Arctostaphylos morroensis
Encyclopedia
Arctostaphylos morroensis is a species of manzanita
known by the common name Morro manzanita. This shrub
is endemic to San Luis Obispo County, California
, where it is known only from the vicinity of Morro Bay
.
as windblown sand dunes
. The plant is found on less than 900 acres of coastal sage scrub
and chaparral
habitat, sometimes forming monotypic stands on hillsides.
Two thirds of its habitat is privately owned, some of it is slated for development, and its habitat requirements are narrow; these and other problems led to the plant's being listed as a threatened species
in 1994. Some of the plants are protected within Montaña de Oro State Park
.
during the winter months. They are usually very light pink, urn-shaped, and hairy inside. The fruits are fuzzy red drupe
s each about a centimeter wide.
, for California native plant
, drought tolerant, and natural habitat
gardens.
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 Morro manzanita. This shrub
Shrub
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 San Luis Obispo County, California
San Luis Obispo County, California
San 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...
, where it is known only from the vicinity of Morro Bay
Morro Bay, California
Morro Bay is a waterfront city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,234, down from 10,350 at the 2000 census.- History :...
.
Distribution
There are 18 occurrences of the Arctostaphylos morroensis plant, and it is abundant in some local areas. It is limited to a specific type of substrate known as "Baywood fine sands", a type of sandy soil which originated in the PleistocenePleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
as windblown sand dunes
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
. The plant is found on less than 900 acres of coastal sage scrub
Coastal sage scrub
Coastal sage scrub is a low scrubland plant community found in the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of coastal California and northern Baja California. It is characterized by low-growing aromatic, and drought-deciduous shrubs adapted to the semi-arid Mediterranean climate of the...
and 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...
habitat, sometimes forming monotypic stands on hillsides.
Two thirds of its habitat is privately owned, some of it is slated for development, and its habitat requirements are narrow; these and other problems led to the plant's being listed as a threatened species
Endangered species
An 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...
in 1994. Some of the plants are protected within Montaña de Oro State Park
Montaña de Oro State Park
Montaña de Oro is a state park in California, United States. The park is located six miles southwest of Morro Bay and 2 miles south of Los Osos...
.
Description
Arctostaphylos morroensis is a spreading shrub, reaching up to 4 meters in height but generally staying wider than tall. It has shreddy red-gray bark and whiskery bristles on the smaller branches and twigs. The leaves are oval-shaped and slightly convex, dark green on the upper surface and duller gray-green beneath. Plentiful flowers hang in dense clusters on short pedicelsPedicel (botany)
A pedicel is a stem that attaches single flowers to the main stem of the inflorescence. It is the branches or stalks that hold each flower in an inflorescence that contains more than one flower....
during the winter months. They are usually very light pink, urn-shaped, and hairy inside. The fruits are fuzzy 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 each about a centimeter wide.
Cultivation
The Arctostaphylos morroensis plant is cultivated as a landscaping ornamental plantOrnamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
, for California native plant
California native plants
California native plants are plants that existed in California prior to the arrival of European explorers and colonists in the late 18th century...
, drought tolerant, and natural habitat
Natural landscaping
.Natural landscaping, also called native gardening, is the use of native plants, including trees, shrubs, groundcover, and grasses which are indigenous to the geographic area of the garden.-Maintenance:...
gardens.