to narrowly lanceolate-elliptic, 1–2.5 × 0.5–1.5 cm, base cuneate to obtuse, margins entire, plane, surfaces smooth, sparsely puberulent.

Inflorescences

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.

panicles, 3–5-branched;

immature inflorescence pendent, (compact), branches ± spreading, axis 1–1.5 cm, 1+ mm diam., sparsely short-hairy;

bracts not appressed, scalelike, deltate to awl-like, 1.5–3 mm (longer than buds), apex acute, surfaces glabrous.

Pedicels

3–5 mm, sparsely hairy or glabrous.

4–5 mm, glabrous.

Flowers

corolla white, conic to urceolate;

ovary glabrous.

corolla white, urceolate;

ovary glabrous.

Fruits

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

subglobose, 5–6 mm diam., glabrous.

Stones

distinct.

= 26.

Arctostaphylos densiflora

Phenology

Flowering winter–early spring.

Habitat

Maritime chaparral on deep, sandy soils

Acidic marine sands

Elevation

0-100 m (0-300 ft)

100 m (300 ft)

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

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.)

Of conservation concern.

Arctostaphylos densiflora is known only from Vine Hill, Sonoma County. It is the primary source of one of the most widely planted horticultural varieties of the genus (McMinn manzanita). It is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.

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

Source

FNA vol. 8, p. 434.

FNA vol. 8, p. 419.

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. 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

A. andersonii, A. auriculata, A. bakeri, A. canescens, A. catalinae, A. columbiana, A. confertiflora, A. crustacea, A. cruzensis, 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

Name authority

P. V. Wells: Madroño 19: 195. 1968 ,

M. S. Baker: Leafl. W. Bot. 1: 31. 1932 ,

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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Arctostaphylos purissima

Arctostaphylos densiflora

Arctostaphylos purissima

Arctostaphylos densiflora