FNA: Arctostaphylos purissima vs. Arctostaphylos viridissima

	Arctostaphylos purissima	Arctostaphylos viridissima
	La Purisima manzanita, La Purissima manzanita	Mcminn's manzanita, white-hair manzanita
Habit	Shrubs, erect, 1–4 m; burl absent; twigs densely short-hairy with longer hairs.	Shrubs, erect, 1–4 m; burl absent; twigs short-hairy with longer, white 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.	petiole 1–4 mm; blade dark green, shiny, narrowly ovate to oblong-ovate, 2–3.5 × 1.5–2.5 cm, base truncate to ± auriculate-clasping, margins entire, plane, surfaces smooth, 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, (branches ± concealed by bracts), axis 1–1.5 cm, 1+ mm diam., short-hairy with long, white hairs; bracts not appressed, (crowded), leaflike, lanceolate, 6–10 mm, apex acute, surfaces lightly hairy.
Pedicels	3–5 mm, sparsely hairy or glabrous.	2–3 mm, sparsely hairy.
Flowers	corolla white, conic to urceolate; ovary glabrous.	corolla white, conic to urceolate; ovary densely white-hairy.
Fruits	depressed-globose, 5–8 mm diam., glabrous.	subglobose, 10–15 mm diam., sparsely hairy or glabrous.
Stones	distinct.	distinct.
2n	= 26.	= 26.

	Arctostaphylos purissima	Arctostaphylos viridissima
Phenology	Flowering winter–early spring.	Flowering winter–early spring.
Habitat	Maritime chaparral on deep, sandy soils	Island chaparral, open forests
Elevation	0-100 m (0-300 ft)	100-600 m (300-2000 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 viridissima is known from siliceous shale on the eastern part of Santa Cruz Island. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source	FNA vol. 8, p. 434.	FNA vol. 8, p. 433.
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. tomentosa, A. uva-ursi, A. virgata, A. viscida
Synonyms		A. pechoensis var. viridissima
Name authority	P. V. Wells: Madroño 19: 195. 1968 ,	(Eastwood) McMinn: Man. Calif. Shrubs, 419. 1939 ,
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 viridissima

La Purisima manzanita, La Purissima manzanita

Mcminn's manzanita, white-hair manzanita

Habit

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

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

petiole 1–4 mm;

blade dark green, shiny, narrowly ovate to oblong-ovate, 2–3.5 × 1.5–2.5 cm, base truncate to ± auriculate-clasping, margins entire, plane, surfaces smooth, 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, (branches ± concealed by bracts), axis 1–1.5 cm, 1+ mm diam., short-hairy with long, white hairs;

bracts not appressed, (crowded), leaflike, lanceolate, 6–10 mm, apex acute, surfaces lightly hairy.

Pedicels

3–5 mm, sparsely hairy or glabrous.

2–3 mm, sparsely hairy.

Flowers

corolla white, conic to urceolate;

ovary glabrous.

corolla white, conic to urceolate;

ovary densely white-hairy.

Fruits

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

subglobose, 10–15 mm diam., sparsely hairy or glabrous.

Stones

distinct.

= 26.

Arctostaphylos purissima

Arctostaphylos viridissima

Phenology

Flowering winter–early spring.

Habitat

Maritime chaparral on deep, sandy soils

Island chaparral, open forests

Elevation

0-100 m (0-300 ft)

100-600 m (300-2000 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 viridissima is known from siliceous shale on the eastern part of Santa Cruz Island.

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

Source

FNA vol. 8, p. 434.

FNA vol. 8, p. 433.

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. 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. viscida

Synonyms

A. pechoensis var. viridissima

Name authority

P. V. Wells: Madroño 19: 195. 1968 ,

(Eastwood) McMinn: Man. Calif. Shrubs, 419. 1939 ,

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 viridissima

Arctostaphylos purissima

Arctostaphylos viridissima