ARCTOSTAPHYLOS

The genus '''Arctostaphylos''', the 'manzanitas' and 'bearberries', are shrubs or small trees characterised by smooth, orange or red bark and stiff, twisting branches.
There are about 60 species of manzanita, ranging from ground-hugging coastal and mountain species to small trees up to 6 m tall. Most are evergreen (one species deciduous), with small oval leaves 1-7 cm long, arranged spirally on the stems. The flowers are bell-shaped, white or pale pink, and borne in small clusters of 2-20 together; flowering is in the spring. The fruit are small berries, ripening in the summer or autumn. The berries of some species are edible.
''Arctostaphylos'' species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including ''Coleophora arctostaphyli'' (which feeds exclusively on ''A. uva-ursi'') and ''Coleophora glaucella''.
The name means "bear grapes", derived from Greek ''arkto'' (bear) and ''staphyle'' (grape).
According to Philip V. Wells in 'The Jepson Manual' and other sources, there are two subgenera of ''Arctostaphylos'':

★ Subgenus ''Micrococcus''

★
★ Sect. ''Micrococcus''

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos mendocinoensis'' Pygmy Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos myrtifolia'' Ione Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos nissenana'' Nissenan Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos nummularia'' Glossyleaf Manzanita


★ Subgenus ''Arctostaphylos'', which has 3 sections:

★
★ Sect. ''Arctostaphylos''

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos alpina'' Alpine Bearberry

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos bakeri'' Baker's Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos densiflora'' Sonoma Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos edmundsii'' Little Sur Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos gabrielensis'' San Gabriel Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos glauca'' Bigberry Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos hispidula'' Gasquet Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos hookeri'' Hooker's Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos insularis'' Island Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos klamathensis'' Klamath Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos manzanita'' Common Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos mewukka'' Indian Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos nevadensis'' Pinemat Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos parryana'' Parry Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos patula'' Greenleaf Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos pumila'' Sandmat Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos pungens'' Pointleaf Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos rudis'' Shagbark Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos stanfordiana'' Stanford's Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos uva-ursi'' Bearberry

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos viscida'' Sticky Manzanita

★
★ Sect. ''Foliobracteata''

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos andersonii'' Santa Cruz Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos auriculata'' Mount Diablo Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos canescens'' Hoary Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos catalinae'' Santa Catalina Island Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos columbiana'' Hairy Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos confertiflora'' Santa Rosa Island Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos cruzensis'' La Cruz Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos glandulosa'' Eastwood Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos glutinosa'' Schreiber's Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos hooveri'' Hoover's Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos imbricata'' San Bruno Mountain Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos luciana'' Santa Lucia Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos malloryi'' Mallory's Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos montaraensis'' Montara Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos montereyensis'' Monterey Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos morroensis'' Morro Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos nortensis'' Del Norte

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos obispoensis'' Serpentine Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos osoensis'' Oso Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos otayensis'' Otay Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos pajaroensis'' Pajaro Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos pallida'' Pallid Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos pechoensis'' Pecho Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos pilosula'' La Panzo Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos purissima'' La Purissima Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos refugioensis'' Refugio Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos regismontana'' King's Mountain Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos silvicola'' Bonny Doon Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos tomentosa'' Woolylead Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos virgata'' Bolinas Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos viridissuma'' Whitehair Manzanita

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos wellsii'' Well's Manzanita

★
★ Sect. ''Pictobracteata''

★
★
★ ''Arctostaphylos pringlei'' Pringle Manzanita
See also Bearberry, for some species in the genus ''Arctostaphylos''.
;Synonyms

★ ''Arctostaphylos bicolor'' is generally considered ''Xylococcus bicolor''

★ ''Arctostaphylos crustacea'' is generally considered ''Arctostaphylos tomentosa'' ssp. ''crustacea''
See also the closely related genus ''Comarostaphylis'', previously often included in ''Arctostaphylos''.

Contents

Distribution

Cultivation

References

Distribution

Manzanitas are present in the chaparral biome of western North America, where they occur from southern British Columbia in Canada, Washington to California and New Mexico in the United States, and throughout much of northern and central Mexico.
Three species, the bearberries, ''A. alpina'' (Alpine Bearberry), ''A. rubra'' (Red Bearberry) and ''A. uva-ursi'' (Common Bearberry), have adapted to arctic and subarctic climates, and have a circumpolar distribution in northern North America, Asia and Europe.
An unusual association of Manzanita occurs on Hood Mountain, in Sonoma County, California, where stands of pygmy forest dominated by Mendocino Cypress are found.

Cultivation

Cultivation is generally difficult due to fungal diseases, and often salinity and alkalinity. Overhead watering should be avoided in hot weather. Some cultivars are easier to cultivate.

References

★ ITIS 23467

★ Hickman, James C. (1993). ''The Jepson Manual: higher plants of California'', University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, California. ISBN 0-520-08255-9.

★ Treatment from the Jepson Manual

★ Wells, Philip V. (2000). ''Manzanitas of California'', Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Lawrence, Kansas. ISBN 0-933994-22-2.

★ Wells, Philip V. 1992. Subgenera and sections of ''Arctostaphylos''. ''The Four Seasons'' 9: 64-69.