Arctostaphylos manzanita
Encyclopedia
One of many species of manzanita
, Arctostaphylos manzanita has the common names Common manzanita and Whiteleaf manzanita.
Arctostaphylos manzanita is endemic to California
, where it can be found in the Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada foothills. It is common on chaparral
slopes and low-elevation coniferous forest
ecosystems.
Like other manzanitas, this species has a hard, attractive wood that has proved useful for making tools and as firewood. The fruit is edible and has a pleasant tartness, but it causes gastrointestinal upset if eaten in large quantities. It has historically been brewed into a cider
.
Manzanita
Manzanita is a common name for many species of the genus Arctostaphylos. They are evergreen shrubs or small trees present in the chaparral biome of western North America, where they occur from southern British Columbia, Washington to California, Arizona and New Mexico in the United States, and...
, Arctostaphylos manzanita has the common names Common manzanita and Whiteleaf manzanita.
Arctostaphylos manzanita 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 it can be found in the Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada foothills. It is common on chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
slopes and low-elevation coniferous forest
Temperate coniferous forests
Temperate coniferous forest is a terrestrial biome found in temperate regions of the world with warm summers and cool winters and adequate rainfall to sustain a forest. In most temperate coniferous forests, evergreen conifers predominate, while some are a mix of conifers and broadleaf evergreen...
ecosystems.
Description
The Arctostaphylos manzanita leaves are bright shiny green, wedge-shaped and pointed. The small white flowers, only a quarter inch long, are cup-shaped and hang upside down. The fruits are berries which are white when new and turn red-brown as the summer wears on. The bark on the long, crooked branches is reddish, making the shrub easily identifiable as a manzanita. It grows into a twisted tree about 15 feet tall.Like other manzanitas, this species has a hard, attractive wood that has proved useful for making tools and as firewood. The fruit is edible and has a pleasant tartness, but it causes gastrointestinal upset if eaten in large quantities. It has historically been brewed into a cider
Cider
Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
.
Subspecies
There are several subspecies:- A. m. elegansArctostaphylos manzanita elegansArctostaphylos manzanita subsp. elegans, also known as the Konocti manzanita, is a subspecies of the Common manzanita. It is endemic to California. It was originally described at the rank of species as Arctostaphylos elegans in 1893 by Willis Linn Jepson. It was reduced to a subspecies of...
- Konocti manzanita - A. m. glaucescens - Whiteleaf manzanita
- A. m. laevigata - Contra Costa manzanita
- A. m. manzanita - Whiteleaf manzanita
- A. m. roofii - Roof's manzanita
- A. m. wieslanderi - Wieslander's manzanita