Arctostaphylos nevadensis
Encyclopedia
Arctostaphylos nevadensis, with the common name Pinemat manzanita, is a species of manzanita
.
Arctostaphylos nevadensis is native to western North America from Washington to California
, where it grows in the coniferous forests of the inland and coastal mountain ranges. It is a dominant shrub
in the mountain understory chaparral
in many areas.
about 7 millimeters wide.
on mountain slopes.
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...
.
Distribution
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 grows in the coniferous forests of the inland and coastal mountain ranges. It is a dominant 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...
in the mountain understory 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...
in many areas.
Description
Arctostaphylos nevadensis is is a short, spreading shrub forming mats, tangles, or mounds less than half a meter tall. The larger branches have dull red bark and the twigs are generally woolly. Leaves are bright green and shiny, with few hairs especially along the edges. They measure 1 to 3 centimeters in length. The shrub blooms in spherical clusters of urn-shaped whitish manzanita flowers. The fruit is a spherical drupeDrupe
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.
Cultivation
This species is cultivated as a chaparral landscaping plant and it is used to stabilize soil against erosionErosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
on mountain slopes.