Flora of North America species comparison

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Arctostaphylos purissima

Arctostaphylos tomentosa

La Purisima manzanita, La Purissima manzanita

woolly leaf manzanita
Habit Shrubs, erect, 1–4 m; burl absent; twigs densely short-hairy with longer hairs. Shrubs, erect or mound-forming, 1–3 m; burl present; bark of older stems persistent, gray, shredded; twigs usually short-hairy, sometimes with long hairs and glandular hairs.
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.

bifacial in stomatal distribution;

petiole 2–5 mm;

blade dark to bright green, dull abaxially, ± shiny adaxially, oblong-ovate to oblong-lanceolate, 2–5 × 1.5–2.5 cm, base truncate to ± lobed, margins entire, sometimes toothed, cupped or ± rolled, (distal portion glabrous, proximal tomentose), surfaces short-hairy or glabrous abaxially, papillate, scabrous, sometimes finely glandular-hairy or ± glabrous adaxially.
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, 2–8-branched;

immature inflorescence pendent, axis 1–2.5 cm, 1+ mm diam., usually short-hairy, sometimes with long hairs and glandular hairs;

bracts not appressed, leaflike, lanceolate, 8–15 mm, apex acute, surfaces glabrous, hairy, or finely glandular-hairy.
Pedicels

3–5 mm, sparsely hairy or glabrous.

2–5 mm, sparsely hairy, sometimes glandular, or hairy.
Flowers

corolla white, conic to urceolate;

ovary glabrous.

corolla white, conic to urceolate;

ovary white-hairy and sometimes sparsely glandular.
Fruits

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

depressed-globose, 6–10 mm diam., sparsely hairy or glabrous.
Stones

distinct.

distinct.
2n

= 26.

Arctostaphylos purissima

Arctostaphylos tomentosa
Phenology Flowering winter–early spring.
Habitat Maritime chaparral on deep, sandy soils
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 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.)

Subspecies 4 (4 in the flora).

Arctostaphylos tomentosa is found in coastal central California, in areas that receive summer fog. Most subspecies are narrowly distributed.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Twigs densely glandular-hairy
subsp. bracteosa
1. Twigs eglandular
→ 2
2. Twigs short-hairy and with long, white hairs.
subsp. daciticola
2. Twigs short-hairy
→ 3
3. Leaf blades tomentose abaxially (at least younger leaves).
subsp. tomentosa
3. Leaf blades glabrous abaxially.
subsp. hebeclada
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 434. FNA vol. 8, p. 439.
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. pungens, A. purissima, A. rainbowensis, A. refugioensis, A. regismontana, A. rudis, A. sensitiva, A. silvicola, A. stanfordiana, A. uva-ursi, A. virgata, A. viridissima, A. viscida
Subordinate taxa
A. tomentosa subsp. bracteosa, A. tomentosa subsp. daciticola, A. tomentosa subsp. hebeclada, A. tomentosa subsp. tomentosa
Synonyms Arbutus tomentosa
Name authority P. V. Wells: Madroño 19: 195. 1968 , (Pursh) Lindley: Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 21: plate 1791. 1835 ,
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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