| Mount Diablo manzanita | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Genus: | Arctostaphylos |
| Species: | A. auriculata
|
| Binomial name | |
| Arctostaphylos auriculata | |
Arctostaphylos auriculata (Mount Diablo manzanita) is an endangered species of Arctostaphylos endemic to California, and limited in geography to the area surrounding Mount Diablo, in Contra Costa County.
Description
Arctostaphylos auriculata is a woody shrub 1–4.5 m high with serpentine, glandless stems covered in white hair. The short [1.5-4.5 cm], silvery leaves overlap and have deeply lobed bases. It flowers densely in white February through May. The fruit is also hairy and small (5–10 mm). The Mount Diablo manzanita has no basal burl for regrowth and must propagate by seed.
Distribution
Growing in sandstone chaparral around 150-650 meter elevation, the thick undergrowth of Mount Diablo manzanita is often accompanied by poison oak or California wild grapes.
See also
- California chaparral and woodlands
- California montane chaparral and woodlands
- California interior chaparral and woodlands
References
- W. L. Jepson. 1951. A Manual of the Flowering Plants of California, p. 750.
- Coffey, Geoffrey. "Sympathy for the devil -- tricks and treats on Mount Diablo." San Francisco Chronicle 25 Oct. 2003 : E-7.
External links
- NatureServe imperiled species
- Arctostaphylos
- Endemic flora of California
- Mount Diablo
- Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
- Natural history of the California Coast Ranges
- Natural history of Contra Costa County, California
- Taxa named by Alice Eastwood
- Endemic flora of the San Francisco Bay Area