FNA: Arctostaphylos purissima vs. Arctostaphylos nissenana

	Arctostaphylos purissima	Arctostaphylos nissenana
	La Purisima manzanita, La Purissima manzanita	nissenan manzanita
Habit	Shrubs, erect, 1–4 m; burl absent; twigs densely short-hairy with longer hairs.	Shrubs, erect or mound-forming, 0.2–1.5 m; burl absent; bark on older stems persistent, gray, shredded; twigs short soft-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 1–3 mm; blade gray-glaucous, dull, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 1–2 × 0.8–1.5 cm, base cuneate to rounded, margins entire, plane, surfaces smooth, sparsely appressed-puberulent, glabrescent.
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.	racemes, simple or 1-branched; immature inflorescence pendent, (framed by leafy bracts), axis 0.2–0.5 cm, 1+ mm diam., short soft-hairy; bracts not appressed, narrowly leaflike, lanceolate, 3–5 mm, apex acute, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy.
Pedicels	3–5 mm, sparsely hairy or glabrous.	5–7 mm, sparsely hairy or glabrous.
Flowers	corolla white, conic to urceolate; ovary glabrous.	corolla white, urceolate; ovary white-hairy.
Fruits	depressed-globose, 5–8 mm diam., glabrous.	subglobose, 3–4 mm diam., glabrous.
Stones	distinct.	distinct.
2n	= 26.	= 26.

	Arctostaphylos purissima	Arctostaphylos nissenana
Phenology	Flowering winter–early spring.	Flowering winter–early spring.
Habitat	Maritime chaparral on deep, sandy soils	Shallow shale soils in chaparral and foothill woodlands
Elevation	0-100 m (0-300 ft)	500-1200 m (1600-3900 ft)
Distribution	CA [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	CA [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 nissenana occurs in the western Sierra Nevada in El Dorado, Placer, and Tuolumne counties. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source	FNA vol. 8, p. 434.	FNA vol. 8, p. 425.
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. 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. 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 ,	Merriam: Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 31: 102, plates 4, 5. 1918 ,
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 purissima

Arctostaphylos nissenana

La Purisima manzanita, La Purissima manzanita

nissenan manzanita

Habit

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

Shrubs, erect or mound-forming, 0.2–1.5 m; burl absent; bark on older stems persistent, gray, shredded; twigs short soft-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 1–3 mm;

blade gray-glaucous, dull, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 1–2 × 0.8–1.5 cm, base cuneate to rounded, margins entire, plane, surfaces smooth, sparsely appressed-puberulent, glabrescent.

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.

racemes, simple or 1-branched;

immature inflorescence pendent, (framed by leafy bracts), axis 0.2–0.5 cm, 1+ mm diam., short soft-hairy;

bracts not appressed, narrowly leaflike, lanceolate, 3–5 mm, apex acute, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy.

Pedicels

3–5 mm, sparsely hairy or glabrous.

5–7 mm, sparsely hairy or glabrous.

Flowers

corolla white, conic to urceolate;

ovary glabrous.

corolla white, urceolate;

ovary white-hairy.

Fruits

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

subglobose, 3–4 mm diam., glabrous.

Stones

distinct.

= 26.

Arctostaphylos purissima

Arctostaphylos nissenana

Phenology

Flowering winter–early spring.

Habitat

Maritime chaparral on deep, sandy soils

Shallow shale soils in chaparral and foothill woodlands

Elevation

0-100 m (0-300 ft)

500-1200 m (1600-3900 ft)

Distribution

[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 nissenana occurs in the western Sierra Nevada in El Dorado, Placer, and Tuolumne counties.

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

Source

FNA vol. 8, p. 434.

FNA vol. 8, p. 425.

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. 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. 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 ,

Merriam: Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 31: 102, plates 4, 5. 1918 ,

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 purissima

Arctostaphylos nissenana

Arctostaphylos purissima

Arctostaphylos nissenana