Arctostaphylos obispoensis
Encyclopedia
Arctostaphylos obispoensis is a species of manzanita
known by the common names serpentine manzanita and bishop manzanita. It is endemic to California
, where it is known only from the southern Santa Lucia Mountains
of Monterey
and San Luis Obispo Counties
. It grows in the woodlands and forests of the coastal range, usually on serpentine soil
. This is a shrub
growing to a maximum height of at least a meter, but known to sprawl to over four meters in height. The small branches and newer leaves are woolly. The mature leaves are hairless and oblong to widely lance-shaped and up to 4.5 centimeters long. The inflorescence
is a dense cluster of urn-shaped manzanita flowers. The fruit is a waxy drupe
at least a centimeter wide.
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 names serpentine manzanita and bishop manzanita. It 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 is known only from the southern Santa Lucia Mountains
Santa Lucia Mountains
The Santa Lucia Mountains or Santa Lucia Range is a mountain range in coastal California, running from Monterey southeast for 105 miles to San Luis Obispo. The highest summit is Junipero Serra Peak, in Monterey County...
of Monterey
Monterey County, California
Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...
and San Luis Obispo Counties
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...
. It grows in the woodlands and forests of the coastal range, usually on serpentine soil
Serpentine soil
A serpentine soil is derived from ultramafic rocks, in particular serpentinite, a rock formed by the hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle....
. This is a 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...
growing to a maximum height of at least a meter, but known to sprawl to over four meters in height. The small branches and newer leaves are woolly. The mature leaves are hairless and oblong to widely lance-shaped and up to 4.5 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 dense cluster of urn-shaped manzanita flowers. The fruit is a waxy 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...
at least a centimeter wide.