Arctostaphylos stanfordiana
Encyclopedia
Arctostaphylos stanfordiana, with the common name Stanford's manzanita, is a species of manzanita
that is is endemic to northern California
. It is known from the outer North Coast Ranges north of the San Francisco Bay Area
. .
growing 0.5–3 m (1.6–9.8 ft) in height. Leaves are oblong to widely lance-shaped, shiny green, and up to 5 centimeters long.
The inflorescence
is a loose cluster of urn-shaped manzanita flowers which are pink, with some so pale that they are nearly white. The fruit is an oblong drupe
about 7 millimeters wide.
Subspecies
There are three subspecies:
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...
that is is endemic to northern 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...
. It is known from the outer North Coast Ranges north of the 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...
. .
Description
Arctostaphylos stanfordiana is a bushy 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...
growing 0.5–3 m (1.6–9.8 ft) in height. Leaves are oblong to widely lance-shaped, shiny green, and up to 5 centimeters long.
The inflorescence
Inflorescence
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...
is a loose cluster of urn-shaped manzanita flowers which are pink, with some so pale that they are nearly white. The fruit is an oblong 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...
about 7 millimeters wide.
Subspecies
There are three subspecies:
- A. s. ssp. decumbens (Rincon manzanita) - rare subspecies endemic to Sonoma CountySonoma County, CaliforniaSonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
- A. s. ssp. raichei (Raiche's manzanita) - known mostly from Mendocino CountyMendocino County, CaliforniaMendocino County is a county located on the north coast of the U.S. state of California, north of the greater San Francisco Bay Area and west of the Central Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 87,841, up from 86,265 at the 2000 census...
- A. s. ssp. stanfordiana (Stanford's manzanita) - more widespread than other subspecies