| Mount Diablo Manzanita | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
|
Imperiled (NatureServe) |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Genus: | Arctostaphylos |
| Species: | A. auriculata |
| Binomial name | |
| Arctostaphylos auriculata Eastw. |
|
Arctostaphylos auriculata (Mount Diablo Manzanita) is an endangered species of Arctostaphylos endemic to California, and limited in geography to the area surrounding Mount Diablo, in Contra Costa County.
Contents |
Arctostaphylos auriculata is a woody shrub 1-4.5 m high with serpentine, glandless stems covered in white hair. The short [1.5-4.5 cm], silvery leaves overlap and have deeply lobed bases. It flowers densely in white February through May. The fruit is also hairy and small (5-10 mm). The Mount Diablo Manzanita has no basal burl for regrowth and must propagate by seed.
Growing in sandstone chaparral around 150-650 meter elevation, the thick undergrowth of Mount Diablo Manzanita is often accompanied by poison oak or California wild grapes.