Arctostaphylos hookeri
Encyclopedia
Arctostaphylos hookeri is a species of manzanita
known by the common name Hooker's manzanita.
s of white to pink flowers, and shiny egg-shaped or round red drupe
s.
is endemic to California
where its native range extends from the coastal San Francisco Bay Area
to the Central Coast
.
Arctostaphylos
Arctostaphylos is a genus of plants comprised by the manzanitas and bearberries. They are shrubs or small trees.There are about 60 species of Arctostaphylos, ranging from ground-hugging arctic, coastal, and mountain species to small trees up to 6 m tall. Most are evergreen , with small oval...
known by the common name Hooker's manzanita.
Description
Arctostaphylos hookeri is a low shrub which is variable in appearance and has several subspecies. These are generally mat-forming plants or low bushes with small green leaves, dense inflorescenceInflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s of white to pink flowers, and shiny egg-shaped or round red drupe
Drupe
In botany, a drupe is a fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries...
s.
Distribution
The Arctostaphylos hookeri shrubShrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
is endemic to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
where its native range extends from the coastal San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
to the Central Coast
Central Coast of California
The Central Coast is an area of California, United States, roughly spanning the area between the Monterey Bay and Point Conception. It extends through Santa Cruz County, San Benito County, Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, and Santa Barbara County...
.
Subspecies
- There are several subspecies including:
- A. h. franciscana - Franciscan manzanita - native to the city of San Francisco and thought to be extinct in the wild until one specimen was discovered in 2009. Less than a month later, Caltrans transplanted this specimen to make way for the Doyle Drive Replacement ProjectDoyle Drive Replacement ProjectThe existing south access road to the Golden Gate Bridge, known as Doyle Drive or U.S. Route 101, is structurally and seismically deficient and is in the process of being replaced with a new safer roadway...
. - A. h. hearstiorum - Hearst's manzanita - native to San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo County, CaliforniaSan Luis Obispo County is a county located along the Pacific Ocean in the Central Coast of the U.S. state of California, between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census its population was 269,637, up from 246,681 at the 2000 census...
- A. h. hookeri - grows in the Santa Cruz MountainsSanta Cruz MountainsThe Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south,...
and nearby - A. h. montana - Mt. Tamalpais manzanita - native to Mount TamalpaisMount TamalpaisMount Tamalpais is a peak in Marin County, California, United States, often considered symbolic of Marin County. Much of Mount Tamalpais is protected within public lands such as Mount Tamalpais State Park and the Mount Tamalpais Watershed.-Geography:...
- A. h. ravenii - Presidio manzanita - one single plant and a few clones exist at the Presidio of San FranciscoPresidio of San FranciscoThe Presidio of San Francisco is a park on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
. Federally listed as an endangered speciesEndangered speciesAn endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of the United States.
- A. h. franciscana - Franciscan manzanita - native to the city of San Francisco and thought to be extinct in the wild until one specimen was discovered in 2009. Less than a month later, Caltrans transplanted this specimen to make way for the Doyle Drive Replacement Project
See also
- California chaparral and woodlandsCalifornia chaparral and woodlandsThe California chaparral and woodlands is a terrestrial ecoregion of lower northern, central, and southern California and northwestern Baja California , located on the west coast of North America...
- California coastal sage and chaparralCalifornia coastal sage and chaparral ecoregionThe California coastal sage and chaparral, a sub-ecoregion of the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion, is found in southwestern California and northwestern Baja California in Mexico.-Location:...