Flora of North America species comparison

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Arctostaphylos purissima

Arctostaphylos pungens

La Purisima manzanita, La Purissima manzanita

Mexican manzanita, pointleaf manzanita
Habit Shrubs, erect, 1–4 m; burl absent; twigs densely short-hairy with longer hairs. Shrubs, erect, 1–3 m; burl absent; bark on older stems persistent, reddish, smooth; 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.

erect;

petiole 4–8 mm;

blade bright or dark green, shiny, elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, 1.5–4 × 1–1.8 cm, base obtuse to cuneate, sometimes rounded, margins entire, plane, surfaces smooth, finely tomentose, 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, axis 0.5–1.5 cm, 1+ mm diam., sparsely short-hairy;

bracts recurved and crowded at tip, (light green), scalelike, ovate-deltate, (clublike), 2–4 mm, apex acuminate, surfaces glabrous.
Pedicels

3–5 mm, sparsely hairy or glabrous.

5–10 mm, glabrous.
Flowers

corolla white, conic to urceolate;

ovary glabrous.

corolla white, conic to urceolate;

ovary glabrous.
Fruits

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

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

distinct.

distinct.
2n

= 26.

= 26.

Arctostaphylos purissima

Arctostaphylos pungens
Phenology Flowering winter–early spring. Flowering winter–early summer.
Habitat Maritime chaparral on deep, sandy soils Open pine forests, pinyon-juniper woodlands, chaparral
Elevation 0-100 m (0-300 ft) 300-2600 m (1000-8500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; NM; NV; TX; UT; Mexico
[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.)

Arctostaphylos pungens is one of the most widespread species in western North America, and extends south to Oaxaca, Mexico. In most western states, it is found in open pine forests and pinyon-juniper woodlands, generally at higher elevations. In California, it is a chaparral species that occurs in desert and peninsular ranges of southern California mountains and has three disjunct populations in central California in San Benito and Monterey counties. These disjunct populations have been given other names, A. benitoensis and A. pseudopungens, but overall populations are A. pungens.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 434. FNA vol. 8, p. 416.
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. 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. 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
Synonyms A. benitoensis, A. pseudopungens
Name authority P. V. Wells: Madroño 19: 195. 1968 , Kunth: in A. von Humboldt et al., Nov. Gen. Sp. 3(fol.): 218: plate 259. 1819 ,
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).



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